Description

Danielle Paige delivers a dark and compelling reimagining of a beloved classic, perfect for fans of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Beastly by Alex Flinn, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

When the Cowardly Lion set off for the Emerald City in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with Dorothy and the others, he sought courage above all else. This digital original novella is the sixth installment in the prequel arc to the edgy and thrilling New York Times bestsellers Dorothy Must Die and The Wicked Will Rise, and is the Lion’s story after he got what he’s always wanted.

The Lion’s wish has finally come true—he is the courageous ruler of the forest and all of its beasts. But the Lion is bored—he misses the days of his adventures with Dorothy, the Tin Woodman, and the Scarecrow. When Glinda the Good Witch shows up unexpectedly and tasks him with a mission back in the Emerald City, he jumps at the chance to do something exciting, even though he knows she’s not telling him the entire truth.


  • Morally Grey Characters: Glinda the Good is not what she seems, and the courageous Lion discovers that power comes with a dark side he might just enjoy.
  • Political Intrigue: A mission to the Emerald City plunges the Lion into a silent power struggle between a manipulative witch and the formidable new Queen of Oz.
  • A Twisted Take on Oz: Explore the edgy, thrilling, and dangerous side of Oz, where getting what you want is only the beginning of your problems.
  • An Oz Prequel Novella: The perfect entry point or next read for fans of the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die series, revealing the untold story of the Cowardly Lion.

About the author(s)

Danielle Paige is a graduate of Columbia University and the author of the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die series. Before turning to young adult literature, she worked in the television industry, where she received a Writers Guild of America Award and was nominated for several Daytime Emmys. She currently lives in New York City.

Reviews

“L. Frank Baum would be proud because Danielle Paige really makes Oz - even a modern, dystopian version of it - her own in the enjoyable sequel to Dorothy Must Die.” - USA Today

“A cinematic work that Oz purists will balk at but reluctant readers will devour.” - School Library Journal

PRAISE FOR DOROTHY MUST DIE: “Readers of Baum’s books will take special delight in seeing new twists on the old characters, and they will greet the surprise climactic turnabout with the smugness of insiders.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Dorothy Must Die is kind of the ultimate in girl-powered literature. You’ve got empowered heroines, sure, but Paige also conjures a formidable villainess in Dorothy and some manipulative lady revolutionaries. Here, women and girls are allowed to be anything. This is a step beyond the one woman up front: Katniss flanked by her boyfriends and a bunch of men who want to take her down. This really is a woman’s world.” - Nerdist.com

“Dorothy Must Die is kind of the ultimate in girl-powered literature. You’ve got empowered heroines, sure, but Paige also conjures a formidable villainess in Dorothy and some manipulative lady revolutionaries. Here, women and girls are allowed to be anything. This really is a woman’s world.” - Nerdist.com

“Debut novelist Danielle Paige fantastically flips the fantasy script on the wonderful land of Oz. Paige doesn’t reinvent the wheel but instead takes a world that most of pop culture has been raised on and builds from it her own modern mythology. Gone are the days of rainbows, Lollipop Guilds and pretty much anything to sing about in a major key. For those willing to go on a quest with a heroine more attuned to our times than the Dust Bowl era, there’s no place like it.” - USA Today

“Debut author Paige doesn’t hold back in this fast-paced action novel. Give this cinematic upper-YA novel to fans of A. G. Howard’s Splintered, Frank Beddor’s Looking Glass Wars, and TV shows such as Once Upon a Time and Grimm.” - School Library Journal

“Paige delivers a solid, intense, and strange narrative that draws deeply on its source material.” - Publishers Weekly

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