Novella Review: The Lost Sisters (The Folk of the Air #1.5)

Release Date: October 2, 2018
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Length: 50 pages
Source: Purchased eBook/Audiobook

Sometimes the difference between a love story and a horror story is where the ending comes...

While Jude fought for power in the Court of Elfhame against the cruel Prince Cardan, her sister Taryn began to fall in love with the trickster, Locke.

Half-apology and half-explanation, it turns out that Taryn has some secrets of her own to reveal.

The Lost Sisters is a companion e-novella to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince, by master writer Holly Black.

    

Review:

Protagonist: So, I'm not the biggest fan of Taryn, but I was interested to hear her side of the story, at least as much as she gives, and after reading this novella I do feel I have a greater understanding of her character and why she made the choices that she did. This story is greatly focused on the origin of Taryn's relationship with Locke and how thing went so terribly wrong for Jude. One of the things I took away from this story is how much Taryn and Jude are alike, they both want to find their place in Elfhame and even though they make different choices, they both make difficult and sometimes regrettable choices to solidify their place in Court.

Romance: Taryn's romance with Locke wasn't nearly as romantic as Jude's sham romance with him in The Cruel Prince. Locke's courtship of Taryn felt a lot more forward than how he woos Jude, and while I understand why Taryn falls for him or even believes she falls for him, this story makes Locke look even worse than he was in TCP. Locke and Taryn both like stories, and Taryn very much wants to believe herself in a story or to be a part of someone else's story. Even though I don't "ship" these two together, as I feel even Taryn deserves someone better than Locke, I appreciated the chance to have a deeper understanding of their relationship.

World Building: This novella tells key events from The Cruel Prince from Taryn's perspective, as well as new scenes showing what Taryn was up to while Jude was swept away in her portion of the story. First off, I really love how this novella is told, from Taryn's perspective as an apology and explanation to Jude, who is referred to as "you" throughout the story. I actually enjoyed getting new scenes in this world and learning a tad more about it. Now, there's not too much world-building, but I will say that if you're thinking that this is going to be some story that redeems Taryn and/or Locke or make you sympathize with one or both of them, that isn't necessarily true. I understand why Taryn does what she but that doesn't mean that I like her as a character now, and honestly, I still don't fully understand why it is that Locke does what he does, and I actually came out of this hating Locke more than I did in TCP.

Predictability: There's not too much I can say here as this is a short novella and there are a great many things about this story you would already know from reading TCP. However, I will say there are a few small twists in this story and things didn't go the way I had expected them to even if the destination is more or less the same.

Ending: If I had one negative when it came to this story it's that it didn't go on long enough. This story ends before Dain's botched coronation and while I completely understand why it ends where it does, as Taryn does fully explain why she did what she did, I still found myself wanting more. There's a scene at the end of The Cruel Prince, where Taryn finds herself holding the crown of Elfhame and I really wanted to know her thoughts there, or her thoughts when Jude walked in with Cardan, and even her point of view during and after her duel with Jude. Still, I did appreciate that the author stuck to telling this story as an explanation and not just "Taryn's view of events" as it gives the story more meaning and tells the story it was meant to.

Rating:

While yes, I would have liked to see certain scenes from Taryn's perspective that we didn't get to see, I enjoyed this story immensely. I don't sympathize with Taryn, but I understand why she made the choices she made and I loved learning what she was willing to do to secure her place in Faerie.

Novella Review: A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1)

Release Date: May 1, 2018
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Length: 229 pages
Source: Purchased Book

Narrated by Feyre and Rhysand, this bridges the events in A Court of Wings and Ruin and the upcoming novels in the series.

Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve. Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

    

Review:

Protagonists: So, while the synopsis says that this book is narrated by both Feyre and Rhysand, that's not (technically) true. See, while all of the first person POV chapters are from Feyre and Rhysand, there are chapters, and parts of chapters, that are told in a limited third person POV that follow other members of Feyre's Night Court family. First off, I have to say how amazing it was to see these characters again, and even though it's been a while since I read A Court of Wings and Ruin, the minute I sat down to read this book it was like I never left and that's very much due to how these characters fly off the page. Honestly, there aren't that many characters that have internal conflicts that get even a little bit resolved in this story. Mostly this book felt like a set up for where certain characters will be when the series officially resumes. As you would expect it's Feyre who has the most internal conflict and character development in this story, mostly relating to the aftermath of the war with Hybern and how she'll deal with not only being the High Lady of the Night Court but also someone who suffered the loss of her father at the hands of the King of Hybern. When it comes to Rhys, I loved seeing from his POV, even if he is a big horndog from time to time, it was great to really see what he's going through in this story and really see how much he loves his family and Feyre. When it comes to the other characters, well they all have rather small arcs in comparison to Feyre and Rhys, but even with that third person POV, there's a lot of information about these characters revealed in this story, which is definitely another reason why these characters feel like they come to life when reading this story.

Romances: I was going to start this section about how, while I love the romance and relationship between Feyre and Rhys, it almost seems too stable, as much as I don't want anything bad to happen to this couple, I kind of wish there was some sort of conflict with their relationship, nothing major or threatening, but something normal, something that made their relationship a bit more relatable, however, this is just a short novella and with it not have that much conflict within well, I couldn't fault the author on that. Besides, I did love every freaking minute between those two, it's more that I barely have anything to write when it comes to their relationship, other than how strong it is in this book. As for the other characters in this story, well you'll see where Nesta and Cassian are at, and possibly have a hint at where that tumultuous relationship is headed and I can't wait to see how that all plays out. Then there's whatever is going on between Az, Elain, and Lucien, which again, I feel is more set up in this story than it actually having any development, we sort of see where things lie for these other relationships, but the author's intent is clearly to go deeper into those romances in the upcoming books.

World Building: With this not being a full installment in the series I wasn't exactly sure what to expect out of not only the story but the world building as well. I know this novella is described as a story to "bridge the gap" between the two the last book and the next, but honestly, that's pretty vague since we don't really have a concrete idea of what the next book will be about. In the end, the world building in this book is all about the ramifications caused during the war with Hybern, specifically the fact that the Wall is down and that there are Illyrian warriors who blame the heavy losses of their warriors on Rhys and Cassian. However, I was sort of disappointed to see that there isn't all that clear of a view for where the series is heading from here on out. Sure, we have a few plotlines teed up for the next few books, but I was kind of hoping to see a bit of a bigger picture, and instead, it feels like I got tiny glimpses but nothing close to the full thing.

Predictability: Since this story is so short there isn't a lot of time for big twists, and for most of this story it felt like I was just following along rather than picking up pieces of foreshadowing and trying to figure out some big twist. With that being said, there are a few surprises in this book, but usually, they're very obvious if you're good at picking up foreshadowing it's not hard to see where certain plotlines will go, but that never ruined the fun for me. I still relished every moment of this story.

Ending: Again, with this not being a full installment, there wasn't really much of an external conflict for these characters to overcome, so the ending of this story isn't as climactic as one of the novels in this series, so there isn't a whole lot I feel I can comfortably write in this section without spoiling something. All I'll say is that the last chapter feels a lot like an epilogue and wraps up some of the plotlines in this story while still leaving a lot to be resolved in the upcoming books. Oh, and the last few sentences melted my freaking heart.

Rating:

Have you ever wanted to read a story about your favorite characters (assuming the ACOTAR characters are some of your favorites) having fun and interacting without a whole lot of conflict getting in the way? Then this story is for you. Seriously, there isn't all that much conflict in this story and I didn't think it could be done, as I feel conflict, and its resolution, can lead to an even sweeter ending, but here it really works.

Novella Review: Ruler of Beasts (Dorothy Must Die #0.6)

Release Date: February 16, 2016
Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 84 pages
Source: Library Audio Book

Danielle Paige delivers a dark and compelling reimagining of a beloved classic, perfect for fans of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Beastly by Alex Flinn, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

When the Cowardly Lion set off for the Emerald City in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with Dorothy and the others, he sought courage above all else. This digital original novella is the sixth installment in the prequel arc to the edgy and thrilling New York Times bestsellers Dorothy Must Die and The Wicked Will Rise, and is the Lion’s story after he got what he’s always wanted.

The Lion’s wish has finally come true—he is the courageous ruler of the forest and all of its beasts. But the Lion is bored—he misses the days of his adventures with Dorothy, the Tin Woodman, and the Scarecrow. When Glinda the Good Witch shows up unexpectedly and tasks him with a mission back in the Emerald City, he jumps at the chance to do something exciting, even though he knows she’s not telling him the entire truth.

    

SPOILER WARNING: So I wrote this while very tired, still a little tired, and there are mild/medium level spoilers in this review. I'll try and come back and edit this review later so there are as few spoilers as possible, but I'm kind of going to pass out right now.

Review:

Protagonist: Lion is bored, after the excitement of confronting General Ginger, all Lion wants is something to do and a purpose in his life. Enter the puppet master, Glinda, who asks Lion to watch over Ozma and try and find a long lost necklace capable of helping bring back an old friend. I can't believe I'm saying this since Lion seemed to have the most "red flags" when it came to turning to the dark side, but he's sort of the most sympathetic of Dorothy's friends. I was surprised to find that underneath his rough exterior, is a soft little kitty cat, well sort of. This is still a story of his turn to the dark side, but there's a large part of me that really wanted him to be forced into it, or it really wasn't him we saw in the main series because a large part of me bleeds for this character we see in this book. Lion wants to be good, but since he's not as shrewd and cunning as Scare, or as ambivalent as Tin, his perception of what is truly "Good" is off.

World Building: So, I've said before that the world building for these novellas isn't that big, especially these ones that deal with how Dorothy's friends turned evil, but if I'm not mistaken, and I sincerely hope I'm not, it seems that this story does hold a good amount of world building that will hopefully serve as foreshadowing to what might happen next in the main series. Also, after six prequel novellas, it's interesting to look back and put everything in chronological order to see how some of these carefully laid plans fell into place. I said Glinda's a puppet master and this story shows just how much she is.

Predictability: Going into this book I had so many expectations on how this story would unfold, especially after reading the previous two novellas, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Not only did it sort of break the streak of interesting yet unnecessary novellas, at least presumably, but even after finishing it, I still felt sympathetic towards this character, which the only other time that happened in one of these novellas is in The Witch Must Burn. There are a few twists this book holds as well, some things that are hopefully foreshadowing for the future and some things that show more of how everything ties together.

Ending: I was really surprised and excited by how this story ended. Again, I still felt the Lion is a sympathetic character, and I almost wish we had seen more of how he turned evil, but I liked seeing that there was still a little bit of humanity in him, however much of an oxymoron that is, by the end of this story. The final climaxes, yes there are two, were really interesting and show not only how the Lion has come a good way since the beginning, but also set the stage for more in this world.

Rating:

I was not expecting to give this book five stars, I thought the Lion would be the least sympathetic of the bunch but there's a part of me that wants to just give him a hug, and the story was actually really fun and hopefully foreshadows what the future holds.

Novella Review: The Straw King (Dorothy Must Die #0.5)

Release Date: November 10, 2015
Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 97 pages
Source: Library Audio Book

Once upon a time, the Scarecrow's only wish was to have a brain. This digital original novella is the fifth installment in the prequel arc to the edgy and thrilling New York Times bestsellers Dorothy Must Die and The Wicked Will Rise and follows the Scarecrow after he finally gets his wish.

In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow received the gift of a brain from the Wizard and was appointed the new ruler of Oz. In The Straw King, the Scarecrow's tale takes a crooked turn when his reign is threatened. With faith in his newfound wisdom shaken, the Scarecrow will turn to anyone who can help—even if others have their own interests at heart.

The Straw King by Danielle Paige is a dark and compelling reimagining of a beloved classic and is perfect for fans of Cinderby Marissa Meyer, Beastly by Alex Flinn, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

    

Review:

Protagonist: When I went into this novella, I expected it to largely take place around the same time as Heart of Tin, and show how the Scarecrow, here nicknamed Scare, became twisted by the gift the Wizard imparted upon him at the end of The Wizard of Oz. Let's just say I was partially right. Scare starts out as a very sympathetic character, he just wants to be the best ruler that he can be. This, Scare thinks, involves a lot of reading. However, when a rag tag group threatens his rule and marches to overthrow the Emerald Palace, slaughtering whoever gets in their way, Scare needs to figure out how to be a good leader and fair ruler. That sounds like a nice, semi-typical, story, but what this character goes through is a bit different. The darkness in Scare comes out softer than with Tin in the previous novella. With Tin, he pretty much started out with his heart being twisted by obsession, with Scare, he more begins to doubt whether his gift even works. With a little push from a particular "Not-So-Good" witch, he'll find just how cunning he can be and what he needs to do to get what he wants. I really liked the development of Scare, don't get me wrong he's in no way a hero, but I liked seeing how knowledge and cunning slowly corrupted him. There were a couple key moments from his development from Straw King to Mad Scientist, but the bits we did see and the development that was shown was very intriguing and compelling.

World Building: This story takes place only a couple years after what I'm just going to call the source material from now on. Anyway, this story does expand Baum's world with Paige's vision as we learn more about the history of Oz, as well as a certain group of all female soldiers who believe that their leader would make a better leader than Scare and use brutal tactics to find a way to take over Oz. While we do see this world expanded a bit, it's honestly not much. This is a very character driven story, but we do get a glimpse into Glinda's master plan and see that she's been working at it for a while.

Predictability: I have to say, while I knew this story would be about the corruption of the Scarecrow, I was not prepared for the surprises and twists that this story holds. Granted they aren't game changing twists that will have lasting consequences in the main series, they're bits in pieces of the story that fit together in ways I wasn't expecting them to.

Ending: As for the ending of this story, well, it wasn't quite the ending I was expecting. I loved seeing how this story came together and how smaller storylines in this series entangle into an amazingly complex web. As this story winds down we learn more about Glinda's master plan, as well as Scare's. Scare has a lot of thoughts in his head, and his thirst for knowledge could lead him down a much darker path, but we already knew that.

Rating:

So I'm giving this story five stars because by itself it's a great and intriguing story of how the Scarecrow became the twisted mad scientist we see in Dorothy Must Die, but honestly other than providing minor context it doesn't seem to have any major significance to the main series. I mean, I know that novellas are essentially supposed to be filler, aspects of the story that aren't vital to the main plot, but I just wished there was some foreshadowing for the main series in these stories or something.

Novella Review: Heart of Tin (Dorothy Must Die 0.4)

Release Date: July 28, 2015
Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 93 pages
Source: Library Audio Book

Everyone knows the Tin Woodman as Dorothy's lovable sidekick, the tin man who longed for a real heart to beat inside his tin chest. This digital original novella is the fourth installment in the prequel arc to the edgy and thrilling New York Times bestsellers Dorothy Must Die and The Wicked Will Rise, and tells what happened to the Tin Woodman after he got his wish.

In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wizard gave the Tin Woodman a heart, and all lived happily ever after—or so the story goes. But in Heart of Tin, the heart wants what the heart wants—and the Tin Woodman's heart pines for Dorothy. The gift that the Wizard once bestowed on him turns twisted with longing. And when Dorothy returns to Oz with her own dark agenda, the Tin Woodman will do whatever it takes to help her rise to power—and to make her his.

Heart of Tin by Danielle Paige is a dark and compelling reimagining of a beloved classic and is perfect for fans of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Beastly by Alex Flinn, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

    

Review:

Protagonist: So, the Tin Man, that guy who only wants a heart since, as essentially a robot, he doesn't have one, returns in this novella that details his obsessive love for Dorothy and the beginnings of the army that he has in Dorothy Must Die. Nearly from the start of this novella, I didn't like the Tin Man, or Tin as he's frequently referred to in this novella, and I don't think we're supposed to sympathize with him in any way in this story. I don't know how "old" Tin's supposed to be in this story, but since most depictions of him are of a fully grown man, his romantic feelings for Dorothy are extremely creepy, I mean it would be understandable, though honestly no less creepy if he fell for the sixteen-year-old Dorothy that comes back to Oz, but he talks about being in love with the twelve-year-old who initially left Oz behind. This "love," which is really some serious obsession, is what sends Tin down the path to what he becomes by the beginning of the actual series. While I never felt sympathy for him, it was interesting to see his journey from obsessive but overall harmless, to practically a stalker doing whatever it would take to get even the smallest bit of recognition from Dorothy.

World Building: This novella is DARK, I mean, probably one of the darkest things I've ever read. There's a scene, which I won't spoil, that had my stomach roiling with how gory and intricately detailed it is. I mean, look, the entire series is dark, but a lot of its darkness is hidden "behind the curtain" if you will, and tears one particular curtain away and shows it all in detail. Another thing I liked was seeing not only Tin's fall into darkness first hand, but third-handedly seeing the other companion's descent into darkness that I think will be detailed more in the next two novellas. Another interesting thing we get to see, although not completely first hand, is what happened almost directly after the events of No Place Like Oz, and Dorothy's sudden rise to power.

Predictability: So I debated keeping this section because most of the "twists" in this story would already be known for those who've read the first full installment in this series. However, there were quite a few surprises in this book. Nothing big or game changing, but things that happened that I didn't quite see coming that added to the addictiveness of this tale.

Ending: Okay, so while I definitely think that the ending to this story was a fantastic stopping place, I don't know why but I was expecting something more out of it. I can't put my finger on exactly what, but I don't feel like I got enough closure for this story. The final climax of this tale is frightening and intriguing, and the very end does have that perfect note of finality to it or at least finality to this tale, but there's still just something missing...

Rating:

I really did enjoy this story. It's dark, creepy, and sometimes downright terrifying, but with an ending that just inexplicably wasn't up to snuff, I couldn't justify a 5 star, or even 4.5 star rating. This is still a cpativating and interesting look into this world though and I can't wait to learn the other companions' tales.

Novella Review: Non-Heir (The Black Mage #0.5)

Release Date: January 24, 2017
Author: Rachel E. Carter
Publisher: Self Published
Length: 138 pages
Source: Purchased e-Book/Audio Book

Prince. Prodigy. Mage.

Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Falling Kingdoms, and Tamora Pierce.

This prequel novella is set before the events of The Black Mage series. Novella follows Prince Darren as a child through adolescence and his first run-in with Ryiah at the Academy of Magic. Readers discover the dark backstory between the two princes and their father, as well as the ensuing events that shaped Darren into the Academy’s most prodigal mage.

    

Review:

Protagonist: This story is about a young boy named Darren, he's second in line to his country's throne and his father is a sick monster of a man. Honestly, while I like Darren more or less, it's more that I feel sorry for what he has to deal with, his father's an abusive dick, his brother shows some psychotic tendencies, on top of all that he has to be the best at whatever he does or he'll face his father's wrath. I just want to give him a hug and tell him everything is gonna be alright. As the story progresses his personality starts to harden and it kind of comes on pretty fast. It's not that his character is uneven or develops super quickly, there's a few time jumps in this book as well as key moments in his life to explain why he's changed, but it still felt a bit rushed to me.

World Building: So, going into this novella, I thought I could read it before First Year, and still get something out of it, but really, this is something to better read after you've read the first book. This story acts mainly as a character study for Darren and explains, presumably, why he's such a douche in the first book. (Again, that's just guess work, I haven't read Book 1 yet.) In the end, while I did really enjoy this story, and I do feel like it did introduce me to this world and pique my interest for the rest of the series, I just think I would have appreciated it more had I read Book 1 first.

Predictability: So, since this story is really mostly a group of short stories to act as a character study there isn't all that much in this book to act as twists or turns. I do have to say though that the beginning was a bit confusing since it was almost told in a non-omniscient third person and it took a little while to get into the names. Overall, there were some very interesting points to the story, but nothing that really shocked me, unless you consider being baffled at how big of a pile of human garbage the king is a shocker.

Ending: Again, since this serves as more of a character study than anything else, the ending wasn't a huge final climax that builds everything to a head and spells what's to come next in this series. Instead, the reader is treated to what I can only guess are scenes from the first book told from Darren's point of view, and the story just sort of ends after a certain scene. I wasn't necessarily disappointed by this, but since I don't have as much emotional investment in these characters that I would have if I read the first book, it was just sort of meh.

Rating:

Okay, so this story was very entertaining and emotionally scarring, but my biggest take away from this book is that for me to fully appreciate this story I should read the first full book, so after the BookTube-A-Thon, I'll pencil in time to start this series, because honestly, it looks pretty interesting.

Novella Review: The Wizard Returns

Release Date: March 3, 2015
Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 71 pages
Source: Library eBook

The Wizard left Oz in a hot air balloon—or did he? This digital original novella is the third installment in the prequel arc to the edgy and exciting New York Times bestseller Dorothy Must Die.

Dorothy Gale is back . . . and she's not the sweet little heroine of Oz anymore. She's power-hungry and vicious, and she leaves a trail of destruction beneath her spike-heeled, magical shoes. But she wasn't always in charge. There used to be a different ruler of Oz. Someone who also came from the Other Place, and who stole power for himself. They called him the Wizard.

The story goes that when a young Dorothy revealed the Wizard as a fraud, the man behind the curtain fled Oz in his hot air balloon. But in The Wizard Returns, he wakes in a field of poppies to find out that not only had he never left, but that he has no memory of who—or where—he is. As he undergoes a series of tests to uncover his memories, he finds that the very girl who threw him from the Emerald Palace is in control. And that Oz may be his destiny after all.

The Wizard Returns by Danielle Paige is a dark and compelling reimagining of a beloved classic and is perfect for fans of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Beastly by Alex Flinn, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

    

Review:

Protagonist: If you thought the Wizard of Oz actually left Oz in that hot air balloon of his, you'd be wrong. Shortly after departing the Emerald City the wizard is caught in a great storm and crash lands in a remote part of the Field of Poppies. After being awoken by a boy named Pete, the wizard, now referred to as Hex, doesn't remember who he is. Pete guides him through a series of trials that, if he passes, can lead him home, or perhaps to something greater. Something I've noticed about Danielle Paige is that not only does she have fantastic skill in differentiating the various points of views for this world, but she also provides a variety of types of narrators. In the first novella, we have a "good" character slowly becomes corrupt, in the second we have a "good" character find her strength and resolve to fight back however she can, but in this installment, we have something new. The wizard was not a good man, as far as we know he did not have Oz's best interests at heart, but we don't really meet the wizard, we meet Hex, a man who's lost his memory, but who may just be as selfish and power hungry as the former wizard. I found Hex's growth over the novella very compelling. It was entertaining to see this man, formerly known as the Great and Powerful Oz, be reduced to a man who didn't even know his own name.

World Building: The world building in this story is far different than I expected. After reading the synopsis I'd assumed that we'd see more of the Emerald City and find out what the Wizard's true motives are regarding Dorothy and Glinda. However, most of this adventure the wizard doesn't even know who he is. Instead, we see him going through a few trials to prove his worth, including facing the flying monkeys that he betrayed to the Wicked Witch of the West. In fact, a great deal of this novella deals with the Wingless Ones, flying monkeys who've clipped their wings, and thus the control that humans can have on them. There's a great deal of other world building, all of which I found completely fascinating, it was interesting to see a tale so far removed from Dorothy and Glinda. As for if you could read this story before the first full-length installment? I'd say you can, there isn't any risk of spoiling anything from the main series, although there is one thing that's revealed, something that made me check to see if this came out before the second book because it felt  a bit like a spoiler, but it's just something revealed in this story.

Predictability: So, I'm not quite sure what to write here. I mean there are things that build and get to a climactic point and secrets are revealed and twists in the story happen, but honestly there wasn't a lot of foreshadowing. A lot of this novella felt like I was taken along on an adventure but I had no idea where it led or what would happen. I feel as though a lot of that had to do with the fact that Hex had amnesia and his guide Pete wouldn't tell him anything. This led to me not knowing much and then when a twist would arrive, and let me tell you there are a few really good ones, I would be more blown away than I usually am.

Ending: I feel like it would be a spoiler to talk too much about what happened at the end. In fact, I've written this out a few times to varying results, none of them particularly good. What I will say about this ending is that, even with all the character development we see Hex go through, it isn't until the very end that we have a great understanding of why it is the Wizard returns, and what it is he plans on doing.

Rating:

Is it bad that I have given all of the novellas that I've read in this series five stars so far and the only full-length story four stars? I mean, I enjoyed DMD, but I think the shorter form of these stories makes for a great highly concentrated story that is almost impossible to put down.

Novella Review: The Witch Must Burn (Dorothy Must Die #0.2)

Release Date: November 11, 2014
Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 100 pages
Source: Library Audiobook

There’s a new Wicked Witch in Oz—and her name is Dorothy. This digital original novella is the second installment in the prequel arc to the edgy and exciting New York Times bestseller Dorothy Must Die.

Dorothy Gale is back . . . and she’s not the sweet little heroine of Oz anymore. She’s power-hungry and vicious, and she leaves a trail of destruction beneath her spike-heeled, magical shoes. But behind the scenes, there’s someone else pulling the strings. Someone who doesn’t want fame or glory—just control.

Glinda of the North brought Dorothy back to Oz for a reason. And in The Witch Must Burn, a young maid is about to discover that a witch who says she’s Good might be the most dangerous kind of Wicked.

The Witch Must Burn, by debut author Danielle Paige, is a dark and compelling reimagining of a beloved classic and is perfect for fans of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Beastly by Alex Flinn, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Jellia, Dorothy's head maid, doesn't like that Dorothy barged her way into the Emerald City and deposed Ozma as the rightful ruler of Oz. Technically, for all intents and purposes, Ozma was still the ruler but she hadn't been the same Ozma Jellia had known for a long time. After a chance meeting with the "Good" witch of the South, Glinda, Jellia finds her services loaned to Glinda for the summer. As she stays in Glinda's palace she meets strange characters and learns that while Dorothy may be the figurehead, Glinda's the one with all the real power. With Glinda conducting dangerous experiments, Jellia needs to find a way back to the Emerald City before it's too late. It's interesting, seeing as I just reread No Place Like Oz, where Dorothy was the sympathetic narrator turned bratty tyrant, to read a story in this prequel arc from someone very levelheaded. While Jellia does have a great deal of character development and the character she is in the beginning, isn't the character she is in the end, her development makes her a stronger force for the good of Oz and in many ways mirrors the journey Amy takes in the first full installment of this series.

World Building: In this story, there's a lot that we learn, and depending on when you read this novella, there will be different amounts of world building. Personally. I read it after reading the first full installment in this series, Dorothy Must Die, and while there were definitely things I knew or at the very least could infer from reading that installment, there was still a great deal to figure out in this story. Since this story focuses on Jellia, we learn so much more about her than we do in DMD, and one of the great parts about it is that there are things that we learn about her that, at the beginning of the book, she doesn't even know. Then there's Glinda, while we don't really learn about her past from this story, we do get to understand her character better. We saw her as a maternal figure to Dorothy in No Place Like Oz, and other than being a warden to the munchkins mining for magic in DMD, I don't think we saw her much at all, in this story we get to see just how ambitious and power hungry she can be. I haven't continued the main series, so I'll be interested to see just where she falls in the final hierarchy of villains. We do see, or meet depending on how you read this series, familiar characters from the main series and while nothing is really expanded upon them, I did enjoy how they mixed into the overall story and Jellia's journey.

Predictability: Since this is such a short adventure, there aren't a whole bunch of twists and turns, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were moments that truly caught me off guard. There were quite a few times actually that I let my mind and imagination go wild and came up with the craziest theories to try and figure out how this story might end while not retconning the series canon. It's not as though there weren't things I didn't see coming, in fact, I had a good idea where things might end up, but it was the journey to getting there that truly added a level of unpredictability to this story.

Ending: This story doesn't have a traditional final climax like most YA tales, even novellas, have, however, this story does have a fantastic ending. I'm not going to give anything away, but there are some fantastic moments at the end of this story that almost had me on the edge of my seat, well they would if I was sitting down, but still the sentiment holds. After what I would call the final climax there's still some things that need to be taken care of before the ending and when this story does end, what I liked is that it felt like an actual ending, there's no cliffhanger, and yet still you want to know what's going to happen next.

Rating:

I actually debated with this rating for a bit, which normally means I wouldn't give a story five stars if I have to think about it, but this story was really well built. It had a fantastic narrator, intriguing premise, fantastic world building, and an end that stayed true to the function of this novella, a small part of a larger prequel.

Novella Review: No Place Like Oz (Dorothy Must Die #0.1)

Release Date: November 12, 2013
Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 132 pages

In this digital original novella, Dorothy travels back to Oz to reunite with old friends, but her story may not have a happy ending. No Place Like Oz is a prequel to the forthcoming novel Dorothy Must Die.

After returning to Kansas, Dorothy Gale has realized that the dreary fields of Kansas don’t compare to the vibrant landscapes of Oz. And although she’s happy to be reunited with Aunt Em, she misses her friends from the yellow brick road. But most of all, Dorothy misses the fame and the adventure. In Kansas she’s just another prairie girl, but in Oz she was a hero. So Dorothy is willing to do anything to get back, because there really is no place like Oz. But returning to the land she left comes at a price, and after Dorothy is through with it, Oz will never be the same.

Perfect for fans of Alex Flinn, Marissa Meyer, and Gregory Maguire, No Place Like Oz is a dark reimagining of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Building off of its rich mythology, Danielle Paige creates an edgy, thrilling story for teens that chronicles the rise and fall of one of the literature’s most beloved characters. This digital original novella is a prequel that sets the stage for the forthcoming novel Dorothy Must Die.

       

Review:

Protagonist?: The sweet innocent girl from Kansas who defeated evil witches and found her way back home is now regretting her choices. Ever since she returned from Oz, Dorothy has only wanted to leave her dull dreary life and return to the magical land of Oz. Now sixteen, Dorothy finally has her chance and as an added bonus she takes her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry with her, proving to them that her story was more real than they believed. Now I was wondering, why would anyone want to kill Dorothy, but by the end of this story it became very clear why Dorothy Must Die. At the beginning of the story Dorothy seems innocent enough, maybe a little selfish and spoiled, but it's still easy to sympathize with her, but as she returns to Oz to find things flourishing, yet different than she remembers, her sweet innocence becomes twisted as she feels a god complex coming on and becomes probably the most irritating narrator I've ever read. If I had no knowledge of what's to come in this world I might think that having an annoying and selfish narrator was a bad thing but in this story, it just shows how even the most unlikely people can become corrupt.

World-Building: Oz, one simple word and yet it brings up so many images, most notably a road made from yellow bricks. Now before we get too much into the fantastical and magical Oz, let's talk about boring and dreary Kansas. Danielle Paige paints a very monochromatic picture of life in the prairie from gray skies to dull days its detail is in its lack of excitement. In a direct contrast, Oz is described in so many colors, the blue-green grass, the golden yellow road, and the brilliant blue sky. The imagery of this world really sets it apart and enhances the story in many ways. As for what pertains to the original source material, well there isn't much past what many people know, which is only the story of Dorothy's first adventure in Oz, and in fact, this story takes place two years and no adventures after Dorothy left via the silver slippers. That isn't to say that there aren't references to the other works in L. Frank Baum's magnificent series, in fact. one of my favorite characters in this story is Ozma, the true princess of Oz.

Predictability: I'm still not sure if knowing that Dorothy is going turn rotten spoiled me or if it lent a higher perspective of what was going on. There were many things that I was able to figure out from knowing that the "good guys" might not be the ones to really trust and the "bad guys" might actually have Dorothy's best interests at heart. It's that switch-a-roo that made some things easier to guess than others. However, there are many moments that completely threw me off, including one catastrophic event that firmly cemented Dorothy's morality shift. Going into this, just know that things may still surprise you.

Ending: As cliche as it is to say the end of this story is merely the beginning of a much bigger story yet to be told, or shall I say released to the public. While it's cheesy and cliche to say, it's still very much true, the end not only parallels the beginning of this story but sheds light on what to expect when the first full-length installment is released. It's not quite a cliffhanger, but more of a send off that leaves the reader wanting to know more yet feeling like they got a great taste of what's to come.

Rating:

This novella is fantastic! It's long enough to feel like a fully fleshed out story, while small enough to only give a good taste of the author's spectacular writing style as well as her impeccable world-building. For any fan of Oz retellings and anyone wanting to know more about the world of Dorothy Must Die I highly recommend giving this story a go as soon as possible!