illegible_scribble
2/7/2021
These stories all stand alone, but are intertwined with shared characters who originally appeared in the author's novels Alice and Red Queen - which I have not read, but there are references to past events, and reading those books, while not strictly necessary, would undoubtedly enhance appreciation of these stories.
I thought Lovely Creature was the most enjoyable, since it requires only a passing familiarity with Alice in Wonderland to provide context; the other 3 stories feature two characters who are the protagonists of the novels. Girl in Amber is sheer horror; When I First Came to Town is early backstory which precedes the novels; and The Mercy Seat is a classic witch persecution story transplanted to this universe.