McKinney, is an advocate for equality and inclusion in publishing, and the creator of the hashtags #PublishingPaidMe and #WhatWoCWritersHear.Įlle’s also a gamer, Blerd, and adamant Hei Hei stan, living in Kansas City, spending her free time plagued by her cat–Sir Chester Fluffmire Boopsnoot Purrington Wigglebottom Flooferson III, esquire, Baron o’Butterscotch or #SirChester for short. Leatrice “Elle” McKinney, writing as L.L. And if you’ve longed to see what a more diverse, modern and issues-conscious take on the story would look like, you’ll enjoy this too.

If you love Alice, you’ll enjoy this book. However, as this was McKinney’s debut, I see a lot of potential for growth, and can’t wait to see what’s in store for in the second and forthcoming third installments. I do think the writing leaves a bit to be desired, as at times, I did feel a bit disconnected from the characters and the action, and it can be a bit choppy. And in the real world, the presence of her mother presenting a bit of a grounding force is refreshing, in a sea of stories for young people with orphaned protagonists. The other characters are also charming and memorable homages to the source material, from mentor Hatta to the Russian Dee and Dum, and I loved the bonds Alice forms with them as she fights evil alongside them. But, having come to appreciate the subgenre more, I found I really enjoyed it this time around.Īs the cover suggests, Alice is pretty much a knife-wielding badass, yet I love that it comes from a vulnerable and realistic place that resonated with me and also made me think, given how relevant the issue is to what’s going on today with gun violence, making the urban fantasy setting so effective, especially when paralleled with her fantastical battles. McKinney as an outspoken voice for diversity in the book community on Twitter who has an undeserved bad reputation in some circles, so I was curious to read her books, and while I was intrigued by the concept of A Blade So Black due to it being a rendition of Alice in Wonderland that so thoroughly embraces Black Girl Magic, I also wasn’t sure about the modern/urban fantasy aspects, and even put it down once before due to that factor. And she’ll need to use everything she’s learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head.

But when Alice’s handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. Life in real-world Atlanta isn’t always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA.

Now she’s trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life.

A Dream So Dark by L.L. McKinney