The Collectors' Society

Great world awesome characters! Loved it! Epic love story !

LOVED this book! So many wonderful characters and amazing story-line, it will suck you right in!

This book is imaginative and amazing! Seeing some of our favorite characters in different ways and a new story is so fun. The story pulls you in and the rest of the world disappears. Love the way this is written and the depth of the storyline and characters. Masterfully written!

I wasn't sure this book was for me, but I'm so glad I gave it a shot. It is filled with the classics and characters many of us are familiar with and even loved delivered in a totally original way. I love the changes. People are edgier than their traditional forms. It's a fairytale for grownups. I will definitely be continuing the series.

Ingenious!! First, let me say: Yes, this is the beginning of a series, but does not end with a cliffhanger. This book is very original and quite imaginative!! This is not just a re-telling of Alice In Wonderland. You've never seen Alice like this before! ;) Plus, you will have fun figuring out the secondary characters as they are brought in to the story line. Ms. Lyons words are weaved into an elaborate tale unlike any that you have read before. Enjoy your ride down the rabbit hole!

4.5/5 Stars This book was not what I was expecting. I can't recall exactly what I was expecting but I do know it definitely wasn't something as good as this! I thought this would just be a nice, fun Alice in Wonderland retelling, and it was, but it was also so much more. The idea behind The Collectors' Society is that as a book grows in popularity it takes on a life of its own and creates its own world. The characters in The Collectors' Society come from these different book-worlds (though some characters are just from our plain, old, non-book world), the main character, Alice, of course comes from Alice in Wonderland but there are also many other classic book characters reinvented in this story. I found the plot to be really unique and I loved how the author reinvented these well-known characters. There's a list in the back of the book that tells you which characters are from which books and I'd recommend reading up on them if you don't know their story (either before or after reading) -  it just adds an extra layer to the book! The thing that's usually the make-or-break for me in a book is its characters. If a book has a fantastic story but I feel nothing for any of the characters I'm just not going to be able to love it. Whereas if a story has fantastic characters but a mediocre plot, it's not going to affect my enjoyment as much because most of my focus is on the characters; so characters are a big thing for me. I am very pleased to inform you all, that the characters in The Collectors' Society are all really fantastic. They were all unique and wonderful and complicated and real, and it didn't matter how minor a role a character played because Heather Lyons managed to give a clear image of each character in only a few lines. She didn't give away all their secrets of course,  but she gave just enough for you to start building your own idea of the character. It was really wonderfully done. Another wonderful element to the book was the romance. It was steamy, romantic, loving and full of so much sexual tension I could feel it rising up from the pages (well, the kindle screen), and the chemistry between the characters was just amazing. It's not explicit, but it's definitely not all behind closed doors either, the romance was somewhere nicely in the middle - let's just say my cheeks were quite flushed! If you're a fan of Alice in Wonderland... read this book. If you're a fan of romance, adventure, and/or fantasy... read this book. If you're a fan of books... read this book, because there is just so much amazingness in this story and so many great spins and reinventions of the classic books you probably read as a child. It's just wonderful how everything comes together and I am in love with the way Heather Lyons has given old characters new life. This book was magical and I cannot wait for the next in the series! *I received a copy of this book free in exchange for my honest review*

If you are looking for a unique read, look no further because The Collectors' Society is the book for you. Heather Lyons takes Alice in Wonderland to a whole new level. Not only does she take Alice in Wonderland to a whole new level, she brings light to other great literary classics. The characters in this book are fantastic, you cannot help but to love every single character that are part of the Collectors' Society and of course a few of those from Wonderland. I loved everything about this book and am so happy that I took a chance on reading this book.

Holy. Freaking. Heck!! What is Heather Lyons drinking, because whatever it is, it has given her the super power to recreate characters and their stories. She takes stories that are well known, ones that have been retold time and time again and some how has convinced me that the one true story is actually one the one she is telling us now, those ones from before were just the cliff notes. I am truly blown away with how she has pulled this off. I first read The Deep End of The Sea last year, which is the retelling of Medusa. This was where I first discovered the talent of Ms. Lyons and it was love at first read. When I found out about The Collectors Society I got really excited. I wanted more of the talent that I found in The Deep End of The Sea. But I also had a small part of me that was rationalizing the fact that The Collectors' Society just might not live up to the amazing retelling of Medusa. {If you have not read this book yet, then you need to. Now! It will completely erase everything you ever thought you knew about Medusa. The Deep End of The Sea will be the story that sticks with you. You can find my review here.} The Collectors' Society is just another piece of proof that whatever Heather Lyons is drinking is working because she is not only retelling the story of Alice but of an entire cast of characters that you will recognize and some that you may have forgotten about. There is an entire organization with the sole purpose of keeping all the characters that we know and love safe. There is an entire way of life that we are completely oblivious too but Heather Lyons brings it to life within the pages of The Collectors Society. There are villains that are unlike those you have ever met, and so much depth to this story that you can't help but believe it is real. There are complex webs of relationships that will cause you to feel the strength of those bonds and create ones of your own. There is love and pain and sacrifice and I promise that you will be completely entranced by this story. There are few authors that can catch my attention and have me so wrapped into a series. The Collectors's Society is for sure at the top of that list and I will follow this series all the way to the very last pages I am sure. I cannot wait to see what other magical and romantic stories Ms. Lyons can weave for all these wonderful characters because while this book was a very satisfying read I for sure need me some more of everyone from the Collector's Society.

I am in love with this book! If you've read  the Thursday Next books, you'll appreciate the use of well-loved literary characters as the main characters here. Very compelling, story, well thought out. My only complaint is that it needs to be edited more closely. Many obvious errors that tended to jar me out of the story unexpectedly. 

Originally posted on my blog: Tangled Up In Books I received a copy of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review for a blog tour. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating! The adventures, the dangers, the surprising characters and the fun were all expected and quite thoroughly executed. What I wasn't expecting, and what took me completely by surprise, were the moments that made my heart flutter, my stomach flip flop, and the scorching heat that nearly had me bursting into flames. Sigh. I have become quite thoroughly obsessed with this book and Finn. Oh. My. Heart. Thank you Heather Lyons! Alice is perfect. She's exactly how I picture a grownup version of her character would be. A bit paranoid, a bit untrusting, sarcastic, confident, tough as nails and maybe just a slight bit off. I feel like her characteristics and demeanor were captured perfectly knowing all that she more than likely went through in her time spent in Wonderland. Alice in this book kicks so much ass. Both literally and figuratively! But one of the things I loved most, just one of the many mind you, was watching Alice adjust to life in the 21st century, something else that Heather Lyons was able to capture perfectly. Alice's awe, fear, confusion, frustrations, all of it as she learns to navigate this new, technological world around her were very accurately portrayed. Especially for her character. So many of the characters in this book were from stories, or related to characters from stories, that I loved and read often in my youth. Every time someone would pop up that I recognized I would quite literally say to the book "Shut. Up!" It's exciting to see them all mixed together in modern day New York and interacting together. Even form relationships, argue and fall in love. What really had me was the trip to Wonderland though. It was crazy fun and a whole new view on the place that had both my jaw dropping and laughing my butt off at the same time. It's definitely not the same Wonderland you're expecting. The characters are very...different and I was loving it. Though for a few reasons all of it's own, the trip to Wonderland is completely bittersweet as well. The build up toward the next book was fantastic and now I'm left sitting here utterly depressed because this one isn't even released yet at the time of my writing this and I'm already dying to get my hands on the next book. It had everything; moments of humor, danger, adventure, battles, angst, pain and of course...love. Sigh. The Collectors' Society has quite easily taken the spot at the top of my list of favorite books. I can't wait for more. I need more. Like yesterday! For now I'll just have to read all of her other books while I wait (im)patiently. She says as if she's going to suffer doing it...ha right!

Have you ever read a book and are so blown away by it that coherent words are basically just wishful thinking? Yeah. That's how I feel right now. I can't even begin to describe to you all how magical this book truly is. Heather Lyons has once again slayed me in the best possible way with this book. I fell head over heels in love with these characters (some way more than I probably should have) and I was NOT ready for the book to end because I wanted to stay wrapped up in this fantastical world Lyons has created. Lyons has done a brilliant job of creating a cast of characters that come from literature, as well as giving them a place in modern times. She does such an incredible job with the urban fantasy genre and I love how easily I could accept this world she has created where there are real literary characters living out their daily lives as a part of The Collectors' Society, with the goal of preserving beloved literature from being erased. "What say you, Alice? Are you up for another adventure?" Alice is our main character in this novel and after spending years in Wonderland, she is now back in England much older and not the same blonde haired girl we have read about. Her experiences in Wonderland have changed her and we only get the briefest of hints as to what happened to Alice there. This book is a journey. Not just for Alice and our other characters, but for us readers as well and that is what makes this book so special. Once we do discover Alice's past and we are given brief flashbacks of her time in Wonderland, it explains so much about why she acts the way she does and why she's so hesitant to trust in others. It's heartbreakingly beautiful and I'm still a bit wrecked over everything that has happened to her and what she's given up in her life. Her wit and sarcasm are so much fun to read and she is the embodiment of a strong willed heroine. Some of her early actions might come across as weak and paranoid, but she has her reasons for acting the way she does. Lyons does stay true to Alice's character, as even in her adulthood she still possesses that curiosity she once had as a child. "Are you ready to once more slip through a looking glass?" Alice is called upon to join The Collectors' Society and it is here she meets the gorgeous, kind, resilient Finn. The two are partnered to work together to find a dangerous villain that threatens everything The Collectors' Society stands for and has worked hard to accomplish. We get to see many other favorites from literature, two of which I enjoyed immensely- Victor and Mary. They provide some much needed comedic relief and I love their wacky relationship with one another. I really liked Finn's character. He is a good balance for Alice and I like that he is the one she chooses to slowly place her trust in. He is a good man with a hint of vulnerability that just made me want to hug on him. Once he realizes Alice can hold her own, he doesn't try to shelter her, but instead encourages her and believes in her, which really endeared him to me. "After all that I've gone through, after all I've lost, I've finally found my true north star." My favorite character of all is one I can't discuss. I refuse to write spoilers, but.... my soul cries out for this character and I am getting emotional again just remembering how much beauty and goodness lies in their heart and soul. We see their pain and heartbreak, but we also see the immense amount of love and sacrifice there too. Heather really broke me with this one. I just somehow wanted it to work even though I knew it wasn't possible .It's a hard thing to accept and that is what makes this character's storyline so bittersweet. "There is only my past and there is my present and future. The two cannot collide." I cannot recommend this book enough. If there is one book review out of all the reviews I've written, I hope this is the one to make you pick up this book. It is such a brilliant story and the action packed journey we find ourselves on is one that I won't ever forget.

The concept and plot? Amazing. Every reader thinks or perhaps wishes that the world they are delving into is real and beyond mere imagination. The authors in this story create dimensions/worlds out of the books they write. Readers giving life to the pages they read. It has the right amount of adventure and romance. There were times where the scenes were serious and then there were times when they face problems like normal people. The collision of how the characters talk, considering they are from different centuries was entertaining. Many of the characters we’ve come to know will be present, from Huckleberry Finn to Sweeney Todd (Which all I can see is Johnny Depp slicing through people’s throats. HOT!!! ). It’s very interesting to see these characters out of their books. Some aren’t even in the books but are still related to them. The stories we’ve adored for decades will have their chance to live again as adults. We’ll get to know characters gradually as they reveal themselves. As the story develops, they’ll uncover part of themselves that will tug at your strings. “..tug at strings I thought I’d clipped.” The bits of memories that flashes through Alice make the story more phenomenal. These mysteries that only further pages could unfold. I didn’t expect Alice to be so badass but then again, we perceive her as the nosy little girl. Moral Lesson: No one knows you better than yourself. The Collector’s Society is a catalyst of its own Timeline. And if you didn’t get that, better start reading this novel. Refreshing and addictive. This book will make you want to fall down the rabbit hole to the Collectors Society.

I completely adored The Collectors’ Society by Heather Lyons, which is not really shocking. I just absolutely love how she writes her characters and her love stories, then add in the cool focus of a grown up version of Alice. Well it’s absolutely amazing.  I loved the way that Heather has written Alice. I felt like she completely captured her character and did such a fantastic job of aging her. There are so many mysteries surrounding her and her later adventures in Wonderland (after her stories end). She doesn’t even let us in on the secret but she it is also not over eluded to. The way she acts and talks just fit so perfectly. Alice has a curious mind and a strong survival instinct.  I like that so many different literary characters are involved in the books. I admit that I for some reason could not get how they name timelines. I kept forgetting for  but luckily I’ve read most of the books they came from. There is also a key in the back of the book. I would get really excited when a new character was introduced. It was fun to see who would was with who and what they are up to.  liked that Mary kept her spunk and her love of plants. Victor is a doctor and seemed to channel a little bit of his father if not to the crazy extent. Finn is of course adventurous and tough. Even Jack remains a creep, which I’m not sure if that’s unsettling or not. I liked how Brom as the anti-hero gets to change his destiny a bit too. It was just so much fun to be able to jump in and out different books.  I admit as much as I was loving The Collectors’ Society and learning about it. I was super anxious to get to Wonderland. I’m like come on let’s go let’s go. When we finally join Alice and enter back into her timeline it definitely met my expectations. I loved how Heather takes some of the characters that are not talked about as much, such as the White King, and turns him into a bigger player. I have to say I really liked the White King. Rather than focusing on just the Mad Hatter, Caterpillar and Cheshire Cat. I felt like she gave Wonderland new life and still kept the things that make it what it is.  Such a great love story for a couple reasons. First of all it feels like Finn and Alice spend plenty of time together before anything happens. So the progression of their relationship seems more natural. Alice has a past and I really like that she doesn’t apologize for it, she doesn’t regret it and she still loves the person who was a part of it. She makes it very clear what the difference between your past and future is. It was just so nice to see a story that has two people who love one another enough that they want the other to be happy even if it is with someone else.  I really want to gush about this book, it’s one of those reviews where I like it so much it’s almost harder to write. If you are a fan of Alice in Wonderland definitely pick it up. It’s such a great redo of her story.

The Collectors’ Society is a book that will blow your mind. It has a gripping start and from then on this book takes you on a journey you won’t soon forget. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if fictional characters were real? In The Collectors’ Society you get to find out. I won’t say anymore because I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone, but are you sold yet? This book is truly a magical story full of adventure, mystery, action, and men that will have you swooning. I was literally speechless as I read through this book. The way Lyons has constructed this whole book is mind blowing. The writing is captivating, and it is even poetic at times. The intricate world building and background in The Collectors’ Society reminds me of how magical writing can truly be, and how talented authors really are. Lyons made this book come alive. She can transport you into a world after a few sentences and that is amazing writing. The way she describes things in the book just make them seem so real. Not only is the story compelling and beautiful, but also emotional. It harbors a deeper meaning about dealing with your past, and it is really awesome when a story is intriguing and inspirational. The Collectors’ Society is also filled to the brim with action. Alice is a fierce badass in this book, let me tell you. Then there is Finn Van Brunt. I am irrevocably in love with Finn. He is mysterious at times, and the way he interacts with Alice is likely to make you swoon. He is another part of the story that keeps you coming back for more. This is an adult book, but you do not have to worry about descriptive sexy times. There are only a few scenes in this book, but they aren’t descriptive. They are actually kind of poetic so you don’t have to worry about it being explicit. I was so happy with this book. The ending satisfied me, but left me wanting more! I was never bored because this is not a dull or slow book. It is full of a constant flow of action and adventure. I loved every moment of it. The Collectors’ Society has quickly become one of my top favorite books, and you will not want to miss out on this amazing, captivating read.