I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Curiouser and Curiouser (Steampunk Fairy Tales) by Melanie Karsak Narrator: Lesley Parkin
Published by Clockpunk Press on 09-13-17
Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins
Genres: Fairy Tales & Folklore, Steampunk
Format: Audiobook
Source: Provided for review through Audiobook Blast/Boom
Goodreads
To save the Hatter, Alice must work with the one man she despises so much that she might still love him.
* * *
Alice thought she’d turned over a new leaf. No more working for Jabberwocky. No more making deals with the ruthless Queen of Hearts. No more hanging around The Mushroom with tinkers, tarts, scoundrels, and thieves in London's criminal underbelly. But she’d been bonkers to dream.
Hatter’s reckless behavior leads Alice back to the one person she never wanted to see again, Caterpillar. Pulled into Caterpillar's mad schemes, Alice must steal a very big diamond from a very royal lady. The heist is no problem for this Bandersnatch. But protecting her heart from the man she once loved? Impossible.
Julie’s Review:
Retellings are typically hit or miss for me and Curiouser and Curiouser was a hit. It was short, so it didn’t get overwhelming with the crazy worldbuilding that it certainly could have been, as a steampunk retelling of Alice in Wonderland. But, it was just enough to enjoy the characters and enjoy the spin on the story.
The story takes place in basically Victorian London, in a steampunk fashion. There were airships (and an airship pirate!) as well as creepy clockwork soldiers, and even the Cheshire cat was clockwork! But, like I said, it wasn’t overly steampunked up and the story didn’t get caught up in details and descriptions. Instead, the story was funky characters with Alice in Wonderland nicknames and personalities, but basically regular humans. Though we do have some black magic worked in, the world itself wasn’t the fantastical Wonderland.
I really liked the audio narration. Typically I struggle with accents but this one was just right to keep it engaging and keep my attention. I enjoyed the voices, especially the sweet little voice given to Alice’s sister.
Most of all, I enjoyed Alice being a strong, determined woman to protect those she cares about and using her wit to get into and out of trouble.
I really enjoyed Karsak’s first series, and this reminds me that I still need to finish it. I think I’d love this—I typically really enjoy audio narrators with accents. 🙂
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