"Dorothy Must Die" by Danielle Paige

Series: Dorothy Must Die #1
Genre: YA Fantasy/ Retellings
Format: Kindle
Publication: April 2014 by Harper Collins
Cover Rating: 3/5 Stars

Links: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depo,

From Goodreads: 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.


My Thoughts: Dorothy Must Die has to be my least favorite fairytale retelling that I have ever read, and I had such high hopes for it to. I mean, just look at that cover! This book was designed to lure you in with a cover like that! But alas, I feel victim once again to my cover lust.

So, here's my issues with DMD:

1. Pacing- While this novel started off VERY strong, it quickly got boring fast... and slightly confusing. The story seemed to drag on and on, without bothering to really explain certain important plot elements. By the time I was half-way through, I was already wanting it to just be over with.

2. Characters- While our MC, Amy Gumm is pretty rad and awesome, the rest of the stories characters are FLAT and lame. I didn't feel any kind of connection or love for any of the side characters, or their relationship to Amy. Even Dorothy herself was just plain boring. And don't even get me started on the love interest, Nox (I could seriously punch myself in the face trying to get through reading scenes with him).

3. Immature writing, but with adult language- This was the real kicker for me. The story read for a young audience (think 14 and younger), but it felt like the author changed her mind by dropping the F-Bomb randomly throughout the story to "adult it up", which just came off as silly.

Bottom Line: I won't be recommending this one.

My Rating: 2/5 Stars

"Touch of Power" by Maria V. Snyder

Series:  Healer #1
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Paperback; 390 pages
Publication: December 12, 2011 by Mira
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book! Touch of Power was not my first venture into MVS' writing, though. I was introduced to her books by reading her Study series, which was amazing. I really enjoyed reading them, so when my lovely and amazing GReep friend Jen went to one of MVS book signings I hopped on the band wagon and asked her to snag me a signed copy of TOP. ...And I'm so glad I did. While I really liked the Study series, for me, TOP is by far the best and is now sitting pretty on my "favorites shelf".

You remember back in middle school you always had those few creepy kids that wanted to learn all about the Black Plague in History? They would ask the teacher endless questions and keep everyone late after class because they were such morbid nerds? Well, that was totally me. Something about such an epic pandemic killing off two thirds of the population is pretty engrossing to me. Especially when we learn how people acted during and after such disasters. This is what really drew me in to TOP. In Avery's world, a plague has just killed off more than half of the population. As a healer (someone with the magical ability to take in another's illness or wounds), she should have been able to help cure the disease, but for some unknown reason the healers were unable to cure the Plague without dying themselves. Because of this, the realm began to blame the healers for the plague, and eventually started to hunt them down one by one.

As far as Avery knows, she maybe the last one left of her kind. Constantly on the run and hiding from a society that would punish her for her gift, she trusts no one. Until she meets a band of misfit warriors sent to rescue her in the hopes of her curing their Prince.

Besides the amazingly entertaining plot, I also really loved the chemistry between all of the characters. I felt like I was actually on the run with Avery, Kerrick, Flea, Belen, and the monkeys, and even though they were in a completely different world, I could completely connect with each of them.

Overall, Touch of Power is just a fantastic and well written fantasy that I will definitely be recommending to all of my friends!


My Rating:

Audio Review: "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Genre: Fantasy/ Magical Realism
Publication: September 13, 2011 by Random House
Format: Audible
Narrated By: Jim Dale
Narration Rating: 5/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. 

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. 

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. 

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

My Thoughts: This book was so incredibly enchanting and bizarre! I have never read anything like it before, and sadly I doubt I will ever find anything similar to it or it's quality again. I never wanted it to end! I think that this is one of those stories that people will either love or hate, for whatever reason. However, I found myself taking the long way home from work just so I could keep listening to Jim Dale read me this magical tale.

The story has many different view points, sometimes we are actual patrons of the circus, other times we are witnessing individual characters lives of the circus itself (mostly Marco's and Celia's). We also time jump from past to present frequently. It is a bit to keep up with if you're listening to it, but not impossible or distracting, and very much worth the satisfying ending.

The characters are beyond lovable, and the plot careens, twists, and soars into the depths of your mind, carving the tale of The Night Circus firmly in your imagination.

As for the audible version and Jim Dale's narration? It was amazing. It didn't take away from the book at all, and Dale gave my drives home this enchanting quality that I could never have reached had I simply read it myself. Which is a bit odd of me to say, but it's true. There was just something about his voice that made me dive into this world of enchanters, seers, and contortionist.

Overall, I highly recommend the audio version of this book!

My Rating: