Excerpt: Red Queen, Yellow King (The Book of Alice #1) by Jack Finn + giveaway

Welcome back to Wonderland.
Nothing here survives unchanged.

Red Queen, Yellow King (The Book of Alice #1)
by Jack Finn
December 28, 2025
Genre: Dark Epic Fantasy, Alice in Wonderland Retelling
This is book #1 of The Book of Alice duology.
Wonderland has fallen. And something older than kings has taken its place.

Alice returns to consciousness in a ruined palace, her body broken, her mind fractured, her sister enslaved by a queen who wears a crown of thorns and a smile of knives. The Looking Glass is shattered. The Hatter has turned. The White Queen is dead.

But beyond the bloody thrones and broken teacups lies something even stranger—an echo of a play that should never be performed, whispered by a masked god in yellow.

To save what little remains, Alice must navigate a sea of madness, hunt down a missing monarch, and confront the truth behind her own unraveling story.

Some fairy tales end in fire. Others in silence.

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The Red Queen played the long game. She murdered the White Queen and spared Alice, Ava, Hatter, and Lady Cheshire the purge that followed; even Tinker was allowed to live just long enough to complete his devices for the journey. Holding Ava and the Cheshire girls hostage, even releasing the giants, was all part of a plan the Red Queen had mapped out in her mind well in advance. She wanted the Azure Queen dead and the Red King back. Now all her pieces were in play on the chessboard.

Like every game, chess had rules.

Alice never played by the rules.

She would make her own rules.

She would beat the Red Queen at her own game.

Alice doing Alice things.

About the Author:
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Jack Finn is a horror author and active Horror Writers Association member living in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with his wife and two fiendishly clever dogs. He is a lifelong believer that the Tooth Fairy proves you can trade body parts for cold, hard cash.

His books by the include, The Wolves of Kalinin werewolf duology: Prey Upon the Lambs (Anuci Press 2025) and The Desolation of Hunters (Anuci Press 2025); the horror collection They Come When You Sleep (Velox Books 2025), a re-envisioning of the Dracula mythos in the standalone novel The Seven Deaths of Prince Vlad (Anuci Press 2024), and the folk horror collection, Legend of the Deer Woman (Crow Street Press, 2023).

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YA Urban Fantasy- Alice in Wonderland retelling: A Blade So Black (The Nightmare-Verse, 1) by L.L. McKinney

A BLADE SO BLACK, the first book in the Nightmare-Verse series, delivers an irresistible urban fantasy retelling of Alice in Wonderland . . . but it’s not the Wonderland you remember.

 

Click to enter to win one of three copies!

 

We’re giving away three copies of A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney to three lucky Riot readers! This sweepstakes is open to residents of the United States (excluding Puerto Rico and all other US territories).  

Entries will be accepted until 11:45pm, September 26 2023. 

Winner will be randomly selected.

A Blade So Black (The Nightmare-Verse, 1)
by L.L. McKinney
September 24, 2019

Genre: urban fantasy, teen, young adult
For fans of Marissa Meyer, L.L. McKinney's 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.

And don't miss the thrilling sequel, A Dream So Dark!

"Mixing elements of Alice in Wonderland and Buffy the Vampire Slayer... Delectable." ―Entertainment Weekly

“The fantasy series I’ve been waiting for my whole life.” —Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of THE HATE U GIVE

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3 book series

About the Author:
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Leatrice "Elle" McKinney, writing as L.L. McKinney, is an advocate for equality and inclusion in publishing, and the creator of the hashtags #PublishingPaidMe and #WhatWoCWritersHear.

Elle's also a gamer, Blerd, and adamant Hei Hei stan, living in Kansas, spending her free time plagued by her cat--Sir Chester Fluffmire Boopsnoot Purrington Wigglebottom Flooferson III, esquire, Baron o'Butterscotch or #SirChester for short.

Her works include the Nightmare-Verse books, Nubia:Real One from DC, Marvel's Black Widow: Bad Blood, and more.

 

Excerpt: Wonderland Academy: Book One by Melanie Karsak + giveaway

Wonderland Academy: Book One 

by Melanie Karsak
August 27, 2019
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Retelling, Young Adult
Welcome to Wonderland Academy. Don’t lose your head.

Getting into Wonderland Academy is easy:

You must be a little mad.

You must follow the white rabbit.

You must find the key to enter Wonderland.

You must not be named Alice or risk being beheaded by order of the Queen of Hearts.

We might have an issue with that last one.

My name may be Alice, but Wonderland Academy is everything my real life isn’t. Who wouldn’t want to learn how to ride a jabberwocky, train with a vorpal sword, cast spells using a teacup, or shapeshift into a fairy? As long as no one figures out my real name, I should be fine.

The only problem? Aden, the Queen of Hearts’ son, is quickly becoming my best friend. And then there’s Corbin. Brooding, surly, tattooed, and definitely not my type, I can’t stop thinking about him. But Corbin has secrets of his own, and Wonderland and secrets don’t mix.

How I’m going to pass my classes and protect my secret like my life depends on it is beyond me. But I better find a way. Because in Wonderland, no Alice is safe.

Wonderland Academy re-imagines the fantastical world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland for a fresh, new adventure. Combining whimsy, magic, and a splash of steampunk, New York Times best-selling author Melanie Karsak invites you into this beautifully re-envisioned fairy tale adventure.

* * *

Wonderland Academy is a college-level academy novel. It contains a slow-burn (not rh) romance. The novel is clean aside from mild language. This is Book 1 in a planned trilogy. Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger (Frodo didn’t reach Mount Doom in a day, after all).

Trigger Warning: This novel also includes references to a school shooting.

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EXCERPT:
Setting my bag in a chair by the window, I pulled on my coat. It was pouring. Drops rolled down the windowpane, distorting the view of the sidewalk below. As I pulled my jacket on, however, I noticed someone on the sidewalk below. He was looking up at the window. I couldn’t make him out clearly, but from what I could see, he was wearing some kind of period costume and a top hat. He had long, pale blond hair that almost looked white.

“You all think I’m a lunatic? There’s some guy standing outside in the rain in a Victorian get-up and top hat.”

“What?” Mom asked. “What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know. Just some rando guy standing in the rain,” I said then turned, zipped up my coat, and grabbed the bag.

Nurse Gilman stepped to the window and looked outside. “It’s really coming down,” she said, eyeing the sky. She then strained her neck to the left and right. “Your mystery man must have gone back inside.”

“He was right there,” I said.

A sick feeling rocked my stomach. No, no, no. He was there. Dammit, he really was there. I edged toward the window and looked outside. I was right. The man was standing right there, looking up at the window.

He waved at me.

“Where?” Nurse Gilman asked, looking up and down the sidewalk.

“There,” I said, motioning hesitantly.

“I must have missed him,” Nurse Gilman said with a shrug.

I stared at the man.

He waved again.

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.

“Yeah,” I said. “Maybe they’re doing a show in the children’s wing or something,” I muttered then turned from the window.

I didn’t want Nurse Gilman to see my face.

Mom, however, caught my eye. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she gave me a hard look.

I dropped her gaze.

I absolutely, positively, did not want to have that conversation on the way home.

“I’m ready,” I told Mom.

“Good. Let’s get you the hell out of here.”

“Be well,” Nurse Gilman said. She motioned to the nurses’ station. The door to the waiting room unlocked with a click. Nurse Gilman motioned to us that we were free to go.

Mom and I headed down the dim hallway of the fifth-floor psych ward. The narrow hall felt like it was a million miles long. It wasn’t until we were safely inside the elevator that I finally exhaled.

“Your phone,” Mom said, handing it to me.

I had a few missing calls, messages from old friends, but there wasn’t anyone I wanted to talk to anyway. I stared at the screensaver, which had a picture of Nicholas and me. The photo had been taken just before homecoming, before everything went to shit. We’d gone for a hike that day. The autumn leaves in the background were bright orange and burnt red. We were both bundled up, our cheeks red, faces pressed together. We’d spent the entire hike planning a future that would never come to pass.

I turned off my phone and stuck it in my pocket.

Mom punched the elevator button for the ground floor.

I kept my eyes on the lights above the door, praying Mom wouldn’t ask anything.

It wasn’t until we’d passed the second floor that Mom whispered, “Lacey, are you seeing—”

“I’m fine. Really. I’m fine.”

She didn’t answer, which told me she knew well-enough I was not fine.

They’d been popping up in my periphery more frequently for the last two weeks. People who were there then not there. Flickers of light. Shadows that whispered. Otherworldy shapes. Their presence wasn’t anything new to me. While I was more prone to see them during times of stress, they’d been there all my life. I knew that if I really looked, I’d see them. It was better to ignore them.

A mermaid had taught me that.

Mom and I headed to the front of the hospital. I couldn’t wait to get away from the terrible hospital smell. A weird mix of the scents of bleach, chrysanthemums, green beans, and Band-Aids perfumed the place. It was enough to make a person gag.

Raining or not, I was relieved when the hospital doors opened. I inhaled the sweet scent of the rain-soaked air. Mom’s rusted-out Mustang sat waiting just outside.

“Okay. Let‘s run for it,” Mom called, and we sprinted to the car.

Holding my plastic bag above my head, I ran, flinging open the door of the vehicle. But just before I climbed inside, I cast a glance down the sidewalk.

The man was still standing there. He pulled something from his pocket and tapped on it. He waved to me, a broad smile on his face.

“Lacey, you’re letting the rain in,” Mom yelled.

I slipped into the car, slamming the door behind me.

Mom revved the engine then drove off, her nineties rock springing to life. I leaned forward and clicked off the music. The last thing I needed was the dulcet tones of Nirvana shouting at me post suicide watch.

Sighing, I leaned back into the seat and closed my eyes.

Why was I seeing them again?

The white-haired man had been pointing at a pocket watch. A pocket watch.

What in the hell did that mean?

I hadn’t meant to kill myself.

Not this time.

It figured. On the morning I’d been discharged from the psych ward, I was beginning to lose my mind.

About the Author:

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Melanie Karsak is the author of The Airship Racing Chronicles, The Harvesting Series, The Celtic Blood Series, Steampunk Red Riding Hood, and Steampunk Fairy Tales. The author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Southern New Hampshire University.

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Excerpt: HEARTS: A Twisted Wonderland Retelling (The Glass Queendom, #1) by Klarissa King + giveaway

HEARTS: A Twisted Wonderland Retelling (The Glass Queendom, #1)
by Klarissa King
May 26th 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
In Spades, there is a game as terrifying as the Sisters of Fate. The Hatterthon.
A game so cruel that its brick-roads run red with blood and in every shadow there are players killing to survive. The mysterious Ringmaster seized the Hatter’s once-delightful game long ago, and branded it with his mark.
The stain of death…

All I ever wanted was a peaceful life. Most other blacksmiths have no trouble holding onto small dreams like mine, and I’ll envy them for it for all my days.

Not only is my village attacked by the Heart-Breakers, in the battle I’m thrown down the Forbidden Well.
I land in the most unimaginable place, a place of true terror and wonder. A deadly game called the Hatterthon.
If I’m ever going to get back home, I have to win this dangerous game, where the brick roads run red with blood and allies are just waiting to plunge a blade into the nearest heart.

I can’t trust anyone here—especially not Night, the definitely wicked ally I picked up along the way.
I’m not sure which is more dangerous: Night, who wears deceit behind the veil of his captivating eyes, or the greatest threat in the game—the Ringmaster. All I know is, I have to strike down my ally before he turns on me and breaks much more than my bones.

Because only one can win the Hatterthon.
Before I lose myself to the madness…

In Spades, kisses taste like sweets and wine, and only when they end do you taste the poison on your lips.

Hearts is a Wonderland retelling (Hold the Alice!) and is the first in the Glass Queendom Duology. The sequel, Spades, The Glass Queendom, will be released later this year.

HEARTS is no longer a part of the Feared Fables series.

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Excerpt:
Night haunted my dreams.
We stood, trapped in darkness, lost in the Black Woods.
I knew I was dreaming, though I still breathed a burning question and let it whirl around us like a faint gust of wind.

“Will I die here?”

That was what he meant by coming into my dream, wasn’t it? Showing me the graveyard of magic, the death all around us. He meant to show me where I would meet my own end.

Night’s striking face betrayed nothing. He stepped closer and power pulsed over the inky floor, rippled over my bare feet. My toes dug hard into the black mud and a shiver seized me.
In my dreams, nightmares took over. In my dreams, I was my rawest self. I was afraid, and there was no point to faking bravery before him. He wasn’t real.

Bleak eyes stared back at me, and in them I could see the yearning for the woods around us. They longed to be one, connected. And I was the broken bridge separating them.

“Is death what you crave, Shoshanna?” His voice was steady, sounding faraway like he was a dream within the dream. Still, even faint, the steel of his voice cut through me. A blade to a bleeding heart.

His eyes turned dark, blacker than my stained veins and the woods caging us.
I blinked. And in that moment, he delivered his promise.
Death was all around me.
At my feet, twisted in a circle, were the bodies of all who I’d ever known. And those who I had killed.

Night’s hand found my chin and gripped, hard. I winced, even in the whispered pain through the dream. But it wasn’t enough to wake me.
He came closer, the trees’ blackness turning to tar, melting away.

“I can give you freedom,” he said, his voice low and seductive enough to flip my stomach and churn my blood with hate. “I can give you the worlds.”
He inched closer, and I could taste the caramel on his breath.

'It’s only a dream', crooned a chilling voice I wished I could forget. A child’s voice from a deep, damp well that stole my future away from me.

Night’s fingers cut deeper into my chin, locking me in place, as he brought his face to mine. Twilight eyes searched my gaze for answers, for something he hadn’t asked. The Black Woods melted away, but I was the one to melt into him.

It’s only a dream.

Sisters whispered all around me, as though speaking right into my ears, but it was all darkness. The only light I had to hold onto was the pull of Night’s glittering eyes as he turned them down to my lips.

I parted my mouth, letting out a shuddering breath. I became a puppet on the strings of another. I became his, and he pressed his lips to mine.

Hardness.
It was all wrong.
Once a kiss that fluttered my stomach and tickled my heart was now a kiss that filled me with ice.
Still...even as sickened as I was by him, I couldn’t deny it. The pull, the seduction of him. His darkness.

Too soon, Night pulled back and his cutting stare struck down at me.
“But you ask of death.”

I caught the wink of silver before he plunged the blade into my chest... 

About the Author:

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When not writing, Klarissa can be found in bed poring over a great new release, or reluctantly walking her demanding dogs who pretty much run the house.

She is the writer, Isla Jones. Isla uses the pen-name Klarissa for fantasy, while using Isla Jones for her darker, grittier horror works to help separate the styles and genres for her readers.

For Isla Jones' author page, click here 

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Book Review: Red Queen (The Chronicles of Alice #2) by Christina Henry

Red Queen (The Chronicles of Alice #2)

by Christina Henry
July 12th 2016 by Ace

Paperback, 291 pages

The author of Alice takes readers back down the rabbit hole to a dark, twisted, and fascinating world based on the works of Lewis Carroll...

The land outside of the Old City was supposed to be green, lush, hopeful. A place where Alice could finally rest, no longer the plaything of the Rabbit, the pawn of Cheshire, or the prey of the Jabberwocky. But the verdant fields are nothing but ash—and hope is nowhere to be found.

Still, Alice and Hatcher are on a mission to find his daughter, a quest they will not forsake even as it takes them deep into the clutches of the mad White Queen and her goblin or into the realm of the twisted and cruel Black King.

The pieces are set and the game has already begun. Each move brings Alice closer to her destiny. But, to win, she will need to harness her newfound abilities and ally herself with someone even more powerful—the mysterious and vengeful Red Queen.

The follow up to Henry’s Alice, Red Queen is the continuation of Alice and Hatcher’s perilous adventures in a reimagined Wonderland. Having run from the sordid city, Alice and Hatcher emerge from their tunnel escape only to find fresh horrors and new adversaries. Their quest for discovery is constantly thwarted by danger and malevolent magic. Alice must learn to harness her own magic, Hatcher his bloodlust, if they hope to survive. Ultimately, Alice is on a personal quest to answer the question “Who are you?”

Like Alice, much of Red Queen is simultaneously bleak and fantastic. The horrors are relentless and the suspense constant. “The world gobbles us and chews us and swallows us,” saliently remarks Hatcher, and this idea is persistent throughout the book. Alice is continually swallowed, forcing her to rely on her burgeoning magic and perpetual curiosity. And, for much of the text, Alice is alone. Her solitary journey allows her to find, confront, and embrace her “Alice-ness” as Henry calls it. At one point Alice asks, “Why did every man she encountered want to put her in a box and keep her there?” Red Queen provides a perfect platform for the frightened mouse first encountered in Alice to grow into a being not to be boxed.

Henry has a wonderful way of imagining such gruesome terrors and telling them with a most appropriate Victorian detachment. While this text is a reimagining, it’s modern while maintaining a stylistic authenticity to the original. Rethinking a much loved classic is an intimidating, bold task. Henry gloriously rises to the occasion. As a life-long Alice fanatic, Red Queen and its predecessor receive my enthusiastic approval. For all their curious whimsy, and ultimate modern relevancy, Christina Henry’s Alice books are not to be missed.

Review: Alice (The Chronicles of Alice #1)
5 frabjous sheep

Bianca Greenwood

Bianca's newest Alice purchase! Disappearing Cheshire Cat mug for my tea

About the Author:

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CHRISTINA HENRY is the author of the national bestselling BLACK WINGS (Ace/Roc) series featuring Agent of Death Madeline Black and her popcorn-loving gargoyle Beezle. She is also the author of the forthcoming dark fantasy ALICE (Ace Trade).

She lives in Chicago with her husband and son.

Book Review: Down the Rabbit Hole by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, Mary Kay McComas, R.C. Ryan

Down the Rabbit Hole
by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, Mary Kay McComas, R.C. Ryan

September 29, 2015
432 pages
Publisher: Jove

Some of your favorite New York Times bestselling authors present five all-new stories told through the looking glass—including a new Eve Dallas novella!

You’re late for a very important date...

Enter a wonderland of mesmerizing tales. It’s a place that’s neither here nor there, where things are never quite as they seem. Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s whimsical masterpiece, ranging from the impossible to the mad to the curiouser, these stories will have you absolutely off your head.

Don’t be afraid to follow them…

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

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Down the Rabbit Hole is a short story collection of Alice inspired works. Each story has fantastic elements; some more directly connected Lewis Carroll’s story than others. Overall, the collection is bookended by its two strongest works, J.D. Robb’s “Wonderment in Death,” and R.C. Ryan’s “Fallen.”

“Wonderment in Death” opens the collection. The story is part of J.D. Robb’s futuristic Eve Dallas series and was my first encounter with the detective. I quite enjoyed her character and those in supporting roles. The concept for the curious murder-mystery story was incredibly Alice-based, so of course it was my favourite. From there, the stories were more or less “rabbit-hole-like adventures” where characters are thrust into unknown and fantastic territory. The collection wraps up with "Fallen", a romantic fantasy set in the Scottish Highlands. There’s time travel, talking animals, and a passionate affair with a kilt-wearing Scottish lord. Need I say more? It was an energizing, captivating read, especially after the fourth story, “A True Heart.”

The stories in the middle are satisfactory, but nothing overwhelmingly wondrous. “Alice and The Earl of Wonderland” is lovely and delicate, “iLove" quirky and cute. I found the reading process to lag particularly during “A True Heart” by Mary Kay McComas. The concept is creative and intriguing, but the roll out, and odd creative choices, feel awkward.

Definitely check out the beginning and end to this collection, though you need not do it immediately. This date can wait.

3 Sheep

Bianca Greenwood

Book Review: Alice by Christina Henry

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Alice
by Christina Henry

Paperback, 304 pages

August 4th 2015 by Ace
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.

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Following a horrific, violent, and enigmatic venture into Old City, sixteen year-old Alice is unable to fulfill the requirements of sanitized citizenry within New City. And so, our ruined heroine is hidden away in an asylum for an indefinite term to lead an existence of medicated drudgery. Ten years of captivity pass, and when fateful events enable Alice’s escape, she embarks on a deliciously dark quest that will inevitably uncover memories locked within her traumatized mind. Accompanied by Hatcher, her dangerously damaged partner, Alice ventures into the nefarious depths of Old City seeking retribution, rescue, and redemption.

Nothing has, or every will, capture my imagination the way the classic Alice stories did. Alice has followed me my whole life. I use to imagine my closet led to Wonderland. In my twenties, as a penniless student, I spent over $50 on The Annotated Alice; I had to have it. I have an Alice statue, complete with toadstools, in my garden. I take my daily tea in an Alice teapot. I could go on. So, for me, this was a highly anticipated reviewing opportunity and, for what it’s worth, my perspective is that of a true Alice enthusiast.

Fans of Lewis Carroll’s Alice stories will adore the evocation of familiar characters, but will absolutely relish the fresh reboot of the classic norms. I was enthralled throughout by the vivid description and characterization in Henry’s original adaptation. I was particularly touched by the relationship between Alice and Hatcher; mostly tender, but at times fierce, the connection between the two is beautifully captured. I love Alice’s honest acceptance of Hatcher as a tragic hero: “She was surprisingly undisturbed by the knowledge that her new friend was an axe murderer.” The two seem to be soul mates adapting to a cruel and unusual environment. Although born and bred in shiny New City, Alice was always destined for Hatcher and their shared quest: “She’d wanted danger and darkness, just a taste, and in an instant everything she had was swept away forever.”

Part demented fairy tale, part social commentary, this book is a smart, well-crafted story with multiple layers. Threads of feminism, social diversity, and social class conflict are woven throughout the story and make it, not only entertaining, but socially relevant to a contemporary readership. This is not a children’s story. Elements of the book are downright ghastly. For example, The Walrus eats (literally, like, ingests) his female victims whilst he rapes and murders them. The seedy underbelly of Old City is all at once shocking, woeful, and wondrous. Henry’s imagination seems to know no bounds. And I loved every moment.

Five Curious Sheep

Bianca Greenwood

About the Author:

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CHRISTINA HENRY is the author of the national bestselling BLACK WINGS (Ace/Roc) series featuring Agent of Death Madeline Black and her popcorn-loving gargoyle Beezle. She is also the author of the forthcoming dark fantasy ALICE (Ace Trade).

She lives in Chicago with her husband and son.

Comic Review: Alice in Wonderland (ARC) by Raven Gregory

Alice in Wonderland (paperback trade: issues #1-6) ARC
Writing Raven Gregory

Artwork Robert Gill

Colors Jason Embury
Publisher: Zenoscope

Releases: Dec. 11, 2012

Decades ago, a girl named Alice was sacrificed into the horror-filled realm of Wonderland but her terrifying and awe-inspiring experiences there have been shrouded in mystery.

The one thing known is that her time spent in a world full of insanity left her a broken adult. However, her courageous will to survive is what ultimately saved humanity. Now the story of Alice’s visit into Wonderland is fully revealed and the truth of the terror will be told in full! From Raven Gregory, Ralph Tedesco and Joe Brusha, the same minds behind Grimm Fairy Tales and Return To Wonderland comes the newest series that Zenescope fans have been waiting for. What every Zenescope fan has been waiting for is finally here! Follow Zenescope back down the rabbit hole and find a world of madness like you have never seen before!

As I checked out an ARC of this graphic novel, I was struck by two things: 1) Alice wears even scant attire in the book than she does on the cover; and 2) What do the Grimm Brothers have to do with Alice in Wonderland? 

Well, maybe the whole "Grimm Fairy Tales presents" schtick is just a brand with Zenescope. Still, I didn't see a single mention of Lewis Carroll in the credits for this book at all, which struck me as a little weird. Granted, I doubt a stodgy 19th-century Brit would want his name associated with something so salacious. 

I digress, aside from the initial premise of Wonderland, with plenty of winks and nods, Raven Gregory and company have created a universe much more dark, violent, and sinister than the cruelest moments of Carroll's fairytale. I've seen a fair share of re-imaginings of L. Frank Baum's Oz universe, but not a lot with Wonderland. Maybe I haven't been looking hard enough--or at all. 

Raven Gregory, Joe Brusha, and Ralph Tedesco have created an intriguing twist on the mythos. These first six issues have Alice striking a bargain with the Jabberwocky as a child, tricking her into remaining his slave in Wonderland while a piece of her is sent back to the real world with a piece of the Jabberwocky inside her. Skip years ahead to Alice all grown up--and apparently unable to find any clothes that fit--and the White Rabbit comes to her rescue ... sort of. 

issues #1-6

The White Rabbit frees her, but she finds Wonderland might be even more dangerous outside the clutches of the Jabberwocky. It seems several parties are at work against her, including a Cheshire Cat that looks more sabretooth tiger than house pet, a Mad Hatter that makes Hannibal Lector look like Humanitarian of the Year, and not one but two sadistic queens (Hearts and Spades). 

While the characters are a psychotropic roll call of the classics, the viciousness seems all new. Oh sure, there was some allegory and social commentary in the classic literature, but that's been set aside apparently for a carnival ride of carnage and titillation. Actions scenes are presented in all their gory goodness and ramp gradually until they come to a head in one gigantic standoff between Alice and the Jabberwocky in her final effort to get home. 

All in all, the story epic in scale and sped along at a brisk pace, especially towards the end. The artwork got too gratuitous at times, though. I mean, depictions of women in comic books can get a little ridiculous and downright insulting at times, but I don't think it's quite so unapologetic as in this series. I don't mind a little cheesecake now and again, but there are points where it distracts from the story being told. And what I wanted most from this book was the story. Perhaps it's provocative for the very sake of being provocative. Who am I to judge? 

If you can get past the porn-star attire of Alice and the other female characters in this book, there is a pretty good story to be read. And, hey, if you love cheesecake, then you'll love this.

3 Sheep

Guest Reviewer: Gef Fox
Wag The Fox a den for dark fiction

About the author:

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona Favorite Zenescope Character: Calie but I'm bias:) 
Favorite movie: Identity 
Nickname: Panda 
What superpower would you want?: flight 
In a past life you were: a fluffy cloud In your next life you'll be: an actual raven 
favorite band: Korn 
Guiltiest pleasure food: Doritos 
Pets: Two dogs named Zombie and Wacko

Zenescope Comics: Grimm Fairy Tales Alice #6

Zenescope Comics was kind enough to hook up the Aheep during our visit to PhoenixComicon 2012. These guys and gals have some amazing and fun tales hitting the shelfs right now. Here's a little more info about this fantastic comic group.

Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco started out writing screenplays together about fifteen years ago but the two eventually came up with the idea that evolved into Zenescope Entertainment. The company was founded in 2005 and has become one of the most recognized independent comic book and graphic novel publishers in the world. Known for their unique re-imaginings of classic tales, Ralph and Joe are unapologetic about their work. Their edgy and non-traditional brand of story-telling sets them apart from the pack.

Next year will be marked by the release of Grimm Fairy Tales #75, which was the inaugural title published by Zenescope Entertainment. It is one of the longest running independent comic book series on the market today. But the company has not rested on its laurels, having launched a wide range of other successful titles, including: Wonderland (Tales from, Return, Beyond, Escape, House of Liddle) Myths and Legends, Neverland, Inferno, Salem’s Daughter, Sinbad, The Piper and a number of other titles. Joe and Ralph also added the very talented Raven Gregory to the writing team. His creative mind has been used most notably on the Wonderland and Grimm Fairy Tales series while also adding some excellent creative works of his own to the Zenescope catalog. Those stories include The Waking, Fly and The Theater.

In 2011, Zenescope Entertainment announced news that their illustrated novel, Monster Hunter’s Survival Guide, will be made into a live action movie, being produced by Simon Kinberg and starring the one and only Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. They also released 17 trade paperbacks and successfully launched their first ever crossover story entitled The Dream Eater Saga. Zenescope is looking to expand the merchandise available for their more popular series, and launch more edgy

Our very own guest blogger Bunni Darling also reviewed one of their comics!

Grimm Fairy Tales- Alice #6

Written by: Raven Gregory Pencils and Colors by: Robert Gill, Jason Embury

The end of the beginning is here as Alice finally confronts the ruler of Wonderland and faces off against her greatest fear. With the fate of both Wonderland and earth at stake, will Alice find a way to defeat madness in its purest form or will she fall to victim to the Jabberwocky's sinister machinations. This is also an oversized issue!

In this edition of Alice we are given a showdown between Alice and other key players in Wonderland that result in a delightful bloody mess. Alice's world is literally turned upside down and she has to figure out how to beat the madness that is going while staying true to herself and trying to defeat Jabberwocky and his ever so sinister plan.

The illustrations are bold and beautifully done, the characters are delightfully twisted, and this is not the Alice you grew up reading as a child- which made it all the more delightful to read! I would recommend checking out this series from Zenescope, I give it 4 queen sheep heads.

Make sure to check out Zenescope HERE.