This is one of those books that is far better than it has any right to be. I remember reading the description on NetGalley, where I received the eARC, and thinking, “A space-opera reimagining of Wizard of Oz? Neat!” and being down to clown. But then I actually read Over the Moon—and I was angry. I was angry at the book for how good it was—don’t ask me why, I’m irrational—and irritated that now I will have to wait probably a year before I find out what happens next.

Yeah, it’s one of those books.

Nymphodora, or Dora as she styles herself, has grown up on a small farming moon in the backwaters of the galactic community. Raised by her aunt and uncle, Dora has led a secluded life because she is an illegal clone of Princess Jo’Niss, and if anyone outside the family recognized her for what she was, they would turn her in for money or kill her or both. Dora isn’t satisfied with a farm life or becoming a farm wife to her childhood best friend, Tobis. She wants to get away, go to school, upgrade her engineering skills. So when the chance comes to run away from home, Dora jumps at it—and it blows up in her face. She suddenly finds herself stranded in the Outer Zone, having accidentally murdered a technowitch. Said witch’s sister instructs Dora to find the Technomage Superius on the moon above Merald City, so it’s off to see the wizard she goes, with the trio of companions one might expect for this retelling, albeit reimagined in interesting ways.

Anderson’s approach to repurposing the source material is delightful. She strikes the perfect balance between nods back to the original text while innovating or adding twists that make sure Over the Moon is its own adventure. I love the conflation of sufficiently advanced science with magic through the appellation of technowitch/wizard, along with the Ocugry as the “cowardly lion” of the story. Dora is an excellent modern Dorothy: clever and kind yet—at least at the beginning of the story—too trusting and naïve. The story moves forward at a great pace, scenes and sequels moving us along with just the right amount of parallelism between this as and the original narratives.

When Dora’s inadvertently stolen spaceship drops on the Technowitch of Night, she agonizes over her manslaughter. I didn’t realize until this moment how jaded I’ve become when it comes to accepting that most of the protagonists I’ll come across in a science-fiction or fantasy novel are already used to killing. Dora’s sheltered upbringing hasn’t given her much opportunity to engage in that, of course, so her reaction makes perfect sense—and it comes across clearly enough on the page that it jolted me out of my complacency.

Anderson’s writing has a way of doing that. Description, dialogue, and characterization—all of it flows smoothly right up until she decides she wants a record-scratch moment, something that makes you sit up and pay attention. This happens a few times throughout the book, from the moment Dora first realizes she is in trouble and has to flee to the final escape from the moonbase.

I kept waiting for the other shoe, so to speak, to drop—if you are familiar with the source material, then you know that the Wizard isn’t all he’s cracked up to be, so I knew that had to be the case here. I won’t spoil it, just say that Anderson doesn’t disappoint. Indeed, I think the reason I ended up so pleasantly surprised by this book is how deep the story ends up going. While I hoped that Dora’s adventure would take her deeper into this galaxy that Anderson has built, I had no clue we would go this far. Many of the twists (such as who Abril is) are telegraphed so clearly they are easy to predict chapters ahead of time, but several Anderson keeps more mysterious, and this pays off.

I also love the slow burn of the romance in this book. It’s perfectly to my taste as someone who loves queer books but doesn’t particularly care about romance. Dora’s whole, “Gosh, I’m just not all that interested in settling down with someone, but maybe that’s because I’ve only met like one guy in my age bracket” slowly metamorphosing into, “Gee, girls make me tingle in a way Tobis never has” is so much fun to see. Her cluelessness giving away to dawning realization that she is falling for someone is so genuine and contrasts nicely with the true horror of her situation and the enemies she’s making. The roadblocks Anderson throws up to the romance feel realistic, and Dora’s love interest is a great character in her own right.

The journey of Over the Moon was every bit as satisfying as I hoped it would be when I picked up the book. Then the ending was even better than I expected, perfectly setting up a sequel and leaving me wanting it right now. That doesn’t happen as often as I would like. I’m so happy I took a chance on this book.

Over the Moon is a futuristic retelling of the classic tale, The Wizard of Oz. I haven’t watched or read the original novel in quite some time, but Anderson does a wonderful job at keeping the original story while adding new layers.

The four characters who made up the famed quartet are easily recognizable from the moment they are introduced, and I loved the creativeness. Dora and her family live on a small farming moon, and from the very first chapter, you’re able to sink right into the story.

With magic, Technowitches, a wonderful STEM loving main character, new species and romance, this is a retelling that all sci-fi fans will love. Also, can we talk about the front cover?? Absolutely stunning.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sea Breeze Publishing and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'm not sure how I missed it from the description, but I was not expecting Wizard of Oz in space when I started reading. I am so glad of it though, because the discovery made it that much more enjoyable. Dora is a great protagonist, and the adaptations of the scarecrow (Crow), tin man (a droid named Nemo), and lion (a cyborg lion), not to mention the interconnectivity of the Witches - and I can't forget the bot in place of Toto - were just all absolutely wonderful.

I liked the spark of interest between Dora and the potential love interest, but it did feel almost a little awkward. Which, their teenagers, so that tracks. I was way happier to see Dora be realistic with herself in saying she doesn't even know what it's like to like someone given that she's known fewer than 10 people her whole life.

I hope this is a series that keeps going because I want to know more after that ending!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

Amazing book, plenty of action adventure and mystery.
Amazing characters to match the amazing environment/world this book is based in.
Story was very engaging with plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested. Definitely looking forward to any further books by this author and based in this world.

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Over the Moon is such a fun and fresh retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, honestly giving this story a sci-fi twist was so perfect!

As an illegal clone of the galactic princess, Dora has spent her life in hiding on a far off farming moon. With a love for fixing machines and gadgets her dream of becoming an engineer seems far off. That is until the princess gets murdered, providing Dora with a chance to finally have a life of her own. Or so she thinks..
When an incident involving a harvester ship blows her cover and puts her family in danger, Dora’s getaway doesn’t go as planned and lands her in the isolated Outer Zone. To make things worse she crashes and kills the Technowitch of the Night. Without many options Dora sets off to find the Technomage, with the hope that he can help her find her way back. Her quest leads her to some unlikely companions, a handful of foes and truths about the wider universe which change everything.

Elements from the classic slotted into the worldbuilding and the original plot so well and Anderson’s writing has a wonderful flow to it that immerses you into the story and setting almost immediately. To add to that the wider world/universe felt so well established and lived in, I was fascinated by all the details and history that we learn. New twists and surprises that popped up as the story progressed also added an intriguing new direction to this well-loved adventure.

I’m always going to love a protagonist, particularly a female one who has a background in STEM. Dora was inspiring to follow and I really loved the supporting characters too. Again I thought the parallels to the characters from the classic and how they were reinterpreted to fit to this new story and universe was so clever.

The science and tech involved felt plausible but also never got too overly complicated. In fact the overall themes and tropes gave this story a very Lunar Chronicles type feel so if you’re a fan of that series then you’re bound to love this!

The story overall was quite fast paced and took place over a short-ish time period so I do think the romance side of things happened a little fast. That aside I am completely invested in seeing what happens next particularly with how the end suggested there is more to come so I really hope we are going to get a sequel!
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars

DNF @36%

This book immediately caught my attention—it's a YA Sci-Fi retelling of The Wizard of Oz with a sapphic romance. Sounds great, right? I did enjoy the worldbuilding and setup in the beginning, establishing Dora's life on the farm and the political assassination that affects her life more than anyone else in the galaxy can ever know. However, as the story moved into the rising action and subsequently the WoO retelling, I kept falling asleep within fifteen minutes of reading three nights in a row and therefore started suspecting that this book isn't for me. Right away, it's clear that the retelling aspect is sandwiched into the story and follows the same plot as the original, and I think it was this predictability that made me consistently lose interest and focus.

All-in-all not for me, but if the premise sounds appealing to you I'd encourage you to give it a try!

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op via Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I didn’t know this was a Wizard of Oz retelling at the beginning, but you’ll started to recognize some similarities when you’re 20-30% into the story.

The world building is unique and it also has a strong opening which keeps me intrigued from the beginning until the end.
The writing style is easy to read and the science element is not too complicated to understand either so it’s easy to follow the plot.

The characters are likeable, Dora craves adventure and seeing the world since she’s never been to anywhere except her house.
I really like reading about Dora’s journey – how she uncover some secrets about herself and found some new friends along the journey.

One thing that I didn’t quite like is the romance part between Dora and Crow. I didn’t feel the strong chemistry between them, hopefully it’ll be more explored in the next book.

The last few chapters have a couple of twists I didn’t see coming which creates a good cliff-hanger to give the readers a glimpse of what’s coming in the next book.

Overall, this is a good start for a series and I would recommend it to those who love sci-fi retelling. Calling out to Marissa Meyer’s fan who loves The Lunar Chronicles, you’ll have to give this one a try!)

I received an advanced review copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher!

*There are mild spoilers throughout this review.*

Going into this, I somehow missed that this was both a "Wizard of Oz” retelling (seems somewhat important to know) and that it was sapphic (!!!!!!), but I’m very glad I went into it not knowing this. I don’t have any strong opinions of the Wizard of Oz but Anderson is heavy handed on the references throughout and I think knowing that might have deterred me from ever picking this up but I'm glad I did.

Over the Moon is split into four parts. Part I sets up our storyline and introduces our main character and the world. It took me until Part II to really get into the story for a few reasons but the main one being that everything felt like an info-dump and completely out of place. While I understsand trying to introduce characters, conflict, and world building, I think it could have flowed a little better. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the dialogue to begin with but as the story progressed, conversation flowed much better and I was able to get a better feel of the characters’ personalities through their comments and conversations. The worldbuilding followed a similar sort of arc and by the end, I felt that Anderson did such an amazing job with the backstory for this universe and the characters she has created.

As we progress into Part II and III, we really see the characters developing, especially Dora, our main character. In Part I, she felt impulsive however, as we gained more information on her situation and start to see her problem solving skills and personality shine through, even in the face of the conflict, I really started rooting for her. Dora has spent her entire life up to this point sheltered and tucked away only to be quite literally thrust into a new world full of very interesting people including her eventual entourage.

I. Loved. Crow. and I’m very excited to get more information on her as the series (?) progresses! Nemo, in my opinion, is the funniest character of them all. I love Tau. I hope he is resurrected. I have no strong opinions on Nekkan other than he has Himbo energy. I do think they add a lot to the story and really pull you in as you progress through the last two parts.

Some of my favorite quotes:
“Sunlight trickles onto her face, revealing every tiny freckle, speckling her cheeks like constellations. I want to draw them, to chart the skies with them.”

"Well this isn't Nesworth anymore."

So to sum, I really enjoyed this!! I am so excited to see where this series (hopefully!) takes us next.

Over the Moon by S. E. Anderson (5⭐️)

‘Over the Moon’ is a YA SFF, queer Wizard of Oz retelling. Nymphadora (Dora) is an illegal clone of Princess Jo’Niss and is kept safely hidden away on a farming moon. She attempts to escape the moon 6 months after the Princess is murdered. Her journey is filled with lies, betrayal, murder, political warfare, and secret identities. In an attempt to get back to the safety of her home farming moon, Dora seeks out the Technomage Superious and on the way collects allies including Crow, a cryogenically preserved girl with no memory, Nemo, an AI theme park droid, and Nekkan, an Ocugry (a combination of beast and cyborg).

The way the author has structured the story as a Wizard of Oz retelling is so genius. Once the story is completed, however many books that may be, I would love to do a deep-dive analysis of the plot line and the connections with the original Wizard of Oz story.

The plot is so complex, I’d honestly have a hard time explaining the book to someone and I love that. I thoroughly enjoyed the entirety of this book. I devoured it in two days and I can’t wait for more. There were so many plot twists that I didn’t think were obvious but made so much sense once they were revealed. And still a lot of plot twists that still surprise me. The whole story takes place over the span of about 3/4 days and SO MUCH happens during that time. I’d love to see more into the politics in the next book I think as that really intrigued me.

I don’t think there was a single character that I hated. The main character starts out very angry at the world for the life she’s had to endure just to exist. I loved seeing her journey and her growth as a person. The MC’s little robot friend, Tau, reminds me of Wonderbot from Robots (2005). As the other characters in the main cast are introduced, they go from reluctant allies to loyal best friends and that evolution is so beautifully written.

I went into this knowing it was going to be queer so as I was reading I was kind of just waiting for the queerness but it doesn’t fully come in until part 3 of the book so don’t go into this expecting queerness right off the bat but I promise you it is there and it is worth the wait. There was also a lot of disability representation that I wasn’t expecting. We love to see it. There are a handful of characters with disabilities both in the main cast and the side characters. Most of which develop disabilities as the story goes on but a couple of whom are previously disabled.

I will definitely be rereading this over and over again, and it has immediately become one of my favourite books of all time. If you love retellings, if you love sci-fi, complex plots, family drama, political intrigue, any of that, you’ll adore this!

Rep - Albinism; Amputee (Left Hand)(Prosthetic Replacement); POC; Sapphic; Terminal Illness; Visual impairment (robotic replacement)

TWs/CWs - Abandonment; Amputation (off page); Arranged Marriage; Blood; Body horror; Cannibalism (mentioned); Child death; Confinement; Corpse; Cussing; Death; Death of a loved one; Dissection; Gore; Guns; Gun violence; Human trafficking (attempted); Kidnapping; Piss; Poison; Self Harm; Suicide (mentioned); Suicide Ideation; Vomit; War

This was a fast-paced and fun read. I really liked the premise with the hidden clone of the princess. I was hooked from page one. However, I got to about 30% in when I realized this is a Wizard of Oz retelling. That took me by surprise. I'm not really a big retelling reader. I think that the marketing for this book should include that it is a loose retelling. I think that more readers would enjoy knowing that up front.

Overall, very fun. Thank you for the chance to read this arc.

This was a really wild Sci fi for people who also read fantasy. This is a retelling of the Wizard of Oz but it really is its own tale. Thanks to Netgalley I received an e-arc from the publisher. This was wild and fun YA that kept me interested the whole way through. I could see the references to the original but it still had its own flair, especially since the our FMC is a clone of the princess. The beginning threw me for a loop at first but once you get past that part you really understand where the story goes. Was a pleasure to read.

I can't say that I've read too many things that are Wizard of Oz-inspired, so I wasn't too sure what I was getting myself into, but I really enjoyed this! This story is definitely similar scene-wise to Oz, but with more technologies. I thought that this was well-plotted and I really flew through it. I liked the characters and the way they change and develop through the story, and I really can't wait for the second installment! Definitely give this a shot, especially if you were skeptical like I was, because I think you're going to end up loving this!

I’m not that big a fan of the Wizard of Oz but I thought this seemed like a cool spin and decided to give it a try. Definitely glad I did because it was such a fun read. I liked MC and it follows a similar flow to Wizard of Oz but with more tech. It was well paced with characters that felt realistic. I was glued to it until the end and can’t wait for the next one to come out. I liked the twist and highly recommend others read it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

It is tacky for an author to review her own books? Maybe. Probably. But I'm really stoked about this novel: it's taken me eight years to properly get Dora's story on paper, and I can't wait to share it with you!

What you get in OVER THE MOON:
- A wizard of Oz retelling set in SPACE!
- Girls and Women who Science, who love robotics and engineering and braining their ways out of messes.
- Space royalty! Illegal Clones! Mercenary Hybrids! Cute kitchen timer bots!
- A slow burn F/F relationship that maaay have a hint of Ace-spec...
- A forged family who will fight tooth, nail, and wire for each other.

This book was short and fun, perfect if you’re looking for a quick read.

The way Anderson brought in the aspects of The Wizard of Oz was really impressive and unique. I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you, ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Sea Breeze Books, for allowing me to read Over The Moon early.

A sci-fi re-imagining of The Wizard of Oz that everyone will devour very quickly.

Dora must spend her life secluded on a moon as a farmer to keep her life. One day, Dora leaves her sheltered life and finds herself, along with her A.I. companion, going on a wild adventure.
This adventure brings me back all the way to a familiar yellow brick road with a wizard waiting at the end. I am a loving the trend of classic stories being reimagined, this book is no exception. I enjoyed the robotic twist to a magical favourite of mine from my childhood. Reading this story has induced a sense of nostalgia, bringing me back to a child-state of mind.
I will be looking forward to adding this book to the shelves of the middle school library. Although science-fiction may be hard to consume, many of my advanced readers will be excited to get their hands on a copy of this. Hopefully it will send them on an adventure down a yellow brick road like it did with me all those years ago.

I received an ARC courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think the concept of this book was really strong but the execution just missed the mark. I prefer my retellings to be looser and more transformative, so that was a miss for me. If you are a big fan of the Wizard of Oz, this book would be fun for you.
I liked the writing and the world building. There is the hint of a religious system that intrigues me, a history and economic system that are all well-conceptualised and described. The prose is solid and the descriptions hit the perfect balance for this story. The dialogue is a bit awkward at the start, but it became better as the book went on.
The biggest sticking point for me was the main character. The majority of the plot is driven by Dora doing things she was explicitly told not to do and then facing the consequences. I just couldn't buy that a character who has essentially spent her whole life training to protect herself would make so many naive, thoughtless decisions. I also felt like there was an emotional disconnect where Dora would only have emotions that could be summed up quickly and uncomplicatedly, and always well after the event that triggered the emotion. For this reason, Dora feels very flat and two-dimensional.
That being said, I feel like Crow got the development that should have been given to the main character. She was interesting, and not just because I'm always a fan of the snarky love interest. If Dora had been better developed, I feel like they would have balanced each other out well, but as it is Crow is the highlight of this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


This queer space Wizard of Oz retelling is one of the best retelling I have read yet!

I absolutely loved how it was a retelling but at the same time was its own story. I loved the twists and turns, the enemies to lovers sapphic romance, the found family of our Dora (Dorothy), Tau (Toto), Crow (scarecrow), Nemo (Tinman) and Nekkan ( The cowardly lion)

The story had me sucked in from the start. The plot line still following the original, but also not. It was it's own story and I was hooked from page one.

I can't wait for book 2. Give it to me now. Please.

I recieved a free ebook from Netgalley. I leave this review voluntarily.

Although the book started off slow, it got my full attention as soon as Dora arrived in O.Z. I found the sci-fi world of Oz charming and entertaining, and it was really fun to see the story I know so well transformed into this high-tech version. The characters truly embody the found family trope, and they all added their own aspects to the overall story.

My one big issue is the fact that the story goes from a retelling that sticks close to the original story, only to then take a left turn and do it’s own thing. It gave me a bit of reading whiplash, and I feel like this change could have been prepared for earlier in the story.

Overall I had a fun time with this book, and it’s worth a read if you either like sci-fi or The Wizard of Oz. Or just retellings in general.