Dream Walker: Somewhere Between Realm and Reality

by Bruce Martin

Between layers of deceit and magic, nothing is as it seems.

Alison Wilde is an ordinary girl in a nearly normal world, until an uncharacteristic turn of events shifts reality, as she knows it, completely upside down.

Plunged into the Netherworld, with little memory of her life back on Earth, she is faced with a host of horrifying fantastical creatures, some more familiar than others.

But as her newfound companions attempt to guide her through their unsettling and tumultuous realm, dark forces are at work which threaten the very fabric of the Universe, and who will stop at nothing to prevent Alison from achieving the potential her destiny holds.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal

162 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 29, 2024

Reviews

[Shannon K G · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I absolutely love this cover.

I thought it was a fun, dark twist on Alice in Wonderland. I believe this is the author's first book and I look forward to more of the story.

There's a war looming in the Netherworld and as can be expected, Alice is the 'chosen one ' You get demons, vampires, lycans, berserkers, a chimera sidekick, and more.

[made_for_reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this retelling of Alice and wonderland. It was quite a breath of fresh air to go from the typical fantasy to having a dark twist put to it. And I do like how the magical system is different too. I liked how some the characters had a bit of a dark past to them and were trying to right their wrongs and not everyone is as they seem. There’s plenty of plot twists and it’s quite a nice short read too. I’m intrigued to see where it goes from here.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book a 3.5-4 stars

Based on the cover I was expecting dark, gothic, adult fantasy.

It’s actually an Alive in Wonderland retelling which I actually enjoyed but I didn’t find it very dark. It also felt rushed in places and read more as a YA book.

That aside, it actually picked up nearer the end and I will probably pick up the next book.

[L Powers (Bookish_Mum) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

I got lucky enough to snag an advance copy of this book from the publisher and couldn't wait to dive in – and seriously, can we talk about that cover for a second?

Going in, I thought I was getting a story about a girl who ends up in some alternate dimension (giving me major "Stranger Things" vibes from the blurb talking about things being "completely upside down"). Plot twist: it's actually an Alice in Wonderland retelling! Our main character Alison ends up in a coma after a hit-and-run and finds herself in this place called the Netherworld. She becomes a Dream Walker and has to dodge the Queen who's out to get her because – you guessed it – she's the chosen one. Pretty familiar territory, right?

I'll be honest, I usually side-eye retellings. It's hard to shake off the original story and movie scenes that are burned into your brain. But this one? It's not nearly as rough as other reviews make it sound. Sure, it could've been better with more pages to breathe. Fantasy books always face this struggle when they're on the shorter side – cramming a whole world into a tiny space without just info-dumping everywhere. But I think this one handled it pretty well.

The Good Stuff:
- A fresh spin on Alice in Wonderland
- Twin totally steals the show – loved every scene he was in
- The cool mix of vampires, lycans, and demons (wasn't expecting that!)

The Not-So-Great:
- Had trouble connecting with the main character – her personality kept ping-ponging between super insecure and suddenly fearless
- Lots of interesting plot threads that never really went anywhere
- Needed more time to develop the plot a bit better.

Bottom line: If you're into retellings, give it a shot. Yeah, it could use more meat on its bones, but that's not a deal-breaker. It's got good bones – just needed a bit more time to grow into them.

[organisedchaosbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Dream Walker, readers are invited to step into the netherworld, a dark and twisted version of Wonderland. This realm is perfect for those who love dark fairytales where nothing is quite as it seems, promising a thrilling adventure. The story introduces us to a variety of intriguing characters, including the ‘not’ mad hatter, a skilled time smith, and Alison, the main protagonist. The land is ruled by the formidable Queen of Hearts, whose card men enforce her reign, creating an atmosphere of danger and suspense around every corner. This young adult fantasy novel is a captivating read, filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. However, it’s worth noting that some parts of the story may not be suitable for very young children due to its darker themes. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this imaginative and gripping tale, and I believe it will appeal to anyone who appreciates a well-crafted, dark fantasy adventure.

ARC received by the publisher, all reviews are my own

[Haikubookreviewer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Cranthorpe Millner for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Dreamwalker by Bruce Martin is a dark Alice in Wonderland retelling that has an interesting concept.
Alison is going out with her friends when she is hit by a car in a mysterious accident. She wakes up to find herself in a version of Wonderland, which was made famous by Lewis Carroll. Alison is “dreamwalking” in wonderland with her real body still in the real world in a coma. She and Hatter (an assassin) make their way through wonderland causing chaos and trying to get Alison back to her body.

This novel has promise, as the plot line was fairly interesting, however, I really think it should be advertised as what it is. There is no mention in the blurb that this is a retelling, causing disappointment before even getting into the story. I am not a big retelling reader, so it was jarring to be put in a world I already knew. It seems as if it would have been easy to change characters names and some descriptions as they were mostly changed anyway and had new characters already added. As other reviewers have said, there is also a lot of information dumping and lots of telling instead of showing. The first scene in wonderland is the Hatter just explaining everything to Alison, which is not exciting. The dialogue feels stilted and the characters call each other by name more frequently than in real life. I personally did not like the main character Alison. She didn’t seem to have consistent personality traits. One moment she was cautious, the next she was being brash and insulting other characters. I think my major issue with this novel, however, is the use of Native American culture as characters and plot points. As a British man, maybe Bruce Martin doesn’t know, but it’s not cool to use NA folklore in books that have nothing to do with Native Americans. The honorific Chief also seems used in a manner that is not sensitive. It also doesn’t seem as if he understands the nuances behind the Wendigo and just thought it would be a cool character to add to his book full of vampires and werewolves. My last issue is that the book just stops. There is no sense of things wrapping up, no conclusion. The whole novel seems to be leading up to a confrontation with the Red Queen, and yet that doesn’t happen. And the epilogue is just confusing, are there supposed to be more books? Is this a series? There are lots of questions. Honestly, if I did not receive an ARC of this book, I most likely would have DNF’d it. The author has promise but needs to hone his skill some more.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 - This is an interesting dark twist on Alice in Wonderland.

Dream Walker is an action packed story with lots of different dark creatures lurking. I enjoyed the premise for this story, there’s strong potential for further world building and the directions that this series might take.

I would have loved more time to develop a connection with the characters and gain more of an insight to the different perspectives. For such a strong story with so many characters this was unfortunately a very short book, there were parts that felt a little bit like an explanation where as I would have loved to discover things a bit more naturally as the story progressed and we met different characters. I think this is down to the lenght of the story as a lot does happen in a short timeframe. I guess what I’m saying is “WE WANT MOREEE!” *To be chanted in the same style as a bold child demanding more dessert*

I would have loved to see more of the relationships between characters developing, it did feel like Alison and Hatter went from strangers to good friends very quickly. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I just think their story would have benefited from being a bit more drawn out and to see their connection forming. At times we did get a lot of information at once, which can be confusing but the author does a great job of reminding us throughout the story of the main important details along the way.

I loved that we got to see the perspective of Alison’s friends back on earth throughout the book, this added tension and had me fearing the consequences of what was happening to Alison in the Netherworld. It helped to remind us that this isn’t just a nightmare, this is real.

I liked seeing some of the deeper messages in the book like when Alison is questioning the need for war and why humans are so awful, with our current times we are all feeling this way when we look at the news, and so I could appreciate Alison’s despair.

If you’re looking for a quick action packed read with some dark twists and turns, this is a good book to pick up. I am excited to see where the Author takes this story, thanks to Bruce for gifting me a copy!

[Darina’s Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full video review is available @DarinasReads booktok https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8BoFmCM/

The synopsis of this book doesn’t do its justice. I thought it is a dark fantasy which I am not fan of. But I decided to give it a try and see if maybe I will like dark fantasy this time.

First impression: this is not as dark as I thought it would be. I was surprised to read what I think of as Alice in Wonderland reimagined.

I like the Hatter as a professional retired mercenary, Ma the armless seamstress, Cat as a subconscious, Queen as a vampire, Caterpilar as a leader of the demons, a dog who is not a dog, and other realms in this Netherworld apart from Wasteland.

What I didn’t get from the book plot is how did the Queen and Berserkers find out Alison’s name. She was “an unknown girl with a Hatter” for all, Queen included, and the next thing I read was the Queen shouting Alison’s full name.

The synopsis doesn’t say any of this for some reason. I wish it did. Because it’s even somewhat cozy instead of being all dark and scary. Yet make no mistake - it is not for kids with all these monsters. It’s an adult fantasy.

I liked it. It’s like a darker version of Alice in Wonderland for adults. It was cute. Dark fantasies are not cute. That’s because it’s not a dark fantasy. It’s more like a gothic fantasy.

And it is a gothic fantasy more than a dark fantasy with all these gothic tropes. It’s not as edgy as dark fantasy. Not as dark.

It will appeal to those who love books like One Dark Window.

I read the reviews and I feel like the synopsis is sole and main problem here. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the book, the plot, the characters. It’s imaginative, creative, immersive enough that I read it in 2 sitting with a short break in between.

The problem is that the synopsis is generic. It doesn’t say anything about the plot being a dark gothic Alice in Wonderland.
It misrepresents the book. It is generated to describe a plot as a dark fantasy thus focusing on the wrong target audience.

This is the main reason of frustration in the reviews from readers who expected dark edge of a borderline horror fantasy and instead read an easier plot - a gothic Alice in Wonderland. Obviously, they feel they have been misled

I, on the other hand, am in the correct target audience. However, after reading the synopsis, I decided that it’s not for me because or could be too dark and I didn’t quite had a feel of what it is exactly about. I wasn’t planning to read it. I took it to skim because I had a short opening before this book was due to ship to the bookaway winner. It was the last in the stack - I read the rest and left only this book because I didn’t want to read it after reading the synopsis.

My surprise when I started to read it is hard to describe. It is nothing like I thought it would be. Quite the opposite. It is something that I love reading. But I couldn’t for the life of me to get this idea from the synopsis.

I strongly believe that by switching the focus of advertising line, by remaking the main synopsis online, by mentioning reimagining of Alice in Wonderland along the lines and redirecting the appeal to the gothic fantasy readers, this book will be successful. Because it is good. It just needs a correct road sign.

[Joanne Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreamwalker by Bruce Martin is a spellbinding adventure that plunges readers into a realm where magic and menace are woven tightly together. The story follows Alison Wilde, a seemingly ordinary young woman whose life turns surreal when she’s thrust into the enigmatic Netherworld. Bereft of her earthly memories, Alison must confront her fears and navigate a landscape teeming with nightmarish creatures, shadowed by the constant presence of deception and illusion.

Martin’s prose is richly descriptive, vividly painting the eerie allure of the Netherworld and making it feel at once enchanting and perilous. Alison’s journey is more than just a descent into a world of myth and magic; it’s a quest for self-discovery in a reality where little is as it appears. As her companions guide her, readers quickly sense that their motives are as layered as the world itself, building tension and mystery. The book’s darker forces emerge as the plot thickens, suggesting that Alison’s fate is not simply about survival but has profound implications for the universe.

The pacing balances bursts of action with moments of introspection, letting readers fully appreciate Alison’s transformation from an uncertain outsider to a powerful force. Martin skillfully uses Alison’s fragmented memories and unfamiliar surroundings to highlight the disorientation she feels, adding a psychological depth that resonates as the story unfolds. The suspense of not knowing who to trust or what dangers lie ahead will keep readers on edge, and the stakes feel satisfyingly high as Alison’s true potential—and its implications—become clear.

Overall, Dreamwalker is an engaging blend of fantasy and suspense. It offers an enthralling look at fate, identity, and the boundaries of reality. Fans of dark fantasy with nuanced characters and richly built worlds will find this an unforgettable journey.

[Jade Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like your fairytales a bit darker, your characters deliciously crazy, and a story that takes you on an adventure of twists and turns, then Dream Walker is the novel for you. It is an Alice in Wonderland retelling, but rather than being the atypical mystical crazy but sweet fantasy take that a lot of authors do for this subgenre (and nothing wrong with this; I personally am a big fan of the classical retelling versions!), it presents a dark unsettled view of Wonderland. Imagine if all the characters and magical creatures that you expect to see in classic Wonderland, are just not quite right... like looking into a mirror and feeling your reflection is not quite your own... Dream Walker gives this vibes. It's an eyrie tale where Wonderland has become "Netherworld".

I would have enjoyed it more, if the author had taken it even darker, which from his writing style, I feel he could pull off really well, but I believe it is a young adult novel, so that wouldn't be an appropriate direction to take it in. I feel if you are a young adult reader, your rating for this novel would reflect on the higher side.

As typical of young adult novels, the characters were put into difficult situations were they had to rely on themselves and friendships to overcome the odds. It was quite heartwarming in these parts, and made the twists even more dramatic.

If you found the Cheshire Cat and co in Alice in Wonderland cute, and fancy a creepier version, then give this book a go. Perhaps a good way to ease yourself into the spooky season? - - it releases perfectly 2 days before Halloween!

Thank you to the author and @cranthorpemillner for allowing me to read this ARC.

[Jennifer Cunliffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book surprised me. I didn’t expect a retelling of Alice and wonderland at all from the synopsis. This is a darker, creepier version of Alice in Wonderland, that I think people who enjoyed Grimms Fairytales will like.

The character descriptions were great, but I struggled and zoned out in places due to a lot of info dumping in one place. I also felt like there was a lot more dialogue between characters “telling” the story over the story itself actually “showing” the reader what’s happening.

I did enjoy the story progression. It was clear and easy to follow from chapter to chapter and I think it passed at a well rounded pace.

The characters themselves were great. I love the idea of the Hatter being an Assassin, I don’t know why but it just makes sense to me. As above, I think more showing rather than telling when it comes to the characters appearance would have made the novel more immersive, as it was a lot of description.

Overall, I think this is a nice short novel for people who like retelling of fairy tales, especially if you like things a little darker!

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this novel in return for a honest review.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This original story surrounding the Wonderland lore is intriguing and offers a darker twist on familiar elements. However, I feel that much is left to be desired, as the narrative would have benefited from more depth. The shorter story format feels limiting for a concept with so much potential.

The worldbuilding, especially in the first part, felt rushed. It seemed more like I was being told the story rather than being immersed in it. This lack of gradual development made it difficult to connect with the world and characters fully.

That said, "Dream Walker" serves as a promising start. It introduces captivating ideas and characters, but it would greatly benefit from expansion into a longer format to flesh out a richer premise. With more time to explore the character development and the world of Wonderland, it has the potential to become something truly remarkable.

A big thank you to Net Galley and Cranthorpe Millner for this Advanced Reading Copy of this story in exchange for my honest review.

[Adrianna Heaney-velu · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Dream Walker,” by Bruce Martin

First of all, the author did a disservice to himself by not marketing the fact that this is a dark Alice in Wonderland retelling. You find out really soon so it’s not actually a spoiler. Good thing that I’m also a fan of horror. Anyways, it’s an Alice in Wonderland retelling but dark filled with creatures like vampires, werewolves, demons, etc. I immediately hated the FMC for being a pick me girl, but she gets better after she goes to the non-human realm. Unfortunately, I find that some authors make their main characters so unlikeable at the beginning so by the end they can say they “developed” but it’s not much in reality because they were so annoying at the beginning, and I got a little of those vibes. Regardless of all that, I did like the book and found it interesting. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Alice in Wonderland dark retelling
-Vampires
-Werewolves
-Demons
-Chosen One
-Multi POV

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

[Kilgallen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this books cover and title. I honestly thought it would be a folk horror/ fantasy ....it wasn't. Rather it is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland with an even darker mood than the original. While I personally enjoyed the surprise direction that the story took it does seem rather odd that there was no indication that this would be a retelling. There were many imaginative re imaginings of the original characters and some fun twists. I did enjoy the world building and was taken a back by the sudden and abrupt end of the book /novella. I wish the story had a more satisfying conclusion. I am no stranger to serial stories but again, like the surprise of the fact that this is a retelling, I felt blindsided and it did result in a lower enjoyment overall. A big thank you to the author and NetGalley for allowing me access to an advanced copy of this title free of charge. I'm leaving an honest review voluntarily.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

What a fun start to a series!

I’m looking forward to see how this series continues and we follow Alison Wilde on her journey through the Netherworld.

This is a YA urban fantasy horror which is inspired by the story behind Alice in Wonderland! We have similar characters such as Hatter (although not mad!), Rabbit, The Red Queen, Caterpillar and last but not least and definitely one of my favourite characters Cat!

Netherworld (Wonderland) can only be visited by humans in certain ways, normally in dreams or nightmares. There are different realms within the netherworld and a fun vampire vs werewolf vs demon twist! As well as lots of other creatures!

Alice in Wonderland has always been one of my favourite stories ever since I was a child so I just had to give this book a read!

I just want to say a massive thank you to Cranthorpemillner and Bruce Martin himself for allowing me to read and give my honest review of this book as part of a book tour!

[Gemma Spittle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, the author, Bruce Martin, is an absolute diamond who sent me this book to read and review and I’m always incredibly grateful to anyone who is open to receiving honest feedback with something that’s incredibly dear to them.
I was immediately drawn to this book’s cover and blurb, yet had zero prior knowledge as to the plot and possible content. So, quickly into reading, I was both surprised and impressed with the dark twist in the retelling of Alice in Wonderland - this is one of my favourite fairytales and this book certainly didn’t disappoint!
This book is very short, yet packs a whole lot of action and heart into it and, as the first book of (hopefully) many, it leaves the door open for an exciting continuation into the FMC’s journey.
Yes, this book is incredibly telling rather than showing, but as it is clearly aimed at YA, I feel that this does work well.
If you like your stories peculiar yet pronounced, give Dream Walker a go

[Tahlia Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was surprised to discover this is an Alice In Wonderland retelling since that wasn’t mentioned in the description. But I love classic retellings so this seemed to be right up my alley.
Unfortunately I ended up DNFing this book at 50%.
The first chapter didn’t really hook me in and then the second chapter contained a massive info dump. In my opinion the writing wasn’t the best and the story felt very weird and random and not in a good way. It was quite confusing. The dialogue didn’t feel very natural. There was a lot of telling instead of showing. I found it very difficult to become immersed in the story or really find any sense of place. I think the whole premise was really interesting but was poorly executed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc to review.

[Ashley Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy direct from the author. 

This was not a genre I would typically read. It's very YA and a bit darker and more fast paced than I would usually grab, but for the right reader this would probably be perfect. It's heavily Alice in Wonderland inspired and utilizes dialogue as a tool for world building rather than long paragraphs of info dumping. If someone has a young reader who wants to try toeing the line of fantasy and thriller, this would be a palatable story that never stops moving with characters they'll recognize. It's Wonderland with werewolves and vampires! 

I found the tell-not-show of this to be a little too juvenile for my personal reading tastes, and I think the world deserved a bit more development, but this is the start to a series, so hopefully it will pick up those details in book 2. 

[Danny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy from netgalley for an honest review.

Just to be completely upfront on this due to the scoring, it's not a bad story or book by any means. I just personally due not like this type of story. I got sucked in by the cover, name and description and did not realise that this is essentially a classical retelling.

If you ever wanted Alice In Wonderland but with vampires and werewolves, then this is the perfect story for you. It is well written for what it is, but I just do not like the over-reliance on Lewis Carrol's characters and world. There are enough differences and changes to justify the usage but it's a trend that I personally hate in fantasy.

I do not want anyone to be put off by the low score but unfortunately I just plainly did not enjoy my read of this one.

[Margaux · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly, a big thanks goes to the author, Bruce Martin, and Goodreads for the privilege of winning Dream Walker in digital format in a giveaway. Always very grateful when I get to read a title I might've otherwise never come across due to a giveaway. I thought this story was very interesting, and I do like retellings and I think Alice in Wonderland is a story with lots of great characters to be expanded upon. The settings were well described. I did however think that this retelling was a bit unbalanced, with lots of info in some places and other places lacking. The dialogue felt a bit forced and uncomfortable. There were some other aspects that were a tad confusing. I think an even darker focus in the retelling focusing on the vampires would be really interesting.

[Tyler Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good retelling!

Im a massive Alice in wonderland fan so when I realised this was a dark retelling of sorts I was instantly hooked, I loved all the interesting changed that bruce made to this classic take, from changing the mad hatter to an assassin and wonderland being the netherworld. This novel is action packed from the start and I devoured this in a coupe of hours.

As someone who enjoys things on the darker side I thought this novel was very well done and if you're like me and love a good retelling then this is definitely for you. Not only are the characters well done but I felt like the plot flowed very well and I was always looking forward to the next chapter. Overall this is the perfect spooky szn read and I encourage everyone to read!

[silvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you so much cranthorpe millner for sending me copy and for letting be part of the tour!!

dream walker is a gothic reimagining of alice in wonderland. it follows Alison Wilde who is plunged into the Netherworld after ending up in a coma following a hit and run. she becomes a dream walker and remembers little of her life back on earth. Alison finds herself in world full of horrifying creatures and also having to stay out of the Queen’s sight since she’s out to get her.

i really enjoyed this dark reimagine of alice in wonderland and found it easy to follow along. i really enjoyed the different characters and found them really interesting, which captivated me that much more. it has the perfect eerie vibes and i found myself easily getting immersed into the dark atmosphere.

[tanith jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly I want to say a massive thank you to Cranthorpe Millner and the author for sending me a copy and allowing me to be apart of the Instagram tour!

I really really liked this book! I loved the Alice in Wonderland retelling concept and how it drew on the original tale yet was so unique at the same time.

The inclusion of werewolves, vampires and other supernatural creatures made this the perfect read for Halloween and I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a spooky season read!

The characters were also so loveable and I loved Alison’s journey figuring out what was happening to her.

The story was a little shorter than I wanted it to be but after than ending I cannot wait to read the next one!

[Jade Smedley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m going to start by saying the cover is epic!!! Dream Walker is a YA urban fantasy with a dark/gothic subtext, and I honestly think some reviews are forgetting the young adult part. In an ideal world it would be 100 pages longer with deeper world building and context, but then it wouldn’t be suitable for its target audience. As a secondary school librarian I know its intended audience would love this, I also know we as adults need to remember that young adult fiction should be pacey,that’s what holds their attention! I really enjoyed it :) it is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland and you realise that early on, but Alison is a bit more badass! The whole story is actually. Great little read :)

[Cassandra **The Bibliophagist** · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is for sure a book you cannot judge only based on the cover. Dream Walker is a dark Alive in Wonderland retelling. Alice lives what one would consider an average life until she wakes up in the netherworld, a dark and twisted version of Alice in Wonderland. We meet many familiar characters, some with really nice twists added. The Red Queen is after her now, but will her and her new friends be able to survive?

What a great story with a wonderful twist. I love a great retelling, and this was one of those. With great world building, characters with backstories we learn about as we read, and fast pacing, this is a perfect choice for those looking for a quick read. I am looking forward to book 2!

[Celine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this a while ago, but I struggled to make this review.

I loved the idea of this book so much and the more Alice in Wonderland ideas that popped up the more excited I was.

But it flopped for me. I was expecting so much more. I also thought that the story would conclude in this book given the fact it isn't said to be part of a series.

I was let down by the ending. We didn't even get to find out how the story ended.

But I also found that with the way things veered during the second half of the story, away from what felt like was the point, the more I realized I didn't care how it ended. While I would've liked to see how things turn out especially for the characters, I was done with the story before it ended.

[nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dream Walker was an amazing Alice in Wonderland retelling, offering a dark gothic twist on both the characters and the storyline. The references to the original book were incredibly creative and stayed true to the characters, while the blend of gothic elements and fantasy worked seamlessly together, enhancing the eerie atmosphere and making the story feel both familiar and refreshingly original.

I loved how the Cat was Alison’s subconscious throughout the book, guiding her through the journey and even helping her in combat with weapons. It added a level of development to Alison’s character, where she was slowly learning to trust her own instincts and inner strength while finding her way home. Their bond mirrored Alison’s growth, turning the Cat into more than just a guide and instead a reflection of her resilience and hidden courage.

The ending definitely left room for another book that I’m looking forward to! I need to know how Alison escapes the darkness of the Netherworld.

[Heather McIndoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this book having zero idea it was a dark retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Alice is in an accident and slips into a coma, which is how she access Wonderland in this story, where she meets up with the mad hatter, Hatter, who is an assassin?! I truly thought that was a neat little twist. Some parts of the book are a little confusing, but it just caused me to want to read more to gain a better understanding. The book did end rather oddly, I am hoping that there is another book in the future to pick up where it left off.

All and all I gave this book 3 stars. I’d like to thank NetGalley, Bruce Martin, and the publishers for providing this eARC. This is my honest review.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about Alice Wilde who starts off on a night out in our world ready to have fun with her friends and who ends up in the netherworld.

This is a dark story with a lot of characters you know and love from Alice in wonderland but with a very dark twist. They are definitely not the characters you remember from old.

This story builds slowly and gets better and better as the story progresses, and the ending makes you want to scream. (You will understand when you read it.)

Overall this is a good story for a young adult, I say that as the characters could have been a lot darker if aimed at the adult population. But I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to book two.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a trip!

This is not what it looks like from the cover and blurb. It is in fact an Alice in Wonderland retelling but darker. And with vampires, werewolves and other mysterious creatures.

Although it wasn't what I was expecting, it was really good.

If you enjoy retellings with a twist I would check this out.

A bit of info dump at the start and overly descriptive but it reads easy and the plot was interesting.