This week I'm featuring Emerald Illusion by J. Rodes which just released yesterday. I was lucky enough to read an early copy of this book and OH MY GOODNESS! It was awesome! You can find my review here. It's a book that I can't recommend highly enough and can envision myself rereading again and again.
About the Book
Abrielle used to dream of a different life. Adventure. Romance. Hope.
Not of Kansas.
Now, after the loss of her mother and a move she didn’t want to make, she’s lost the will to dream anymore, let alone believe in her father’s Somedays.
But a swirling wind, a wall of leaves, and a blinding darkness literally transform her world.
She and both of her brothers, Brogan and Matteaus, are swept from Kansas to someplace beyond—to a desert in which everything is watery-brown, including the sky and the light of the weak sun. Abrielle finds herself in the middle of a realm everyone had heard of but no one believed existed. Except this version is rundown and broken, void of color and hope. Not much different from her view of life in Kansas.
When she gathers her bearings, she discovers her youngest brother is missing, lost in a land that is foreign and dying. Finding Matteaus becomes her sole focus, but when she and Brogan meet a boy named Levi, who only adds more mystery to this world that shouldn’t exist, she finds out this kingdom is much more perilous than the children’s book ever told.
Matteaus is in great danger.
There is nothing safe about Oz.
Not of Kansas.
Now, after the loss of her mother and a move she didn’t want to make, she’s lost the will to dream anymore, let alone believe in her father’s Somedays.
But a swirling wind, a wall of leaves, and a blinding darkness literally transform her world.
She and both of her brothers, Brogan and Matteaus, are swept from Kansas to someplace beyond—to a desert in which everything is watery-brown, including the sky and the light of the weak sun. Abrielle finds herself in the middle of a realm everyone had heard of but no one believed existed. Except this version is rundown and broken, void of color and hope. Not much different from her view of life in Kansas.
When she gathers her bearings, she discovers her youngest brother is missing, lost in a land that is foreign and dying. Finding Matteaus becomes her sole focus, but when she and Brogan meet a boy named Levi, who only adds more mystery to this world that shouldn’t exist, she finds out this kingdom is much more perilous than the children’s book ever told.
Matteaus is in great danger.
There is nothing safe about Oz.
Book Beginning
I used to dream of a different life. Adventure and wonder. Maybe a little romance - because at seventeen, I still hadn't been kissed. My dreams, they looked like crystal-clear lakes whose invitation to swim would never go unanswered, magnificent waterfalls thundering their authority, and craggy peaks daring me to take them on.
They didn't look like Kansas.
Friday 56 (55% on my Kindle)
Cue the flying monkeys. Wait. No. They were bad...weren't they?
What have you been reading lately?
Emerald Illusion sounds like a great retelling. I'm going to add this one to my TBR List. Thanks for mentioning it!
ReplyDeleteIt's so awesome and such a unique, thought-provoking take on Oz. Thanks for stopping by, Breana! :)
DeleteOh, I love the excerpts and imaging sinking into the magic of the story. Thanks for sharing, and here's mine: “The Neighbors”
ReplyDeleteI meant to say "imagine."
DeleteThis is definitely one of those stories that grabs you and pulls you right into the story. Love that! Thanks for visiting, Laurel-Rain! :)
DeleteSounds greadt. It is a new one for me. This week I am spotlighting A True Cowboy Christmas by Caitlin Crews - from my review stack. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed it! Thanks for coming by, Kathy! :)
DeleteLove this cover. The flying monkeys always terrified me as a kid. Glad this one was a good one for you. Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteMy 56: Mirage by Somaiya Daud
They used to scare me too! Thanks for coming by, Alicia! :)
DeleteSounds like a fantastic read!! Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteIt really is! Thanks for visiting, Freda! :)
DeleteI wouldn't have thought to retell something as iconic as Wizard of Oz. What a great idea. Glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI love that this author took the chance to retell such an iconic story. It was awesome. Thanks for coming by, Roberta! :)
DeleteThat is high praise--wanting to reread it again and again. I love the sound of this. Having recently read The Wizard of Oz and immersing myself in the musical thanks to my daughter, I would be really curious about this one. Thank you for bringing this one to my attention!
ReplyDeleteI've read Wicked many times over the years and would love to see the musical someday. I know it's a lot different than the book but it sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks for visiting! :)
DeleteLooks fun. Glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteIt was a ton of fun and very soul-stirring at the same time. SO good! Thanks for stopping by, Nicki! :)
DeleteOoh, I think I need to add this to my tbr. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Lauren @ Always Me
It's such a great reimagining of Oz! Thanks for visiting, Lauren! :)
Delete