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: FAIREST by Marissa Meyer

Title: Fairest
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: Lunar Chronicles #0.5

Summary: Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her "glamour" to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story--a story that has never been told...until now. 

Why I read it: Do I really need to explain? I needed to know Levana's backstory, and I needed something to hold me over until Winter! Although I still don't think this helped much on that front, because it's still so far away!

Thoughts: I loved the novella.

I almost expected Queen Levana to become a little more sympathetic and understandable through this prequel. And I'm happy to report that while I did gain quite a bit of understanding as to Levana's history and her motivations, she remains quite the villain and I love Marissa Meyer for it.

I'd rather not talk too much about the plot, in the interest of avoiding spoilers for both the book and the first three books in the series. Suffice it to say, I was intrigued the whole way through, and it was fun seeing the origin of many things we've already seen in Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress.

The writing, as usual, was phenomenal. It's disconcerting to be in Levana's head, but also fascinating. The characters are fleshed out, even in this short format.

Also, this book includes the first THREE chapters of Winter! When I saw that, I could barely contain myself. So once I finished Levana's story, I dove right into that beginning, and it definitely whet my whistle, and made me even that much more excited for Winter.

Basically, if you're a fan of the Lunar Chronicles at all, this prequel installment really shouldn't be missed or skipped. Pick it up before Winter, and be ready to finish the series with all the knowledge you need.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read Fairest yet? If so, what were your thoughts? How excited are you for Winter?!? Let me know in the comments below!