In this second installment of the Queen of Hearts trilogy, Oakes ups the stakes once again. Dinah is exiled, on the run from the King of Hearts as a scapegoat for his grab at absolute power. Her younger brother, the Mad Hatter, has been killed by the King, and her half-sister is now a puppet queen. The young former princess is losing herself in the Twisted Wood, running from the King and his loyal Cards. Hope seems lost when a party catches up to her, but a rogue Spade, Sir Gorrann, finds her in time.
Like all young women, Dinah is set upon a journey with no end, no logical one in any case. Surrounded by others who knew its purpose, while she was ignorant of all the intricacies. Oakes elegantly takes a well known antagonist and shows her humanity, her pain, her growth, and even her broken heart. Awakened to the machinations of the men around her, Dinah takes her crown, and prepares to conquer not only the king, but herself.
