Retellings is my favorite subgenre ever. I’m a sucker for fantasy and fairy-tales, so a good retelling of an old classic is heaven to me. But where to start? There are so many tales that could be retold. So, why not start with the great wizard? With the retellings of the story I was obsessed with as a kid to the point where I had dressed up as both Glinda and Dorothy?
- Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page
Avg. 3.8 stars on Goodreads
Dorothy returned to Oz only to gain power and become a tyrant. She is ruining the kingdom (queendom?). Amy Gumm, also a Kansas girl, stumbles her way into the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, an organization plotting to take Dorothy down. Amy trains for her own special mission within them–one that declares Dorothy must die.
- Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Macguire
Avg. 3.5 stars on Goodreads
There are two sides to every story. Wicked is Elphaba’s–aka the Wicked Witch–origin story. What made her become so hated in all of Oz? Her story also inspired a huge Broadway musical.
- Spelled by Betsy Schow
Avg 3.6 stars on Goodreads
Dorthea is the crowned princess of Emerald, but despite all the riches that come with it, she can’t get past her awful betrothal to Prince Kato. In an attempt to rid herself of the engagement, Dorthea wishes upon a magic star, not realizing it’s cursed. Now her kingdom is falling apart and her family is stuck in some unfamiliar land called Kansas. Dorthea must find the Wizard of Oz to undo this curse before it’s too late.
- Shadow of Oz by Nick Damon
Avg 3.6 stars on Goodreads
Oz is dying and the only way to save it is with the elusive Ozma. Only Dorothy Gale knows how to locate it. Except, all grown up and living in New York, Dorothy had forgotten all about Oz. When an old enemy tracks her down, Dorothy is sent on the run, following traces of her memory. But will she remember how to even get to Oz? And if she does, can she even save it?
- Toto’s Tale and True Chronicle of Oz by Sylvia Patience
Avg 3.8 stars on Goodreads
We’ve seen Dorothy’s tale. We’ve seen the Witch’s tale. But now is the true story: Toto’s recounting of his adventure in Oz, including how he originally found Dorothy and what happened to the special shoes.
- King of Traitors by J.A. Armitage and Emma Savant
Avg 4.3 stars on Goodreads
The mayor of Oz finds himself in a prison guarded by ogres. He’s desperate to return to his family, the rest of Dorothy’s descendants. Though no one has escaped from the island prison, he will not let that stop him.
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