Series: Dorothy Must Die, Book ThreePublisher: HarperCollins
Format: Hardback
Published: 7th April 2016
Number of Pages: 288
Book: For Review*
Genre: Fantasy, Action-Adventure, Fairy Tale Retelling, Romance, Paranormal, YA
Recommended Age: 13+
Contains:Violence, Death, Swearing
No Alcohol, Drug References
Author's Site: Danielle Paige
Author's Twitter: @daniellempaige
Once upon a time, there was a girl from Kansas named Dorothy.
You might know her as the Girl Who Rode the Cyclone. She ended up in Oz, where she became friends with the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. But the temptation of magic was too much for her. She let it change her. Her friends became twisted versions of their former selves.
The magical land on Oz is now a dark and menacing place.
My name is Amy Gumm. Tornadoes must have a thing about girls from Kansas, because I got swept away on one too. I also landed in Oz, where Good is Wicked, Wicked is good, and the Wicked Witches clued me in to my true calling.
Assassin.
The only way to stop Dorothy from destroying Oz – and Kansas – is to kill her. And I’m the only one who can do it.
But I failed. Others died for my mistakes. Because of me, the portal between the worlds has been opened and Kansas and Oz are both in danger. And if I don’t find a way to close it?
Dorothy will make sure I never get to go home again.
Review:
I've loved this series for so long that when I was offered a chance to read Yellow Brick War and take part in the blog tour, I jumped with joy! I’m so excited to be taking part – and hope I can convince everyone to read this awesome series ASAP!
'There was no rest for the Wicked, I thought ruefully.'Amy Gumm had one mission after she got whisked from her trailer-park home in Kansas to Oz. To kill Dorothy Gale, who has stolen Oz's magic and is turning the place dead and dark.
Amy failed.
And now she and the four Witches of Oz are stuck. In Kansas.
You see, things are brewing – bad bad things. Oz and Kansas are linked together with magic – and Dorothy wants to blow both of them off the map.
Can Amy help the Wicked Witches (including the boy she loves, Nox, who has lied to her and can never be hers) to stop Dorothy from destroying both places? Preferably without letting Oz's magic turn her as twisted as Dorothy – without letting herself become the monster she's so afraid to be…?
I have loved this series so so much – I was so upset this is the end! I even put off reading Yellow Brick War for a few days because I so badly didn't want it all to be over! But then I found out at least one more book is coming my way (I'm still not ready to let go of Oz!), cheered, and snatched Yellow Brick War right on up and got stuck in. Before I even blinked, I was like one hundred pages in – and I did not want to stop! I even took the book to the bathroom with me! If only it was waterproof – but reading in the shower doesn't work quite as weak as reading in a bath, does it?
I feel I've gone off topic… Moving on to Amy. Amy, Amy, Amy... She was kind of back and forth in this book; at the beginning there were times when she wasn't the badass, snarky, pink-haired awesome gal she was in Dorothy Must Die. Oz really had changed her. But by the end...oh, Amy! I'd never loved her more – I can't wait to see where she goes next.
Nox! Oh, how I adore you! I already loved Nox but after Yellow Brick War... My oh my, I have a new beloved book boyfriend. The way he was here – torn between duty and love, trying so hard to keep Amy safe, being so sweet and Nox-y (he was moody at times, but that's just Nox)... Loved him!
I really do love the other characters in this book – I loved seeing some familiar old faces from Kansas, loved the Wicked Witches and Lulu the monkey queen…
And then there are our Big Bads. Dorothy is just the most fascinating character and I loved that we go to understand her more in this book. Every scene she’s in is brilliant – she’s such a perfect villain; sickly sweet on the surface and rotten to the core, but with the kind of background that makes you almost empathise with her. As for our other Big Bad, well… He is terrifying. I can’t wait to see what our villains do in the next book…
The plot was, a lot like The Wicked Will Rise, a little uneven. There was a fair bit of build up at the start (which I like at the beginning of a series, not halfway through it) set in Kansas – and there were bits of this that I really loved. But I just wanted back in with Dorothy, my favourite villain I love to hate! Things did really kick off after yet another Big Bad showed up – and the plot was brilliant from there, although far too short for my liking!
Paige's writing was amazing - I just love all the brilliant fighting scenes, the sweet romantic moments, the humour and the suspense. But, most of all, I love how she writes Oz.
This Oz is nothing like the original book's, but damn if I don't want to go anyway! Even with Dorothy's maniacal rule, I'd love to go to Oz just to see the spots of beauty. Paige's descriptive language is just spot on amazingand I want to see this world so much! Maybe not stay, because I'd rather not become Dorothy – but I'd love to visit. Preferably in a pre or post Dorothy Oz – I'd rather enjoy it sans tyrannical dictators, ta very much.
Ok, I've talked your ears off enough! This is meant to be a review and not an essay! My point is Yellow Brick War was awesome and exciting and as addictive as ever and I cannot wait to go back to Oz and oh-my-God how am I going to make it until Book Four comes out? It doesn't even have a name yet, people!
I might not make it, my friends. I may go as crazy as an Other-Worlder in Oz. Which is pretty damn crazy.
Seriously, though - if you haven't read this series, I just can't recommend it enough. It is the ultimate escape with the most fantastic world building and one of the coolest classical twists ever written. Which, for a fairy-tale-twist lover like myself, is sayin' something. Yellow Brick Warkept me hooked from the word go and has left me absolutely desperate for more.
I'm going to go dream of the nice Ozma-ruled, pre-Dorothy Oz. Wake me up when Book Four is out and not a moment before.
Happy reading, everyone! And stop by The Book Corner tomorrow for an extract from the awesome Yellow Brick Road!
Star Rating:
4¼ Out of 5
Read this book if you liked:
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
Splintered by A.G. Howard
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Happy Reading
Megan
* This book was received from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review