Oz Will Fall: The Grimoire is a lengthy work of fantasy fiction by authors John Malone and Nicole Delgado. The sequel to Oz Will Fall: The Royal Marriage, we pick up the action in the weeks following a wedding that has thrown into question the concepts of good and evil. In a land once separated very clearly by wicked and good witches, the broken magic of Oz gives way to a much darker power from ancient times. Dorothy, now grown and settled into her role ruling as a princess, must face the rising evil and save her homeland, but at a terrible cost.

In the many reincarnations of L. Frank Baum’s Oz which I’ve read, things often go much darker than the original tales, and Oz Will Fall: The Grimoire is no exception. The violent and action packed sections are well written, and the grown up Dorothy is presented as a more capable heroine who has some strong convictions and real skills, which I appreciated. The traditional story of good versus evil and the rise of dark magic was well paced, but it’s tricky to live up to the suspense of the original when re-imagining new magical battles in this world. That said, fans of Baum’s novels will not be disappointed when stepping into this vivid new world, and authors John Malone and Nicole Delgado do a really great job narrating and carrying their audience through a clear, well-constructed plot to a satisfying conclusion. Overall, Oz fans are sure to get their fix.

Oz Will Fall: The Grimoire by John Malone and Nicole Delgado is the second installment in its series, preceded by The Royal Marriage. The series takes place years after Dorothy Gale and her unlikely tribe have assisted in the restoration of Oz, creatively diverting from L. Frank Baum's original canon but retaining many of the most beloved characters from the original fourteen books and continuing in Malone and Delgado's fantasy extension. The Grimoire begins with the aftermath of devastation brought by Cletus Baum following a deadly betrayal by Glinda. The story is told through multiple first person accounts, as the Emerald City and all of Oz are forced to either concede or fight for the land they love at all costs.

Oz Will Fall: The Grimoire is exquisitely written and thoroughly entertaining. John Malone and Nicole Delgado work well within the entire Oz arc with artistic liberties that have brought out the grittier elements of a story that has not been taken in this direction before. It is violent, it is wildly sinister, and it is has the darkest possible casting I never would have imagined...but it works. There are many horrible ways a work like this might go, and the Malone-Delgado team transport us through them all. The Grimoire does not read as a standalone so its shorter predecessor is something of a requirement before diving into book two, but I'm comfortable that the commitment required of a series will pay off deliciously with Oz Will Fall. Highly recommended.