A Blade So Black

A Blade So Black is a young adult fantasy novel written by L.L. McKinney and volume 1 of The Nightmare-Verse series. It is a contemporary re-imagining of the Lewis Carroll book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a black teenage girl protagonist. A Blade So Black was released on September 25, 2018 by Imprint/Macmillan.[1]

A Blade So Black
AuthorL.L. McKinney
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Nightmare-Verse
GenreFantasy
PublisherImprint/Macmillan
Publication date
September 2018
Media typePrint (hardback and paperback)
Pages384 (first edition, hardback)
ISBN978-1-250-15390-6 (first edition, hardback)
Followed byA Dream So Dark 

Plot

"When Atlanta teenager Alice Kingston’s father dies of heart failure—while at their favorite event, Dragon Con—she immediately is attacked by a “Nightmare” monster and then saved by Addison Hatta, a guardian of the portal between Atlanta and Wonderland."[2]

Themes

The book deals with themes of nightmares and fears.[2] It incorporates elements of generational trauma specific to the treatment of African Americans in the American south.[2] A Blade So Black has been described as Afrofuturist by scholars.[3][4]

Critical reception

The book received mainly positive critical reception.[5] School Library Journal described the book as "a must-purchase where refreshing urban fantasies and retellings are in demand.[6] Enishia Davenport wrote in a starred review for Booklist, "McKinney breathes new life and fierce empowerment into Carroll’s classic. Her Wonderland is menacing, lush, and unique and populated by nuanced characters that are fleshed out and refreshingly authentic."[7] Kate Quealy-Gainer described it in a review for The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "With a modern flair, a rich backstory, and just enough emotional heft, this particular looking glass will have readers eagerly falling through it."[8] In a less positive review, Publisher's Weekly stated: "The mechanics of Wonderland, its features, and its creatures sometimes feel hastily sketched, and secondary characters lack depth, but McKinney’s imagination knows few bounds, and Alice’s devotion to the others is contagious."[9]

Adaptations

In December 2018 it was announced that Lionsgate optioned television rights to the book.[10]

References
  1. A BLADE SO BLACK | Kirkus Reviews.
  2. Wells, Myrydd (2019-09-24). "YA author L.L. McKinney re-imagines Alice in Wonderland—in Atlanta". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  3. Toliver, S. R. (2019). "Breaking Binaries: #BlackGirlMagic and the Black Ratchet Imagination". Journal of Language and Literacy Education. 15 (1). ISSN 1559-9035.
  4. Thomas, Ebony Elizabeth (2019). "Notes toward a Black Fantastic: Black Atlantic Flights beyond Afrofuturism in Young Adult Literature". The Lion and the Unicorn. 43 (2): 282–301. doi:10.1353/uni.2019.0023. ISSN 1080-6563.
  5. "11 Magic-Infused Books We Can't Wait to Read This Fall". Nerdist. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  6. L.L, McKinney. "A Blade So Black". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  7. Davenport, Enishia (2018-09-01). "A Blade So Black". Booklist. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  8. Quealy-Gainer, Kate (2018). "A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 72 (1): 30–31. doi:10.1353/bcc.2018.0597. ISSN 1558-6766.
  9. "A Blade So Black". www.publishersweekly.com.
  10. "'A Blade So Black' author L.L. McKinney teases next book, exciting adaptation news". EW.com. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
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