This is a really good book. It meanders a fair amount, which is quite interesting. I truly liked it.

I especially liked the extension of the story. The author has done a great job with it. It pays homage to and follows some of the original Frank L Baum stories, which is very appealing.

I also like the character of Lyrics. Even though he is often depressed, hapless, and seems hopeless, he still manages to trudge through and make a significant difference. His determination and perseverance are quite inspiring.

I'll be extremely curious to see what the next two books in this series will bring. I'm looking forward to delving deeper into this world and seeing how the story progresses.

The situation was darker than I initially anticipated. In fact, it was much darker than I had imagined. However, despite this unexpected darkness, it was still rather good.

There were aspects that shone through the darkness and made the overall experience worthwhile.

I have detailed my thoughts and impressions in a review, which can be found here!.

This review delves deeper into the various elements that contributed to the darkness as well as the positive aspects that emerged.

It provides a more comprehensive look at the situation and offers insights that might be useful to others who are interested.

Overall, while the darkness was a surprise, it did not overshadow the goodness that was present.

I really, really, really struggled through this book. It was such a chore that I basically had to force myself to finish it, all out of pride. I found it to be sooooo boring, meandering, and completely pointless.

Sure, there were some parts that managed to get my attention, but overall, everything in this book felt random and inconsequential. The main character, Liir, who is suspected to be Elphaba's son, doesn't seem to have much of a real purpose throughout the story. He's constantly trying to find his half-sister Nor, but never actually succeeds.

He also promised one of Elphaba's half-human/half-elephant friends that he would save her, but by the time he gets back to her, she's already dying. And then, out of nowhere, he has a random gay love affair and manages to get someone pregnant? What is going on?

God, I am so relieved to finally be finished with this. I absolutely LOVED "Wicked", but this one was a total disappointment. I hated it with a passion!

"Son of a Witch" tells the tale of Liir, the son of the Witch, and his life after her death in an Oz now under new leadership with the Wizard gone. The story begins with Liir as an adult in a comatose state, and then flashes back to various moments in his life. As a novice named Candle tries to sing him back to life, we learn about his brief encounter with Dorothy, his search for his half sister Nor, and his military experiences, all while wondering why he is seemingly on his deathbed.

I actually liked this book, despite the fact that most people seem to hate it. I would rate it 3.5. Many other reviews I've read compare it too closely to "Wicked," but I think that's a mistake. This book is not a continuation of that story; it's Liir's story. "Wicked" was about the Witch, and we all know what happened to her at the end. When reading "Son of a Witch," it should be treated separately. The writing style is different, but I believe that's intentional to depict Liir's personality, his thought process, and the kind of life he has led.

As another reviewer noted, it did seem like an "interlude in a bigger story." After reading this, I'm curious to find out what happens in "Out of Oz." How will this larger political story conclude? What will become of Oz?

Son of a Witch had some of the best moments in a fantasy novel I have ever read.

The way the Southstairs segment ended is burned in my brain now for a long time. It's so bleak and so stressful that I couldn't put it down.

To me, this felt like it flowed very well as a sequel to Wicked, yet it is very different. This isn't as complex as the first novel in terms of the political references and dense world building. Instead, it gets right into what seems like a "the prophecy must be fulfilled" standard-fantasy plot. However, at every leg of the journey, it undermines the beats that a story like that normally follows.

Unlike Wicked, it reads much faster, and you are much more intimate with Liir's motivations and emotions. But again, this isn't a cookie-cutter heroes journey. Liir does terrible things.

As a novel, compared to the first, there is a trade-off that some readers of the first one will be disappointed by, but others will really enjoy. I like both novels for different reasons, but this one hit me much more emotionally than the first. Also, the writing alone makes me want to reread it again soon.

I saw an interesting statement in another review about how the first three novels of the series are about failure. After reading this one, it almost seems like each book's protagonist is mirroring the original Wizard of Oz concept of missing a heart, a brain, or courage. In the first novel, Elphaba is rather cold and seems to lack empathy (except for animals). In this novel, Liir makes a lot of stupid/misinformed decisions. And then the next book, which I'm starting now, is clearly about courage. Having extremely flawed protagonists definitely will put some readers off, but I am loving it.

If you like DARK fantasy, shocking and grotesque scenes, mostly mean-spirited characters, romances that are icy and short-lived, and an overall sense of fighting a war that can't be won - this is totally for you.

This book is completely a waste of time and in a way an attempt to commercialize the Oz world so that the saga and the series that was very beautifully written by F.L. Baum would last longer and more successfully.

Although the first book in this series was very interesting, this second one did not meet my expectations at all.

The plot is monotonous as if you are in some novel by Franz Kafka where everything goes in circles and there is no way to end.

Therefore, after reading 46% of the novel, I no longer wanted to waste time on this book because I estimated that I had seen and got what I could from it.

If you want and have the will to read a dark study of the land of Oz, this is the right book for you.

This book was truly a departure from "Wicked". At first, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, as I delved deeper into the story, I found myself growing quite fond of Liir.

The narrative was engaging, and I thoroughly enjoyed following Liir's journey. The pacing of the story was excellent, keeping me hooked from start to finish.

What really stood out to me was the ending. It wasn't a neat and tidy one where everything was neatly wrapped up. Liir makes choices, and as a result, some things are left unresolved. This added a layer of authenticity and realism to the story that I truly appreciate.

Overall, despite its differences from "Wicked", this book managed to win me over with its well-developed characters, engaging plot, and thought-provoking ending. It's a book that I would highly recommend to others.

I really struggled when it came to rating this book.

At the beginning, I had a certain liking for it and truly wanted to like it even more. However, by approximately halfway through, I started to feel frustrated and unsatisfied.

Other reviews have mentioned how the author "explores failure", which is indeed a perfect way to summarize the first two books in the Wicked series.

Perhaps it's just a matter of personal taste. But in my opinion, although real life is filled with failure, chaos, and directionless wandering, we tell each other stories to give form to life, to make sense of some of the chaos, and to learn from or identify with a character who can express something that we thought only we understood.

Maybe some readers were able to find those elements in Son of a Witch. But for me, I found the plot to be chaotic and frustrating due to its aimless wandering, and the characters seemed directionless, unlikable, and inconsistent in unbelievable ways.

I'm not sure if I will ever finish the series someday. But after reading Son of a Witch, I definitely need a break at least.

I truly relished the opportunity to delve deeper into the expanded worldview that was introduced in the captivating novel "Wicked". The exploration of Liir's character and accompanying him on his arduous journey was an absolute delight.

I opted to listen to the audiobook, which was narrated by the author himself. However, I must admit that I wasn't overly impressed with his reading. From what I could discern, he doesn't possess the skills of a professional actor. While his voices for the various characters were indeed quite interesting, the overall narration lacked vitality and was rather dry and unexciting.

Nonetheless, this minor setback hasn't dampened my enthusiasm in the slightest. I am firmly resolved to continue my journey through his books and the fascinating spin-off series. I'm eager to uncover more of the hidden secrets and captivating storylines that lie ahead.

UM GRANDE LIVRO!!

With the end of "Wicked", I felt melancholy because I thought 'there's no way there can be 3 more books without the living Elphaba'. That is, reading the premise of this one, I was very skeptical and ready to judge.

But the construction of the Oz universe, the relationships and influences that the characters have on each other. How the past that was told in the first book influenced big things (and other almost small but not insignificant ones) is magnificent.

Since the first book, I had a love-hate relationship with Liir. However, as the end of this one approached, I found myself in love with the complexity of the character (by the way, I love that Liir is canonically bisexual, omgggg).

The last sentence of the book brought information that I was already expecting but still shook me. In summary, I loved it very much.

I've read a plethora of reviews for this book, and it seems that the majority of people detested it. However, you'll notice that I bestowed five stars upon it.

To those who loathed it, I have this to say: I understand your concerns. The story's pacing is indeed off-kilter, with most of the 'action' occurring in the final third. The reader often spends a significant amount of time perplexed about what's transpiring, especially since it's a limited third-person narrative. Some of the characters appear only half-developed, and the narrative feels disjointed and at times emotionless. Additionally, it completely lacks a proper ending (I won't spoil it, but it's left extremely open-ended), and most importantly, it's nothing like [Wicked].

But here's the crucial point: a book is more than the mere sum of its individual elements. And a sequel can offer far more than just a continuation of its predecessor's story.

I find it rather amusing, considering Liir's struggle throughout the entire book to discover his own voice as he's repeatedly pressured by both his desires and the needs of others to step into Elphaba's shoes. This is his story, and yes, it's a vastly different book from [Wicked], and it would seem false if it weren't. I adored this aspect of the book, as the dense, convoluted, and complex tone of [Wicked] helped define Elphaba for me, while the lost, sparser, somewhat disjointed, and occasionally clumsy writing truly characterized Liir. I wonder how anyone could think otherwise after reading [Wicked] or any of Maguire's other works. The unreliable (or unknowing) narrator is something I greatly enjoy, and deciphering the double-talk and reading between the lines of what Liir seemingly accepted at face value almost made it seem as if there were two worlds in this book: what Liir perceived and what was truly happening, a theme familiar to anyone who's read one of Maguire's retellings.

I might also mention that this is the Oz that Baum's books never really explored. While Maguire's handling of Dorothy is a bit muddled (much like Liir's), Liir's story is his own creation. There's no predefined framework, and unlike with Elphaba, there's no foreseeable end. We don't know what lies ahead for him since he's an original character, and this freedom (at times terrifying) is another appealing feature of this book that wasn't present in the prequel.

I admit that the pacing is a flaw. I could have done without as much focus on the maunts and would have preferred more of Liir's story. But all books have their imperfections. The lack of a proper ending seems to be part of Maguire's plans for a continuation.

However, if you read this book to immerse yourself in someone's world, to walk in their shoes, to see through their eyes and experience this world from a unique perspective, then I believe you'll enjoy it. If you read it to journey through Oz with Liir, you'll likely relish the book. If you read it to gain more of Maguire's distinctive vision of Oz, you'll appreciate it. If you've ever felt lost in life, unsure of your purpose, or if you've ever thought you'll never meet expectations or that you're just a bit different from everyone else, then yes, I think you'll like this book.

Enjoy it for the experience. While [Wicked]'s density required careful examination, [Son of a Witch] allows you to roam freely in Oz. The depth is there, but the book skims the surface. As Liir once said, "Hidden depths." And another character later added, "Hidden shallows." And that's all you'll get if you don't take the time to consider it more closely.

So, yes, many people despised it. But I, personally, adored it with all my heart and will recommend it to anyone you can think of. Perhaps I could have written this more eloquently or in a more understandable format, but such is life.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West was an outstanding novel. It provided in-depth analysis and valuable advice on almost every aspect of human and non-human life. It delved into various areas such as religion, politics, and diverse relationships, ranging from those between parents and children to lovers, both scorned and otherwise. Each sentence was intricately connected to the others, with a common thread binding all the themes and characters together. In short, Wicked successfully presented a more realistic portrayal of life in Oz. It also did an excellent job of transforming the sugary Baum characters into real people with a wide range of emotions and flaws.

Maguire's sequel, Son of a Witch, is not a "bad" book by any means. However, it does feel somewhat lacking. The protagonist, Liir, is a lonely and somber individual who wanders through a strange and unfeeling world after the death of the Witch, who may or may not have been his mother. He embarks on a quest to find Nor, a girl he grew up with and may be his half-sister. The story focuses on Liir's journey to become a stronger and more mature person, but it leaves the reader wondering if he truly makes significant progress.

Son of a Witch also contains the same somewhat bitter analysis of life in Oz as Wicked, but the observations on religion, human behavior, and other aspects are not as impactful. Maguire sometimes rambles in the novel, which can be a bit frustrating for the reader. Characters come and go, and the plot development can feel disjointed at times. While Maguire tries to do the same things he did with Wicked, it just doesn't work as well with Liir.

One of the things I enjoyed about the novel was Liir's relationship with Trism. The two have a passionate and loving connection, and their scenes together are some of the highlights of the book. However, the ending of the novel was extremely anticlimactic and left me feeling dissatisfied. Liir's quest to find Nor is abandoned, and the whereabouts of many of the characters are left unknown. The final line of the book, about the baby having green skin, feels like a bit of a cop-out.

Overall, Son of a Witch is not on par with Wicked, but it is still worth reading if you are a fan of the characters. It has its moments of enjoyment, but it also has its flaws. Gregory Maguire is a talented author, but this novel could have benefited from more development and a stronger ending.