The Wicked Will Rise Review: Amy

Once upon a time, Dorothy went to Oz.
She went home.
And then she went back to Oz again.

I ended up in Oz.
Was trained by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
And given a mission.

My mission: kill Dorothy.
But it didn't go as planned.
And now there are consequences to pay.

My name is Amy Gumm.

Book: The Wicked Will Rise
Author: Danielle Paige
Series: Dorothy Must Die
Standing: Book 2
POV: 1st person by Amy, past tense
Genre: YA fantasy

Source: Physical copy
Pages: 293
Release: March 31st 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins

Favourite lines:
"I. Know. Who. I. AM...And I'm willing to fight for it."

"I wasn't powerful because of the knife. The knife was powerful because of me."

Rating: 4 stars

Blurb (Goodreads)
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?

                          ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭

This new spin of The Wizard of Oz continues to amaze me!

This book picks right off where the last book left off, literally seconds later. Amy, having partly failed her mission, is on the run, trying to regroup with the Order and figure out another way to kill Dorothy. We get to meet a variety of new cast members as well as get to see new places in Oz. And though the plot is relatively straightforward, there are completely unexpected twists and turns that left me whipping through the pages.

Amy and Ozma make an interesting duo; they both know yet don't know who they are. Amy, as she's trying to find her place and new identity, and Ozma, who has gone crazy yet still has traces of her old original and insanely powerful self. Amy begins to ask bigger questions in this book, as well as beginning to wonder the what ifs. Her character is growing, realizing that though she's merely a tiny part in the grand scheme of things, she plays a critical role.

One thing that got me was Amy's battle with darkness, or rather, dark magic. Her magic, as well as intentions, become a little unstable, and she finds herself becoming more and more dependent on dark magic. Yes, she's working for the Wicked Witches who are trying to restore order, but her thoughts start to take a darker tone. Amy sees this, and she battles it through and through, trying to figure out who she is and what exactly makes her powerful.

Pete, oh Pete. We learn who he really is in this book, and after the ending of the last book, boy did I have questions. That being said, we always don't like the answers we get, and the reality of Pete's life is not a kind one. I understood what it meant for him and Ozma before Amy did. Even when Pete does that act, yes, I was angry (who wouldn't be? He caused a lot of chaos and destruction!), but at the same time, I understood the reasoning behind it. I sympathize with his situation, but I don't agree with his actions. 

Romance isn't the driving force of the story, but that doesn't mean it isn't in it. We have Amy and Nox, who are pretty cute together, even if they don't really have enough time for themselves. I would have liked to see their relationship develop a little further, but seeing as the world kind of is on the brink of destruction, I understand why it's been sidelined. But hopefully next book, yes?

The only thing that bugged me about the book was the beginning. It lacked the excitement the previous book ended off with. The major characters present in the beginning also made it hard for me to get into the book; between Amy, Lulu, and Mombi's sassy conversations, it was easy to become annoyed with everyone. But once Amy was on her way, the book got much better, filled with more adventure, humour, despair, excitement, confusion, excellent pacing, and action (I completely approve of the action! It's physical as well as magical, which to me is always the best kind!). I absolutely loved the second half of the book, and the world. Just like the first book, this one ends with a devastating and world-changing cliffhanger. The next book is slated to come out next March, so I guess I'll be sitting in agony until then...