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Poppy Curses and Emerald Skies
Oz is no longer safe.
After a glowing green object lands in her front yard, Dori wakes up in a strange land where warriors are forgetting their names, citizens are fleeing to the forest for sanctuary, and any mention of the Enchantress elicits fear.
Dori wants nothing more than to get back home. However, she finds herself drawn to the three guardians of Oz: East, North, and West.
Each with their own curse, Dori discovers that she has a crucial role in helping break these curses and in defeating the evil Enchantress.
Can Dori help restore the balance to Oz before the Enchantress finds her? Or is Oz destined to be cursed for eternity?
After a glowing green object lands in her front yard, Dori wakes up in a strange land where warriors are forgetting their names, citizens are fleeing to the forest for sanctuary, and any mention of the Enchantress elicits fear.
Dori wants nothing more than to get back home. However, she finds herself drawn to the three guardians of Oz: East, North, and West.
Each with their own curse, Dori discovers that she has a crucial role in helping break these curses and in defeating the evil Enchantress.
Can Dori help restore the balance to Oz before the Enchantress finds her? Or is Oz destined to be cursed for eternity?
- GenresFantasy
241 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2024
1 person is currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Chelsea Biddiscombe
4 books36 followersChelsea was born in Edmonton, Alberta and got her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Calgary. She resides in a small town outside of Edmonton with her partner and their three children.
Chelsea has always been an avid reader and dreamed of one day having her very own novel gracing the shelves of the local libraries and bookstores.
Her newest upcoming project is 'Poppy Curses and Emerald Skies', a Wizard of Oz retelling that Chelsea is particularly proud of.
Chelsea has always been an avid reader and dreamed of one day having her very own novel gracing the shelves of the local libraries and bookstores.
Her newest upcoming project is 'Poppy Curses and Emerald Skies', a Wizard of Oz retelling that Chelsea is particularly proud of.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 17, 2024
This was a really sweet retelling of the Wizard of Oz story. I liked the themes of friendship, loyalty, love, and determination that ran throughout it. It had dark moments, and I found myself being really invested in the characters and what happened to them. The pacing was good, and the writing style flowed well.
I liked the world building and all the characters we met along the way, which have clear links with the original story. Despite the dark themes, overall, it is a feel-good book about love and friendship, and by the end, I was feeling all the emotions. I was absolutely here for it. I will definitely look out for more books by this author.
Thanks to the author for giving me an advanced copy of the book. This is my honest opinion, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
I liked the world building and all the characters we met along the way, which have clear links with the original story. Despite the dark themes, overall, it is a feel-good book about love and friendship, and by the end, I was feeling all the emotions. I was absolutely here for it. I will definitely look out for more books by this author.
Thanks to the author for giving me an advanced copy of the book. This is my honest opinion, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
May 27, 2024
I didn’t want this book to end, especially because I finished it so fast. This retelling of the Wizard of Oz was so different and refreshing. Zero spice for those that are wondering, but a sweet little love kindling towards the end. I wasn’t disappointed at all. Can’t wait for Chelsea to do more!
I read an advanced review copy and am leaving this review voluntarily. I can’t wait for the final, physical copy to release to add to my library.
I read an advanced review copy and am leaving this review voluntarily. I can’t wait for the final, physical copy to release to add to my library.
May 24, 2024
This was such a wonderfully done retelling of Oz and was invested in what was happening to the characters. I was engaged with what was going well and thought the characters had that element of Oz that I wanted. The story-line worked with everything and glad it worked so well. It kept the elements of the original that you could see and I enjoyed that it still had a original flair. Chelsea Biddiscombe wrote this perfectly and am excited to read more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 14, 2024
When a mysterious green object lands in her farm one night, Dori finds herself whisked away to the land of Oz. There, she finds a kingdom in decay and three guardians of the land cursed. While Dori just wants to go home, she can't overlook the struggles of East, North, and West. Can she help them overcome their curses and defeat the evil Enchantress for good?
Dori is friendly and caring with a sense of justice. She finds it difficult to overlook the unfair treatment of others. However, she is fairly passive, doing little other than verbally helping when she comes across something wrong. She also very passively agrees to save Oz, essentially out of not having anything else to do. Her history prior to being dumped in Oz is practically unknown, which makes her desire to go home paltry at best. Thankfully East, North, and West are a bit more interesting. They have some character growth as they overcome their curses and have a clear, compelling objective. It would have been better if the differences between their cursed selves and real selves were explored a little more fully.
My main complaint with this story is that it is written in third person omniscient narration. As such, things are simply told, rather than shown. This really dilutes the tension and emotional impact of the book and makes it more difficult to relate to the characters. I would have liked it better if the story was told in limited third person narration, from Dori's perspective. It would have given a better chance to understand and relate more to Dori, as well emphasizing the dangers and challenges she encountered.
Poppy Curses and Emerald Skies is a more adult retelling of the Wizard of Oz with quite a few creative twists. Biddiscombe does a good job making the world and retelling her own, and it is an enjoyable read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Dori is friendly and caring with a sense of justice. She finds it difficult to overlook the unfair treatment of others. However, she is fairly passive, doing little other than verbally helping when she comes across something wrong. She also very passively agrees to save Oz, essentially out of not having anything else to do. Her history prior to being dumped in Oz is practically unknown, which makes her desire to go home paltry at best. Thankfully East, North, and West are a bit more interesting. They have some character growth as they overcome their curses and have a clear, compelling objective. It would have been better if the differences between their cursed selves and real selves were explored a little more fully.
My main complaint with this story is that it is written in third person omniscient narration. As such, things are simply told, rather than shown. This really dilutes the tension and emotional impact of the book and makes it more difficult to relate to the characters. I would have liked it better if the story was told in limited third person narration, from Dori's perspective. It would have given a better chance to understand and relate more to Dori, as well emphasizing the dangers and challenges she encountered.
Poppy Curses and Emerald Skies is a more adult retelling of the Wizard of Oz with quite a few creative twists. Biddiscombe does a good job making the world and retelling her own, and it is an enjoyable read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 10, 2024
One thing that is for sure is that I really do love a fairy tale retelling; getting to read a retelling of The Wizard of Oz was awesome. Especially as a few of them in recent years fell very flat for me.
The only complaint I had was there was a lot of "telling" and not enough showing. We want to picture ourselves walking down the roads with Dori, not be told she's walking said roads, if that makes sense.
Otherwise, I really liked this. I especially liked that it is definitely more for adults rather than kids, just as a warning. I wouldn't let anyone under 14 read it, really. Had some topics most kids are unaware of. I enjoyed the Tinman, The Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow were all guardians of Oz and that Dori was the key.
It would have been nice to spend a bit more time with Wicked Witches and Enchantress. I feel like you barely got a taste of her wickedness and that her minions were the ones doing most of the work.
Either way, good story and I enjoyed it. Hope the author does more retellings like it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The only complaint I had was there was a lot of "telling" and not enough showing. We want to picture ourselves walking down the roads with Dori, not be told she's walking said roads, if that makes sense.
Otherwise, I really liked this. I especially liked that it is definitely more for adults rather than kids, just as a warning. I wouldn't let anyone under 14 read it, really. Had some topics most kids are unaware of. I enjoyed the Tinman, The Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow were all guardians of Oz and that Dori was the key.
It would have been nice to spend a bit more time with Wicked Witches and Enchantress. I feel like you barely got a taste of her wickedness and that her minions were the ones doing most of the work.
Either way, good story and I enjoyed it. Hope the author does more retellings like it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 7, 2024
I was given this book complimentary from Book Sirens in e-book form in return for my honest review. Everything stated in this review is of my own opinion and I was not compensated monetarily for providing this review.
As sometimes happens I am going against the prevailing opinion, in this case negatively. Doesn't mean it is a bad book -it is well written, just that it did not work for me.
I found the characters to be like out of a soap opera with the strong, staring into the middle distance guys having to look after the helpless little woman. I found the fae's attitude to be patronizing, annoying and in one case creepy.
Insta-love is also a major turn off for me, especially as one character after spending ten years in a remote cabin periodically getting beaten by one of the Enchantress's minions falls in love with the first female he sees. I expect at that point a wandering camel would look pretty good.
Another point, doing a retelling of a beloved story puts the author on shaky ground immediately, it can work wonderfully nd give a whole new perspective on the tale as in Eule Grey's "Miss Havisham Says Yes" and "No Strings on Her" or it can serve as a reminder just how good and timeless the original is.
As I always say, this is just a personal opinion and if we all like the same books, music, movies or food it would be a boring world.
Two stars and very sorry but I really cannot recommend this book
As sometimes happens I am going against the prevailing opinion, in this case negatively. Doesn't mean it is a bad book -it is well written, just that it did not work for me.
I found the characters to be like out of a soap opera with the strong, staring into the middle distance guys having to look after the helpless little woman. I found the fae's attitude to be patronizing, annoying and in one case creepy.
Insta-love is also a major turn off for me, especially as one character after spending ten years in a remote cabin periodically getting beaten by one of the Enchantress's minions falls in love with the first female he sees. I expect at that point a wandering camel would look pretty good.
Another point, doing a retelling of a beloved story puts the author on shaky ground immediately, it can work wonderfully nd give a whole new perspective on the tale as in Eule Grey's "Miss Havisham Says Yes" and "No Strings on Her" or it can serve as a reminder just how good and timeless the original is.
As I always say, this is just a personal opinion and if we all like the same books, music, movies or food it would be a boring world.
Two stars and very sorry but I really cannot recommend this book
June 17, 2024
Poppy Curses and Emerald Skies by Chelsea Biddiscombe provides a unique twist on the world of Oz. Dori, the brave heroine who unwittingly stumbles into the world of Oz, represents the role of Dorothy. The Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and Tinman are reprised in the form of three Fae who serve as guardians. A grand adventure awaits Dori as she struggles to break the curse on not only the Fae, but over the entire realm of Oz. The evil Enchantress, in a reminiscence of the green-skinned witch, is powerful and cruel. The author does a talented job of personifying the three Fae into their classic roles, each character’s personality unique and well-described as the cursed group battles against their own memories. The narration arrives at a good pace, and the “munchkies” came as a nice surprise through their malevolence. Overall, a fun (and darker) story for fans of alternate versions of known classics. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 24, 2024
A wonderful retelling of the Wizard of Oz.
Dori is friendly but not really confident in herself or her ability to help others but when a glowing green object lands in her front yard and she wakes up in the land of Oz, it becomes readily apparent that the people there need somebody's help. Three protector's or guardians of the land have forgotten their identities and what it is they are supposed to be doing but with Dori's help they get their brain/heart/courage back to aid them in breaking their other friend free of his curse. Instead of the wicked witch, we have the wicked Enchantress that all are afraid of and cower in fear in her presence. All of the elements are there of the classic Wizard of Oz story, just told a bit differently and it all comes together very well. I love the little romance the author threw in between Dori and North as well.
I received an advance copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Dori is friendly but not really confident in herself or her ability to help others but when a glowing green object lands in her front yard and she wakes up in the land of Oz, it becomes readily apparent that the people there need somebody's help. Three protector's or guardians of the land have forgotten their identities and what it is they are supposed to be doing but with Dori's help they get their brain/heart/courage back to aid them in breaking their other friend free of his curse. Instead of the wicked witch, we have the wicked Enchantress that all are afraid of and cower in fear in her presence. All of the elements are there of the classic Wizard of Oz story, just told a bit differently and it all comes together very well. I love the little romance the author threw in between Dori and North as well.
I received an advance copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 24, 2024
I’m a big fan of fairytale retellings and when I saw this was a retelling of the Wizard of Oz I knew I had to read it. This book did not disappoint. It has our protagonist, Dori, falling into a whole different world just like Dorothy. There are also characters that mimic the cowardly lion, the tin man and the scarecrow. I won’t tell you who is who, as you need to discover that for yourself. We even have munchkins, the good witch, the wicked witch and flying monkeys. What more could you ask for.
This book brings adventure, action and something the Wizard of Oz didn’t have a little romance. The author does a good job of world building and the characters are very believable.
I really enjoyed this book. If you’re looking for something different then check out this book you won’t be disappointed.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book brings adventure, action and something the Wizard of Oz didn’t have a little romance. The author does a good job of world building and the characters are very believable.
I really enjoyed this book. If you’re looking for something different then check out this book you won’t be disappointed.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 27, 2024
This was absolutely well written retelling of Oz this was also my first retelling I have read I enjoyed it so much . Chelsea portrayed each character so well. Thank you Chelsea 😊 for the opportunity to read this book you took me back to my childhood. The storyline sticked to original which made it easy to 📚 read.where do I start this was actually so sweet I love retellings it had me crying laughing on my edge of chair just this amazing read.
Easy reading short but just like the childhood Oz and the yellow brick road love the way Dori grew and every character Norths west east grew so nicely love the unexpected love that sprung and growing of world 🌎 this was heartstrings puller.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Easy reading short but just like the childhood Oz and the yellow brick road love the way Dori grew and every character Norths west east grew so nicely love the unexpected love that sprung and growing of world 🌎 this was heartstrings puller.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 19, 2024
Thank you to BookSirens for providing me with an ARC and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily! I enjoyed parts of this book and parts I didn't enjoy. I would have liked to learn more about Dori's connection to the world she landed in and why this crystal chose her and even decided to help this world's people. It felt like she was strangely detached and just describing things as they came along. Much of the book is just Dori describing things like the kindness of the eyes of the people she meets. It gets repetitive when the same language is used to describe multiple people. I think this book has a lot of potential, and I look forward to reading more of Chelsea Biddiscombe's works as she becomes more and more experienced as a writer.
July 7, 2024
I'd say it's more of a 3.5 stars for me. This novel was a true retelling of the Wizard of Oz story. I really enjoyed it because I thought that the initial idea was pretty clever. It was a true re-telling in the fact that you could recognize the original story and for that the author really did a good job. I loved making all the connections.
It was a pleasant read but while enjoyable, it did not wow me.
I liked the idea and the first part of the book. However, the second part felt a bit rushed and the conclusion was not as great as the beginning of the story.
Still, I would recommend this for a light summer reading.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It was a pleasant read but while enjoyable, it did not wow me.
I liked the idea and the first part of the book. However, the second part felt a bit rushed and the conclusion was not as great as the beginning of the story.
Still, I would recommend this for a light summer reading.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 24, 2024
This was a sweet retelling of The Wizard of Oz, and as a big fan of the original books, I was excited to see what Biddiscombe would come up with. Set in the modern era (at least in our world), Dori is quickly swept off to Oz, just as we're practically swept off our feet with the storm in the opening chapter. Dori is a great FMC, and is easy to like. Seeing old favorites show up as guardians of Oz was a nice addition. The story is heavy on themes like friendship and good vs evil, but there are darker moments that balance it out. I would love to read more adventures in this version of Oz in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 13, 2024
What a book! I absolutely loved it.
The book flows nicely, with characters that I totally fell in love with. The magic elements, along with a hint of romance was perfectly balanced and I was on the edge of my seat as the book progressed.
I don't remember the Wizard of Oz, so no comparison there, but this story has my heart.
The only thing I wish was added in the book was why was Dori the chosen one, was there a backstory there, I don't know, but would have been good to find.
Even though it was a standalone book, I wish a sequel would come up, and I could read more about these characters.
I received an advance copy of the book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The book flows nicely, with characters that I totally fell in love with. The magic elements, along with a hint of romance was perfectly balanced and I was on the edge of my seat as the book progressed.
I don't remember the Wizard of Oz, so no comparison there, but this story has my heart.
The only thing I wish was added in the book was why was Dori the chosen one, was there a backstory there, I don't know, but would have been good to find.
Even though it was a standalone book, I wish a sequel would come up, and I could read more about these characters.
I received an advance copy of the book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 1, 2024
I enjoyed the story which I felt was easy to follow as it followed the original story of Oz closely.
The characters were interesting and well written. The story line progressed quickly, though there was a lot happening. It all made the story progress nicely.
I received an advance reader copy for my honest review which I am leaving voluntarily
The characters were interesting and well written. The story line progressed quickly, though there was a lot happening. It all made the story progress nicely.
I received an advance reader copy for my honest review which I am leaving voluntarily
July 13, 2024
I love any story set in Oz and this retelling was just as good as I anticipated. I loved the twist of the companions and the storyline. I only wish the story had been written in first person so that I could get more of the story theough that perspective. But overall a great read and one I would recommend!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 15, 2024
Loved this book. Great storyline and characters once I started I couldn't stop reading. The bond between these characters was beautifully written and had me smiling so much. Lovely writing and would definitely recommend
May 30, 2024
incredible storytelling, interesting plot
June 20, 2024
I really enjoy a good retelling. As someone who loves the whimsy of a portal fantasy, i can't help but love this story. Wizard of oz meets alice in wonderland. Here for it
July 28, 2024
Very cute young adult retelling of Wizards of Oz! Kept me wanting more. Only docked a star because I found it slightly predictable but truly I did love this book.
July 18, 2024
A different spin on the OZ story. It was a sweet love story and each character was endearing to the heart ❤️
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews