A sci-fi Wizard of Oz retelling that twists the original tale in all the right ways.
 
Instead of a tornado, Dorothy is sucked into a white hole while pursuing Mirus, a mystical being that feeds on the remains of stars. It’s believed that the substance Mirus is composed of contains healing properties, and this may be the only chance to save Dorothy’s cousin, Adrian, from deteriorating further due to the genetic condition he and Dorothy share.
 
I never would’ve thought Oz in space was something I needed in my life until I encountered this book. Hercules has done an amazing job of reimagining Oz as a war-torn planet and Kansas as a space station but it’s the depth she brings to these characters that make this novel stand out.
 
We’re all familiar with the cowardly lion, the brainless scarecrow, and the heartless tin man. Hercules retains the defining characteristics of these characters in Reo, Darius, and Kevvan, but adds a level of depth that makes them come to life in a way that puts the movie originals (I’ve only seen the movie) to shame. Instead of relying on characterisation based on physical features, such as Reo being a cyborg and Kevvan a hellioncat, Hercules has built a convincing psychological element into the characters to elucidate their cowardice, heartlessness, etc. Toto also happens to be adorable as a robot dog.
 
I adore a reverse harem romance and the development of emotional and physical attraction between Dorothy and her boys is so good, like, guilty pleasure fan fiction level good.
 
I really would’ve liked to find out more about Dorothy’s medical condition but not knowing didn’t detract at all from my enjoyment of this book. Although the end provides a satisfying conclusion to the main plot it does leave off with a tantalising cliff-hanger that’ll make it tough to wait for the next Oz in Space book.
 
Book received through Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

When he finally heard the voice, he wouldn’t allow himself to believe that it was real. The voice that called to him was one he hadn’t heard in so long, and missed so deeply, that if he believed he was really hearing it and it turned out to just be another trick of his awful prison, his mind would snap like a dry twig under a heavy foot.
But it persisted. Calling to him. Searching for him.
Mate.
That voice.
Mate, are you there?
He was sitting against the wall, watching the trees outside judder and flail, growing leaves and shedding them over the course of minutes instead of months. It was the same as it had been every second of every minute of every hour since he arrived here. But when the voice spoke, the sound of it exploded into the room like a firework going off. It shook against the floor and the ceiling, and he swore he saw a sprinkling of plaster come falling down from somewhere.
Mate. Rhett. It’s me.
He knew that voice, but it couldn’t possibly be real. Yet the sound of his own name was such a sweet thing to hear that he couldn’t help but pull himself off the floor, cocking his head to listen. He thought about a time that felt like centuries ago, when he’d stood on the side of a highway in New York, talking to the owner of that voice.
My name is Rhett, he had said. Rhett Snyder. While nearby, his dead body hung within the wreckage of the car accident that had ultimately landed him here. The voice spoke again, thunderous within the tiny house.
It’s me, mate. It’s Basil. Can you hear me?
Rhett opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He realized he’d barely spoken the entire time he’d been here.
He tried again. Standing in the middle of the room, he cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled from the deepest part of his gut.
“I’m here!” he barely croaked. “Basil, I hear you! I’m here!”
Beneath him, the floorboards shuddered. The walls groaned deeply, menacingly. As Rhett watched them, tiny cracks began to form, snaking their way across the paint like slow bolts of lightning.
Hang on, mate! We’re going to try to bring you to us!


Follow this tour!

The president’s refusal to be impeached by Congress plunges the USA into civil war in DiLouie’s heartfelt dystopian war novel, Our War. While peace talks in Ottawa founder, Indianapolis is under siege, the city's suburbs divided by front lines as the well-equipped Right wing militias fight to take the city from the Left wing militias that outnumber them.
 
While there are several viewpoint characters in Our War, including journalist, Aubrey, and Gabrielle, an inexperienced UNICEF worker, the characters at the heart of this novel are Hannah and Alex, siblings separated en route to Indianapolis who have ended up in militias on opposite sides of the conflict.
 
Although the premise of Our War leans towards the dystopian, this novel is primarily war fiction. Fifteen-year old Alex is essentially abducted and then indoctrinated into the Liberty Tree militia, a right wing organisation founded well before the civil war started. The sudden death of Hannah and Alex's mother leaves Hannah an orphan. Unwilling to end up in the desperation and squalor of the city's orphanage, the ten-year old girl instead finds herself on the doorstep of a domestic violence centre, now the base of operations for the Free Women Collective, one of the Leftist militias holding the city.
 
What these kids endure is harrowing, and DiLouie portrays their experiences and the way they mould Hannah and Alex with heartfelt realism. Hannah's determination to fight and avenge her parent's deaths is a direct contrast to Alex's lackadaisical view of his circumstances. Where the lasting impression of the Liberty Tree militia is that of weaponised dissatisfaction and sociopathy nurtured into fanaticism, the Free Women Collective can be characterised by the refusal to be victimised by a hostile government regime and the militia groups that represent it. The Free Women have a sense of unity and support, both within their own ranks and with the other left wing militias that’s notably missing from Liberty Tree.
 
Despite the polarity of these opposing views, DiLouie portrays realistic and relatable characters on both sides of the conflict. Despite his radical views, Liberty Tree Sergeant Mitch is a fairly likeable character while Sabrina and Abigail's initial acceptance of Hannah into the Free Women Collective is an obviously short-sighted act of goodwill. As with many war stories, both real and fictional, it's the fleeting instances when opposing sides connect (such as singing the same Christmas carols on either side of the front lines) which highlights their shared humanity.
 
Our War is a deeply moving merger of dystopian and war fiction, compelling in its realistic depiction of urban warfare in general and from the point of view of a child soldier.   
 
Book provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review