The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige
Release Date - March 31, 2015
Publisher Website - Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy
Pages - 293 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received for an honest review from publisher**

**SPOILERS FOR DOROTHY MUST DIE**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dorothy 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? 

They say you can't go home again. For Amy Gumm, and Dorothy Hale this sentiment is achingly true. Sometimes experiences change and shape you beyond recognition and your old life doesn't feel like it fits any longer. In The Wicked Will Rise, Danielle Paige's Oz gets even darker and more twisted and the stakes get even higher for our (maybe) heroine.

Part of what I loved about the Oz that Danielle Paige has created was the way that she kept the feel, and iconic elements from the original but twisted it to make it her own. She made it feel both current and classic at the same time. She, once again, weaves her tale of a young girl finding her place in the world (or in the case worlds) around a very sinister and darker Oz. I thought I knew where this series was headed. I thought I had it logically figured out. Danielle showed me how wrong that assumption was in the first installment and pretty much shattered it in this follow up.

The theme of hero or villain, and of good versus wicked is once again a central focus. The novel, more than once, asks us to look at whether Amy is our hero, or something much more evil. Dorothy is evil, so anyone who is going to defeat her must be the hero, right? The truth is that, perhaps, Amy and Dorothy are not so different. Magic and darkness are like an ocean, and Amy is drowning. After a taste of  when she tore out the Tin Man's heart at the end of Dorothy Must Die the lines between good and wicked are even more blurred for her. Amy's struggle with who she is, and where she fits increases ten fold in this second installment of her journey. The darkness has been invited in and it's not as easy for her to shake off, and who says that she even wants to. With the lines between right and wrong nearly unrecognizable the limits to how far you would go suddenly become murky. Maybe sometimes you need to fight a little dirty to defeat the truly wicked, but what if you lose yourself along the way. That is what haunts Amy and these pages.

Ozma, who is revealed to be Pete at the end of Dorothy Must Die, plays a bigger role in this follow up. As rightful Queen of Oz she's wanted by everyone. Everyone has an agenda. Everyone wants something from her. She's being pursued and attacked from all sides, even from within her own body.  Sadly, it seems that nobody is interested in what Ozma wants, or what is best for her. This character is such an enigma because of the magic Dorothy used on her, and I, more than once, found myself wanting to see how formidable she'd be fully unleashed.

Magic is almost like a character in it's own right. The way it shifts, shapes, and changes those it touches. It is it's own force of nature, and we get a front row seat to the effects it has through Amy and those she encounters. The back story to Oz itself, and magic continued to be expanded upon and I was pleasantly surprised to get answers to questions I hadn't even thought to ask. I previously mentioned that Danielle Paige must have intricately plotted this entire series out before writing anything, and this novel solidifies that fact.

Those who were left agonized by the ending of Dorothy Must Die will either cheer (or groan) to hear that the ending of The Wicked Will Rise is another heart stopper. The ending hammers home the overall theme of the sequel and thrillingly sets up a finale that is sure to please. The amount of questions you'll be dying to ask after you turned the final page, combined with the antagonizing wait in store will ensure immediately devouring of the last chapter in Amy's story upon release.

Transformation is the theme of this novel. Amy is transforming as Oz and her experiences change her. The world, and story that Danielle is weaving is transforming into something unexpected, and the classic tale of Oz itself is transformed into something truly decadent, delicious and more than a little bit wicked.