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idratherbereading542's review
4.0
- Heroine: Dorothy
- Harem: Tobias (Toto), Crowe (Scarecrow), Talos (Tinman), Leon (Lion)
- POVs Included: Multiple POVs (Dorothy, Tobias, Crowe, Talos, Leon)
- Book Playlist (Wizard of Oz Dark Retelling Playlist)
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SUMMARY: (SPOILER WARNING)
Dorothy is headed back home to Kansas after ten years of failing being an actress in Hollywood. The only thing she has to show for it is her certified emotional support pet, Toto.
But when a twister hits her house, she is swept up to the land of Oz where she encounters strange creatures who are either evil or being manipulated by evil witches.
Her new friends suggest visiting the Wizard of Oz to help her get home. The Wizard gives her a mission to defeat the four witches of Oz so he can have enough magic to grant her and her companions’ wishes and restore what they’ve lost from the evil witches.
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REVIEW:
I enjoyed this one. I’m really loving this series and this author’s spin on these classics. Like the first one, We’re All Mad Here, this one was dark and atmospheric and had a very unique and interesting take on the story.
I thought it was quite creative and clever that each of the guys were cursed by one of four wicked witches of Oz (one for each direction - North, South, East, and West). And in order to have their curses reversed, they need to find each one, kill them, and retrieve the artifact that held their powers (like the shoes from the Wicked Witch of the East). This plot premise was so clever and well done!
I did feel like the guys in the first book, We’re All Mad Here, were a little darker and more twisted (which I preferred). And that one was also more haunting and atmospheric in my opinion.
On the other hand, I liked that she was with the guys for most of the journey in this one. This allowed us to get to know them better than we did in Alice’s book. I also liked that this one had a bit of an epilogue that I thought Alice’s book was lacking.
I did prefer Alice over Dorothy as a character though. Dorothy was kind of timid and unsure of herself, whereas Alice did what she had to do to get shit done. lol
But enough comparing…
I liked the story for this one a lot. It was just such an interesting twist and I loved it. It was fascinating to meet each of the witches and see how they shaped each of Dorothy’s men (for better and worse).
I liked the guys too. Crowe seemed to get the most page time though. I didn’t feel like we got to know Talos as much. But I did still like him. Tobias was sweet and loyal. And Leon was sort of a ball of energy. They were a good group, even if I did feel like their page time wasn’t always balanced.
Overall it’s an excellent dark RH retelling of the Wizard of Oz. Not overly smutty (I would’ve like more smut TBH). But an interesting story with an underlining lesson about being yourself and not letting others change you. I’d recommend it (and this whole series) if you like darker retellings and RH romances.
- Harem: Tobias (Toto), Crowe (Scarecrow), Talos (Tinman), Leon (Lion)
- POVs Included: Multiple POVs (Dorothy, Tobias, Crowe, Talos, Leon)
- Book Playlist (Wizard of Oz Dark Retelling Playlist)
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
SUMMARY: (SPOILER WARNING)
Dorothy is headed back home to Kansas after ten years of failing being an actress in Hollywood. The only thing she has to show for it is her certified emotional support pet, Toto.
But when a twister hits her house, she is swept up to the land of Oz where she encounters strange creatures who are either evil or being manipulated by evil witches.
Her new friends suggest visiting the Wizard of Oz to help her get home. The Wizard gives her a mission to defeat the four witches of Oz so he can have enough magic to grant her and her companions’ wishes and restore what they’ve lost from the evil witches.
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
REVIEW:
I enjoyed this one. I’m really loving this series and this author’s spin on these classics. Like the first one, We’re All Mad Here, this one was dark and atmospheric and had a very unique and interesting take on the story.
I thought it was quite creative and clever that each of the guys were cursed by one of four wicked witches of Oz (one for each direction - North, South, East, and West). And in order to have their curses reversed, they need to find each one, kill them, and retrieve the artifact that held their powers (like the shoes from the Wicked Witch of the East). This plot premise was so clever and well done!
I did feel like the guys in the first book, We’re All Mad Here, were a little darker and more twisted (which I preferred). And that one was also more haunting and atmospheric in my opinion.
On the other hand, I liked that she was with the guys for most of the journey in this one. This allowed us to get to know them better than we did in Alice’s book. I also liked that this one had a bit of an epilogue that I thought Alice’s book was lacking.
I did prefer Alice over Dorothy as a character though. Dorothy was kind of timid and unsure of herself, whereas Alice did what she had to do to get shit done. lol
But enough comparing…
I liked the story for this one a lot. It was just such an interesting twist and I loved it. It was fascinating to meet each of the witches and see how they shaped each of Dorothy’s men (for better and worse).
I liked the guys too. Crowe seemed to get the most page time though. I didn’t feel like we got to know Talos as much. But I did still like him. Tobias was sweet and loyal. And Leon was sort of a ball of energy. They were a good group, even if I did feel like their page time wasn’t always balanced.
Overall it’s an excellent dark RH retelling of the Wizard of Oz. Not overly smutty (I would’ve like more smut TBH). But an interesting story with an underlining lesson about being yourself and not letting others change you. I’d recommend it (and this whole series) if you like darker retellings and RH romances.
_toristhoughts_'s review
4.0
They should call me the deranged man whisperer. Maybe the emotionally unavailable pied piper, who drew all the soulless killers of Oz away from their kingdoms.
I loved this author's Alice in Wonderland retelling "We're All Mad Here" so I was very excited to get the chance to read her next retelling of the Wizard of Oz. I may not have loved this classic as much as I do Alice in Wonderland, but I definitely enjoyed this retelling (probably more than the original if we're being honest
I loved this author's Alice in Wonderland retelling "We're All Mad Here" so I was very excited to get the chance to read her next retelling of the Wizard of Oz. I may not have loved this classic as much as I do Alice in Wonderland, but I definitely enjoyed this retelling (probably more than the original if we're being honest
happygolucky47's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape
rambleandsipwithelise's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tracymichelle's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Was pleasantly surprised that this book was so plot heavy - I went into hoping it would be but expected it to be half plot half spice (as so many of these dark retellings seem to be). I really enjoyed this. Easy to understand because it kept with the major premise of the Wizard of Oz with just some really dark twists - which I liked. I felt like it was quite a bit rushed, should have been longer or two separate books. The scenes with the witches should have been way longer. Still enjoyed it and will likely read some of the other books in this series.
chubbyromancereader's review against another edition
4.0
Holy freaking heck! Leann Belle did such an amazing job doing a retelling of The Wizard of Oz! To say I was hooked is an understatement! It was dark and twisted and so freaking good, it pulled me back into its world whenever I had time! This was an adult retelling and it did not disappoint!
enchantedstacksandsagas's review
4.0
I just, absolutely loved this retelling! One word: Crowe. He was my kryptonite in this book! I loved all the men, but I feel like Crowe took the cake for me!
Leon was quick to the relationship I felt like he definitely had cat vibes, such orange cat vibes 😂
Talos was the tortured quiet type and the perfect tin man 🩶
Tobias was just the sweetest doggo there ever was, and his story line and background was so unexpected for me and kind of broke me (in the best way of course) 🥲
Crowe... like I said idk what it is about him but I just, connected with him the most! The protective, no bullshit energy from him was everything for me. Absolute king energy. 👑
And last but definitely not least, Dorothy! She went through so fucking much. I loved her journey to finding her inner strength and confidence. Without giving anything away, I love that each of these men complimented different parts of her personality and assisted her in her growth! For a dark retelling, it was actually quite sweet as well!
Overall I really enjoyed this, and will definitely be continuing the Vicious Wonders series 💚
Leon was quick to the relationship I felt like he definitely had cat vibes, such orange cat vibes 😂
Talos was the tortured quiet type and the perfect tin man 🩶
Tobias was just the sweetest doggo there ever was, and his story line and background was so unexpected for me and kind of broke me (in the best way of course) 🥲
Crowe... like I said idk what it is about him but I just, connected with him the most! The protective, no bullshit energy from him was everything for me. Absolute king energy. 👑
And last but definitely not least, Dorothy! She went through so fucking much. I loved her journey to finding her inner strength and confidence. Without giving anything away, I love that each of these men complimented different parts of her personality and assisted her in her growth! For a dark retelling, it was actually quite sweet as well!
Overall I really enjoyed this, and will definitely be continuing the Vicious Wonders series 💚
booktrovertcas's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I loved each of the MMC’s, Tobias (Toto), Crowe (Scarecrow), Talos (Tin Man) and Leon (Cowardly Lion) and each of their relationships with Dorothy. I also loved the interactions and relationship between Crowe and Talos, which was both entertaining and hot.
There were definitely many moments that made me want to blush, giggle and kick my feet. 🤭
I really liked what Leann did with the slippers/shoes and how it incorporates both the silver slippers from the books and the ruby shoes from the movies. I thought what she did with the shoes were a really cool idea.
I could not put this book down, I was super invested in this story. When I was around 50% in I was so into the book that next time I check I was already at almost 80% but it felt like no time passed at all.
I love this book it is definitely a 5 star for me and I would 100% recommend this book, I can even see my self re-reading this book in the future.
dsarracco1's review against another edition
5.0
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, and it was incredible! What Leann did with Oz was so amazing and well thought out. The characters were so lovable, and the spice was *chef's kiss*! This is something I can read over and over and over again. I loved it!
fjordic's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I didn't understand what "dark" meant before this book. I didn't really know that stuff like this existed. I think I'm intrigued but still processing.
Cawpile review:
Characters 3
Atmosphere/art 4
Writing/lettering 3
Plot 4
Intrigue 3
Logic/credibility 3
Enjoyment 3
Score 23, 3.3 out of 5 stars
https://bookriot.com/the-cawpile-review-system/
Cawpile review:
Characters 3
Atmosphere/art 4
Writing/lettering 3
Plot 4
Intrigue 3
Logic/credibility 3
Enjoyment 3
Score 23, 3.3 out of 5 stars
https://bookriot.com/the-cawpile-review-system/