The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die #2)

I enjoyed the previous book, DOROTHY MUST DIE, very much. As soon as I had the chance to read the next book, I snapped it up. I freely acknowledge that time and circumstances didn't allow me to read it as soon as I wanted to, but I was totally happy when I was able to dive into THE WICKED WILL RISE. And I was happy all the way through the book.

YA Fantasy/Retelling with a healthy dose of magic, THE WICKED WILL RISE is a fast-paced, action-filled novel with romance, mystery, and wonder. It follows along Amy Gumm's journey to find the other wicked witches, kill Dorothy's (evil) friends, uncover the mysteries in Oz, meet up with Nox, and finally, defeat Dorothy for once and for all to save Oz for good. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, it goes spectacularly wrong and hits all of my feelings in the stomach. Thank you, Danielle Paige.

The plot is increasingly dramatic. With each rising stake (and shocking revelations, I must add), the author and the story has fully managed to capture my attention. Amy is quickly scrambling for a foundation to stand upon, and the rest of the wicked crew/witches is spread wide and thin throughout the bizarre and changed land of Oz. Finding them is a huge challenge that is not without huge, brave, and monstrous obstacles.

My favorite parts of this book is the world building. Or specifically when Amy (or Dorothy or the witches or anyone with magic) casts their spells and such. It's really cool, in my opinion. I absolutely love the descriptions of magic (which I also enjoyed in the previous book). The elements from the original books are, of course, wonderful to see. (It's like playing a game of Where's Waldo?)

Amy is on a quest to destroy Dorothy, and her character development is absolutely wicked. Drawing parallels to Dorothy's own journey, Amy runs the risk of diving into the dark side. Fighting against her darker urges while facing against those who are happily on the dark side, Amy has to really prevent herself from falling into the deep end.

Ozma is such a wonderful character, who provides some mystery to the story. She is one of the best characters in the entire book, and it's worthwhile to pay attention to her.

Overall, THE WICKED WILL RISE is a stellar sequel to DOROTHY MUST DIE, bringing a continuation of Amy's magical adventure. The ending brings such a great cliffhanger, leaving Amy's state unclear and the rest of the wicked crew's fate unclear. Third book, here I come!

Rating: Four out of Five

Having failed to assasinate Dorothy, Amy Gumm is on the run. Alongside her is princess Ozma, former ruler of Oz and current space case. All she has to go on is the Wizard's assurance that she can succeed in her task once she has collected the three most powerful objects in Oz. With the tin man's still beating heart squirreled away in her satchel, Amy sets out to find the rest her compatriates, collect the Lion's courage and Scarecrow's brain, and finally kill Dororthy.

For those people new to the story, this is not the Oz we grew up with. It is much grittier and features some truly dark characters. There are gruesome deaths (usually at Amy's hand) and some scary moments that are not for the faint of heart. This creates an action-packed plot that is near impossible to put down (even when it is past midnight and you know that your 3 month old will be waking in a few hours!)

In this second book in the series, Danielle Paige has expanded to cast of characters and moved beyond those we may be familiar with. We meet LuLu, the monkey queen with a past close to the crown, Bright, a beautiful but cowardly young man and Polychrome, the rainbow fairy who appears to have a great deal more going on beneath the surface. Of course our old favorites reappear and we get to see a developing relationship between Amy and Nox. Amy experiences a great deal of growth within this novel as she learns more and more about the magic of Oz and balances the line between good and wicked. She is not your simpering, goody-two shoes character who whines about her lot in life and she never hesitates to do the dirty work - even when that involves beheadings!

We follow Amy and Ozma through several new, enchanting lands and get a glimpse of what Oz could have been without the influence of Dorothy and Glinda. These worlds are truly magical and I only wish the book had been longer so that we could spend more time in these incredible places. We also get to see a twisted, macabre version of the Emerald City and discover that the liberation of Oz has become even more complicated than we had previously thought. In the end, we are left on a cliffhanger that had me thinking about the book all night long and pining for the release of the next in the series (2017? Say it ain't so?!)

If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. And while you are at it, grab the novellas as well. They add an interesting dimension to the story and allow you to immerse yourself in Oz just that little bit longer.

The sequel to Dorothy Must Die, this book does not disappoint. Amy Gumm is still on the run, she might have taken care of the Scarecrow- she didn’t fail her mission- she just hasn’t completed it yet. So many things keep getting in her way. Villains don't want her to get a happy ending. Friends aren't as loyal as they may appear. And to top it off- can Amy even trust herself?

How I missed being in Danielle Paige’s world of OZ! The pacing of the book starts of slow, but Danielle Paige’s words help immerse the readers back into the unfamiliar yet familiar world of OZ. While this book seems shorter than the first, it is jam-packed with suspense and action. Twist and turns make this a true page-turner. The Wicked Will Rise does not have the run of the mill plot twists. Once you think you have things figured out- they change. These powerful plot twists take the entire story and turn it head over heel, twisted and contorted -M. C. Escher style. It’s incredible!

Danielle Paige is gifted when it comes to world building with fabulously crafted descriptions of “ neon pallets: hot pink, electric blue, candy-apple red...all of them zooming downward into infinity in a twisting, death-defying flume, carrying me faster than ever seemed possible.” The action continues with vivid descriptions of “skyscrapers collapsing in on themselves in confetti-bursts of jewel and glass.” As a reader, I am find myself not only being complete involved in the story, but in awe of how well the words and sentences are crafted.

Fans of The Lunar Chronicles and The Red Queen will find themselves fans od Danielle Paige’s Dorothy Must Die Series! This is definitely a series I will recommend to everyone.

Dark and intriguing -The Wicked Will Rise would have made L. Frank Baum proud.