Things are looking up for L.L. McKinney as it has just been revealed that not only is her critically acclaimed novel ‘A Blade So Black’ headed to the small screen but a sequel to the novel titled ‘A Dream So Dark’ is slated to be released! The young adult fantasy novel is heading to television thanks to the folks at Lionsgate Television. This series order is a quick turnaround after the novel’s release on September 25th.
For those unfamiliar with the novel, here is the book’s full synopsis:
A Blade So Black delivers an irresistible urban fantasy retelling of Alice in Wonderland . . . but it’s not the Wonderland you remember.
The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she’s trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew.
Life in real-world Atlanta isn’t always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice’s handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she’ll need to use everything she’s learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally.
Debut author L.L. McKinney delivers an action-packed twist on an old classic, full of romance and otherworldly intrigue.
As for how the first story came together, McKinney states:
“I used to search book covers and posters for characters like Alice. I ached for the stories I loved to show me Black girls were treasured like everyone else. I prayed for the worlds I visited between those pages to…be less hostile towards us than this one. I dreamed of going to galaxies far, far away, and of journeying to mystic lands beyond, and seeing Black people hadn’t been forgotten or left behind. Somehow, for some reason, we were always left behind … “Now, that wistful, bubbly, joyous, anxious, and sometimes frighteningly-fierce feeling has only intensified. Alice will not only be on bookshelves but could be on screens all over. She will be everywhere.”
Not only that, but the cover reveal for the sequel has been released! Before being an author, McKinney had become known as a diversity advocate in the YA community, and this new book has a special place in her heart:
“Seeing how the cover for A Blade So Black and now A Dream So Dark puts a Black girl front and center, I’m overwhelmed in the best way, because black kids deserve to see themselves like this. Other kids need to see black kids like this.”
Are you looking forward to checking out a television series based on ‘A Blade So Black’? What did you think about the cover reveal and early details for ‘A Dream So Dark’? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
You can pick up a copy of ‘A Dream So Dark’ on September 24th, 2019!
Source: Entertainment Weekly
