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Nine of Hearts
“You cannot run, Rose. Not when you have pulled the card.”
It is the Queen of Ever After’s birthday. The kingdom is welcome to celebrate within the palace halls, and so is Jester—a classic fool hired to entertain the Queen. But with the fool arrives vengeance; what is assumed to be a simple magic trick turns into an act of revenge when the Queen pulls the Nine of Hearts. A card that comes to life just to take nine more.
Nine of Hearts explores grief and loss in the shape of spilled blood, beating hearts, and a white rabbit in a waistcoat. How much can a person face the same pain again and again before they lose themselves? And what happens when someone from your past arrives just to destroy the happiness you think you deserve, taking it away one heart at a time?
Before Wonderland, there was Ever After. And this is the story behind the Queen of Hearts.
It is the Queen of Ever After’s birthday. The kingdom is welcome to celebrate within the palace halls, and so is Jester—a classic fool hired to entertain the Queen. But with the fool arrives vengeance; what is assumed to be a simple magic trick turns into an act of revenge when the Queen pulls the Nine of Hearts. A card that comes to life just to take nine more.
Nine of Hearts explores grief and loss in the shape of spilled blood, beating hearts, and a white rabbit in a waistcoat. How much can a person face the same pain again and again before they lose themselves? And what happens when someone from your past arrives just to destroy the happiness you think you deserve, taking it away one heart at a time?
Before Wonderland, there was Ever After. And this is the story behind the Queen of Hearts.
115 pages, Paperback
Published October 13, 2025
4 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Nadiah Zakaria
4 books122 followersNadiah is a Malaysian dark fantasy and horror author.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 28, 2025
What was meant to be a memorable birthday celebration quickly descends into gore and tragedy, leaving the protagonist to face the devastating loss of those dearest to her. Nine of Hearts reimagines the classic Queen of Hearts tale with a darker, more twisted edge—blending horror, heartbreak, and beauty in equal measure.
Nadiah truly has a remarkable talent for crafting novellas. Within fewer than 110 pages, she manages to capture raw emotion, solid characterisation, and a richly layered world. The world-building feels immersive, and the pacing remains strong throughout. While the plot itself leans toward the predictable, the author’s vivid, intricate writing more than compensates, turning every scene into an experience worth savouring.
A truly amazing quick read that proves you don’t need hundreds of pages to feel something deeply.
Nadiah truly has a remarkable talent for crafting novellas. Within fewer than 110 pages, she manages to capture raw emotion, solid characterisation, and a richly layered world. The world-building feels immersive, and the pacing remains strong throughout. While the plot itself leans toward the predictable, the author’s vivid, intricate writing more than compensates, turning every scene into an experience worth savouring.
A truly amazing quick read that proves you don’t need hundreds of pages to feel something deeply.
October 25, 2025
I was immediately hooked the moment I started reading and couldn’t put it down until the very end. At this point, I can confidently say I’d read anything Nadiah writes. She has such a beautiful way with words, her writing just draws you in.
This story feels like a darker, more twisted version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland - sinister, gruesome, and cruel in all the best ways. It’s set in the land of Ever After, where we follow Queen Rose as she celebrates her birthday. During the royal feast, the King surprises her with a Jester, who performs a magic trick with a strange deck of cards. It seems harmless at first… until things take a bloody turn.
What follows is a cascade of chaos, a gruesome bloodbath that leaves the Queen of Ever After in absolute misery and the palace in ruin. I was completely gripped by the story and stayed invested right until the last page.
It has everything I love in a story. My only complaint? I wish it were longer. I’m dying to know more about the Ever After universe.
This story feels like a darker, more twisted version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland - sinister, gruesome, and cruel in all the best ways. It’s set in the land of Ever After, where we follow Queen Rose as she celebrates her birthday. During the royal feast, the King surprises her with a Jester, who performs a magic trick with a strange deck of cards. It seems harmless at first… until things take a bloody turn.
What follows is a cascade of chaos, a gruesome bloodbath that leaves the Queen of Ever After in absolute misery and the palace in ruin. I was completely gripped by the story and stayed invested right until the last page.
It has everything I love in a story. My only complaint? I wish it were longer. I’m dying to know more about the Ever After universe.
November 7, 2025
It’s the Queen’s birthday and the royal halls are filled with celebration. She possesses mesmerising beauty, complete with humility and kindness. Adding on top of all these features is the ability to do magic. Her life is complete with life’s greatest gift — a king that loves her forevermore. So what could go wrong? Never would it occur to the king nor her that a gift to make her laugh on her birthday, a jester, would change their lives forever.
The Jester’s magic trick will cause the Queen, also known as Rose, nine beloved lives in her life. Can she stop it from happening? Can she save everyone she loves?
I finished the book in one sitting, absorbed by Nadiah’s skilful storytelling. I love how she weaves the elements from the story Alice in Wonderland into this tale. I also love how the concept of men taking advantage of women until she became heartless is conveyed in the story. Walking in life with no heart beating, becoming cold and numb to feel anything in the hands of ruthless, cunning men. In her words, where women are expected to give and give until it leaves them with nothing more.
However, the story felt short, a bit rushed and predictable. Only at the end is a twist I did not expect, hence the proper closure to the Queen of Hearts’ backstory. I do feel that some parts lack detail and as a fan, I was probably hoping for more.
Nevertheless, Nadiah did mention that she had written this for fun, for herself. I appreciate that she shares this story for us to enjoy and I look forward to reading more of her works.
The Jester’s magic trick will cause the Queen, also known as Rose, nine beloved lives in her life. Can she stop it from happening? Can she save everyone she loves?
I finished the book in one sitting, absorbed by Nadiah’s skilful storytelling. I love how she weaves the elements from the story Alice in Wonderland into this tale. I also love how the concept of men taking advantage of women until she became heartless is conveyed in the story. Walking in life with no heart beating, becoming cold and numb to feel anything in the hands of ruthless, cunning men. In her words, where women are expected to give and give until it leaves them with nothing more.
However, the story felt short, a bit rushed and predictable. Only at the end is a twist I did not expect, hence the proper closure to the Queen of Hearts’ backstory. I do feel that some parts lack detail and as a fan, I was probably hoping for more.
Nevertheless, Nadiah did mention that she had written this for fun, for herself. I appreciate that she shares this story for us to enjoy and I look forward to reading more of her works.
November 15, 2025
Wow 😲 I never read this fast pacing pace also gory like this. Like usual, I didn't read the back of the book so I absolutely know nothing about this book. As I read this, I'm thinking owh this world is very interesting with King Ever After as her husband. Ngl I thought this is the story between Rose and the Jester (I got the photo card) but oh boy how wrong I was. As this book is quite short and I never rate short books like this above 3 but well the plot, the world building and the characters hooked me so 4 ⭐ read from me.
October 25, 2025
I absolutely love the concept of this plot! The gore felt so real — wow! If Nadiah ever writes a horror story in the future, I’d definitely read it. My only complaint is how short this book is 😞 I need more! I also wish Winston had shared how he found and hired Jester in the first place.
November 15, 2025
i don't know what to feel.... i feel empty. i feel scared. i feel angered. i feel uh.. AAAAH.
October 24, 2025
🔸 A villain origin story of the infamous Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland.
✫ Oh to be one of the first to read this new masterpiece from @nadiahzkr 🤩
✫ First of all can we all have a moment of silent and appreciate the cover bcs look at it ‼️ When Nadiah first showed it to me, I had to manually shut my opened jaw. I LOVEEEEE the cover sm 😭
✫ Getting to read Nadiah's writing again in 2025 felt like a privilege. Mind you this was not on our bingo card nor Nadiah's, i believe🧍🏻♂️. I didn't know how much I've missed her writing until I started reading Nine of Hearts. Her magic is back to haunt my days until I get to read her next project whenever that will be 😭 Nadiah pls go write im begging u 🧎🏻♀️
✫ Nine of Hearts was beautiful and tragic. It's Nadiah's idea on how Queen of Hearts came about. How she became... heartless. How everything she loved was taken away from her just because of a man. ugh i hate men except her husband. wait - maybe i do hate him too bcs if he did not do THAT, everything could still be fine 💀
✫ Since it's a novella, there were a lot of things that I wish could be expanded as always. This might also be an excuse for me to read more from her. But it can't be helped since it's a novella.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Finished it in just a few hours, or it finished me with a broken heart (from the start). It's yet another day where we wonder what does Nadiah has against happy ending 😭💔
✫ Oh to be one of the first to read this new masterpiece from @nadiahzkr 🤩
✫ First of all can we all have a moment of silent and appreciate the cover bcs look at it ‼️ When Nadiah first showed it to me, I had to manually shut my opened jaw. I LOVEEEEE the cover sm 😭
✫ Getting to read Nadiah's writing again in 2025 felt like a privilege. Mind you this was not on our bingo card nor Nadiah's, i believe🧍🏻♂️. I didn't know how much I've missed her writing until I started reading Nine of Hearts. Her magic is back to haunt my days until I get to read her next project whenever that will be 😭 Nadiah pls go write im begging u 🧎🏻♀️
✫ Nine of Hearts was beautiful and tragic. It's Nadiah's idea on how Queen of Hearts came about. How she became... heartless. How everything she loved was taken away from her just because of a man. ugh i hate men except her husband. wait - maybe i do hate him too bcs if he did not do THAT, everything could still be fine 💀
✫ Since it's a novella, there were a lot of things that I wish could be expanded as always. This might also be an excuse for me to read more from her. But it can't be helped since it's a novella.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Finished it in just a few hours, or it finished me with a broken heart (from the start). It's yet another day where we wonder what does Nadiah has against happy ending 😭💔
October 25, 2025
“Stay with me. Stay here, right here where I can see you. Let me guard your heart from the devilish fate that awaits you.”
I absolutely loved this novella! The author made an intriguing choice with the title, which I found particularly fascinating given my interest in numerology and tarot readings for leisure. In numerology, the number Nine symbolizes completion, marking the end of a cycle, while in Tarot, the Nine of Hearts signifies the fulfillment of wishes.
It seems the author was playfully clever in selecting the title, weaving themes of closure and desire throughout the narrative. The dedication, "For anyone who has ever felt numb from reliving too much pain," resonated deeply with me and set the tone for the emotional journey ahead.
The vivid world-building descriptions kept me engaged from start to finish, constantly surprising me with each twist and turn. The pacing was relentless, delivering one impactful moment after another, making it an exhilarating read.
The quality of the writing itself was exceptional, adding to the overall enjoyment of the story.
In conclusion, I highly recommend immersing oneself in this novella and savoring it as I did. However, it's worth noting that this isn't a story for the faint-hearted. Proceed with caution. 😏
Author provided an e-arc.
I absolutely loved this novella! The author made an intriguing choice with the title, which I found particularly fascinating given my interest in numerology and tarot readings for leisure. In numerology, the number Nine symbolizes completion, marking the end of a cycle, while in Tarot, the Nine of Hearts signifies the fulfillment of wishes.
It seems the author was playfully clever in selecting the title, weaving themes of closure and desire throughout the narrative. The dedication, "For anyone who has ever felt numb from reliving too much pain," resonated deeply with me and set the tone for the emotional journey ahead.
The vivid world-building descriptions kept me engaged from start to finish, constantly surprising me with each twist and turn. The pacing was relentless, delivering one impactful moment after another, making it an exhilarating read.
The quality of the writing itself was exceptional, adding to the overall enjoyment of the story.
In conclusion, I highly recommend immersing oneself in this novella and savoring it as I did. However, it's worth noting that this isn't a story for the faint-hearted. Proceed with caution. 😏
Author provided an e-arc.
November 16, 2025
1 word best describes this book.
Haunting
Nadiah really knows how to write a book with tragic endings. This book’s story line was really interesting to me the first time she pitched it in her Tiktok. I can count this book as the 2nd place between 3 of her published novels. This is the ranking for me:
1. bane of widuri
2. nine of hearts
3. revenge in violent hues
What I like about this book:
1. There were so many words that I have never heard being used in this book and it was honestly refreshing. Could totally use some vocabulary expansion in this head of mine!
2. The plot was well written and I really like how the author writes the King and Queen of Ever After’s relationship. It was sweet for as long as it lasted. How she descended into madness was literally valid 😔 one thing that I can take from this story is “be careful who you turned down in the past 💀”
3. I also like the fact that Alice is actually the Queen of Heart’s daughter and the Jester was the Cheshire Cat. It gives me a good twist of Alice in Wonderland plot entirely.
Haunting
Nadiah really knows how to write a book with tragic endings. This book’s story line was really interesting to me the first time she pitched it in her Tiktok. I can count this book as the 2nd place between 3 of her published novels. This is the ranking for me:
1. bane of widuri
2. nine of hearts
3. revenge in violent hues
What I like about this book:
1. There were so many words that I have never heard being used in this book and it was honestly refreshing. Could totally use some vocabulary expansion in this head of mine!
2. The plot was well written and I really like how the author writes the King and Queen of Ever After’s relationship. It was sweet for as long as it lasted. How she descended into madness was literally valid 😔 one thing that I can take from this story is “be careful who you turned down in the past 💀”
3. I also like the fact that Alice is actually the Queen of Heart’s daughter and the Jester was the Cheshire Cat. It gives me a good twist of Alice in Wonderland plot entirely.
December 1, 2025
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘙𝘶𝘯, 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘥.
I know some people might disagree, but for once, I’m actually glad this is a novella because I swear my heart would NOT survive 400 pages of this horror and gore.
For me, the story is perfect as it is, the fast pacing only amplified the thrill of everything that happened. Every page kept me on edge and I couldn't sit still, to the point I ended up picking up my pens to annotate because I literally couldn’t just stare at the words.
And I swear, Nadiah wrote such a beautiful romance only to shatter my heart right after. I was so conflicted, wondering if I was even allowed to be smitten by their tender moments in such a dire situation 😖❤️🩹 I kept hoping they’d at least survive, but it was just never meant to be 🥀
𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴.ᐟ
Just one piece of advice: brace yourself if you ever decide to pick up this book 🃏♥️
I know some people might disagree, but for once, I’m actually glad this is a novella because I swear my heart would NOT survive 400 pages of this horror and gore.
For me, the story is perfect as it is, the fast pacing only amplified the thrill of everything that happened. Every page kept me on edge and I couldn't sit still, to the point I ended up picking up my pens to annotate because I literally couldn’t just stare at the words.
And I swear, Nadiah wrote such a beautiful romance only to shatter my heart right after. I was so conflicted, wondering if I was even allowed to be smitten by their tender moments in such a dire situation 😖❤️🩹 I kept hoping they’d at least survive, but it was just never meant to be 🥀
𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴.ᐟ
Just one piece of advice: brace yourself if you ever decide to pick up this book 🃏♥️
October 31, 2025
my very first book of hers and my very first gothic gore book that i finished reading 🤧
such a good novella to bring me out of my slump after ma reading of xishi, fanli and fuchai hshshshs
yg penting i like the way she become heartless; reflecting to how that is the reality of someone so sweet and kind can be so vile and sickening as they has been numb with everything that has happened upon them 🫠🫠
again and again
such a good novella to bring me out of my slump after ma reading of xishi, fanli and fuchai hshshshs
yg penting i like the way she become heartless; reflecting to how that is the reality of someone so sweet and kind can be so vile and sickening as they has been numb with everything that has happened upon them 🫠🫠
again and again
December 7, 2025
i'm one of the people who have read this story on wattpad hehe
i'll probably for better words for the review once the night comes but for now:
JESTER IS A FKN INCEL OMFG ewww
and the line he said about the daughter is so predatory (i'm 70% sure it's what the author intended)
i need to read about his downfall right now
i'll probably for better words for the review once the night comes but for now:
JESTER IS A FKN INCEL OMFG ewww
and the line he said about the daughter is so predatory (i'm 70% sure it's what the author intended)
i need to read about his downfall right now
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2025
When author said this book is heavily inspired by Heartless (Marissa Meyer), I immediately knew I would love it. Finished the book in just a day and I love it!!! Would recommend to those who love fantasy and gore!
November 15, 2025
Short. Chaotic. Emotionally wrecked.
Novel please, I’m begging!
Novel please, I’m begging!
December 22, 2025
Tragic. Just tragic. Loved unconditionally by so many, the Queen of Hearts still loses the dear, pure King in the end, a devastating final blow that costs her everything and leaves her cold.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2025
the concept of calling your wife “my heart” when she’s going through traumatic events involving hearts
November 23, 2025
this is soooo sick and fucking twisted!!!! SICK AND TWISTED.
December 29, 2025
Omg COURT jester... GET IT... uhm anyway, the gore was so detailed that it made me shudder. The sense of dread of wondering who the next victim will be and if it's gonna be one of the beloved characters, needless to say, mulut terpaling masin UGHH.
Rose and Winston's love is literally so adorable and wholesome, chivalry is definitely not dead in this one. I love love, I'm sick of all these toxic relationships stories, more of wtv this is please !!!
I love the Bane of Widuri feature in one of the chapters, "flowers that were once people," and the Queen absorbing powers of beauty from a rose ??? Ok girlie, I see you. I love the ending where it suggests it's the prequel of Alice in Wonderland SO SUPER DUPER SMARTTT NADIAH THE WRITER YOU ARE.
I like to dedicate/associate songs to the books I read and this definitely earned Kingdom of Cards by Bad Omens (which is also one of Nadiah's favourite bands loll) the lyrics, the title, the vibes just fit so well !!!
Rose and Winston's love is literally so adorable and wholesome, chivalry is definitely not dead in this one. I love love, I'm sick of all these toxic relationships stories, more of wtv this is please !!!
I love the Bane of Widuri feature in one of the chapters, "flowers that were once people," and the Queen absorbing powers of beauty from a rose ??? Ok girlie, I see you. I love the ending where it suggests it's the prequel of Alice in Wonderland SO SUPER DUPER SMARTTT NADIAH THE WRITER YOU ARE.
I like to dedicate/associate songs to the books I read and this definitely earned Kingdom of Cards by Bad Omens (which is also one of Nadiah's favourite bands loll) the lyrics, the title, the vibes just fit so well !!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews