Off with Their Heads

By: Zoe Hana Mikuta

Narrated by: Suzie Yeung

Fans of Chloe Gong and Judy I. Lin will devour this Korean-inspired Alice in Wonderland retelling about two very wicked girls, forever bonded by blood and betrayal . . .

In a world where Saints are monsters and Wonderland is the dark forest where they lurk, it’s been five years since young witches and lovers Caro Rabbit and Iccadora Alice Sickle were both sentenced to that forest for a crime they didn’t commit—and four years since they shattered one another’s hearts, each willing to sacrifice the other for a chance at freedom.

Now, Caro is a successful royal Saint-harvester, living the high life in the glittering capital and pretending not to know of the twisted monster experiments that her beloved Red Queen hides deep in the bowels of the palace.

But for Icca, the memory of Caro’s betrayal has hardened her from timid girl to ruthless hunter. A hunter who will stop at nothing to exact her vengeance: On Caro. On the queen. On the throne itself. But there’s a secret about the Saints the Queen’s been guarding, and a volatile magic at play even more dangerous to Icca and Caro than they are to each other…

Lush, terrifying, and uncanny, Zoe Hana Mikuta—author of Gearbreakers and Godslayers—takes a delicate knife straight through the heart of this beloved surrealist fairytale.

©2024 Zoe Hana Mikuta (P)2024 Disney Hyperion

Off with their heads

To be quite honest I have no idea what I listened to. I loved the idea and concept of a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, and that there was a queer twist to it. There was just so much going on, nothing made sense and I hope that was due to us needing to know something we didn't know yet. But then the book was done and I felt I had more questions than answers. I didn't hate the listen but I don't know if I quite understood the half of it either. I still gave it a four rating because this whole reimagining of the story was so thought-out and so otherworldly I have to give the author props.

Lovely Self-Indulgent Nonsense

The narration was engaging and emotional despite the fact that this book was way too long and way too confusing.
I first tried just reading the text and had to give up. Only having this narrator read to me got me to the end.
I'm disappointed after enjoying Zoe's Gear Breakers and God Slayers so much. I'm also a big fan of the source material, AIW and ATTL, and this worked against me since the story had nothing to do with Alice in wonderland and only used elements as set dressing.
Sadly I couldn't connect at all with any of the characters and felt only apathy for all the harrowing adventures they went through. This book is so overwrought that by the end I didn't care at all about the Red Queen mystery or resolution. I was only relieved to have it done and proud of myself for not DNFing. Maybe if there had been a lot more editing down and clarity of world and characters it would have been better.