Afia in the Land of Wonders

In her stunning literary debut, Mia Araujo presents a gorgeous reimagining of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, spinning a new story that is accompanied by arresting, ethereal illustrations about twin sisters and how one must venture outside the safety of their home, into the wilderness, in order to find herself and true happiness.

Fifteen-year-old Afia dreams of exploring the world beyond her secluded cliff-side home of Dafra. Her twin sister, Ada, is perfectly happy with fulfilling their family’s expectations of them. But Afia dreams of adventure.

When Bakame, a charming carver and shapeshifter, dazzles her with promises of a magical land called Ijabu, Afia decides to take her destiny into her own hands. After making the heartbreaking decision to leave her sister behind, Afia follows Bakame into the forbidden forests surrounding Dafra, from which no one has ever returned.

Filled with magical sights, a charismatic Queen and her intriguing court, and the handsome Bakame, Ijabu is everything that Afia has ever dreamed the world could possibly offer. But nothing is as it seems in Ijabu and soon, this fantasy world demands its price from Afia.

Reeling from a terrible betrayal, Afia realizes she is in too deep and escapes the palace, longing to return to her sister. With the help of a mysterious spirit, Afia must evade the Queen’s hunters and the lost dreamers of Ijabu, who wish to pull her in deeper.

As Afia struggles to survive this strange new land, she ponders the riddle she has been presented: Would you give up your whole dream, to be half of someone else’s?

Afia must find the courage to stand on her own, or risk losing herself completely to the wonders of Ijabu.

＂Nothing short of an amazing adventure into a fantastic world, Mia Araujo has crafted a beautiful narrative, made all the more incredible by stunning visuals that overflow with heart and soul.＂ -- David F. Walker, Eisner-award winning author of Bitter Root and The Second Chance of Darius Logan

Mia Araujo is an Argentine American artist and writer, born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She co-hosts and co-produces Painted in Color, a BIPOC art podcast on Youtube. Mia graduated as valedictorian from Otis College of Art and Design, with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Creative Writing. She has shown her work in prominent galleries and conventions across the US and around the world, including Roq la Rue, Copro Gallery, Spoke Art, and Corey Helford. She won the Juror’s Choice Award at GenCon in 2019. Her work has been published in Hi-Fructose Magazine, Juxtapoz, Spectrum Fantastic Art, Society of Illustrators LA, and IBA, among others. Clients and collaborators include Penguin Random House, HBO, Imagine FX, and the Washington Post. She’s also a twin sister. Learn more at art-by-mia.com.