Through the Wardrobe: Book 1

by Kate Bexell

Perfect for fans of Outlander and The Cruel Prince, Through the Wardrobe follows twenty-six-year-old Violet Montgomery as she navigates a fantastical world of danger, fairytales, and a destiny she isn't sure she wants.

Violet Montgomery spent years of her childhood in the fairytale world of Avalon saving princesses, breaking curses, and escaping danger with the most perfect boy in the world: Robin Hood. And she’s spent the past twelve years secretly regretting returning to London. When she finds another door to Avalon, the only reasonable thing to do is to go back through it to the perfect, fairytale world she left behind.

Then again, Violet isn’t particularly well known for making rational, well-thought-out decisions.

This time, Violet tumbles out of a wardrobe and into an Avalon on the verge of war. Centuries have passed, and Robin is long dead. The only familiar face is Captain Hook. Who immediately offers to kill her. Again.

When the wardrobe that could return her to the safety of London is destroyed, Violet begins a dangerous quest to find another path home. Along the way, she’s given a cryptic prophecy about her shadowy Destiny, becomes embroiled in dangerous political scheming, and is charmed by Charles Beauchene, a handsome half-faerie with a heart-stopping smile and less-than-stellar reputation. If she isn’t careful, Violet just might find herself charmed enough to consider whether she might have a Destiny in this new Avalon after all.

415 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 7, 2026

About the author

Kate lives in the US with her husband, two children, and a mind palace full of fictional characters. When she's not writing, Kate is usually planning her next trip, struggling to keep her garden alive, or making yet another cup of tea.

Reviews

[BrekkfastAtTiffanys]

Where are all my fantasy book babes because this one is for you!

This book has cozy, whimsical, steamy, magical! I would say it's mostly fantasy forward with a sprinkle of steamy bits!

So the FMC lives what I imagine is current day life, but ends up through yeah you guessed it... a wardrobe into a fantasy world full of lots of well known fairytale characters. But these aren't the Disney movie characters you remember lol. They are a little rough around the edges with a little bit of a Bridgerton/regency kind of vibe.

Somehow @kate_bexell pulls it all off though while pulling you into this story! It was such a fun, refreshing read that I can see as being a nice comfort read for people. It had familiarity to it while also being a new, different story that is definitely not your typical fairytale retelling! This is the 1st book of a series and does end on a bit of a cliffhanger!

So if this feels like your vibe, definitely add Through The Wardrobe to your TBR!

PS. Totally rooting for the villain in this one!

[Cassie Dingess]

Let’s GO!

Kate Bexell really got it done with this one and I can’t wait for the next book! It checked all my boxes! I loved feeling the nostalgia of characters from my youth from a more grown up perspective. I will definitely be on the look out for what’s in store….

[Mindy Stoddard]

FINALLY an amazing and refreshing female lead!!!! Love love love Violet and her inner monologue! Violet is is witty and so easy to connect with! I definitely cannot wait for the sequel, the cliff hanger ruined me for other books. Ugh! Hurry up!!!! I need more Hook in my life 😍

[Karen Nickle]

This book was so fun! The twists of the fairytales we all know were unexpected and tied together well. I love the little bits of prophecy that we see- they drive the story and are placed well to make sense and keep the story going. I look forward to the next book! Thank you so much, Kate, for reaching out to me and sending me your book!
World- This was so fun! Outlander x Once Upon a Time- an amalgomation of several fairytales. I loved the twists she gave to the stories we hve been told.
Magic- There is minimal magic on the page aside from the magical beings (talking animals, one shifter, and a few fairies). But I didn’t miss it! The world felt magical enough.
Characters- I really enjoyed Vi, and Charles is a new favorite- he is up there with Carrion Swift. Alistair is sweet and so honorable. I wish we had more with a certain pirate....hopefully more next book!
Romance- I really enjoyed the dream sequences and revisiting Violet and Robin’s relationship in comparison to her and Charles. There were few spicy scenes but I don’t feel like the book needed them to drive the romance.
Story- I loved the story- a mix between Outlander and several fairy tales reimagined, with a new goal and characters. There are so many easter eggs for the future books- I want to know where all of the threads lead (IYKYK)!

[Priscilla]

I absolutely loved this book! This fairytale retelling mashup was everything I didn’t know I needed!! It was full of adventure, emotion, familiar characters, and a darker side to the stories we grew up loving. Violet was such a refreshing FMC. Her wit and inner monologue made her incredibly easy to connect with.

The characters were so well written that I wanted to jump through the pages and join them, especially if Captain Hook was involved! Just when I thought I couldn’t get any more invested, that cliffhanger completely ruined me. I need the sequel immediately because I’m nowhere near ready to leave this world behind!

[Susanne Garcia]

I absolutely loved this book and Violet! This ends on a cliffhanger so I am so excited for the next book.

[Mindy Stoddard]

FINALLY an amazing and refreshing female lead!!!! Love love love Violet and her inner monologue! She is so witty and easy to relate to! I definitely cannot wait for the sequel, the cliff hanger ruined me for other books. Ugh! Hurry up!!!! I need more Hook in my life 😍

[Kristine]

I'm going to start this review by saying, "I loved this book!", and that this might end up as my favorite read of the year.

The author has delivered an engaging, consuming, and enjoyable fairytale mashup that I didn't really know I was missing until I opened this book.

The FMC, Violet, and her twin brother, Lachlan, stumbled into another realm-Avalon-as teenagers and, thanks to some fun time mechanics, were able to stay there four years without causing a stir back home. During this time, they make friends with Robin Hood and the Merry Men, and go on amazing adventures involving our favorite fairytale characters (i.e., Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Capt. Hook, and more). But we learn not every fairytale is a lovely one.

When Violet and Lachlan return home, they believe it will be just a short visit. It isn't. They end up spending years trying to find a new way back to Avalon. Eventually, Violet succeeds, and that's when this story hits the gas and thrusts you back against the seat, taking you on the best kind of wild ride.

There are emotional depths to this story that I believe we're just starting to scratch the surface of in book 1, and I am so looking forward to really getting into it in the next books.

The characters are all amazingly well written, and I wanted to enter each chapter so I could join in the adventure alongside them.

Honestly, I can't heap enough praise on this book. Please read it!!

[Carly Leotti]

With this novel, Kate Bexell was able to provide a feeling of coming home to a place you thought you had lost and introducing to a world and characters you don't want to ever leave behind. Violet, the strong, witty, independent, and yet slightly chaotic female lead, spoke to a vision of ourselves that a lot of us shared as young girls. When she leaves her modern problems behind and literally falls into magical fairy tale ones, it reminded me of the thrill of daydreaming of new worlds I could visit when I was younger. As Violet navigates this fairy tale world, she meets an array of characters, many familiar, but now seen through adult eyes (hellloooo Captain Hook). The characters have depth and warmth and Kate writes them in such a way that you feel like they are your friends too. There's found family, forced proximity, prophecies, an engagement of convenience, and even baby dragons! None of the romance or couplings felt forced or contrived, and all the characters felt like they had agency in their stories throughout. The spice level was just right for me and felt exhilarating without being overdone. I can't wait to return to Avalon with Kate's next book!

[Jen]

Do you love a story with a strong FMC in a romantasy setting? Are you interested in a fantasy retelling with Peter Pan, The Big Bad Wolf, Captain Hook and others? Or perhaps a new book boyfriend who always shows up with faerie wine? Here's the book for you.

Follow Violet as she falls Through the Wardrobe into the fairy tale world of Avalon! Her inner monologue had me laughing throughout the story and I can't wait for the next book!