Book Review: A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire

A Lion Among Men (The Wicked Years, Book 3) by Gregory Maguire

The story of the cowardly lion is a very interesting one. The third book walks us through his childhood, how he met Dorothy, and the part he is to play in the future of Oz.


The lion, Brrr, has quite an eventful past, and the way he received the name "cowardly" is very entertaining, and yet very sad. Brrr's entire life has been trying to fit in, somewhere, anywhere, and the fear that he never truly will haunts him.

We are introduced once again to the strange character of Yackle, the old woman who has followed the story of Oz through all three books so far. We also get a glimpse into her history and why she seems to be so eternal. We meet the Clock of the Time Dragan and it helps us to tie many of the loose ends together. Although the series still seems to lack a true conclusion, most of what has been on my mind was cleared up throughout this book.

4/5

Book Review: Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire

Son of a Witch [SON OF A WITCH] [Mass Market Paperback] by Gregory Maguire

The continuing story of Oz through the eyes of Gregory Maguire. We meet the boy Liir, often seen at the side of Elphaba in the first book of the Oz series. Liir is found beaten, battered, and barely alive by a secluded order of Maunts. As they nurse him back to health he relived in his dreams his past and what has happened in his life since the wicked witch, Elphaba, was killed by Dorothy.


As much as I enjoy Maguire's books, this one had me a bit confused at times (which may have been his intent) about why Liir was acting the way he did. At times it just didn't seem like a logical or an emotional choice was made, he just did something completely random.

I fell in love with the Emerald City all over again - not because it was beautiful, but because it was so real all over again. We run across a few people and places from Wicked, and it was wonderful to visit and see how they turned out.

4/5

Book Review: Wicked by Gregory Maguire

I read this book awhile ago, shortly after it was released in hardcover, and decided to read it again before I picked up the rest of the series. In Wicked, we read about the life of Elphaba, eventually known as the wicked witch of the west. We visit the shocking circumstances of her birth - the first green child ever seen. We follow her as she grows up, a fairly normal childhood, and then leaves for school. While at school she meets the rest of our cast of characters and becomes very politically active. Here is where the book really becomes interesting so I won't say too much more and risk giving too much away.

I actually loved the young Elphaba and enjoyed seeing her grow up and learn. Maguire shows us a side of her story that does not stray from the facts of the original Wizard of Oz, but gives us an alternate viewpoint where evil may not really be so evil. Elphaba is just like any other person in the land of Oz, but gets a bad reputation by standing up to the Wizard and the things he does that she feels are wrong.

Wicked is a quick read with enjoyable characters throughout. While the story is familiar, it is told in a way that makes it seem brand new. I hope to start Son of a Witch soon.

4/5