Ratings16
Average rating3.2
"A mind-bending new novel inspired by the twisted and wondrous works of Lewis Carroll...In a warren of crumbling buildings and desperate people called the Old City, there stands a hospital with cinderblock walls which echo the screams of the poor souls inside. In the hospital, there is a woman. Her hair, once blond, hangs in tangles down her back. She doesn't remember why she's in such a terrible place. Just a tea party long ago, and long ears, and blood... Then, one night, a fire at the hospital gives the woman a chance to escape, tumbling out of the hole that imprisoned her, leaving her free to uncover the truth about what happened to her all those years ago. Only something else has escaped with her. Something dark. Something powerful. And to find the truth, she will have to track this beast to the very heart of the Old City, where the rabbit waits for his Alice"--
Featured Series
2 primary booksThe Chronicles of Alice is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2015 with contributions by Christina Henry.
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Alice is a fantastical tale that is a retelling of Lewis Carol's Alice in Wonderland. A lot of the elements from Alice in Wonderland are there, some of them subverted in such a way that the story is at times almost unrecognizable, but in a good way. It isn't really a horror novel although horrific things do happen. This story runs more along the lines of magical realism. There are also a lot of parallels to the “real world” in it. Women sold into slavery, rape, abuse, neglect, mental illness. So if that isn't your cup of tea... well, it's not a fun read, but it certainly is a good one.
Dark urban fantasy version of Alice in Wonderland. Sounds great to me, right in my wheelhouse. Nice touch opening it in an insane asylum. If only it lived up to my expectations.
Other than the character names, this bears no resemblance to the source material. Characters have no personality, nothing even close to the original which is packed with weird, colorful characters. There is very little humor to be found, which is certainly one of things I loved best about the original.
But, let's say I forget about comparing it to the source material and think of it as a book on its own merits. Alice seems like an outline with dialogue, nothing is developed. The two main characters, Alice and Hatcher (who I assume is the Mad Hatter) have conveniently lost their memories, therefore the author doesn't have to develop character motivation. When convenient, suddenly they will remember part of their backstory to serve the plot. Hatcher and Alice know what to do based on dreams and visions instead of earning or learning anything. Dreams and visions are a weak device at the best of times and certainly shouldn't be used to replace character development. Not to mention that these people have no personality to speak of.
Mostly, Alice and Hatcher roam around the Old City (the crime-ridden part of a fantasy version of New York) and meet different evil and powerful denizens of this world. Except they're basically all the same. They look different and have different lairs, but can't tell you how they otherwise standout from each other. The Big Bad doesn't even get enough interaction to develop a personality.
The “dark fantasy” part revolves around the rape, torture, selling etc. of women and girls. No other crimes. All the baddies are men who want to consume women in some way or another. No other motivations from the villains, other than generic desire for “power.” Since this abuse of women isn't given any emotional resonance, it feels like a cheap trick.
I'm glad the book was short and fast moving. The ending itself though, was another problem. In the final conflict, Alice (who discovers at a convenient moment earlier that she is a magician) realizes she can just wish things to happen and uses this to dispatch with the person they've been chasing all this time. A bit anticlimactic, even though I wasn't that into the story, I expected a bit more to the final conflict after all the time spent on the setup.
FIRST, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland will forever be a book that's imagery and style I will hold dearly. Alright, with that out of the way.
This is a reimagining of Wonderland, the place and to mature version of the themes, TWISTED in the most ramped up way. A lot to do with the rape and sex trafficking, it is hard to stomach at times but also at times feels...normalized? This is how this world is. It is vile. As the book keeps moving forward Alice gets more empowered but a little over halfway through, the rate is that of a freight train. I still enjoyed the journey, and Henry does a great job of taking these characters in frightening and unique directions, but it felt like the book was a car going downhill with the breaks pressed halfway down and then all of a sudden they are just released.
Then as we get to the climax see how little of this is left and I wasn't sure how they could possibly resolve multiple big bads. With so much pain inflicted, often being presented the aftermath of prolonged periods of evil reigning supreme, the end doesn't feel gratifying. I wasn't asking for this torture filled revenge...but some greater catharsis. These entities that have ruled this city have fallen relatively easily but these bads, these are the WORST of the worst. And the resolutions are simplest of all.
With the ending, and not having a great affinity for Through the Looking Glass, I'm not too keen on continuing the journey. I enjoyed this version of Wonderland well enough but I have scratched the itch I needed to scratch.