Off with their heads

This dark story puts a high-octane spin on Alice in Wonderland. The Korean-inspired retelling reveals a world where the Saints are the monsters; Wonderland is represented by a dark forest where trouble lurks. This forest is where Caro Rabbit and Iccadora Alice Sickle have been banished after being accused of murder five years ago--and it's the place where they broke each other's hearts. Now, Caro's become a Saint-harvester, a job that leads her to the elegant capital. Icca, fueled by anger at Caro's betrayal, has become a dangerous, merciless hunter. Their explosive and dramatic love-hate relationship will keep readers invested, but it's the book's detailed plot and the author's knack for smart storytelling that makes it shine: through imagery, action scenes, and detailed world building, Mikuta makes Wonderland her own. The addition of an intricate magic system is well explained, and the book blends bloody, intense moments with quieter ones that will leave readers thinking about the impact our relationships have on our decisions. In the growing field of Korean-inspired fantasies, this is a standout tale, perfect for those who love their worlds filled with shady characters and situations and their fables with a dark side.

Young women from Isanghan are forced into Wonderland--but even if they survive, they will never be the same. Caro, Icca, and Tecca are inseparable, sharing a fascination with magic and a disdain for their backwater Ward. The three queer girls explore the painful practice of witchcraft--controlling birds and melding with shadows--and scheme to one day overthrow the White Queen. But when tragedy strikes, Caro and Icca are sent to Wonderland Forest, where they're at the mercy of the vicious, ravenous Saints. If they claim four Saints' heads, they'll be freed, but the strains of Wonderland cause their love to fray. Later, separately, two of them still hunt Saints, unable to completely escape the pull of the forest, though one now works for the new Red Queen, Hattie. Hattie has her own plans for the Saints--and for Caro and Icca, too--yearning to twist them into something new. Bloody, vicious, and dark, this is a thoroughly engrossing tale of relationships between girls who are rapidly growing up. While the novel loosely follows the shadows of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the characters, world, and plot are altogether different, strange, and compelling. Korean cultural influences on the fantasy country of Isanghan are clear, as the characters, for example, wear hanbok and write and converse in Korean. Twisted in the worst--or best--ways. (Fantasy. 14-adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.