Tag: Magic/Supernatural (Page 9 of 29)

The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die #2)
by Danielle Paige
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestsellingDorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die...

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?

When you claim your name, what will it be?

I think there’s a certain standard in which second books are expected to live up to. In no way is it fair, because, especially with me, the first book in a series is always leagues above the rest-it’s just the way it is. When I fall in love with a series, it’s no light thing. I become obsessed and nothing is likely to please me any time soon. That being said-I have high standards. After devouring a 100% 5 star book, I want the same superiority of action and angst in book two. Sadly, though, this rarely happens. And I’m just going to come right out and say it: Compared to book one-a now absolute favorite of mine-this book paled in comparison.

Some people spend their whole lives searching for the one thing that they can do to say, I changed the world. I had found that thing. I might not be able to accomplish it, but I was going to die trying. So call me selfish.

Second books aren’t all bad, though. They get a bad rap, sure, but there are many good things that come from them, as well. Sometimes it’s the opposite, actually. There have been a few times when the second book by far outshines its predecessor and makes up for boring build-ups with no results. In this case, though, I definitely was missing….something. And while that’s not always a problem, it was in this case-for me.

It was frustrating that everyone was so convinced that I had this great potential to be evil, when all I’d done was show up, get thrown in the dungeon by Dorothy, and then follow the Order’s instructions pretty much exactly. I’d fought for what I thought was right. For what I believed in. And now even people like Lulu-people who were supposed to be on the same side as me-seemed suspicious of me because of it. It all felt a little unfair.

One: The action. My God I missed the action. There was plenty, I suppose, but the level of intensity was severely lacking based on what I know this author can do. For example, in book one, not every scene was full of fights and battles, but there was just this level of dread with each passing chapter that brought forth a sense of doom and foreboding that made you feel as though something terrible could happen at any minute….whereas in this story it was all build up. It was book two hell, if I’m being honest. With all that foreboding and dread in book one, when a battle scene would actually happen it was like when you poke a hole in a balloon-it was as though this pressure that had been pressing down on your chest was finally released and you could just breathe, because it had finally happened. But it was so intense that you didn’t care if you were breathing at all, anyway, because wasn’t this exactly what you’d been waiting for? It was the sweetest of evils. In this book, while the action scenes were epic in their own right, they were few and far between and I almost felt….sad….when they happened because I knew there wasn’t much left of the book….and I never felt my breath release like I wanted. Which brings me to my next point.

I may not have known how I was doing it, but every time I rose back up, reshaping myself into my own form, I knew what I was doing when I was under there. I was touching the darkness.

Two: The length. Talk about wanting to cry…I almost started bawling-no joke-when I saw how short this book was. It was barely even (if at all) half the length of the first book. And the first book was The perfect length, by the way. It was perfect because of how wonderfully paced everything was-every little part had ample time to unwind, to grow, to pull you deeper-you never wanted to stop reading. Never once did it feel rushed, overdone, drawn out, NOTHING. I fell hard and I fell fast and I fell deeper under it’s spell-I STILL think about book one and my heart STILL goes into overdrive as my stomach simultaneously drops out of the bottom of me. This is the biggest downfall for book two, I have to say. The chapters were way too short. You would just start to get into a scene and then it would be over and we would have to move on. There were times where it was nicely paced, but most of the time it didn’t feel…quite right….which was shocking to me after seeing how amazing book one’s pacing was. And, if I’m being completely honest, I’m pretty bitter about the length of this book. I love this author, this series, for life, but I feel cheated. I was ecstatic to pick up book two, only to find out that we were getting such a short story. And I know I know, this is a bridge book for the final story…but never has a book felt like a literal bridge before-because this is exactly what this is-bridging to the fanatical last story (I will be a happy little lark when book three comes out, but, for now, let me just pout).

Despite what I’d said to Dorothy’s Fantasm in the Fog of Doubt, and as wicked as I knew I could be when I had to, I had one weakness: kindness.
And kindness is a weakness. I can see that now. But it’s a weakness I’m still not sure I’d want to give up entirely.

Three: The World Building. I didn’t think I’d ever say this in a review because I really could give two shits less but…..I wanted more. I don’t know what but…more. It was great, it was wonderful but..yeah. That’s all.

All over the place, when you looked a little more closely, traces of the city’s former grandeur remained. Amidst all the wreckage, the streets had a sheen that I realized was coming from millions of scattered jewels-emeralds, obviously, but diamonds and rubies and amethysts, too. Here and there, pools of gold melted and then hardened again, like puddles lingering after a thunderstorm.

Four: The romance. Believe me when I wholeheartedly say-I LIVE FOR NOX AND AMY’S RELATIONSHIP. I ship them so hard-Especially Nox. He is just…ugh. But that’s why this is [partially] in the negative category. I wanted more. There-I SAID IT. I really, truly, wholeheartedly, needed more. I craved it, I ached for it, and when it finally was within in my clutches, it felt like it was over too soon. See reason two above-I am still a pissy pink elephant about this. Every little bit of the romance was perfection. Well…or Nox was. But I think I’m going to put him in his own little category….just because I can. My point? The romance, while exactly what I wanted, inexplicably Just. Wasn’t. Enough.

It was like I was entering a world of shadows. I wasn’t sure how I was doing it, and I wasn’t sure where I was going when I disappeared like that-only that wherever it was, it was cold and foreign and deadly silent. From down there, everything was hazy and slow-motion, and I was outside reality, looking up into it from the darkness like gazing up through a layer of black, muddy water.

So, as you can see, while I love this story, it had detrimental issues that stunted my enjoyment. And isn’t that the best way to describe a short story? Choppy, stunted, without the growth I so desperately needed? But here comes my favorite part: The GOOD.

Once upon a time a girl named Amy Gumm had come to Oz on a tornado. She had fought hard; she had been loyal and fierce. She had done things she’d never in a million years imagined that she would.

One: Amy. Amy might possibly be my favorite heroine ever-at the moment. I think this second book sold her a little short, if I’m being completely honest, but I can’t forget how epic she was in the first….and how epic she continues to be. She’s in the midst of an internal battle within herself that continues to confuse and conflict her. She has conquered the use of magic by learning from Nox and the rest of the order from book one….but this is exactly how it all started with Dorothy, isn’t it? She got a taste of the power, and then it wasn’t enough. She wanted more and more and more…until eventually ruling an entire kingdom wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to control everyone, she needed them to fear and worship her, as well. And now the dark magic is making it’s way to Amy, and she struggles to stifle it with each new battle and after every new hard decision is made. She is becoming someone she doesn’t recognize….and I loved every minute of her internal conflicts. And perhaps the brightest point of her life, her most grounded ally, is the adorable warlock, Nox.

She had been both good and wicked and everything in between. She had been both at once, too, until it was very hard for her to even tell the difference anymore.

Two: Nox. My beautiful, messy-haired boy, Nox. He is just so wonderful. I absolutely adored him-from book one until now he has left such a mark on my heart. I can hardly think about this series without getting all mushy and sighing when I think about this poor orphaned boy who fights for the only thing he has ever known to strive for-his freedom from Dorothy. But what he doesn’t know? What happens after. Who will he become? What will he do? What will his purpose be? We get to see a more vulnerable side to Nox in this book, and I devoured each and every moment he was a part of. I almost would go so far as to say I didn’t think he was treated the way he should have been…I’m very protective of my boy. A beacon of light for Amy’s impending darkness, her voice of reason, and her greatest ally and friend. Nox, just like in book one, stole the show. I am obsessed with him and CANNOT WAIT for more of him in book three-I need his HEA.

My last glimpse of Nox back in the city kept flashing through my mind: his dark, always-messy hair, his broad shoulders and skinny, sinewy arms. The determined tilt of his jaw, and that look of almost arrogant pride. The anger that was always coiled deep in his chest finally ready to burst out and strike down everything that stood in his way, all of it to save Oz, the home that he loved.
No, not just that. To save me, too.

Three: The villains. I love these guys. They are complex. They back up what they say. They do what’s best for THEM. They are truly evil. You don’t get false threats with any of them-They say what they mean and they mean what they say. You will feel the pain. You will hurt. You will be upset by what they do-they sugar coat nothing. They are the true definition of evil…and they blur the lines of hate/like/love-because they are truly addicting in their ruthlessness. Wicked-Wickeder-Wickedest-who would you want to go up against? I’m not so sure.

“I. Know. Who. I. AM,” I said again, more confidently this time with each word bringing forth every bit of the power, the rage, and-yeah-the wickedness, that had been building inside of me since I was just a little girl. “And I’m willing to fight for it.”

Four: Everything I don’t have time to mention. The beautiful descriptions. The amazing world and everything that pulls me so deeply out of reality-when I’m in this world, there’s no where else I’d rather be. That’s so hard to achieve these days. The writing-it’s so amazing. How every little detail matters. Amy’s inner monologues. The vivid imagination that goes into each and every moment….the list goes on and on. There is no end to how engrossing this series is.

The rainbows washed over me. It was like I was being spun in some Willy Wonka version of a washing machine. A neon palette swirled around me as I tumbled: hot pink, electric blue, candy-apple red, grape-soda purple, and every color imaginable in between, all of them zooming downward into infinity in a twisting, death-defying flume, carrying me faster than even seemed possible.

So, while this was not what I wanted it to be, I still loved it. I love this series, this world, these characters-I am obsessed with them. Be it good or evil, each and every character is so addicting. We even get more of the lovable Pete in this one!! And, in a super weird way, I get so excited when Dorothy appears. She is so sickeningly sweet…it’s endearing. She might even be my favorite villain EVER. Amy’s journey is one that I can’t seem to get out of my head, and she and Nox’s relationship brings me to a whole new level of fangirling. Maybe that’s why I had so many things I was disappointed about…I just needed so much more of what I loved, and I didn’t get it. So, without making this even longer than it really is, just know that I am going CRAZY knowing I have to wait for book three. It might just kill me…but it’s one of those wonderful pains-you know it’s worth the wait.

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1)
by Danielle Paige
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

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.

 

Well, I had wanted to be gone. I’d wanted it for as long as I’d known there was anywhere to go. I wanted other places, other people. Another me. I wanted to leave everything and everyone behind. 

But not like this.

We’re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz….Is he, though? Is he really wonderful? And what about the rest of our beloved WOZ cast? Who’s good, who’s evil….and how do you interpret that little gray area in between? I loved this story and all the mayhem it represented. I loved seeing this new and intriguing twist on what was such a docile and somewhat sugar-coated version of evil in a faraway land, seeing what happens when power goes to your head and no one can stop you. What happens when little miss goody-two-shoes becomes the most violent and unforgiving ruler ever and….did I mention this was violent?

Too bad they don’t have basements in trailer parks, I thought.
And then I thought: Bring it on. There’s no place like anywhere but here.

Omg guys, where do I even start? I’ve had this on my TBR for two years-Two whole years. When I first saw this splendid masterpiece of a cover, I was shocked-Evil Dorothy?? How could this be?!!! But alas, it was a year (or something) from being released and not enough people had read it-hell, I didn’t even have ¼ the friends I do now, so I had no one I could trust that had read it-I didn’t know who Khan was, Emily May, or Wendy Darling, for that matter-I didn’t know any of the big names on GR. All I knew was that this was a twisted version of a beloved movie/musical/what-have-you, and I wanted to hop on board…but was it any good? I couldn’t be sure.

I didn’t know what was worse: to have your shot and screw it up, or to never have had a shot in the first place.

Years, obviously, passed and I forgot about it. I’d see it pop up here and there, but I’d be knee-deep in a buddy read or a super enticing series and I wouldn’t want to stop-so, again, I’d forget. And forget. And forget some more. But here I was, just scrolling through my feed a couple days ago, wondering what in the world I was going to read to break up my current series at the time (for some reason I’ve loved breaking my series up, lately-it’s been helping to keep me more excited/focused? I dunno lol), and then here it was, this beautiful cover attached to a very enthusiastic update about da boyz in the story…well, fuck me, it was like a light bulb went off over my head, the clouds parted, and the stars aligned…what more of a sign did I need?

The sky just overhead was almost black and the horizon was a washed-out, cloudy white, and I saw it, just like in the movies: a thin, dark funnel was jittering across the landscape and getting bigger. Closer. A low humming sound, like an approaching train, thrummed in my ears and in my chest. The lawn chair shot up into the air again. This time, it didn’t come back down.

What followed, naturally, was your typical Chelsea reaction to a wonderful and addicting book: Excessive smiling, giggling, hiding to find more reading time, general fangirling about my beloved Nox…the works. You know, the usual. There was just something so special about this book, something that caused my heart to ache and my stomach to drop-on more than one occasion. And, almost more appealing than anything, was the writing…It. Was. Perfection. Everything flowed seamlessly word for word and page to page-I was in heaven. And it’s became my favorite thing when a story doesn’t wholly center around the romance-well, not all the time do I want this, but when I pick up a fantasy or dystopian or action story, I adore the small, understated romances-and this was no exception!

Who are you?

What I found here, instead of meaningless filler and forced conversation, was substance, something so often sacrificed these days. No, it’s not a story for everyone-the soul sucking, fear-eating Lion is testament to that. The only perfect animal character was my wonderful little Star, the Rat. Oh yeah, she took the place of Toto and I couldn’t have been happier with this little substitution! She was absolutely adorable and fierce-a completely loyal ally that had my heart melting time and time again. Don’t be fooled, though-this story has a lot of animals….But it was so much more than that. It was a story about a girl who grew up in less than desirable conditions, a girl who starved for attention and was a social outcast at school…only to find her purpose in a place known as Oz. The only problem? There’s already a girl from Kansas who’s had her life changed in Oz…and she isn’t willing to share.

“They talk about Oz where I’m from. I’ve heard about it my whole life. But this is messed up. What happened here?”
Indigo’s impassive face twisted into a snarl. “Dorothy happened,” she said.

The cast in this story was beyond words. Do you even realize how fun it is to be reading about the villains? To see what they are willing to do to defeat the once good Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Dorothy? Oh, and don’t forget about Glinda, the ‘good’ witch! Gone is the brainless Scarecrow, the heartless (but yet full of heart) Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and little Miss I-Took-A-Direct-Flight-From Kansas.

They are unrecognizable in this story and I lapped it up, word by word-Especially when I saw that Dorothy went from girl-next-door to total voluptuous slut (And no, there really was no girl hate or slut shame! It was just a matter of fact when a girl didn’t like Amy or vice versa-no unnecessary bad mouthing-I know a couple girlies who don’t like that…). And speaking of Amy-What a remarkable and alluring character. I was utterly compelled by her determined attitude and willingness to do anything to help people she’d never even met before-all because she wanted to do what was best for a world corrupted by misused power. I loved her and my heart ached for her.

I didn’t know what was Good or Wicked anymore. All I knew was what was right.

And then there’s Nox. Well, and Pete…but Pete wasn’t really a love interest-I just loved him all the same. Anyway-NOX. He really and truly didn’t have a huge part in this story, but when we met him, I was instantly in love with his standoffish, I’m better than you attitude. But, like many things, there was more to the story than meets the eye. He isn’t Amy’s biggest fan, right from the start-as he says, ‘Just because someone fell out of the sky doesn’t make them the one.’ He’s skeptical that Amy can take down Dorothy-and why wouldn’t he be? She’s just a small-town girl who’s never fought anyone. But don’t worry…it’s his job to train her ;). Did I mention I love fighter/soldier boys? Hmmm…

He just stared at me, his gaze intense. I couldn’t look away any more than I could move my arm. Energy crackled between us, and I felt a strange pull to him. Moth to flame. Magnet to magnet. Stupid girl to impossible, slightly mean witch boy. Wizard. Whatever.

It isn’t insta-love, insta-lust, insta-like…it’s more like a resigned acceptance that they have to work together. He doesn’t like her, and she doesn’t care for his attitude. But more and more he begins to see her progress, and she begins to strive for his approval. His begrudging admiration for her begins to blossom into protectiveness and concern, worry for what’s to come and if she’s really ready or not-but not once does he show it, making her think she is only a pawn to them all, including him…but she couldn’t be more wrong about Nox….and oh GAHD did I love seeing her falter in front of him, mistaking his concern for her safety for something entirely different-I am such a sucker for hidden romance, sigh.

Instead of looking down, I looked at Nox as he took in the landscape.
Seeing him like this, away from the caves, away from the cause, I could almost see the boy he could have been. The boy he would have been if Dorothy had never come back. He looked happy. He looked beautiful.

Well, I can’t seem to stop. And I don’t want to…but I will. I was so nervous I wouldn’t like this, but sometimes you are just in the perfect mood for something and it falls right into your lap. And lately, it seems, it’s getting harder and harder to do that-to find a book that just falls right in front of you that suits your mood. But I found it, and I am so so happy that I can start book two next weekend and that the final book is only a few month wait as opposed to a two year wait, like if I’d have read this when I originally wanted to. So, you see, everything happens for a reason. Amy has a new mission, a bigger purpose, more lies, deceit, and trust issues to overcome-who can she really trust in this gray world of wicked-wickeder-wickedest….I can’t wait for the battles, the young love, the misplaced trust and betrayals….but most of all-Dorothy Must Die.

Sometimes only pain can heal.