Catherine is destined to become the Queen of Hearts, but she is far more interested in baking tarts than chopping off heads. With plans to open a bakery, the prospect of marriage, especially to the King of Hearts, is the last thing on her mind. That is, until she meets the dazzling court jester, and she finds herself accepting offers to mad tea parties and dreaming of a world far away from the court. But with a Jabberwocky tormenting the kingdom and her parents urging her to accept the King’s hand, Cath is unable to escape fate.

As a backstory for the Queen of Hearts, the kind-hearted baker that Cath begins as is not the most original idea. Heartless isn’t about to undermine any of our preconceived ideas about the character. However, Cath’s transformation into the infamous queen is flawless and even though there are no illusions about how Cath’s story will end, the slow unveil of the madness and tyranny within Cath is enchanting to read.

Wonderland allusions abound in Heartless. Filled with mad tea parties, lobster quadrilles and disappearing cats, the story captures the enchanting absurdity of Alice in Wonderland. Yet all this absurdity is grounded in meticulous description that makes flamingo croquet games seem like they could really happen. Meyer is a talented storyteller, and she gives a dark and original twist to Carrol’s masterpiece. This book is simply mad. But all the best stories are.

Reviewed by Emma Stubley