ArchEnemy

Last updated
ArchEnemy
Frank Beddor - ArchEnemy.jpeg
First edition
Author Frank Beddor
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Genre Fantasy novel
Publisher Dial Press
Publication date
October 15, 2009
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Audiobook
Pages384 pp (hardcover edition), 400 pp (paperback edition)
ISBN 978-0-8037-3156-1
OCLC 311262820
LC Class PZ7.B3817982 Ev 2009
Preceded by Seeing Redd  

ArchEnemy is a 2009 science-fiction and fantasy novel by Frank Beddor and the third novel of The Looking Glass Wars trilogy. [1] The book was published on October 15, 2009 by Dial Press and is heavily inspired by Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass . [2]

Contents

Synopsis

A stalemate has arisen in the war between Alyss and Redd for control of Wonderland. Redd has lost her imagination, the ability that allows her to control vast amounts of magical power, including illusions, conjuring objects, and remote-viewing locations. With her army of Borderlanders, she falls back from the invasion of Wonderland. Alyss’ forces are saved, but Alyss herself has also lost her imagination. Should there be another attack, they will be unable to stop the assault.

However their reprieve is short, the loss of imagination goads one of the other founding families of Wonderland, the Clubs, into an attempt to seize power. They begin to hold anti-imagination rallies, drawing on the resentments of those who lacked a powerful imagination in the first place. As a result, they foster dissent against Alyss’ throne. Alyss attends one of these rallies in a disguise, attempting to find out the truth of whether the Clubs are plotting against her and also trying to understand the resentment being aimed towards her. She takes only Dodge Anders with her for protection. The Clubs are identified as the ringleaders of the movement, but Alyss is recognized and her capture ordered. In her flight she and Dodge are rescued by Mutty P. Dumphy, a citizen of Wonderland. He helps her hide in a transport which the Clubs use to move those people they have captured with strong imaginations into Limbo coops.

Meanwhile, Hatter Madigan and his daughter Homburg Molly are in mourning over Weaver’s death. However Hatter feels that it is time for them to return to their queen, and so they leave Talon’s Point for Wonderland. As they leave the Blue caterpillar-oracle appears mysteriously and with a cloud of smoke he blows the word ‘you’ at Molly, indicating that the caterpillar-oracles have plans for her. In the enemy camp, due in part to the manipulations of the Green caterpillar-oracle, Arch regains control over the Borderlanders and sends Redd and her companions into flight. Having regained his army and certain that Alyss is also without imagination, he renews the attack on Wonderland.

All hope is not lost however as reports are coming in to Alyss of imagination being returned, the only question is how long will it take to restore Alyss’. Hatter takes Molly to Earths for safety as, still distraught over the death of the mother she knew only shortly, she is unable to resume her duties and protect herself in the coming war.

But Alyss’ powers do not return in time and Wonderland is conquered by Arch, who has sinister plans to once and for all snuff out the power of imagination. Desperate, Redd and Alyss must cooperate despite their feelings toward each other.

So when Alyss returns it is to the middle of a battlefield. Seeing what has happened and the temptation that hold of the crystal heart proves to be, Alyss summons an orbital barrage on Redd’s location, in the process damaging the Crystal Heart. The resulting explosion takes the life of Redd and her followers. This is when the caterpillars appear and reveal that this is what they wanted all along. When the Crystal was broken the power of imagination was freed and now no longer can anyone take control of it. With this they shed their skins, turn into butterflies, and fly away into the sky.

Reception

The School Library Journal praised ArchEnemy, calling it a "must have" and an "excellent and satisfying end". [3] AudioFile Magazine positively reviewed the audiobook version of the novel, awarding it their "AudioFile Earphones Award" for 2009. [4]

Related Research Articles

Hatter (<i>Alices Adventures in Wonderland</i>) Fictional character in Alices Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

The Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass. He is very often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Carroll. The phrase "mad as a hatter" pre-dates Carroll's works. The Hatter and the March Hare are referred to as "both mad" by the Cheshire Cat, in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in the sixth chapter titled "Pig and Pepper".

<i>American McGees Alice</i> 2000 video game

American McGee's Alice is a 2000 third-person action-adventure video game developed by Rogue Entertainment under the direction of designer American McGee and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Games banner. The game was originally released for Windows and Mac OS. Although a planned PlayStation 2 port was cancelled, the game was later released digitally for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, via downloadable content for its sequel.

Queen of Hearts (<i>Alices Adventures in Wonderland</i>) Character from Lewis Carrolls novel Alices Adventures in Wonderland

The Queen of Hearts is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. She is a childish, foul-tempered monarch whom Carroll himself describes as "a blind fury", and who is quick to give death sentences at even the slightest of offenses. One of her most famous lines is the oft-repeated "Off with his/her head!" / "Off with their heads!"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Rabbit</span> Fictional character in Alices Adventures in Wonderland

The White Rabbit is a fictional and anthropomorphic character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He appears at the very beginning of the book, in chapter one, wearing a waistcoat, and muttering "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" Alice follows him down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. Alice encounters him again when he mistakes her for his housemaid Mary Ann and she becomes trapped in his house after growing too large. The Rabbit shows up again in the last few chapters, as a herald-like servant of the King and Queen of Hearts.

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (1951 film) 1951 animated film by Walt Disney

Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the Alice books by Lewis Carroll. The thirteenth release of Disney's animated features, the film features the voices of Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn, Sterling Holloway, Jerry Colonna, Verna Felton, J. Pat O'Malley, Bill Thompson, and Heather Angel. The film follows a young girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole to enter Wonderland, ruled by the Queen of Hearts. Along the way, she encounters an odd assortment, including the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat.

Caterpillar (<i>Alices Adventures in Wonderland</i>) Fictional character

The Caterpillar is a fictional character appearing in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

<i>Adventures in Wonderland</i> American TV series or program

Adventures in Wonderland is a 1992–1995 American live-action/puppet musical television series based on the novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871) by Lewis Carroll as well as the 1951 animated film. In the series, Alice, is portrayed as a girl who can come and go from Wonderland simply by walking through her mirror.

Works based on <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>

Lewis Carroll's books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871) have been highly popular in their original forms, and have served as the basis for many subsequent works since they were published. They have been adapted directly into other media, their characters and situations have been appropriated into other works, and these elements have been referenced innumerable times as familiar elements of shared culture. Simple references to the two books are too numerous to list; this list of works based on Alice in Wonderland focuses on works based specifically and substantially on Carroll's two books about the character of Alice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Beddor</span> American novelist

Frank Beddor is an American former world champion freestyle skier, film producer, actor, stuntman, and author. He worked as a producer on There's Something About Mary and Wicked, and wrote the book The Looking Glass Wars.

<i>The Looking Glass Wars</i> 2004 novel by Frank Beddor

The Looking Glass Wars is a series of three novels by Frank Beddor, heavily inspired by Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass. The premise is that the two books written by Lewis Carroll are a distortion of the "true story".

<i>Fushigi no Kuni no Alice</i> Japanese anime television series

Fushigi no Kuni no Alice is an anime adaptation of the 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland which ran on the TV Tokyo network and other local stations across Japan from October 10, 1983 to March 26, 1984. The series was a Japanese-German co-production between Nippon Animation, TV Tokyo and Apollo Films. The series consists of 52 episodes, however, only 26 made it to the US.

<i>Seeing Redd</i> 2007 novel by Frank Beddor

Seeing Redd is a 2007 novel written by Frank Beddor inspired by Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass.

<i>Wonderland</i> (musical)

Wonderland, formerly called Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure or Wonderland: A New Alice, is a musical play with a book by Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd, lyrics by Murphy, and music by Frank Wildhorn. The story, a contemporary version of the novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871) by Lewis Carroll, is set in New York City and focuses on writer Alice Cornwinkle and her 10-year-old daughter Chloe.

<i>Alice</i> (miniseries) Canadian TV series or program

Alice is a 2009 television miniseries that was originally broadcast on Canadian cable television channel Showcase and an hour later on American cable television channel Syfy. The miniseries is a reimagining of the classic Lewis Carroll novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), taking place about 150 years later with science fiction and additional fantasy elements added. The miniseries, produced by Reunion Pictures is three hours long, split into two parts, which premiered on Sunday, December 6, 2009, and Monday, December 7, 2009, respectively. Writer and director Nick Willing previously directed a 1999 adaptation of the books that followed the story more closely; however, Alice is intended to be a modern interpretation, imagining how Wonderland might have evolved over the last 143 years. The mini-series was partially shot in the Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada area.

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (1931 film) 1931 film

Alice in Wonderland (1931) is an independently made black-and-white Pre-Code American film based on Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, directed by Bud Pollard, produced by Hugo Maienthau, and filmed at Metropolitan Studios in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

<i>Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland</i>

Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland (2010) is a reimagining of Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland written by British-American author J.T. Holden. It tells the story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 19 rhyming poems, each written in the same style as Lewis Carroll's original verse. The book includes 36 illustrations by American artist Andrew Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portrayals of Alice in Wonderland</span> Fictional character

Alice, the main protagonist of Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), has been adapted to several media.

<i>Alice Through the Looking Glass</i> (2016 film) 2016 film directed by James Bobin

Alice Through the Looking Glass is a 2016 American live-action/animated fantasy adventure film directed by James Bobin, written by Linda Woolverton and produced by Tim Burton, Joe Roth, Suzanne Todd, and Jennifer Todd. It is based on the characters created by Lewis Carroll and is the sequel to the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland. Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Matt Lucas, Mia Wasikowska, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Barbara Windsor, Timothy Spall, Paul Whitehouse, Lindsay Duncan, Geraldine Page and Leo Bill reprise their roles from the previous film with Rhys Ifans and Sacha Baron Cohen joining the cast. It also features Rickman, Windsor and Andrew Sachs in their final film roles prior to their deaths. In the film, a now 22-year-old Alice comes across a magical looking glass that takes her back to Wonderland, where she finds that the Mad Hatter is acting madder than usual and wants to discover the truth about his family. Alice then travels through time, comes across friends and enemies at different points of their lives, and embarks on a race to save the Hatter before time runs out.

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (franchise) Disney media franchise based on the Alice books by Lewis Carroll

Alice in Wonderland, or simply Alice, is a Disney media franchise, commencing in 1951 with the theatrical release of the animated film Alice in Wonderland. The film is an adaptation of the books by Lewis Carroll, the 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass, which featured his character Alice. A live-action film directed by Tim Burton was released in 2010.

References

  1. "Frank Beddor's 'ArchEnemy'". ABC News. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  2. "Frank Beddor's Looking Glass Wars series takes a journey into an alternate universe". Tampa Bay. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  3. "Review: ArchEnemy". School Library Journal. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  4. "Review: Arch Enemy". AudioFile Magazine. Retrieved 22 November 2012.