Wonderland City

by Rhys Ford

When Xander Spade went through the Looking Glass, he wasn’t looking for salvation. He’d been running from the devil who took his soul, only to fall prey to the greatest monster in Wonderland City, the Queen of Hearts. Years later, the Queen is dead and Xander has a chance to go through the Looking Glass and back home where he belongs.

Xander’s devil wants him to find a little girl who escaped into Wonderland City, before her presence brings down an apocalypse of uncontrollable chaos to the already mad world. Along with Jean Michel, the former Knave of Hearts, Xander now is in a race against time to find the missing child before all Hell breaks loose and he loses his chance to go home.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Audiobook, Romance, Paranormal, LGBT, M M Fantasy

101 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 28, 2020

About the author

Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series and is a two-time LAMBDA finalist and a multiple Gold and Silver Medalist by the Florida Authors and Publishers President’s Book Awards. She is published by Dreamspinner Press, DSP Publications and Rogue Firebird Press.

She shares the house with Harley, a gray tuxedo with a flower on her face, Badger, a disgruntled former alley cat, and Gojira, a mercurial Tabico as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep of a 1979 Pontiac Firebird named Tengu and enjoys murdering make-believe people.

Reviews

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook review

Wonderland City is a derivative from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. I haven’t read the original story or watched the movie, and still I would say that Rhys Ford captured the all of the characters and the idea of Wonderland, but she also made them her own. It was beautifully and masterfully done, let me tell you.

Once upon a time, well years ago at any rate, Xander Spade sold his soul to the devil. Then again, the original anthology is named Devil Take Me so I guess that’s not really a surprise. Anyway, he ended up in Wonderland as Ace to the Queen, Ace of Spades so to speak. He wants nothing more than to live a quiet life, but when a mortal child comes through the looking glass it causes turmoil in Wonderland City. That’s only the beginning; the longer she stayed in Wonderland the greater the risk of destroying their world all together. Now Xander isn't the greatest fan of their world, but that doesn't mean he wants to see it crumble to the ground. So when Xander’s personal devil offers him his soul as a reward for finding and returning the girl to her world, it’s an offer he can’t refuse. And the subsequent adventure was a lot of fun, with an added dose of romance and a wonderful sidekick named Blue. I just wanted more.

Having read or watched any of the Alice in Wonderland tales might have helped out some with the characters and their backstory but it’s not necessary to enjoy the story as is. It was complex in all the right ways, it had a love interest that for a lack of a better word was a very interesting match, and it had a great adventure. What’s not to love?

Once again Greg Tremblay delivered a masterful performance. It’s been so long since I listened to one of his books, and I’ve really missed him, I might just have to go hunt down more of his book to get my fix- I love his voice and the way he portrays the different characters. He sure did pull me through the looking glass and into this mad world and I loved every second of it.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting take on the Wonderland fairytale. I enjoyed this spin a lot. This takes place after the affects of the death of the Queen of Hearts. I liked this idea of the Knave becoming his own man and running a gambling den and the Ace of Spades having been corrupted by the queen and only being free after her death. These two circle around each other, but Xander, having once been fully human and coming to Wonderland through the Looking Glass is very aware of how much his life has changed and what he's suffered in coming to Wonderland. Sure he's made a position for himself tracking bounties, but he wants to find a way home and doesn't trust what's between him and Jean Michel. A new child coming through to Wonderland though causes chaos to ensue again and has Xander and Jean Michel trying to stop Wonderland City from unravelling.

This was dark and twisty and I wanted more. I do kind of hope this is just a teaser to a greater series playing in this new version of Wonderland. I feel like I only got a taste of who Xander and Jean Michel are and what they could mean to each other.

[Kassu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-⭐

Promising twist of Alice in Wonderland is almost ruined by the overly long action scene which hogs most of the pages of this novella. Disappointment, but I'm pushing it towards 3 stars for the potential. Less fighting and a bit more about the relationship and why on earth it never worked out before these events, and this could have been special.

Read this as a part of Devil Take Me anthology.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I enjoyed this well enough, but with my usual base dislike for retellings, even very inventive ones like this. It's very much this author's style. If you want something I think is better, try the Kai Gracen series instead.

[Janeylou · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Pepón · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[PaperMoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through a dark looking glass I went with Mx Ford .... and what a ride it was! In this other world made up of dreams and lost hopes and unreality we find stranded humans amidst magical beings, sentient creatures and monsters. This revisionist novella (wish it was longer) features an ex-henchman and a renegade member of royalty as the main pairing. Even though there's no M-M action, the drawing together of the MCs happened organically through a common goal/mission - the retrieval of a human child (girl) before she wreaks havoc and destruction upon their world.

Starting from the very first pages, the violence (and gore) ramps up steadily toward an explosive confrontation/battle with a demented power-figure ... this is in no way a calming escape into 'wonderland'. Various 'overblown' versions of the 'Alice in Wonderland' characters make cameo-type appearances (no Cheshire Cat dammit!) - some of whom were downright nasty and others intriguingly amusing. And like the well-known ending to Lewis Carroll's famous tale, our MCs discover there's much power that comes from challenging a 'reality' with simple truth-telling; the child-like refusal to buy into a given set of circumstance. A great 4 star read that ended all too quickly.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Back before I met the Devil and bled my soul out into his hands, I’d have thought chasing a cigar-munching white bunny with pink eyes was something I’d only run into after I chewed on a few peyote buttons.
Now it was a typical Tuesday.”

Only Rhys Ford can take a classic like Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and script a novella that is so different from the original and yet so very much the same that I was practically speechless reading it. In this world, Wonderland City grew out of the end of the Queen of Hearts’s kingdom when she was executed and the other queens divided up what was left. Here when you come through the looking glass it’s because the devil has your soul. Xander Spade has been here a long time but aging happens at a glacial pace here, so he basically still looks like the dumb kid who was stupid enough to make the deal that changed his very existence.

Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews

[Natalie Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhys Ford has given us a delightful treat right from the Ace of Spades! Mr. Xander Spade's overdose led him to make a deal with the devil in order to save his life. And he found himself working as an assassin for the wicked Queen of Hearts in Wonderland City -- but things have changed since her death... Now comes another 'hare'-raising challenge for him! A young girl has accidentally gained entry into Wonderland City and brings with her the possibility of making it even more chaotic. And there's a power play in Wonderland City that has largely gone unremarked. For the opportunity to regain his soul and return home, Xander accepts the task of returning her. But the Ace of Spade has a man that insists he cares for him. One must read the exciting story to find if it's true. This was the best Wonderland tale I've yet to encounter! Very well done, Rhys Ford!

[Carminex3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good.
I enjoyed the world building and what was going on. Maybe i do have a penchance for Alice in the wonderland stories. Ah the red queen.

As with ford, i always think her descriptions or actions are too long and kind of confusing. Kinda like the what now? But overall its good.

[Kortland Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was searching for an Alice in wonderland twist, this scratched that itch in typical Rhys style. Death, mayhem and a draw you in story. Greg Trembley did a great job bringing this to life in it's audio version. Definitely worth the read or listen

[DeeNeez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wicked! A dark, violent, twisted version world of Alice in Wonderland. I loved it! The creative world building of what happens after the death of the Queen of Hearts. This would make a great premise for a new series. I want to know what happens next with Xander and Jean Michel!

[Marsilisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of the Devil Take Me anthology.
It was pleasure every time!

[Bookivore · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 and a half stars

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

story--3.5 stars
narration--4.5 stars

[Tena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting characters and lots of action. It was short but not missing anything vital to the storyline like can happen with short stories or novellas. Didn't want to stop reading.

[Heidi Dover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interestng concept, fun and different take on the classic. A little short, wanted more background and more detail, future insights, but enjoyed.

[CB]

New, not read yet - saving for retirement

[Chloe (ChloeInBooksland)]

2,75/5
Curiouser and curiouser.
It was weird, crazy and confusing—but I shouldn’t have expected less from a Alice in Wonderland retelling/reimagining.
What I liked best was the beginning and the epilogue. The main part of the story focused on the battle at the Red Queen’s Castle and I didn’t really care for it. And it’s a shame because I thought the book had interesting ideas. Maybe extending the beginning and the end of the story would have made it better. Or spending less time focusing on the battle and more on the main character and the resolution of the story.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhys Ford’s urban fantasy books are her strongest books BY FAR. And this book does not let you down. The world is vivid, gritty, and full of people that just jump off the page at you because Ford is just an incredibly talented writer. I hope she goes on to write a sequel in this world, because it is brilliant. Take my money.