What do you think?
After Under
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth meets The Cruel Prince and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.
Once upon a time, a girl named Finn found a door to another world and triumphed over a king—as children so often do in stories—and lost as much as she won. And then.
And then.
She returned home and grew up.
Three years later, those are only stories.
That is, until one night when her younger sister disappears and Finn must follow after—back into the world she left behind.
A figure from Finn’s past now sits on the throne, and in order to rescue both her sister and herself, Finn must reconcile with the story she left unfinished all those years ago.
Otherwise, she may never find her way home.
Once upon a time, a girl named Finn found a door to another world and triumphed over a king—as children so often do in stories—and lost as much as she won. And then.
And then.
She returned home and grew up.
Three years later, those are only stories.
That is, until one night when her younger sister disappears and Finn must follow after—back into the world she left behind.
A figure from Finn’s past now sits on the throne, and in order to rescue both her sister and herself, Finn must reconcile with the story she left unfinished all those years ago.
Otherwise, she may never find her way home.
- GenresFantasy
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 24, 2026
3.25⭐️
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, it was very whimsical and reminded me of Alice in wonderland/The cruel prince.
Really enjoyed the chemistry between Finn and Reader, I looked forward to scenes between them. The plot was decent but the writing felt a little clunky in some places!
I do think this would have benefited from being a bit longer (I never usually say that) and with more interactions between the FMC and MMC to give us that more of a build up. Also I don’t love the cover.
It was a fun, short read and it’s on kindle unlimited💫
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, it was very whimsical and reminded me of Alice in wonderland/The cruel prince.
Really enjoyed the chemistry between Finn and Reader, I looked forward to scenes between them. The plot was decent but the writing felt a little clunky in some places!
I do think this would have benefited from being a bit longer (I never usually say that) and with more interactions between the FMC and MMC to give us that more of a build up. Also I don’t love the cover.
It was a fun, short read and it’s on kindle unlimited💫
April 4, 2026
Amazing
Tiktok recommended me this book and I devoured it in one sitting. It is so well written and captivating. Every moment is exciting and sweet and I can't wait to pass it along to everyone I know. It was Alice, and Dorothy and Sarah and me when I was young and full of dreams. It was nostalgic and brought a finality to a type of story that never had an ending before. What a stunning read.
Tiktok recommended me this book and I devoured it in one sitting. It is so well written and captivating. Every moment is exciting and sweet and I can't wait to pass it along to everyone I know. It was Alice, and Dorothy and Sarah and me when I was young and full of dreams. It was nostalgic and brought a finality to a type of story that never had an ending before. What a stunning read.
August 11, 2025
Very fun and whimsical! Enjoyable family dynamic you don’t often get to see in a lot of the books in this niche. It felt very fresh and cute while not super high fantasy it had solid world building and good plot roll out for the length of a stand alone novel it was. I really enjoyed this as a yearning romance with little spice and violence. This is definitely a book you can talk to people about.
July 15, 2026
This book - Oh my god, it is the dream of all YA fantasy yearners. What would you like to order today? We've got a bratty fae king, witty female main character, pining, sisterly bond above all, and a whimsy world that has rules only it knows.
Initially, I was skeptical because I had seen a self-promo on TikTok from the author, and KU indie books and me have a bad relationship. Expectations were blown out of the water. While this book has some elements similar to The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and the Labrinyth, it is its own separate creation and not some rip-off or copy-cat. (Don't think I missed that Jane Eyre reference with the fortune-teller scene. I loved it and was swooning.) It does reference Alice in Wonderland a bit inside the novel itself, and I would recommend the author shrink down those references to let the audience make those connections on their own, rather than being fed.
Cannon builds this eccentric fae world that exists alongside our own but is kept apart by keys. If you don't have the key, you won't be able to get in, or out. Once upon a time, Finn had found a key and went on this horribly amazing adventure but the trauma of it all made her run back to the human world. When she unexpectedly returns to the Under, she realizes trying to sever this unhealed trauma cuts herself and the loved ones around her too. The exploration of trauma and working through it, of realizing you're not who you were but you are at the same time, was so fascinating and well done.
One thing I enjoyed about the book were the little poems that started out each chapter. It gave it a nice, personalized touch. I also enjoyed the relationships in the novel: Finn and Aurie's sister bond was so intensely sweet. Sometimes in novels, the sibling relationship is forced. The character will say they'll die for, or avenge, their sibling but there isn't a lot of bonding elements to reinforce that. Not this one. If Finn had to jump into a lake of fire for Aurie, or be trapped in a cage, I know for certainty that she'd do it. Her relationship with Reader, our moody king, was also incredibly rich. Sure, there is attraction and yearning, but there's also real emotion too, such as guilt and regret and learning how to heal from what they went through together. I wanted More of her and Reader, and them just being happy and adventuring the Under together. I would take a prequel novel if Cannon gave it, just to see Reader again.
I think it should also be noted that there is queer representation in this and it is artfully done in my opinion. There isn't some finger pointing and going "that character is nonbinary or trans". Instead, the representation is there, acknowledged, and then the story moves on. I appreciated that it wasn't made out as a big deal.
Usually, I write my dislikes at the end but I genuinely didn't have any. When I realized how good this book was, I slowed down so I wouldn't finish it and have to leave the world behind!
Initially, I was skeptical because I had seen a self-promo on TikTok from the author, and KU indie books and me have a bad relationship. Expectations were blown out of the water. While this book has some elements similar to The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and the Labrinyth, it is its own separate creation and not some rip-off or copy-cat. (Don't think I missed that Jane Eyre reference with the fortune-teller scene. I loved it and was swooning.) It does reference Alice in Wonderland a bit inside the novel itself, and I would recommend the author shrink down those references to let the audience make those connections on their own, rather than being fed.
Cannon builds this eccentric fae world that exists alongside our own but is kept apart by keys. If you don't have the key, you won't be able to get in, or out. Once upon a time, Finn had found a key and went on this horribly amazing adventure but the trauma of it all made her run back to the human world. When she unexpectedly returns to the Under, she realizes trying to sever this unhealed trauma cuts herself and the loved ones around her too. The exploration of trauma and working through it, of realizing you're not who you were but you are at the same time, was so fascinating and well done.
One thing I enjoyed about the book were the little poems that started out each chapter. It gave it a nice, personalized touch. I also enjoyed the relationships in the novel: Finn and Aurie's sister bond was so intensely sweet. Sometimes in novels, the sibling relationship is forced. The character will say they'll die for, or avenge, their sibling but there isn't a lot of bonding elements to reinforce that. Not this one. If Finn had to jump into a lake of fire for Aurie, or be trapped in a cage, I know for certainty that she'd do it. Her relationship with Reader, our moody king, was also incredibly rich. Sure, there is attraction and yearning, but there's also real emotion too, such as guilt and regret and learning how to heal from what they went through together. I wanted More of her and Reader, and them just being happy and adventuring the Under together. I would take a prequel novel if Cannon gave it, just to see Reader again.
I think it should also be noted that there is queer representation in this and it is artfully done in my opinion. There isn't some finger pointing and going "that character is nonbinary or trans". Instead, the representation is there, acknowledged, and then the story moves on. I appreciated that it wasn't made out as a big deal.
Usually, I write my dislikes at the end but I genuinely didn't have any. When I realized how good this book was, I slowed down so I wouldn't finish it and have to leave the world behind!
July 11, 2026
After Under feels like Alice in Wonderland meets Cruel Prince, with a whimsical yet dangerous world full of quirky characters and hidden motives.
When Finn's sister, Aurie, steals her key to the Under, Finn is forced to return to the place she thought she'd left behind for good. Along the way, she comes face-to-face with an old friend who may now be an enemy, while also confronting fears and parts of herself she'd rather leave buried in the past.
While I enjoyed the atmosphere and the peculiar world, I found the story confusing at times. Often, it felt like I had picked up the second book in a series, and I was missing important background information. It was difficult to fully connect with the plot and characters due to this, even though the premise was interesting.
Favorite Quotes: “That’s what being overly ambitious gets you sometimes—gobbled up by something bigger than yourself.”
“The last king underestimated you; men seem to have a knack for that no matter the world.”
When Finn's sister, Aurie, steals her key to the Under, Finn is forced to return to the place she thought she'd left behind for good. Along the way, she comes face-to-face with an old friend who may now be an enemy, while also confronting fears and parts of herself she'd rather leave buried in the past.
While I enjoyed the atmosphere and the peculiar world, I found the story confusing at times. Often, it felt like I had picked up the second book in a series, and I was missing important background information. It was difficult to fully connect with the plot and characters due to this, even though the premise was interesting.
Favorite Quotes: “That’s what being overly ambitious gets you sometimes—gobbled up by something bigger than yourself.”
“The last king underestimated you; men seem to have a knack for that no matter the world.”
April 15, 2026
I loved the writing and the world. Loved the little poems related to the story. Under was a world similar to Alice in Wonderland but darker and I love Alice in Wonderland. Finn's character development was such a nice pace, not too fast or too slow. I love how they handled her trauma from her previous trip to Under and how she hid it from her sister. I really do not have any complaints about it. It hooked me in from the beginning to the end. The romance was slow with lots of teasing and tension from her past adventure to Under. Love the little notes to other books such as Alice in Wonderland and to music. Everything about this was whimsical, dark and unique and I loved it!
December 12, 2025
This is an absolute masterpiece tale of adventure, change and acceptance. Traversing the under can be dangerous and when Finn's key goes missing she must race to protect her sister from the world she left behind. A captivating story that includes various unique characters with Alice in Wonderland Vibes. Spoon was one of my absolute favorites. Highly recommended this as a must read to anyone who loves a whimsical tale of another world.
March 2, 2026
I thought the vibes were fun, but the characters felt underdeveloped and the world building too flat. The story just felt like it was trying too hard to be the next Alice in Wonderland while constantly mentioning and quoting the real life book, which felt wildly distracting. The author compared it to David Bowie’s Labyrinth, but I think the only similarity is that the main character at one point, for a brief period of time, enters a labyrinth, but her whole being in there felt so menial.
October 10, 2025
Alice in Wonderland, fae magics, tricksters and unfair kings, magic, whimsy, sisterhood, good defeating evil. This book had everything I love most in a story, and the romance was just as great as the comedy and banter of the different characters. The world building and details of the different locations really made it so whole and all encompassing.
October 19, 2025
If you have been looking for a book that reads like Alice in wonderland in the world of the Labyrinth where Alice/Sarah are all grown up and have to back into the world they left behind but never forgot about - then you found the right place✨
April 21, 2026
a quick whimsical read 🧚♀️💫
it did feel like something was missing, maybe some more details about what exactly happened the first time finn went into the under and her relationship with reader could have helped flesh out her character and the story as a whole.
def borrowed some crumbs from the cruel prince but was also unique enough that i was entertained
it did feel like something was missing, maybe some more details about what exactly happened the first time finn went into the under and her relationship with reader could have helped flesh out her character and the story as a whole.
def borrowed some crumbs from the cruel prince but was also unique enough that i was entertained
May 5, 2026
Unoriginal and Confusing
This was an almost copy cat Alice in Wonderland meets Romance.
It was confusing because it felt like a sequel but is a standalone book.
If the author was going for paying homage, this wasn’t it.
This was an almost copy cat Alice in Wonderland meets Romance.
It was confusing because it felt like a sequel but is a standalone book.
If the author was going for paying homage, this wasn’t it.
May 14, 2026
It was cute but I feel like it ended right when it was getting good. I would have liked to see more of Finn and Reader after the last chapter. Ultimately it felt like something was missing and left me wanting more.
Read
February 25, 2026I had to dnf. The FMC keeps hitting the MMC, at times drawing blood.
Overuse of the word 'as'. Many sentences follow this structure: "Character did X as Y happened."
Overuse of the word 'as'. Many sentences follow this structure: "Character did X as Y happened."
April 7, 2026
Labyrinth/ cruel prince/alice in wonderland . A quick fun read.
November 6, 2025
A lovely world
This was one of those books that makes it hard to start a new book when you've finished with it. I loved the world and characters. The storyline was original and interesting. I wasn't ready to leave.
This was one of those books that makes it hard to start a new book when you've finished with it. I loved the world and characters. The storyline was original and interesting. I wasn't ready to leave.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews