Madness Solver in Wonderland by E.E. Rawls: Book Review
My friend and fellow Silmaril Awards host, E.E. Rawls has released not one, but TWO new books!
You may remember seeing these around the interwebs a month ago when we got to share the gorgeous new covers. Well, the books themselves are here, and they are just so much fun!
Rawls is back with her characteristic whimsical style, this time taking us from Earth into Wonderland (and back and forth between the two) on an exciting romp with Madnes Hatter and his friends.
I was going to just give you a review of the first book, but upon reaching the end, I realized that these two volumes are really more like a single book, so I am going to give you my thoughts on both of them. Two reviews for the price of one!
First of all, a quick blurb so you know what the books are about:
Teenage Madnes Hatter wants more to life than what his island hometown has to offer—and he definitely doesn’t want a boring future in hat-making, like his parents. But he sure doesn’t expect a well-dressed cat named Cheshire to suddenly pop into his life and make everything worse—giving him the power of the Madness Solver and making him the guardian and peacekeeper between Wonderland and Earth.
What the heck? When he said he wanted more to life, this wasn’t what he meant! Now, he’s the only one who can see Wonderland creatures as they walk the streets, and when there’s trouble, it’s his job to solve it. His friends, Alice and Harrey, think he’s going crazy.
But when a problem arises with the portals linking Wonderland to Earth, an old mystery is brought to light—the case of the death of the previous Madness Solver. Will Madnes meet the same fate, with the guardian power sapping away at his life? Wonderland’s ruler, the Red King, has cast a dangerous spell, and an ancient evil is rising. Madnes may not have long to save his friends and both worlds before it's too late...
Things I loved about Madness Solver in Wonderland:
The Characters
Madnes Hatter - It would be nearly impossible not to love Madnes himself. While I was expecting (from my limited interactions with Wonderland) a rather strange, eccentric, and extremely quirky (if not downright insane) character, Madnes is actually none of these things. He is instead unswervingly loyal and steadfast and a true friend. He is courageous. He is decisive. And although he often doubts himself and isn’t extremely thrilled about his new job as the Madness Solver, he never hesitates to do what needs to be done and doesn’t stand around wasting time. I loved watching Madnes grow up throughout this story and really become who he was meant to be.
Alice - One of Madnes’ best friends, Alice definitely intrigued me from moment one. I was guessing early on that she knew more than she was saying, since she kept making cryptic comments and then passing them off with a smile and a little skip as if she was just that sort of person who makes more-than-insightful observations… but I had a feeling she was more than she seemed. She is a gentle soul, and one of the main places where Madnes can get actual encouragement early on in the story when he is still reeling from all the things that have suddenly become a part of his everyday existence.
Cosmic - Madnes’ uncle is just about the coolest character in the story. A bounty hunter with a heart of gold, this guy is every cool uncle combined into one… but there’s no hint of bad influence about this guy. He is there to help Madnes learn how to use his power in ways that won’t burn up his life-force, and he is there to protect Madnes in any way he can.
Oz - Madnes’ cousin and childhood friend (though I wasn’t sure at the end exactly how they were actually related…) I can’t say too much about Oz because all the spoilers but he is one of those characters that you kind of start out hating, but you are also drawn to them and hope they make better decisions at some point. He’s the quintessential moody, misunderstood bad boy character and while I don’t fall for them every time, when they’re well-done, I enjoy that type.
Cheshire - The talking cat who is of course a Wonderland staple. It is his job to help Madnes learn the ropes of his newfound power and job. This is not THE Cheshire, it’s more of a title handed down, you see. He may seem a little stuffy and particular, but he’s good at what he does and he truly does care about Madnes and Wonderland and Earth and keeping everything balanced.
Found Family Trope - There are also some orphans who show up and get sort of adopted into the group. At times
The Setting
Both Wonderland and Earth have very steampunk vibes in this story, and that was really fun to see. For example, Madnes’ best friend Harrey is an inventor of strange and interesting contraptions (that do not always work). From a spying mechanical frog to a bike/hang-glider, Harrey is the guy you want to have around if you need something mechanical…. but only if you don’t need said mechanical contraption to actually work too badly! Wonderland itself has airships and various other steampunk features as well, but it also contains magic and wizards and portals and dragon-knights. That is, knights that can take on dragon form… which is just cool. But then, the setting also felt very regular fantasy at times, with an underwater kingdom, a misty, murky, dangerous forest that will try to entrap you and make you part of itself if you stay longer than 24 hours, and a king trying to cast a spell to combine Earth and Wonderland and expand his kingdom and his reign.
The Plot
This is one of those stories where you kind of never know what’s going to happen next. While these two books are very much a single story (book one ends on a definite cliff-hanger… but the author released both books simultaneously, so you don’t have to wait or wonder what’s going to happen next), the two books contain very different kinds of plot. Book one is very much the coming-of-age sort of story. Book two is where all the action is, but is arranged almost in a series of vignettes as the group breaks up (SPLIT THE PARTY!) and comes back together and then goes off in small groups again trying to find and destroy all seven crystals. Each of these smaller stories introduces us to more of Wonderland, and some new characters, and deepens the overarching plot. At times the plot of book 2 felt a little more meandering, like a set of short stories stitched together, but it was enjoyable and the last few chapters definitely bring everything back together for the epic conclusion!
Things I didn’t love:
I probably would have preferred that this be all one book, honestly. The interruption in the middle pulled me straight out of the story and I found that it was a little difficult to get back into the wonder of it all when I had to track down book 2.
I feel horrible saying this, but I never really got to love Harrey, Madnes’ best friend and “sidekick.” His inventions were entertaining, and the fact that they didn’t always work well was amusing, but I never felt like his character really got fleshed out. This could be because he ended up with the other more secondary characters in book 2, so we don’t get to see him interacting with Madnes and Alice, but I just never felt like I got to know him well.
Overall
I enjoyed this story and give it a solid 4 dragon eggs. The story was an engaging read, full of Rawl’s characteristic style and her absolutely adorable characters and her fabulous world-building. This is a fantastic romp of a middle grade tale with danger, excitement, mystery, magic, dragons, and threads of a beautiful Christian message running throughout. I highly recommend for anyone who absolutely adores everything Wonderland related!
But even if you’re someone like me, who has never really understood the attraction of Alice in Wonderland (I mean, I’ve read it, I’ve seen the movies, I even read the sequel… but I never fell in love with it… sorry!) this story is super fun and will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what’s going to happen next. On the whole, this is the most fun I’ve ever had exploring Wonderland.
Purchase Links:
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | GOODREADS | BOOK DEPOSITORY
Author Bio:
The product of a traveling family, who even lived in Italy for 6 years, Rawls loves to explore the unknown, whether it be in a forest, inside a forgotten castle, or within the pages of a book. She runs on coffee, cuddly cats and the beauty of nature to keep the story wheels of her mind turning as she crafts tales that will both entertain and inspire, creating worlds one can explore and quickly become lost within. Beware, you might not find your way back out again.
Visit her online at:
Let’s chat!
Have you read or watched any of the Wonderland sagas? What do you think of Wonderland? Do you enjoy steampunk settings? Does this story sound like it might be up your alley? I’d love to hear all your thoughts!