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allaboutfrodo's review against another edition
2.0
Most of these stories seem to have been written by authors who don't actually like Alice, or Lewis Carroll/Charles Dodgson, or both. Many of the authors have tried and convicted Dodgson of being a pedophile with no proof and little evidence. Some of them don’t seem to realize that Alice Liddell and Alice in Wonderland are not actually the same person, and that they can’t “protect” Alice in Wonderland from her own creator. I don’t know, I was expecting more celebration of Alice in Wonderland and less outraged rewriting of Alice Liddell’s story.
I only really liked two of the nineteen stories – The White Queen’s Pawn by Genevieve Cogman and Good Dog, Alice! By Juliet Marillier. I patently disliked five of them, and the other 12 fell somewhere in the middle.
Recommended for short story readers who don't actually like Alice. Not recommended for Alice lovers.
I read an advance reader copy of Wonderland: An Anthology.
I only really liked two of the nineteen stories – The White Queen’s Pawn by Genevieve Cogman and Good Dog, Alice! By Juliet Marillier. I patently disliked five of them, and the other 12 fell somewhere in the middle.
Recommended for short story readers who don't actually like Alice. Not recommended for Alice lovers.
I read an advance reader copy of Wonderland: An Anthology.
smsdigitaluk's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book of short tales inspired by the stories of Alice and Wonderland. Lots of different takes on the subject matter with beautiful uses of gibberish and nonsense
taryn_hale's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
lazylibrarian01's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
wanderingbooks_'s review against another edition
4.0
I may be a bit biased when it comes to subject matter having to do with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book as a whole. I could go into great detail, addressing each of the 19 short-stories in turn and sharing my thoughts, but as Instagram doesn’t allow for captions quite that long I will settle in reviewing the book as a singular unit. I enjoyed the various takes and viewpoints of the classic tale, and each author had a little something different to bring to the table. Out of the collection there were six that I really loved, and I marked those with a little star in the book to be easily found again if I want to reread them at some point. Some of the stories made me think and some of them tugged at my heartstrings. Other made me laugh, while others just plain confused me. Lol but it would be Wonderland if it didn’t confuse the mind from time to time. All in all, I’d say this is a fantastic read for any avid fans of Alice in Wonderland like myself, or even if you’re just looking for a good collection of short stories to read.
paperheartsink's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastic collection of short stories and poems perfect for Alice fans but you certainly don’t need to have read Alice in Wonderland to enjoy this anthology.
Some of the tales are dark and creepy, others horrifying yet touching. A whimsical take of the macabre, the stories cover many genres from fantasy to historical.
I enjoyed rediscovering Wonderland through an assortment of lenses.
Thanks to the publisher, Titan Books, for gifting me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Some of the tales are dark and creepy, others horrifying yet touching. A whimsical take of the macabre, the stories cover many genres from fantasy to historical.
I enjoyed rediscovering Wonderland through an assortment of lenses.
Thanks to the publisher, Titan Books, for gifting me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
thebeccafowell's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Titan Books for gifting me with a copy of this book.
This is a collection of short stories inspired by Alice in Wonderland and below is all the short stories, their authors and my thoughts on each one:
Alice in Armor by Jane Yolen
I'm not usually a poetry reader so I don't really know how to review this one
Wonders Never Cease by Robert Shearman
This one didn't really make much sense and kept going back and forth. It also came across like Alice was taken advantage of by the man she worked with, but again with all the back and forth it wasn't clear.
There Were No Birds to Fly by M.R. Carey
I liked this one, it had quite a thriller/horror vibe to it and I was intrigued, I would have been happy if this one had been a longer story
The White Queen's Pawn by Genevieve Cogman
I loved this one, Lady Hargreaves was sneaky and I loved it and Lucy was gullible and it cost her.
Dream Girl by Cavan Scott
This was a really interesting Sci-fi take on Wonderland and I did not see the ending coming at all. I would love a full novel based on this.
Good Dog, Alice! by Juliet Marillier
I loved how Dorothea and her dog Alice acidentally stumbled across a door in a hidden passage and found themselves in a Wonderland-type place. It took a bit of a darker turn but the ending was perectly done
The Hunting of the Jabberwock by Jonathan Green
I loved this one. There was adventure, a new found friendship and a devious scheme uncovered. Again this is another one that I would definitiely read if it was a full novel
About Time by George Mann
This was a lovely story of growing up and re-discovering a forgotten childhood, and then introducing a younger sibling to a whole new world
Smoke 'em if You Got 'em by Angela Slatter
This one was such a 'girl power' story of a woman (Alice) on a mission to help a town escape the clutches of a corrupt authority, along with meeting a new aquaintance along the way.
Vanished Summer Glory by Rio Youers
This was actually a pretty bittersweet story of two siblings separated, but then reunited with the help of Mr. Rabbit
Black Kitty by Catriona Ward
This one was very loosely based on Wonderland, and I think that's partly why I didn't enjoy it so much, as for me it didn't really fit in this anthology
The Night Parade by Laura Mauro
I really enjoyed this one, this is a very different take on Wonderland, inspired by Japanese folklore but still very much a story in a Wonderland style world
What Makes a Monster by L.L. McKinney
'Guardians' born in Wonderland and 'Dreamwalkers' born in our world work together to fight Nightmares; creatures manifested from humanity's fears. This one reminded me of a mix between Alice In Wonderland and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and yes I want a whole series based on this concept.
The White Queen's Dictum by James Lovegrove
This was another one that didn't really feel like it fit in this anthology. It was more of, and I say this lightly, a ghost story with a pretty obvious 'twist'
Temp Work by Lilith Saintcrow
This one was quite interesting, it was a mix between Alice In Wonderland and a dystopian novel. I was pretty invested in this one and really liked Alise's character
Eat Me, Drink Me by Alison Littlewood
This one I think may be the one I associate most with the original story of Alice In Wonderland, I liked Alice's adventure in this one, even if it definitely darker than the Disney animation
How I Comes to be the Treacle Queen by Cat Rambo
A story of freedom, girl power and teamwork. I loved how Alice helped the women stuck as slaves in the Treacle mine to escape and be free again
Six Impossible Things by Mark Chadbourn
This reminded me of a cross between Alice In Wonderland and A Christmas Carol and I really enjoyed it
Revolution in Wonder by Jane Yolen
As with the first poem in this anthology, as I'm not usually a poetry reader, I wouldn't know how to review this one
This is a collection of short stories inspired by Alice in Wonderland and below is all the short stories, their authors and my thoughts on each one:
Alice in Armor by Jane Yolen
I'm not usually a poetry reader so I don't really know how to review this one
Wonders Never Cease by Robert Shearman
This one didn't really make much sense and kept going back and forth. It also came across like Alice was taken advantage of by the man she worked with, but again with all the back and forth it wasn't clear.
There Were No Birds to Fly by M.R. Carey
I liked this one, it had quite a thriller/horror vibe to it and I was intrigued, I would have been happy if this one had been a longer story
The White Queen's Pawn by Genevieve Cogman
I loved this one, Lady Hargreaves was sneaky and I loved it and Lucy was gullible and it cost her.
Dream Girl by Cavan Scott
This was a really interesting Sci-fi take on Wonderland and I did not see the ending coming at all. I would love a full novel based on this.
Good Dog, Alice! by Juliet Marillier
I loved how Dorothea and her dog Alice acidentally stumbled across a door in a hidden passage and found themselves in a Wonderland-type place. It took a bit of a darker turn but the ending was perectly done
The Hunting of the Jabberwock by Jonathan Green
I loved this one. There was adventure, a new found friendship and a devious scheme uncovered. Again this is another one that I would definitiely read if it was a full novel
About Time by George Mann
This was a lovely story of growing up and re-discovering a forgotten childhood, and then introducing a younger sibling to a whole new world
Smoke 'em if You Got 'em by Angela Slatter
This one was such a 'girl power' story of a woman (Alice) on a mission to help a town escape the clutches of a corrupt authority, along with meeting a new aquaintance along the way.
Vanished Summer Glory by Rio Youers
This was actually a pretty bittersweet story of two siblings separated, but then reunited with the help of Mr. Rabbit
Black Kitty by Catriona Ward
This one was very loosely based on Wonderland, and I think that's partly why I didn't enjoy it so much, as for me it didn't really fit in this anthology
The Night Parade by Laura Mauro
I really enjoyed this one, this is a very different take on Wonderland, inspired by Japanese folklore but still very much a story in a Wonderland style world
What Makes a Monster by L.L. McKinney
'Guardians' born in Wonderland and 'Dreamwalkers' born in our world work together to fight Nightmares; creatures manifested from humanity's fears. This one reminded me of a mix between Alice In Wonderland and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and yes I want a whole series based on this concept.
The White Queen's Dictum by James Lovegrove
This was another one that didn't really feel like it fit in this anthology. It was more of, and I say this lightly, a ghost story with a pretty obvious 'twist'
Temp Work by Lilith Saintcrow
This one was quite interesting, it was a mix between Alice In Wonderland and a dystopian novel. I was pretty invested in this one and really liked Alise's character
Eat Me, Drink Me by Alison Littlewood
This one I think may be the one I associate most with the original story of Alice In Wonderland, I liked Alice's adventure in this one, even if it definitely darker than the Disney animation
How I Comes to be the Treacle Queen by Cat Rambo
A story of freedom, girl power and teamwork. I loved how Alice helped the women stuck as slaves in the Treacle mine to escape and be free again
Six Impossible Things by Mark Chadbourn
This reminded me of a cross between Alice In Wonderland and A Christmas Carol and I really enjoyed it
Revolution in Wonder by Jane Yolen
As with the first poem in this anthology, as I'm not usually a poetry reader, I wouldn't know how to review this one
kali76's review against another edition
4.0
4.5* I highly recommend this collection to readers interested in the afterlife of classics. The diversity of genres and interpretations makes this an exciting and surprising read. Some are firmly within Carroll's fictive world, others link to the 'story behind the story', others link through themes. My favourites were the western horror "Smoke 'em if you got 'em" by Angela Slatter, "The White Queen's Pawn" by Genevieve Cogman, "The White Queen's Dictum" by James Lovegrove, "The Hunting of the Jabberwock" by Jonathan Green, and "Black Kitty" by Catriona Ward.
diacritics's review against another edition
3.0
Alice in Armour & Revolution in Wonder – 5/5
Put this into music.
Wonders Never Cease – 4/5
Not entirely sure of the meaning but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
There Were No Birds to Fly – 1/5
Based on a niche section of the original from what I could gather, makes sense because I did not get how this is even related to Alice in Wonderland. Aside from that, it's a flop in all ways as well.
The White Queen's Pawn – 3/5
This is okay, I guess? Not sure how I feel about making Alice a spy. Some things were left vague which is not a bad thing in itself but handled poorly in this case.
Dream Girl – 2/5
A promising horror story in the first half. Sharp-turned into a sunny Sci-Fi because why not.
Good Dog, Alice! – 5/5
Whimsical despite being a darker story!
The Hunting of the Jabberwock – 4/5
About Time – 4/5
Smoke 'em if You Got 'em – 4/5
Love the evil Wonderland concept and the Action-oriented direction.
Vanished Summer Glory – 5/5
Black Kitty – 4/5
The Night Parade – 3/5
Cool concept but nothing beyond that.
What Makes a Monster – 2/5
Another story whose connection to the original is questionable.
The White Queen's Dictum – 0/5
Most pointless thing I have ever read. Should have stayed in the author's imagination.
Temp Work – 4/5
Eat Me, Drink Me – 3/5
From what I know this story was meant to feel like a fever dream, and the author nailed it because I had no idea what was happening or the meaning behind it.
How I come to be the Treacle Queen – 1/5
?????
Six Impossible Things – 5/5 ⭐
My favourite story which heavily features my beloved Cheshire Puss! I'm not crying, you are!
Overall, this was a mixed bag, some stories hit very hard and then there's a section filled with nothing but mediocrity and confusion which pulled my enjoyment down. My biggest gripe though, was that some stories were barely inspired by Alice in Wonderland and the editors thought that they were close enough.
Put this into music.
Wonders Never Cease – 4/5
Not entirely sure of the meaning but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
There Were No Birds to Fly – 1/5
Based on a niche section of the original from what I could gather, makes sense because I did not get how this is even related to Alice in Wonderland. Aside from that, it's a flop in all ways as well.
The White Queen's Pawn – 3/5
This is okay, I guess? Not sure how I feel about making Alice a spy. Some things were left vague which is not a bad thing in itself but handled poorly in this case.
Dream Girl – 2/5
A promising horror story in the first half. Sharp-turned into a sunny Sci-Fi because why not.
Good Dog, Alice! – 5/5
Whimsical despite being a darker story!
The Hunting of the Jabberwock – 4/5
About Time – 4/5
Smoke 'em if You Got 'em – 4/5
Love the evil Wonderland concept and the Action-oriented direction.
Vanished Summer Glory – 5/5
Black Kitty – 4/5
The Night Parade – 3/5
Cool concept but nothing beyond that.
What Makes a Monster – 2/5
Another story whose connection to the original is questionable.
The White Queen's Dictum – 0/5
Most pointless thing I have ever read. Should have stayed in the author's imagination.
Temp Work – 4/5
Eat Me, Drink Me – 3/5
From what I know this story was meant to feel like a fever dream, and the author nailed it because I had no idea what was happening or the meaning behind it.
How I come to be the Treacle Queen – 1/5
?????
Six Impossible Things – 5/5 ⭐
My favourite story which heavily features my beloved Cheshire Puss! I'm not crying, you are!
Overall, this was a mixed bag, some stories hit very hard and then there's a section filled with nothing but mediocrity and confusion which pulled my enjoyment down. My biggest gripe though, was that some stories were barely inspired by Alice in Wonderland and the editors thought that they were close enough.