Fantasy has grabbed my imagination ever since I can remember. With the new release of Gregory Maguire’s A Lion Among Men, I rushed to check out the copy when it came in.
The story is about Brrr, or as we know him, the Cowardly Lion of Oz, on a mission from the Emerald City to get information about a book of magic. He encounters a pride of tigers, ghosts, and a lady who helps him remember his past. Brrr’s personal mission is to find his family. He was orphaned as a cub and saved by Elphaba, who we know as the Wicked Witch of the West. During his journey of discovery, he meets up with Dorothy, is almost criminally charged, and is called a traitor among his fellow Animals.
Maguire leads his readers into a darker world of Oz than we are accustomed to from either the 1939 movie or the series by L. Frank Baum (whom Elphaba is named after). This is the third in the Wicked series by Maguire. The first one, entitled Wicked is about the Wicked Witch, the second, Son of a Witch, is about her supposed son, Liir, with this title being the third. There are rumors that the next book will be about Glinda, one time friend of Elphaba and ruling Good Witch of the South.
The only thing I didn’t like about the book is that it didn’t have a definite ending, as if it were going to be continued like the old time movie serials. I am definitely looking forward to the next installment.
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