Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher and netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Dream So Dark

Author: L. L. McKinley

Book Series: The Nightmare-Verse Book 2

Diversity: Own voice main character and LGBT rep!

Rating: 4.5/5

Publication Date: September 25, 2019

Publisher: Square Fish

Pages: 416

Recommended Age:15+ (violence, gore)

Synopsis: Still reeling from her recent battle (and grounded until she graduates), Alice must abandon her friends to complete her mission: find The Heart and prevent the Red Lady's rise. But the deeper she ventures into Wonderland, the more topsy-turvy everything becomes. It’s not until she’s at her wits end that she realizes—Wonderland is trying to save her.

There’s a new player on the board; a poet capable of using Nightmares to not only influence the living but raise the dead. This Poet is looking to claim the Black Queen’s power—and Alice's budding abilities—as their own.

Dreams have never been so dark in Wonderland, and if there is any hope of defeating this mystery poet’s magic, Alice must confront the worst in herself, in the people she loves, and in the very nature of fear itself.

Review: For the most part I really liked this sequel. I thought it was well written and the characters are amazingly well developed. The world was very well built and the characters are well developed from the first book. We got a lot more of the characters, especially Alice and her mother, and we got LGBT rep! The author definitely evolved from the first book to this one and I'm excited to see what else she writes!

I still had some issues with pacing and the fight scenes (personal preference), but other than that it was a great read!

Verdict: I love this Alice.