Craving Madness: Reclaiming Wonderland Book 1 Author R.K. Pierce
Book Review
5 out of 5 stars!
"A mystical, whimsical place that calls to my soul but also warns me away. Wonderland." - Alice
Alice has grown up and comes to terms with the fact that the place that calls to her most wasn't real. . . Still the sights and the beings she met within Wonderland felt so real! Alice wishes she could go back to that wonderful reality but that's too much to hope for. Until she gets a cry for help from the Mad Hatter!?
Alice stops at nothing to get back but quickly finds out that Hatter's been missing, and everyone has been in hiding! Trying to survive the dark magic that's making its way through Wonderland as hope begins to die out. Alice wasn't fully prepared for what she found within the "dream" she knew was never just a dream. But the weight everyone is placing on her shoulders is making her falter. How in the world can she help to save Wonderland?! And when did the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat become so attractive?
"It’s the riskiest game of hide and seek I’ve ever played, and it’s only just begun." - Alice
If you loved Netflix's series "Wednesday" you will really enjoy Alice! I could relate to her on so many levels right down to needing recharge days in-between social outings. Like me, she also allows the mail to pile high until she eventually cleans out the mailbox. Unless I order something or know a package is coming (book mail!) I will just ignore the boring envelopes. Alice keeps to herself and prefers being alone acting more like a cat than a human. I fell in love with her as I read the story!
Everyone in Alice's life has convinced her that sadly Wonderland was just a dream. But Alice feels like something just isn't adding up. It seemed too real to just be written off as fake. When Hatter appeared and gave her a message Alice was beyond excited that with proof that it was all real! I loved watching as Alice struggled with finding a way back into the mysterious realm. It wasn't simple but she wasn't backing down from this fight/challenge.
There were so many nods to the original works and movie adaptations of Alice and Wonderland. This is a dark, adult version all of us wanted and needed! We also get a why choose romance forming as Alice discovers she's not the only one who grew up. Or had the creatures of Wonderland always been this hot?! Regardless the animals she knew as a child are no longer animals. . .they are shifters that make it hard to concentrate.
I really appreciated watching Alice understand the new reality of Wonderland. She also has to quickly learn and adapt on the fly. I was happy to see semi training sequences as she learned to wield a weapon even if the teacher was an enemy trying to down her. This is a dark read and a lot of the characters have been through a lot already. Depression is heavy and hope is dying completely.
I didn't expect to grow so attached to all of the characters so quickly. But I did and even teared up with a couple of scenes in this short read. Language is prominent in the book along with violence and bloodshed. Little bit of gore but nothing really in-depth and drawn out. Depression, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness are present in the read.
Multiple POVs help to show how everyone really feels about each other and Alice isn't the only one blown away by new appearances. . . We have a slow burn romance and different burn rates amongst the MMCs of the newly forming why choose group. There's also so much tension but we do get spicy MF action scenes. The MMCs also have some fancy extras about them.
This was a fast paced read with a strong FMC who even if she didn't have it all figured out, she wasn't going to let that hold her back! The book ends with a cliffhanger and I NEED the next installment! I have so many theories and ideas about things that are taking place within the read.
Enjoy the FMC who could possibly be besties with Wednesday Addams! Don't forget to give the author some stars!
R.K. Pierce (Author of Monster's Bride) | Goodreads
R.K. Pierce (@author_rkpierce) | TikTok
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