lberestecki's review against another edition
3.0
Received from NetGalley in exchange for review.
almo's review against another edition
4.0
Kindle Edition, 408 pages
Published April 19th, 2016 by Automatic Publishing
I came across this book via the brilliant Koeur's Book Reviews. I love it when he goes off on a rant (which luckily for me, happens quite often), but when something gets high praise from him, I know I've gotta read it as well. Due to all the poopiness going on, I was WAY behind on my ARC pile, so it took a while to finally read this one. And, of course, 'Koeur' was absolutely right!
The entire blurb actually spoilers the shit out of the book so here's only a part of it (as if anyone reads the giant blurbs anyways):
"Swordplay! Arsenal cubes and blade chasers! School bullies! Self-serving rivals! Scheming adults and soulless rebel plotters! Welcome to the world of cadet Hatter Madigan, who has just entered Wonderland’s Millinery Academy, where those born to protect the queendom train to become spies, assassins, and bodyguards. The co-ed world of a freshman Cap is extremely competitive, and as hard as Hatter’s mystic and martial studies prove to be, they are little compared to the more difficult art of successfully dealing with others vying to be the best."
Okay, so the title had me frowning a bit at first. I don't like it when abbreviations are created throughout the use of periods when it comes to titles.
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Try typing that in your Popcorn Time Netflix quickly when you want to watch an episode. Try and not get annoyed to shits over it.
So yes, 'H.A.T.B.O.X.' -> nice for in the actual story but not on the cover of the book in my opinion. All nitpickers unite!
Ever since Hatter and his older brother Dalton's parents went missing, they've lived at the Millenary Academy a.k.a. Wonderland's version of Hogwarts. It's quite a tough place to grow up in because emotions are considered to be a crock of shit horrible thing in the academy's environment. Having inherited the greatness of his parents, Dalton already made it to the top. Hatter, however, is just getting started and hoping he can make it past his first term and become a great spy for the Spade faction one day.
Just like at Hogwarts, there are four factions to be placed in. Not by a sorting hat this time (which would've actually been very appropriate for this story if it wouldn't be a complete rip off), but by a couple of ancient caterpillars who can read the past and the future. Sort of.
When Hatter meets his fellow students, the usual types of characters are introduced: the rich bully, the over-achieving female student, and the guy who always gets picked on because of his appearance.
"Because a bully is only as powerful as others allow him to be."
Now when you're thinking, why on earth should I read this book if it's all been done before?! My answer is: because it's still quite original!
Set in the world of Lewis Carroll (did you guys know he was also a mathematician? I didn't!)'s Alice in Wonderland, you know anything can happen basically, and oh boy, was this ever such fine motor oil to get my imagination going. If you take a look at the cover, you can already see this isn't the typical Wonderland story.
There are blades, lots of blades, hats that can turn into blades and sharp boomerangs, swords, nunchucks, axes...almost all infused with magic! The magic system itself is very interesting because most of it comes from silk caterpillar threads. In fact, the entire university is made from those magical threads! And that's where you have to use your imagination to the fullest extent. Which went great for me with everything except for the H.A.T.B.O.X. (Holographic and Transmutative Base of Xtremecombat). It's basically a giant virtual reality box in which you can fight different scenarios to enhance your combat skills. If you would ask me what the box looks like, though, I couldn't for the life of me explain it to you because I couldn't visualise it based on its description.
Two more points of critique are:
- 1.We're being introduced to a girl named Weaver in the beginning of the book, yet never see her again throughout the rest of the story. What's the point of her being in there apart from the sake of being a potential love interest? Maybe she plays a bigger role in the other books.
2. I get that as this is a Middle-Grade book, the goal was to not turn this into a 500-page epos. However, I wish it would've been a bit longer so we could get to know the characters a bit better, without having to read all the other Hatter Madigan books (there are ones in which he's an adult as well).
TL; DR: This is a colourful, fast-paced, action-packed story with both Fantasy- and Sci-Fi elements in it. A virtual reality machine, a 'ghost' that (in my head) looks like this
, an actual AT-AT scene taking place, and the most spot-on description has already been made by Koeur in his review:
it's Harry Potter on acid.
I'm giving it four brownies and a firm recommendation for when you're in the mood for some familiar, yet original fantasy.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion!
P.s.- Did you sign up for my blogiversary giveaway yet? It's ending this Friday!
dna301's review against another edition
5.0
The Hatter Madigan one meets at the beginning of this novel is an insecure, young thirteen year old who's grown up as an orphan in the kitchens of the Millinery Academy after the disappearance of his parents and in the shadow of his elder brother, Dalton. He was never trained to control his emotions nor does he know many of the basic skills, aside from combat thanks to Dalton, that many of peers have learned from their Milliner families. All his has left of his parents is his father's old, worn hat. He wants to fit in and tries his best to do so, giving in to the peer pressure of his more "famous" classmates (a group collectively known as "the Wellingtons") and at the expense of those that are seen as "less popular," including one classmate who is physically handicapped. Hatter knows his actions are wrong but he is so desperate to fit in that he gives in to the bigger, stronger personalities of his peers, keeping his opinions to himself.
Once he does gain enough confidence to stand against these bullies, after an incident involving a Tender with whom Hatter sympathizes with as he'd grown up among Tenders, Hatter finds himself on the opposite end as a target for the Academy's bullies. It is then that Hatter must learn how to make friends on his own, which he accomplishes after a time, and the importance of standing up for himself and his new group of friends. These lessons--- about peer pressure and bullying ---are particularly resonant given the many high profile stories that exist about the issues stemming from these two problems. It was nice to see the growth and evolution of a character, incomplete as it was since this is just the first book in the series, who we all know will eventually become protector of Wonderland.
While Hatter longs for acceptance from his peers, he also wishes to forge his own path and step out of his brother Dalton's shadow. As Dalton was "streamed" into the Hearts suit, Hatter wishes to become a Spade...the Wonderland equivalent of a spy. However, he, like his brother before him, is "streamed" into the Hearts suit. Two of his classmates become Spades and he must not only deal with his jealousy of their getting "his position" but with new classes that force him into positions he had not mentally prepared himself to deal with. Herein one can find another important lesson: the future is not always what one hopes it will be. Navigating the twists and turns that life throws at us, be they in the form of new classes or learning a new place in the world, is something individuals of all ages can relate to.
The setting itself, the Millinery Academy and the titular HATBOX, are characters in and of themselves. We follow Hatter and his changing group of friends through various classrooms--- each well described in both form, function, and usage ---into the bowels of the HATBOX, the holographic training space young Milliners go to hone their combat skills. It is within the confines of the HATBOX that Hatter first meets the ghosts mentioned in the title of the novel. With these ghosts, Hatter, acting as guide for the reader, ventures through the "seams" in the school, passages hidden to take individuals to and from locations in a more expedient way than just simply walking there. These "seams" add an element of mystery to the school and allow Hatter to show off some of his knowledge of the Academy to his friends as they try to solve the mystery of the ghosts that exist in the HATBOX.
On a whole, I found this novel both engaging and very well written. The pacing was slow at some points but they allowed for a lull in the action and helped to create the suspense surrounding the next confrontation or action sequence. The nature of the book, the way it was written and the characters designed, make the series accessible to those who have not yet read [b:The Looking Glass Wars|44170|The Looking Glass Wars (The Looking Glass Wars, #1)|Frank Beddor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1354845928s/44170.jpg|918951] series or the [b:Hatter M, Volume 1: The Looking Glass Wars|3563478|Hatter M, Volume 1 The Looking Glass Wars|Frank Beddor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388179349s/3563478.jpg|7259739] comic books. Given the alternate version of Wonderland, where Hatters don't drink tea and with sleepy dormice, displayed in the story, the book is also accessible to young boys who are looking for a more action orientated series and not just young girls, though, there are plenty of strong female characters for them to look up to.
Personally, I cannot wait to see where this story goes and how the young Hatter, who wears his heart on his sleeve, becomes the stoic bodyguard in [b:The Looking Glass Wars|44170|The Looking Glass Wars (The Looking Glass Wars, #1)|Frank Beddor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1354845928s/44170.jpg|918951] series. It will be very interesting to read about the evolution of Hatter Madigan and find out what happens to his friends in the years at the Millinery Academy.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for this review and I thank the author for allowing me the chance to read and review this novel before it's release.
elevetha's review against another edition
3.0
Not a proper review, as this was an ARC.
While I enjoyed reading it, I didn't like it as much as the LGW, though I do think it will go over pretty well with the intended audience. The plot is good, and while the action isn't really action-y, it fits with the setting and ages of the characters. I did very much like the cast of characters, especially our side characters of Newton, Astra, and even West by the end of it all .
Usually I don't like the trope of the young (generally a boy) kid hanging out with the jerk clique, and then coming around to realize that they're better than that, but while I didn't necessarily like it in this case, I didn't mind it too much as it was handled well, especially as Hatter is starting to pull away from the Mean Boys.
I will be around for Book Two to see more of this crew, and more of Wonderland!
mermaidquake's review against another edition
5.0
As someone who has been a huge Hatter fan since reading the first Looking Glass Wars book, I was excited to find out more about his past. And this book did not disappoint. Young Hatter is not the character we know from the LGW series, but hey, he's a kid. And at many turns, we see glimpses of the man he's going to become.
The story was riveting, I didn't want to put this book down. The characters were well written, something I've come to expect from Frank, and even his villains were three dimensional. Even though I ultimately disliked them, I could understand why they acted the way they did.
There were a few places where the pacing fell flat, but overall, it's a fantastic story, and I am eagerly awaiting the next book. If you're a fan of Hatter Madigan, this book will not disappoint!
reanne's review
This book wants very badly to be Harry Potter and falls far, far short. There's no whimsy, no compelling characters, no wonder and enchantment, and not even any actual teaching. All lessons are completely glossed over. Besides which, they're totally boring anyway. While Harry Potter is learning how to turn animals into objects and back, to fly on a broom, and to do helpful charms like fixing broken things with a wave of his wand, Hatter is learning things like: how to make a hat (not a magical one; just a normal hat--apparently the magic comes through some offscreen process where the hat is 'imbued with White Imagination'), fist-fighting a holographic boy for an entire semester with no instruction (in a room which, while supposedly some sort of holodeck/Danger Room that can create anything, is used as basically your standard gymnasium--i.e. for P.E. and assemblies), and 'learning' about magical thread (the only lesson of this class that's actually described consists of the teacher telling the students to stare at the thread until they can get it to do something). And Hatter isn't as likable as Harry; at least Harry had the smarts not to shake the bully's hand and agree to be his friend.
At first, this was an easy read. But the farther along it went, the worse the book got and the harder it was to slog through. I really, really tried hard to finish this because I'd backed it on Kickstarter, but by about 3/4 of the way through I simply couldn't stand it anymore. Just no. I simply can't with this book anymore. I have a feeling Frank Beddor is one of those people who, rather than being an actual writer, is someone who had one good story in him (the LGW trilogy) and henceforth has spent his time marketing and milking that one idea to death. The jacket cover for this book says he's working on a LGW Broadway musical. I have serious doubts that this supposed Hatter series will ever be complete.
I could write several pages of criticism on this book, but really, I'd rather just wash my hands of it and the author. This was so very, very not worth the $40 I spent to support the Kickstarter, especially since we didn't get it until it was basically in stores (for far cheaper) anyway. The only good part of this book was Newton, the blind cadet, who I did quite like and would have preferred as the protagonist.
BTW, if you're interested in this book because of the connection to Alice In Wonderland, don't be. Any references to that story are extremely superficial and meaningless.