⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 a solid 4-Star Audiobook Review!

*Storms, Secrets, and Swordplay—A Gritty Fantasy Worth Getting Lost In*

This audiobook is a breath of fresh (if occasionally blood-stained) air in the fantasy genre. Hakeldama is a land as imaginative as it is unforgiving—think Oz meets dystopia with a dash of Game of Thrones cruelty. The narrative wastes no time throwing Moriah—and the listener—into the deep end, with a perilous journey that rarely lets up.

Moriah’s voice feels authentic—sharp-edged but vulnerable—and her ragtag crew adds texture without feeling tropey. The ex-mayor brings dry humor, the street-smart hustler injects grit, and the ever-growing beast-dog? Unexpectedly charming. But it’s Jasher, the morally murky executioner, who steals scenes. His chemistry with Moriah simmers rather than sizzles, which makes their connection all the more believable in a world where trust is currency.

The narration delivers with emotional nuance and clarity, though some of the exposition-heavy sections drag slightly. Still, the pacing rebounds with clever twists, cinematic fight scenes, and strange, memorable dangers—lethal poppies and flying horrors included.

Not flawless, but fiercely imaginative. *If you like your fantasy with teeth, tenderness, and just a touch of chaos, this one’s a worthy ride!

Gena Showalter has been writing fantasy/romantasy since the early 2000s, and I feel like she's been a little bit in every genre. This book conquers the land of Oz. Like Dorothy Gale, Toto, Flying Monkeys, you know he story. This story builds on the one we are familiar with, addressing that it's a thing and sticking Moriah into Oz, but not the Oz that she was expecting. It is dark, deadly, and any perceived crime leads to death. Even telling a lie gets you killed. The wealthy have indentured servants who take their sins on and are killed in their stead, and will go on crime sprees without concern because they have these pawns. Dorothy winds up becoming one of the people used to sacrifice and escapes. She winds up with the royal executioner, and they make a bargain to get Moriah to the City of Lux to find the gate to get back home, to Kansas. The executioner is very attractive and is more complex as they go along. She winds up on a similar trek as Dorothy with a similar trio (plus dog) through the land, evading monsters, deadly flowers, and bounty hunters.

I really enjoyed his tale. I like a good retelling, but this is like taking the source and making it dark and twisty with a splash of romance. There is a lot of pining, I mean a lot of hormonal pining. Lots of flip-flopping on feelings or not feelings, very angsty early 20s feelings. Showalter's adult books tend to have the spice factor, but this one didn't really have any. I think there was one scene, but the majority of the story was traveling through the dangerous world, fighting, being tortured, and having angsty feelings. It was interesting, and it kept trying to draw parallels from Baum's story to its own. I feel like this is worth a read if you like darker Wizard of Oz-style stories.

This was a fun fantasy that took the Wizard of Oz and gave it a twist. Gina Showalter does well with this style of writing. It gets you hooked but has a cliffhanger at the end. I sure hope she continues this series.

3.5⭐
A semi-urban romantasy taking place in a world similar to the Wizard of Oz - a place of complete injustice - accusing the innocent for the crimes of the elite.
The story follows Moriah trying to find her way home, while simultaneously getting marked for death, having a slow-burn romance with an executioner, and finding murderous cutie patootie dog like sidekick.

Ate this Up!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

2 stars ⭐️✨

I didn't really feel that captivated by this story. I found myself zoning out a lot, since I didn't remember much from Wizard of Oz. However, I feel like fans of Wizard of Oz would enjoy this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC audiobook.

If you’ve ever wanted to see what happens when you take the whimsical world of Oz, shake it up, add some dark magic, and throw in a girl who’s definitely not having a good time, The Great and Terrible is here for you. Think creepy forests, dangerous magic, and a lot of people who may or may not be trustworthy.

It’s one of those books where you’ll be on the edge of your seat, wondering who to trust, what’s coming next, and if you’re even allowed to have a peaceful moment. Spoiler alert: you’re not. But that’s what makes it so fun! It’s packed with adventure, suspense, and characters who definitely keep you guessing.

The world? Think Oz but with a lot less sunshine and a lot more “I might die at any moment” energy. It’s a wild ride, full of magic, danger, and a whole lot of, "who can I trust," moments.

If you like your fantasy with a side of danger, mystery, and a bit of chaos, this book has got you covered. Just don’t expect a yellow brick road—this journey is much, much darker.

And the narration? Sybil Johnson makes the whole experience way more fun than it has any right to be. She brings Moriah’s snark, the creepy magic, and the chaos of Oz to life in a way that makes you forget you're just sitting there with headphones on. She somehow manages to make every twist and turn feel intensely dramatic, even when it’s just someone walking through a forest. (Seriously, Sybil, do you have a “suspenseful pause” button that we don’t know about?) Her ability to switch between characters is on point—every villain, ally, and shady side character gets their own vibe, and you're never confused about who's talking.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Forget the yellow brick road—The Great and Terrible takes a sharp detour into darkness, where monsters lurk, justice is a joke, and cannibals are just another Tuesday. Moriah Shaker is unceremoniously dumped into Hakeldama, a brutal Oz-adjacent realm where survival is a full-time job, and let’s just say, she’s not in Kansas anymore.

This book is a fever dream of action, suspense, and a slow-burn romance that simmers between Moriah and the dangerously intriguing Jasher. The world is immersive, the twists are relentless, and the betrayals cut deep. And that ending? Ruthless. If you love your fairytales with a side of carnage and a dash of seduction, buckle up—this ride is wickedly addictive.

I love Gena Showalter's books. But this one did not spark my interest. I read the whole book, though, waiting for it to pick up, but it never did. I hate leaving these kinds of reviews!

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Moriah lands, quite literally, in another realm that is eerily similar to the Wizard of Oz, and after a tornado rip-roars through her town, no less. Except this Oz is way more sinister and deadly. Every direction she turns and each person she meets is another one trying to kill her. Even worse, the elite of society don’t have to pay for their crimes or sins, but no worry, they’ll choose another person, so someone will pay. It’s all the same right?

Moriah is a bright character and has good morals. She can’t help but see the good in each person. But that also means she is pretty easily manipulated as well.

This novel seemed rather short, but it was a fun, good time adventure. I kept waiting for the romance to happen. Although there is tension between the characters, there really is only setup for a future romance. And, there is a cliffhanger ending.

I became a fan of Gena Showalter in the 2010s with her Lords of the Underworld series. This book feels very reminiscent of that time period for romances. Fairly short, and not a huge dig into the depth of any of the characters- more surface-level. I still enjoyed it, and will continue the series when the next book comes out, but I find much more enjoyment from more recent romances that dig deeper.

Thank you to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for this ALC!

Thank you @NetGalley and @Dreamscape_Media for the ARC. Gena Showalter has been a favorite author of mine for over a decade. I enjoyed this retelling of The Wizard of Oz, it was filled with cool new theories and characters. Looking forward to book 2.

Book review: 2.75/5 ⭐️
Genre: romantasy
📖 Read if you like: A Mirror Mended, After the Forest, After Oz, Heartless

With Wicked hitting theatres this winter, there has been a resurgence in all things Oz, so I was very excited to receive this ARC thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media.

If you like retellings with a few surprises and a forced promixty romance, you will enjoy this one. Unfortunately, this missed the mark for me. This version of Oz was delightfully dreadful, but for all its gore and hardship there didn’t seem to be enough bloodshed and death. I expected more high stakes events and for some of the characters to at least get maimed along the way. Instead they were a happy bunch of misfits that had an insta-connection despite everything that proceeded their journeying together.

None of the relationships really made sense to me. Not the fellow indenture, not the ex-mayor (why was she even there??), not the beast dog who everyone knew would turn on her and not the executioner - this one should be self-explanatory. This was in large part due to Moriah, who is the MC. Part time waitress, part time farmer Mariah is a college dropout working multiple jobs to make ends meet and support her sick father. When a tornado rips through Kansas she runs into a chapel for safety and ends up in Hakeldama. A twisted place where crimes result in executions, monsters roam the skies, and fields are full of more than just poppies to fear. With cannibals, deadly plants and executioners about this is certainly a dark and dangerous place.

This book and land had a lot of potential, I just couldn’t get a read on Moriah. I found her rather boring and she had no discernible characteristics that would lead everyone to just do as she demands. I couldn’t understand her bond with the tin man, nor why he was constantly acquiescing to her tantrums seeing as she couldn’t really keep herself alive. A heartless soldier would surely just have waited until she died and then taken back his mother’s compass. It seemed like there was no real plot besides the journey itself until then end of the book and then there were too many slapdash revelations in a rapid progression.

I liked the voices in the audiobook and I enjoyed the dark and gruesome setting. I will say that the book really turned around for me by the end, but I spent about 80% of the time not connecting with any of the characters and wondering why half of them were even there. I didn’t care for the supposed insta-love after a few days together, nor how easy everything was for Moriah. In this dark and dreadful world I expected life to be hard and for her to be harder. I wanted some grey area, and this was very black and white with Moriah’s optimism easily satiated.

So while this book was not for me, plenty of people have and will enjoy it. The ending alone did also make me consider continuing the series.

The great and terrible
by Gena Showalter
Narrated by Sybil Johnson

I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley.

This book was a very interesting take on what might happen if another girl (woman) from Kansas was sucked up into a tornado over the rainbow.

It has all the markings of a great urban fantasy book - intrigue, danger, mystery, fantastical creatures, death, friendship, betrayal, and romance.

I’ll be honest and say that it took me at least half an hour to really get into the book. But once I was hooked - I was well and truly hooked.

It’s absolutely worthwhile to read this book and I do recommend it.

There are elements that are similar to the Wizard of Oz - the outfit (she was working as a waitress at a Wizard of Oz themed diner in Kansas), a tornado, landing on a person, flying monkeys, little lions, and a guardian who seems an awful lot like a wizard at first.

But, I this book isn’t like the Wizard of Oz in many ways as well. And, to be honest, it’s just a testament to the author’s skill because the differences are intriguing and a bit terrifying.

The Great and Terrible by Gena Showalter offers an interesting reimagining with a good mix of mystery and intrigue. As someone who enjoys retellings of classic stories, I found this one enjoyable. Sybil Johnson’s narration was solid, and she did a great job bringing the characters to life.

The plot held my attention with its twists and suspense. I'm curious to see where the series goes next.

#NetGalley #GenaShowalter #TheGreatandTerrible #DreamscapeMedia

The Great and Terrible is a reimagining of the Land of Oz and it's relationship to that other land of the United States.

Moriah survives a Kansas tornado to find herself in the Land of Oz, a la Dorothy, and it is a sinister and unwelcoming place. As she tries to get back to her ailing father, she finds herself making bargains with the wrong people in this survivalist world. She turns out to be a bit of a Mary Sue, but the worldbuilding was good and the characters were well done. The ending was a cliffhanger, and I can't wait for the next installment.

The audio narration was good.

I love fairytale retellings, so I thought this would be perfect for me; sadly, that was not the case. The writing felt too juvenile and the dialogue was stilted, so I couldn't immerse myself into the world. I DNF'd very early on.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
It was an interesting adaptation of Wizard of Oz. There were similar themes, obviously, holding true to the original but the author had a fresh take and brought her own ideas and a twists to the world.
I didn't actually love the ending twist, but I understand it as a plot point and I'm interested to see where it goes in future books.
The narration was good and added to the quality of the story telling.

🎧 Audiobook: The Great and Terrible- No Monsters Like Hers #1/Out of Ozland #1

✍🏾 Author: Gena Showalter-I read The Wrong Bride and gave it 4 ⭐

📅Publication date: 3/4/25| Read: 3/7/25

Genre: Rom-Com, Fantasy, Mystery

Tropes: alternate universe, mutual pining, a quest, journey companions, damsel in distress, hidden truths

🗣️Narrator: Sybil Johnson voices all the characters with standouts from Moriah, Jasher, Patch, and Mr. West. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

🏃🏾‍➡️Run Time: 8:55

🌎 Setting: Ozworld, Kansas to Emerald/Hakeldama

👆🏾POV: 1st person, single-Moriah

⚠️TW: cannibalism, beheading, cancer-not h/H, grief

Summary: College dropout turned waitress and caregiver for her father, Moriah is struggling to make ends meet. During a storm she is swept into Emerald, a cruel cut-throat world. Moriah meets Jasher-a ice cold killer-and they travel together to the City of Lux to get Moriah back home.

👩🏾 Heroine: Moriah Shaker, 20. Devotes her time to her father, misses her mother.

👨🏾 Hero: Jasher-the executioner, part of the royal guard. Nicknamed "Tinman" by Moriah. He is a triplet-has brothers Anders and Reese. His mother was from Texas and died in Hakeldama.

🎭 Other Characters:
*Sandra Shaker-Moriah's mother, disappeared when Moriah was 8 yrs. old
*Daniel Shaker-Moriah's father, dying of cancer
*Patch-a fellow captive, a hustler
*The Guardian-Jasher's boss
*Mr. Green and his son Henry-The Governor's Guild, Moriah's captors
*Iris the Good-gives Moriah a magical compass in exchange for a favor later. An enemy of the Guardian
*Nugget-Moriah's rabdog
*King Ahav + Queen Sandrine-Rulers of Emerald

🤔 My Thoughts: This was a dark and twisted take on a classic. The characters were scrappy, each with own sad story yet willing to help Moriah. Jasher and later Patch and Leona faced monstra, trappers, and deadly poppies with Moriah. Moriah and Jasher's relationship was funny and deadly, with a little romance. I wish it had some spice, but I'll definitely read more in this series.

Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice level 2/5🔥

3.5 ⭐️ This one is so close to 4 star for me.
MFC gets transported into the Wizard of Oz (by tornado of course) but it’s a little more dark and mysterious than we know it to be. It was fun finding all the correlations to the original Wizard of Oz. I was interested in the storyline most of the time with a little stall towards the end. We’re left on a twisty cliff which I love. I didn’t realize this was going to be a series so I’m hoping there’s more romance within the plot in the next one.

An adaptation of Wizard of Oz but OH YES! it was a great tornado ride! Dark, twisty, mysterious, magical and some terrible monsters.
I really enjoyed getting sucked into the story and it was an amazing fantasy read.
I can’t wait for the second instalment.

The narrator was excellent and gave the characters life.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Dreamscape Media for ARC- audio.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5


This was an absolutely fantastic read! I knocked off a half a star because it seemed like it took about 20% way through the book before it really picked up but my gosh by the time it did it really moved into a fast pace.

I want to start off saying this was a complete shocker to me that a Wizard of Oz retelling (loosely and very meta) would stun me and truly amaze me with the characters and setting. Moriah was a strong, likable protagonist and Jasher was a lovable foe turned love interest. Their chemistry was palpable and the slow burn was done fantastically. The rest of the side characters, our Toto like dog friend, our cowardly Lioness mayor and our redheaded scarecrow rounded out a fun, unlikely band of frenemies.

The twists towards the end were jaw dropping and I am truly excited to see where the series goes from here. Count me in as a Gena Showalter fan!


The narrator was excellent as well, I truly enjoyed how she narrated the novel and her voice was truly pleasant to listen to!

Tropes:
Touch her and die
Enemies to lovers
Found family
GrumpyxSunshine
Forced Proximity
Slow burn
Forbidden Romance


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ALC of this novel in exchange for my honest review