Alice awakens in a locked psychiatric ward with a jagged scar and no memory of the night her sanity shattered. After an explosion grants her freedom, she traverses the Old City, a grim metropolis ruled by warring criminal bosses. She is accompanied by Hatcher, an axe-wielding murderer from the neighboring cell. Together, they hunt the Jabberwock, a predatory magician who kidnaps young women. This dark reimagining strips away the whimsy of the original tale, replacing it with a landscape of human trafficking, blood magic, and gritty urban decay as Alice seeks her missing childhood and vengeance against her captors.
Readers of dark fantasy and horror who prefer visceral, visceral reimaginings of folklore will appreciate this bleak atmosphere. It appeals to those interested in psychological trauma and the reclamation of agency in a violent world. The audience sees a protagonist confront physical and mental scars while navigating a society where magic is a tool for exploitation. One finishes the book with a stark perspective on the cost of survival and the reality of overcoming systemic abuse through calculated, unflinching resistance.
Escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Escapist Adventurer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2015
- Language
- EN
