West of Wicked

The Great and Terrible Land #1

by Nikki St. Crowe

Dorothy Gale doesn’t know where she came from. She has only the vaguest memory of her life before landing in the dull, gray world of the vast Kansas prairie.

Then a cyclone rips through the night and carries her, her dog, and the farmhouse somewhere a lot farther than Dorothy imagined. She’s in a strange land that’s apparently cursed, shrouded in shadow. And to get home, Dorothy needs to seek out a wizard, following a treacherous path and watch out for a never-ending list of forest beasts, witches, a cursed mercenary, and perhaps most dangerous of all, the wizard himself.

Nikki St. Crowe vividly reimagines the world of the Wizard of Oz, where the villain gets the girl...and the girl gets the power.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Romantasy, Audiobook, Dark Romance, Adult

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2026

About the author

Nikki St. Crowe is a USA Today and No. 1 Amazon Bestselling Author specializing in dark, spicy romantasy where the villain gets the girl and the girl gets the power.

Nikki considers the start of her professional career to be in the 4th grade when she placed 2nd in a Young Author’s Competition. Back then she crafted stories about magical mansions and lost treasure. She’s since ditched the treasure hunts, but she'll never give up on the magical mansions (or the morally grey men who inhabit them).

These days, when Nikki isn’t writing or daydreaming about villains, she can either be found in the woods or at home with her husband and daughter.


For information on new releases, sign up for Nikki’s newsletter, The Forbidden Garden: https://nikkistcrowe.myflodesk.com/th...

Reviews

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

✩ 5 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Morally Gray Characters
➼ Quest to Find the Wizard
➼ Complex Motivations
➼ Hidden Identity
➼ Lies & Betrayal
➼ Cliffhanger
➼ Dark/Spicy Wizard of Oz Retelling
➼ Full Cast Narration (SO GOOD!)
➼ First Person Multi POV

My favorite thing about retellings is that there’s really no need for world building so you can to jump straight into the nitty gritty of the story. This author did just that and was able to put a very compelling spin on an old favorite in just 320 pages. I listened to the audio and the full cast narration was absolutely phenomenal. Every character was perfectly cast with many of my favorite narrators represented.

The story has a pretty major plot twist and while I figured out part of it, there were still some details that were very surprising to me. The twists continued into the epilogue where readers are given new information that will cause you to reevaluate even more of the story. As an avid reader, it can be very hard to surprise me, but this author was weaving a much more intricate web than I anticipated. The cliffhanger ending has me very excited for book two!

I feel like this book was released with very little fanfare. I hardly saw anyone talking about it before this month, but this was honestly one of the best Romantasy books I’ve read this year. I enjoyed it much more than several other books that are receiving a lot more hype! Don’t skip this one friends! And do yourself a favor and listen to the audio! Seriously so good!!

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: A spicy Wizard of Oz Retelling?!

Sign me up! 🙋🏼‍♀️

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

Connect with me on Instagram ✩ Tiktok

[Seri ❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars rounded up!

Really pleasantly surprised by the fast-paced writing and the subverting of the classic story of The Wizard of Oz that everyone knows!

The story was fast-paced and a fun blend of the original twister-carried Kansas girl that lands a house atop of a Wicked Witch.🌪️ But with enough differences that it didn’t feel like the same old story rinse and repeat.

This book would’ve benefited had Dorothy not been as obsessive over men when her world was quite *literally* blown away landing in Oz. As there genuinely IS an interesting plot brewing (hehe Witch joke) in St. Crowe’s depiction of Oz… if only the plot doesn’t get sidelined in favor of lusty lovelines.

One thing! Without giving any details to spoil this for people that haven’t read… I DO NOT get why the Wicked Witch of the West did the thing that she did. Genuinely, “it’s the only way” is the most BS plot device that has ever plot deviced to keep the story going, lol. Thankfully, other things happened in that ending that made up for her nonsense.

Overall this was a good first book and I’ll definitely be continuing with the series! 💗

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the Arc! 🩵 All opinions are my own!

🧚‍♀️THOUGHTS WHILE READING: 🧚‍♀️
-Okay so this Dorothy isn't the innocent "Toto we're not in Kansas anymore" cutie pie from the original we barely get introduced to her before she's runs off to get some farmer *ahem* meat 🍆!!! This was an ick not gonna lie as it's only 4% into the story and we already had a spicy scene.

-Thankfully, the story recovers as when she's transported to Oz we get plot with a capital P! We get some of the ori story plotlines ex) the tornado & the Wicked Witch of the East's fate. Though, there's some serious differences my favorite being that this. Dorothy. Kills! 🔪🔪🔪

-I NEED to shoutout the narrators for this book. It's mutli-POV with a whole cast and every. single. one. is doing a great job. Especially the men! 🥵 Scarecrow and Tinman sound wowowow! I almost wish we'd get more chapters from their perspective as it's 90% Dorothy.

-50% Update: Dorothy’s on the horny side. Homegirl’s alone in the magical land of Oz and already lusting after the scarecrow! 😂

[Natalie Meagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Bramble for sending this arc to me!
I was really excited to see how this world was reimagined but it was a rocky read for me. The setting that should’ve felt immersive fell flat, the character development was meandering and uninteresting, I feel like we spent way too much time building the framework and ruminating on things that weren’t pertinent to the plot, I guessed a few of the plot points, the writing was wonky. It just wasn’t for me.

[Danielle Pulliam · Rating 4 out of 5]

**𝔄ℜℭ ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴** 𝔚𝔢𝔰𝔱 𝔬𝔣 𝔚𝔦𝔠𝔨𝔢𝔡 𝔟𝔶 𝔑𝔦𝔨𝔨𝔦 𝔖𝔱. ℭ𝔯𝔬𝔴𝔢

Release Date: April 14, 2026

4⭐️4🌶

This was a fun and fast spicy retelling of Wizard of Oz. Being a born and raised Kansas girl, I think I watched the Judy Garland Wizard of Oz at least a hundred times growing up. So many scenes in this book brought me back to watching that movie as a kid. However, make all of Dorothy's new friends in Oz super muscular hot men that are interested in her...say less.

Minor Spoilers Ahead:

Dorothy was dropped on the doorstep of Aunt Em and Uncle Henry when she was a small child by a mysterious woman. She spends her live growing up on a Kansas farm never feeling like she fits in and wanting to explore more of the world.

Then a tornado hits and she lands in the magical land of Oz. Upon arrival, she must fight for her life when a witch attacks her for no apparent reason, but she keeps saying "I know who sent you."

She soon comes across a gravely injured man by the name of Rook (the Scarecrow) with no memory of himself or his past. They travel most of Oz together trying to find the Wizard, so Dorothy can return home to Kansas. All while travelling they avoid being attacked by the evil Witch of the West's and her henchman, the Tinman.

I would be very interested in continuing to read this Dorothy's story. This Dorothy's story is very dark and spicy compared to the original story.

Themes/Tropes:
🍁Wizard of Oz Retelling
🍁Reverse Harem
🍁Urban Fantasy
🍁Multiple Shadow Daddies
🍁Evil Witches/Queens
🍁Unknown powers

TW:
✨Violence
✨Explicit Sexual Content
✨Violence with magic

[Madison (madinotmaddiereads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for the provided arc 💌

I’ll preface by saying I really enjoyed Nikki St. Crowe’s Vicious Lost Boys series. Literally devoured them all in 48 hours. The excitement for another retelling set in yet another favorite world has been building for months and I was so thrilled to get to be an early reader.

The story starts with a charming familiarity of how Dorothy finds herself in Oz with a little modern flare. Was kind of giving me Mia Goth’s Pearl vibes.

I think the world building became very convoluted very quickly and found myself not feeling compelled to pick it back up. Lots of places and people being named without much explanation as to their significance so I felt like I had been dropped into the middle of a scene as opposed to getting to watch it build overtime at a digestible pace.

At around 100 pages, *some* romance was being briefly alluded to but it was mentioned abruptly & a bit oddly so I found myself not caring much as it progressed.

I’m sad this one missed the mark for me but I’m sure it will find a target audience in other readers 🫶🏻

[EmJustReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ West of Wicked is a dark, adult retelling of Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz. The presence of cardinal witches, the mysterious and powerful wizard, and a few of the side characters stayed the same as the classic story. But many of the characters had a unique twist.

It was very entertaining, and I liked the narrators and multiple POVs. I would prefer everyone narrating their lines in all chapters, instead of one POV and trying to imitate the other voices. I was expecting a romance heavy plot because there was a spicy scene in the first few chapters, and because of my knowledge of the author. I was disappointingly surprised when that was lacking in the rest of the story.

I’ll admit I was driving while listening, so I’m not sure if I wasn’t paying enough attention, or if things weren’t explained/ hinted enough — but I feel like I need to draw myself a diagram of all of the characters names and background details to get everything straight.

The ending was interesting, and I’ll definitely add the second book to my TBR. I’m looking forward to hearing more about the Gods aspect and the history of the war. I would recommend this book, but depending on how the next book ties things together… it could potentially get moved up to a high recommendation.

Thank you to Macmillan audio! And this will be available April 14th.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.25 stars)
Thank you to Bramble and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read and listen to a review copy of West of Wicked by Nikki St. Crowe.

This is an intense dark reimagining of Oz, where, as the publisher puts it “nothing and no one is what they seem in the cursed land of Oz…maybe even Dorothy herself.” West of Wicked is book one in The Great and Terrible Land series (I don’t know how many books there will eventually be, but I need book two NOW!).

At one point, Dorothy (not a little girl, but a young woman) gets her future told by a woman, who refers to Dorothy and Rook (the nickname Dorothy uses for the scarecrow). She is told: "...yours is the kind of love that changes the wind and breaks the stars. Yours is the kind of love that ignites everything it touches." But … who exactly is Rook? He doesn’t remember who he actually is. I loved that his nickname for Dorothy was “Kansas.” In this story, the Tinman is a mercenary with no heart; his right arm is made of metal.

I loved all the twists and turns. And there’s a really big twist near the end that I did NOT see coming!

The audiobook has several narrators: Amy Hall; Connor Crais; Ellie Gossage; Samantha Brentmoor; Sean Masters; Shane East; and Stella Hunter - which made for a great listening experience. I just wish the audiobook had announced who read which parts (I found that really informative in a different audiobook recently).

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book in about 8 hours. It was so good. OMG the ending. I can't wait for the next installment. Just throw everything you know about the Wizard of Oz in the trash.

Dorothy is older and sexually active.

The Scarecrow is seductive and mysterious. (See above 😀)

The Tinman is evil. Albeit by coercion.

The Lion is not seen in this book.

The witches: East, West, North, and South. Some end up with the same fate, others are still waiting to tell their tales.

The Wizard......, I won't spoil that here.

There is a new main character named Cleo who we do not yet know what her true nature is yet.

The story just flows and flows and once you pick up the book, you won't put it down.

[Books_and_Crafts · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounding up

This was fine, but nothing exceptional. Interesting set up for what is clearly going to be a why choose, darker romance.

[Em · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written by AI? Assisted by an AI? I think even AIs have a better sense of sentence variation than what is exhibited in this book.

It's a lightening fast read because the majority of the sentences are simple and the diction is on about a fourth grade level. This might be an appropriate style and structure if the book were geared for children instead of adults. This is not the case, obviously, as the basic premise involves a randy, lustful version of Dorothy expressing her desire (with the vocabulary of a toddler) for everything resembling a man while searching for her mother along the yellow brick road. If only this novel were intended as satire...but alas no.

Bluntly, this is the worst book I have read this year. There is nothing remotely alluring about the scenes which were supposed to be spicy--they were patently ridiculous, and worse, they were boring. The novel has a forced tone of bluntness generated by its utter lack of sentence variety and monosyllabic vocabulary.
There's no description, lots of telling, and the storyline is beyond basic and well and truly already done.

The outside appearance of this book is beautiful--the end papers detail a gorgeous map and the edges are sprayed. Don't be fooled. In fact, I am beginning to find these sorts of decorative publications entirely suspect. The last few years, it seems like the worse a book is, the more publishers work to dress it up. I for one am entirely done wasting money on "pretty" and/or the misleading phrase "best selling author."

If you ever enjoyed any aspect of the Oz books, don't even read the first chapter of West of Wicked. Dorothy jumps into the hayloft with a farm hand who lasts for about five simple sentences attempting to form a paragraph. There is zero substance. The scenes which are supposed to be thrilling are ruined by the almost embarrassing absurdity of the dialogue. Even the pathetic attempt at a cliffhanger ending fails to generate tension.

Publishers, please stop killing trees for garbage so inked up that it can't be recycled.

[Deni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book in March. And I totally forgot about it till now. This should tell you a lot.

When I started it I expected a solid writing, not too complicated to follow but not too simple to grate on your nerves. Well what I got was prose so poor and baren it feels like something a fifth grader would write. I know readers capabilities to comprehend complex text are lowering with every year but this is written for idiots #sorrynotsorry. Short and simple sentences with adjectives as little as possible, no similes, no allegories, alliterations, hyperboles, euphuisms, nothing that will enrich a.k.a. complicate the text for us, the dum-dums. A lot of tautologies though. All well known phrases so you won't have to overexert yourself picturing something new.

At the same time there was nothing left to the imagination - everything was explained in simple terms in case we didn't understand it. No interpretations allowed here. Everything is chewed up and spit out for you.

As for the quality of the retelling. If you're expecting something creative - don't. Crow is following the original book word for word. No personal contribution to speak of. The only difference is things get a little bloody in a scene or two. Just enough for the book to be considered "dark" and "gritty" and "shocking" rendition of a children's story. We have so many jump cuts between scenes just too keep up with the original it's annoying. At the same time the passing was off all the way through. The end result is a story you choke on at the 40% mark... and not in the fun way.

And don't get me started on the plot twists - they were visible from Artemis II damn it!

Or the timeline and time placement of the story. Or the world building. Or lack thereof.

Flat FMC with no braincell in sight, cliched MMCs, instalove based on instalust, out of place inept sex scenes. I've read a lot of Nikki St. Crow books and this one was the most uninspiring one to date. The only good thing was the esthetics of the MMCs. That's it.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

West of Wicked retells The Wizard of Oz, adding a darker and slightly spicy edge. I’m usually wary of retellings, but this one surprised me in a good way. I liked seeing many of the classic characters, each with their own unique spin. I especially liked Dorothy as an adult, unsure of what she wants in life, and the Tin Man as the villain. The full cast of narrators did a fantastic job bringing this book to life, and I hope the same cast continues in the next book. I need to get my hands on the sequel as soon as possible after that cliffhanger ending.

West of Wicked is out April 14th.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review West of Wicked. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved The Never King series and I was hoping that I'd immediately fall in love with this one too. I do quite enjoy a spicy retelling and the audiobook cast for this is *chefs kiss* BUT.... Book 1 left me a little underwhelmed. It does end with a pretty decent cliff hanger though...

So will I still be reading the other books? Absolutely.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Bianca | bookd_by_bee 🐝 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest opinion.

3.25 ⭐️, 2 🌶️

OK…so, I liked it, BUT I was expecting a little more…of EVERYTHING? More backstory for some of the characters, more about this version of OZ and if I’m being honest- MORE SPICE 🌶️. As someone who read the Vicious Lost Boys books, I expected more heat from this author. Dorothy was your run-of-the-mill FMC who “wants more out of life” and finds herself in a strange land with several witches (and a Wizard) after her. Oh, and of course she has mystical powers she was previously unaware of. Fine. I’ll read it. The Scarecrow and Tin Man were your typical mysterious MMC’s, but I enjoyed their chapters. Not sure where we’re going with Clio’s character and she got on my nerves more than once.

That being said, I liked the ‘twist’ at the end and that is what kinda saved this book for me, AND the reason I’ll read the next book(s) in this series because NOW I need to know what happens. The narrators were good as always and it was a fairly quick listen. Throw it on while you’re cleaning the kitchen or folding clothes- it will keep your attention.

[Tabatha (tab.talks.books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ 2🌶️

[anovelaccount (Kayla) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this book was so much fun! A Wizard of Oz retelling romantasy?! I mean, seriously, say less. When I saw this book, I knew I immediately needed to read it!

This book is the first book in a series—and I really, really think people need to keep that in mind going in. It sets up the characters and the world, and in my opinion does it well. Others have said they felt like this book was slow, but I actually never had an issue with it feeling that way. We were always getting glimpses of characters who were either new, or had a secret identity, and that alone will keep readers on their toes. Plus, my brain was working the whole time trying to figure out where she was going with the plot and how similarly it would follow the original!

My actual complaint is that I wish this was longer! We only just start to meet key characters and stuff really gets going and then it’s over. But such is the plight of the first book in a series sometimes. I also wanted a little bit more distinction apart from The Wizard of Oz. This book does start to make the story more its own near the end, though, so this complaint might be null and void by the next book.

There are some pretty big twists in here, some I guessed, but one I guessed totally wrong and it was pretty epic, so I’m excited for the next book which releases in November! 🙌🏻

🎧I loved the multicast narration here! That’s always a huge audiobook win 🎉 I mean, did you see that crazy amazing lineup of narrators up there?! This one is fabulous on audio and the narrators do a great job bringing their respective characters to life. Definitely recommend listening to this one!

[L.J. Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for giving me an ARC to review.

I was pulled in with promises of a dark retelling of Wizard of Oz and though it wasn't as a dark as I was expecting, this was a really good read. This sent me on a journey through Oz that was very different from the story we know and love, it was refreshing. Plus that cliffhanger!

Dorothy was fierce and I loved her witty personality. She was very relateable in her inner monologue and she was funny. My favourite POV was Tinman, I love him and can't wait to see what else he does in future books.

Overall, I need the next book and I really recommend this one!

[tei hurst · Rating 1 out of 5]

yeah as a wizard of oz girl till the day i die? i hated this.

[Tameaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wizard of Oz reimagining? Yes, please!

[Whispers & Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

German version:

Leseexemplar erhalten von NetGalleyDE.

Während eines Sommersturms wird Dorothy mitten im Nirgendwo von Kansas von einer geheimnisvollen Frau bei Tante Em und Onkel Henry zurückgelassen. Bevor die Fremde spurlos verschwindet, fleht sie die beiden eindringlich an, sich um das Mädchen zu kümmern.
Viele Jahre sind seitdem vergangen. Das Leben auf der Farm ist hart, und da Em und Henry mittlerweile in die Jahre gekommen sind, hilft Dorothy, wo immer sie kann. Von der Zeit vor ihrer Ankunft erinnert sie sich nur daran, dass sie einst eine Familie und ein anderes Leben hatte und dass ihr beides genommen wurde.
Das Leben hat Dorothy geprägt. Für sanfte, zärtliche oder unbeschwerte Dinge scheint kein Platz in ihrem Leben zu sein. Der Gedanke, den Rest ihres Lebens auf einer Farm zu verbringen, ihren Jugendfreund zu heiraten oder gar eine eigene Familie zu gründen, erfüllt sie mit einer überwältigenden Leere. Dankbarkeit und Pflichtgefühl sagen ihr, dass sie das Leben, das sie sich aufgebaut hat, nicht hinter sich lassen darf. Doch zugleich kann sie das Gefühl nicht abschütteln, für etwas Größeres, etwas anderes bestimmt zu sein, und tief in ihrem Inneren weiß sie, dass sie niemals herausfinden wird, wer sie wirklich ist.
Doch noch bevor sie eine Entscheidung treffen kann, zieht ein weiterer Sturm auf.
Als Dorothy ihren Hund noch in letzter Minute in Sicherheit bringen will, gerät das alte Farmhaus in das Zentrum des seltsam, schimmernden Sturms, und noch bevor sie begreift, was geschieht, tritt sie aus dem halb zerstörten Haus in ein fremdes Land. Als wäre die Erkenntnis, dass sie sich weit weg von zu Hause befindet, nicht schon schlimm genug ist, wird sie auch noch aus heiterem Himmel von einer Hexe angegriffen. Dororthy verteidigt sich instinktiv und tötet die Hexe mühelos.
Zu ihrem Entsetzen dankt ihr die Menschenmenge, die sich rasch um sie versammelt, für die Befreiung von der bösen Hexe und feiert sie als mächtige Zauberin. Überzeugt davon, dass dies alles ein absurdes Missverständnis sein muss, möchte Dorothy nur eines: nach Hause zurückkehren. Doch niemand kann ihr sagen, wie sie dorthin zurückgelangen kann. Der Einzige, der den Weg kennen könnte, ist der mächtige Zauberer von Oz.
Und so macht sich Dorothy auf eine lange und gefährliche Reise zur Smaragdstadt, in der Hoffnung, dass der Zauberer ihr den Weg nach Hause zeigen und ihr vielleicht auch helfen kann, die Wahrheit über ihre eigene Vergangenheit herauszufinden.


Ich habe weder das ursprüngliche Der Zauberer von Oz gelesen noch die Verfilmung gesehen, daher kann ich nicht wirklich beurteilen, welche Elemente aus dem Original übernommen wurden und welche neu hinzugekommen sind. Was ich jedoch sagen kann, ist, dass diese Geschichte Fantasy mit Dark Romance Elementen verbindet und eine deutlich düsterere Interpretation des bekannten Märchens präsentiert.
Es gibt sehr viele unterschiedliche Erzählperspektiven, und für meinen persönlichen Geschmack wurde etwas zu häufig zwischen den Handlungssträngen hin- und hergesprungen. Dadurch wirkte die Erzählung stellenweise etwas chaotisch und unzusammenhängend. Mein größtes Problem war jedoch der Schreibstil. Die Sprache fühlte sich oft sehr direkt, abrupt und gar nicht malerisch an. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob das an der Übersetzung lag oder einfach eine bewusste stilistische Entscheidung der Autorin war. Auch das Tempo ist sehr hoch, sodass es nur wenige ruhige Momente gibt, um das Geschehen wirklich auf sich wirken zu lassen. Normalerweise liebe ich Geschichten mit hohem Erzähltempo, doch hier hat das nicht immer zugunsten der Geschichte funktioniert. Auch das Worldbuilding fiel eher knapp aus. In Kombination mit dem hohen Erzähltempo und dem Schreibstil wirkten viele Szenen überhastet, und ich hätte mir gewünscht, dass bestimmte Entwicklungen ausführlicher ausgearbeitet worden wären. Irgendwie hat mir oft einfach die emotionale Bindung gefehlt.
Über weite Teile des Buches erfährt man nur sehr wenig über die Welt, in der Dorothy landet, oder über deren Bewohner und Kreaturen. Einerseits erzeugt das eine geheimnisvolle Atmosphäre und lässt einen ständig darüber rätseln, was wirklich vor sich geht und wem man vertrauen kann. Andererseits war ich mir nicht immer sicher, ob dieses Mysterium bewusst aufgebaut wurde oder eher das Ergebnis eines nicht vollständig ausgearbeiteten Worldbuildings war.
Nichtsdestotrotz wurde ich insgesamt sehr gut unterhalten. Die letzten 20 % des Buches waren deutlich stärker als der Rest und markierten den Punkt, an dem ich wirklich in die Geschichte investiert war. Die Spannung griff endlich richtig, und obwohl ich den großen Plot Twist bereits vorher erahnt hatte, war es dennoch befriedigend zu sehen, wie sich nach und nach alle Puzzleteile zusammenfügten.
Insgesamt habe ich die Atmosphäre dieses Buches sehr genossen. Alles wirkte düster, bedrohlich und leicht verstörend, wodurch die Reise auf der Gelben Ziegelsteinstraße frisch und fesselnd wirkte.
Die Geschichte besitzt definitiv viel Potenzial, und besonders die unheimlichen Elemente, die dem Original vermutlich fehlen, haben mir sehr gut gefallen. Etwas überrascht war ich darüber, dass die Geschichte deutlich weniger Spannung und Spice beinhaltete als erwartet. Da es sich jedoch erst um den Auftakt der Reihe handelt, bin ich sicher, dass sich dies in den kommenden Bänden noch ändern wird.
Am meisten faszinieren mich jedoch die Geheimnisse rund um die Götter und die Frage, was während des Krieges tatsächlich geschehen ist. Und wie passt Dorothy in dieses Gesamtkonzept?
Ich bin mir sicher, dass ein großer Teil dieser Geschichte noch darauf wartet, enthüllt zu werden und ich bin gespannt darauf wie es weiter gehen wird.

Vielen Dank an NetGalleyDE für das Rezensionsexemplars im Austausch für eine ehrliche Bewertung.

Story: 3.5 ⭐️
Spice: 1 🌶



English version:

Review of advance copy received from NetGalleyDE.

During a summer storm, Dorothy is left in the care of Aunt Em and Uncle Henry by a mysterious woman in the middle of nowhere, Kansas. Before vanishing without a trace, the woman desperately begs them to look after the girl, never to be seen again
Many years have passed since that day. Life on the farm is hard, and with Em and Henry growing older, Dorothy helps wherever she can. The only things she remembers from before arriving at the farm are that she once had a family and a different life and that both were taken from her.
Life has hardened Dorothy. There seems to be no room inside her for anything gentle, tender, or safe. The thought of spending the rest of her life on the farm, marrying her childhood sweetheart, and settling into the future everyone expects of her fills her with an overwhelming sense of emptiness. Gratitude and duty tell her she cannot abandon the life she has built, yet she cannot shake the feeling that she is meant for something more. Deep down, she knows that if she stays, she will never discover who she truly is.
Before she can decide what to do, another storm rolls in.
As Dorothy rushes to bring her dog to safety, the old farmhouse is caught in the eye of a strange, shimmering storm. Moments later, she steps out of the half-destroyed house and finds herself in a land far removed from Aunt Em and Uncle Henry's farm. When she is suddenly attacked by a witch, Dorothy instinctively fights back and kills her with surprising ease.
To her horror, the crowd that quickly gathers around her thanks her for freeing them from the wicked witch and hails her as a powerful sorceress. Convinced the entire situation must be some kind of absurd misunderstanding, Dorothy wants nothing more than to return home. Unfortunately, no one can tell her how. The only one who might know the way back is the mighty Wizard of Oz.
And so Dorothy sets out on a long and dangerous journey to the Emerald City, hoping the Wizard can help her find her way home and perhaps uncover the truth about who she really is.

I have never read or watched the original Wizard of Oz, so I can't really tell which elements come directly from the source material and which are unique to this retelling. All I can say is that this story blends fantasy and dark romance and takes a much darker approach to what I know of the familiar tale.
There are a lot of different POVs, and for my personal taste, there was a little too much jumping back and forth between storylines. At times, this made the narrative feel somewhat chaotic and disjointed. My biggest issue, however, was the writing style. The prose often felt blunt and abrupt. I'm not sure whether that was due to the translation or simply the author's stylistic choice. The pacing is also quite fast, with very few quiet moments to slow down and absorb what’s happening. I usually love a fast-paced story, but in this case, it didn’t always work in the book’s favor. The world-building felt fairly minimal as well. When combined with the brisk pacing and writing style, many scenes came across rushed, and I often found myself wishing certain developments had been explored in greater depth.
For most of the book, very little is revealed about the world Dorothy finds herself in or about its inhabitants and creatures. On the one hand, this creates a sense of mystery and keeps you guessing about what is really going on and who can be trusted. On the other hand, I wasn’t always sure whether that mystery was intentional or simply the result of underdeveloped world-building.
That said, I was still thoroughly entertained. The final 20% of the book was significantly stronger than the rest and was the point where I truly became invested in the story. The tension finally clicked into place, and although I had already guessed the major twist, it was still satisfying to watch all the puzzle pieces come together.
Overall, I loved the atmosphere of this book. Everything felt darker, more ominous and slightly twisted, which made the journey down the Yellow Brick Road feel fresh and engaging.
The story certainly has a lot of potential, and I particularly enjoyed the eerie elements that the original tale presumably lacks. I was slightly surprised that the romance wasn't spicier, but since this is only the first book in a series, I'm sure there is much more to come.
Most of all, I'm intrigued by the mysteries surrounding the gods and what exactly happened during the war. So much of the story is still to be revealed. Of that I am certain.

Thank you NetGalleyDE for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Story: 3.5 ⭐️
Spice: 1 🌶

[Becky Readingallthe_way · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow this was so much better than Wicked. This is the story that should’ve been made into a film!
I am not the biggest fan of The Wizard of Oz to be honest so not a Wicked fan, but I am a massive fan of Nikki St. Crowe so when I saw this I just needed to read it.
I was hooked from the start, and couldn’t put it down, such an engaging story line and interesting complex characters. I didn’t guess the biggest twist but did work out who was who in relation to the original story.
This is such a refreshing take on an otherwise, in my opinion, boring story, this was much more to my liking and there better be more to this and I cannot wait for it!

Thank you to netgalley for my copy in exchange of my honest review

[☀︎El In Oz☀︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

This was SO much fun. I'm a complete sucker for any type of fairytale retellings and this one was so delightful. Nikki St. Crowe knows how to create an action packed story with so many nods to the original while still making the story itself feel fresh.

This is a really short book, but it still manages to develop such a cool plot and add so many new ideas to the story of Oz that make it very intriguing.

Dorothy was a great main character. She was definitely not using her brain when it came to a certain man but I'll forgive her for the insane lapse in judgement. I like her tenacity and am so so curious what she'll be like in book 2!

The tinman was an icon. I'm liking him so so much already! And Toto? I have theories.

The blend of first and third person POVs across this novel were really great imo. I wish more authors did stuff like that!

The end?? I saw it coming but I'm on the edge of my seat now for book 2!!

[Sanja ✵ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stumbled over this book on my audiobook subscription service and decided to try it out, because I liked the premise of a Wizard of Oz retelling with the trope where the villain gets the girl. And I found it… decent enough.

The book is pretty short, despite this, it takes a while to get going and we spend a lot of time setting up the story. And somehow, the world building come across as underdeveloped and flat. This is a recurring thing in many retellings, the author is too dependent on the established framework of the original story and neglects to build their own narrative.

The ending felt a bit rushed, so the overall pacing of the book could’ve used some polishing.

I definitely think this book is going to find an audience, maybe I will give the sequel a try.

[Kuu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC.

I haven't read the original, but I feel like the story is common enough for people to know roughly what goes on, and this just felt like it basically retold the events with an adult Dorothy. I might be wrong there, of course, but it didn't feel like there was anything original here other than the sex scenes, which I didn't like. I was listening to this and kept waiting for something to happen and then the audiobook was over and I was like huh? This was it?

If this had been an original story, I think it would have been better, but as a retelling of the Wizard of Oz, it automatically lost points because like... you didn't come up with the plot yourself, so the least you can do is add some originality to it. Didn't feel like that happened here, so it was pretty disappointing.

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Macmillan audio for this alc for an honest review. I would give the audio narration and production a 4/5 stars. I thought the book was narrated well and added a little more to the book when the story was lacking. The narrators did a good job keeping me interested through the book. The book on the other hand was an okay read, I have never really took time to know the wizard of oz story so this was all new to me lol. It was like rediscovering a new fairy tale. I liked that this book was short just like most of this author’s books it was fast paced and easy to follow. I thought was interesting and we were confused like the fmc as she was trying to navigate the world of oz. I’m less confused now that I’ve finished the book but some plots are still muddled. This book has a lot of spice and I’m not sure how I’m feeling about the MCs romance but I’m interested to see where it goes. Overall a good read if you like dark spicy retellings.

[DarkPlotsAndLipGloss (Carlie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grab your Ozrum and silver slippers, because a spicy new Wizard of Oz retelling just dropped!

West of Wicked might be one of my favorite retellings to date. There are just enough differences to make it feel unique while still giving me that feeling of nostalgia that I crave in a retelling. Also, THE PLOT TWISTS. WERE. PLOT. TWISTING! Call me Dorothy because baby my head was spinning. If you could see my face when I read the last chapter, I think I just sat there with my mouth open.

I'm excited to see where we land in the sequel after Nikki St. Crowe dropped us off a cliff.
I enjoyed this book so much that I went out and bought the special edition (which has a great map and beautiful sprayed edges).

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this gifted ARC!

[Samantha Gaudious · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
As someone who isn’t a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz
I thought this was a really fun time! 💚

I really enjoyed the adventure and the twists!
We still have Dorothy and all our familiar character
But make them darker 🖤

If you are looking for a Wizard of Oz retelling that’s short but a good time definitely read this one!

[Eliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review received thru Netgalley. Review completed on April 4, 2026.

This by far has been my favorite retelling of the Wizard of Oz! I loved how the characters were all portrayed, the banter and tension btw the Scarecrow and Dorothy, the Tinman's background story, the little spice sprinkled throughout the book, but my favorite... the plot twist at the end! OMG! What?!
It is a must read, I couldn't stop listening to it. Finished it in a day and I can't wait to see what happens next with book 2, due in November!!!

[Athena 💗 · Rating 4 out of 5]

That ending!!! Bring on book 2!

So… funny story. I have actually read another book by this author one other time. I was trying to read the Ever King series but because of one little added consonant to “ever” I was sent down a COMPLETELY different reading experience. One that I never asked for. I like to make the comparison to something like a 1970’s porno. You know the one… where the unsuspecting person thinks they’re having a pepperoni pizza delivered but instead winds up with a mouth full of salami. 😳 Yeah… reading the Never King series was a bit something like that. Before that series my innocent brain was blissfully unaware of all the things multiple men could do with just one hole. 😰😭

But we are not here to talk about the Never King series, we are here to talk about West Of Wicked. So let’s get into it.

Full disclosure, I am suffering from a serious case of compulsive request syndrome right now. I see a pretty cover and I request that shit, triggers and content be damned! It isn’t until my arc request is accepted that I think, hm, I probably should have looked into this a little deeper. It was after my request was accepted that I realized who the author was and the other books she has written. That being said, I didn’t shy away because what am I if not an unpaid professional damnit! I rolled up my sleeves, stretched my neck side to side and hit play ready to spend what I expected to be the next 8 hours of my life listening to Dorthy get railed by the lion, the tin man, the scarecrow and a gang bang with at least 20 eager munchkins.

To my surprise, it really wasn’t all that smutty.

So, if you haven’t guessed it already, West Of Wicked is a dark fantasy retelling of the Wizard Of Oz. The story starts out pretty standard enough. We meet Dorthy, she lives on a farm in Kansas with her aunt and uncle. I knew almost immediately I wouldn’t be the target audience for this book because I’m not gonna lie, I was rooting for the boring farm boy at the beginning of the story. He seemed so sweet! But let’s be honest, Nikki St. Crowe doesn’t write “sweet”. 😂

The writing is NSC’s standard writing style. Multiple POVs, the audio stars her usual voice narrators. I think it’s safe to say if you like NSC’s writing style you will also love this book as well. I could see her loyal readers being disappointed in the lack of fairytale inspired debauchery that we have come to know and love but I have no doubt it will be present in the books to follow in this series. I could complain about the lack of character development and superficial storytelling but let’s be honest, we don’t grab these books for their depth, we grab them for the jaw dropping spice scenes and pretty decent plot squeezed in between.

So yeah, I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fun, guilty pleasure who also enjoyed the Never King series.

Thank you NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

[Casey Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark romantasy retelling of The Wizard of Oz! Honestly, the trigger warnings had me pumped. While it was dark, I was actually hoping for a bit darker, but that's the horror fan in me! That being said, I really enjoyed it! I've been on a huge mood reading kick and it's taken me all over the place with genre, which I am glad for because this is slightly out of my usual reads. We encounter all of the same familiar characters from The Wizard of Oz--but totally different! Dorothy is swept away by a cyclone and lands in a mysterious place that seems cursed and peculiar. Her very first encounter there ends in bloodshed. She doesn't realize just how far from home she is, but is determined to find her way back. Advised to follow the yellow brick road to see the Wizard, she is joined by a handsome stranger named Rook who woke up with no memories. They are both looking for answers. What unfolds is atmospheric, exciting, a little sexy, and familiar yet different all at the same time! This Oz is dangerous and edgy, full of monsters, witches, and morally grey characters. I just had such a good time reading it and there are definitely some twists you won't see coming!!! 

Thank you to Bramble for the gifted ARC! Book releases 4/14/26.