This was fun! When she was little, my oldest daughter was obsessed with The Wizard of OThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was fun! When she was little, my oldest daughter was obsessed with The Wizard of Oz. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen this movie. I have a huge soft spot for dogs, so the idea of a retelling of The Wizard of Oz from Toto’s point of view felt like something that I just had to experience. It was so entertaining to see this story with a few updates from such an original point of view.
It turns out that Toto is a snarky little guy. It was great to see so many familiar characters in this more modern look at Oz. We also get to meet a few more key characters which adds a new layer to the original story. Toto has a lot to say and the residents in Oz can understand him, everyone except Dorothy unfortunately. The group runs into plenty of trouble during their quest to have the wizard grant their requests.
André Santana does a fantastic job with the narration of this book. He handled the voices of the varied cast of characters very well which helped to bring the story to life. He added just the right amount of emotion to the reading to take the book to the next level and I thought he handled the more comical moments of the story very well. I am certain that his performance added to my enjoyment of this story.
I would recommend this book to others. I thought that it was a very imaginative and entertaining retelling. The story did drag just a bit for me at times but it was a very enjoyable read overall. I do hope to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group and Penguin Random House Audio....more
I have had this on my TBR for a long time and was finally able to get my hands on a library copy. I was able to read it in about an hour, so it was a I have had this on my TBR for a long time and was finally able to get my hands on a library copy. I was able to read it in about an hour, so it was a very quick read. I was entertained by this story of a werewolf terrorizing a small town month after month. The artwork was very well done, which only added to my enjoyment. This one didn't blow me away but it was a solid story nonetheless. ...more
This was great! I admit that this book first hit my radar because of the gorgeous firstThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was great! I admit that this book first hit my radar because of the gorgeous first edition (and I can’t wait to get my hands on the copy I ordered!). Once I read the synopsis, I knew I needed to read this book! The story was just as good as I had hoped and I found it so hard to put down that I read most of the book in a single day. Kai was very likable, and I wanted to see things work out for her.
As the story opens Kai is being robbed of her clothes and her amulet somewhere in the woods. She doesn’t know where she is and can’t remember who she is. As she tries to get her items back from the thief, she gets in a little trouble in town and must pay a debt before she can move on. I was curious about Kai’s past and loved the clues each ability or memory gave. The story had a lot of action and it quickly became obvious that Kai knew how to handle herself.
In a quest to find answers, Kai travels with the local blacksmith, Jadon, who is also a skilled fighter, his sister, Olivia, and Philia. They face one obstacle after the next during their journey. I loved that there was a lot of action to keep the story moving at a steady pace. The story kept me guessing throughout, and there were plenty of surprises along the way. The romantic elements kept me on my toes as well.
I would recommend this book to others. It did so many things well. The world-building was top-notch, and the characters were incredibly likable. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment!
I received a review copy from Red Tower Books....more