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The Queen of Stilled Hearts #1
Alice’s Adventures in Underland: The Queen of Stilled Hearts #1
With the invention of a serum that prevents most people infected with the zombie sickness from becoming raving cannibals, Victorian society finds itself in need of more standards: to separate the infected from the whole, to control when and how the infected can come into contact with the pure, to establish legal contracts, precedence, employment, and more, with regards to the walking dead.
The very backbone of the British Empire is its standards.
The middle daughter of the Dean of Christ Church in Oxford, Alice Liddell, finds a certain lack of charm in the standards she must follow, with increasing strictness, day after day. Wild and rebellious, she battles her father’s cold discipline, her mother’s striving to hide her middle-class origins, and the hollow madness of the world around her, in which the teetering Empire desperately pretends that nothing is, in fact, the matter.
Enter Mr. Charles Dodgson: one of the chaste Dons of Oxford, married to his mathematics. He charms Alice and her sisters, often taking them on walks and boat rides (chaperoned, of course), and telling them jokes and stories. He is twenty-four when he first meets them.
And he is dead.
Turned in a tragic accident at Rugby, Charles uses the serum to keep him from the ordinary sort of madness that affects zombies.
But it doesn’t affect the elegant madness of his brain.
And one day, as he sees Alice struggle against the chains that constrict her, chains so similar to his own...
...one of his playful stories becomes something more.
Episode 1: In which Alice and her sisters meet a gentleman zombie, and have their pictures taken while pretending to be dead.
The very backbone of the British Empire is its standards.
The middle daughter of the Dean of Christ Church in Oxford, Alice Liddell, finds a certain lack of charm in the standards she must follow, with increasing strictness, day after day. Wild and rebellious, she battles her father’s cold discipline, her mother’s striving to hide her middle-class origins, and the hollow madness of the world around her, in which the teetering Empire desperately pretends that nothing is, in fact, the matter.
Enter Mr. Charles Dodgson: one of the chaste Dons of Oxford, married to his mathematics. He charms Alice and her sisters, often taking them on walks and boat rides (chaperoned, of course), and telling them jokes and stories. He is twenty-four when he first meets them.
And he is dead.
Turned in a tragic accident at Rugby, Charles uses the serum to keep him from the ordinary sort of madness that affects zombies.
But it doesn’t affect the elegant madness of his brain.
And one day, as he sees Alice struggle against the chains that constrict her, chains so similar to his own...
...one of his playful stories becomes something more.
Episode 1: In which Alice and her sisters meet a gentleman zombie, and have their pictures taken while pretending to be dead.
17 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 31, 2013
41 people are currently reading
1132 people want to read
About the author
DeAnna Knippling
173 books282 followersDeAnna Knippling is a professional freelance writer, ghostwriter, and editor. She has a browser history full of murder, gore, and Victorian street maps. She writes across many genres, but has a soft spot for all things crime, horror, and gothic. Her latest book is the Gothic horror novel The House Without a Summer. You can find her in Colorado with her husband and daughter, on her website at www.WonderlandPress.com, or on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 20, 2017
"But, really, it isn't the least bit necessary to use cherries in a tart, just as the necessity of a good story isn't in fairies but in a kind of fairyland, a wonderland."
I would have loved to like this book, really. I thought the premise was great and I never read about zombies so this felt like a good opportunity to start doing so. The problem of this retelling was that it was a copied version of the original Alice in Wonderland with zombies in it.
The story is about this Infection that turns people into zombies. Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) has caught the desease but this doesn't prevent him from spending quality time with his lady friends, in this case the Liddle sisters, and narrating the Alice in Wonderland tale just like it happend in real life during that famous "golden afternoon". The premise is not that original but Carroll was going to be a character in the book so I was very excited! I think though that the author got so caught up with the retelling that she didn't really describe in depth what the condition of Charles Dodgson, or of the zombies in general, was. The author gives us tiny glimpses of how this society has reacted to the Infection but that's not enough. Plus the characters are dry and their relationships artificial.
Since Carroll is a zombie he narrates the tale of Alice twisting it a bit, making it more gory and bloody. The problem is that this book presents to us the original Alice in Wonderland, word by word, with very few changes. Shame.
In conclusion, I think that this book lacks of plot and the characters act without any reason at all.
What I did like though were the tiny hints from the original work introduced randomly throughout the story. That is what makes a good retelling, you need to have faith in the reader that s/he will be able to understand the hidden references to the original canon without having to tell the same story all over again.
Finally, kudos to the cover, it's beautiful!
I would have loved to like this book, really. I thought the premise was great and I never read about zombies so this felt like a good opportunity to start doing so. The problem of this retelling was that it was a copied version of the original Alice in Wonderland with zombies in it.
The story is about this Infection that turns people into zombies. Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) has caught the desease but this doesn't prevent him from spending quality time with his lady friends, in this case the Liddle sisters, and narrating the Alice in Wonderland tale just like it happend in real life during that famous "golden afternoon". The premise is not that original but Carroll was going to be a character in the book so I was very excited! I think though that the author got so caught up with the retelling that she didn't really describe in depth what the condition of Charles Dodgson, or of the zombies in general, was. The author gives us tiny glimpses of how this society has reacted to the Infection but that's not enough. Plus the characters are dry and their relationships artificial.
Since Carroll is a zombie he narrates the tale of Alice twisting it a bit, making it more gory and bloody. The problem is that this book presents to us the original Alice in Wonderland, word by word, with very few changes. Shame.
In conclusion, I think that this book lacks of plot and the characters act without any reason at all.
What I did like though were the tiny hints from the original work introduced randomly throughout the story. That is what makes a good retelling, you need to have faith in the reader that s/he will be able to understand the hidden references to the original canon without having to tell the same story all over again.
Finally, kudos to the cover, it's beautiful!
August 16, 2015
FTC regulations state I must acknowledge that I’ve received a copy KINDLE Edition of this book through a giveaway on LibraryThing.com and that the following is my honest opinion.
Through NetFlix I’ve probably seen all the versions of “Alice ub Wonderland” on television and in films ever made here in the US and the UK, which is why seeing this book intrigued me enough to have entered this giveaway.
This I feel is part biographical as it pertains to the life of Carol Lewis [Charles Dodgson] since he was indeed a photographer in 1856, the year when Chapter One takes place; and that of Alice Pleasance Liddell and her family. In fact, if you look the collection of photos which exists, you’ll find one which closely matches the illustrations of Alice in the original edition of the books.
Ms. Knippling takes this relationship between Lewis, the Liddells, and then throws in zombies holding professional positions in Victorian England’s society along with the charm of the era but with mischievous children. If they got their daily dose of a special serum which controlled their normal behavior they could also hold menial jobs such as servants and the like; if not, the macabre aspect of the story takes over, giving us the intriguing read the author has given us here in the retelling of the story we came to love as children.
While blending of the genres of zombie and classical children’s literature is interesting; it’s not totally original as there had a series of books containing Alice and other characters from Wonderland set in a world of zombies. I feel it the author’s love of these items which had influenced her to write this book, and why I’m giving it 4 STARS.
Through NetFlix I’ve probably seen all the versions of “Alice ub Wonderland” on television and in films ever made here in the US and the UK, which is why seeing this book intrigued me enough to have entered this giveaway.
This I feel is part biographical as it pertains to the life of Carol Lewis [Charles Dodgson] since he was indeed a photographer in 1856, the year when Chapter One takes place; and that of Alice Pleasance Liddell and her family. In fact, if you look the collection of photos which exists, you’ll find one which closely matches the illustrations of Alice in the original edition of the books.
Ms. Knippling takes this relationship between Lewis, the Liddells, and then throws in zombies holding professional positions in Victorian England’s society along with the charm of the era but with mischievous children. If they got their daily dose of a special serum which controlled their normal behavior they could also hold menial jobs such as servants and the like; if not, the macabre aspect of the story takes over, giving us the intriguing read the author has given us here in the retelling of the story we came to love as children.
While blending of the genres of zombie and classical children’s literature is interesting; it’s not totally original as there had a series of books containing Alice and other characters from Wonderland set in a world of zombies. I feel it the author’s love of these items which had influenced her to write this book, and why I’m giving it 4 STARS.
December 1, 2015
It takes a lot for me to not like a book. If it is well written but simply not my taste I will give it at least three stars. To put it frankly, this book just made me angry. I was intrigued because I like Alice in Wonderland and I like Zombies, and I have read crossovers before that I have enjoyed, so I had high hopes. This book did not live up to my expectations. It started out fine, I liked how Lewis Carol/Dodgson was a character and also a zombie. I liked how they included the queen and her son as well. It went off the rails when Alice, her sisters, and Mr. Dodgson (or Dodson as they spell his name both ways, which was probably a mistake) went for a picnic. Mr. Dodgson began to tell a story which turned into Alice in Wonderland almost word for word. There were hardly any changes made at all. At this point I started to skim instead of read because it was boring. At least throw in some Zombies or more action scenes. I wanted something original and creative. I skipped to the last few chapters, which were very strange. I think there was an attempt made to reference the inappropriate nature of the relationship between the real Alice and Dodgson (Carol) but it was very awkwardly done. If I hadn't known about it, I would have missed it. Overall I felt like this was trying to be another Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but it failed. My suspicions were legitimized when I read the afterword and the author said that book was one of her inspirations. This book was uncreative, riddled with spelling mistakes, and just plain boring. I left it feeling annoyed and disappointed, I was hoping to make it a new favourite.
August 25, 2015
Let me start by saying, I entered the giveaway for this, however I didn't win it. The author was then kind enough to send me a free eBook in exchange for review.
This book was inspired by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, however information about Lewis Carroll life were sourced from his biography.
I started this book at around 9 pm and I just could not put this down, I eventually fell asleep around 2am, and finished the rest today.
What an exciting, enthralling read, with lots of elements of the real Alice and her siblings, what life was like in Victorian England, the myth of children should be seen and not heard. We learn in this retelling about Alices parents. The contrast between her very strict mother and kind, leniant father who is the head of boarding school where the whole family live.
It is a story , within a story. I'm sure any Alice in Wonderland fan or zombies fan would enjoy. Story is so believable and unbelievable at the same time. You will see what I mean when you read this. I absolutely loved it and I can't wait for its sequel, which will be based off through the looking Glass, exciting. Been ages since I've enjoyed a book this much.
This book was inspired by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, however information about Lewis Carroll life were sourced from his biography.
I started this book at around 9 pm and I just could not put this down, I eventually fell asleep around 2am, and finished the rest today.
What an exciting, enthralling read, with lots of elements of the real Alice and her siblings, what life was like in Victorian England, the myth of children should be seen and not heard. We learn in this retelling about Alices parents. The contrast between her very strict mother and kind, leniant father who is the head of boarding school where the whole family live.
It is a story , within a story. I'm sure any Alice in Wonderland fan or zombies fan would enjoy. Story is so believable and unbelievable at the same time. You will see what I mean when you read this. I absolutely loved it and I can't wait for its sequel, which will be based off through the looking Glass, exciting. Been ages since I've enjoyed a book this much.
August 31, 2015
What happens when you mix one part curious little girl, with two parts zombies, and more than a little dash of nonsensical characters of absolute insanity??? A new twist on falling down the rabbit hole by DeAnna Knippling is what happens, and the world she built on after utilizing a wonderful foundation left by C.S. Lewis, Knippling takes an already crazy acid trippy world and manages to tastefully turn it into something more ludicrous with a fantastic addition of the undead playing major parts, I fell in love with this book. Knippling's voice and dialogue throughout the story immerses you back in to that Victorian era where some little girls craved imagination and adventures above petticoats and books.
I have a head cold and it's getting to me, so I'll finish this review later, but seriously pick this adventure up, and stay tuned for more in this series by DeAnna Knippling.
I have a head cold and it's getting to me, so I'll finish this review later, but seriously pick this adventure up, and stay tuned for more in this series by DeAnna Knippling.
November 3, 2015
Thanking the author for sending me a free copy in exchange for a review.
I love retellings, but it has become a scary thing when it comes to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I get either bored or annoyed and I struggle to finish the story. I had come to a point where I had enough of zombie versions and girls yielding swords.
I got seduced: Charles Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll, a zombie? In Victorian England? I never dared to think Knippling would knock my socks off. And how she did! Probably THE BEST tale in a tale I’ve ever read!
I’m blown away and looking very forward to what we’re going to get to see in Alice’s Adventures in Underland: The Knight of Shattered Dreams!
**super excited**
I love retellings, but it has become a scary thing when it comes to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I get either bored or annoyed and I struggle to finish the story. I had come to a point where I had enough of zombie versions and girls yielding swords.
I got seduced: Charles Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll, a zombie? In Victorian England? I never dared to think Knippling would knock my socks off. And how she did! Probably THE BEST tale in a tale I’ve ever read!
I’m blown away and looking very forward to what we’re going to get to see in Alice’s Adventures in Underland: The Knight of Shattered Dreams!
**super excited**
September 21, 2015
DeAnna Knippling strikes the perfect tone in "Alice's Adventures in Underland: The Queen of Stilled Hearts." One suspects the author was possessed by the spirit of Lewis Carroll while penning this delightful and thoroughly entertaining novel. I have read other Alice/Zombie stories and none of them comes close to achieving what Knippling has in capturing the voice and spirit and absurdity of the original books. If Lewis Carroll had written about zombies, this would be the book! For fans of Alice in Wonderland and zombies and good storytelling. Highly recommended.
March 19, 2016
The best retelling of Alice I have read (well the only one) but the point is it's fantastic. And the ending was woah! I can't wait for the next book.
August 15, 2015
I'll start of by saying I've never "read" Alice in Wonderland. Of course, I did see Disney's version of it years ago, but never the printed word. That said, DeAnna's Adventures in Underland has convinced me that I am going to have to correct this omission. I found this macabre story fascinating from start to finish. I don't follow a lot of zombie literature and I wouldn't group this beautifully crafted story in the zombie genre. But it does have zombies, Victorian England, and mischievous children. The tale within the tale is read by the family tutor (a zombie professor) and the inventiveness of the tale, weaving in much of the Alice in Wonderland plot is a joy to read. All in all, a fun read for all ages. DeAnna's creativity never ceases to impress.
October 19, 2015
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.
While I found Pride and Prejudice and Zombies basically unreadable after the first few chapters, Alice's Adventures in Underland is a much more skillfully-executed take on a similar theme. The homage to the psychodelic aspects of Alice in Wonderland didn't bash me over the head, but instead formed an uneasy undercurrent of uncertainty about what was real and not. Mr. Dodson is rendered with sympathy and a dash of sinister that creates an unspoken commentary about humanity and how we deal with its loss, through zombification or social bigotry. A good read!
While I found Pride and Prejudice and Zombies basically unreadable after the first few chapters, Alice's Adventures in Underland is a much more skillfully-executed take on a similar theme. The homage to the psychodelic aspects of Alice in Wonderland didn't bash me over the head, but instead formed an uneasy undercurrent of uncertainty about what was real and not. Mr. Dodson is rendered with sympathy and a dash of sinister that creates an unspoken commentary about humanity and how we deal with its loss, through zombification or social bigotry. A good read!
July 4, 2017
I received this in a goodreads first reads drawing. With all the new rewrites of alice stories its hard to choose which are worthwhile. I would say knippling succeeds bringing a new twist to the story, not only bringing zombies into the mix but also focusing on the story tellers more than alice in underland. It left me wanting to research further the true lives surrounding lewis carol that I otherwise might not care to do.
August 18, 2015
I'm always ready for a good retelling! It is very hard to find an entertaining retelling, but this author nailed it! I've only personally seen the movies, since I'm not a huge fan of classic books, and tend to find them boring. This book held my full attention the entire time. The zombie aspect made it far more entertaining. I would definitely read more from this series!
September 1, 2015
I received a copy of this book via First Reads here on Goodreads and what an awesome win! I really enjoyed reading this take on Alice in Wonderland, especially since it had zombies! Really fun, quick read and my only complaint is that it felt a bit rushed and definitely could have been made into a much longer novel.
September 19, 2015
I'm not a huge fan of zombies, but I still really really really enjoyed this book. It's a very clever and well written retelling of one of my favorite all time stories ever. I also loved the mix of fact and fiction and how much it resembles the original in the "storytelling" part of the book. A wonderful twist on a classic. Looking forward to the next one!
July 21, 2016
My awesome pal (who is never boring and smarter than a whip) wrote this book. If you like quirky, and Alice in Wonderland and ZOMBIES and/or you have a slightly skewed and twisted sense of humor you will have to check this one out.
March 3, 2016
Very disappointing as I had high hopes from reading other reviews. The description of the zombie infection and its impact on society was barely covered and the main story seemed just a rehash of the original without adding anything new.
Want to read
August 17, 2015I received a free copy of this book through Goodread's First Reads Giveaway! Hopefully I'll have a proper review up of it soon.
June 27, 2017
I really wanted to like this, but I didn't. I love Alice in wonderland retellings so I was quite excited about this one. I had never really read a book with zombies, so that was a first. Mostly this book repeats a shorter version of Alice in wonderland, except the word zombie gets added in a bunch of times. Even before the retelling begins, I couldn't really get into the story. While I really like Alice as a character in the original, she is incredibly annoying in this version. Most of the other characters stay bland throughout and I don't have much to say about them. All in all, very disappointing.
May 31, 2019
It's a joy to return to a world of sensible nonsense, where if you look at things from a different angle, they take new shape. It's been ages since I read the actual Lewis Carrol stories, and I'm not familiar with his personal history, but it's worth noting that neither were necessary to enjoy this book to the fullest.
January 11, 2021
I really enjoyed this book, it is well-written and original. I'm a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland and thought this was a very clever take with a dash of zombies. From Alice meeting Mr. Dodgson, to the re-telling of the Alice story with a decidedly undead twist, this was a well-crafted story that has larger than life characters that are engaging and complex. I highly recommend this book.
July 2, 2017
So, this book is basically the story of Lewis Carroll (a zombie) telling Alice and her sisters the story of Underland. With zombies and some crazy imagery thrown in. It's actually pretty cool and I'll be keeping an eye out for the sequel.
May 10, 2018
This was a pretty good retelling. I liked the way that the author put the storyteller as a zombie living with Alice's family, and how he had to have the serum to stay sane. I also liked the zombie feel to Underland, and loved having all my familiar characters in the story (caterpillar, disappearing cat, dormouse).
July 30, 2020
An interesting take on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. 3.5 out of 5 stars. Full review to follow shortly.
October 25, 2021
Amazing
Twisty, different, yet the same, and well worth the read. I found this version sad, yet obsessively compelling. The zombies added so much to the story.
Twisty, different, yet the same, and well worth the read. I found this version sad, yet obsessively compelling. The zombies added so much to the story.
Read
August 17, 2023rating is minus 5 this was utter tripe
July 30, 2024
Interesting enough. I enjoyed it a lot. A new perspective in a world where Lewis Caroll has Zombeism and all the different characters are also affected by it one way or another. Took so long to read because I'm an adult with responsabilities so, yeah. Give this a shot.
August 12, 2024
Interesting
It was a very interesting read. It had some boring parts but overall it was a good read. Can never go wrong with a retelling of Alice in wonderland.
It was a very interesting read. It had some boring parts but overall it was a good read. Can never go wrong with a retelling of Alice in wonderland.
December 7, 2015
I love the Alice in Wonderland tale – who doesn’t its magical nonsense – so I was quite excited when I picked this book up. Alice in Wonderland is one of the few fairy tales I don’t mind being retold and I really tried to like this book – but I just couldn't.
The book, written from Alice’s perspective, speculates on the circumstances that led up to the writing of the original Alice in Wonderland – with an added zombie twist. The words are written in the style of Lewis Caroll and although a little hard to get used to at first – I found it like reading shakesphere – once I got into it and found my groove I rather liked the writing style.
I really enjoyed the beginning of the book – it was told from Alice at age four. The tale described Alice's first interactions with ‘Lewis Caroll’ Charles Dodgson. It displayed Alice’s eye for the world and adventure and showcased her imaginative side and lack of fear. It was a great scene setter but it all went downhill from there.
Next time we hear from Alice she is ten and Charles Dodgson is telling Alice and her sisters a story – you guessed it – Alice In Underland. I found this part of the book incredibly difficult to read. It felt like it was a straight copy and paste from Lewis’s original text and I found it pointless. However, at times when the scene flashed back to Alice listening to the story – insight into the true meaning of the nonsense was unravelled and snippets were paralleled to real life occurrences. I craved these brief moments.
I really enjoyed the parts of the book that weren’t a direct copy and was disappointed that a large portion of the book was just the retelling of Alice in Wonderland. For me the book would have been much better if it focused more on the interactions between Alice, her siblings and society.
Love you long time
KjThis review was originally posted on Birds that ♥ words
The book, written from Alice’s perspective, speculates on the circumstances that led up to the writing of the original Alice in Wonderland – with an added zombie twist. The words are written in the style of Lewis Caroll and although a little hard to get used to at first – I found it like reading shakesphere – once I got into it and found my groove I rather liked the writing style.
I really enjoyed the beginning of the book – it was told from Alice at age four. The tale described Alice's first interactions with ‘Lewis Caroll’ Charles Dodgson. It displayed Alice’s eye for the world and adventure and showcased her imaginative side and lack of fear. It was a great scene setter but it all went downhill from there.
Next time we hear from Alice she is ten and Charles Dodgson is telling Alice and her sisters a story – you guessed it – Alice In Underland. I found this part of the book incredibly difficult to read. It felt like it was a straight copy and paste from Lewis’s original text and I found it pointless. However, at times when the scene flashed back to Alice listening to the story – insight into the true meaning of the nonsense was unravelled and snippets were paralleled to real life occurrences. I craved these brief moments.
I really enjoyed the parts of the book that weren’t a direct copy and was disappointed that a large portion of the book was just the retelling of Alice in Wonderland. For me the book would have been much better if it focused more on the interactions between Alice, her siblings and society.
Love you long time
KjThis review was originally posted on Birds that ♥ words
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews