Yellow Brick War by Danielle Page - Book Review

Important: The beginning of the review is spoiler free but after the *Full review (with spoilers)* sign I'm going to talk about everything that happened in the book, so... You've been warned (: 

                                                         

Yellow Brick War by Danielle Page
My rating: 4 stars

I was so sure it was going to be the last book, even when I started reading it, but after the ending (and after checking on goodreads) there definitely is going to be at least one more book (Yay!). 

This book was addictive. The whole trilogy (or, actually, series) was. I couldn't stop reading it. I read it in one day (!). The writing style is so engaging and fast-paced, you just fly through this book.
Amy is one kickass-sarcastic-awesome protagonist. She has her flaws (and you want to shake her at times) but who doesn't? It's the kind of flaws you're not bothered by because they are real. They make sense. Amy is truly amazing in her own right. 

What I love about Danielle books is how she constantly changes and plays with our prospective of good and evil. There are never clear lines between the two. Evil can turn good and good can turn evil. And what is someone who, for good reasons, does evil things? 

It's written in a light and fun way (which I love) but there are also deep meanings in this series (which I also love).

         

*Full review (with spoilers)*

This was it. Yet again, I was on my own, and the future of everything was in my hands. I sighed and started walking. 

I was literary 2 pages in when I was smacked with plot twists and surprises everywhere!
I was lightly starting the book... I was just turning to page 3 when I was like: What? Really? No. Wow. Wait. Why? Whoa. What's happening here?

Nox was straight out of Central casting: Tortured revolutionary dreamboat --- Are you the girl who'll finally capture his wounded heart?  

Nox joining the Wicked witches as the fourth witch!
With the whole 'Amy going dark' thing that was going on in book 2, I was so sure it was going to be Amy who joins them! I never thought, I didn't expect it to be Nox! It was a shock. I felt as shocked as Amy at that moment.
Not to mention the whole 'it's forbidden for the Quadrant to have a normal life or be in love, so yeah, Amy, sorry, but you and Nox can't be together'. 

I knew Gert wasn't dead! I don't know why but I never believed she was dead for good.
I had that theory that maybe the witches faked her death as part of their plan to make Amy kill Dorothy.
Well, I wasn't right about that but she is alive. And I'm glad she is. She's my favorite wicked witch out of the three.

So much happened in this book and there are so many problems they have to face - old ones and new ones alike - that I don't even know if it can all be solved in one book. Maybe a very long one book. 

Is Dorothy dead? Last time we saw of her she was... *shudders* she looked pretty much dead to me. I mean, her eye had melted. *shudders again*. But we can't know for sure. Even if she's alive though, I'm not sure how much harm she can cause in her current condition.
Right now it seems Amy switched from 'Dorothy must die' to 'the Nome king must die'.

Dusting was still looking at me like -- well, like I'd vanished and then reappeared out of thin air. But the fact that it wasn't physically possible to vanish and reappear out of thin air was working in my favor. Whatever explanation he was coming up with for what he'd just seen, It definitely wasn't "some kind of really scary mind-stabbing supernatural entity just walked out of the walls, made Amy briefly invisible in order to drop a bunch of vague sinister hints, and then disappeared."  

Dustin and Madison have officially joined team Amy! If you have told me in the first book that I would genuinely appreciate and liked Madison, I would have laughed and said "no way".
Many characters we didn't think we could like or trust did a complete turn in this book: Madison, Dustin, Amy's mom, Mombi...
I can't WAIT to see Madison in Oz. Thar girl is as tough as Amy, I can say that for sure. I'm really starting to like her... and Dusting too. He may not look like much at first glance but he's actually very loyal and a genuinely good person. 

"You know what?" he said. "Never mind the order. I'm falling in love with you, too." 

Amy & Nox: I was so glad to get more Amy and Nox time in this book. In the first two books they were constantly separated and pulled apart. But in this one they were finally (kind of) together. United. On the same side. Not giving up on each other, no matter what. I loved that. I loved how loyal they are to each other.

"Because if you give up -- then what is there left to live for?"  

Throughout the book there was that constant threat in my mind of Amy turning dark, letting magic consume her, becoming Dorothy...
But she fought it. And Nox was on her side (+Lureline's magic boots), reminding her who she is. She'll never be Dorothy, I know that now.
She made the right choice, choosing not to kill Dorothy. It might not seem like that to Lulu or the wicked witched but she really did made the right choice. 

Queendom. Huh, I like the sound of that. You never really think about it but why always 'kingdom'? If a queen is ruling, is should definitely be queendom. 

Glinda and Glamora: Who will win? Is Glamora truly gone? Because right now it seems Glinda is winning... 

And what about Mombi? Is she dead? I didn't particularly like her most of the times but she was a little different in this book. She seems more... human. There is still a high chance she's not dead. I mean, Gert said it's very hard to kill a witch.

Will Amy ever return home? Will she and Nox find a way to be together? How will they defeat the Nome king? Is Dorothy really dead? What will happen to Madison, Dustin and her mom? Where will the Yellow Brick Road lead them? Will Amy be able to fight Oz's dark magic? What will Amy and Nox choose: Oz or the other place?
I don't know-I don't know-I don't know...
I want the next book ASAP!
In the meantime... the first book in a different series by the author (a snow white retelling!), is coming out September 27, 2016.
So there is that (:

"It's not magic that makes you who you are. It's the choices that you make."-- Dorothy Must Die