March 2015 by HarperCollins
100 pages
Five stars
"The Wizard left Oz in a hot air balloon—or did he? This digital original novella is the third installment in the prequel arc to the edgy and exciting New York Times bestseller Dorothy Must Die.
Dorothy Gale is back . . . and she's not the sweet little heroine of Oz anymore. She's power-hungry and vicious, and she leaves a trail of destruction beneath her spike-heeled, magical shoes. But she wasn't always in charge. There used to be a different ruler of Oz. Someone who also came from the Other Place, and who stole power for himself. They called him the Wizard.
The story goes that when a young Dorothy revealed the Wizard as a fraud, the man behind the curtain fled Oz in his hot air balloon. But in The Wizard Returns, he wakes in a field of poppies to find out that not only had he never left, but that he has no memory of who—or where—he is. As he undergoes a series of tests to uncover his memories, he finds that the very girl who threw him from the Emerald Palace is in control. And that Oz may be his destiny after all." -Goodreads
If you have not read the previous books in the series, beware of spoilers!
This has been my favorite novella in the series so far, which says a lot since I've loved all of them.
This novella focuses on The Wizard and Queen LuLu and the Wingless Ones. I don't want to give anything away about the plot, but you just get some more background on the monkeys, the Wizard and their relationship. Both are things that have been referenced in Dorothy Must Die. It was nice to get more information to go off. These novellas are really helping the story come together for me.
I think the Wizard is such an interesting character, in both the original story and this series. He is so troubled and selfish. I have more of an understanding and appreciation for him now. It was very interesting to see how little loosing his memories changes him, until he is forced to acknowledge his mistakes.
I love Queen LuLu and the Wingless Ones. They are one of the better additions to the story in my opinion. I think they are so unique. Queen LuLu is so feisty and it's really nice to see how she got where she is now.
I've read a lot of negative reviews for The Wizard Returns and I guess I just don't understand. A lot of people said they think it had nothing to do with the storyline but I disagree. I really think the monkeys and the Wizard are important. Dorothy wasn't the only person who turned Oz into what it is today. They have each had their role in changing the way things are.
As I said before, this is my favorite novella in the series and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. It just keeps getting better and better.
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