Honestly, retellings are a dime a dozen these days. You can’t throw a rock in a bookstore without hitting a "gritty" reimagining of a fairytale. But Danielle Paige did something different with the Dorothy Must Die series. When The Wicked Will Rise hit shelves as the second full-length installment, it wasn't just another sequel. It was a chaotic, magic-soaked middle child that basically tore up the original L. Frank Baum map and set it on fire.
If you’re here, you probably remember that gut-punch of an ending in the first book. Amy Gumm, our pink-haired recruit from Kansas, failed. She didn't kill Dorothy. Instead, she ended up more entangled in the warped politics of a decaying Oz than ever before. The Wicked Will Rise picks up right in that mess. It’s a book about consequences. It’s about what happens when the "hero" starts to enjoy the taste of power a little too much.
Oz Isn't What You Remember
Let's get real for a second. The Oz we see in this book is terrifying. Forget the Technicolor dreamscape from the 1939 film. Paige leans into the darker, stranger roots of the original novels but cranks the horror up to eleven. We’re talking about a Dorothy Gale who has literally sucked the magic out of the land to keep herself young and powerful. She’s a tyrant in gingham.
In The Wicked Will Rise, we see the actual cost of that tyranny. The Munchkins are essentially an enslaved workforce. The Tin Woodman is a killing machine. The Scarecrow? He’s performing lobotomies in the name of "science" to see where magic lives in the brain. It’s gruesome. It’s also a brilliant commentary on how absolute power corrupts even the most "innocent" icons. Amy Gumm has to navigate this while her own sanity is fraying at the edges.
She's not a perfect protagonist. Not even close. Amy is angry. She’s a "Salvation Army girl" who feels like the world has always handed her the short straw. When she gets her hands on a knife and some serious magic in The Wicked Will Rise, she doesn't always use it for the "greater good." She’s vengeful. That makes her relatable in a way most YA heroines aren't. She’s messy.
The Revolutionary Order of the Wicked
One of the most fascinating parts of this specific book is the deep dive into the "Wicked" witches. We’ve been told for a century that Glinda is good and the others are evil. Paige flips that. In this world, the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked is the only thing standing between Dorothy and total annihilation.
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But they aren't exactly the Avengers.
- Gert: She’s massive, powerful, and nothing like the hags you see in Halloween decorations.
- Glamora: Glinda’s sister, who has been literally scarred by her "Good" sibling.
- Mombi: A classic Baum character who is played with much more nuance here.
Their magic is weird. It’s elemental. It’s gross. In The Wicked Will Rise, Amy has to learn how to harness her own "wickedness." The book asks a heavy question: Can you use evil tools to do good things? Most of the time, the answer seems to be a resounding "maybe, but it'll cost you your soul."
Why the Pacing Feels Like a Fever Dream
This book is fast. It’s almost breathless. Some critics at the time felt it was a bit "bridge-heavy"—you know, that classic second-book syndrome where everyone is just moving into position for the finale. But I’d argue the frantic energy is intentional. Amy is being hunted. She’s moving from the Emerald City to the hidden corners of Oz, and the reader feels that constant pressure.
The magic system in The Wicked Will Rise expands significantly here. We see the "Heart" of Oz and understand that magic isn't just a flickering spark; it's a living, breathing resource that is being depleted. It’s almost an environmental allegory. Dorothy is strip-mining the soul of the world.
There’s a specific scene involving the Palaces of the Wicked that sticks in my head. The imagery of decaying grandeur mixed with raw, untamed nature is where Paige’s prose really shines. She’s great at describing things that are simultaneously beautiful and repulsive.
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The Problem With Glinda
We need to talk about Glinda. In The Wicked Will Rise, she is arguably more terrifying than Dorothy. Dorothy is a brat with a god complex. Glinda is a calculated, cold-blooded politician. She’s the one pulling the strings. The way Paige deconstructs the "Good Witch" archetype is honestly some of the best character work in the series. Glinda’s "goodness" is just a high-gloss veneer. Underneath, she’s just as power-hungry as anyone else, but she wraps it in etiquette and pink bubbles.
It makes you question everything you know about the source material. That’s the hallmark of a good retelling. It doesn't just change the plot; it changes your perspective on the original.
Real-World Impact and Fan Reception
When the book launched, it hit the New York Times Bestseller list almost immediately. Fans were obsessed with the "No Place Like Oz" prequel novellas, and The Wicked Will Rise tied those threads together. People loved the grit.
However, it wasn't universally adored. Some readers found the violence a bit much for YA. I mean, there are some pretty dark moments involving the Flying Monkeys (who are basically Dorothy’s secret police). But that’s the point. It’s a rebellion. Rebellions are bloody.
"I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be the Other Girl from Kansas. But I'm here now."
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That sentiment from Amy Gumm pretty much sums up the whole vibe. She’s an accidental revolutionary.
Key Themes You Might Have Missed
While the surface is all magic fights and talking animals, there’s some heavy stuff under the hood of The Wicked Will Rise.
- Identity Erasure: Dorothy doesn't just want to rule Oz; she wants to be the only thing Oz cares about. She’s erasing history.
- The Corruption of Nostalgia: The book warns us about clinging too hard to the past. Dorothy is obsessed with her first trip to Oz, and that obsession has turned into a sickness.
- Class Warfare: Amy’s background as a "trailer park girl" is constantly contrasted with the opulence of the Emerald City. Her resentment is her fuel.
Making Sense of the Ending (No Spoilers, Sorta)
Without giving away the massive cliffhanger, just know that The Wicked Will Rise ends on a note that makes the first book look like a picnic. It raises the stakes to a global level. Or, well, an Oz-wide level. The lines between who is a hero and who is a villain don't just blur; they disappear entirely.
If you're planning to read it (or re-read it), pay attention to the way Amy describes her own reflection. It changes throughout the book. It’s a subtle bit of storytelling that shows her internal transformation. She’s becoming the very thing she was sent to destroy. Or maybe she’s just becoming the person she was always meant to be.
Actionable Steps for Readers
If you want to get the most out of this series, don't just jump into the main books.
- Read the Novellas First: Specifically No Place Like Oz. It explains Dorothy’s descent into madness. Without it, her character in The Wicked Will Rise might seem a bit one-dimensional. It adds the "why" to her "what."
- Check the Original Baum Notes: Danielle Paige pulls a lot of obscure references from the later Oz books (did you know there are 14 original books?). Seeing where she got the ideas for characters like the Nome King makes the experience way richer.
- Track the Magic: Keep an eye on how Amy uses her magic. There’s a specific "price" mentioned for every major spell. It’s a fun way to predict where her character arc is going in the final books (Yellow Brick War and The End of Oz).
- Look for the Symbolism: The silver shoes versus the ruby slippers. It’s a classic book-vs-movie debate, but Paige uses it to signify the difference between "true" Oz magic and the Hollywood version.
The Dorothy Must Die series isn't just about killing a girl in a dress. It’s about questioning the stories we’re told. The Wicked Will Rise is the moment the story gets complicated, dark, and undeniably interesting.
Get a physical copy if you can. The cover art for this series—with the splattered paint and the iconic imagery—is some of the best in the genre. It looks great on a shelf, but it reads even better when you're looking for something that bites back.