In Search of Dorothy is an independent series of Land of Oz books by David Anthony, mainly based on the MGM movie The Wizard of Oz. The first two books, In Search of Dorothy and The Witch's Revenge, were published in 2006 and 2007. A third book to conclude the trilogy, Dorothy and the Wizard's Wish, never made it to publishing status, leaving the books on a cliffhanger.
Building off the idea that Dorothy's trip to Oz wasn't a dream after all, the story picks up 20 years later, where the Scarecrow rules Oz alongside his companions the Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. All seems well at first, but when an old woods woman discovers the Wicked Witch of the West's crystal ball, the Witch's vengeful spirit possesses her and begins to plot revenge on those who stopped her before—and to do that, she needs the Magic Shoes to resurrect herself, which are now in Dorothy's possession.
While the Tin Man and Lion set out to stop the Witch, the Scarecrow travels to Earth via tornado-portal to warn Dorothy and makes new friends in the Bull and the Tree. While the friends' efforts are not enough to stop the Witch from resurrecting and beginning her revenge, the Scarecrow refuses to give up hope that she can be stopped and Oz saved for good—but how, when the Magic Shoes make her nearly invincible?
These books contain examples of:
- Actual Pacifist: Trisha has no offensive magic, and her only skills are invisibility and communicating with butterflies.
- Animal Espionage: A heroic example, as Trisha's butterflies are able to communicate with her and tip her off to trouble in the land.
- Canon Foreigner: The Bull, the Tree, the Ice Wizard, and Trisha the Good Witch of the South aren't from the Oz movies or books.
- Chekhov's Skill: The Bull uses a skill learned at the rodeo to distract the Witch and help Audrey.
- Crystal Ball: The Wicked Witch of the West can communicate and look through her crystal ball, as well as the Wicked Witch of the East's.
- Darkest Hour: Much of The Witch's Revenge has her nearly unstoppable and endangering and killing many Oz citizens, capturing Trisha, and threatening to destroy the Emerald City. By the end, however, the Scarecrow realizes the Magic Shoes' weakness and begins to hatch a plan to defeat her.
- Demonic Possession: The Wicked Witch brainwashes and eventually possesses an old woman to restore her body and magic for her.
- Dismantled MacGuffin: One piece of the Magic Shoes fell off on Dorothy's return to Earth, meaning even when the Witch obtains the shoes she isn't fully unstoppable.
- For Halloween, I Am Going as Myself: The Scarecrow finds it easy to get around Earth due to Halloween making everyone think he's wearing a costume.
- Generation Xerox: Dorothy's niece Audrey and her puppy Otto are near-exact copies of Dorothy and Toto down to personality traits.
- Invisibility: Trisha's power is to make things invisible, including herself and her castle when under threat.
- MacGuffin: The Magic Shoes are what the Witch needs to become all-powerful, and keeping them out of her hands drives most of the first book.
- Mage in Manhattan: The Witch eventually follows Scarecrow to Kansas to find Dorothy and the shoes.
- The Night That Never Ends: The Witch casts an eternal night sky spell in the second book to blot out the sun.
- Red Herring: The Witch of the East's crystal ball shows the Witch about to attack Glinda, but it turns out to be an illusion—her real target is the Emerald City where the heroes are currently based.
- Spell My Name With An S: Trisha's name is occasionally spelled Tricia.
- Tempting Fate: The Emerald Army is confident that even if the Witch were to somehow return, their Dorothy-2000 water guns would be enough to defeat her. They are proven very wrong when she does return with the Magic Shoes, nullifying her former weakness.
