Fantasy,  Review

#BookReview : Tin (Faeries of Oz #1) by Candace Robinson, Amber R. Duell #Tin #Fantasy @literarydust @amberrduell @midnighttidepublishing / / immersive world, creepy creatures and many surprising turns

Tin (Faeries of Oz #1) by Candace Robinson, Amber R. Duell 

Publication Date : December 9th 2020

Publisher : Midnight Tide Publishing

Genre : Dark Fantasy, Retelling

Pages : 216

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Tin is the most famous fae in Oz for all the wrong reasons. Cursed with a stone heart, he is the perfect assassin: ruthless, efficient, and merciless with thousands of kills to his name. When his old friend, Lion, offers him a small fortune to deliver Dorothy to the South for his lover to wear the girl’s head as her own, Tin doesn’t hesitate to accept the unsavory deal.

Dorothy Gale lost everything—her family to illness, her dog to age, and now her farm to foreclosure. The entire town thought she was crazy for believing in a faerie world called Oz, but even after ten years have passed, she can’t help knowing she was right. So when an emerald green portal opens in her wheat field, she jumps at the opportunity to return to the only place she ever felt like she belonged.

Tin wasn’t expecting a grown woman to step through the portal, just as Dorothy wasn’t expecting Tin to have his stone heart back, but Oz holds more unexpected things than either could have imagined. Magic has hidden dangerous lies behind glamour, trapped innocents in curses, and left the land of Oz in turmoil—none more so than the South. As Tin and Dorothy travel together for the second time in a decade, their lives begin to make sense again. Soon, they must decide who to give their loyalties to before Lion takes Dorothy’s head and Tin’s cursed heart is forever doomed.

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa. 

Previous book in series:

Lion (Faeries of Oz, #0.5)

Other books I read by the same author-

  1. Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault
  2. The Bride of Glass
  3. Clouded By Envy
  4. Veiled By Desire
  5. Shadowed By Despair
  6. Hearts Are Like Balloons
  7. Bacon Pie
  8. Avocado Bliss

*** Note : I received e-copy of this book from the author, , in exchange for an honest review. ***

Tin was fantastic action packed retelling of Wizards of Oz that revolved around Dorothy and Tin. It was about good vs evil, finding a place to belong, family, friendship, betrayal and love.

Writing was fast paced, gripping, and vivid that pulled into the world of faeries like Dorothy and I couldn’t help but feel awed at this dark world of good and bad faeries and witches. It was written in third person narrative from Dorothy and Tin’s POV, alternatively. This should be to read in order as prequel novella tells where it all started.

It started with Tin, a stone hearted famous assassin taking job from Lion. Lion wanted to give a girl’s head to his lover Langwidere but that girl was of their former friend who abandoned them ten years ago when she went back to Kansas- Dorothy. When Tin pulled Dorothy through portal, she wasn’t small girl he expected but a grown and attractive woman who wasn’t naïve anymore. She had become headstrong and had problem following his lead.

Dorothy was going through her own problems before she entered portal. She lost her dog, her aunt and uncle who never believed in her stories from Oz, was branded crazy by people, and lost her farm in debt. Oz was the only place she felt she belonged and when she stepped through portal, Oz wasn’t how she remembered. Lot of things were changed in not good way including her former friends who didn’t consider her friend anymore.

As Tin and Dorothy travelled together, they find something between them sparkling, find place they wanted to belong, life made more sense again. But Tin was hiding his purpose to pull Dorothy back to Oz. It was interesting to read how Dorothy will discover the truth, who could she trust, if Tin’s stone heart will ever beat again and what that change would do to him, who would help her in saving her life from Lion and Langwidere.

Tin was amazing. He was handsome, brave, fierce and hot-headed. He was famous for a reason. His story about what happened to his face and how Oz’s magic dwindled and turned his heart stone again was sad. Even though he was assassin, he never felt like Villain. What I liked about him most was he never lose his head, he stayed calm in danger and acted rational. When his heart began beating I could see changes in him but I liked authors didn’t change who he really was and what made him Tin.

Dorothy was no little girl of children’s book. She has grown into beautiful, brave and determined girl. Even though Kansas and her aunt and uncle weren’t good to her, she never let it break her. In Oz she felt, she has returned to her own element. When Tin didn’t allow her to have her will, she found her own way and did what she felt right even though that put her in lot of danger. What surprised me was change in her when she met Lion. It was totally unexpected. There was so much new about her and I loved her character even more the way she took in all the new changes and emotions.

Crow was great. I couldn’t imagine what he revealed once he met Tin and Dorothy which changed Dorothy’s life. I liked how fiercely protective and loyal he was. His and Tin’s banter was amusing. I actually expecting that between Tin and Dorothy not between Tin and Crow. I can’t wait to read more about him in next book.

Lion and Langwidere were dangerous villains. Lion was most horrible and coward. His character answered questions I had at the end of prequel novella – Why he worked with Langwidere, what Oz told him to do and what Langwidere planned for him. As story progressed, we know more about Langwidere, who she actually was, why she wanted Dorothy’s head, and what her plans were.

Romance was well balanced with world. Chemistry between Tin and Dorothy was hot, steamy and fiery. Both made good team and fun travel companion who attracted dangers and never agreed to what other decided. When Dorothy found the truth where Tin was taking her, her reaction was genuine. I liked she didn’t forgive easily, made Tin feel guilty for it and how Tin earned Dorothy’s trust back.

World was brilliant and was heart of the book. There were flying monkeys, cursed faeries, poisonous fairy fruits, deadly and creepy wheelers, bad witches, headless witch who decapitated beautiful women so she could change heads like clothes, lying and pretentious Oz, glamor, and magic. It was all amazing to read. I liked how each territory were described and what it had to suffer due to clash for power and lands. There was lots of killing and so much blood and gore. It’s definitely not the world from children’s world of Oz.

There were many twists and turns. I could guess turns but not what waited after that. I could see how Dorothy will discover the truth but what came after that was unexpected and surprising. Climax was tense and I did guess how Dorothy would save herself but not what happened after that. Many mysteries were solved and there were many more revelations about Dorothy, lands and witches. End was perfect with happy ending and upcoming journey of Crow. I’m curious to know how they all will work together to make all lands safe for all faeries.

Overall, Tin was fast paced, dark and hot new adult fantasy filled with immersive world, creepy creatures and many surprising turns.

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What do you think about the book and review? Have you read this book or any book by the same author? Have you read original Oz or any retelling?

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Hi, I'm Yesha, an Indian book blogger. Avid and eclectic reader who loves to read with a cup of tea. Not born reader but I don't think I’m going to stop reading books in this life. “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”

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