The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

The Last Unicorn is one of the true classics of fantasy, ranking with Tolkien's The Hobbit, Le Guin's Earthsea Trilogy, and Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Beagle writes a shimmering prose-poetry, the voice of fairy tales and childhood:
The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone. She was very old, though she did not know it, and she was no longer the careless color of sea foam but rather the color of snow falling on a moonlit night. But her eyes were still clear and unwearied, and she still moved like a shadow on the sea.
The unicorn discovers that she is the last unicorn in the world, and sets off to find the others. She meets Schmendrick the Magician--whose magic seldom works, and never as he intended--when he rescues her from Mommy Fortuna's Midnight Carnival, where only some of the mythical beasts displayed are illusions. They are joined by Molly Grue, who believes in legends despite her experiences with a Robin Hood wannabe and his unmerry men. Ahead wait King Haggard and his Red Bull, who banished unicorns from the land. From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this book, it has what every fantasy book needs: A mythical being, a quest, love and of course good wins over evil in the end. I will definitely read Coda to The Last Unicorn – a novelette, available for free on the author's website.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (unicorn)
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
CCC-Read your age

2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge Finished

2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge hosted by Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf.

Challenge Rules:
    This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2013 - Dec 31, 2013.  I will be posting a place to link up a sign-up post (below), reviews and a wrap-up post. (Note: You do not have to review the books to participate, but only those who link up reviews will be entered for the prize)
    Grab the reading challenge button (code & button below) and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate- you could track your progress and post reviews on  Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, etc.
    Any full length book that includes a witch as a main character or major witchcraft elements counts.  They may be fiction or non-fiction.  However, they should not be reference books which are not read cover to cover-I will leave this to your discretion. 
    Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
    Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
    You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
    When you sign up in the linky put the direct link to your post about joining the 2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge.
    You can move up levels, but no moving down.
    Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2013, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
    Have some Witchy Good Fun !!!  
The Levels:
Initiate:  Read 1 - 5 Witchy Books
Maiden:  Read 6 - 10 Witchy Books
Mother:  Read 11 - 15 Witchy Books
Crone:  Read 16 - 20 Witchy Books

This is the second year running I am taking part in this challenge.  Last year I ended up reading 41 witchy books so I entered this year at level Crone to read 16-20 Witchy books.

I reached 20 books the 9th of September when I finished The Owl Service by Alan Garner. Since then I have read another 15 for a total of 35 Witchy books. I don't think I will beat last years numbers but I will keep adding books the rest of the year to see how close to last years numbers I will get.

If  Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf is hosting this challenge again I will definitely take part as I love reading witchy books.

THIS is where all posts for this challenge are.

List of books:

1. A Nomadic Witch by Debora Geary
2. To Have and To Code by Debora Geary 
3. A Different Witch by Debora Geary 
4. Witches on Parole by Debora Geary
5. Witches under Way by Debora Geary
6. Witches in Flight by Debora Geary
7. Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
8. A Celtic Witch by Debora Geary 
9. Swordfights & Lullabies by Debora Geary  
10. Every Witch Way But Wicked by Wren Emerson 
11. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
12. Merrick by Anne Rice 
13. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch 
14. A Lost Witch by Debora Geary 
15. To Kill a Warlock by H.P. Mallory
16. Daughter of Dragons by Kathleen H. Nelson  
17. Witch Way Bends by Olivia Hardin  
18. Dorothy: The Darker Side of Oz by Scott Stanford
19. The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen by Alan Garner
20. The Owl Service by Alan Garner
21. Bitten Shame by Olivia Hardin
22. Shifty Business by Olivia Hardin 
23. The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
24. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory 
25. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice 
26. To Love a Witch by Debora Geary 
27. An Imperfect Witch by Debora Geary 
28. WitchLove by Emma Mills
29. How (Not) to Kiss a Toad by Elizabeth A. Reeves 
30. How (Not) to Kiss a Prince by Elizabeth A. Reeves
31. How (Not) to Kiss a Beast by Elizabeth A. Reeves
32. How (Not) to Kiss a Ghost by Elizabeth A. Reeves 
33. How (Not) to Kiss a Gargoyle by Elizabeth A. Reeves 
34. The Moon Of Gomrath by Alan Garner 
35. Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

Down in Atlanta, tempers – and temperatures – are about to flare…
As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one.
When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest – and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive…  From Goodreads.




Another page turner in the Kate Daniels series. There is something happening all the time and you never know what pops up next. I have the next three books ready to read and I need to read them before mid-December when I have to return them to the library.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (shapeshifter)
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

The Moon Of Gomrath by Alan Garner

Alan Garner's exciting and atmospheric tale of magic and evil which began with "The Weirdstone of Brisingamen" continues with the "Moon of Gomrath".
It is the Eve of Gomrath – the night of the year when the Old Magic is aroused. Had Colin and Susan known this, they would never have lighted a fire on the Beacon, thereby releasing the uncontrollable ferocity of the Wild Hunt. Soon they are inextricably caught up in the struggle between their friend, the Wizard Cadellin, and the evil Morrigan.
The strength of their courage will determine whether or not they survive the awaiting ordeal …  From Goodreads.






This is a worthy sequel to The Weirdstone of Brisingamen though it is not quite as good. As in a lot of fantasy books the evil, that is thought gone, returns. I have the third book ready.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (wizard)
2013 Audio Book Challenge
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

How (Not) to Kiss a Gargoyle by Elizabeth A. Reeves

Cindy Eller just wants to get her life back. Instead of focusing her energy on her bakery and her relationship, she keeps getting distracted by the hubbub surrounding the upcoming case-- where she and her family will be put on trial for contact with Faerie.
When Cindy is condemned to have her Magic stripped-- a process that could kill her-- who should arrive to save the day but her elusive and very godlike father, Lenus.
When worlds collide, innocent people get caught in the crossfires. And sometimes love is its own worst enemy.
So much for Cindy's Fairytale ending. From Goodreads.

Still a cosy fun read, nothing ever stays good forever so there is some betrayal in this one. I am also pleased that the page count has risen even if it is just with a few pages.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (witch)
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Stuck in a Rut Challenge

How (Not) to Kiss a Ghost by Elizabeth A. Reeves

Cindy's life is just starting to quiet down. She has her Timothy back and her bakeries are doing well. Life couldn't be better until strange things start to happen.
Timothy's mother, who has been dead for sixteen years, comes to visit and Cindy's sisters are disappearing. As Cindy and Timothy start to investigate, they discover her sisters' lifeless bodies. Is it the kiss of death?
Cindy must find the demon behind these kidnappings before she loses her whole family. From Goodreads.

This is the fourth book in the Cindy Eller series. I still like the series and find it both cosy and humorous. But it annoys me that the author is writing shorter and shorter books. The first book in the series was 315 pages, the third was 208 and now we are down to 184 pages in this book. I hope this doesn't continue.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (witch)
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Stuck in a Rut Challenge

How (Not) to Kiss a Beast by Elizabeth A. Reeves

Cindy's Ordinary boyfriend is missing and nobody seems to know where he has gone. Cindy is convinced that something horrible has happened to him, but every attempt she has made to find him--Magical or otherwise--has offered no explanation.
Then she learns that her mysterious father is behind it all.
How can she fight against powers she doesn't even understand--especially when her own Magic is acting up worse than ever before?
And what will she do when enemies of her father start coming out of the woodwork? From Goodreads.

There is no mystery to these books. The question is where is her boyfriend? I think most readers will know quite early in the book. It is still an okay read.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (witch)
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Stuck in a Rut Challenge

How (Not) to Kiss a Prince by Elizabeth A. Reeves

Let the Magical Mayhem begin! Cindy Eller has not one, but two weddings to prepare for in less than two weeks when the cupcakes hit the fan-- a mysterious man has appeared claiming to be betrothed to Cindy and insisting she must marry him before her sister's nuptials can take place.
Obviously this doesn't sit well with Cindy's Ordinary boyfriend.
That's the way the cake-- and the wedding-- crumbles! From Goodreads.

A light, cosy read. I like Cindy and her room mates. Still fun enough to continue the series.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (witch)
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Stuck in a Rut Challenge

How (Not) to Kiss a Toad by Elizabeth A. Reeves

Life isn't always sweet for magical baker, Cindy Eller. All her life she's been cursed-- every man she's ever kissed has turned into a toad. Love isn't likely to come her way, she knows.
If that weren't a big enough problem, her 'curse' has come to the attention of the Council of Magic and she may never be able to use her powers.
Enter the perfect man-- handsome, sweet, and loves food just as much as Cindy does. It would seem to be a match made in Heaven, or is it?
Cindy isn't the only one keeping secrets.
With toads, cupcakes, romance, magic and ice cream, life never has time to get dull! From Goodreads.

This is exactly what I like in a light read. It is funny, cute and romantic. This is one of those free books that makes me want to buy the next book in the series, which I have done.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (witch)
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 30th of April 2013)
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Stuck in a Rut Challenge

WitchLove by Emma Mills

With the reappearance of a lost love, Jess flees to the only people who can help her control her increasing powers and gain independence – her family’s coven. But with a bruised heart can Jess learn to forgive or will she find new love in the United States? Witchlove, the third installment of the Witchblood series, is a new adventure that takes Jess from New England to Voodoo country in the South. From Goodreads.

This is the 3rd book in Emma Mills Witchblood series. I am still enjoying it but I didn't think this was as good as the first two books. It is still interesting enough and the epilogue makes me want to read the next book.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (witch)
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2013

An Imperfect Witch by Debora Geary

The tattoos on your heart matter more than the ones on your skin.
Two years ago, Lizard Monroe was Berkeley's newest delinquent on parole. Now she's a hot young realtor with a great life, an awesome guy, and enough friends to chase away the ghosts of her past.
Almost.
The crystal ball has spoken - life isn't done messing with her yet. And neither is the need brewing in the eyes of the man she loves.
The eve of Halloween approaches. And whatever the sexy poet realtor wants to believe, moving beyond your past isn't the same as facing the future.
This is the first book in my new Witch Central series, featuring my well-loved clan of modern witches and those who love them. Light contemporary fantasy with a good dose of humor, a little romance, and characters you won't want to leave. From Goodreads.



Debora Geary is my favourite author at the moment. What is not to like. The book is about witches, it has romance, humour and a bit of sadness in it. Life is not perfect, neither are we but that doesn't mean life is not good.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (witch)
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2013
NBRC Stuck in a Rut

To Love a Witch by Debora Geary

Jake thought he had a juvenile delinquent witch in need of rescue. Romy couldn't decide if he was a kidnapper, liar, or too good to be true.Throw in Tattoo Boy, sparking fingers, and a seven-year-old who can see the future, and you have all the makings for a romance. Really. Well, there's some really great linguine and a duet from West Side Story, too.
Novel Nibbles are snack-sized reads. Short novels for your lunch break, your iPhone, and any other time a quick read is the perfect length. They are about 20,000 words (70-80 pages) From Goodreads.

Quite a short book. Exactly what is needed for Dewey's Read-a-Thon to fit in between longer books. As usual, a cute witch story with a lot of humour.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (witch)
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2013
NBRC Stuck in a Rut

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

In this engrossing and hypnotic tale of witchcraft and the occult spanning four centuries, we meet a great dynasty of witches--a family given to poetry and incest, to murder and philosophy, a family that over the ages is haunted by a powerful, dangerous and seductive being. From Goodreads.

Anne Rice is one of my favourite authors and I have read some of her books but as it is over the last twenty years I can't always remember which I have read. This one I read about 6 years ago.
It is a very worthy reread. It is an epic family saga which doesn't end after this book. Be prepared for dark magic, it is no light humorous witchy read.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (witch)
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Anne Rice Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
TEA & BOOKS Reading Challenge 2013
2013 Mammoth Book Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory

Life isn't bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn't have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.
Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she's a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost's demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!
Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand. From Goodreads.





Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble is the second free "first in a series" I have read by this author and  they are okay. They are just not good enough for me to go out and pay for the next ones in the series.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (witch, vampire)
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 24th of May 2013)
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice

Did you ever wonder where all those mischievous vampires roaming the globe in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles came from? In this, the third book in the series, we find out. That raucous rock-star vampire Lestat interrupts the 6,000-year slumber of the mama of all bloodsuckers, Akasha, Queen of the Damned.
Akasha was once the queen of the Nile (she has a bit in common with the Egyptian goddess Isis), and it's unwise to rile her now that she's had 60 centuries of practice being undead. She is so peeved about male violence that she might just have to kill most of them. And she has her eye on handsome Lestat with other ideas as well.
If you felt that the previous books in the series weren't gory and erotic enough, this one should quench your thirst (though it may cause you to omit organ meats from your diet). It also boasts God's plenty of absorbing lore that enriches the tale that went before, including the back-story of the boy in Interview with the Vampire and the ancient fellowship of the Talamasca, which snoops on paranormal phenomena. Mostly, the book spins the complex yarn of Akasha's eerie, brooding brood and her nemeses, the terrifying sisters Maharet and Mekare. In one sense, Queen of the Damned is the ultimate multigenerational saga. From Goodreads.

This is the 3rd book in the Vampire Chronicles and it is best to read the two first books before this one. I like the two first books better but this comes in close behind. I think I read it before, but it is quite a few years ago and I couldn't remember very much of it. I will continue to read the chronicles.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (vampires)
2013 Anne Rice Challenge
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
2013 Mammoth Book Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge
FrightFall RaT 2013

Shifty Business by Olivia Hardin

Gerry Hinton thought she had the perfect career as an operative for the Company. Her next assignment should have been another "mission accomplished", but hell was delivering hand baskets that day.
When a little girl gives a mysterious silver box to Gerry, her world self-destructs. Suddenly under constant mental attacks, the only person who can save her is her partner, Nicky--but nothing comes without a cost. Secrets buried deep in the past begin to rise, threatening everything she holds dear. From Goodreads.

The last book in the trilogy. It actually starts just after the sixth chapter of book one. In this book we follow Gerry, a witch with a secret (that I won't reveal). She is unconscious for a while but we still get a lot of her past in that time. This last book does a good job of binding the three books together and finishing the story. I think the author is going to write more books set in this world and I would like to read them.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge (27)
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (witch)
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
NBRC Stuck in a Rut
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

Bitten Shame by Olivia Hardin

Jill Prescott returned from self-imposed seclusion to help save her best friend Devan’s life. Throwing herself into Devan’s problems and bringing an evil organization to its knees might just be the distraction she needs to keep living without the only man she’s ever loved. Her life changed forever when she was hired to spend a week with Doc Massey. On the day she became a vampire her youthful innocence ended, but Doc’s love rescued her from being consumed by the darkness. The shadow of that former life continues to loom over her, keeping her from realizing her own self-worth. Running from her past only brings her closer to a destiny that is inextricably connected to what she is trying to escape… Every gift has both a reward and a price, because All of it fits… From Goodreads.

This is the second book in the Bend-Bite-Shift Trilogy and I found it slightly better than the first. The story is still about Devan but it is from Jill's point of view and it also tells the story about how Jill got turned into a vampire.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
NBRC Stuck in a Rut
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (vampire/witch)
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

The Owl Service by Alan Garner

Something is scratching around in the attic above Alison's room. Yet the only thing up there is a stack of grimy old plates. Alison and her stepbrother, Roger, discover that the flowery patterns on the plates, when traced onto paper, can be fitted together to create owls-owls that disappear when no one is watching. With each vanished owl, strange events begin to happen around Alison, Roger, and the caretaker's son, Gwyn. As the kids uncover the mystery of the owl service, they become trapped within a local legend, playing out roles in a tragic love story that has repeated itself for generations... a love story that has always ended in disaster. From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this one, a love/friendship triangle that keeps repeating itself generation after generation. A warning though, it is fantasy but I also found it a bit weird.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
September 2013 Takeover Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (wizard)
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge

The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen by Alan Garner

Neither Susan nor her brother, Colin, ever thought that war would be waged over a simple gemstone in her bracelet. But that's what happens when the children visit Alderley Edge, a spooky place in a remote part of England. There, they meet the wizard Cadellin, who needs the stone to rouse his allies in the never-ending battle between good and evil. But when the stone vanishes, Susan and Colin must find it before the forces of evil use it to destroy all the goodness that ever existed in the world. From Goodreads.

I really enjoyed this fantasy book. My husband has wanted me to read it for a while and now it was published in Kindle we got it right away.
I have just visited The Wizard Inn and walked to Alderley Edge this summer which makes it an even better read as I can see the real forest and the edge in my mind as the children are exploring it. I am going to continue reading this series.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (wizard)
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
September 2013 Takeover Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Ten Book Author Train Challenge

Dorothy: The Darker Side of Oz by Scott Stanford

As Dorothy awakes in Oz there's no sunshine in Munchkin country, just a twisted race enslaved by the Eastern witch, and a crooked path of yellow bricks she has to take to the mysterious Emerald City, a place ridden with sinister secrets. To get home the orphan girl treks the magical land, sometimes beautiful though often deadly, seeking help from the great wizard of Oz. The young girl struggles through a vast land of new sights, unfamiliar villages, and endures the dark forest, finding strange friends along her way. Cautiously trusting a peculiar scarecrow, he accompanies Dorothy through Oz, finding a tragic tin-man on their travels, and the cowardly lion; a victim to Mr Jack's infernal carnival. The animal's only hope is to be saved by Dorothy and her friends, but the ringleader and his obscure show have other plans for them. Dorothy's enchanting journey takes her through new, peculiar and amazing countries as Oz unveils itself. The strange friends must fight to overcome the rivers of mist, the deadly poppy fields, and beyond; whilst Kalidahs, Hammerheads and other macabre creatures stand in their way...and if they reach the Emerald City, they my find more than they bargained for. To get back to Kansas the young girl must survive the dangers of Oz, find the mysterious great wizard, and most of all, avoid the dead-lands of the West, where the evil witch Outika breeds her carnivorous pets, and watches the strange friends' every move. This isn't the Oz you know, and Dorothy may never leave. From Goodreads.

It was okay but I think I need to read the real Wizard of Oz soon to have something to compare with. I have only ever seen different cinema editions of it. I think I know the ending of the original and this one is different and I kind of liked that.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
Bout of Books Read-a-Thon 8.0
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 1st of December 2012)