Countdown to Heartless Blog Tour


As of the posting of this stop on the Heartless blog tour - there are SIX DAYS left until the book releases into the wild (on November 8th). You still have plenty of time to preorder and snag a copy the very first day it is on the shelves!


When I first heard about this Countdown Blog tour, I wasn't sure what each day's task would be. I loved this book enough to happily volunteer as tribute - even if my task ended up being something like "make a picture of a character from Heartless out of M&Ms and hat pins". (True story, that's actually what I said in my email!) 
A black heart for Heartless

I did participate in many of the other Heartless Countdown activities.... as you can see by some of my favorite photos.
My copy of Alice in Wonderland
         


Tea time with Heartless
(and my puppy)
Everyone deserves a crown
     











My assigned task, though, was much easier than handcrafting personalized hats or baking up delectable treats that would tempt the King of Hearts... 

My job is to share some thoughts about Heartless (below) and to let you know that there will be a LIVE STREAM of the launch event on November 7th at 7 PM PST! Be sure to join Marissa that night! 






My Thoughts:

Fracturing classic old tale? Marissa Meyer has this down cold. The Lunar Chronicle series was one of my favorite in recent years. I loved how she took the bones of beloved fairy tales and warped them into something science fiction-y and altogether new. So I came into this book with incredibly high expectations. I was looking for all the little call-backs to the traditional tales combined with the rich re-imagining that I had enjoyed so much in her first series.

Instead of altering the setting and punching up the kick-ass factor of the leading ladies, Meyer uses Heartless to focus on developing the backstory of a villain we all love to hate. The Red Queen is so completely over-the-top awful, right? Was she always like that? Or did she begin as a girl with hopes and dreams who lost her way?

We all know how this story ends, which makes weaving a believable beginning so much more challenging. Meyer had to create a brand new world that fits seamlessly with one that most of her readers already know very well. I went into this story with a deep fondness for Wonderland that made me a little bit concerned about how she would handle this aspect. I was completely impressed by Marissa's clear understanding and new, entertaining, yet respectful handling of the world and the characters.


What I loved:

-- My stomach rumbling every time Cath describes her delectable treats. I would love to get my hands on her special lemon tarts for sure!

-- How Meyer tickled my brain with all of her Wonderland connections. Some were huge parts of this story, like the Cheshire Cat. Others foreshadowed the world we know is on the horizon, like her mother’s behavior that is eerily similar to how she will be as the Red Queen. Sprinkled throughout the entire story are other, tinier references (like “that kind of food”) which make Meyer’s love and respect for the original world quite clear.

-- How the main characters get introduced. They are intriguing right from the start. Cath is determined, meticulous, and passionate. We first meet her while she is baking lemon tarts and forgetting to prepare for the king's ball. I sympathized with her love of food and with her desire to pursue her own goals, in spite of her parents' expectations. Jest begins his portion of the tale with a mysterious entrance, a series of amusing word plays that poke fun at the stodgy members of the court, and a peek into his sensitive side as the two first meet.


Most of all…

Cath and Jest. I'm not always a "book boyfriend" kind of reader - but Marissa knows how to craft a guy that catches my attention right along with her heroine's. I knew that this tale wouldn't have a happily ever after... which made the love they found and the trials they overcame all that much more poignant.


If you loved the Lunar Chronicles.... if you love Wonderland and always wanted to know "what's the Red Queen's deal?".... if you want to dive into a world you love and see it in a whole new light.... Heartless will be right up your alley.





Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.  (Tag line from Goodreads) 

Hardcover, 464 pages
Expected publication: November 8th 2016 by Feiwel & Friends
ISBN 1250044650 (ISBN13: 9781250044655)








Learn more about Marissa Meyer at her website - http://www.marissameyer.com/ 

Join the #HeartlessCountdown! See the 50 daily challenges from @FierceReads: http://bit.ly/2cD1D2S
Check out the #HeartlessCountdown tag on Twitter and Instagram so you can join in on the fun - and maybe win a special edition ARC!








(I received an advanced copy of Heartless from the publisher, but that in no way influenced my thoughts on this book.) 

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