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ArchEnemy (The Looking Glass Wars #3)

by Frank Beddor (Goodreads Author)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 5,120 ratings · 479 reviews

Imagine this...
The power of imagination has been lost!

Now it's all about the artillery as AD52s, crystal shooters, spikejack tumblers, and orb cannons are unleashed in a war of weapons and brute force.

As Alyss searches wildly for the solution to the disaster that has engulfed her queendom, Arch declares himself King of Wonderland. The moment is desperate enough for Alyss t...more

Hardcover, 1st Edition, 373 pages

Published October 15th 2009 by Dial Books

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Dec 08, 2009 Annalisa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Annalisa by: Bradon

Shelves: sci-fi

Have you ever wondered if the Matrix would make a good book and then tried to imagine how an author would describe Reeves billowing trench coat and those swift motions that robotically counter those powerful agents? Probably not, but if you had, you'd quickly realize that somethings are best visual. And speaking of the Matrix, you know how the Matrix was cool and then the sequels weren't as good (when are they ever) and by the end you were done with this idea that was originally so creative but...more

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Jun 04, 2010 Bry rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, fantasy, audiobook, young-adult

I think my qualm with this book is that it reads like a screenplay. The plot seems extremely disjointed and jumpy. There just isn't much continuity and no smooth segways. Furthermore, the entire books is written like a description. Only the bare essentials are given and done so in the most boring language. During action scenes it seems as if every sentence begins with the name of a character and a physical description of their movements, yet with no imagery or feeling. Overall the result is you...more

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May 13, 2013 Spenser rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've enjoyed Beddor's trilogy quite a bit. However, this final installment has really left me wanting for better. The overall pacing of the book is a bit jagged, hopping from group to group, but overall it helps the feeling of things happening at the same time. I especially enjoyed the Caterpillars, as every scene with them only had me scratching my head a little more in wonder at what their plans really were.

The three way battle for the Heart Crystal and Wonderland takes a few interesting turns...more I've enjoyed Beddor's trilogy quite a bit. However, this final installment has really left me wanting for better. The overall pacing of the book is a bit jagged, hopping from group to group, but overall it helps the feeling of things happening at the same time. I especially enjoyed the Caterpillars, as every scene with them only had me scratching my head a little more in wonder at what their plans really were.

The three way battle for the Heart Crystal and Wonderland takes a few interesting turns, including watching as Alyss has to find a way to succeed without imagination. There is a great deal of characterization given to the villains but not as much to the good guys. In particular, I felt as though Hatter and Molly's relationship was left out of the development it should have had. We do see Molly acknowledge some talents from her mother, so that was enjoyable. We continue to see the side story of Alyss and Dodge's relationship as an afterthought as well.

I think my biggest problem comes at the end. It feels so incredibly rushed that when I closed the page I wondered if an entire chapter or two had been ripped from my copy.

One of the single most bothersome parts is how one character just disappears. Quite literally he disappears from the last several chapters without any sort of closure to his fate. As if Beddor forgot about the character entirely. I have read through the point since his last mention (page 311) trying to find anything at all about his fate, but there is nothing. Nothing about a character in the middle of fighting as part of a group, about a character that may well have had a change in what he believes is worth fighting for. Just nothing at all. This just contributed to the overall rushed feel of the ending. I remember thinking: "This is it? This is the conclusion of his trilogy and of the war for imagination?"

The book is still an enjoyable read and I encourage anyone that has read the other two to finish out the trilogy. It doesn't match up to what Beddor is capable of, unfortunately. Forgetting a character and rushing the ending just really ruined the momentum he built.(less)

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Dec 30, 2012 Mimi T rated it 3 of 5 stars

In this final installment of the Looking Glass Wars Trilogy, all of Wonderland (and Earth) find themselves without imagination after the detonation of WILMA (Weapon of Inconceivable Loss and Massive Annihilation) over the Heart Palace. Queen Alyss and Redd are also suffering the loss of imaginative powers, providing opportunities for those against Imagination to rise and take power. King Arch soon becomes the self-proclaimed King of Wonderland and his staunch supporters, the Clubs, have rounded...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Robert rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this all three of the The Looking Glass Wars books, Frank Beddor put a new spin on the clasic story of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. The book starts off where book two Seeing Redd ended . Alyss Heart has won the war with her Aunt Redd , but at a high cost . The loss of Imagination. The as the story unfolds , you find that Lord and Lady Club are trying to take over Wonderland. They have started to round up the citains of Wonderland that...more I enjoyed this all three of the The Looking Glass Wars books, Frank Beddor put a new spin on the clasic story of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. The book starts off where book two Seeing Redd ended . Alyss Heart has won the war with her Aunt Redd , but at a high cost . The loss of Imagination. The as the story unfolds , you find that Lord and Lady Club are trying to take over Wonderland. They have started to round up the citains of Wonderland that had the power to use Imagination. Before King Arch used 'Weapon of Inconceivable Loss and Massive Annihilation". or WILMA. on the Heart Crystal. Alyss Heart , want to see if the Clubs are behind the attack on the Imaginationers, when she and Dodge Anders Captain of the Palace Guards, and her best friend are captured by the Clubs . Not knowing who they are there sent to a camp with all the other Imaginationers. The two meet Mutty P. Dumphy , who is starting to get the power of Imagination back . The three start to form a plan to escape . As all this is Going on Redd shows up at King Arch camp , The king knowing that Redd does not have the power of Imagination tries to get kill her . Redd and her assassin escape . King Arch takes over what left of Redd's ARMY adds it to his own , Attack Wonderland and takes it over . Hatter Madigan finds out what is going on and fearing for his daugther Homburg Molly safety takes her to Earth and leaves her with Charles Dodgson AKA Lewis Carroll . Know that Molly is safe . Hatter Madigan return to Wonderland , to fight for Queen Alyss. Dodge Anders and Queen Alyss escape the camp when her power of Imagination comes back . the two are on the run . While on the run Alyss and Redd join forces to defeat King Arch, and save the Heart Crystal . I enjoyed reading ArchEnemy , it is full of action , and the Characters are interesting to get to know . I just wish I would of reread both The Looking Glass Wars and Seeing Redd before i read ArchEnemy . I would of also liked a Glossary for some of the Wonderland terms . (less)

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Aug 29, 2012 Elevetha Houre rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: need-a-re-read, middle-grade, magic-and-other-magical-substances, fantasy-sci-fi, fantasy-adventure, epic-fantasy, adventure, characterize-please

2.5 stars. I was a little disappointed in this conclusion to "The Looking-Glass Wars." Honestly, I need a re-read but when I did read it, I remember thinking, "What? This is it? THIS is where we end? Oh well." There was little characterization, all action, and what we did get of characterization was all for the villains. Don't get me wrong. I love a good villain. Tar Man for one. Redd for another. I love her character. But when the story is supposed to be about Alyss, or at least that was what I...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Gabi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before I began to read this book, I had curiously started to wonder how Mr. Frank Beddor would end the book in this intriging trilogy because of the amount of extensive writing within it and I wasn't dissapointed at all. With such powerful extremes and risks that many of the characters in this book have to encounter, it was a complete page turner! While reading the book as each chapter revolves around certain characters, be prepared to wish to know what was happening to the others because it wil...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Suzy rated it 4 of 5 stars

By this point in the series I wanted to know if Alyss was going to win back Wonderland and that everything would end happily. Nothing happened as I thought it would but what ever happens the way we think it will, especially in a magical place like Wonderland. I knew from the beginning of the first book that King Arch was bad news, the second proved me more right and this one did the same. I was glad to find him overthrown and gone at the end. Sorry if that is giving things away. This is a series...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Eric Dunn rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the 3rd, and final, book in "The Looking Glass Wars" trilogy. When I started this book I was very intrigued about how Beddor was going to wrap up all the loose ends from the first two books in the series. I have to say I was not disappointed. The only frustration I had with the book was the very abrupt end. The endings to the other two books were awesome, but I have to say that the ending to this one lacked a little bit in my opinion. It did the job of tying everything up but it was so a...more

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Apr 24, 2011 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 26, 2011 Books Ahoy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished reading Frank Beddor's ArchEnemy, which is the last book in The Looking Glass Wars trilogy. This series gives the classic tell of Alice in Wonderland some major upgrades, for instance the Mad Hatter is not some hat maker. Instead, he is Alyss's bodyguard and has major fighting skills. Here's a summary:"The Heart Crystal's power has been depleted, and Imagination along with it. The people of Wonderland have all lost their creative drive, and most alarmingly, even Queen Alyss is wi...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-200-book-challenge, reviewed, reviewed-2011

Frank Beddor has completed a trilogy worth of the adoration it drew its influences from. Beddor's Looking Glass trilogy is based on the Adventures of a well loved favourite, Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
In the intense conclusion to the Looking Glass Adventure, Arch Enemy, Wonderland has lost it's powers of imagination and Queen Alyss is powerless. Borderlands King Arch's machinations in Seeing Redd have given him the power to turn Wonderland from a Queendom to a Kingdom, and...more Frank Beddor has completed a trilogy worth of the adoration it drew its influences from. Beddor's Looking Glass trilogy is based on the Adventures of a well loved favourite, Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
In the intense conclusion to the Looking Glass Adventure, Arch Enemy, Wonderland has lost it's powers of imagination and Queen Alyss is powerless. Borderlands King Arch's machinations in Seeing Redd have given him the power to turn Wonderland from a Queendom to a Kingdom, and he will be wearing the crown.
Beddor continues to create an enticing new world based on the Wonderland of our childhood. In his characters, Alyss Heart, Dodge Anders, Bitwit Hare, General Doppleganger, Rose Heart (Redd) and the Cat we see a familiar cast of faces. It is a wonderful feeling to see favourite's from Tweedle Dee and Deedle Dum to Humpty Dumpty and the Mad Hatter being re-imagined into the strong and quick witted characters of Beddor's trilogy.
Unfortunately, Arch Enemy is not all imagination and tarty tarts; Beddor often rushes his writing, ending scenes before the reader is ready and leaving characters in repeated cliff hangers as he checks in on another scene. While an effective way to keep readers interested, it is more irritating than suspenseful and could have been edited better.
While Beddor does introduce some new and interesting characters, he fails to give most of his characters any depth. Most of the leading cast are well formed for a childrens/teen read but could have been developed a little further for the older readers. Dodge is single minded but romantic, Alyss is spontaneous, Bitwit is the learned and loving but droning tutor. But readers expect more. The romance between Dodge and Alyss has been developing for three books, and is only ever mentioned in passing or as an after thought. The relationship between estranged Father and Daughter, Hatter Madigan and Homburg Molly, is observed but nothing is done to fix it.
Arch Enemy is a wonderful conclusion to a thrilling series that returns us to the world of a favored heroine. In Alyss Heart we see the curiosity, stubborness and intelligence that originally drew us to Carroll's Alice. I encourage lovers of Alice to check out this series and catch up with old friends.(less)

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Jan 21, 2011 Heatheraine rated it 4 of 5 stars

The last book in the Looking Glass Wars Trilogy, ARCHENEMY by Frank Beddor (2009) is a climactic war for Wonderland and for imagination. I enjoyed all three books. The world Beddor created is truly magnificent and thoroughly planned out. He’s created an entire line of weaponry, measurements, phrases and more for this trilogy. It is quite impressive. I would dare say that the last one was the most intricate. And if you’re new to this trilogy, start at the beginning with THE LOOKING GLASS WARS the...more The last book in the Looking Glass Wars Trilogy, ARCHENEMY by Frank Beddor (2009) is a climactic war for Wonderland and for imagination. I enjoyed all three books. The world Beddor created is truly magnificent and thoroughly planned out. He’s created an entire line of weaponry, measurements, phrases and more for this trilogy. It is quite impressive. I would dare say that the last one was the most intricate. And if you’re new to this trilogy, start at the beginning with THE LOOKING GLASS WARS then SEEING REDD.

In this book there is a three-way war for wonderland. The heart crystal has been zapped of its energy and therefore affecting imagination everywhere. Alyss, Redd, White and Black imaginationists alike, as well as those in the parallel universe on earth have been drained of imagination. Arch, King of Borderlands is the culprit and has taken over the queendom as King. Imaginationless Alyss must fight to win back her rightful place as queen. Powerless Redd is on the run looking for a way to regain the power to the throne. It is a three way battle over Wonderland with many underlying storylines: the oracles, Alyss’ family in England, Homburg Molly, and the introduction of the Everqueen. It kept me guessing until the end and I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterward… see, I’m still thinking about it.

All in all this book was a good read. It was more intense with war strategies and not a lot of character depth but by the third book, how much deeper can you go into characters we know so well? At least we get to see more deeply into some of the secondary characters, such as Homburg Molly (my fav) and the oracles.

I’d rate this book, by itself, at a 4: Very Good: A very good choice to read.
To rate the series (an average of all the ratings… which they were all rated 4.) I guess I’d say it was worth the read. It’s not on my favorites list (I’m not a big fan of war strategies) but it was a great storyline, an imaginative world that blew me away with the details and the characters were likeable. (less)

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Aug 23, 2010 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

ArchEnemy is a fitting end to this series, which includes The Looking Glass Wars and Seeing Redd. I'll admit to being a fan of books that re-imagine classic stories - whether it's a more complete look at Peter Pan (like in Peter and the Starcatchers) or a thoroughly modern take on King Arthur (like BBC's Merlin series). Frank Beddor manages to capture the off-kilter world of Wonderland while giving us a strong, believable Alyss.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the link between Wonderland...more ArchEnemy is a fitting end to this series, which includes The Looking Glass Wars and Seeing Redd. I'll admit to being a fan of books that re-imagine classic stories - whether it's a more complete look at Peter Pan (like in Peter and the Starcatchers) or a thoroughly modern take on King Arthur (like BBC's Merlin series). Frank Beddor manages to capture the off-kilter world of Wonderland while giving us a strong, believable Alyss.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the link between Wonderland and our world and its exploration of broader themes like gender roles and the value of imagination. We saw in the first two books in the trilogy that events in Wonderland impact our world and when King Arch found a way to halt imagination in Wonderland for his own purposes, creativity here ground to a halt as well. I enjoyed seeing King Arch's role fully fleshed out in this book, even if he's not someone I'd like to personally know. It was particularly interesting in this book of the series to see the juxtaposition of a character who is clearly and strongly misogynistic and two strong female queens. Creating a power triangle instead of a love triangle is a new literary approach I've not seen frequently, but it worked well.

What I don't love about these books is the violence. Sure, it's imaginary violence, but I got a bit bored at times with the descriptions of weapons and battles. I often skimmed over parts of these passages, but near the end I felt the need to read them for fear of missing story resolution. I got the impression that Beddor was trying to write a book that a teenage boy would read and while the emphasis on fighting was a bit of a turn-off for me, the world he's created and the fascinating characters within it made it worth reading.

If you're a fan of Alice in Wonderland, definitely give this book a try. It's fresh take on Lewis Carroll will likely delight you. If, like me, you're a fan of adult fairy tales, this series is definitely worth a read. As a young adult series, each book in this trilogy reads very quickly and I'd classify all as escapist fiction. So perhaps hold off on reading these until you're feeling overwhelmed by your day to day responsibilities. Then grab these books and head down the rabbit hole.(less)

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Aug 14, 2010 Nicole Roberts rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is the 3rd installment from Frank Beddore’s rendition of the classic Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass. The fight for the throne of Wonderland continues between Alyss Hart and her Viciousness Redd Hart, only now the King of Boarderland gets involved even more so than before.

In all honesty I see the appeal of these books and I applaud the author for his imaginative take on a classic, but I really could not get fully sucked into the story or even enamourd with the characters. No...more

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Jul 01, 2010 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I began the last book of Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars trilogy with some trepidation. Final books in trilogies are notorious for failing to match the pace and excitement of the previous texts, and I worried that this would be the case here as well. I did find that ArchEnemy suffered from end of series-itis, but not in a terminal sense. Beddor’s book continues to build on the world he has created, and ambitiously addresses the social and political struggles of those who occupy it. Althoug...more I began the last book of Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars trilogy with some trepidation. Final books in trilogies are notorious for failing to match the pace and excitement of the previous texts, and I worried that this would be the case here as well. I did find that ArchEnemy suffered from end of series-itis, but not in a terminal sense. Beddor’s book continues to build on the world he has created, and ambitiously addresses the social and political struggles of those who occupy it. Although ambitious, however, the story presents these struggles in a way that doesn’t highlight why they are wrong, only that they are. While this might be acceptable in a work of fiction written for adults, I am concerned that it is perhaps too ambiguous in a text written for young adults, who need more explicit and concrete explanations—but more on this later.
The book begins where Seeing Redd ends and follows three storylines in a broad fashion: Alyss and Dodge; Hatter and Molly; and Arch and Redd. Each of these three pairs has major unresolved issues that are used by the oracles of Wonderland, the caterpillars, toward a mysterious end. The oracles have a mission all their own and, since they can see the future, they appear especially manipulative and self-serving in this book. But this series has a lot to do with trust, and even when Alyss and her friends misplace their trust in one individual, other friends step into the breach to protect her and the court, and Alyss chooses to believe that the caterpillars are on her side.
There remains a major unresolved issue from Seeing Redd: All the imaginationists lost their abilities after the explosion of the bomb planted by King Arch, and it is unknown if anyone will regain their talents. The Club family, who has long targeted the Hearts, takes this opportunity to hold rallies and meetings to speak out against the imaginationists: the architects, artists, scientists, and other talented individuals in Wonderland. Alyss is mystified by this behavior; she can’t understand why the members of her populace would turn against her and those who represent the creative energy of the kingdom. Perhaps more ominous, the Clubs have begun to gather up the imaginationists and relocate them by force to ghetto-like tenements called ‘limbo coops.’ Alyss doesn’t have any proof, however, that the Clubs are directly behind what is happening, so she and a very worried Dodge attend a rally in disguise to collect the evidence necessary to prosecute those responsible. Dodge’s worst fears are realized when Alyss is recognized, but they are saved by a transport of imaginationists headed towards the coops; although the imaginationists are being deprived of their legal rights and forced to live in unacceptable conditions on Club lands, they are not a group without power, and they give Alyss the good news that they are recovering from damage caused by WILMA. Imagination is returning to Wonderland.
Meanwhile, Hatter and Molly are trying to cope with Weaver’s death and Molly’s accidental detonation of the WILMA device. Hatter is a warrior, and has given his life to the protection of the Heart family; he doesn’t know how to be a father to a teenage daughter, much less to one who is suffering on so many levels. But Wonderland is being attacked by Arch, who is well aware that both Alyss and Redd are without their powers, and the king is determined to punish both Hatter and Molly. Hatter decides that he has lost too much; he is willing to surrender his life in defense of the queen, but not his daughter’s. He decides to take Molly to the only place he deems safe enough: To the Reverend Dodgson, the only person Hatter knows who is aware of Wonderland and will recognize potential attacks on his daughter. He leaves Molly on Earth, angry and surly about this second abandonment, but she eventually begins to use the time productively.
At the same time, the reader begins to learn more about Redd and her youth. When she was a wild young woman, causing her parents great concern for her eligibility to rule Wonderland, she was spending that time with Arch. Her original quest to gain her throne creates a situation in which she “envision[s:] a future with” Arch, “cavorting as they pleased while she ruled Wonderland and he Borderland, an enviable power couple if there ever was” (115). Her temporary return to power during Seeing Redd has her revisiting those feelings, and desiring an equal to share her life with. Arch, however, is a misogynist who sees women as things, and his only interest in Redd lies in her position as queen of Wonderland; without a throne and her powers she is merely a woman, and not a threat in any sense. But his arrogance about the success of his machine and excessive pride in his intelligence also causes him to underestimate WILMA’s success or the extent of Redd’s madness. This final betrayal by a man she sees as her equal at first drives her to attack him, and then flee to lick her wounds in defeat. This experience causes her to see any “sentimentality,” no matter the degree, as “the most dangerous weakness of all” and she fully completes her descent into madness (117). At this point she will do or promise anything to restore her crown and her position to power, especially after she begins to recover her imagination. Arch now has two Heart women as his enemies, and his certainty in complete success foreshadows his downfall.
The state of the political environment of Wonderland seems to be the biggest concern in this book, which is clear from the outset with Alyss’ need to travel in disguise to the rallies planned by the Clubs family. Alyss makes it clear that the civil rights of her people must be protected, even if “we don’t like what they’ve gathered to hear” (33). When she begins to feel doubt about the decisions she has made in the course of her reign Dodge must remind her that Wonderlanders are, by virtue of the differences in imagination, not equal in ability and “ll [she:] can do is try to make it so [all Wonderlanders are:] equal in rights—subject to the same laws and afforded the same fundamental opportunities” (119). The Clubs, meanwhile, are determined to deprive the Imaginationists of their freedom and to move them into tenements and restrict their movements. King Arch isn’t faring any better; as soon as he successfully invades Wonderland the tribes he has managed by “antagonizing them against one another to prevent their banding together against him” begin to behave like the nearsighted, greedy populace he has trained them to be (149). And above all of these political systems are the maneuverings of the caterpillars, who can see the possible futures and have political goals of their own. Ironically, Redd and Alyss are united in protecting imagination from Arch and the Clubs, and they align themselves with the caterpillars, who they hope are also on the side of imagination.
Imagination, and the differences between those who possess or lack it, also lies at the heart of the book. Early in the story it becomes evident that the instability of the last fifteen years has been difficult for the Imaginationists of the queendom, and thy are now beginning to believe “imagination causes more problems than it solves” (102). But Alyss has already had to address this issue: In Seeing Redd she realizes that imagination isn’t in itself good or evil; rather, it is up to those who have imagination to choose how they are going to use their ability. The green caterpillar tries to explain this to Redd in ArchEnemy when he says, “It is supposed that power corrupts…[y:]et the powerful are often corrupt before they are powerful” (95). Despite her ongoing dispute with her niece about the succession to Wonderland’s throne, Redd, too, recognizes that “a world with imagination is better than a world without it,” but her final descent into madness prevents her from applying the wisdom she has been given and allows her temporary truce with Alyss to be only for the purposes of defeating Arch—she fully intends to attack her niece afterwards in order to regain possession of the Heart Crystal and with it control of the imagination in Wonderland (187). The conclusion of the book, which revolves around the establishment of the Everqueen, makes it so that no one group of Wonderlanders (or a single individual, for that matter) can control imagination: “Some shall be born with much imagination, others little” but “Everqueen can never be destroyed, or the inspiration she provides lessened” (363).
Although I enjoyed the story greatly, I do have some concerns about how it has been constructed. One of the biggest issues I encountered was with the structure of the book, which felt like three smaller books shuffled into one. Beddor rotates his short chapters between characters in an almost predictable pattern that sometimes interferes with the enjoyment of the story and makes it feel fractured; as soon as one storyline gains momentum he ends the chapter and carries on with another storyline. While this may be a deliberate strategy to help younger readers manage the scope of the story, I know it caused me issues with remembering the order of events, and that it would, likewise, be problematic for a younger audience. I feel the book would have benefited from some judicious blending and some page breaks, rather than a new chapter every time the perspective changes.
Another concern I have with the overall story is the treatment of the Imaginationists by the Clubs. Early in the story the reader learns that this minority population is being gathered at gun point by soldiers and forcibly relocated to specially designed concentration camp-like areas where soldiers patrol the borders on foot and from guard towers. Families are often scattered and forced to live in squalid conditions with little food or comfort; at one point a Club soldier breaks up a dispute telling the involved parties that they are not allowed to kill each other, “[y:]ou leave the killing to us” (25). All of these descriptions are powerful reminders of historical events (German concentration camps throughout Europe, Japanese internment camps in the United States) but there is very little discussion within the story about the human rights violations or the human cost of what is happening. The camps exist only as the location where the Imaginationists have been taken and in the context of Alyss’ time gathering support from them, and I feel they are a subject that could have been expanded upon. Given the strongly political tone of the book, it is disturbing to be that greater emphasis was not placed on the criminal nature of the rights violations.
Despite the concerns I have with the text, which I admit are more in the way of curiosities and mild annoyances, I enjoyed this book. I wish the story had been of the same depth of the first book, which was more complex and created a unique and thriving world. Also, the dustcover of the book seems to indicate that Alyss will be travelling to Earth in the first part of the book, which I was looking forward to because Alyss’ departure in the first book was abrupt and left some questions, but her return doesn’t happen until nearly the end of the story. The finish of the story is consistent with the rest of the series, however, and although the creation of the Everqueen is somewhat anticlimactic and rushed, the major characters that support Alyss all end well.
(less)

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Jan 21, 2010 April Helms rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 17, 2010 Runa rated it 5 of 5 stars

I must say, I'm a little torn. Part of me wants to say that this was a fantastic book, a perfect ending to the trilogy, but unfortunately, I don't think I can. A lot of this book was insignificant fighting scenes that seemed to go on forever. I'm sure this makes it a popular read for some readers, but that's really not what I go into books for. The writing was spectacular, sharply witty, albeit going overboard sometimes with the details of the fight scenes, and it was through this amazing writin...more

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Jan 05, 2010 Merajsiddiqui rated it 5 of 5 stars

Archenemy By Frank Beddor
Summary

This is a fantasy book that takes place during the 1870's in a place called Wonderland. Alice, the queen of Wonderland, must face many challeges as a queen such as war with another country while fighting another force. This other force his her aunt Redd who vowed to take the throne from Alyss once again. Soon Arch, the king of the Boarderlands claims Wonderland as a part of his empire. Alyss must now join forces with Redd to defeat the greater power of Arch and s...more

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Dec 18, 2009 Jenben8426 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

A good finish to the trilogy of the Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. In the conclusion Alyce and Redd find that they are surprisingly stripped of their imaginations by the conniving King Arch. Of course if that wasn't enough, the Lord and Lady of Clubs have gone renegade and want to strip Wonderland of all Imaginationists. Alyce learns to rely on others and the relationships that mean the most to her.

I liked the final book. It was so much better than the second which was filled with fight af...more

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Dec 13, 2009 The Flooze rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, vanquished_2009, glutton_for_punishment, the_magic_number

(4 for the world-building. 2.5 for the actual story.)

ArchEnemy is the sort of story that will make a visually stunning action movie. There's no doubt that Beddor can perfectly visualize every aspect of his detailed, intricate Wonderland.

But you know how, in action movies, your attention is so focused on the varied kabooms that you never have the chance to notice the wooden performances? After all, who cares if characters are phoning in the emotions, so long as the fight scenes are furious and t...more (4 for the world-building. 2.5 for the actual story.)

ArchEnemy is the sort of story that will make a visually stunning action movie. There's no doubt that Beddor can perfectly visualize every aspect of his detailed, intricate Wonderland.

But you know how, in action movies, your attention is so focused on the varied kabooms that you never have the chance to notice the wooden performances? After all, who cares if characters are phoning in the emotions, so long as the fight scenes are furious and the weapons slick?

Well, in a book, I think ya kinda have to care about those things.

The final installment of The Looking Glass Wars is once again overwhelmingly screenplay-ish. Throughout the whole of this experience, I've been convinced Beddor is consumed by creating a movie-worthy concept. In that, he's been successful.

The battle scenes are quick and dirty; the weapons are wondrous shiny. The scope of the land is vast and filled with treacherous obstacles and fabulous creatures. The transitions between viewpoints are infinitely camera-worthy.

But I'm not watching a film. I'm reading a book. And when reading, I want characters I can relate to, lives to worry about. I want to connect to them and share in their success and their loss. I want to roar with delight when the good guys score a victory.

In short, I want to give a shit.

In this, Beddor fails. The characters are bland. Queen Alyss is nothing more than a template do-gooder whose worries are superficial. Dodge is just some angry bloke who loves the Queen because, well, that's what he's there for. The walrus, Bibwit and Doppelganger offer a little comic relief through their twitchy antics. The best character of them all, Redd, has been completely diminished by her failures, so that even Her Imperial Viciousness no longer bears the same bloody glow she harboured in the first two books.

All aspects considered, ArchEnemy isn't going to offer any surprises. It neatly ties up loose ends, and provides an imaginative mind a lovely landscape worthy of the best CGI has to offer. Wait for the movie so you can be appropriately dazzled and distracted by the cool inventions and neat places. With some pretty explosions and some gore, you won't have to worry about a pesky thing like character development.(less)

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Jun 13, 2012 Steven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: eng-356-1-12

King Arch has taken over and has declared himself King of Wonderland. The power of Imagination has been lost and the Heart Crystal's energy has been drained. Alyss must try and fins a solution to why this has happend and in her search she returns to London where Arch’s assassins threaten Alice Liddell and her family. But after coming to her adopted family’s assistance, Alyss discovers that she is trapped on Earth. The puddle-portals that exist to transport her home through the Pool of Tears are...more

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Dec 31, 2009 Lanica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lanica by: Erin

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2009, series-complete, science-fiction, young-adult, reviewed

The first two books of the series revolved around the characters of Alyss and Redd, this book detours more into the characters of Arch and the caterpillars and I was left feeling that the ending that could-have-been would have been better if the author had stayed with Alyss and Redd.

I loved the first two books, but this one just fell flat. I never got into the character of Arch, so when he took over the plot line I sort of lost interest. I kept reading because I wanted to know that the rest of...more

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Dec 18, 2010 Kritika rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, retellings

Before I start bashing, I'm going to give credit to where it's due: Beddor is incredibly good at coming up with sound effects. I mean, who else would write about the fith fith fith of card-bullets flying or the boooooooooooooooaaaashhhhhhhhhhkk of an explosion? Someone who feels more at home writing comic books than novels, that's who.
The whole Looking Glass Wars trilogy was a fresh and interesting reimagining of Alice in Wonderland. It had so much potential to be amazing, but entrusted in the...more Before I start bashing, I'm going to give credit to where it's due: Beddor is incredibly good at coming up with sound effects. I mean, who else would write about the fith fith fith of card-bullets flying or the boooooooooooooooaaaashhhhhhhhhhkk of an explosion? Someone who feels more at home writing comic books than novels, that's who.
The whole Looking Glass Wars trilogy was a fresh and interesting reimagining of Alice in Wonderland. It had so much potential to be amazing, but entrusted in the hands of Beddor, it didn't quite reach that potential.
A couple things that annoyed me: the author randomly skipped from place to place (and perspective to perspective) within the same chapter without any breaks or indication of the change. So there I would be, skimming through a long description about Arch and his lovely plan and suddenly there would be a sentence about proposing to Alyss. Upon rereading, I would realize that I was now reading about Dodge. Well, that example's a bit of an exaggeration, but it was annoying to randomly switch between different scenes. Along the same lines, it seemed as though the author had an intense liking for dashes. There were so many sentences written in this format "A certain character did something just as - GIANT SOUND EFFECT!"
The protagonists, I suppose, would be Alyss, Dodge, and the rest of her crew; but they were incredibly boring. Alyss would mope about her loss of imagination, Dodge would spend all his time doting on her, and Doppelganger and Bibwit would be forever blindly obeying their queen. It didn't strike me that Dodge and Alyss actually loved one another; it was more of adoration and overprotectiveness on Dodge's side and wary liking on Alyss's. At least Hatter and Molly had a believable relationship, even if it wasn't the most happy. Hatter was as amazing as always, and Molly's journey to find herself was far more satisfying and likable than Alyss and her search for her imagination.
There were far too many minor characters for any of them to have a significant role in the story, except maybe Blister and Ripkins. Yes, even The Cat was shoved to the sidelines for most of the novel. Vollrath, Alistaire Poole, Sacrenoir, Siren, Mr.Van de skulle, Doppel and Ganger, and the Clubs were all named over and over, but didn't really add anything to the story.
What kept this story really interesting were the villains. Arch was so manipulative and masterminding, and it was a treat to watch his back-and-forth with the caterpillars unfold. Redd for her part was also clever and resourceful. The two villains pushed and pulled the narrative in unexpected ways, and they themselves were far more interesting than the rather flat protagonists.
The story itself was interesting, but the ending was rather abrupt and unrealistic. It was another one of those "everything-magically-falls-into-place" endings, despite Alyss's claim that "she hadn't returned to a paradise." ArchEnemy isn't a bad read so much as a brainless one, so if you're up for it, go right ahead.(less)

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Dec 14, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. What a great conclusion to this trilogy. With that opening with Alyss stuck in Earth I was pretty worried, but it all worked out in the end.

So Arch is still a sexist. And he's the big time enemy in this book, as I suspected. He was pretty smart about everything though. I was glad he got his in the end though and I'm probably pretty wicked for liking the fact that Redd was the one who got to nearly kill him. So now he's roaming Earth and one day Earth will know who he is? Cool way to leave that t...more What a great conclusion to this trilogy. With that opening with Alyss stuck in Earth I was pretty worried, but it all worked out in the end.

So Arch is still a sexist. And he's the big time enemy in this book, as I suspected. He was pretty smart about everything though. I was glad he got his in the end though and I'm probably pretty wicked for liking the fact that Redd was the one who got to nearly kill him. So now he's roaming Earth and one day Earth will know who he is? Cool way to leave that to our imaginations.

I loved Molly's storyline throughout this book. I liked that Hatter left her with Dodgson and that Dodgson got to help in the overall ending of the novel. Alyss is forever his phantom and will always haunt him. Good!

In fact, I like that all the earth types were brought into this third book. The Liddell's too. How they helped Molly in getting over her insecurities and self-doubt. Very cool.

So Dodge got his revenge on The Cat. I get why he needed it. But I also liked that in the end he realized that revenge did not honor his father's memory and that it wasn't completely worth all the effort he had put into it.

Poor General Doppelganger! I hated that Arch tortured him! But I liked that he survived and was okay in the end.

Redd taming the Jabberwock's was cool. I could just picture her riding them into battle in the end.

I liked how Redd and Alyss tried to work together to defeat Arch, but that in the end Redd's own vanity got her. She became a part of the Everqueen on the inside and Alyss was on the outside.

The Caterpillars! They were awesome as the Wonderland oracles. I liked all their cryptic conversations where they all had the same thoughts and visions and the like.

What the Spades were doing was awful! Locking up all the imaginationists. I like that now Everqueen means that imagination can't be destroyed. That was really brave of Alyss to figure out that the heart crystal was too powerful and that power corrupts and that she had to destroy it. That took a giant leap of faith.

But I think taking a giant leap of faith is what the author was trying to get across in all three of these books. Sometimes you have to do it in order to make big things happen.

Really good books!(less)

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Jun 05, 2010 Mitchel Broussard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, series, ya-fiction, summer-2010, parallel-universes

A disappointing lack of action scenes, mixed with a very slow beginning and a rushed ending make it the definite weak link of the trilogy.

I understand that there were quite a couple of storylines to wrap and characters to develop and get over their stupid emo ways (I'm looking at you, Molly), but it just took too long to get fun again. Not until the final battle (which still pales in comparison to book one's amazing finale) does it pick up. And then there's about 30 pages left and bam, happy en...more

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Jan 06, 2010 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: youngadult

Frank Beddor likes his villains.

No, he loves them.

He loves them to the point where he gives Alyss, Queen of Wonderland, three pages for every ten devoted to the villains. The villains, for their part, do a lot of Snidely Whiplash-esque teeth-gnashing and vain threatening. Redd Heart is campy to the point of making me groan, and Arch is a stereotype. Meanwhile, we're supposed to care about Alyss' and Dodge's thwarted love, Alyss' struggle to reunite the queendom, etc, when we're given only brief,...more

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Dec 16, 2009 Janine rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book because I read the first two and I wanted the series to end well. I kept reading it, even after I started to think that it was dragging on and not well written. It did eventually get better, but that wasn't till almost the very end. Often times when I would finish a chapter, I would think to myself "What was the point of that chapter?" I felt like there was a lot of unnecessary chapters that created no movement in the story, just a bunch of words to fill pages....more

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Feb 23, 2012 Tina Rae rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of the series

Shelves: favorites

I really can't even begin to express my love for this book or this series. I have loved Alice since childhood and snapped up virtually every movie adaption and book companion I could find. So, honestly, I really don't think there was any way I couldn't love this series. It was purely magical and definitely one of my favorite book series of all time. I know I will definitely be sitting down and rereading them sometime in the near future, just to relive the magic again.

As much as I love the origin...more

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May 31, 2010 Kayla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed-at-library, fiction, fantasy, read-in-2010, romance, series, trilogy

‘The Looking Glass Wars’ and ‘Seeing Redd’, the first two books of the series, were wonderfully written and made me view Alice in Wonderland in a whole different light. These fractured fairytales don’t bash the original books-instead, they tell you that the story was written all wrong in the first place. The author even spelled Alyss’s name wrong! I thought that was a cute way to start, but these young-adult books are way more than a few cute little stories. They’re full of action, suspense, and...more

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About Frank Beddor

In addition to being an author with a penchant for retelling Alice in Wonderland, he is also a champion freestyle skier, a film producer, stuntman, actor, and CEO of Automatic Pictures Production Co.

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Books by Frank Beddor

The Looking Glass Wars (The Looking Glass Wars, #1)

Seeing Redd (The Looking Glass Wars, #2)

Hatter M, Volume 1: The Looking Glass Wars

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Quotes from ArchEnemy

“Redd turned to her assassins. "What is it I always say?"
The Cat, Sacrenoir, and the others bandied uncertain glances about.
"Don’t be stupid?" ventured Alistaire.
"I should kill you now?" offered The Cat.
"Do I have to murder everyone myself?" tried Siren.
"No, idiots! When in doubt, go for the head. That’s what I always say. ” — 29 people liked it

“It is supposed that power corrupts,' the caterpillar said in a voice as untroubled as time itself. "yet the powerful are often corrupt before they are powerful. In fact, I find that they too often become powerful by being corrupt. Whether real or perceived, a lack of power can also corrupt.” — 8 people liked it

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ArchEnemy (The Looking Glass Wars #3)

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