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Wicked Origins

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I have no idea what’s happening to me.
When a tornado dropped my car in a land of short, wild people, I was shocked. With no way to get home, no idea where I was and no clue how to communicate with the muchkins, I was completely out of luck. Then I found out that my car had landed on someone and killed them. Supposedly she was the Wicked Witch of the East.
If that wasn’t bad enough, now her ruby slippers magically appear on my feet, and slowly, I’m becoming her.
Now I need to get to Emerald City and see the Wizard if I want to stop the transformation and return home. But the yellow brick road is no cake-walk, and I don’t know what I’ll find at the end of this journey. Luckily, I have three brothers I meet along the way to help me on my journey. Each of them is vying for my affection, as if it doesn’t matter that my skin is turning green.
Wicked Origins is a modern YA Reverse-Harem Fantasy Retelling of L. Frank Baum’s original Oz tales.

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 10, 2018

29 people are currently reading
42 people want to read

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Paula Black

4 books6 followers

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5 stars
15 (33%)
4 stars
19 (42%)
3 stars
8 (17%)
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2 (4%)
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1 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Nicole.
649 reviews30 followers
April 6, 2019
Unfortunately, this novel was a bit of a struggle for me. The idea is wonderful, and this was definitely my first Wizard of Oz re-telling that sounded like it could be amazing.

However, I felt Dorothy as a character...was too emotional? I know that sounds super strange because she is taken to a place so unfamiliar and in rendition begins to turn green. However, she's crying all the time and it was really hard to focus on what was going on around her. This story also focuses a lot on her childhood traumas of being abused by her Step-Father. This is brought up almost every chapter, and really pulled me out of the overall story of her being away from home and trying to get back to Kansas.

The brothers in this novel were better. There was a bit of character depth with them as the story progressed. However, I wanted more. I think this series will just continue to get better, however I do not know if I personally be continuing.
Profile Image for Linda Romer.
866 reviews61 followers
March 2, 2019
I loved Wicked Origins. A reverse harem retelling of The Wizard of Oz. So far I'm loving the story, they way it's written and the great characters. This updated modern version of Dorothy is different and I find her appealing and I also feel a little bit sorry for her. I even find myself rooting for her throughout the story. The brothers are fun, dangerous, and endearing. And who doesn't love Toto? There's more to come and I'm looking forward to the next book Wicked Gambit.

I give Wicked Origins 5 stars for its Magical read.
I would recommend this book to YA Fantasy, Paranormal Fans.
Profile Image for Lisa Koetsch.
74 reviews
February 1, 2019
ARC received. I love the original Wizard of Oz, so I was excited to read this version. The storyline is similar but enough changes to keep you guessing about the characters and their motivations. Plus the story is a bit darker, but not as gruesome as “Dorothy Must Die” I enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Gabriella.
1 review3 followers
December 16, 2018
As a big fan of the Wizard of Oz as well as the story of Wicked, this sounded like an interesting read after seeing the description. The idea of changing the original story to fit a more modern audience is really great, especially whilst keeping some of the main traits of the original present within it.

The story as a whole was interesting and I feel that the later books will be really good at expanding on what has been set up here and move the story along nicely. Considering there are several questions that have been left open at the end of this book, it’s created a good base for the next book to move on from and build off of to make this a really interesting and good story.

However, this had to be a 3 star read for me for a few reasons. One is that I really struggled to connect with the characters. This is probably a more personal thing but I found it hard to connect with any of the 4 main characters. The 3 brothers all felt very similar to me and I don’t feel like I know them much better by the end of this book than I did when they were all first introduced. And I just felt that Dorothy was quite bland and uninteresting to read from the perspective of, as other than jumping from having no emotions to supposedly an overwhelming amount of them (though without her saying that constantly I’d struggle to see it for the most part), I feel that she really doesn’t change that much throughout this story or develop in an incredibly meaningful way. Again this is completely my opinion on the characters and how I read them, other people may love them or feel that the developed really well, this is just how I felt whilst reading.

In addition to this, there were many sentences that were not intelligible due to words being missing, being written in the wrong order spelt incorrectly. Though this is something that can happen to the best of authors, to have this many mistakes in consistently throughout the story really took me out of the world of Oz as I had to stop and fix the sentence in my head each time so I understood what was happening. Normally I can forgive this but the fact that there were so many (even misspelling the place/people of “Quadline” as “Quadlin”) really affected how much I enjoyed reading it unfortunately. As stated above, again, this is merely my opinion and how I feel when reading.

Despite these issues, I did enjoy reading this and will certainly consider reading the upcoming sequels too as I am very interested to see where this goes and what happens to Dorothy and the brothers. It will also be interesting to see if the author keep strictly to the original story or decides to change it. Therefore, though there are some issues, I would still recommend this if you are a fan of the Oz and are after a way to return back to that world again.


This review was written based entirely on my honest and true opinions and feelings about it.
Profile Image for Lits.
240 reviews5 followers
December 30, 2018
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so thorn when I tried to rate this book.
Although this is a retelling of a classic, I thought that it was quite original in changing Dorothy's companions to shifters. The story moved quite quickly and kept me very entertained. I definitely want to know where this is going. For that, it should get a high score.

However, I found the writing to be clumsy and the book was poorly edited. Even the book blurb is different that what actually happens - the ruby shoes don't "magically appear on her feet"!
I felt that the characters lacked depth and are very one dimensional. All the talks of abuse feels a bit too on the nose; it is so blunt that it is difficult to feel for Dorothy.

I wonder if the story was meant to be something else, and when it didn't quite work out, some changes were made very quickly to align with the upcoming storyline. For example, at the end of the book, Dorothy tells the boys they have to go see the Witch of the East - but that's apparently who she is becoming. Also, the title is Wicked Origins, but she's not becoming the Wicked Witch of the West... I wondered if that was intentional or a discrepancy from last minute changes.

I think the rest of this book series could be great with appropriate editing and more thoughtful writing.
Profile Image for Sue Brooks.
465 reviews8 followers
February 16, 2019
I don't know how I have not read anything of Paula Black's in the past - but I can guarantee that I will be reading more in the future!!! Being a big fan of the Wizard of OZ and the play Wicked -- I was thrilled when I was asked to read Wicked Gambit. After starting the book, I just felt like I was missing something -- with that said -- PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read this series in order!!!

Dorothy is a teenage girl from Kansas (just like in the WIzard of OZ) - but in this series she has been abused in the past. She lives with her adoptive family and her cute little dog Toto. She is just getting home from an evening out and a tornado appears. Everyone is headed to the cellar when Toto takes off and hides under her car. She finally coaxes the dog into the car when the tornado hits. Next think she know they land on the witch (thus killing her) and in the land of a tribe of cannibal munchkins. And it just keeps getting better and better -- BUT, I'm not going to tell you what happens, how it happens or anything else because that would just spoil the story for you!!!

I will warn you, that even though it follows the story of the Wizard of OZ, you will be so engrossed that you will find it hard to stop reading until you reach the end!!!
Profile Image for Jessica.
1,632 reviews54 followers
October 2, 2019
The Wizard of Oz is my favorite. I collect everything I can find in relation to it, so when I saw these books, I jumped at the chance to read them. Origins is a wild re-telling that sticks to a similar storyline but many things are different. Including the reverse-harem romance aspect, which admittedly, I haven’t read much of.

Paula Black’s world building is fantastic. It’s familiar to a Wizard of Oz fan, but vastly different! Dorothy and Toto are definitely not in Kansas any more with cannibal munchkins, witches, and the ruby red slippers that are causing all sorts of chaos. She meets her three companions and sets off down the yellow brick road.

There is some very deep themes about a young girl who is finally moving on and learning to open up. I love that. I loved the adventure and the crazy magic. This was just such a unique twist on the original story. Ending on a major cliff hanger, I was very happy to have the other books on hand to start right away.

I recommend checking this one out. It is an entertaining read with some unique twists!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Promotional Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Find this review and more on my blog: https://www.jessicabelmont.wordpress.com
Profile Image for ErinTurnsPages.
610 reviews6 followers
December 16, 2018
I love this book and absolutely look forward to the next installment! Paula Black takes the original tale of The Wizard of Oz and truly puts her own twist to it. She modernizes it with such simple ideas that are commonplace today, such as phones and cars and then goes on to mold the story with the Witch of the East. I enjoyed the idea of making the Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow into shapeshifters and giving the Tin Man the ability to communicate with Toto. I was inspired by the background story’s of Dorothy and the brothers. The idea to have the ruby slippers shift to fit the personality of the wearer just was icing on the cake to me, I wouldn’t want to wear high heels either!! My favorite passage may be the explanation of mates in the shifters world, of it being a family dynamic rather than sexual, and I’ve grasped that in the world of wolves and lions before, but to couple it with people was very interesting to me. I absolutely recommend and will be recommending this to two people post haste!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Gina.
477 reviews9 followers
December 18, 2018
We've all heard of the Oz Tales and the Wizard of Oz. They are both a timeless classic. I couldn't get enough of this book and can't wait for the next installment. Wicked Origins is a modern retelling of the Oz Tales.

For one thing, Dorothy arrives in Oz via her car, not her house. The munchkins talk in a strange language that she can't understand. They are also not the cute adorable munchkins we come to think of when we think of Munchkin Land.

There is so much I could say about this book, but it would give away from the story. When you are finished reading it please reach out to me so we can discuss our thoughts in detail. It's just that good, you'll want to discuss it.

This book would make for a great book club book read.
Profile Image for Fleur.
3,734 reviews29 followers
December 31, 2018
I just loved how this took the bones of the original Oz and gave them a great new and updated twist! Dorothy isn't a cute teenage girl, but a girl who is defensive and doesn't let people in due to her abusive past, her partners Chimmy, Gin and Joon in her adventure are a fantastic spin of the cowardly lion, the tin man and Scarecrow which I absolutely loved. Be ready for shifters, cannibalistic Munch'kans , scary shadows, poppies to die for and of course a yellow brick road that may or may not guide them to salvation. This isn't just a book of adventures in a bizarre and magical world but a teenage girl finally starting to move on and learn how it is to open up to people and feel again , the fact that she has 3 good looking guys doesn't hurt either! ;)
Profile Image for Donna.
715 reviews
January 15, 2019
Wicked Origins is a reverse harem story that takes the bones of the Wizard Of Oz and turns it all around making it a more awesome story. In this version Dorothy is in her car with Toto when a tornado lifts her up and drops her in Oz. We have her landing on the witch in the town of cannibal munchins. Here she meets her three shifter companions and inherits the ruby slippers. It is from here they start there adventure on the yellow brick road. This is truly a unique retelling that I found captivating which kept me reading to the end. This ends on quite a cliff hanger and I am anxious for the net book in series. I highly recommend this book & know you will not be sorry if you like an exceptional retelling. Received a copy and this is my voluntary and honest review.
Author 7 books70 followers
June 9, 2020
A retelling of The Wizard of Oz, Paula Black takes elements of the original story and adds them into her own tale. Black’s Dorothy is a hardened character, a child in care who doesn’t trust easy, and lives with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, and sister. During a tornado her car is taken and lands in the place called Oz, along with her dog Toto. Instead of the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Lion her companions are three shape shifter brothers. The Ruby slippers that Dorothy puts on her feet to save herself from the Munch’kins are boots. The relationship of the brothers and Dorothy develops into a tight unit. I wasn’t convinced by some of the passages in the story. I liked the characters and the dialogue.
It was something different.
Profile Image for Patti.
1,502 reviews13 followers
December 10, 2018
Overall rating: 4.7

I love a good tale retold with an authors creative twist! There is just enough suggestive content in this book to make a young heart thump wildly. The suggestive RH seems to stretch that YA rating but I really dont know what the border is. In any case, for me , this retell of the wizard of oz is just captivating! The buildup moves at the perfect pace to keep the action going and with a flip of the page, a reader can expect a neon sign to flash in your minds eye reading “ stay tuned for the next episode of”. Even though we know the traditional storyline, this rendering truly will make you seek out the continuing story! All my reviews are always voluntarily written.
Profile Image for Donna.
1,626 reviews33 followers
December 12, 2018
I really enjoyed this re-imagined Wizard of Oz story. I loved that while keeping true to the magic of the original, the author was able to make changes and make the story her own. I was immediately drawn into the story and I couldn't put the book down. I was absolutely enthralled by it. I wanted to give it a 5 star but there are grammar errors sprinkled throughout. When you use words that sound the same but have different meanings, it really throws off the reader. Other than that, I absolutely loved the story.
Profile Image for Vicki-Jayne Els.
7 reviews
January 2, 2019
I wasnt sure about the whole story at first, I oftwn find it a "cop out" to re write a popular story however, when i was reading this, I honestly and truly enjoyed it. I didnt give it a 5 star rating because I felt as though there is something missing but it wasnt quite sure what.

I was thrown off a bit by the brothers all being different however, I loved the humour involved and the connection between Dorothy and the brothers.

I will be reading the rest of this series and hopefully be able to give them a 5 star!
Profile Image for Natalie  H.
3,801 reviews30 followers
February 12, 2019
Okie dokie, so first Wizard of Oz RH I've read. Slight trigger warning as the MC is an abuse victim from a handsy foster father, so no intimacy in this one just yet. I liked the three brothers, two out of the three make sense with the original. I liked the slow changing process from human to witch. Not too sure on Dorothy, she's a complicated mess and it makes the story a bit like a pendulum. Will probably read the next one.
579 reviews5 followers
July 18, 2019
I hate cliffhangers

But I love wizard of oz stories!
A different take on the trip to oz - shifters!?!
Not my prefer genre, but I'll try it.
I like Dorothy and her pals, they all have personality and I am excited to see what happens in this land of oz.
The writing is good, the story familiar, editing its not problematic.
I am currently using KU so I will happily finish this series.
Profile Image for Brittany Goodman.
920 reviews127 followers
August 8, 2019
Interesting start to the story

I really like these characters. I am glad to see that Dorothy's past isn't forgotten but she is able to start putting it aside. I love that we are learning more about the brothers and I am wondering how things will turn out. So far both language and sexual content are clean. While it has mention of past trauma and manly bits there isn't anything inappropriate either
Profile Image for 4wildmonkeesreads.
50 reviews
January 4, 2019
I received this book free to read and review.
I love retellings but this one took a lot more for me to get in to it. To me this is an extreme retelling that just didn’t come together very well. Don’t get me wrong, the storyline is there and when it does come together it is really good. This storytelling was just not my cup of tea.
Profile Image for Holly Stover.
147 reviews10 followers
December 21, 2018
This is an awesome twist on the original Wizard of Oz that I wasn't expecting! This is the first retelling of a classic that I've read and I wasn't disappointed. I started reading and finished in one sitting and love that the story will continue. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Cleocutie.
3,120 reviews24 followers
December 24, 2018
Great retelling of the Wizard of Oz that puts a different, more modern, spin on it as well as adding some romance.
Profile Image for Whisper Eardley.
37 reviews4 followers
January 7, 2019
There were some things I liked and some things that I didn’t like about this book. Overall a very good book and a refreshing twist on a classic though and I am looking forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Cranky - The Book Curmudgeon.
2,091 reviews154 followers
December 13, 2018
5 Cranky Stars


Take what you know about the land of Oz and ball it up. Toss it in the trash and light it on fire for safe measure. It’s been so long since I’ve read the original book, but I’ve seen the movie (yes I know it’s not the same) and this isn’t it. It’s different and unique but the story is still the same in a sense. Names have been retained and there is still the famous yellow brick road which leads our characters on some harrowing journeys. It’s a YA tale of family and love.


Dorothy is a teenage girl with an abusive past. She blocks all feelings and seeks them in the wrong way, yet she doesn’t go all the way if you catch my drift. She lives with her adoptive family and has a cute dog named Toto. When a tornado appears, she’s whisked off to a make believe land in her hatchback with Toto in tow. It’s here she lands on the witch and in a tribe of cannibal munchkins. Not the cute ones from the movie that sing you songs about lollipops. It’s here she encounters 3 shifter brothers who become her savior and a pair of shoes she wants nothing to do with. As they go on their journey to find a way home for her, they start to develop feelings. Chimmy our crow is sweet and kind Joon our wolf is a protector and closed off and Gin is our lion who is the caretaker. She starts to display what the shifters call the telltale signs that she is choosing them as her mates. When her skin starts to turn green, she becomes increasingly concerned and torn. She wants to go home but why? These boys feel like home to her.


Ok cannibal munchkins! They would eat anyone and anything which isn’t good. Oz the great and powerful is a manipulative jerk. I love Joon. Guess I’m a sucker for the strong silent type. This was so different than my normal read. I read it in a day and a half. Heck I even tried to read while I was cooking dinner which I don’t suggest. From poppy fields to trees that are venomous this story has something for everyone.This book was the story building to what is going to hopefully be an amazing series. Wicked Origins is proof that a pair of shoes can change your life….and help you find the family you so very much deserve.
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