Heartless
The bestselling epic fantasy fairytale retelling
-
-
4.5 • 57 Ratings
-
-
- £5.99
Publisher Description
Discover the origin story of the Queen of Hearts, Wonderland's most notorious villain, in the bestselling romantasy hit Heartless. From TikTok sensation Marissa Meyer, author of the Lunar Chronicles, this is an epic tale of magic, forbidden love and destiny.
Perfect for fans of Wicked.
Long before she was Lewis Carroll's tyrannical Queen of Hearts, Catherine Pinkerton was just a girl who wanted to bake sweet treats and fall in love.
Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.
Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.
Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans . . .
A magical and epic retelling of the origins of an iconic literary villain, Heartless is a must-read for all fans of romantasy and Alice in Wonderland.
Over 100,000 5* Reader Reviews!
'Magnificent'
'Can't stop thinking about it'
'It just has the right amount of romance that will leave you giggling and swooning'
'Full of wonder and delight'
'I adored this book, and I wish I could read it for the first time again'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Before she was the Queen of Hearts in Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, she was Catherine, the spirited daughter of royalty, destined to wed the King of Hearts but determined to set up shop as a baker with her best friend and longtime maid. In this whimsical standalone tale, readers follow Catherine's simultaneous courtships with the jovial king and his court joker, Jest, whose earnest boyishness makes him far more charming than his royal boss. Caught between her own desires and her mother's stop-at-nothing goal to make her daughter queen, Catherine must decide how much she will risk for a future with Jest. Meyer's Wonderland is a fun and more refined version of Carroll's, and readers will enjoy the obvious parallels. Jest and Catherine have a playfully clandestine relationship, but it's a slow build-up to the inevitable clash between what Catherine wants and what reality demands. Meyer's worldbuilding is extensive and impressive, and the persistent threat of a destructive Jabberwock lends tension, but the story lacks the high-stakes danger that fans of the Lunar Chronicles have come to expect. Ages 12 up.
Customer Reviews
Outstanding.
Beautifully executed themes in this book and one of the few pieces of literature that has actually brought tears to my eyes. I have never actually read an adaptation like this and I don’t think I ever will again- it would be unachievable. The romance was thrilling and the characters were incredibly well written. Please read this!
It’s amazing!
I love this book it’s definitely in my top 3 favourite books.I really liked Cathrine and jest’s characters.I cried a lot while reading and I really hope you make another version but this time jest stays alive.
Loved it!
I loved this twist on Lewis Carol's 'Alice in wonderland'.
I have to admit that I cried several times and that at some points I wanted to slap Catherine's parents...
But could you maybe write an alternate ending? One where Jest doesn't die?