Son of a Witch by gregory maguire

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I really enjoyed "Son of a Witch", despite the fact that it feels like just an interlude in a much larger story.

With "Wicked", I had numerous preconceptions about the characters. While I liked the unique slant that the book provided on them, I suppose it did present a bit of an obstacle. However, with "Son of a Witch", I didn't have those same barriers to overcome.

I thoroughly enjoyed delving deeper into the character of Liir. I felt that he was treated rather shabbily in "Wicked", so it was fascinating to follow his development in this book. There were a few times when I really wanted to shout at him!

There are quite a number of loose threads left at the end of the book, which makes me suspect (and hope!) that there's another installment in the works. It reminds me of those M. Night Shyamalan films where you only get to see one act of a much larger story. They are satisfying in their own right, but they leave you craving for more.

In "Son of Witch", we follow the story of Liir, the boy who is likely Elphaba's (The Wicked Witch of the West) son. However, nobody really knows for sure, and as a result, he really struggles with his identity. In fact, he usually just evades all questions that are related to his family!

After the death of Elphaba, Liir sets out on his own, in search of his missing friend and trying to figure out who he is in the process. Along the way, he meets Princess Nastoya, Glinda, and even the Scarecrow! He also enrolls in the army for a while, where he learns a great deal, but eventually becomes disgusted and leaves.

Politics are developing in Oz during this book. After the Wizard leaves, there is a succession of leaders, and the consequences for the people are not always favorable. Liir becomes a more integral part of this than he desires or anticipates.

I think I actually liked this book more than the first one. This could simply be because Maquire had more freedom to explore here, considering that Liir is a new character in the Oz stories! It was interesting to see his nods to the original books. I'm also glad that I'm re-reading the original series at the moment.

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JoHou

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Jeez, and I thought Wicked was bad. Wicked mostly stole freely from Baum's universe in a way that lacked both respect and imagination. It was little more than a trite exercise in politically correct stupidity.

When given the chance to write a plot of his own, the results are twice as insufferably vain and lacking in actual content. Despite Maguire's extremely poor writing style, Wicked could at least rely on the familiarity of Baum's characters. But now that we're in entirely original territory, it fails miserably and remains so.

This book is boring , and I say that as a trained librarian. I'm a bibliophile with hundreds of books in my house. However, after reading this one, I was determined to convince my wife to get rid of every Maguire book we owned.

It's not recommended except for total masochists or those who prefer fanfic to actual books and aren't bothered by the sleaziness of this franchise regarding the acknowledgment of the original author's contributions.

This book was so bad that I couldn't finish it, which is a rare occurrence for me. I highly suggest avoiding it.

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Cosmicblaze454

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I vividly remember reading this book when I was just 11 years old, and it truly left me highly disturbed.

Even now, it stands out as one of the books that I recall with great clarity, and unfortunately, it has kind of haunted me throughout my life, but in a very negative way.

I find myself still debating whether I should attempt to read the entire series now that I'm supposedly mature enough for it. After all, I've clearly read my fair share of creepy and disgusting books.

Another factor that might have contributed to my intense dislike for this particular book is the fact that it's the second book in a series, and at the time of reading it, I had no idea that the first book even existed.

I remember being so utterly confused about what was happening, which only added to my dissatisfaction with the reading experience.

It makes me wonder if going back and reading the whole series from the beginning would change my perspective or if it would just confirm my initial feelings of dislike.

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EmmyNoether

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

2.5 stars.

Probably the best way to describe this book is disjointed. The pacing is truly abysmal. It becomes extremely challenging to get to know the characters as the story is not presented in a chronological sequence. The ending is a complete letdown, an anticlimax that fails to provide the satisfaction one might expect. Moreover, so much of the narrative consists of Liir simply trekking all over freaking Oz. It reaches a point where one just loses all interest and doesn't give a crap any more.

Basically, this book is a 500-page-long just-okay story. I'm really not entirely certain why I bothered to finish it because I was ambivalent towards it for at least 75% of the book. It seems like a lot of effort was put into creating this world and this character's journey, but in the end, it just didn't quite come together in a way that was engaging or satisfying. There were moments of potential, but they were overshadowed by the overall disjointedness and lackluster pacing.

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TimeVault

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Gregory Maguire's Son of a Witch is set ten years after the events of Wicked.

We follow Liir, the son of Elphaba, who is haunted by his mother's legacy and desperate to forge his own path. He embarks on a journey of self-discovery, grappling with his identity, his magic, and the weight of his family's history.

Along the way, he encounters familiar characters from the Land of Oz, such as Glinda, now the Good Witch of the South, and faces new challenges and enemies.

The story explores themes like love, loss, prejudice, and the complexities of good and evil. Liir's journey is filled with unexpected twists and turns as he navigates political intrigue, forbidden romance, and the dangers of a world that fears his power.

Ultimately, he must confront his destiny and decide what kind of legacy he wants to leave behind.

Son of a Witch is a captivating and thought-provoking sequel that delves deeper into the rich mythology of Oz. It offers a fresh perspective on familiar characters and explores the enduring power of family and the choices that shape our lives.

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kaedesumire

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Today I’m with Liir from Oz. He is from Kiamo Ko and is the son of Elphaba and Fiyero, may they rest in peace. Right now he’s on a journey to find his half-sister, Nor.

Q: How did you feel when you found out that Elphaba was your mother?

A: I was surprised when I first found out, but I wasn’t too shocked. The vision I saw in her room put all the pieces together and helped me understand who I was.

Q: Are you surprised that Candle’s child is your child?

A: I am. I don’t remember us ever having sex, but I know now that her child is mine because she has traits from my family.

Q: What was it like to see all those people in pain because of you setting fire to their town?

A: It was terrible. Seeing those people have to fight for their children’s lives and their own was bad but they didn’t even do anything to deserve it.

Q: Can you tell me about how Candle played the domingon and what that was like?

A: It was so beautiful and unique. It was native to the Quadlings, but no one else I’ve met can play it as good as Candle. It even helped Nastoya turn back into an Elephant.

Q: Why did you dislike Dorothy?

A: I disliked her cause she acted dumb and left me in Oz when I wanted to go with her to her world.

Q: How was traveling with Dorothy’s group as a whole?

A: It was okay. I mainly kept to myself and I couldn’t stand Dorothy, but after they left I talked with the Scarecrow and he told me to leave the Emerald City. When I later saw him though I knew they did something to him.

Q: Why was Shell in Southstairs, the prison under the Emerald City?

A: He was there because he wanted to drug women and have sex with them. He also tried to lock me away there as others did with Nor.

Q: How did you and Trism kill the dragons and who sent them out to harass people?

A: We killed the dragons by giving them poison in their food. Shell was the one who had the dragons attack because he wanted the Yunamata and the Scrow to go to war because they thought the other group did it.

Q: How did the Conference of the Birds turn out?

A: I told them that I took care of the dragons and that they are safe again. We flew over the Emerald City and screamed: “Elphaba Lives!” which had been showing up around the city.

Q: Thank you for coming. Lastly, how is the search for Nor going?

A: Not too well. The last thing I found was the Elphaba Lives! graffiti she made, so at least I know that she is still alive.

Overall, Liir's story is one of discovery, adventure, and a search for family. His experiences have shaped him into the person he is today, and his journey continues as he tries to find Nor and make sense of his past.

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FeelsBad

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I had been eagerly looking forward to this book. However, it turned out to be a huge let down.

I found myself losing interest quite a lot as I was reading. The story seemed to wander aimlessly, without a clear direction.

What's more, there was no conclusion to a pretty big part of the story, which was really frustrating. And the ending... Well, it's just the beginning of part 2 out of 4.

I do have the other books in the series, but I seriously doubt if it will all tie together in a satisfying way.

I guess I'll have to check back on this review after I've read the remaining books to see if my opinion changes.

For now, I'm left feeling disappointed and a bit let down by this installment.

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AiraX

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

This book truly shines brightest when its writing makes references and hints of “The Wizard of Oz” and the “Wicked” musical.

These two stories are renowned for their strength and solidity, and when MacGuire incorporates elements from them, it adds a certain allure to his work.

However, the tangents and unneeded storylines that MacGuire has his characters embark on can be rather tiring to read.

It feels as if the narrative strays too far from the main plot, losing its focus and momentum.

Not to mention his random, unneeded, and way-too-sexual descriptions that seem to pop up out of nowhere, serving no other purpose than to disturb the reader.

These elements detract from the overall quality of the book and make it less enjoyable.

This book definitely needed more focus and more heart put into its characters.

The characters could have been developed more deeply, their motivations and emotions explored more thoroughly.

With a stronger focus on character development and a tighter narrative, this book could have been a much more engaging and memorable read.

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The Wicked Years #2

Son of a Witch

gregory maguire douglas smith jelena bojić

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Liir

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gregory maguire

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