Waiting on Wednesday {21}

Hey everyone and welcome to my weekly Waiting on Wednesday meme post! This is just a once a week deal where each Wednesday I post about one book I am looking forward to reading and then link it up to the host blog, Breaking the Spine, where I can be connected to over 200 other readers and bloggers who are looking for a new read! My friend Kim from kimberlyfayereads participates in this meme each week and it has always looked like a great time. Below you will find the book cover, synopsis, Goodreads link and my reasons for waiting on this read! Enjoy!

This week's WOW  is... The Wizard Returns by Danielle Paige!

Series: Dorothy Must Die

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: March 1, 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Fairy Tale, Fantasy

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.

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Why am I waiting?

Do I even have to answer this question anymore? Out of 21 Waiting on Wednesday posts I have done, 4 of them have been for Danielle Paige. Seriously people. Are you seeing a trend? If it says 'Danielle Paige', it's an immediate 'add to TBR' for me. Not only that but... IT'S MORE OZ! Have you guys heard how much I love Oz? Let me tell you again... AHH!! Haha. Everyone has their favorite literary world: Neverland, Wonderland, Narnia, Middle Earth, Harry Potter, etc. Mine has always, and will forever be Oz. I can, and have, written entire posts about my love of all things Oz, but I won't go into that here. Just trust me, I'm an Oz-freak. Also, to add to my flails, this one is all about one of my absolute favorite characters from Oz, The Wizard! The Great and Powerful WoO! Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs and I go way back. Yeah, I used his full name! Haha. Seriously folks. If you are an Oz fan in ANY capacity, you are definitely not going to want to miss this third installment in the Dorothy Must Die prequel arc!
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What are YOU waiting on this week?

Check out this week's host post at Breaking the Spine by clicking here!

Thanks for stopping by, Happy Reading! 

-Ethan

Waiting on Wednesday {18}

Hey everyone and welcome to my weekly Waiting on Wednesday meme post! This is just a once a week deal where each Wednesday I post about one book I am looking forward to reading and then link it up to the host blog, Breaking the Spine, where I can be connected to over 200 other readers and bloggers who are looking for a new read! My friend Kim from kimberlyfayereads participates in this meme each week and it has always looked like a great time. Below you will find the book cover, synopsis, Goodreads link and my reasons for waiting on this read! Enjoy!

This week's WOW (my first of 2015) is... The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige!

Series: Dorothy Must Die

Publisher: Harper-Collins

Release Date: March 31, 2015

Genre: Young Adult

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?

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Why am I waiting?

Anyone who hasn't been living under a rock knows that I am absolutely obsessed with Oz. All things Oz. Also, I'll let you in on a little secret... I'm Danielle Paige's biggest fan. Seriously. Go search my blog archive. I've got so many posts dedicated the DP and Dorothy Must Die, that I have lost track entirely. Seriously you guys, it's one of my all time favorite reads. If you guys had a chance to check out my Top 14 Most Anticipated Reads of 2015 post last week, you would have already seen my raving about this novel. I seriously cannot say enough about how excited I am. Its' predecessor, Dorothy Must Die was named my Top YA Read of 2014. That was a huge category for me and DMD won it hands down. How could I not be excited about this read? I honestly don't know what I am expecting from the sequel, except that DP left us hanging big time in book one. That cliffhanger ending sets us up for an incredible continuation of the story. Also, I am dying to know if any Wicked Witched rise from the dead. I'm pretty sure I would die from happiness if Amy and the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked were able to resurrect either the Wicked Witch of the East or West. That'd put Dorothy in her place. Just saying. Except I'd want the squat, three pigtailed, one-eyed version that Baum created and not the green-skinned beauty that the world has come to love.  Guy's gotta dream, right? We shall see. Regardless of what tricked Danielle Paige has up her sleeve, I know I will fall just as hard for The Wicked Will Rise as I have for everything else she has written. Are you guys pumped?! March 31st can't get here fast enough!
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What are YOU waiting on this week?

Check out this week's host post at Breaking the Spine by clicking here!

Thanks for stopping by, Happy Reading! 

-Ethan

The Witch Must Burn by Danielle Paige Review

Hey readers and Happy Monday! I know, that is the most depressing saying of the week, but someone has to say it. Okay. TODAY I am so excited to bring you the review to the novella I waited nearly seven months for... drumroll please! ....... The Witch Must Burn by Danielle Paige! The second prequel novella in her Dorothy Must Die series. Before we get to my thoughts, here's a bit about the book and about our author, the incredible Danielle Paige!

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. 

Danielle Paige 

Danielle lives in NY. Before turning to YA, she worked in television & was nominated for several Daytime Emmy's. Dorothy Must Die is her first novel. 

Find Danielle Paige 

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS |

Best part about this novella? It's only $2.99! Yeah! That's a steal! Before we get to my thoughts, you guys should be made aware that this is the second prequel novella to a series. It's predecessor and 'sequel' have already been released in the form of There's No Place Like Oz and Dorothy Must Die! If you guys don't know much about those two reads, check out my reviews and more by clicking on the covers below!

 

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My Thoughts:

Seven months ago I found out that a debut author was getting ready to release her retelling of Oz. I will openly admit that I groaned when I heard this. It was not until after I read the synopsis that I thought, "hmm... this has potential". So, I jumped right now with the first novella and quickly decided that Danielle Paige was the next Queen of Oz. It only took me 75 pages to realize that this was the real deal. Oz had sat on the backburner for far too long. I was beginning to think I was the only person keeping up with Oz these days, then DP hit the stage and suddenly Oz was in the spotlight, AGAIN! 

I have not had much luck with females in Oz. I don't know what it is, but for some reason the female writers just haven't captured L. Frank Baum's image of Oz the way I would have liked. Then I met Danielle Paige. Finally, someone who could not only update Oz, but reintroduce it to an entirely new generation of readers. Thank Lurline!  So you guys have probably seen or heard of my thoughts on Danielle's other two OZ novels, so let's get down to TWMB!

This was an extremely short novella (only about 70 pages on my Nook), but it was a fairly complete story. Unlike our other novella that was about Dorothy and her return to Oz, this novel follows a summer in the life of Jellia Jamb, Head Maid of the Emerald Palace. Well... she was just a head maid. Now I'm not exactly sure WHAT she is! (Keep reading the series to learn more about Jellia's role in the story)

Basically we get a short story about what happens to Jellia after she is whisked out of the Emerald Palace and sent to work as the "Good Witch of the South", Glinda's, Head Maid for the summer. It was just as sickening as you can imagine. So much pink. *shudders*

Glinda, Dorothy, and the Scarecrow have teamed up the begin the horrible process of mining the magic from Oz. Using methods ranging from Munchkin labor, Magic, and the Scarecrow's new drill, Oz is being sucked dry and the terrible trip needs Jellia's help to continue down this retched path. Will Jellia help them in fear or resist in order to do her part to restore Oz to its' former glory? With Ozma still nowhere near "normal", Oz is under Dorothy's thumb unless Jellia can do something about it. Sounds like Oz needs a savior. *cough* Amy Gumm *cough*

Jellia proved to be an awesome character in this novel. It was so great to actually learn the backstory of a character who has been around for 114 years! Yes, you read that right, Jellia was actually mentioned, unnamed, in the original The Wonderful Wizard of Oz story! Crazy right? What a long time to go without a proper time in the spotlight! Kudos to DP for giving these lesser known characters their time to shine!

As anyone who has read my previous reviews knows, I am not a fan of Dorothy. Never have been. I WAS a fan of Glinda until  Dorothy Must Die came along and now I am team Glamora all the way! Oh, and I know what you are thinking, "what about the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked?". And that's a great question, I'm glad you asked. They actually play a rather large role in the storyline. Turns out they have been recruiting for quite some time!

Fans of Nox. Gert, Mombi (ahh Mombi!), and Glamora can read easy knowing they will see their favorite characters! It may be brief and leave you with more questions than it answered, but The Witch Must Burn is definitely a must read for fans of this series!

I do have to say that I am really interested to see how the events of this story will play out int he rest of the series, because I really don't see where it fits in with DMD. I know Danielle will have a plan, as she has not steered me wrong yet! This definitely will tide me over until The Wicked Will Rise releases on March 31, 2015!

All-in-all I am granting this awesome little novella a 4.5-star rating from me! Full of more Oz nods and lore than I can mention and it DEFINITELY left me itching for me. I cannot wait to see what comes next from DP!
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Okay guys, I don't have to rave all night long for all my readers to know how much I love all things Oz. I've said it before, and I'll say it once again, Oz is MY THING! I have read so much Oz that I sometimes forget where Oz ends and my realm begins. I am seriously obsessed. After a stream of authors who really couldn't capture L. Frank Baum's image, the Oz community was blessed to have been granted Danielle Paige. She is the Ozian savior in every sense. Oz has fallen out of the limelight and thanks to her, an entire new generation of readers are discovering the land I fell in love with many, many years ago! I highly encourage any reader, Oz fan or not to check out this series, I promise you will NOT be disappointed! Until next time, Happy Reading and Ozspeed!

-Ethan

The Witch Must Burn by Danielle Paige Release Day!

Hey everyone! I'm not officially on some sort of release day launch for this novella or anything, but I still wanted to make a quick promo post to get the word out to my readers! Today the highly anticipated second prequel novella to my favorite book of the year cam out! What book was that? Dorothy Must Die! Today I am proud to present to you guys The Witch Must Burn by my amazing friend and fantastic author, Mrs. Danielle Paige! Here's a bit about the book, the author, and the buy links to get you excited!

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. 

Danielle Paige 

Danielle lives in NY. Before turning to YA, she worked in television & was nominated for several Daytime Emmy's. Dorothy Must Die is her first novel. 

Find Danielle Paige 

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS |

Best part about this novella? It's only $2.99! Yeah! That's a steal! I am only about halfway through this novella right now, but I'm already positive I will love it just as much as it's predecessors There's No Place Like Oz and Dorothy Must Die! If you guys don't know much about those two reads, check out my reviews and more by clicking on the covers below!

 

Okay guys, I don't have to rave all night long for all my readers to know how much I love all things Oz. I've said it before, and I'll say it once again, Oz is MY THING! I have read so much Oz that I sometimes forget where Oz ends and my realm begins. I am seriously obsessed. After a stream of authors who really couldn't capture L. Frank Baum's image, the Oz community was blessed to have been granted Danielle Paige. She is the Ozian savior in every sense. Oz has fallen out of the limelight and thanks to her, an entire new generation of readers are discovering the land I fell in love with many, many years ago! I highly encourage any reader, Oz fan or not to check out this series, I promise you will NOT be disappointed! Until next time, Happy Reading and Ozspeed!

-Ethan

Waiting on Wednesday {8}

Hey everyone and welcome to my weekly Waiting on Wednesday meme post! This is just a once a week deal where each Wednesday I post about one book I am looking forward to reading and then link it up to the host blog, Breaking the Spine, where I can be connected to over 200 other readers and bloggers who are looking for a new read! My friend Kim from kimberlyfayereads participates in this meme each week and it has always looked like a great time. Below you will find the book cover, synopsis, Goodreads link and my reasons for waiting on this read! Enjoy!

This week's WOW is... The Witch Must Burn by Danielle Paige

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.

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Why am I waiting?

This is such a great question, but an even better one should be 'who isn't waiting?'. I am obsessed with all things Oz. When it comes to fandoms, everyone has their thing: Harry Potter, LOTR, etc. Mine has always been, and forever will be, Oz. I have read more Oz books than you can shake a stick at. Oz in different languages, adaptations, retellings, etc. Oz it MY thing. I can recite Ozian lore to you backways and frontways until the cows come home, but until recently that ever mattered. Fir years, interest in Oz has been waning. Just when I thought I was going to lose my world, Danielle Paige EXPLODED onto the scene and changed my reading world! If you guys are regulars around here, you will know that Dorothy Must Die is one of my highest reviewed books to date. It was, as on today, my favorite book of 2014. I loved it THAT much. That being said, of course I'd be excited about more of Danielle Paige's Oz! While this isn't the second novel in the series, it's the second prequel novella which provides some amazing backstory to one of the main characters of the series: Dorothy Gale! While I may have to wait a little while longer to read more of Amy Gumm and her antics, I am thrilled to get more Oz in any way, shape, or form! All this PLUS Danielle Paige is AMAZING! Seriously, she is one great lady! If you love retellings or having your life turned upside down: READ THIS SERIES. End rant. 

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What are YOU waiting on this week?

Check out this week's host post at Breaking the Spine by clicking here!

 

Thanks for stopping by, Happy Reading! 

-Ethan