A Nightmare in Oz: Founded on and Continuing the Famous Oz Stories by L. Frank Baum

by David M. Keyes, Jackson Smith (Illustrations)

For the countless years she and her friends have been residents of Oz, Dorothy Gale has never experienced dreams – bad or good. But now, a foreboding menace is stirring in the soil beneath them, and those nightly visions have returned, bringing with them a threat no one is prepared to face. What has inspired this surge of sleepy terrors? How does it know of the painful memories of the past? Now it is up to Dorothy and her friends, Trot and Betsy Bobbin, to unravel the mystery before they are ensnared by its menacing claws. “A Nightmare in Oz” is a modern journey through the familiar locales of Baum’s fantasy world as the characters – some familiar, others new – are confronted by an ancient villain on a path of destruction. But the greater reality may lurk beyond, in the knowledge that Oz’s great magics are eroding, allowing new threats to make their claim against the once-peaceful kingdom…

384 pages, Paperback

Published March 28, 2020

Reviews

[Ruby Is Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book.👌😍

The story is about an enchanted tree that inflicts nightmares on humans who previously lived or were born outside of fairyland.

the story is full with mystery, excitement, horror, thriller, drama magic, good or bad power, hallucinations, fairyland, trust, love and friendship.

Countless years ago in a fairyland. There was an enchanted tree named Morrowood or Dusktree. The Morrowood previously used to create hallucinations.

After years The cyclone took a girl named Dorothy into fairyland she was leading a normal life in Oz. And the Morrowood roots were rouse again. Dorothy started having nightmares. After her, her friends also had nightmares. They were unable to wake up from the dream. These nightmares were based on their fear.

Only those who have previously lived or were born outside of Oz can experience the nightmares. The enchanted tree created hallucinations and the girls were getting trapped in their own dreams.

i was seeing the whole story like a film while reading the book. I felt as if I was a part of the book and was watching the whole story live. Awesome read for me.

The author has written the story in great detail. I would recommend reading this book to those who are all looking for a horror, mysterious, fantasy book. I hope you will like the book, and enjoy the story too.

[Bobby Fort · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more than a century, writers have attempted to return to the magical country first introduced by L. Frank Baum in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. While many contemporary continuations struggle to balance reverence for Baum’s original vision with the desire to do something new, A Nightmare in Oz manages to walk that line surprisingly well. The novel presents a darker and more mysterious version of Oz, one in which strange disturbances and unsettling forces begin to threaten the harmony of the fairyland. Rather than simply revisiting familiar locations for the sake of nostalgia, Keyes introduces a creeping sense of unease that gradually transforms the reader’s perception of the once-bright landscape.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its atmosphere. Keyes leans into the idea that Oz—despite its reputation as a cheerful fairyland—has always contained strange magic and unexplored corners. By emphasizing the eerie and dreamlike aspects of Baum’s mythology, the novel creates a tone that feels both fresh and oddly fitting for the setting. The story explores darker themes without abandoning the sense of wonder that defines Oz. Familiar elements of the world are woven together with new dangers and mysteries, giving longtime readers the pleasure of recognition while still allowing the narrative to move in unexpected directions.

The novel also deserves credit for its respect toward the source material. Instead of radically reinventing Oz or modernizing it beyond recognition, Keyes treats Baum’s creation as a living mythology that can expand while remaining rooted in its original spirit. The pacing of the narrative steadily builds tension as the source of the spreading nightmare becomes clearer, and the stakes feel real in a way that is not always present in lighter Oz adventures. This balance between homage and innovation is particularly difficult to achieve in a literary universe that has been revisited so often.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of A Nightmare in Oz is that it may win over readers who are typically skeptical of modern Oz interpretations. For fans who grew up with Baum’s books, contemporary additions to the canon can sometimes feel derivative or disconnected from the original tone. Keyes’ novel, however, feels like a thoughtful exploration of what Oz might look like when its magic turns unpredictable and its mysteries deepen. The result is a compelling and atmospheric entry in the long tradition of Oz storytelling—one that demonstrates the Land of Oz still has new stories left to tell.

In doing so, A Nightmare in Oz achieves something rare for a modern Oz tale: it feels less like an imitation and more like a genuine new chapter in the literary world first opened by L. Frank Baum. Novel worthy of the Oz canon.

[Blake Petit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too many contemporary Oz stories fall into one of two categories: slavish recreations of the Baum originals or Grimdark "reimaginings" that have lost what made this world a fun place to visit. David Keyes has found a rare and welcome balance between the two. The characters are as joyful and familiar as one could hope, but the story has a modernity and a sophistication that other devotees of Baum often ignore. It's a version of Oz that fits with both the old world and the new, and that's as unique as it is exciting.

[Nathan Dehoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book in this author's New Oz Chronicles, it largely follows up on the original books, but with a rather darker tone. Part of the premise of this one is that people in Oz usually don't dream. While I can't recall that many dreams in the series, I do recall Dorothy being described as "in the land of dreams" in Ozma, and Snip in Lost King and Sir Hokus in Yellow Knight both dreaming. Anyway, in this story, it's considered a big deal that not only are Dorothy and other people who have come to Oz from outside have not only been dreaming, but having terrible nightmares. It's a little slow at first, but later introduces some interesting ideas, including that the melted Wicked Witch of the West seeped into the soil of Oz and took control of a magical tree called a Morrowood. The same kind of tree is also an ingredient in the Powder of Life. The text goes into the history of these trees. And the stakes are raised when the evil power destroys the Magic Picture and the Tin Castle. It's up to Dorothy to try understanding her old enemy. The book also includes two short stories. "The Green Delight" takes place on Uncle Henry and Aunt Em's farm, and involves Billina, Zeb, and Jim the Cab-Horse. There's a lot of discussion of the nightmares and everyone's past, and apparently Billina now has children who aren't named Dorothy or Daniel. And "Seedling" has the WWW and other magic-workers, including Dr. Pipt and Nikidik, meeting in the aftermath of the Wicked Witch of the East's death to discuss their fate. It also tells how the Witch obtains a Dusktree seed.

[John P Thompson Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story.

It has been a long time since I've enjoyed any story of Dorothy and Oz. The author's continuation of the adventures of Dorothy and her friends was extremely well thought out and written. It WA a definite page turner. I look forward to reading the next story.