Shadow of Oz

Shadow of Oz books #2

by Nick Damon

The Land of Oz is dying. Emerald City has been conquered and the most valuable item in Oz is missing. The race for the Ozma is on and only one person knows where it is. Dorothy Gale. There's just one problem, Dorothy has grown up and forgotten all about her adventures in Oz. She's been living in New York, working in an office cubicle, chained to her desk, wishing to escape her dreary, miserable existence. On one chilly November day, she gets her wish. An old enemy from Oz has tracked her down, sending her running for her life. Now Dorothy must follow a mysterious trail of clues left by her younger self, if she hopes to survive. How can she get back to Oz if she doesn't remember the way? And where is the Ozma? What is the Ozma? A Lion, a Scarecrow, and a Tin Man all play a part in the mystery. Will they help her or hurt her? Follow Dorothy as she returns to the Land of Oz, where a dangerous journey awaits! Based on characters created by L. Frank Baum. Young Adult Fantasy

- Action Adventure
- Fantasy Adventure Novel
- Romance Adventure

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retellings, Retellings, Fiction

430 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2012

Reviews

[Flirty Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't the usual type of book I read and review on The Flirty Reader. In fact, I can't tell you the last time I read a book without any sex in it. (I take that back, I read World War Z, no sex there.) But when I saw this book listed on my Bookgorilla email one day, I immediately took advantage.

Here's why: I'm totally enamored with Oz. I haven't read all the books or anything. But I have seen the films, Wizard of Oz and Return to Oz millions of times. Plus Wicked is one of my favorite musicals. Something about the world is endearing and exciting for me. So I knew when I saw Shadow of Oz I would be interested.

And I wasn't disappointed! I'll have to warn you though, this books isn't about the magnificence of Oz or about an adventurous of a young, naive girl, Dorothy, for that matter. Oz is in turmoil and of course Dorothy is the only one who can fix it. But Dorothy is also a cause of it's demise. You'll have to read to find out what. But the theme in this book is that there are consequences to all of your decisions. You see the consequences from Dorothy's wishes she made years before for the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Man. They had a direct impact on what happened to Oz today.

This is a true alternate universe that Damon has created. Dorothy has been stuck in the real world, New York City, for many years, never happy, just treading water in her dull existence. She has no friends, her co-workers barely know she's there, and she hasn't had a boyfriend. Her apartment is boring, her job is boring, and her life is just boring. A sharp contrast from her life in Oz. Until one day so starts seeing things: images in her mirror, a tree grabbing her sleeve, and crows crashing into a window and swarming her at work. Yes, Dorothy has a desk job. Dorothy thinks she's going nuts, but is she?

The fact is: Dorothy lost all memory of her life in Oz. She feels so lost because that big chunk of her life has been erased and she has no reason to explain it. Who can put the pieces back together?

By this point in the book, I was hooked. I loved the A/U aspect of Dorothy's life. I loved seeing the little hints of Oz interjected into that mundane world she was living in. Almost like hints that Dorothy surrounded herself with or was subconsciously attracted to.

it's not until the help of a mysterious and handsome man dressed in odd green clothing comes galloping into her life on a talking horse, does Dorothy question her whole existence and yearn to figure out what she has forgotten about her past. I would question my whole life too if this happened to me.

They journey back to Oz, a world now crumbling from the harsh reign of the Nome King. The heart of Oz, Ozma is missing, and only Dorothy, the Queen of Oz as she learns, knows where it's hidden. The Ozma is a large emerald that beats the life into the land of Oz. With it missing, the world as Dorothy knows will die, taking all of her friends and people of Oz with it. But she has no memory where she hid the Ozma.

What I really loved about this story was the lore of the world. I know not all of it was accurate and a lot was changed from the cannon, but it still intrigued me. Like I would say to any naysayers, this is an A/U and Damon did an excellent job making the world his own as well. Damon takes you through a complex journey through the wilds of Oz with Dorothy and the Knights of Oz. You see them get into tangle after tangle, and you even see some of them die. This is not all unicorns and rainbows story, folks. There is darkness to Shadows of Oz. But there is also a tinge of romance which really made me happy.

Dorothy and Jasper, you'll have to read it to find out more. I won't give it away.

What I want to applaud Damon is the excellence of his storytelling and world building. Without telling the readers, Damon showed us what the journey for Dorothy and her friends was like. Plus the love story was written so subtly that it just made sense and dare I say hotter than a lot of graphic things I've read lately.

All in all, this is a solid book. The only complaints I could point out are all the disembodied actions, creative dialogue tags, typical mistakes a proofer could take care of, and the cliffhanger chapter endings. I mean, seriously, every chapter was a cliffhanger. It made me think it was fanfiction for a while.

Rating: Four (well, lip bites just seems wrong. So four Tik Toks. And on a side note, Ke$sha ruined Googling Tik Tok for me)

[Morgan Dreiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will pretty much read anything about Oz.

This book rustled my jimmies early on, by tricking me into thinking Jinjur was coming into play and by taking the glorious perfect wonderful character of Ozma and turning her into a literal fucking rock. But, one thing saved this book from being a DNF: it was actually really, really good. I was captivated by the plot, hooked by the original characters (i'm sorry willow/tin man OTP), and needed to know what was going to happen next. This is, objectively, a good story, even with the typos-- and you know how unforgivable those are for me, usually. A book has to be something special if I'm willing to overlook a your/you're mistake.

This is a really good read, and I hope there's more out there in the future.

[Shannon Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice twist

I am a huge fan of Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland and any stories based off those beloved characters. The reason I gave this a 4 was do to how much was going on. It grips your attention and makes you want to keep turning pages because of all of the action and it being a wonderful story and plot, but it's almost like it peaks to often together between crisis and that your (my) level of needing the next page seemed to turn into...when can I take a break from the drama. That is not to say some people won't enjoy this because you are never bored and the world created is so vibrant, but to stay at that level of action at all time in my head was almost draining. I can say I'm interested in seeing what comes next, but not in a rush to start it tonight. It's a great twist on an old tornado and anyone who adores Oz will enjoy this read.

[Laura Lineberger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of this book... Dorothy is a grown-up in the real world and doesn't remember her time in Oz but has to return there to save it from an evil king (and maybe her former friends, too). Unfortunately, the whole thing about Dorothy being in the real world and not remembering anything lasts for all of about 5 minutes of the book. All of a sudden, *poof* she's in Oz and suddenly remembers everything.

But I kept reading for the sake of the rest of the story. Here is where I have the biggest problem. It is all TOO ridiculous! Yes, I know this is Oz and a fantasy...I understand it's not the real world. But honestly, this story requires TOO much suspension of disbelief. It is one ridiculous predicament after another. Each one ends up with the heroes saved by the skin of their teeth...usually from a pure stroke of luck or some random piece of magic that all of a sudden exists JUST to fix the problem. It's like when you play a game with a 5 year old, and as soon as he's 51 spaces behind and about to lose, there's a sudden "new rule" that allows him to jump ahead 52 spaces and win. Magic suddenly appears that HAPPENS to be EXACTLY what is needed to save the day. But then, literally on the next page, they are in another impossibly ridiculous situation that will require ANOTHER random lucky escape. Over and over and over and over again. In fact, it is very easy to lose track of the big-picture plot line because the whole story is one crisis after another.

Then, it all just wraps up waaaay too neatly. I don't want to give spoilers, but let me say that I was ALMOST happy with how it ended because it seemed like the "right" kind of ending. Then they had to screw it all up and make everything suddenly perfect again.

I finished the book because I have a hard time NOT finishing books that I start...also, I felt so strongly while reading it that I wanted to review it, and I thought it was only fair to actually read all of it. Not a fan. Sorry.

[Carolyn Comings · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just before I read this, I re-read almost the entire original Oz series for the first time in many, many decades.

In this new book, I didn't mind the adult Dorothy, but I really didn't care for what the author did with the rest of the characters, not to mention the land of Oz itself. And the complete reinvention of Ozma was just unacceptable.

If you're an original Oz purist, you probably won't care for this book at all.

[Glory Hellman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stilted and rushed, I really wish the author had taken some time with his premise. It has some moments but not enough and the clunky prose often brings things to a halt. There's a lot of Oz pastiches out there so it's crucial to stand apart, especially for an indie author.

[Alea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Changey Mcsubject · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was never really a fan of The Wizard of Oz, but I truly enjoyed this take on the story.

[emory · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly dnf-ed this book.

My only reason is that it's poorly written. The way it's written doesn't make me think that there was care and thought in the writing. The outline is interesting, but the writing is childish. In a simple way, it reads me of a child's writing. The plotting and action is rushed and not thought out.

[Rachel Brantley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting!

I really liked this Oz story. It had a lot of action though ...like A LOT...I was exhausted by the end...I would definitely recommend it!

[Mark Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all know Dorothy Gale of Kansas, although you probably imagine her as a teenage Judy Garland, while I picture her as a blonde eleven year old. (There were all these books, you see, and ... oh, never mind.)

In Shadow of Oz Dorothy is all grown up, and now a drone office worker in New York City (apparently in modern times, which would make her something like 125 years old, but never mind again). She's miserable and pretty much a zombie, and not in a fun way, when one day she gets attacked--by a tree. Then by a murder of crows bent on ... well, murder. Then she's rescued by a man of horseback ... who's made out of clay. The man, not the horse.

Then things get exciting. It seems Dorothy, despite being an outsider, was once ruler of the land of Oz. In her absence the country has been conquered by an old enemy, and to save it she must find her way back, regain her memory, beat the bad guys, and recover a gem called the Ozma that's the heart of Oz, pretty much literally. She'll meet old friends along the way, but boy, do they have their work cut out for them.

Shadow of Oz benefits from a breakneck pace, Indiana Jones style, although it can also be exhausting. While I would have preferred to see more of the book characters I'm fond of, Damon wisely sticks to supporting characters from Baum's first three Oz books, all familiar to those who've watched the MGM version of The Wizard of Oz and Disney's Return to Oz. Many of the later characters have been forgotten by anyone who isn't familiar with the books, and would confuse the casual reader.

It's nicely plotted and has some fantastic twists. It can also be read as a standalone book, which is important to some readers, although there are sequels. Some of the fight scenes seem a little long, but you aren't likely to get bored. Overall the characterization is good, but a romance develops that's totally unreasonable considering the time factor involved. (Although, hey--these things happen in stressful situations.) There's a substantial amount of PG violence, and some stuff might be disturbing to the kiddies. Damon, I suspect, is trying to write for an adult audience while maintaining the wonder of the originals, but it comes off more gritty than wondrous.

Now, as a writer there are a few things that bothered me more than they're likely to bother the casual reader. The story is very active, but there's a lot of passive voice--avoiding that has been drilled into me so much that it stood out. There was a bit too much more telling than showing. But there have been bestsellers that I have the same complaint about, so who am I to say? Overall, I think it's worth a read.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a unique submersion in the world of Oz. On the darker side, but not graphic. My only real qualms with this book are how Dorothy reacts to Jasper, being told that she's from Oz, and being chased by the Nome King.

She definitely falls in love way too quickly, I mean, she knows him for about 3 or 4 days before they're "in love". Especially considering her predicament with trying to save Oz and not get killed. Fortunately she is relatively strong-willed, solves some problems herself, and doesn't always turn to Jasper to be rescued. However, she does look at him as her "hero" and does turn to him a lot. I guess I just prefer a strong female, who acknowledges her man, but is able to save herself.

Also the timeline in the story is a bit weird. A lot of events happen in each day, more than would seem to fit in a normal day. And there was little mention of the the basic human needs of the Ozites. They rode on horseback for long hours without stopping, and never once is food mentioned. I understand that this is just a small detail, but since Dorothy mentions not having eaten in several days (or hours, she doesn't know, and the answer is never given), but once she's rescued, she just suddenly rides on a horse for many more hours. This seems totally wrong since she was incredibly weak, and would've needed food and rest, but that's not what happens. It just seems like basic human requirements are skipped over, and I don't really like that.

About her reactions to being told she's from Oz and being chased, it all seems a little contrived. The author does a decent job of setting her character up for being ready to want to accept another existence, but it still just seems a little farfetched and unrealistic that Dorothy would just accept the word of this stranger, and and believe in this whole other world that she doesn't even remember.

As for the actual storyline though, and all that happens in Oz, I loved it. Damon is not afraid to bring in the dark and dangerous to Oz, and the little details for animal and plant names and descriptions were quite amazing, and made the story come to life in my mind. I also loved how Damon was not afraid for a few characters to die. In a battle like the one they were fighting, it would've been very unrealistic for all of Dorothy's group to make it unharmed. I also like how each of Dorothy's friends from her past visits have had hardships and had to challenge their self views, and are still learning how to deal with everything. Oz is no longer this rosy world where everything goes well for Dorothy, and that makes the story more realistic.

[PN · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I have liked an "indie" book as much as I liked this one. While it started off a little slow once the chase began it was never ending action. I loved the changes in Oz and in the characters that we all know and love (as well as the introduction to some of the new ones) and how the story line "grew up" while still being appropriate for young adults. I love how there were scars and hurts to forgive between all the characters as well as Dorothy realizing that nothing was really as she remembered it any longer because, like her, Oz changed while she was away.

I also enjoyed the nods to all the different versions and interpretations of Oz between the names of the witches and the line about "defying gravity". Maybe I read too much into those but they did make me smile.

Was there a lot of back to back on impossible to get out of situations? Did it require a lot of suspension of belief in that our characters faced these challenges back to back and survived (for the most part)? Yes but again it is a book about Oz and to be expected because that is the way it is in all the different stories regarding this mythical land. I am really hoping that there are more in this series because it did end on a slight cliffhanger and I would love to see where else this story arch could go.

[C.S. S Bernhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorothy is now 25 years old. Stuck in a boring job with boring people around her. She has no recollection of Oz. This changes as mysterious things begin to happen around her. Jasper, a Knight of Oz comes to help Dorothy and explains that the Nome King has discovered where she was and is determined to destroy her.
Dorothy and Jasper are soon retracing her steps in life and will soon be headed for Oz where she meats up with old friends and old enemies as well as new.

The first chapter was a little slow but it picks up after that to the point I didn't want to put it down.
I personally loved being back in Oz and seeing what had happened to it since Dorothy had been gone. It was a fun exciting read. I think book this did right by the orginal Wizard of Oz. Nick Damon did a very good job weaving his story into the original to create a beautiful pieace of work.
The ending leaves open the option for another book. I'm hoping it will be out soon and I can go back to Oz once again.
I bought this on Amazon and would recommend it.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems written for young adults but could be a good adult read. I think the telling of Dorothy's return to Oz as an adult missing for over 12 years and the changes the Nome King has wrought are better than the Dorothy Gale seen in the Wicked series. Here she is an adult but has a real personality and a love for her "people" as she turns out to be the Queen of Oz who was away. The adventures of Dorothy, with her crew of Lion, Tik-tok, Jasper (a new addition), many munchkins, and their meeting up with the Tinman are nice. I also liked the evil characters of the Wicked Witch revived, the Nome King, the traitorous Scarecrow, the Witch of the East's daughter, and many dangers in the form of creatures. However, the book did not let up...as soon as they got out of one mess, they were imbued in another. It was non-stop action, and really, I like a little breath. Even the Bourne Identity had more down time than this book. Otherwise, a fun read. And the author promises through his Epilogue 2 that there is likely to be another installment.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book, Shadow of Oz, to have a great premise for a book. However, it was too repetitive in relating the story. Dorothy in New York, having no memory of her time in Oz, was a great beginning. Once Dorothy had returned to Oz, regained her memory, and began her fight against the Nome King, the story became rather repetitive. She basically had the help of her old friends from Oz, and their obstacles and enemies, although not identical, seemed to follow the same pattern. I would have appreciated a little more story such as how the Nome King captured the witch, or how the witch managed to have Scarecrow in her power, or even more background for Jasper. It would have been an opportunity to make the characters more dimensional. Also, for those who have not read the series of books about Dorothy in Oz, and only know the story of Dorothy, Scarecrow, Lion and the Tin Man, more information about Tik Tok would have been a plus. I'd also like to hear more about Dorothy's family history in Oz. I did enjoy the ending, and it's lead up to a future book, or continuing story.

[Patty Presley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! In this book, it's been twelve years since Dorothy was last in Oz. (Apparently, my lack of having never read the other Oz books sort of hinders me, yet it's not too much of an issue. Just curiosity on my part.) Dorothy has grown up and feels like there are things missing in her life. Strange things start happening around her and one day, she is attacked by a flock of crows. She's saved from them by a young man named Jasper Clayfellow. He tells Dorothy the Nome King has found her and he helps her remember who she is, which is the Queen of Oz and that she needs to return to get the Ozma, or the heart of Oz before the Nome King. They return to Oz and are met with an enemy bent on power, a very unexpected arch nemesis, many friends who are still loyal to Dorothy and willing to help her, and even friends that have become enemies. The book is full of adventure and kept me reading.
Would I recommend this book? Yes
Is it rereadable? Absolutely!

[Kay Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oz was a land I got lost in quite often as a child. Damon just took me back there in an adventure I couldn't put down. Dorothy has been living a shadow life in New York, unaware of who and what she is - the Queen of Oz. Part of an elaborate plan to protect Oz and Dorothy from the Nome King, the time has come to return and fight for Oz and its various peoples. Throw in all of the original characters and a new love interest, this was a welcome trip down memory lane!
Nice job, Nick Damon! And as with all good authors, you set us up for a sequel - please don't take too long to write it!

[Thom Watson · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a fan of Oz and the various reimaginings of it, I really wanted to like this, but it was just so amazingly poorly written, with sentence fragments abounding, one-dimensional (to be charitable) characterizations, far too many countdown-clock-stops-at-one-second nick-of-time rescues and resolutions, and extremely limited (or unbelievably lightning-fast where it occurs at all) character development. Luckily it's a very fast read, but even so I found it a real chore to push through it.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nice to revisit Oz :-) I can't remember/haven't read enough of the original books to know how accurate Damon's portrayal of people and places is, but from what I do remember/know it was pretty accurate. Regardless, it was a fun and easy read. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so it will be interesting to see if there is a follow-up. I will definitely read it if there is.
Mildly irritating were a few typos, but hard to say if that is in the text proper or just in the Kindle version.

[jagr9563 · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like twisted fairytales, you will like the twists and turns Oz has in store for Dorothy when she returns to avenge a new foe and comes up against and old enemy.
I love this type of thriller, roller-coaster, twisty fairy tale. So this was right up my alley. Some of the adventures were a bit far fetched, but then again, none of this story was based in reality, so that shouldn't have surprised me. Now I am ready for the second book in this series.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok read

I wasn't a huge fan but continued anyway. I was exited about this book at first, but unfortunately it did not keep me as captivated as I hoped. A lot of the same thing- lets escape whatever happens to be chasing us at the present moment. I did of course enjoy the premise of the book, being a fan of course of Dorothy and her friends; and the ending was nice as well. I give this book a solid 3 stars.

[Tania Winstead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. I love the Wizard of Oz and to have this book follow the story made me truly happy. it wasn't cheesy like I first expected. I had a hard time putting it down. I adored the love between Jasper and Dorothy and also appreciated the Scarecrows story line. Definitely a must read.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with Caroline, it was nice to visit Oz again. My only complaint is that this book was non-stop action. I realize they were on a mission but I would have enjoyed a few camp fire pit stops where we got to the know characters more deeply. Maybe there will be a sequel and I will get that eventually.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unofficial sequels are hit or miss for me. The premise of this story intrigued me - Dorothy coming back to OZ years later to help her friends - but the story didn't quite hit the mark. The story seemed to rely more on action than character development, as though relying on the probability that we are familiar with the movie/original books.

It was an okay story, it just did not work for me.

[Jolene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost hate to say I loved this more than the original Oz series from L. Frank Baum.

well done Nick Damon. I only stopped reading when I was simply too tired to read on, despite how much I'd rather have been awake reading! It was action packed, perhaps more so than the original, and beautifully incorporated the (dare I say) warped world of Oz.

[The Reading Hammock | Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book. It kept me interested and entertained throughout. Fairly predictable, but there were a few pleasant twists and tuns along the way. All in all, a well told story of Dorothy's exiting return to Oz!

[Krysta · Rating 3 out of 5]

took me a little while to read this book, been a bit busy lately. anyway i liked the different take of oz in this bookand that it had alot of action. i didnt like how dorothy was constintly being saved by someone or stood back alot. i wish shed be a bit stronger but all in all a good book.

[Marguerite Czajka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected to like this book more than I did. A grown up Dorothy just isn't as interesting as a child Dorothy. Or maybe if it hadn't been 45 years or so since I read the Oz books. It was okay but felt a little forced.

[Jes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is going to sound weird, but there's a ton of action. Almost more action scenes than anything. I kept thinking it would make a much better movie. That being said, I loved the story line at the beginning and end. I would recommend this book, And can not wait for the sequel.