A Crown So Cursed (Nightmare-Verse, #3) (2024)

I haven’t read this yet because it’s NOT PUBLISHED YET. I literally just talked about people doing this. Especially to black authors. Stop with the bullsh*t. Can’t wait to pick it up once it’s ACTUALLY PUBLISHED.

Just adding 5 stars and a review to counter the one star ratings on an unpublished (and not even ARCed) book. Also, if the first two books are anything to go by, I'll wind up giving it five stars anyway.

Giving this unreleased book a five star review because a bunch of jerks think it's funny to give WOC 1 star reviews before their books are published. The haters can shove it. This series is fun af.

I’ve been SO EXCITED waiting for this. The first two books were incredible. But every time I look it’s been pushed back further and further. Now it’s a YEAR from today?! I’m so impatient. It’s hard when huge chunks of time go by in between installments, I end up forgetting or losing interest because it’s been so long since I read the others in the series. Or I end up having to reread the whole series because I’ve forgotten details when so long passes.

I really hope this one gets bumped back up to sooner than the end of 2021, I LOVE this series!

I know the pandemic has messed up all sorts of stuff. But I figured books would be the perfect thing to keep going, people have more time than ever to read!

....it was the end of 2021. I checked today (3/2/21) and now it’s suddenly 2023?! When and why the hell?! I’ll never remember anything in it. Or that it’s even coming out.

UGH. Back to lament on 11/1/21 that even Amazon says Feb 2023. I’ll have to reread the first two for sure but I’m a bit worried that by that point I’ll forget it’s coming out. These kinds of gaps kind of kill the rush you get when you read an amazing book and know you’re waiting for the next installment. I know Covid was obviously a huge deal for the publishing industry but I shall whine anyway 😭 Talk about first world problems. I’ve just been having this happen with so many authors/series I’ve loved the past 5-6 years. I find myself waiting 2, 3, 4 years for another installment. Or sometimes confirmation of an upcoming installment…then 2+ years later no publishing date or cover or anything. I’ve had some amazing series I LOVED end book 2 or 3 or whatever on a cliffhanger…and then it never picks back up and it’s a killer. Like when you binge an incredible TV show and are frantically googling for the premiere date of the next season and you see…”CANCELED” 😂

Unrelated rant over. Books are just my whole world and I’ve had huge slumps on and off throughout Covid that I usually don’t have. I continued to read but very few things really caught me. I think I’ve only rated 4-5 books all year at more than 3 stars. Same with last year. Maybe I’m the problem!

It’s a good conclusion to this series (which I enjoyed overall). But, there were a few pieces that felt unanswered or rushed. Great fights, wrapped together well, but after waiting years for this final installment, I was a little disappointed.

this cover. are you seeing it? ARE YOU SEEING THIS COVER? i said calmly

In lots of ways this is a great trilogy. It’s quite fast paced, there is a likeable MC on a heroic arc, the magical world is really interesting, and the story builds through the three books in a satisfying manner. This third book really brings the Alice in Wonderland aspects to life even more than in the previous two. I would also say I found this book to have a darker, almost scary at times, feel than the other two.
However, I’m not comfortable with the very low key romance that runs in the background. That never felt real to me, and if it had felt real I think I would have had ick. I am just not ok with ancient magical men having relationships with teenage girls (this girl is in high school, still calls her mother ‘Mommy’, and is sometimes grounded as a punishment. Definitely not appropriate to be involved with a man who is her mentor and is technically as old as her grandmother). Because this romance is only barely touched on through the story, I kept expecting the mentor to make it clear the crush/attraction wasn’t going to go anywhere, as an adult should. Also, both the MC, and the mentor have other romantic interests, which get as much/ more attention in the writing.
If you are triggered by the student/ teacher, adult/ teen relationship be aware of that aspect. Although it is not really fleshed out or given much space in the books. If they didn’t say it was happening I may not have realised.
I will add that there are little bits of queerness sprinkled through the story. These are just little glimpses, but in every instance they are treated in exactly the same way a heterosexual interaction/ relationship would be written. There is no mention of hom*ophobia/ anti queerness even existing. This was a lovely thing to discover.
Even though I’ve written a lot about romance this is not a big factor in the books. This is a story about a teen girl fighting evil magic to save the world with her friends. Her friends and her family are really the only relationships that are front and centre in the story.

#booktour #acrownsocursed

As a kid growing up, I remember seeing all the wondrous adventures characters were making and I noticed all those characters didn’t look like me .

It made me feel as if I wasn’t worthy to have adventures just like this characters and have such magnificent magical things happen to me !

All these years, the child in me has been left behind, as a reader and not welcomed in spaces that I clearly belong, until now!!

It is with such joy that I am made to feel a part of a word that I spend loving hours in for over 30 years!

Yes, at 49 years old, these past few years, I am now starting to see characters that look, sound, act, and /or mirror the community I live!!

With that said, this book means so much to me because it allows my inner child the ability to see that she’s a hero too!!

#ACrownsoCursed #HearOurVoices #HOV

#1) A Blade So Black ★★★★★
#2) A Dream So Dark ★★★★☆

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2021?? ☹️

Edit: 2023!!?!? This book is never coming 🥲

After years of waiting for the conclusion to this Buffy/Alice in Wonderland-esq trilogy, I have to admit I'm a little disappointed.

Alice and her crew face their biggest challenge yet as monsters and nightmares terrorize Wonderland and the human world. Alice also comes to terms with her identify, her family legacy, and romantic relationships in her life.

I'll admit, it was a little hard to get back into this series after so many years. I probably should have re-read the first two books, because it was really confusing jumping back into this series. But beyond that, I felt like this book was all over the place.

Attacks from nightmares keep coming, and there's never time to regroup or for Alice and her friends to make connections about why events are happening. It never felt like anyone "discovered" anything about their enemies, it was just cool fight after cool fight.

There's a lot of unfinished business in this book, which is supposed to be the conclusion to this series. Alice's romantic relationships are left very open-ended. The fate of certain characters, as well as enemies, are also left as deliberate cliff-hangers. I'm guessing the author is going to write more books set in this universe, but it ended up making this book, and the series, feel incomplete.

Maybe I'll appreciate it more if I ever re-read this series.

I was disappointed because I did not enjoy this book as much as the others. The writing felt rushed and slow at the same time. I’m still confused by Chess, the death of Alice’s dad, what happened to the two sisters that tried to kill Addison.

Flew through a book in this series yet again. I truly hope that we get more books because there is so much more to explore. I’m curious about a certain someone’s plans and love how I was engrossed into this story so wholly. Even when I hadn’t planned on this being my next read. I’m so happy I did.

I'm still bummed that this series is trilogy and doesn't have four for the four suits in a deck of cards.

That being said, I'm glad the author had the chance to breathe with this book and take the time it needed to get the ending right.

2023: 3.5

Bi-M/Bi-F

Enjoyed the whole retelling of this series! I loved how it all come together in book 3. I want more!!! 4.5

Strong conclusion to the trilogy. Found this one to be a little grittier than the first two, but I think that serves the progression of the story. 4 stars

I have waited 5 years for the final installation of this unique trilogy. Alice and her friends find themselves back in Wonderland fighting to save all of their homes as things are not right…..again. This time the darkness seems to have more power and even Alice’s prowess and the Vorpal blade seem to be no match. This is such a unique series turning Alice into a bad ass fighting demons with other members of the beloved book Alice in Wonderland. I am so excited to have a finale to this series and look forward to more from this author!

Ugh. I wanted to love this because the series is great, but I just felt like there were too many loose ends. It was a good ending, but not great. Maybe if this was split into 2 books instead of just one, I would've been happier.

This series was rather disappointing. It was "okay" but could have been so much better. It was promoted as "Alice in Wonderland meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer"...if only. It did not live up to the hype.
My major issue w/ the series is there were too many threads that were left dangling, and not enough details. The reader was expected to accept plot twists and bridges w/o questions. There were too many times that things were not explained, and the reader was left w/ "Why?" or "How?". Some things did not make sense. For example, in the car crash scene, how did the car end up where it was? The reader is supposed to accept it "magically" teleported? There was no reason or logic, it just appeared in this area. It seems all that was important in this series was getting from one "fight scene" to the next and how it is bridged between these scenes is unimportant. Just accept it without question.
Also, the romantic threads were left dangling and knotted. At the end there were so many questions about the relationships between the characters that went unanswered. Speaking of unanswered questions, what was the deal w/ Chess? To avoid spoilers, I will not get into details, but after what occurred, how he ended up was never explained. And what happened to Humphrey for that matter? Too many unanswered questions.
Lastly, the character of Courtney. What was her purpose in this entire series except to be chauffer to Alice? First, she was very similar to the character in the Hate You Give by Angie Thomas w/o the subtle racism, rich attractive entitled white girl best friend of the main character. But she had no real influence on the storyline except to follow Alice around and give her rides. The character was unnecessary. At least in Ms. Thomas' story the character had a purpose, to show how some people are consciously or unconsciously closet racist. Courtney wasn't even this.
I would not dissuade anybody from reading this series, I would just warn not to get your hopes too high, this had more holes in it than Swiss cheese.

Really enjoyed this take on the story!

There's a touch of guilt for leaving this 3-star review but a lot of it boils down to the delay in publishing and this series losing its momentum in the process. The first two books were great and were released a reasonable length of time from one to the next. Then, whatever the circ*mstances were, this book kept getting pushed back and I ended up losing interest in the storyline. I've moved away from YA in general and this series no longer resonates with me. The Nightmare-Verse is the reason I became gun-shy at jumping into new or unfinished series/trilogies.

I rated this 5 stars because I am literally having withdrawals and cannot believe (but totally understand) that I have to be patient and wait until 2023 (is that even possible that’s a year I’m already contemplating) to read it! Praying for an early release. No pressure though. Follow your process boo.

Cant wait to read this one when it gets published

Let’s make #Hattalice happen

The upside is that it was hard to put down. The downside is I'm hoping this isn't the last book because the ending felt rushed, too. Overall, this book felt pretty fast-paced and a fun ride.

This was a long awaited book, and the author definitely had a vision as this was definitely the most exciting installment of the series. One issue is that It just came really late after the first two books, and you needed to reread them just to get prepared for the book itself.

I thought the author had so much to say, and honestly I think it could/should have been two books as the end (actually the last 10 chapters) felt rushed as there was so much that was pushed in them that it left little time for the story itself to breathe.

Now for the relationships….I was an Alice and Addison (Hatter) fan and I honestly hoped their “relationship” got more fleshed out (spoiler alert, stop reading if you don’t want them) and honestly it wasn’t. From the continuous “butterflies” from Chess and the nervous sensation from the other dream walker I couldn’t see if she actually was serious about this relationship (and don’t get me started on him).

There was a moment between Addison, Chess and Humphrey that was down right confusing and not only was it not discussed, but no one bothered to untangle it openly! That was really frustrating, especially considering the fact that we’ve been on this journey for years so it seemed like it needed major unpacking.

The long and short of it is it was a great retelling, I just wished she’d taken her time and processed all of what she wanted to say.

I’ve read the series in total about three times, and honestly I found myself bothered by the knots that she left untangled. But I still support her vision, and hopefully she will write one more from this series because it felt like she could have had more to say; even if it painted a vision of an ending.

In my opinion I’d give it like a 4.7 cause i feel like it should’ve been spanned out a little bit longer instead of just hitting that 400 page mark. I feel like it could’ve been explained more in depth but for how long the book is it does a pretty good job already. There are a few plot holes but not enough to where I’d say I didn’t like the book. Now onto something to clear the air….HATTA IS ALICE’S MAN WHATS SO CONFUSING ABOUT THAT. like yes there was some other love interests (?) ig but like every time they were together it was nothing buuut chemistry, and if it didn’t really click i suggest you read page 397-401 once more. Let’s get into the Love (square?) dynamics, Hatta/Humphrey- an old fling that’s dying out, Alice/Chess- it was kinda just there like a quick lil crush, Now Alice/ Humphrey, that would’ve been cool to see, would I have rooted for them? No, but they had that enemies to lovers vibe thing that coulda been going with their banter and his strange draw to be like her “protector” . I’m still confused on the whole Chess and Humphrey situation towards the end of the book. I also feel like Haruka had no purpose in this book, like she did in A dream so dark, besides showing that Alice is bisexual and has feelings towards women. I can also agree with the fact that Courtney didn’t really have a big role this time besides being the supportive bestie. But other than that this book is by far my favorite within the series because Alice’s character development is clear and you’re able to see how much she’s starting to see what everyone else has saw in her the entire time. I would really love another short book just on everything that’s happend after the third book.

**Book Review: "A Crown so Cursed" by L.L. McKinney**

*First Impressions:*
The cover of "A Crown so Cursed" depicts a different Alice than I imagined, but it resonates more with the story than previous books. The title hints at significant events, possibly tied to a generational curse. The cover's beauty and the intriguing background draw attention.

*Locating the Book/Audio Quality:*
Finding it on Audible, not available on Libby, was a slight setback, but supporting the author made it worthwhile. Audible's chapter structure differed, offering mid-points for starting. The serious tone lacked some of the usual humor, but the narrators delivered well. Overall, a series worth re-listening.

*Story Insights:*
L.L. McKinney excels in world-building, exploring the veil and in-between world. While Atlanta takes precedence over Wonderland, the continuous destruction of Alice's house serves its purpose. Tina's presence is less overwhelming, and Nana K undergoes significant development. The story's conflict intensifies rapidly, with magical content leading to unsettling nightmares and intriguing developments in Alice's powers. The plot brings characters together in desperate situations.

*Final Thoughts:*
Early predictions about Nana K being connected to the Red Queen unfold, leaving questions about memory issues and Wonderland's impact. The fate of Humphrey and Chess remains uncertain, and the hope for a marriage between Addison Hatta and Alice lingers. The golden armor adds a captivating touch, while the aftermath leaves questions about the powers of Addison and Humphrey's swords after encountering the Soul of Wonderland.

The last book in a great series. Overall, I give it a 4.1. It was very fast paced, which I appreciated. I actually could not put this book down as it pulls you in so well. And there were a couple of surprise plot twists that I didn't see coming at all but were great to experience in this roller coaster ride of a book. Loved that it had some references to DragonCon in Atlanta, too! It was great to see Alice grow into her own.

While the book was a definite page turner for me, were some disappointing downsides: A few major plot points didn't get fully ironed out for me. They seemed either hurriedly glossed over or just forgotten completely. I wish the author had spent more time fleshing things out so this book could be even that much more ...

Another thing, which really irked me, were the TYPOS - there were at least three or four. PLUS a mention of "he" when it was suppose to be "she" and the part with the sisters and the wagon when one of them asks about what the three of them are doing in a certain part of Wonderland when really it's FOUR of them, NOT three. Dear L.L. McKinney, if you're reading this, please get some new proofreaders when the next edition of this gets published.

An additional thing that bothered me more so than in the other books was the switching between Addison and Hatta - same person of course but I couldn't figure out the logic of when the narration used one over the other. It was a bit too much after a point with the back and forth name change.

Aside from those rants, it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.