West of Wicked

The Great and Terrible Land #1

by Nikki St. Crowe

A dark, sexy, and twisted reimagining of The Wizard of Oz from USA Today bestselling author 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.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Adult, Romantasy, Dark Romance, Science Fiction Fantasy

Kindle Edition

Expected publication 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

[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 🫶🏻

[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!

[Jade Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wizard of Oz has always been one of my favourite films, so I was super intrigued by this darker Oz inspired story.
There was a lot of world building but I found this easy to follow as we are learning alongside the main character Dorothy. The plot moved along well and the cliffhanger left me wanting the next book immediately.
So far the Tinman is my favourite character but I'm sure there's others to meet along the way

[Azra Aydın · Rating 3 out of 5]

eh işte

[Nessa’s Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somebody click their heels and tell me why I thought I was prepared for this version of Oz. Because WOW, Nikki St. Crowe really said, “Let’s take a childhood classic and set it on FIRE… and also make it hot.” And honestly? Bless her for it.

Dorothy Gale wakes up in Oz and immediately walks into chaos, curses, and men who are far too pretty to be trusted. And speaking of “pretty”: Rook. My mysterious, memory less scarecrow boy tied to a pole like a snack in distress. I knew he was trouble the second Dorothy cut him down, and I ate it up like flying monkeys at a feast.

This Oz is dark, sexy, twisted, and absolutely not OSHA approved.
The yellow brick road? Hazardous.
The Tinman? Terrifying.
The witches? Questionable.
Dorothy herself? Suspiciously powerful and maybe not as Kansas born as advertised. And let’s not forget Toto, who has more chaotic energy than half the cast combined.

The story leans into everything I love: forbidden attraction, hidden identities, morally grey chaos gremlins, knife kisses energy, and that signature St. Crowe blend of “I probably shouldn’t want this but I do.” The pacing is adventurous, the world building is lush, and the characters are delightfully wicked..half the time I wasn’t sure if Dorothy should kiss them or run.

This isn’t your grandma’s Wizard of Oz. This is the version where everyone is hot, dangerous, traumatized, and one wrong breeze away from kissing or killing. Sometimes both.

I loved every delicious, messy, cyclone spun page. If you like romantasy with bite, brothers with secrets, witches with attitude, and a FMC who's probably in more danger from her own instincts than the actual monsters… follow the yellow brick road straight to this book. 💚

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love your classic tales served with a wicked grin, a shadowy twist, and a pinch of spice, West of Wicked is definitely your kind of adventure.

Dorothy Gale starts off living the quiet Kansas farm life with Em, Henry, and the ever-faithful Toto. She’s grateful for the life they’ve given her, but gratitude doesn’t make the endless chores any more thrilling. Even a few illicit barn rendezvous with Edward, the determined would-be fiancé from the neighbouring farm, aren’t enough to convince her that this is all she’s meant for. Dorothy wants more, even if her guilt keeps her tied to home.

Then comes the tornado; and we all know what happens next… except this version definitely didn’t come from your childhood storybook. Dorothy lands in Oz, accidentally drops a house on the Witch of the East, and suddenly she’s a hero whether she likes it or not. Her quest to find the Wizard leads her to a very unconventional Scarecrow, and the bond that forms between them is one of the book’s early highlights.

But things take a darker turn when the Witch of the West sends the Tinman, her deadliest mercenary, to track Dorothy down in exchange for something he desperately craves. From here, the story morphs into a gritty, seductive reimagining of Oz that’s full of surprises, danger, and a deliciously twisted sense of wonder.

The spice? It’s there, but a little uninspiring for now. It feels like the author is simmering the pot and saving the real heat for later books, which I’m absolutely expecting (and hoping) to see.

West of Wicked is dark, clever, and full of unexpected turns. It hooked me quickly, and I’m genuinely excited to see how the rest of this series unfolds. 

**Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC**

[nihaarika · Rating 3 out of 5]

west of wicked adopts a much darker tone than the classic wizard of oz story, and not gonna lie, it was more fun than i expected it to be. it started super interesting, giving dorothy an intriguing backstory. however, by the time we came to the middle of the book, the world building felt a little too chaotic. it felt like so many people and things were being name dropped, and honestly, i was having a hard time keeping track of all the names.

the pacing was pretty steady at the start, but felt quite slow in the middle and personally, it was such a slog to get through. there were a little too many povs to read from and some of them added nothing to the story. even if you removed them, the story wouldn’t be affected. plus the romance, or the hint of it, that was felt a little too insta-lust for my taste. dorothy’s attraction appeared out of seemingly nowhere, especially since it happens at a point where she’s still new to oz.

i will say though, dorothy was a really fun character, and i enjoyed her pov the most. i liked this book, but i would have liked it more if it had given us more dorothy chapters. the way the story was structured, i felt like we were missing out on a lot of crucial character development moments for her. i also didn’t know this was going to be a series till i was like 90% into the book because it felt like it would be a standalone till that point.

overall, west of wicked offers a fun and interesting spin to a classic story, and while this wasn’t the book for me, i am sure others will like it a lot more.

thank you tor bramble for sending me an e-arc!

[Andy Alvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you like:

✅ Retellings?
✅ Secret identities?
✅ Fast paced story telling?

Transparency: I read an ARC sent to my bookstore.

Dorothy Gale remembers nothing from her time before she came to live with Em and Henry. Now in her twenties she must decide on leaving Kansas or settling down with the cute neighbor boy pining after her. A fire burns inside her she can't extinguish. A tornado rips her from her home and dumps her in the mysterious world of Oz. Suddenly being tied down is both what she wants and also further from it.

I was apprehensive when I got West of Wicked. I love retellings/reimaginings but haven't read one for Wizard of Oz because I adore the OG movie. I'm also less likely to read one where the characters are aged up so much.

But I'm glad I gave this a chance! The pacing is fast but comfortable and made for a nice read. The story is broken up into four characters POV and it works to show the different sides of Oz. You get to see why these people are the way they are and how Oz has turned into what it is. This being the first in the series is perfect and really gets you excited for the rest.

Reason I didn't give it five ⭐:
The smut scenes were... Not great? There are only two and both are very much just "panties down, shove it in" scenes. Not my thing. I just can't imagine not having foreplay in these scenarios. The other reason is how the dialogue flows. It can feel a little clunky. It took me out of the story a little.

This is my first time reading Nikki St. Crowe and I'm excited to see where this goes.

[Heather N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ARC from the publisher, disclaimer.

As a lifelong fan of Oz, I looked forward to this reimagining of the magical world I grew up on. This is my first Nikki St. Clare, and just by glancing at her other works, I figured this wasn't going to be a happy, chippy version of the Wonderful World of Oz.

Which is fine. Change is good, right?

Dorothy has some kind of dark past, and it isn't until the very end that we really start finding out more about that. There's got to be some kind of explanation forthcoming about how or why she seems to so easily adjust to life in Oz. Of course, she spends a lot of the book in awe, overwhelmed, and wondering what the hell is exactly going on? As she should, coming from a bleak, non-magical world in a cyclone.

But, she still finds the mental and emotional bandwidth to be incredibly attracted a male in Oz....AND they manage to have close-space sex at the height of a deadly chase from an assassin. For the record, I'm not a prude by any means, but I could have done without that scene. It just felt contrived and unnecessary. In fact, her attraction to the man started early on and it was just DISTRACTING! Focus on the real issues at hand, Dorothy!

Besides that, I'm enjoying the intrigue of the world of Oz in this world. There is a lot right now that does not make sense. Names, places, lots of loose ends, all that jazz. But the read was good and I'm hooked enough to give the second book a chance.

[Athala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a bit conflicted because I really wanted to love this book, but it left me with a strong “first installment” feeling… Nikki St. Crowe always starts building her worlds very delicately (I had a similar impression with the opening book of Vicious Lost Boys), and if I may say so, a little unevenly. Most of us know the basic story: Dorothy and her loyal dog, Toto, are swept away—house and all—by a tornado to the distant land of Oz. The author made some small changes to the original tale, adding dark fantasy elements here and there. From the very beginning, I was curious to see how Dorothy’s companions (the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion) would appear, and I wasn’t disappointed. I really liked Rook and Tinman, though it was clear there was more going on behind the scenes than we expected.
The plot has one major flaw: it rushes the reader along. At first, I thought, “Oh, this is going to be a slow burn,” and then suddenly—boom! What just happened? I felt the same hurriedness in the romantic parts, which is unusual for Nikki’s writing. All in all, I get the sense that she wanted to publish the first book quickly, and as a result, it feels a bit rushed. There’s definitely potential here, and I’m looking forward to the sequel with high hopes, hoping the story will settle and we’ll get more information about the characters. Because that’s the second big weakness: we see the story through too many characters’ eyes, and it feels like it’s pieced together from smaller episodes. Fewer perspectives might have worked better. The ending twist was a little predictable, but as I said, I’m very interested in the continuation and I trust Nikki!

I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan!

[Kirsten Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The absolute nerve of this book ending on THAT twist!? 


I have fallen in love with ‘re-tellings’, I cannot explain how much I adore familiar stories being taken and twisted and given new life through a new lens. THIS was absolute perfection. It’s fast-paced, but you become immediately invested in the characters, the use of a storyline that is SO well known makes it really easy to just ‘fall’ into. Dorothy is a well defined character, with a sense of adventure but burdened by responsibilities and grief, Toto is of course by her side as he should be, but theres definitely more to him than we discover in this first book. And Rook is SUCH a brilliantly conflicting MMC, he had me in a chokehold from his first introduction and I desperately need more of his story and his POV! 


I ate this book up, it’s such an easy read, it retains all the whimsy of the original Wizard of Oz, but adds a whole new layer of fantasy, dives deeper into characters that could have been overlooked, and makes you fall in love over and over. This is an unmissable adventure down the yellow brick road and I will be recommending this book to literally everyone.


Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan for sending me this copy in exchange for an honest review. If you happen to also have early copies of the sequel…I would gladly volunteer?

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nikki St. Crowe takes the familiar magic of Oz and drenches it in shadow, desire, and danger. West of Wicked is not the whimsical tale you grew up with—it’s a dark, sexy reimagining where every step along the yellow brick road feels like a gamble with fate.

Dorothy Gale, no longer the innocent farm girl, is thrust into a cursed land where witches whisper warnings, monsters lurk in the trees, and even her own identity may not be what it seems. The introduction of Rook—a bloodied, enigmatic stranger with charm sharp enough to cut—adds a delicious tension. Their chemistry crackles, but his secrets keep the reader guessing: is he ally, temptation, or threat?

St. Crowe’s Oz is a place of twisted beauty, where the Tinman’s axe gleams with menace and every encounter carries the weight of danger. The prose balances grit with allure, making the journey feel both perilous and intoxicating.

This is a story for readers who crave fairy tales with teeth: atmospheric, seductive, and brimming with mystery. West of Wicked reminds us that in Oz, nothing is ever what it seems—and sometimes, neither are we.

With thanks to Nikki St Crowe, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First arc review of the year and this was epic!

I’ve never really been a fan of the wizard of Oz, wicked though I am a Hugh fan of and this had so many elements of it, that I may just read the book now. This was a more adventurous retelling of such classic but with that extra spice and more of an open world.

Dorothy in this retelling is so much more strong headed and fierce, she’s a grown woman who is ahead of her time, not wanting what society wants her to be, and the secrets she holds that she herself don’t know of, well I’m very much looking forward to knowing.

The plot twist though, it was one of the thoughts I had about THAT character but it still surprised me and now I just need to know more.

If you like the wonderful world of OZ with many twist and turns you will definitely look forward to this.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think Wizard of OZ, but make it darker and more twisted. I liked this book right from the start.
Received an advanced copy (ARC) of this from TOR at NYCC. When I got home I also brought covid home with me, which sucked but gave me time to read this within the first week of being back home. And wow. I was surprised by how much I liked it, it's the first in what I believe will be a 3 book series.
Dorthy is quite likable in my opinion, and the writing is really well done. There are interesting twists and turns that really draw you in.
I'm not normally big on the dark romance genre but I did really like this, hopefully the rest of the series is just as good, and hopefully I don't have to wait too long for it.

[Rebecca Long · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve never loved dark retelling in the past, but I’m always hopeful that I will find the one that will change it all for me, so when I was invited to read this, it sounded perfect. Unfortunately, this was not that book. I haven’t read any other books by this author, but had previously been interested in some of her other works with a view to read them. After reading this, I’d still give them a go, but not any time soon.
There were lots of character chapters going on in this, some of which were written on different perspectives and I did find this a little jarring. The little spice that there was felt very awkward and I didn’t really feel that it worked in the story. This just wasn’t for me and I won’t be continuing the series.

Thank you to Nikki St.Crowe, Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[BibliofiendLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
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West of Wicked is a dark fantasy/romantasy reimagining of the Wizard of Oz. Readers will find parts of the tale familiar--Dorothy's journal to Oz, following the yellow brick road and other key events; however, make no mistake this is a book for adults. There are dark themes, sexually explicit content and violence. As a whole, this is a promising start to a new series. Overall, I did enjoy it and the nods to the classic book series and films but I did find some of the lack of details in worldbuilding or characterization a bit disappointing. With a good cliffhanger ending, I am encouraged enough to read the next book.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

West of Wicked by Nikki A. Crowe is a dark, seductive reimagining that embraces the morally gray areas. It was gritty, sensual, and unapologetically twisted, and the novel pulled me into a world where danger and desire are inseparable, and no one escapes without scars.

The characters were the heart of the story. They’re flawed, ruthless, and compelling, with motivations that are messy and deeply human. I found the chemistry to be intense, often dangerous, and charged with a darkness that fans of dark romance will enjoy.

I really enjoyed the darker elements of the storyline. I couldn’t put this story down and I thoroughly immersed myself into the story.

[Stormychapters · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb immediately appealed to me and I thought the concept was absolutely great. However, since this was the first book I read by this author, I first had to get used to her writing style. The fantasy elements, the romance and the plot were all well worked out. I wouldn't say it crept into my list of favorite books, but it was definitely a good book. In some places a bit too long-winded, but otherwise a clear recommendation for fans of "The Wizard of Oz".

4 of 5 🌟

[Summers_bookish_corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, fast paced, multiple POV, wizard of Oz retelling with spice, betrayal and toto.

what the never king was to Peter Pan, West of wicked is to the wizard of Oz 😚🤌🏻 well done Nikki you did it again!

If you enjoyed the never king series OR you loved the wizard of Oz but wanted it to be darker you need to read this!

[Ashley Brownell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Nikki St. Crowe for a good time and this was just that, a good time. Nice retake on Oz and can’t wait to finish the series. Easy quick read.

[Honey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was interested in the concept, but I'm gonna be honest. I could not get past the first chapter of this. I don't know if it's the writing, or what, but I just couldn't.

[AM Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing and entirely too short- I have so many questions. If you’re a fan of wizard of oz retellings, then you’ll probably have a good time with this. I hope the next books come quickly!

[Catrina]

Ordered from B&N
April 2026