by Sara Ella
publisher’s synopsis
Step through the looking glass. Slay the Jabberwock. Seek the King.
Alice is not prepared to face what awaits beyond the Tulgey Wood. When she and the rest of Team Heart enter the fourth and final Wonderland Trial, it’s up to her to lead them to victory. But this Trial is more than a game. If Alice and the others fail to defeat the Jabberwock and reveal the truth about Wonderland, more than points and fame will be lost.
Chess Shire never believed he’d make it this far. Now he’s stuck navigating a Trial he’s seen but doesn’t remember, all while searching for the brother he left behind. Not everything is as black and white as the game that shares his name. And if Alice discovers his deepest regret? Chess might just lose her too.
Apart, Chess and Alice scour the eight squares of the Heart Trial in search of memories, truth, and an Ivory King who seems more illusion than reality. Will they learn to lead together to face their greatest fears? Or will they remain pawns in a queen’s game, never truly seeing the Wonderland they’ve come to believe in?
What do ravens and writing desks, and writing a lengthy, spoiler-free review for The Looking-Glass Illusion have in common?
The answer: Being impossible. So, to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, I’ll be keeping it brief and somewhat vague.
Just like in The Wonderland Trials, plot twists pop up at every turn. There were a few twists that left me a little confused even after their explanation was given, but that was probably because I binge-read the novel and most likely missed some details.
The characters are still super fun. I really liked how one of the characters got some more page time and development. The new characters were great too.
I did miss some of the game/puzzle elements from The Wonderland Trials. While they are in The Looking-Glass Illusion, they didn’t feel quite like they did in the first book.
Sara did a really nice job with the themes and weaving them in throughout the novel.
Be warned, once you start The Looking-Glass Illusion, it will be hard to put down as you go from one twist to another, before it all culminates in a satisfying conclusion.
Cautions: two kisses; moderate romance; brief, non-graphic violence
*The Looking-Glass Illusion releases September 2023 from Enclave Publishing*
Hailey Huntington 
Leave a comment