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Quick answer: If you liked Marissa Meyer's Heartless, try Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking-Glass, Wicked, Splintered, Alice, Cinder and Once Upon a Broken Heart. They reimagine classic tales with darkness, romance and surprising villains.
Heartless (2016) tells the story of Catherine, a young baker in Wonderland who wants to open a shop and meets a mysterious court jester, long before she becomes the Queen of Hearts. It is a villain-origin story with sweetness and tragedy. (The title is a common one; this list follows Meyer's novel.) Readers who finish it want more fairy-tale retellings with a dark edge. These 15 books fit.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Lewis Carroll | All ages | readers who want the source |
| Through the Looking-Glass | Lewis Carroll | All ages | readers who finished the first |
| Wicked | Gregory Maguire | Adult | readers who want the villain's side |
| Splintered | A.G. Howard | 14+ | readers who like dark retellings |
| Alice | Christina Henry | Adult | older readers |
| Cinder | Marissa Meyer | 13+ | more Marissa Meyer |
| Scarlet | Marissa Meyer | 13+ | series readers |
| Renegades | Marissa Meyer | 13+ | readers who like superheroes |
| A Curse So Dark and Lonely | Brigid Kemmerer | 14+ | fairy-tale romance fans |
| The Cruel Prince | Holly Black | 14+ | readers who like faerie courts |
| Caraval | Stephanie Garber | 13+ | readers who like atmosphere |
| Once Upon a Broken Heart | Stephanie Garber | 14+ | fairy-tale romance fans |
| Serpent & Dove | Shelby Mahurin | 14+ | enemies-to-lovers fans |
| Beauty | Robin McKinley | 12+ | readers who like classic retellings |
| Ella Enchanted | Gail Carson Levine | 9-13 | younger readers |
1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Alice falls down a rabbit hole into a world of odd characters. The original that inspired everything.
Best for: readers who want the source.
2. Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
Alice steps through a mirror into a chess-themed land. The second Alice book, full of puns and poems.
Best for: readers who finished the first.
3. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
The story of the Wicked Witch of the West, told from her point of view. The model for villain-origin stories.
Best for: readers who want the villain's side.
4. Splintered by A.G. Howard
Alyssa learns she is descended from Alice and must travel to a dark Wonderland. Gothic and fast.
Best for: readers who like dark retellings.
5. Alice by Christina Henry
Alice escapes an asylum into a gritty city, hunted by monsters. A very dark retelling.
Best for: older readers.
6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cinder, a cyborg mechanic, is drawn into a royal plot in a futuristic Cinderella story. The first of The Lunar Chronicles.
Best for: more Marissa Meyer.
7. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
A Red Riding Hood retelling set in the same world as Cinder. Fast and clever.
Best for: series readers.
8. Renegades by Marissa Meyer
Nova, a girl with powers, joins the heroes to take them down from the inside. A superhero story with twists.
Best for: readers who like superheroes.
9. A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Harper is pulled into a cursed kingdom to break a prince's curse. A Beauty and the Beast retelling.
Best for: fairy-tale romance fans.
10. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Jude, a human girl in Faerie, wants to belong. Intrigue and enemies-to-lovers romance.
Best for: readers who like faerie courts.
11. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Scarlett and Tella enter a magical performance where the game is real. Lush, dreamy and twisty.
Best for: readers who like atmosphere.
12. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Evangeline makes a bargain with the Prince of Hearts. Fairy-tale romance with dark edges.
Best for: fairy-tale romance fans.
13. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Lou, a witch, and Reid, a witch hunter, marry. Funny, steamy and fast.
Best for: enemies-to-lovers fans.
14. Beauty by Robin McKinley
A gentle Beauty and the Beast retelling. Quiet and lovely.
Best for: readers who like classic retellings.
15. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Ella is cursed to obey any order and sets out to break it. A funny Cinderella retelling for younger readers.
Best for: younger readers.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Heartless: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For Wonderland itself, start with Carroll. For villain-origin stories, read Wicked. For dark Alice retellings, try Splintered or Alice. For more Meyer, read Cinder. For fairy-tale romance, choose Once Upon a Broken Heart or A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Several of these are darker than their source, so check the age range. A fun reading order is Carroll's original, then Heartless, then a darker take like Splintered. If you prefer fairy-tale romance, move to Once Upon a Broken Heart. Audiobooks make the whimsical language shine.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Heartless a retelling of Alice in Wonderland?
It is a prequel-style retelling that imagines how the Queen of Hearts became who she is.
Does it end happily?
No. It is a tragedy, since it explains how Catherine becomes the villain.
What is Marissa Meyer's best-known series?
The Lunar Chronicles, which begins with Cinder.
Is Heartless YA?
Yes, ages 13 and up, with a gentle romance.
Do I need to read Alice in Wonderland first?
No, but knowing the original adds many fun details in Meyer's world.
Which book is the darkest on this list?
Alice by Christina Henry is much darker than the rest.