Mini Review--Heart of Tin by Danielle Paige

Everyone knows the Tin Woodman as Dorothy's lovable sidekick, the tin man who longed for a real heart to beat inside his tin chest. This digital original novella is the fourth installment in the prequel arc to the edgy and thrilling New York Times bestsellers Dorothy Must Die and The Wicked Will Rise, and tells what happened to the Tin Woodman after he got his wish.

In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wizard gave the Tin Woodman a heart, and all lived happily ever after—or so the story goes. But in Heart of Tin, the heart wants what the heart wants—and the Tin Woodman's heart pines for Dorothy. The gift that the Wizard once bestowed on him turns twisted with longing. And when Dorothy returns to Oz with her own dark agenda, the Tin Woodman will do whatever it takes to help her rise to power—and to make her his.

Heart of Tin by Danielle Paige is a dark and compelling reimagining of a beloved classic and is perfect for fans of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Beastly by Alex Flinn, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

I am truly enjoying what Danielle Paige is doing with this 6 or 7 (Goodreads shows 7, but then I hear 6 from others) part prequel series. We basically get to see what everyone was doing when Dorothy came back to Oz. It’s very interesting, and this time, in Heart of Tin, we get to see how the Tin Woodman came to be what he was in the series today.

I gotta admit, I felt kind of bad for this guy, in a sense. He is so in love with Dorothy and she’s too clueless and vapid to see it. She’s a very selfish girl and the Tin Woodman loves her so completely he’s willing to do anything and everything to see her smile. He longs for her love, the whole nine yards.

The story starts off with the Tin Woodman learning that Dorothy is back in Oz and he’s overjoyed! The love of his life—for he’s pretty much loved her ever since their first adventure—has returned to Oz. He feels that this time, he will admit his feelings to her and hope that she stays. Little does he know that she stays for other reasons entirely.

And so begins the Tin Woodman’s descent into complete and utter madness. We can see the changes in him long before he recognizes it. He becomes more violent and angry. It’s kinda scary when you think about it since this dude is known to wield an ax like nobody’s business. Though, the Scarecrow is far more terrifying, but his story’s not out yet. Soon though!

The Tin Woodman’s story is about his uprising madness and unrequited love. He was willing to do anything and everything for Dorothy, but sadly, she never bothered to give him the time of day. I never read the original stories myself, so I find it funny how the movie went with the Scarecrow to be the one Dorothy cared about most. Of course, this ignores her coming back and raising hell in Oz. I don’t think Judy Garland would’ve pulled that role off very well! LOL!

If you’re a fan of the Dorothy Must Die series so far, I highly recommend reading these prequel novellas! They are quick easy reads that are a lot of fun and give us some insight to the villains of the story, who were once heroes in another!

Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars