There’s something about the upside-down, topsy-turvy world of Wonderland that continues to draw people to Alice in Wonderland and all its many retellings. Whether it’s iconic characters like the Cheshire Cat or the Queen of Hearts, or the utter ridiculousness of the various plot points, Wonderland is always a fun place to visit.
It was that lure of being able to lean into all of Wonderland’s weirdness that made me do my own retelling. As is often the case, the title came to me first and soon thereafter the story of Alice. This time she was pushed down the rabbit hole by a snarky cat with an agenda, and the Jabberwock was a dragon.
But there are so many things you can do with Alice’s story, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite Wonderland retellings. Full disclosure – I’m including mine in this roundup. I’ve rated each of these for heat, violence, and language so you know exactly what you’re getting. (You can find my rating system HERE). Hopefully, you’ll find a new favorite.
Jabberwock’s Curse by R.V. Bowman
Heat: 2 Violence: 2 Language: 0
Ten years after being lifted from the slums and adopted into London’s aristocracy, Alice still struggles to prove herself worthy of the Cavendish name—until a snarky cat on a mission hijacks her plans and sends her tumbling into Wonderland, where she’s tasked with freeing the fire-breathing Jabberwock in exchange for her ticket home. But in a land where nothing is as it seems, one good deed doesn’t guarantee another, and when Alice’s path leads her to the palace, she uncovers the dark secret hidden behind the beautiful Red Queen’s tragic past. Can Alice restore the crown to its rightful heir without losing her head—or her heart? Jabberwock’s Curse is the first book in the Looking Glass Chronicles, a no-spice YA fantasy retelling of Alice in Wonderland. (Yes, this one is mine).
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Heat: 2 Violence: 2 Language: 1
Long before she became the terror of Wonderland, Catherine was just a girl who dreamed of opening a bakery with her best friend—even as the unmarried King of Hearts sets his sights on making her his queen. But when Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker, she feels true attraction for the first time and enters a secret, forbidden courtship, determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. In a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, however, fate has other plans for the girl who would become the Queen of Hearts.
Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella
Heat: 1 Violence: 2 Language: 0
All Alice Liddell wants is to escape her Normal life in Oxford and find the parents who abandoned her, but everything changes when her sister is arrested for carrying the infamous Wonder Gene, the key to unlocking the Wonderland Reality. Soon Alice receives a cryptic invitation to play for Team Heart in the annual, often deadly, Wonderland Trials, giving her less than twenty-four hours to find her way into a world where nothing is what it seems. But when she discovers that players go missing during the Trials each year, Alice must solve the clues and survive the betrayals before she’s left alone in a topsy-turvy world where players become prey and a sip of the wrong tea might as well be poison.
The Game of Hearts by Courtney Millecam
Heat: 2 Violence: 2 Language: 0
When Alice Liddell flees her engagement party and ruins her reputation, a mysterious stranger offers her a way out: the queen’s deadly Game of Hearts, where mortals compete in Faerie to win their heart’s desire or lose their freedom. Teaming up with the irreverent cat-shifter Ches, Alice must solve obscure riddles and survive an enchanted hedge maze while contending with Maddox, the queen’s ruthless champion whose motives may not be his own. As she ventures deeper into a world of cunning fae and vengeful queens, Alice realizes that winning may mean betraying the people she loves most. This 1920s Alice in Wonderland reimagining is the second book in the Otherworlds Trilogy, perfect for fans of dark fairytale retellings with atmospheric settings and swoony, slow-burn romance.
Madness in Wonderland by Tabitha Bouldin
Heat: 1 Violence: 2 Language: 0
In a Wonderland ruled by the tyrannical Red Queen, children are conscripted into her army and only the strongest endure. Alice, a pirate who’s always dreamed of flying an airship, teams up with Hatter on a daring plan to infiltrate the queen’s palace and free his sister. But their fate hinges on Dr. Frank N. Stein’s prototype soldier—part man, part machine—a monster Alice believes could be the realm’s only hope, if she can help him find the heart beneath the hate.
Riddle of Hearts by Rosie Grymm
Heat: 1 Violence: 1 Language: 0
As royal scribe for the Queen of Hearts, Alice Bishop is tasked with recording the court’s proceedings and asking no questions—until a creeping Madness overtakes the court and unsettling dreams of white roses and a familiar clearing begin bleeding into her waking life. After uncovering the Queen’s terrible secret, Alice embarks on a perilous quest through the Madness-corrupted forests alongside a strangely familiar man, a heartless little boy, and her own insatiable curiosity. But as each step unearths more of her hidden past, her search for answers becomes the discovery of a long-forgotten question—one only she can answer before Wonderland is lost forever.
I’d love to hear if you’ve read any of these, or if you have a different favorite Alice in Wonderland retelling. Let me know in the comments so we can add to the list.
Want even more options? Grab my free 100+ Spice-Free Reading List. It covers everything from dragon books to fae fantasy to heist stories, all rated for heat, violence, and language just like this list. Click the link: rvbowman.com/readinglist, and I’ll send it straight to your inbox.
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