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Kuan's Wonderland
 
 

Kuan's Wonderland [Kindle Edition]

Henry Tam
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Kindle Price: £0.77 includes VAT* & free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
* Unlike print books, digital books are subject to VAT.



Product Description

Product Description

“Dark, twisted, sardonic – 'Kuan’s Wonderland' is an unmissable page-turner. Henry Tam has created a fantasy universe unlike any that has come before.”
– President, the Independent Publishers Guild (UK)

“The story is original and very engaging. The fast-moving adventure in a new world, which sparkles with visually captivating creatures and imaginative technology, has already begun by the first line. … [The ending] is credible yet astonishing.”
– Trish Burns, Fantasy Book Review

“'Kuan’s Wonderland' is simply a tour de force. It is powerfully imaginative, with a cinematic feel sustained by strong imagery throughout. It is also full of plot surprises and layers of deeper meaning.”
– Ann Walker, Director for Education, WEA

“I enjoyed reading Kuan’s Wonderland. It is fast-paced while containing beautifully written and memorable passages. And the ending is tense, unexpected and powerful.”
– Ben Chu, The Independent newspaper

******
Kuan has a secret buried deep within him ever since he left China with his father. One night the ten-year old boy is snatched from home and taken to a bizarre world called Shiyan, where he is inexplicably suspected of being an enemy of the state. Threatened with torture and unable to escape, he keeps telling himself that his father will come to his rescue and all will be well again.

His hope is raised by a mysterious being called Amo, but even with her help, he runs into more obstacles, and is gradually worn down by a sequence of illusions and mind games.

Trapped in this surreal dystopia, Kuan agrees to take on three challenges from the enigmatic Chairman that could help him find his father again. Yet the more trials he endures, the more he learns about why he has been held captive. What he does next will determine the future of Shiyan and his own world. In the end he has to face up to the secret from his past and fight for more than just his life. But can he survive uncovering the truth about his father?

'Kuan’s Wonderland' is a modern fable with a psychological twist. It will transport the reader to an exquisite nightmare where nothing is quite as it seems.

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 556 KB
  • Print Length: 344 pages
  • Publisher: Arpinum (6 May 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B008144G9I
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Not Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #75,159 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Customer Reviews

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4.8 out of 5 stars
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
By Helen M
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Kuan's Wonderland has a lavish plot but an accessible style.

I was 16 when I first read 1984. I loved it. As I grew older, each time I re-read Orwell's book, I saw a story that was subtly altered. I drew different comparisons, based on the way my life was changing, and my new experiences.

Although Kuan's Wonderland has a less straightforward narrative arc than 1984, it's the same kind of book: there are so many layers of meaning, intertextuality, and interwoven themes, that a reader will be able to return again and again, and see fresh details each time. As soon as I'd finished Tam's novel, I had a huge urge to go back to the beginning and start all over again.

Although this book may on cursory inspection seem like a science fiction novel, it's a lot more than that. Even if you don't usually like the genre, if you're interested in society and politics, you're likely to be hooked right up until the end.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully descriptive 25 Sep 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
A great book to open debate and enquiry with young people on society and politics. This book is beautifully written and paints the surreal landscape with vivid imagery. A page turner which left me thinking... You can't get better than that!
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5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book 2 Sep 2012
By Anton
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Although I found the beginning of the book a bit slow to engage me, it wasn't long before I was gripped by it. Tam has created an extraordinary world and a story line which makes the book a delight to read. The plot is full of action and constant surprise. But more than that, there is a depth to the book and a clear moral and political challenge for each of us to consider.

In short a very enjoyable, stimulating and worthwhile read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A many-layered masterpiece
This is a great story you can enjoy at a number of different levels. You can follow Kuan and his collaborators as they move breathlessly through an ever-changing worldscape of... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Charles W
4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderland indeed ...
This was recommended to me and when I saw the first page or two, I confess my heart sank a bit. I will say up-front that this isn't really the kind of book I would normally go... Read more
Published 11 months ago by A. J. Marks
5.0 out of 5 stars A good mystery
I'm always on the look out for a good mystery and this fits the bill. I enjoyed not knowing what was coming next and the way it all came together in the last few chapters was... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Pete7reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Real page turner with a great twist
Imagine the bastard lovechild of Pan's Labyrinth and 1984 - if you can - and you might get a flavour of what's waiting for you with Kuan's Wonderland. Read more
Published 12 months ago by YakinaMac
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Surprise
Came across Kuan's Wonderland by chance and really loved it. The more I read, the more I realised that nothing was what it first seemed - it's packed full of twists. Read more
Published 12 months ago by pageturner
5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping tale of changing worlds and extreme loyalty
This gripped me from the start and whenever I picked it up, I was straight back in the story with Kuan as a force for good, fearless and challenging to the different powers trying... Read more
Published 12 months ago by freedom22
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