Review: THE WICKED WILL RISE by Danielle Paige

Title: The Wicked Will Rise

Author: Danielle Paige

Series: Dorothy Must Die #2

Why I read it: After finishing Dorothy Must Die Stories, I was VERY intrigued to see where the story went. And I wanted to keep up with the series instead of falling behind. 

Thoughts: What a great second installment. 

I was a little worried when I bought this book, because it is significantly shorter than the first book, and I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough meat there. But I was so mistaken. 

The great thing about second books, and the reason they get away with being shorter than first books, is that there is way less world-building to be done here. We've read the first book, we know all about the world and the characters and what is going on, so we don't need all of that in the second book. Instead of introducing things, second books can get right into the action and not let up. 

Because trust me. The Wicked Will Rise is definitely not short on plot. 

This book picks up pretty much exactly where the first book left off, and it doesn't really slow down from there. There are a few quieter moments, but the plot is constantly moving forward. It doesn't stagnate at all.

Though we don't get to see all of our favorite characters from the first book, we do get to meet a few new characters along the way like Polychrome and Bright. And they are so much fun. Amy continues her journey here, fighting to remain good when her inner wickedness is fighting to be fully released.

We get to see new parts of Oz we haven't been before, and we get to revisit places we have. But those places are changing, as the events of the series start to catch up with the landscape.

And without going into details, THAT ENDING. I was never bored with this book, even though parts of it were a little less eventful than others. But then we got to the last quarter of the book, and I. Could. Not. Put. This. Book. Down. So much was happening, and so many revelations, and that twist. And so many plot threads were coming together, including threads introduced in the Dorothy Must Die Stories collection of prequel novellas. So I would highly recommend reading the novellas before reading this sequel. Things will come together even more beautifully that way.

Danielle Paige definitely upped the ante in this book, and I cannot wait for the third book. But a quick glance at Goodreads tells me that the third book isn't due until 2017?!?! HOW is that even possible? I severely hope that is just a placeholder, and that we will get to see it much sooner than that. Otherwise, the book world might just have a riot on its hands. Publishing, you've already pushed back the release of The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater. Give us a bone. 

Rating: 5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this sequel? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: DOROTHY MUST DIE STORIES by Danielle Paige

Title: Dorothy Must Die Stories
Author: Danielle Paige
Series: Dorothy Must Die #0.5

Why I read it: I hadn't planned on continuing the series so fast after reading Dorothy Must Die, but then the sequel came out and I decided to go ahead and marathon the beginning of this series, so I picked up the prequel novella bindup!

Thoughts: I really enjoyed these novellas!

This book is a bindup of the three prequel novellas that were originally published as ebooks. So I will review each novella individually, then give the bindup an overall rating!

No Place Like Oz

Rating: 5/5 stars

This was, by far, my favorite novella of the three. No Place Like Oz is from Dorothy's POV, and it chronicles her journey back to Oz and how she came to be its new (evil) ruler. It was so intriguing to be in Dorothy's head, and not entirely pleasant. It shows us how Dorothy's first adventure in Oz has changed her, and how she could become the evil witch we see her as in Dorothy Must Die. But there is even more to this novella, and it shined so much light on the first book and things in the background that we didn't know yet. I loved it!

The Witch Must Burn

Rating: 3/5 stars

This was an okay read. It was slightly interesting, but nothing terribly new to be honest. This novella was all about Jellia Jamb, who is just an awesome character and it was interesting to see a little bit of her background. But considering how Dorothy Must Die ended, this felt a little pointless. But oh well. It was still fun! 

The Wizard Returns

Rating: 3/5 stars

This was another average novella. We see how the Wizard ended up in Oz once more, and we definitely learn a lot about his true intentions. And I really enjoyed the ending! But the bulk of this novella was just so-so, and once again, felt a little pointless in the grand scheme of things. But the end made up for some of that!

Overall, this was a fun prequel read for Dorothy Must Die, but I wouldn't say it's an essential must-read of the series. 

Overall rating: 4/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read these novellas? What were your thoughts? Do you think they're necessary reading? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: DOROTHY MUST DIE by Danielle Paige

Title: Dorothy Must Die
Author: Danielle Paige
Series: Dorothy Must Die #1

Summary: I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado--taking you with it--you have no choice but to go along, you know? 

Sure I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road--but even that's crumbling. 

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe. 

My name is Amy Gumm--and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. 

I've been trained to fight. 

And I have a mission.

Why I read it: This was my jar pick for the month, and I thought, How perfect! The sequel was coming out at the end of the month, so it was a perfect time to get to this!

Thoughts: I know there have been some mixed opinions on this book, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I really love the main character, Amy Gumm. She's a trailer-park girl from Kansas with an absent dad and a lackluster mom, and she's got pink hair to boot. But what I really love about Amy is that even though she's had a rough life and she's definitely a strong female character, she isn't mean or overly sarcastic. And that's what makes her interactions with everything Oz so special.

We have a large ensemble of characters here, all of which fall into two categories: ones that were in the original L. Frank Baum books, or ones that have been imagined by Danielle Paige.

All of the L. Frank Baum characters are twisted in delightful ways, either for good or for bad. I won't get into the "how's" and "why's" for fear of spoilers, but it is so much fun to meet each character and see how Paige has changed them for her story, or to catch small mentions of minor characters from the originals.

The characters Paige has created fit perfectly into the world of Oz and its topsy-turvy feel. Nox quickly turned into a favorite character for me (and a swoon-worthy one, at that!) Grandma Gert and Glamora (Glinda's twin sister) are also two of my favorite characters.

That's the thing about this book. I have so many favorite characters because Paige is so good at writing them. None of them are purely good or purely evil; they all exist in that morally gray area that I just love.

The setting is mostly the Oz we all know and love, so it's recognizable and doesn't require too much explanation, but with some extra fun thrown in!

The plot is so intriguing, as well. I was constantly wanting to turn the page, find out what happens next, because the plot twists just kept coming! And that ending? I did NOT see that coming!

My only problem with this book is that it drags in a few places, and there are a few times where things are over-explained, telling rather than showing. But other than that, I'd say this is a very solid debut from Paige and I can't wait to read more!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read Dorothy Must Die yet? If so, what were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!