GENDERBENT FAIRYTALES COLLECTION
Alister in Wonderland
Handsome and the Yeti
Petra Pan
A genderbent reimagining of the classic fairytale Alice in Wonderland…
Alister Kingsley is an eccentric, London artist who is famous for his surreal, fanciful paintings set in a land that only exists in his imagination: Wonderland.
Alister’s ‘dream girl’ Madeline Hatter wasn’t supposed to be real. But when the White Rabbit shows up at his art expo, and leads him down the rabbit hole Alister comes face-to-face with the Mad Hatter herself when she rescues him from getting barbequed by the King of Heart’s pet: the Jabberwocky.
As it turns out, Madeline got herself into a pickle, and needs Alister’s help. She has him sign a magical contract that enters him into a tournament to win her hand in marriage. Alister must complete an impossible task, participate in a Wonderland Joust where the rules aren’t exactly normal, and defeat the other contenders: Crimson the King of Hearts, Clover the White King, and Cheshire Cat slave, Chesher.
Madeline isn’t allowed to help Alister, and Crim keeps sending assassins after his head. Will Alister be able to win the tournament so that Madeline won’t have to marry the sadistic, bloodthirsty King of Hearts?
Take the blue pill and find out…
I received an Audible code from the author for an honest review. What follows is my opinion and mine alone. There was no compensation for this review.
I am officially in love with the genderbent fairy tales KuroKoneko Kamen writes. Each book stands well on their own, but are actually a part of a larger universe. I’m not sure if you need to read them in order of publication, but I didn’t and I don’t feel like it took away from any of the stories.
Alister in Wonderland is an Alice in Wonderland retelling with an artist coward as our main hero. Despite his cowardice, he perseveres and learns many things about himself and the world he used to only know in his paintings.
I love that KuroKoneko Kamen weaves pop culture into the stories, but doesn’t let the references overtake the characters. Kamen is able to not only pay homage to the original story source, but also make a unique tale of its own. Not to mention one that reaches into other stories to make a bigger universe. Oh to be a fly on the wall in Kamen’s office and see the universe notes.
All in all, this book is an action-packed read and had me entertained through the whole thing.
Final Rating: 4/5
Casia's Corner 