Dream So Dark

Description: In this thrilling sequel to A Blade So Black, Alice goes deeper into a dark version of Wonderland.

Brief description: Named one of The Root's 100 Most Influential African-Americans of 2020, L.L. McKinney is a writer, a poet, and an active member of the kidlit community. She's an advocate for equality and inclusion in publishing, the co-founder of Juneteenth Book Fest, and the creator of the hashtags #PublishingPaidMe and #WhatWOCWritersHear. She's also a gamer girl and an adamant Hei Hei stan. She is the author of A Blade So Black, A Dream So Dark, and A Crown So Cursed.

Review Quotes:

"A breakout author." --Entertainment Weekly

"With memorable characters and page-turning thrills, the Nightmare-Verse is the fantasy series I've been waiting for my whole life. Alice is Black Girl Magic personified."
--Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Hate U Give

"The Alice I never knew I needed. The Alice I was missing. McKinney conjures a Wonderland for those of us who weren't given the looking glass. It is a feat of black girl magic!"
--Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times-bestselling author of The Belles

"McKinney's follow-up to A Blade So Black proves she is a master of urban fantasy... Explosive from start to finish and guaranteed to send readers gleefully down a rabbit hole from which they'll emerge begging for a third installment." --Booklist, starred review

"Complex intrigue... Rousing, nonstop twists help make this sophomore entry a success." --Kirkus Reviews

A Blade So Black:

"Mixing elements of Alice in Wonderland and Buffy the Vampire Slayer... a delectable urban twist on beloved fantasy tales." --Entertainment Weekly

"This really is Lewis Carroll by way of Buffy, and it makes for a fun, gritty urban fantasy." --NPR

"I loved the 'our world' framing and the 'other world' adventure so deeply. They were at such odds, but the overall effect was just chefkiss.gif perfect."
--E.K. Johnston, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Star Wars: Ahsoka and A Thousand Nights

"Wholly original and absolutely thrilling--A Blade So Black kicks so much (looking gl)ass."
--Heidi Heilig, author of The Girl From Everywhere

"A dark, thrilling fantasy-meets-contemporary story with a kickass heroine." --Bustle

"Retold fairy tales have been a popular trend... but you've never read one quite like A Blade So Black." --Nerdist

"A brash, refreshing, vitally diverse retelling of a classic... You need this book." --Tor.com

"A Blade So Black is a novel that roars mightily in the face of all those Wonderland tales that have come before. L.L. McKinney is on her way to someplace special with this debut; get onboard now." --Locus magazine

"This isn't a retelling, this is Alice in Wonderland 2.0." --BlackSci-Fi.com

"An epic about Black Girl Magic." --We Need Diverse Books blog

"An explosive, kickass debut... The Alice in Wonderland retelling the world has always needed." --Booklist, starred review

"Relentless action, spiraling stakes, and a fierce heroine... A heartbreaking cliffhanger will leave fans clamoring for a sequel." --Publishers Weekly

"A thrilling, timely novel that ensures readers will be curious for a sequel." --Kirkus Reviews

"With a modern flair, a rich backstory, and just enough emotional heft, this particular looking glass will have readers eagerly falling through it." --The Bulletin

"Teens will root for Alice as a strong, multidimensional black girl usually unseen in YA fiction... A must-purchase." --School Library Journal

"A Blade So Black is a modernized version of a well-known story that retains enough of the original to be lauded by both fans of the classic and readers wholly new to Wonderland." --Shelf Awareness