Son of a Witch: Volume Two in The Wicked Years

After reading The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and seeing the amazing musical Wicked, I felt compelled to read Son of a Witch. I was not dissappointed!! I fall into the category of readers who loved it.Yes, it created new questions but it answered so many other questions for me.I enjoyed the journey back to the Emerald City with Dorothy and Company.I really wanted to know how Glinda had fared and how it all effected the future of OZ. Reconnecting with Nanny, Chistery, the Maunts,Princess Nastoya, I loved it. All of the references to Elphaba warmed my heart, as I want to believe "Elfie lives". Seeing Liir come into his own was very satisfying for me.I'm sorry not to know exactly what happened to Candle. In her own quiet way she had demonstrated a lot of strength.The little "green" baby girl brought a smile to my face. As for Nor, Elphaba was unable to rescue her as well, we know she escaped that horrible prison, I agree with Liir, she was cunning enough to survive. I'm so hoping for another book. I'm hooked, no doubt about it! For now I'll continue to listen and sing along with the CD from the musical.

Basically I'd give this book a rating of "eh". It seems like a book I'd like. It is written in a perfectly competent manner. It has a creative idea at its root. It is internally consistent. It just didn't pull me in.

I just can't seem to find any soul soul in Maguire's writing and execution of the concepts. I really like his idea and his premise. I enjoy fantasy. I enjoy satirical fantasy. I just can't get excited about his books.

Then again they are written in an ok fashion and not bad per se I just don't get pulled in so maybe it will work for someone else.

I will admit that I was not an instant fan of Wicked. It took the second reading for me to be fully engaged in it and not completely confused. Maybe that's the case here as well. Nothing about this book felt similar to the first. It was even more confusing. The characters don't feel the same nor does the land of OZ (but then there is no Wizard...). The first half to 2/3 of the book drag on. All the action occurs in the end, and then it's over. I didn't particularly like Liir. He was a wishy-washy character, and never firmly stood his ground on anything. In the end, he seemed to develop some character. But, it was too little too late. I will probably read the latest in the series A Lion Among Men, but only because the library has it.

I was disappointed. This book lacks the passion of Wicked, and it doesn't really continue the story from the original book. It tells a largely unrelated tale about Liir, who is fairly insignificant in Wicked. It isn't really even the story of Liir but more like a sequence of events that he drifts through. So beyond being disappointed that nothing from Wicked is resolved in this book, I didn't find the story engaging. Liir is never passionate about anything he does, which leaves the reader wondering, who cares? Fans of the original book will want to read it anyway. Others shouldn't bother -- but do read the original. And see the musical. Both are outstanding.

The sequel to Wicked was quite good. Recommended for those who have read the first one (not those who haven't), and actually his storytelling was much . . . smoother than usual in this one. Like he was trying harder to keep an audience's attention with smooth storytelling instead of his usual literary rumbling (but I like both ways). Rumble on Maguire!

I really really wanted to love this book as much as I loved Wicked. I came in invested in the main character and eager to love it. Sadly I just didn't. Not as deep, not as moving, not as compelling. Not a bad book by any means. I don't regret reading it, and if you are curious about the boy I would pick it up. Just not amazing.

I must a be honest...I never read "Wicked"...So I cannot pick up on anything or give any comparison to "Son of a Witch." Liir, the son, has so many problems, and of course he is adapting to the loss of his love one. I found this real...about the only thing that was real! Thank goodness it is fantasy, as the author can take total control. It is obvious Gregory Maguire has an outstanding imaginary ability. I guess I should call it the ability to fantisize. A friend suggested I read more fantasy,and recommended this book. I must admit it is quite different from my normal read. It was entertaining reading...but yet...some of the segments, to me, did not fit together. But...it was well worth the read, and Mr. Maguire is a most talented writer. Peggy Inez, Author, ISBN:978-159858-400-4 The Gully

Wicked was one of those novels that, upon finishing, I was disappointed to have to leave the characters behind. So naturally I was happy to learn I could return to Gregory Maguire's well-crafted revision of Oz in Son of a Witch.

I must confess, I didn't find this follow-up as compelling as the original, but I enjoyed it for what it was - a fast-paced, rollicking tale set in a deeply detailed environment.

I suspect that those who haven't yet read Wicked will find themselves a bit lost. But then again, that is completely in keeping with the feeling of the main character, Liir, as he tries to determine who he is and what he should do next.

The problem here is that Maguire seems to have shot his wad with "Wicked." He reminds me of Ann Rice in that respect, both in the fact that I started out extremely enthusiastic about their writing styles and stories only to watch them fizzle.* It was a mildly interesting read in parts, but extremely boring in others. Another reviewer advised to avoid comparing "Son..." to "Wicked" when reading the book, but as it IS intended to be a sequel I don't think one can or should forget about its predecessor. I found "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel" and "Mirror, Mirror: A Novel," to be more intriguing, as they each had the grounding quality of being semi-historical novels.

*Actually, I overdosed on The Vampire Chronicles. One can read about vampires going out to kill and then spending the rest of the evening in a museum swooning over Italian art only so many times.

I really wanted to like this novel (Wicked was great) and just couldn't. Liir, the main character, is so thinly drawn he's almost disembodied, spending most of his time alone, wondering who he is and what his place in the world might be. It's almost impossible to care, particularly given irritating authorial idiosyncrasies such as Liir's incessant internal monologues concerning his feelings about situation X. Does he feel revulsion? Attraction? Or simply...self recognition? After a hundred pages this becomes breathtakingly dull.

The supporting characters are two dimensional props intended to prompt yet another cascade of self-doubt and identity-confusion in Liir. The one character Maguire really should have fleshed out, the Quadling girl Candle, is left a complete cipher, little more than a human bandaid for Liir in his darkest hours. Later, there is a gay subplot that managed to come across as both gratuitous and drearily inevitable. Liir and his soldier friend Trism (rhymes with...) have at each other in a frigid garret above a little countryside B&B, and the next morning Liir actually complains about his sore bottom as they mount their horses. Despite the fact that Maguire creates no real emotional link between the two, and in fact Trism rejects further advances, Liir spends the rest of the novel wondering whether it might work out after all, if things with Candle go sour. You begin to think that Liir is not just confused, but possibly not all that bright either.

There are a handful of excellent scenes, but in a way they only make the novel more disappointing by highlighting the contrast between Maguire's ability to generate atmosphere and his failure to populate his novel with interesting characters.

The story is left so unresolved that the book has no legs of its own to stand on. It simply hangs forlornly between the crutches of Wicked and whatever book comes next. Unfortunately, having followed the ponderous Son of the Witch this far, the prospect of going any farther is completely unappealing.

I've read all Maguire's books, I'm starting to think that Wicked was just a brilliant fluke because not only have I been steadily disappointed by every thing else after but he is now approaching the point of being just unreadable to me. If you've read Lost, and you feel as I do that it was just the most awful stuff put to paper, then trust me, you will think this book stinks. It's a meandering, pointless, thunderous bore; I hated the protaganist Liir, he's a pathetic, wimpy character and I am p*ss*d that keep buying this guy's books because they always look so promising. Though I can never bring myself to throw a book away I want to toss this dumb thing in a land fill, I'm so annoyed! Never again!

The wide divergence of views about the second of McGuire's Oz books, I think, is because the two books will commend themselves to different audiences. In Wicked, while we are given one of the most memorable of characters, the story is really an exploration of preconceptions, an exploration that works best in a world that we at least think we know. Liir's story in the Son of a Witch is about Liir, the obvious parable of 21st Century US not withstanding, and it just happens to take place in the world we left at the end of Wicked.

As an another reviewer pointed out, Liir is looking for himself and he starts with nothing to work with and that's the point. Because of how Liir is created as a character in Wicked, doing it in Oz in the wake of the death of the Witch works well. It provides an explanation for why Liir lack's a self conception and also provides a fantasy world in which he can develop that conception all without needing to completely rediscover and reexplain everything. The same could have been done by trying to place the story in the "real" world but frankly it works better placed in a fantasy world where the author can make anything happen.

Unlike others, I did not find the book boring at all and love Maguire's writing. In the end Son of a Witch may not be as good a book as the excellent Wicked but it is nevertheless very good and well worth reading. But again, Liir is not the same kind of character as Elphaba and more to the point, while the world may be the one we first entered in Wicked, the story is not. In other words, this is not a "sequel" so it is hardly surprising that some who loved the first book are disappointed in the second. Still, I suspect that most readers who come to the book without carrying to many preconceptions, particularly those who enjoy stories told through the means of fantasy worlds, will enjoy themselves.

This novel is at most a transitional novel to take readers away from their attention on Elphaba (who, after all, melts as we know from OZ) and straining it towards Liir, her possible son.

What should have been one clever book about the back story of

the Wicked Witch of the West is turning into a series with this

piece. The author wishes us to believe there is more than one story here, but, alas, we are unconvinced since he takes us only

so far without much result. I found such contrivance a disappointment. Part of writing is knowing how and when to end a tale.

Having read, re-read, and re-read Wicked time and time again, I became ecstatic to learn there was a sequel being published. However, it was sheer curiosity more than anything which led me to Son of a Witch, and the resulting read was at once satisfying and disappointing, if such a thing is possible.

Son of a Witch begins with an intriguing premise and moves along at a pace more visibly urgent than Wicked's. For those readers of Wicked who became infatuated with Maguire's vision of Oz, which differs from Baum's largely in complexity and mood, this is an ideal read: less character-driven than its predecessor, it is much more about the world itself than any of the leading characters. It's worth it just for that. I sped through the book in just over a day and thoroughly enjoyed myself the whole time.

Yet, in the end, it raises even more questions than the original Wicked did. Ends which were dangled before us close to the beginning of the novel are never tied up, and even more strings become visible as the inevitable conclusion approaches. The ending of the book may be done well enough, but as soon as I put it down, the first thought in my mind was "Well, what about...?"

By all means, pick it up, buy it even, as it's yet one more example of Maguire's fine writing, but don't expect another Wicked. Son of a Witch is a different, intriguing if flawed, creature altogether... and doesn't let the reader forget that easily.

I was actually surprised to see that not as many people appreciated Son of a Witch as they did Wicked. I loved them both very much. I was so happy to return to Maguires version of Oz. I typically read on the subway, and have now found that whenever I go underground to make my commute, the smell of the subway reminds me of the book, and I feel as though I'm going in to Oz. So few books that I've read in my life have actually taken me to another place so completely. I loved Wicked, and was excited to read about Liir's continuing story. While I DO agree with some reviewers opinions on it paling slightly in comparison to the story of Elphaba, the whole book I felt suspense to find out whether or not he really was the green one's son! I enjoyed every moment of this read! Can't wait for Lion Among Men!!!

Although not as good as Wicked was, Son of a Witch should be a noteworthy sequel to it. The book goes with a much different storyline then the first, and it seems that this book was only written to wrap what happened to Liir, and only raises more questions. Enough questions, infact that a third book might just be planned. Maguire recreates a magical world rich with detail and wonderment. Although i wish there was a little bit more character development, but hey, what can you expect from someone in a coma? But I am hoping for a third novel, at least to tie up some ends.

I think the problem most people had with this book was that it truly is not an extension of Wicked. It plays on some of the political themes and as one reviewer put it "weirdness" of Wicked, but it it's not the same character and the plot doesn't follow a similar path. I enjoyed reading it as a novel in and of itself. The middle did feel forced, but I actually got some enjoyment out of it anyway.

At first, I didn't like Liir's character, but honestly, I wasn't that impressed with Elphaba's character at first either. However, as the novel progressed, I got to know the character and the more mainstream population of Oz.

The political parallels with America were a little too obvious, as sometimes it's nice to read a book without allegory.

The last half of the book, I think made it worth reading. The love story was sweet and a little unpredictable as well as a little cliche, and I like the idea of Maguire continuing the story, as I was afraid he was going to try to conclude everything in the last twenty pages. Thank God he did not.

I was overall impressed with the novel, as I said, in and of itself, and was content when I closed the book.

Son of a Witch: Volume Two in the Wicked Years is probably one of the biggest disappointments I have ever encountered. I LOVED Wicked. LOVED IT. Yes, loved it so much it deserves all capital letters. Twice. I wrote my law school entrance essay on the importance of perspective shift and how reality is affected by where one stands in the world. I loved Elphaba from page one. I read it and reread it. I could not wait for the sequel. And then I read the sequel. Wow. How can an author who wrote such a dynamic world populated with such interesting and original characters - characters who retained their resemblance to the iconic selves in the original Baum books, yet were entirely new and original themselves - produce a sequel so lackluster, so monotonous, so completely and utterly and dreadfully boring? (And then he produced another. Which we won't even mention. Seriously.)

I really did not think I was going to like this book, The first chapter started out too violent. I am glad that I kept reading. I read it within a week of reading Wicked, and I really enjoyed it. It was great having some of the OZ characters, that I was familiar with, along with new charters. Wicked was different, a little strange because you know the fate of Elphaba. THere was more suspense in this one. I plan on reading more of this authors books, and well as the original OZ stories.

Wicked was so good that I didn't question it's sequel. Until I read it.

Son of a Witch is very disappointing. Liir's character is poorly developed. The plot was missing something...like an actual plot perhaps. I had a hard time following the story because none of it made any sense. The story just follows Liir around while he runs away from everything (from Kiamo Ko, the army, Elphalba's memory) and leaves many dead ends. Perhaps the author meant to leave loose ends to be able to make another sequel, but I won't be running to buy it.

The follow up to Maguire's hit, Wicked, smacks of an exploitation of the predecessor's success. While the overlong first act is paced interestingly between the present and flashbacks, the eventual fusing of the two at act's end hints at a greater story to come that unfortunately never does. His main character, Liir (who may or may not be the son of the Wicked Witch), spends the bulk of the time searching for an identity, but the greater question is "Why should we care?" Liir is a pensive, timid, demure non-persona who just bobs along with the flotsam of life's journey, and has very little opinion or conviction that comes from himself. He spends his entire journey trying to find himself, and in the end that's all he becomes: a questling. He simply seeks, never finding, and does everything to prove his worth to everyone but himself.

Characters come and go with their typical allegory, and like Wicked, Maguire again shoehorns a late footnote of random and pointless homosexuality into subplots that were already going nowhere, only making them get there faster. By story's end, the sheer futility of it all bears down like a grave sermon orated by a rambling and senile Baptist lay-minister, serious and convicted of purpose but hamstrung by an inability to articulate just what the hell he really wants to say. And while the final pages offer a glimmer of hope, it would take more than that to ask for another journey to Oz in the hands of Maguire.

Granted, this is not Wicked. But it is an excellent book, and I love where Maguire has taken this tale. I can't wait to read what must be a third book in this series - I am intrigued about the "loose ends" others mention - think of it like "empire strikes back" and you'll be okay with it!! Liir definitely does his share of whining and wandering in the desert, but the themes that echo our current politics and the revelations he makes at the end are fantastic.

A book like Wicked is hard to follow, but I think Son of a Witch did a good job of picking up the story and moving forward.

Liir, the boy who may or may not be Elphaba's son, has to deal with the loss of the only family he'd ever known. He is forced to grow up in a world that is changing quickly around him without any sense of stability, home or safety.

I am a little surprised that so many people were harsh on the way Liir is protrayed. As a child he was raised by women, very dysfunctional women, with little to nothing to call his own. He never experienced love and spent his formitive years tied to a woman who wanted nothing more than to spend her days hiding in a cave. That environment does not breed a strong, determined man. I thought his transformation from an uncomfortable, out-of-place child into an uncomfortable, out-of-place man who is intent on finding the only person that he could remotely consider family - the maybe-half sister, Nor - was perfect and believable.

The unexpected love interested helped, giving him another reason to push forward. I certainly hope this is not the end of the series as this book left me wanting more.

I would highly recommend this book. Yes, it is a little slow at times, and not as good as Wicked, but still worth reading.

Gregory Maguire has far surpassed Wicked with this book. Son of a Witch is far more exciting and suspenseful. I honestly had no idea how much I had read until I put the book down at the end of the night. Unlike wicked it moves very quickly, the whole way through; whereas with Wicked Maguire needed the first seventy pages or so to get into a groove that worked for me. But his prose are fantastic, his descriptions of the world around Liir are vibrant and far from pretensions. This is a good book to get lost and relax in, as well as an incredible book for a discussion group. There's something for nearly every kind of reader.

*spoiler alert*
liir was such indecisive character. He spent most of his time either escaping reality or thinking about how possible it was that elphaba was his mum. The story was extremely slow at times, but as if on que would pick up the pace once it got too droll. I didn't really have anything against the excessive self discovery/realisation bits, but I was definitely pissed off at how after all that happened, he was still the same wishy washy character he was at the start of the book. After all his wanting to be emotionally attached to someone, he just HAD to go and mess things up by being indecisive. Ah well, if only the end didn't leave you in the dark about so many things, like: Is he a bi? Has realising who his mum is, changed his perception of himself? Did the chic abondon him because of the baby(or his divided affections), or did she really try to lead the soldiers away from him?

I truly enjoyed Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" and I was thrilled to find out that he had continued on the story of Oz. Son of a Witch was even more exciting to me, because I felt like the action had been tripled, the suspense intensified, and you honestly felt an attachment to the people of Oz.

Some people think it is crazy to get caught up in a fantasy world, but it is hard not to when you read stories like this one. Oz isn't just some fanciful world of lollipop guild children and dancing scarecrows that you remember. Gregory Maguire created a very real, very dark, very honest world that reflects the world that we live in today...

I'll keep this short. No need to retell the story. This coming of age histoire was interesting from start to finish. I did not expect a sequel, but expected to be dazzled by Maguire's imagination and writing style. I'm not disappointed. Oz politics aside, I found Liir's physical, emotional and psychological development very interesting and real. He is a survivor as so many men in the real world who face the same challenges -- icy parental guidance with little demonstrated love, learning how to accept and give love, the need to become strong physically and psychologically as a man, deciding and acting on values, and so forth. If one is not interested in character development, this book will not prove to be enjoyable. The ending was superb. Somewhere down the line Maguire will treat us to Liir's ability/inability to be a good father to a baby that appears to be the next witch in Oz. Can't wait.

I read "Wicked" twice before being able to appreciate it and only after seeing the play, which was much lighter. "Son of a Witch" is a great story that picks up where "Wicked" left off. It was a fun read, traveling along side the uncertain journey of Liir, questioning life and doing his best to find his place in the world, as we all must. A good read and a touching tale.

Some parts of this book were ok some where not. Even though I had a hard time getting through this book I got through it. I was often confused maybe because I had a hard time paying attention to what was going on because I couldn't stay focused. This is the second book I have read from this author the first one being wicked I probably will not read another book from this author for a long while.

I have been a Gregory Maguire fan for years, long before the fame of the musical brought him into the limelight. When I first read Wicked I knew he was genius. I also loved the musical, after I got over the initial shock of the plot differences. So I was quite excited to read this sequel. Overall, I was not disappointed. It is not as good as the first book, but worthwhile all the same. Maguire shows the same depth and creativity that attracted me in the first place. His writing style is very unique and I can see how many would be put off by it. This is not light reading and takes some concentration. This is a journey of self discovery, not an action-packed adventure. Anyone expecting a fluffy Oz story or a Broadway romance should look elsewhere. But if you're interested in really exploring the complexities of legacy, heritage and nature vs. nurture, read on. This is a fascinating tale.

Didn't compare to the richness of Wicked (what sequel does), but a fun read nonetheless. I'll still finish the series. Some areas needed more development, while some parts were nonsensically unnecessary. The ending was, in my strange opinion, beautiful if not abrupt.

Easily my favorite of Maguire's Wicked series, this is the back story of the wizard of oz, glinda and the wicked witch of the west. Starting with the discovery of a badly beaten Liir, the book traverses the kingdom and gives us a peek behind Dorothy's oh-too-rose-colored glasses. Dark and sometimes bitter, Son of a Witch takes us through the witch's life and times as seen through the eyes of the man who may be her son. This story easily stands on its own, and is a wonderful ride through a war-torn and tyrannous Oz.

I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed "Wicked", and like many was willing to enter that world again. Unfortunately, "Son of a Witch" is just poorly written. We follow a sullen, joyless boy who steadfastly insists that there is no possibility that he is interesting or talented in any way. Unfortunately, he's right.

The book is full of non sequiturs both emotionally and in the logic of the story line, including: a completely random episode of homosexual sex, a life changing experience that seemingly makes no impression on the character (not the sex), a random appearance of a wizard like character, and immaculate conception of a child.

Who let this book go to press?

An interesting take on Oz. And though I wasn't totally happy with the end, it did answer the main question posed throughout the story. I read it in 3 days, so it definitely was a page turner. Prose was great.

Wicked is one of the best novels that I have ever read. Son of a Witch is perhaps the worst, at least the worst written by a serious novelist. The book lacks everything that made Wicked a triumph: complex characters, thought-provoking allusions to contemporary and historical events, and masterful storytelling. Many of the same characters appear, including the title character, Lir, but they are all flatly drawn and down right boring. Even Shell, the younger brother of Elphaba and Nessarose, is boring. Given the expansive personalities of his sisters I would have thought that impossible. The last chapter of the book sets up a sequel to this sequel; if it's as bad as this book, we can only hope that Maguire keeps it to himself. Save your time and your money. Son of a Witch is a waste of both.

I loved the movie Wizard of Oz, and as a child, reveled in many of Frank Baums books. Like other reviewers I had read and loved Wicked, enjoying the twist on the childhood tales, as well as layers of themes that take thought and a bit of work to iron out. So I was excited to see the sequel. Well....it was ok, but didn't live up to the promise of the original. I liked the complexity of the characters in the book, and liked the story of Liir coming of age and finding his identity. But there was much that fell flat, or felt added on as an afterthought. I disliked the ending, in fact the whole last section needed an editor. That being said, I am glad to have read it, and glad to have spent a little more time in the land of OZ.

To start off, I have to say that I enjoyed reading "Wicked," and have waded through all of Maguire's work with varying degrees of interest. As for "Son of a Witch," I stopped reading after 72 pages - it is horrible. Maguire is increasingly and pointlessly genital-centric in his novels, which becomes both frustrating and antagonizing after just the first few scenes. While I certainly have no problem with sex and sexuality in fiction and literature, Maguire is simply absurd. Freud would have had a field day with him - I just couldn't make myself turn another page.

Maguire had his work cut out for him trying to span the ten years between Elphaba's watery death and the current day story. It's challenging for any author to cover so much backstory in so short a novel. I don't think Maguire could have done anything differently, except make the initial chapters and explanations a little more compressed to keep the action moving.

Liir, our mystery man and the alledged son of Elphaba, literally falls from the sky on a remote convent. The Maunt assigns Candle, a mute Quadling with a gift for music, the task of nursing the young man back to health.

Meanwhile, in Liir's head, we're seeing what's happened since Elphaba's death. We finally see the trip to Oz, his dealings with Glinda, etc.

Candle's and Liir's backstory alternate til Liir wakes up. This is about page 250 and the most interesting part of the book, IMHO.

While reading SON OF A WITCH was quite a trudge, I will say that I would probably read another book in this series if it took place more in the present day.

This book picks up right where Wicked ends and tells a captivating story of Elphaba's would-be son.

Its intense focus on Liir's struggle to make meaning for himself reminds me of an adult version of the Ursula K Le Guin books.

Another reviewer here compared this book to Lost (which, erm, he also hated). I thought Lost was completely unnerving and this book does have a similar feel. It lingers with you and, while it's a fast read, it's not a light read.

I highly recommend it!

I am greatly disappointed after just completing the book. I dove right into it after finishing Wicked. I suppose, I should have just thought about it for a minute. A popular precursor? A sequel a few years later? What will it bring? Major disappointment.

Combined with a boring plot (the writer seemed to get lost up until 250ish) and was stringing (barely) a few different situations together, which, in the end, came up to be a huge mangled mess with an open opportunity for a sequel.

One thing that caught me off-guard with this novel was the romantic situation with Liir and Tism. What? Where the heck did this come from? Just did not seem to fit. A crush or something would have been acceptable and would fit perfectly because of Liirs' past and his lack of a father figure, but to create a big love triangle right at the end, what?

Full attention is needed for this book. You will be reading and suddenly get ADD. BE WARNED!

Gregory Maguire creates an Odyssey for Liir, the presumed son of the now deceased Wicked Witch of the West. Liir, with the burned, witch's broom and cape in hand, ventures off from the castle, Kiammo Ko, in search of his true heritage and the only friend he ever knew, Nor. Is Liir the son of the Witch, Elphaba? Is Nor his half sister? Will the broom work for him? With his knack for personification, Maguire puts his readers in the adventure, and the reader comes to believe there really is an Emerald City and Munchkinland where animals and dwarfs can talk, feel and battle for good and evil. Liir has several unforgetable affairs with humans; one affair with the female, "Quadling" named Candle, and another with a male, enemy-turned-allie, and soldier for the Emerald City, a "minor Menacier," Trism bon Cavalish. With the use of flashbacks, the years and adventures pass and in the end, Candle leaves a very special gift for Liir. This gift makes for an exceptional ending, a smash, and one this writer won't give away here. Hopefully, we haven't heard the last of Liir and this special gift. Any lover of the Wizard of Oz will thank Gregory Maguire for once agian, keeping the Land of Oz alive.

I liked Wicked. He did a great job creating a backstory and giving the characters depth. The "big" events in Wicked didn't need to be written as we're to remember them from the movie. Son of a Witch was written in the same way (i.e. just mentioning big events) but without giving the characters any depth. Just poorly done all the way through. Constantly waiting for something to happen, for some suspense to be created, but it didn't happen. Since I've only read two of his works, I don't know if he phoned this one in as a way of cashing in on the musical or if this is par for the course. What I do know, however, is that I won't be finding out 'cause I won't be spending any more money on his novels. Unfortunate.

I started to listen to this audiobook without many expectations. I'd enjoyed Wicked, but had no idea what Son of a Witch would turn out to be.

Well, to be honest, at first I was very disappointed. The story dragged, and I only trudged through it out of sheer force of will. I think I even stopped paying attention a couple of times, and quickly lost track of what was happening in the immediate scenes.

Maguire reads the audiobook with great enthusiasm for the most part (at other parts he sounds about as bored as I was), creating original voices to distinguish the characters. As an audiobook-lover, I have to say that some professional actors fail to read novels as well as Maguire. The writing itself is lush with beautiful descriptions and narrative that easily capture the imagination and let the reader 'see' Oz in a way that is somehow both real and magical. Maguire has a style that is so uniquely HIS, and it's intriguing and pleasing after reading so many cookie-cutter type authors. It was these things that contributed to my will to see the story on to its end.

And I'm so glad that I did! Somewhere around the middle of this novel, the drudgery is gone and the land of Oz becomes fascinating again! Liir becomes understandable and realistic, and I found myself completely emerged in what was happening to him. The very end of the book, which I won't spoil, absolutely solidified my enjoyment. Maguire concludes the novel suddenly, but so satisfactorily. I think I might have actually gasped at the sudden understanding and surprise I felt when two particular plotlines were cleared up. They seemed so clear once Maguire briefly pulled back the curtain to show readers what had been there all along.

In short, the pay off is worth it! Trudge through the earlier chapters, and you'll be glad that you did!

If you have read the first book, then this is a great sequal! The entire series is worth reading. It gives you a different perspective on the 'Wonderful World of Oz'. I enjoyed the back story of the Wicked Witch of the West, and her life separate from Dorothy and the Wizard. Great, fun read.

In an interview with Gregory Maguire, he explained the reasoning to writing the sequel. It wasn't "cashing in" as so many have guessed. He received letters from many fans asking what happened to Liir. He decided to answer the letters in the form of "Son of a Witch: A Novel."

As another reviewer mentioned, if you didn't understand the depth of "Wicked," you would never truly appreciate "Son of a Witch." Both have very intricate and complicated details surrounding a very simple, yet hidden, premise. Often times this mixture causes for unhappy readers. But it is one of those books you can read over and over again and see new things each time you do. The surface story is Liir searching for Nor, but the hidden story is Liir searching for himself - trying to figure out who he is. He's not sure if he's Elphaba's son, Nor's half-brother, Candle's man, or where he belongs.

The story doesn't have a "The End" in the traditional sense, but neither did "Wicked." They both finished out their simple premise, but allowed life and the world they were created in to continue.

I think that a lot of people saw the musical and expected a light fluffy story from "Wicked" the book. But the book is neither light nor fluffy, but can be construde as such if that is what you are searching for. Both "Wicked" and "Son of a Witch" are dark twisted novels, challenging the ideals of the musical and the original story on which they are based.

Look for the deeper meaning, and you will enjoy these books. Want fluffy and light? Read Disney.

Son of a Witch is the story of Liir, who may or may not be Elphaba's son, and what he does following her death. The answer to that is 'not a heckuva lot.' He wanders around, joins the army, meets with some birds...
This is a profoundly boring book. It picks up at about the halfway point, but doesn't come to any sort of thrilling conclusion. In fact, this book seems like a bridge. As to what, I do not know. Apparently, there's a third book featuring a lion.

"Wicked" is easily one of the best books published in the 90s. It will stand the test of time and will likely be considered a classic in 50 years. This is a tough act to follow. Maguire almost matched this effort with "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister," but not quite. Since that second book he's never been able to reach greatness. And who could? How many classics does any one person have inside them?

About a year before "Son of a Witch" was published I heard Maguire speak at a very small and intimate gathering. He discussed "Son of" and explained that it came about, in part, as a response to the current environment in the US after 9-11. What a lot of us assumed at that reading was that Maguire planned to address evil once again in a way that would reveal, through metaphor, the evil deeds committed by the Bush administration in response to the evil deeds of the terrorists.

Since that time I've waited for "Son of a Witch" with great anticipation. Now that I've read it, as much as I hate to say it, but it was a let down. For some reason, a lot of people saying this are getting their reviews negged. Not sure why that's happening. Maguire is a good writer, but this book is nowhere near to being another "Wicked."

The main character, Liir, is flat as a pan cake for most of the book. He's really not that interesting. The female characters seemed to be better fleshed out with quirks of their own. Liir's thing is that he's confused and without direction. This does not make for a great leading character.

**Spoiler Alert**

The book really doesn't pick up its pace until about page 200 when Liir is attacked by the dragons. Then things start to finally get interesting. But still, Maguire has Liir connect with another male character, Trism. It's not that the relationship is inherently bad, it's just that Liir betrays Candle, the woman he thought he loved. Taking a rather boring character and then making him a bit spineless and inconsiderate doesn't help the book.

As others have noted, there's less sex here. This is not a good thing. Maguire's writing is, at times, so vague on these acts that you could blink and miss the fact that two characters had just been intimate. If Maguire was bowing to criticisms of "Wicked" I sure do hope he returns to his roots. Mature readers can do without the parental guidance, thank you.

As for the metaphor, yeah, it's there. It's not exactly earth shattering, but people who read between the lines will see GWB as one of the characters.

Despite all these criticisms, "Son of a Witch" is still a good read. And I will definitely read the next installment. The problem here is that "Wicked" was in itself a book of mythical proportions. It was full of odd and intriguing imagery and it blew people's minds to totally put the concept of evil on its head. "Son of Witch" doesn't reach those heights - it could have, however. Let's hope Maguire pulls it off with the third book. The story deserves it.

"Son of A Witch" is the continuing story of "Wicked" done by the amazing writer, Gregory Maguire.

The story starts off with two "nuns" who find a boy lying in the dirt a mile from The Conservatory of Saint Glinda, almost to the point on dying. With the help of Candle, a young girl with the gift of music, the boy is slowly brought back to life. The boy's name...Liir, the supposing son of Elphaba Thropp, The Wicked Witch of the West!

Gregory Maguire is an wonderful writer, who first caught my interest with "Confessions of An Ugly Stepsister" as well as "Wicked." With his works, he has proved that there are always two sides to every story. (the truth and "The Truth" that society has beeen told to believe)

For those who want to find out what happened to the Liir boy in "Wicked" or for those who want to read about "journey of life" and "finding one's self", this is the book for you. Although you may get lost with big words and endless discussions of something that's important, but hard to follow on what it could be, it shows that even though the Witch is dead, she's not really dead...she lives on through Glinda, Fyerio (The Scarecrow), and possibly Liir.

Elphaba Lives!!!

Not really like Wicked, at least the first half of Wicked. This book was more depressing, more philosophical. There were parts that were confusing, and I didn't read them again to try to understand. It was boring, but I read it to the end, which was even worse than the beginning.

*Spoiler Alert*
We already know Liir is Elphaba's son or his presence in Wicked and a whole sequel being based on him would be completely meaningless. It's gratifying at the end that he finally knows-for-sure he's Elphaba's son. The whole book basically leads up to him knowing-for-sure what the reader already knows. Too many questions are left unanswered. He doesn't find Nor. We don't know what happens with Candle. It's left open for another sequel. The book is very detailed and well written, but stretched out and slow. Some information is unnecessary and the necessary information is left out! But I do like Maguire's style and his adult rendition of a classic series. A third book is coming out about the Cowardly Lion- I'm sure I'll pick it up and I hope it gives me my answers this time!

I really wanted to like this book. I was a big fan of Wicked and wanted to see more of that world. But this book just one big story about a sullen young man that really has no idea what he wants or where to go. There was some of the book that I enjoyed but the majority was just boring. I seldom finish a book that I find slow but sometimes you have to finish what you started. Others have said that the ending of the book was just tossed together to add an ending but to me the ending of the book seemed like there was no ending just a "too be continued." And that is a follow-up story that I will have to skip.

2 Stars for some good parts, but not much more.

I read Wicked and enjoyed it quite a bit so I really wanted to pick up Son of a witch sadly this is terribley paced and pointless. The back of the book would lead you to think this is set a good time after the death of Elphaba but it is and isnt it starts with Liir being found near death and taken in by the Mauntery of Glinda and being nursed back to health by a girl named Candle who has zero character aside from having the tendancies of a whore (more on that later).
She also seems to be the only reason this story isnt told linearley so you can be introduced to her and like her as a character as stated above you dont because she doesnt have one.

The first hunk of the book switches between 3 points of view Liir before he was beat near to death Candle now taking care of Liir in his comatose state and a group of Maunts trying to find out why people are being s"scraped" (having your face torn off) and whos responsible. You get nothing from the maunts parts they are pointless and go nowhere Candles parts are also about as interesting as I imagine waiting for a real comatose person to wake up is (I apologize if that last statement is offensive). Liirs parts are somewhat interesting as he deals with the death of the witch and deals earl on with Dorothy who switches from caring ditz to ice queen every few sentences. Events occur that dont ammount to much and eventually it boils down to 3 task hes assigned himself to do.

1.Discover if he is Elphaba and Fiyero's son-He quickly decides this dosent matter and forgets about it

2.Help Princess Nastoya (you know the half elephant chick from "wicked"?)return to her full elephant form so she can die

3.Find Nor the daughter of Fiyero last seen in the wizards captivity at the end of book one-This is the driving force behind the first 35% of the book although you would hardly notice Liir searches with the enthusiasm of someone looking for a debt collecter to tell them he cant pay

I dont mind telling you none of these goals are finished until the last 10 pages of the book and not all are finished.Mainley because early on Liir quits caring and joins the army where 7-10 years pass in 10 pages but we still spend a good chunk of the entire book watching Liir waste his and the readers time (not to mention for this chunk Candle and the maunts parts simply stop so your left with no clue as to what happens). What gets him to leave the army is pointless and ridculous in and of itself he has orders to burn down a village does so and then feels bad about it...... are you kidding? He was talking to the soldiers about they had orderes and had to carry them out not to let personal feelings cloud their juddjement and then he has a change of heart leading him to wander aimlessly until hes attacked by dragons which cause his state early on in the book.

Now the reader is brought back up to speed no more flashbacks Candle and Liir are sent to an abandoned farm by mother Yackle. This is where you would think a romance would start with Candle (even though the book goes out of its way to say the whole reason she got stuck at the Mauntery was sleeping with everything that moves) and no real romance ever arises theres some aqwuard moments but they always act like fate threw them together and nothing more.Did I mention Candles pregnant by Liir? Yeah thats kind of important even though Liir has no recolection of ever sleeping with Candle shes pregnant by him. Liir argues that this doesnt make sense and Candle implies it happend in the Mauntery much the same Elphaba supposedly gave birth but doesnt that mean Candle had sex with an unwilling participant? More importantly isnt that rape? The only thing ever implied was this really awquard scene where Candle thinks Liir is going to die so for some reason she strips off all her clothes climbs on top of him and licks his eyes like a cat and no Im not making that up.

Candle goes on to tell Liir he ought to acomplish something like one of the very important goals or promises he made nearly 10 years ago including a recent promise to attend a confrence of birds to talk about the dragon issue he picks the latter and sets out on his way. He arrives and the birds tell him he should go get the broom he does and with the help of a very minor character from early on kills all of the dragons by making them explode (even though the way they kill they dragons has supposedly been used before and didnt cause an explosion that time). Liir then leaves a note to alleviate balme from his new accomplice and they set out on the run. Some very strange homoerotic situations arise between Liir and Trism (his new accomplice) which dont seem to fit I dont mind a gay or bisexual protagonist but this was just sudden and he has a pregnant girl waiting for him whats up with this part?

All this thankfully brings us to the closing of the book he returns to the council of birds ask them to keep an eye out for Nor and then returns home where the elephant queen is waiting and Candle is intensly pregnant and has been caring for an entire tribe of these people. Liir and Candle somehow manage to change the elephant queen into a 100% elephant and then Liir decides to go with them to burn her corpse. When he returns home Candle is gone and he finds a dead baby the book makes it explicitly clear that the baby is dead yet Liir cares for it like he would a newborn feeding and clothing it while thinking of reasons Candle would have left (the only reasonable one is that the army from Oz has found his tiny farm and are seeking revenge against him for blowing up their dragons). Only to find out the baby isnt dead it somehow is now alive and green thus meaning Liir is the son of Elphaba and then he offhandedly remembers seeing Nors hand writing earlier end of book.

.................your kidding right?

This book is pure crap G. Maguire has a pleasant style of writing which is the only reason this gets beyond 1 star but this book is watching an unlikeable character wander around shirk responsibilty and fall into lucky situatons. Cap all that off with an unsatisfying ending that raises more questions than the 3 it answers and youve got a 407 page waste of paper. I have hope "A Lion among men" might be good but Im in no rush to read it after this dont pick this up reread "Wicked" hey reread it 50 times before you pick this up I wish I had.

Possible Spoilers:

I think that too much of the book was spent on Liir's adolescent years, which were slow moving and not that interesting. It isn't until the last 3rd of the novel that it starts to get really good, and by that time you get into the story, it ends quite abruptly. A good sequel can really make up for this book's early short-comings, but without a decent follow-up, then it's quite disappointing. I felt like a lot of the early stuff could've been shortened or skipped over, and instead the story should've continued further down Liir's life instead of ending when he is only 23 years-old. In "Wicked", the book was barely half way through when Elphaba was that age. Not to mention, the whole point of his journey was to find Nor, yet we really aren't given any answers about her other than the fact that she is alive somewhere.

Also, the relationship between Liir and Candle was never fully fleshed out. A potential follow-up to this book would have to give some explanation as to what happened to Candle. She gives birth to his baby, and we see that they have feelings for each other but it's never exactly expressed clearly. They actually never consummate their relationship with consent. Candle is a character with a lot of potential, kind of an opposite female character of Elphaba, who could've used more fleshing out. It also seemed quite strange and sudden that Liir would have a relationship with Trism when he was seemingly read to devote himself to Candle until then. Perhaps he was so deprived as a child that he's willing to fall in love with anyone that's nice to him, but I could never clearly see what was going on there.

If a good sequel can be written, this book could be a great middle volume, but it doesn't really stand alone. There is simply too much that is left open, and the characters just don't seem finished yet, perhaps because the main character is still so young when the story ends.

While I absolutely loved Wicked, Son of a Witch screams of Maguire's want to capitalize on its success. There are some interesting passages within the book, albeit generally slow, but you won't find anything as creative or interesting as those in the original.

Liir, the book's main character, feel two-dimensional and lacks a life-like personality. It is true that he is on a search for himself, but he just doesn't seem to find it. The book fumbles around for some point, some climax, but there isn't anything of the sort.

Also, the inclusion of the original Oz characters feels gimmicky at best. They spout boring, predictable phrases that make me long for the innovation of Wicked.

The book isn't terrible, but it's clearly a corporate move, rather than an actual want on Maguire's behalf to farm his creativity.

This is a perfect sequel to Gregory Maguire's Wicked. Elphaba's legacy lives on, and the reader cannot wait to find out who Liir is and what is to become of him. The ending this book really confirms that Elphaba will never be forgotten.

I thought WICKED was good, but it's SON OF A WITCH that I really loved! Loved the imagination and fantasy aspects, yet I felt like I was reading historical fiction. I found it somewhat easier to follow than WICKED and it answered some of the questions I found myself confused by in the first. I loved that the whole story was about a search for one's past that was so effectively brought to light in the simple, last sentence of the book. A wonderful sequel - I couldn't put it down!!

I couldn't even force myself to read this entire book. I loved "Wicked" (and am also a fan of the musical) but "Son of a Witch" (though cleverly titled) wasn't as amazing. The beggining of the book held my attention and made me want to read more, but as I went the interest fell and the book droned. The main thing that turned me off was the tedious quality of this book--I have always been very attentive to detail (this is one reason why I loved "Wicked") and "Son of a Witch" was either completely devoid of it, or it was disgustingly oversauced in it. Wither way, the plot becomes amazingly confusing and ridiculous (reminds me of a soap opera). I had to stop reading because I was so bored and confused (both at once--weird I know).

I'm not sure exactly what other customers are reading, but I found this book interminable wit but a scant few highlights. Yes, I get the themes of finding yourself and forgiving yourself but this book is SO boring. I'm pretty sure I spent the longest time reading this book, wondering why I was continuing at all. From the longwinded descriptions(do we REALLY need 1,000 detailed descriptions of the Kells?) to the story that sometimes gets interesting for a few pages then slides back into it's neverending descriptions of events that most authors would spend a line or two on. Not sure why he wrote this as it really adds nothing to the mythos of the world he borrowed and made his own. VERY dissapointed.

A terrific sequel, in which the character of Liir is finely and subtly explored, as Liir grows into himself as an adult. The greater story is never less than gripping, and the political overtones never more timely - as the original Baum books were. Maguire does Baum proud.

As an aside, I read all the Oz books growing up, and the way in which Maguire interweaves the later stories of the TikTokers and Tip and Mombi into his own Oz books is highly clever.

As a book with a great plot SON OF A WITCH works; as a study of the ramifications of destiny and self-will it works; as a penetrating piece of stunning psychological fiction it works, too.

There is some irony that this novel is the story of a child becoming an adult, and the argument, advanced in SON OF A WITCH, that adulthood is a state earned, not by an accumulation of years, but by wisdom and learning to be compassionate. The irony is that, reading through a minority of these previous reviews, I have to say I am still shocked by latent, cloaked - and not so cloaked - homophobia. I assert that this prejudice is the result of the unexamined mind - in short, a prejudice found in people not truly adult, people who lack both wisdom and compassion.

There's a downside to mass appeal (and WICKED certainly counts as having mass appeal), and that is that the prejudices of the masses surface as well. Liir's sexual experiences, minor as they are in the plot, are not "sexual confusion". It is clear the character is bisexual, as are many of the characters in WICKED, too - sometimes affectionately and not acted upon (Glinda/Elphaba), sometimes more obviously (the trio of Elphaba's father/Elphaba's mother/Shell's biological father). This is hardly confusion - the characters themselves have self knowledge and are happy. Confusion arises only in the minds of those readers uncomfortable with fluid definitions of sexuality (what's more, Liir's homoerotic nature was also hinted at WICKED as well as in early chapters of SON OF A WITCH, so the argument that his bisexuality is "sudden" is pure nonsense.) This issue of sexuality is so minor, but sprang up so often in certain other reviews that I felt it needed to be addressed and uncloaked for what it was: unexamined bigotry. As Liir himself says, "Sever us from our disguises."

A book can only be read, not summarized, so my recommendation is to read this book and its prequel WICKED and experience thoughtful, exciting writing that's not dumbed down.

The best bits of this overall fine book were the last chapter and the very last sentence. Surely all you can hope for in literature - satisfaction, questions answered, sense made, and yet the world itself still unanswered and unknown. In the best possible sense.

An extra bonus was the Thomas Jefferson quote at the end. Thank you, Gregory Maguire, for leaving us with hope. Our own unknown world (and gods) certainly needs it at the moment.

With Gregory Maguire's Wicked, we were treated to a fantastical reimagining of the Oz story, one a bit more cynical than the wide-eyed wonderment we got through Dorothy's perspective. It was also a fine examination of how perceptions can make one "wicked" or "good," but carried on Baum's theme that a lot of our exalted leaders are really just humbugs.

In Son of a Witch, Maguire continues on his exploration of the politics of Oz, centering his story around Liir, the putatitve son of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. The cynicism remains, and the delightful deconstruction of Oz continues apace. At the end of the book, however, I found it hard to conclude that Wicked was a book that begged for a sequel. Son of a Witch is fine prose, but it doesn't add anything to (to be fair, nor does it detract from) the very fine Wicked.

As I read this book the haunting notion that I already knew this story kept floating to the surface. It was not until I heard an interview with Gregory Maguire that my notions were proven correct. This is a harsh book to get through. It is not a hard read but hard to read. Shocking at times but nonetheless it smack of a thin veil of our political climate, as sad as that it is, to reveal a masterful story. You go Elphaba!

Got hooked on the Wicked Years series after reading the first book, Wicked. Really enjoyed this follow up story on the next events happening in the life of Liir. The ending brings it all together and leaves you hanging, ready for the next book.

Though a sequel to Wicked seemed a little unnecessary, the novel, Son of a Witch, turns out to be a capturing and intriguing work of literature. True there are some slow and dull parts as others have mentioned, but Maguire's excellent writing skills cover for the loss of excitement.

The protagonist Liir, is a complicated character who is more than anything trying to find his place in the world. He is not certain whom his true parents are, where he came from, or what purpose his life has, if any.

And as for the setting: Maguire's vision of Oz is one of a land twisted between religion, cultures and political powers. Such detail to atmosphere makes Oz seem as real and alive as any place on earth.

Ultimately, Son of Witch is a grand sequel by an accomplished author. In my opinion, the book is definitely a keeper.

Like many other reviewers noted, this story lacked action. The main character was reactive, rather than pro-active, and it really started to drag after awhile. Not nearly as clever or entertaining as his anti-heronie mother, Liir's constant identity angst became grating very quickly. Although there were some good moments, overall the story really seemed to lack direction, and the ending was weak.

I checked this out as a book-on-CD from the local library to listen to on the way to and from work. The book was initially interesting but by the end of the first CD had become merely frustrating. By the end of the second CD my patience had expired with this, the first book on CD or tape that I found unworthy of completion.

The problem, pure and simple, is that the only thing worse than the author's writing is his reading! Now and then a clever or picturesque turn of phrase suggests that the author may be on to something but then return the inconsistent characterizations, random application of big and unusual words, and just plain awkward style. A better narrator might have made the book sound better by more smoothly reading the text or by making it easier to tell one character from the next but the author's flat and unappealling reading makes his writing seem if anything even worse than it is.

The book on CD is unlistenable. Pass on this one and go see "Wicked" on stage!

After reading some of the reviews of those who hated "Son of a Witch," I felt it my duty to write in favor of Maguire's work and to address some of the points other reviewers brought up. If you hate the novel, that's your perrogative, but it also means that you missed the boat.

"Son of a Witch" isn't a "sequel" (Maguire himself professed this point to USA Today). Sequels suggest the same protagonist and usually antagonist. This tells the story of what happened in the aftermath of the death of the reknowned and powerful Elphaba Thropp, Wicked Witch of the West. If you read the novel without any preconceived expectations of what should or shouldn't be within it, the true nature is allowed to shine through.

Liir is, primarily, somewhat of an existentialist. He is searching for who he is and why he is alive. He has no tangible concept of "self" because he doesn't even have the knowledge of what all others in the novel take for granted: identity. He only has the remnants of what his maybe-mother Elphaba gave him, which isn't much. THAT in itself is why the reader MUST feel for Liir. He is a nameless, naive soul among a world extremely new to him.

As far as Candle goes, her chracter traits are fitting, believe it or not. Elphaba was a very strong female character in "Wicked," allowing Liir no real room for development. Candle had to be someone of meager, if not annoying, existence in order to allow Liir to become someone! Liir had only known the rages and rants of Elphaba's emotional and erratic behavior. Candle had to be just the opposite. This forced Liir to look into himself for his meaning, unlike when he was with Elphaba. She gave him his direction. Without her, Liir had to MAKE his direction. The only other female character who could hold a candle to Elphaba (no pun intended!) is missing throughout the entire story (Nor).

As far as the violence and Liir's sexual exploration, I feel that it was only expected. The only sentiment that Liir received from Elphaba were harsh and brash, though well-intended, comments and actions. This became Liir's definition of affection, because it was better than nothing (which he realized whenever he thought of Elphaba). The conflict with Trism and ultimate relationship further that idea. Hatred and love, as the saying goes, is only separated by a thin line. For Liir, there was no line. Hate and love were intertwined. He bore witness to this during his early life with Elphaba. Only through simultaneous love and hatred could Elphaba really cope with Frex, Glinda, Nanny, Liir, Sarima, Shell and even Fiyero.

In the end, I feel that "Son of a Witch" is worth reading. You must allow your mind to explore the possibilities alluded to within the text. A reader must always remember, as my college professor said, "Nothing in literature is accidental." Maquire gives you, as the reader, little pearls of possibility within his writing. My mind reeled at the possible true identity of Mother Yackle and the role she has played in both Elphaba and Liir's lives (her prescence is not minimal in scope, though it may be in words). As far as the ending, I felt the initial ping of unsatisfaction, but eventually felt sated. True, I do want to know how the loose ends Maguire left are tied, but if he did that in "Son of a Witch," he wouldn't be true to his style, now would he? He did answer one question about Elphaba and Liir's relationship that had been neither proved nor falsified. For now, that is enough. Maybe Maguire will take us on another trip to the wonderful world of Oz.

I was surprised to see the not so great reviews at the top of this page.

I watched "The Wizard of Oz" for the first time in my early 30's. I hated it. I hated Oz, I hated Dorothy and I hated the Flying Monkeys. "Wicked" changed all that...I still dislike Doroty, but I love the land of Oz, I love Ephaba, I love Glinda, I love Chitery. McGuire did a fantastic job at truly giving birth to this land.

I was so excited when I walked by a bookstore, and saw "Son of a Witch" on display. I bought it, and devoured it in a few short days. Oz was given so many more dimensions in this book, and seeing Liir's development from unsure little boy, to the corageous man he became was sheer pleasure.

I just hope that Mr. Maguire doesn't wait 10 years to give us the next chapter.

"Son of a Witch" is one of those books you can't put down. MaGuire delivers a fast pace story that is enchanting and provacative as it's predesessor.. It dosen't have the scope of "Wicked", nor dose it have to considering many of the characters, scenery, plots etc..are already laid out for the reader in "Wicked". MaGuire does an excellent job of not boring the reader with retelling what has already been told, as so many authors feel compelled to in a sequel especially tens years later. It asumes the reader knows whats going on, and then continues. Although I loved "Wicked", This may be why I felt I enjoyed this sequel just as much, if not more. It's very fast paced. Oz's political and racial strife lives on after the Wizard departs. MaGuire delivers an action pact romp through OZ once again. MaGuire leaves us WANTING to know what happens next in OZ. Thanks Mr. MaGuire for leaving us wanting more and giving fans the oportunity for OZ to live on, and on, and on...just as OZ would in a not so fairy tale world. One can only wish all books were this funny, thought provoking, and entertaining.

Actually I thought that "Wicked' was a very good novel--great really, if, like me, you've always been fascinated since childhood by the movie "The Wizard of Oz". Definetely should only be read AFTER reading "Wicked". Yet, strangely the stronger of the two works-- more coherent and orderly in its presentation. Another advantage is that "Son" takes you into new territory, beyond the retelling/re-interpretation of the well-known "Wizard" storyline that "Wicked" explores--a venture into what exactly did happen in Oz after Dorthey returned to Kansas?

It's certainly not a sequel. I give you that. However, Son of a Witch pales in comparison to its predecessor. Wicked artfully conglomerated politics and plot into a delightful story, flip-flopping all of the notions of Oz that were planted into our heads as children. Elphaba becomes a heroine, Glinda seems more vapid than a kiddie pool but oddly clever at the same time -- everyone is relatable.

Son of a Witch's overriding weaknesses are its over-reliance on skimpy metaphors, its pale and unrelatable characters (it wasn't just Elphaba who shone in Wicked), and its too overt political message. Politics are all well and good, but leave the reader to do a little bit of the work . . .

We've seen all of this before: flying on brooms, identity crises, an attempt to visit powerful politicals . . . Give me a break. Give me a better plot. And give me characters I can root for.

I'm listening to this one immediately after finishing Wicked, and I have to say I'm disappointed. Wicked was a good story itself, but the reading by John McDonough was brilliant and made it everything an audio book should be. I didn't look at the narrator when I reserved this from the library and assumed McDonough would be doing this one as well; I was wrong. Boy, was I wrong. Maguire is a talented writer, but however passionate about the story, his reading falls flat. Odd intonation, melodramatic rhythm, indistinguishable character voices, and an overall lack of modulation in his voice make this, so far, a very dull listen. I don't know that I'll be able to finish, regardless of how interesting the story may be.

I highly recommend that you read Maguire's "Wicked" before attempting this book or you may easily get lost in the characters and plotlines. "Wicked" is a tough act to follow and "Son of a Witch", while good, isn't as enchanting. It tends to feel less substantial in characters and plot but isn't a bad book; it's just that "Wicked" was better. Most of the interesting things in this book happen in the last 1/8 so keep at it even if you might feel like the plot is a little slow. That last 1/8th comes at you like an arrow shot from a crossbow. If you enjoyed "Wicked" this follow-up is a must-read. I can't wait for the third book, scheduled to come out on October 16, 2008, "A Lion Among Men" I think it's called. Hopefully,some of the plotlines in this book will be wrapped up; a bit of a cliff-hanger was "Son of a Witch".

Liir, presumed son of the Wicked Witch (Elphaba), is on a quest to find his identity and his (maybe) half-sister. And nothing happens. As a fan of Baum's quirky and lovely original books, I can't quite get on board with Maguire. He sucks the magic and mystery out of Oz by soaking it in political and religious rhetoric and endless boring discussions on those matters. It is as if he doesn't trust readers of fantasy to be able to understand allegory. Baum did, and he was writing for children. Maguire's story is bogged down with these aspects, taking away from the characters and the magic, and boring his readers to tears. The novel rambles and seems to lack any point at all. His language is as silly as it is pointless, particularly is constant similes/metaphors, for instance, comparing the Cowardly Lion in the rain to "a stone lion in a fountain". He uses obscure vocabulary that breaks the flow of the reading. And, as a fan of the original works, I can't understand why he even bothers to place his work in Oz except as an excuse to cash in on another's work and shock the readers by making something so fluffy and light as Oz into a dark and political world. It's pretentious. I won't be reading anything else by this author, and I chucked out all his other books. Grade: F

Wonderful 2nd book in the Wicked series. I just want to point out that the beginning of the book is very interesting and mysterious. But the middle does have a slow chapter (in my opinion) where Liir joins the Service. Maybe that is only relevent from a female point of view.
85% or more of the novel is worthy of being called a "page turner" and lives up to Maguires great name, so I still rated it at 5 stars.
Oh, and keep a dictionary handy!

After reading some of the reviews of those who hated "Son of a Witch," I felt it my duty to write in favor of Maguire's work and to address some of the points other reviewers brought up. If you hate the novel, that's your perrogative, but it also means that you missed the boat.

"Son of a Witch" isn't a "sequel" (Maguire himself professed this point to USA Today). Sequels suggest the same protagonist and usually antagonist. This tells the story of what happened in the aftermath of the death of the reknowned and powerful Elphaba Thropp, Wicked Witch of the West. If you read the novel without any preconceived expectations of what should or shouldn't be within it, the true nature is allowed to shine through.

Liir is, primarily, somewhat of an existentialist. He is searching for who he is and why he is alive. He has no tangible concept of "self" because he doesn't even have the knowledge of what all others in the novel take for granted: identity. He only has the remnants of what his maybe-mother Elphaba gave him, which isn't much. THAT in itself is why the reader MUST feel for Liir. He is a nameless, naive soul among a world extremely new to him.

As far as Candle goes, her chracter traits are fitting, believe it or not. Elphaba was a very strong female character in "Wicked," allowing Liir no real room for development. Candle had to be someone of meager, if not annoying, existence in order to allow Liir to become someone! Liir had only known the rages and rants of Elphaba's emotional and erratic behavior. Candle had to be just the opposite. This forced Liir to look into himself for his meaning, unlike when he was with Elphaba. She gave him his direction. Without her, Liir had to MAKE his direction. The only other female character who could hold a candle to Elphaba (no pun intended!) is missing throughout the entire story (Nor).

As far as the violence and Liir's sexual exploration, I feel that it was only expected. The only sentiment that Liir received from Elphaba were harsh and brash, though well-intended, comments and actions. This became Liir's definition of affection, because it was better than nothing (which he realized whenever he thought of Elphaba). The conflict with Trism and ultimate relationship further that idea. Hatred and love, as the saying goes, is only separated by a thin line. For Liir, there was no line. Hate and love were intertwined. He bore witness to this during his early life with Elphaba. Only through simultaneous love and hatred could Elphaba really cope with Frex, Glinda, Nanny, Liir, Sarima, Shell and even Fiyero.

In the end, I feel that "Son of a Witch" is worth reading. You must allow your mind to explore the possibilities alluded to within the text. A reader must always remember, as my college professor said, "Nothing in literature is accidental." Maquire gives you, as the reader, little pearls of possibility within his writing. My mind reeled at the possible true identity of Mother Yackle and the role she has played in both Elphaba and Liir's lives (her prescence is not minimal in scope, though it may be in words). As far as the ending, I felt the initial ping of unsatisfaction, but eventually felt sated. True, I do want to know how the loose ends Maguire left are tied, but if he did that in "Son of a Witch," he wouldn't be true to his style, now would he? He did answer one question about Elphaba and Liir's relationship that had been neither proved nor falsified. For now, that is enough. Maybe Maguire will take us on another trip to the wonderful world of Oz.

I was surprised to see the not so great reviews at the top of this page.

I watched "The Wizard of Oz" for the first time in my early 30's. I hated it. I hated Oz, I hated Dorothy and I hated the Flying Monkeys. "Wicked" changed all that...I still dislike Doroty, but I love the land of Oz, I love Ephaba, I love Glinda, I love Chitery. McGuire did a fantastic job at truly giving birth to this land.

I was so excited when I walked by a bookstore, and saw "Son of a Witch" on display. I bought it, and devoured it in a few short days. Oz was given so many more dimensions in this book, and seeing Liir's development from unsure little boy, to the corageous man he became was sheer pleasure.

I just hope that Mr. Maguire doesn't wait 10 years to give us the next chapter.

"Son of a Witch" is one of those books you can't put down. MaGuire delivers a fast pace story that is enchanting and provacative as it's predesessor.. It dosen't have the scope of "Wicked", nor dose it have to considering many of the characters, scenery, plots etc..are already laid out for the reader in "Wicked". MaGuire does an excellent job of not boring the reader with retelling what has already been told, as so many authors feel compelled to in a sequel especially tens years later. It asumes the reader knows whats going on, and then continues. Although I loved "Wicked", This may be why I felt I enjoyed this sequel just as much, if not more. It's very fast paced. Oz's political and racial strife lives on after the Wizard departs. MaGuire delivers an action pact romp through OZ once again. MaGuire leaves us WANTING to know what happens next in OZ. Thanks Mr. MaGuire for leaving us wanting more and giving fans the oportunity for OZ to live on, and on, and on...just as OZ would in a not so fairy tale world. One can only wish all books were this funny, thought provoking, and entertaining.

Actually I thought that "Wicked' was a very good novel--great really, if, like me, you've always been fascinated since childhood by the movie "The Wizard of Oz". Definetely should only be read AFTER reading "Wicked". Yet, strangely the stronger of the two works-- more coherent and orderly in its presentation. Another advantage is that "Son" takes you into new territory, beyond the retelling/re-interpretation of the well-known "Wizard" storyline that "Wicked" explores--a venture into what exactly did happen in Oz after Dorthey returned to Kansas?

It's certainly not a sequel. I give you that. However, Son of a Witch pales in comparison to its predecessor. Wicked artfully conglomerated politics and plot into a delightful story, flip-flopping all of the notions of Oz that were planted into our heads as children. Elphaba becomes a heroine, Glinda seems more vapid than a kiddie pool but oddly clever at the same time -- everyone is relatable.

Son of a Witch's overriding weaknesses are its over-reliance on skimpy metaphors, its pale and unrelatable characters (it wasn't just Elphaba who shone in Wicked), and its too overt political message. Politics are all well and good, but leave the reader to do a little bit of the work . . .

We've seen all of this before: flying on brooms, identity crises, an attempt to visit powerful politicals . . . Give me a break. Give me a better plot. And give me characters I can root for.

I'm listening to this one immediately after finishing Wicked, and I have to say I'm disappointed. Wicked was a good story itself, but the reading by John McDonough was brilliant and made it everything an audio book should be. I didn't look at the narrator when I reserved this from the library and assumed McDonough would be doing this one as well; I was wrong. Boy, was I wrong. Maguire is a talented writer, but however passionate about the story, his reading falls flat. Odd intonation, melodramatic rhythm, indistinguishable character voices, and an overall lack of modulation in his voice make this, so far, a very dull listen. I don't know that I'll be able to finish, regardless of how interesting the story may be.

I highly recommend that you read Maguire's "Wicked" before attempting this book or you may easily get lost in the characters and plotlines. "Wicked" is a tough act to follow and "Son of a Witch", while good, isn't as enchanting. It tends to feel less substantial in characters and plot but isn't a bad book; it's just that "Wicked" was better. Most of the interesting things in this book happen in the last 1/8 so keep at it even if you might feel like the plot is a little slow. That last 1/8th comes at you like an arrow shot from a crossbow. If you enjoyed "Wicked" this follow-up is a must-read. I can't wait for the third book, scheduled to come out on October 16, 2008, "A Lion Among Men" I think it's called. Hopefully,some of the plotlines in this book will be wrapped up; a bit of a cliff-hanger was "Son of a Witch".

Liir, presumed son of the Wicked Witch (Elphaba), is on a quest to find his identity and his (maybe) half-sister. And nothing happens. As a fan of Baum's quirky and lovely original books, I can't quite get on board with Maguire. He sucks the magic and mystery out of Oz by soaking it in political and religious rhetoric and endless boring discussions on those matters. It is as if he doesn't trust readers of fantasy to be able to understand allegory. Baum did, and he was writing for children. Maguire's story is bogged down with these aspects, taking away from the characters and the magic, and boring his readers to tears. The novel rambles and seems to lack any point at all. His language is as silly as it is pointless, particularly is constant similes/metaphors, for instance, comparing the Cowardly Lion in the rain to "a stone lion in a fountain". He uses obscure vocabulary that breaks the flow of the reading. And, as a fan of the original works, I can't understand why he even bothers to place his work in Oz except as an excuse to cash in on another's work and shock the readers by making something so fluffy and light as Oz into a dark and political world. It's pretentious. I won't be reading anything else by this author, and I chucked out all his other books. Grade: F

Wonderful 2nd book in the Wicked series. I just want to point out that the beginning of the book is very interesting and mysterious. But the middle does have a slow chapter (in my opinion) where Liir joins the Service. Maybe that is only relevent from a female point of view.
85% or more of the novel is worthy of being called a "page turner" and lives up to Maguires great name, so I still rated it at 5 stars.
Oh, and keep a dictionary handy!

It was the first Gregory Maguire book I read and it encouraged me to read every single one of the novels he has. He is a master storyteller and writer. It is very impressive that he would write so well with only a few novels out.

The book dragged on in parts, but overall it flowed very well and kept me captivated. The ending has a disappointing aspect, but yet it has a wonderful ending.

I am greatly disappointed after just completing the book. I dove right into it after finishing Wicked. I suppose, I should have just thought about it for a minute. A popular precursor? A sequel a few years later? What will it bring? Major disappointment.

Combined with a boring plot (the writer seemed to get lost up until 250ish) and was stringing (barely) a few different situations together, which, in the end, came up to be a huge mangled mess with an open opportunity for a sequel.

One thing that caught me off-guard with this novel was the romantic situation with Liir and Tism. What? Where the heck did this come from? Just did not seem to fit. A crush or something would have been acceptable and would fit perfectly because of Liirs' past and his lack of a father figure, but to create a big love triangle right at the end, what?

Full attention is needed for this book. You will be reading and suddenly get ADD. BE WARNED!

I have to say, I was first a fan of the Broadway musical based on the first book. However, the book and the musical are very different and since I knew this before I began reading, I was not deterred by the darker nature of Maguire's work. I enjoyed Son of a Witch even more than I did Wicked. I will admit that the book starts off a bit slow and was sometimes hard to follow, but I became so entranced in the story that I finished the whole second half of the book in one day. I was drawn in by the vivid characters Maguire created and am hoping he writes a third book because this one kept me wanting more.

Gregory Maquire did a masterful job writing the story of Elphaba's son in this unplanned but completly fitting sequel. However, the quality of his narration just doens't match up. He breaks the sentances in wierd places, giving a disjointed feel to the audio that is hard follow. Unlike a voice actor, he is also not proficient in giving unique and appropriate voices to the different characters. I hope Maquire writes many many more books, but lets the professionals do the audio.

You may want to read this book, most likely because of your familiarity with his other pieces. You may know he is a very talented writer. This book lacks all of the direction and coherence that Wicked offered, however, and comes off as a confusing plumb-the-depths-of-whatever-soul Bildungsroman. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Wicked and how little I enjoyed this. Alas.

I guess my mistake was thinking that this was actually going to address the title of the book. After dragging myself through parts of this book, I found that in the end there were way too many loose ends and an obviously stage setting for a sequel. This never works for me, and surely didn't here. If you are looking for any answers this book is not going to reveal them. Wicked was great, this one is not!

This book was an interesting twist on the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, focusing on the tortured life of her son Liir. The author bored me at times and went off on ridiculous tangents such as Liir's relationship with one of his fellow solders, but still I found it strangely intriguing to think about what it would be like to be the son of Elphaba and not really fit in anywhere.

Check out my review of Wicked (which I also translated) to find out what I thought about it. Well, this is even worse: either Maguire totally lacks the narrative skills to capture the reader's attention, or he doesn't believe it his duty to do so. This deadly bore of a sequel has even less action than the first book, and reads like its author takes it for granted that the public will worship him no matter what. An increasingly uninteresting sequence of petty events, here and there interrupted - just like in Wicked - by the usual aimless and self-complacent blabber, all set in a fictional universe that Maguire doesn't seem to feel the need to develop in any depth. Not to mention his pathetic puns (Liir/leer, "which nation"/"witch nation", "leaf and limb, laugh and lamb, loaf and loam", the title of the book itself) and his unbelievable pretentiousness: someone should definitely tell him that writing "he riposted" instead of "he replied", "succor" instead of "help", "dale" instead of "valley", or "lave" instead of "wash", doesn't make you a great novelist.

As a side note, I know of people who read Wicked in Italian and loved it: best for them. I made it clear to the publisher that I'd rather stop working for them altogether than translate the dreaded third novel, or anything else by Maguire.

This second book takes us into the life of Liir, the boy who may or may not be the son of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. This tale takes a while to unfold with the reader thinking "When will Liir figure things out?" I'm glad the ending seemed to answer some questions, but there are more left unanswered.

I truly enjoyed the journeys of Liir, the boy that may or may not be the son of Elphaba. True, If you saw the musical, you might not be into this book -- this is because the musical is not too true to the original, Wicked. This journey twists and turns and goes deeper and darker into the mystery of the legacy of Elphabe Thropp. I honestly liked it better than the first (and those I've loaned Son of A Witch to agreed). The best part? He left room for a third in the series. I hope he writes it because I can't wait!

Well, after being quite bowled over by the imagination and artful insight that Gregory Maguire showed in 'Wicked' I was excited at the thought of a sequel: so much so that actively sought it out for some months.

What a disappointment!

In a world that no doubt has changed since the death of the main protagonist of the first novel, the character of Liir is simply not interesting enough to warrant the energies of reading the novel.

The insights, in flashback, into aspects of 'Wicked' along with what could have been a very touching finale (if one had not lost interest some 200 pages earlier) were the only redeeming features of one of the most difficult reads of recent times.

Don't bother.

The language, character development, and plot are as strong, if not stronger, than "Wicked." In a sense, it refreshes the eternal coming of age story by allowing characters to do and say things they normally couldn't in a conventional tale more bound by reality or convention. A thoroughly enjoyable summer read!

This started off with so much promise but fizzled in the end. The pace for the first 2/3s flowed well, defining the characters and tasks at hand. At a moment that changed the main character (Liir), the book also makes a drastic change from a crafted discription of the events of the life of the son of Elphaba to an all out sprint. I was left wondering what happened to the tale? Were the last 100 pages just thrown together so the book could have an ending? If it hadn't been for the beginning, I'd call this work garbage.

There was just too many questions hanging unanswered at the end.

The author spends too much time describing -in such ANNOYING detail- things that aren't important, but leaves all the important detail out. I don't even know what most of the characters look like because the descriptions were pretty much non-existent.

I skipped a lot being there were a CHAPTERS that would only talk about how the character felt. Very disappointed, and not so optomistic about book 3. Hopefully all the questions from this book will be answered then.

I found this to be a great book. Just as with Wicked the first 100 pages or so of the book is BORING. I'm not sure why both books have to be such nonsense for the beginning however once again read past these pages and it is a wonderful read, very entertaining. As far as the other reviewer that mentions being bombarded by the homosexual agenda in this book there is very little homosexuality in this book and it is almost at the end of the book. Please do not miss out on this book.

If you were a fan of the true intent of "Wicked" you will like this book. Reading the negative reviews I am only left to conclude that those who rated it so lowly didnt ever really read "Wicked" they must have just seen the play or did not pay atention while reading the first novel. This book is every bit as good as the first and if you actually read and "got" the first book, this one will be sure to please. So ignore the nay-sayers and give it a try if you are a true "Wicked" fan.

I really enjoyed Wicked, and when I saw that there was a sequel I got really excited. I didn't really know what kind of storyline could be created with Liir, so I was very curious to see where Maguire was going with this. I have never been so let down by a book in my entire life. The whole book seemed pointless to me because it didn't go anywhere, and everything Liir set out to do was never accomplished. The ending was also terrible. I don't even want to read the third book because this one was so bad. Do not buy this book! If you must read it get it from a library, don't waste your money.

Great continuing story from his book, Wicked. Maguire keeps you captivated from beginning to end. I hate writing book "reports", so, if you liked Wicked or any of his other books, this is a keeper too. But read Wicked first.

The book is wonderful, like all of Maguire's books, in my opinion. But if you listened to "Wicked" on CD, then you will be very disappointed by Maguire's performance of his sequel. Both novels are very dramatic, full of fantastic, extraordinary characters. And any rendition of them ought to be colorful and highly interpretive. Unlike "Wicked", Maguire's interpretation is bland and predictable, losing the emphasis on both the humor and the horror.

Buy the book instead.

This book is only second to its predecessor, Wicked: The Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of The West.

Both books weave an intricate and dark tale the likes of which I have never read before. Sad, tumultuous, romantic, wonderful...you'll never see Glinda the Good Witch the same way again! For those who grew up with the old movie, this is not the perky little tale of Dorothy and her friends finding they had what they needed all along, this story leaves you sympathizing with the "bad" guy (wicked witch) and loving her and her family very much. I read each book twice, and have now purchased every novel written by Gregory Maguire.

"Son of a Witch" the follow up to "wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" was another attempt by Maguire to plunge us into a fictional world where Animals have a voice and mysticism is the religion of choice. Although not as robust as "Wicked", this tomb certainly delivers on many levels. Although a little slow in the biginning, it picks up a little more than halfway through, when the title character Lur, finally takes his first flight on Elphaba's broom. I longed for more magic and for Lur to discover his inner witch. However, Maguire teases us and leads us down a path that reveals the true power which Lur himself doesnt realize he posseses. A great read..cant wait for another instalment!

THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU! Well, that is if you hold any sort of unexplainable loyalty to the author, to Oz, or to BOREDOM.

I saw this book on the top-seller's list at a local bookstore, so when I saw my library had the audiobook version read by the author, I instantly reserved it.

I am so grateful that I checked this Audiobook out from the library instead of buying it. I regret I didn't read the reviews on here before checking it out and wasting several hours of precious reading/listening time.

Other reviewers (such as "Bookish Girl") hit the nail on the head when they said The book "Son of a Witch" is "utterly boring, incredibly dull with no real action, nothing truly moving or exciting to grab hold of. The story just kind of was there." I went through more than half the book without caring about the main character, Liir and feeling half confused as to what the author's point was in several places as a lot of jabber seemed to be made simply in order to make the book longer.

I about choked on my lunch as I read another reviewer (gensparkie) who claims the audio book version makes all the difference because the author himself reads it to us. That's the same version I listened to!! It was HORRIBLE! I am an avid audiobook listener, and this book was still a struggle to listen to even when the author himself read it. He has a boring, uninteresting tone that almost put me to sleep as I listened to it in my car on a long drive. He is the second worst audiobook reader I've ever listened to (regardless of whether the book itself was good or not). I had to switch to the radio. I guess it doesn't help that I listened to this book right after listening to such a GREAT book as in The Bartimaeus Trilogy, which is an absolute master-piece in audio form! The reader of THAT series is truly a master, but Gregory Maguire reading his OWN book is boring, dull, monotone, and definitely lulling. Even the author reading his own book couldn't redeem it. He does not keep your attention with his voice, or his plot (if you can even call it a plot) and writing style. If you are looking for a book to entertain you, or keep your attention, this is not it. The only other reason I know of people reading books is for knowledge, and you won't find that here either...so I would suggest looking elsewhere.

If, as reviewers claim, the audio version is tons better than the book, then I can't imagine how DREADFULLY boring and uninteresting the print version really is.

Truth is, I really struggled to get through this book. I had to fight to continue listening to it in the hopes that it would get better soon. By the time I got to the halfway point, I just couldn't take it anymore. I have read hundreds and hundreds of books both in print and in audio. Some of them boring and some of them I even hate, but I have finished them all even when I disagreed with them, I hate to give up on books and stop. This is the first book I finally gave up on. I couldn't take it anymore and decided to check out the reviews on the store to see if the book does actually get any better. From everything I read by other readers, it doesn't get better. Some give it ok reviews because of some psychological loyalty to the author because of his other works, or prequels or because it's about "OZ". I am not loyal to author myself in any way, and I am sure this will be the last book of his that I ever read.

The book was getting NOWHERE. I am convinced, as other reviewers stated, that this book was written as a marketing ploy to capitalize on the popularity of books like "Wicked". Unless you have some unexplainable loyalty to "Oz" (which is hardly talked about anyway) then skip this book, or at least check it out from a library. I don't think it's good to support and reinforce popular authors for writing rushed, half-quality books. The author could've put more time into making this a quality read as he did with some of his other books. Using computer terminology, I can't help but think this book accidentally got printed while in a "BETA testing" stage.

I have nothing against the author himself. But reading another of his books would be similar to having a Satelite reciever that almost always says "Searching for Satelite Signal" all the time

consistently and continuing to stare at the TV hoping that maybe sometime it will turn on. Who knows, it could happen. Personally, I will WAIT until the author's next popular book with extraordinarily GOOD reviews before I do something as crazy as touching the stove a second time after it burned me the first time around. I'll wait till someone convinces me it's turned off and cool...or in the author's case...waiting until someone convinces me his writing genius finally turns back on. I don't hate the author himself, so if that happens, I will read from him again.

Don't take my word for it (some people think you have to taste dog crap for yourself to know it tastes bad after all)...read the other reviews (Even the people who actually claim to have LIKED the book nearly unanimously agree this book is boring for the first entire half, and even those who liked the audio version admit the author's voice is unusual, and lulling). Check this book out from the library to find out for yourself if you must (this is assuming you won't find anyone to admit they actually got suckered into buying the book, who you can borrow it from...it was on the best sellers list at my bookstore afterall...).

ps I give it two stars instead of one out of sheer sympathy to the author for my review...afterall, this book is evidence of apparent financial desperation...

Either you will love it or hate it. This book is very weird at times but I found it intriging how the auther took everything we know and love about OZ and twisted it. My only complaint is that there are alot of references to sex that are just plain strange. IF you liked the the first book, you should read this.

I read the reviews on this one before purchasing. I don't agree with most people that Liir is not an amusing character. I think he is a very conflicted character, which makes him very interesting. It just takes him so long to do anything of interest in the book that I found my mind wandering. There is a point when the book picks up, but it's over half way through. However, I am glad I read the book because I did enjoy it. I just wish that the first half was more exciting.

then reading this book and reading the rest of the books in the series will not quench that thirst. If you like laborious melancholy tripe, then this is your book. Personally, the author didn't make me care whether or not Liir was Elphaba's son, which is the main question in the book. There is not anything compelling here, don't waste your time.

I listen to a LOT of Audio Books. Probably around 40-50 a year. It is a very rare occurrence when I find myself forced to abandon a book after only getting through a few CD's because the narrator is so utterly abysmal, that continuing with the book is tantamount to listening to Vogon poetry.

This was one of those times.

Mr. Maguire. I am very glad that Wicked has been so successful for you. You've sold a lot of books, had a fantastic Broadway musical produced and banked a lot of coin as a result. You are a good writer. You CANNOT, however, act your way out of a wet paper bag. Listening to you was SO painful, I had visions of dumping water on you so I could watch you melt. Your voices all sound exactly the same, I could not tell when a scene changed and some of your interpretations were actually painful to hear.

Do the world a favor. Stick to writing, which you are really good at, and leave the narration of your books to professionals. Unless it was your intention to record something useful in extracting information from imprisoned terrorists. If that was indeed the case, you did a fine job. I'll talk. I'll TALK! Just turn it off, please!

A fairly worthy sequel to "Wicked" however a big problem with the author reading the text in the CD version. Just like "Wicked" , a well thought out book although a little intellectual for some, it unfortunately mirrors what is going on in our society today with a very perceptive plot. The book and plot are very good and well thought out but unfortunately, allowing the author to read is a big mistake. Gregory Mcguire may be able to craft a well written book, but he certainly is a very poor choice to perform the reading. Mcguire is very stilted and stiff in his delivery and, although he tries very hard, a very unconvincing and poor oral story teller. It would have been much better to have a professional reader do the job.

Maguire is far from a good writer and after reading Wicked, which was better than this, you only need read the first page to have an idea of what to exspect.

A few short decades ago the character of Billy Bigalow from the musical CAROUSEL committed suicide in the stage version. It was so objectionable that in the movie his death was changed to an accident and the spouse abuse, although minimal and explained, generated a new ending where Billy, comes down from heaven to whispers words of hope to his daughter and speaks of his love for his wife in both the stage version and the movie. I had no problem with the changes to the end. After all the play LILIOM, which was the basis of the musical was very morose, but the compromise on the suicide seemed needless even for Hollywood as it was allowed in the stage version. You may wonder where I am going with this. Considering SON OF A WITCH as a possible musical, which is being considered, is more than I care to contemplate. This strange, tedious and and extremely gruesome tale is not something I ever want to hear lyrics and music put to, and if WICKED was recommended for 8 years up (still too young in my opinion) a musical version of this would have to be 18 and older.

I was so enchanted with Maguire's Wicked, how could I not snatch up Son of a Witch? Son of a Witch was enjoyable but never really grabbed me. I can't even remember how it ended. Did Liir ever find his half-sister? It touches on issues of destiny/dharma. If you liked Wicked, go ahead and read Son of a Witch. I won't discourage anyone.

If you weren't happy with the spin Wicked cast on Oz, the sequel is no more likely to please. Although Oz, of course, continues to be the backdrop and we even have some longer moments with Dorothy and her companions, Son of a Witch primarily develops Maguire's own threads from Wicked. Like Wicked, he picks and chooses elements from both the book and movie so neither can be seen as the exclusive source he's elaborating on (unlike the musical, which fits mostly with the movie). Some parts of the book seem vaguely related to the musical, though they may simply be the natural progression of ideas from the original. Of particular note, though, is some thematic similarity to the "Defying Gravity" idea.

This book also improves on some of the complaints raised with Wicked. Sex has been toned down, although those who felt it was "pornographic" may still be offended by it. More importantly, Son of the Witch is not packed with Maguire's own interpretation of evil and other themes. At times I felt like he didn't think the reader could figure out what he was trying to say without explaining it. The sequel is not so bogged down. Perhaps he has decided that interpretation is best left to the reader.

If you liked Wicked for it's postmodern glimpse at a nostalgic fairy tale and are intrigued by the questions left unanswered, I'd recommend this. If your problems with Wicked were Maguire's preachiness or descriptive sex scenes, you may find Son of a Witch more to your liking. However, Baum fans just looking for another magical journey in the land of Oz won't find it here.

as in "Wicked", is an understanding of what makes Oz tick. Since all the high-profile actors (Glenda, the military commander, Shell, and so on) are just puppets being manipulated by the real controllers, who are the real controllers? They never show up, or show their hand.

Despite my lack of admiration for Liir, who is rather untalented and amoral compared with Elphaba, I'm still interested in the next installment.

I loved Wicked so much, and as others have stated Son of a Witch was such a huge disappointment. I was two hundred pages into the book wondering when the action was going to take place. This sequel does not add a thing to the original story, and I feel like readers are better off wondering what happened to the characters of the original rather than reading Son of Witch.

Do you really want to read a book that is better than Wicked? If anybody expects any of the next wicked years to be better than the first they are in for a let down. Son of a Witch is an awesome book but it is a sequel to an amazing book. I think Maguire did the best he could without topping Wicked. Why try to top Wicked when everyone loves it so much? Son of a Witch is a great book with an ending that makes you love Elphaba and her story even more.

I loved Wicked the book. I loved Wicked the Musical. I love Gregory Maguire. But this book was truely a disaster.

The character of Liir is shallow and underdevloped. The entire second chapter is nearly completely useless. The major antagonist was underdeloped and not nearly as forboding as he should have been. I had to force myself through this book. Just so that I wouldnt feel bad about spending the money on it.

Maguire's first two books were AMAZING (Wicked and Confessions). But everything since then (Lost, Mirror Mirror, and Son of a Witch) have just been disasterous. Im starting to think that the author of my two favorite books might be past his prime. Im sorry Mr. Maguire. But you have lost a reader.

I think this follow up to wicked supercedes wicked itself. I found this book delightful and am sure will eventually reread it. It's not as lacily written as wicked which while that makes some beautiful writing some of the plot was lost underneath all the delicate and lacy words while Son of a Witch maintains the essence of the story line and while still political is a joy to read.

Expecting the story to be a continuation of "wicked" and why would i think differently when the author promoted that way...really this story is all over the place, like the author is purposely trying to "unwicked" this book. only should read if your really, really a fan of this author. an example of all over the place...the character trism who comes between liir and candle...huh?.
otherwise...go back to oz.

WICKED was simply a wonderful book. Thought provoking and entertaining are two words which come immediately to mind. SO what happened in the follow up? The books drags on with Liir the wimp for the first three quarters and then suddenly he's Superman? Oh, and let's throw in a little confused sexuality. Was that really necessary. What I think we have is a poor attempt at providing the middle leg in the Witch (no, not Which) Trilogy. I don't want to give it away but the entire plot leaves more questions than it answers. I have to say that if you read the last sentence first you will get "it" and you can then be thankful for not having wasted six hours of your life.

Perhaps I didn't care for this sequel because of the narrator: Maguire himself! I could hardly distinguish characters because Maguire barely mastered one voice, let alone several. Talk about monotonal. I hope next time he gets a real actor to actually engage the listener.

Like others, I also enjoyed Wicked and have read it numerous times, but I've been disappointed by all of Maguire's other forays into this genre. This book, however, was by far the most disappointing. There should be a warning label on the cover that says, 'Warning! This sequel is nothing more than a setup for yet ANOTHER sequel.' Virtually nothing actually happens in this novel; it only opens up questions for the writer to try and suck you into a series. There's nothing wrong with series, however the writer should try and make each book stand on its own. This book does not do that. There is absolutely no closure and I actually found myself angry once I had finished it. If only Maguire could give me back the portion of my life that I wasted on this novel.

"Son of a Witch" is another great read by G. Maguire. If you read "Wicked" and enjoyed it, you are sure to to enjoy this one as well. It is also set in Maguire's fantastic version of Oz with its full host of entertaining, mythological characters. It is effective in showing a boy's coming of age and discovering his own identity within the politics of Oz. Despite himself, he becomes wrapped up in this world of which he has little comprehesion.

I thought this book was so mysterious. It got confusing at times because it kept switching parts of the story and sometimes i forgot where i was in the book. but other than that it was so good. i was really suprised at how liir grew throughout the book. and some of the things he did. and dorthy what a two faced person after reading this and Wicked i can't watch the wizard of oz withought feeling bad and yelling at dorthy. it was very well done detail wise. i felt i could really connect with the plot and what was going on. i hope a seqal comes out for this one if not i'll be dissapointed.

I remember watching "Wicked" the musical and loving its wit and its cleverness. The sequel to "Wicked" the novel, "Son of a Witch" is a huge disappointment. There's very little plot, and it just meanders on pointlessly.

Most people in reviews only criticize the writing in the book, but we all know that Maguire isn't a very good writer. The main problem with this book was the same as the first, only to a much greater degree. Maguire throws the history of Oz out the window and spits in the face of L. Frank Baum's creation. He changes characters and events and completely disregards them, rather than taking the intelligent option and merely writing his story around the original events. This book serves to frustrate the reader, no matter how many original Oz books they have read, but for someone who loves Oz, it is a complete insult.

I absolutely loved the first book - and loved this one just as much. These books have also inspired me to read all the Original "Oz" books - And see how the stories match the world that Baum created... So far so good! I could see a third book coming -- and hope it does.

I am gaga for this book and have not even finished it yet...don't want it to end. Liir's life is so enchanting and poignant. My heart goes out to him. His adventures are exciting, shocking and so moving. You want to cheer the poor thing on the whole way. Go Broom!!!

(always keep the dictionary nearby; but really need it for G.Maguire's books) Reading Wicked first is a must, before Son O.W.

I love The Wizard of Oz. It was one of the first books my mom ever read to me and I was Dorothy for years for Halloween. I loved Wicked, its twist on the story only increased my love of OZ. But alas Son of a Witch was boring. While Maguire paints a beautiful landscape with his words, the only good thing I can say about the book is that it set up for an interesting third installment. Only read if he decided to write the third book.

Having read Wicked, I was really looking forward to reading Son of a Witch. It was quite enjoyable, but there were some parts that I found would leave the reader confused as they trailed off without adequate explanation. A good beginning and enough of a plot to make me want to keep reading, however I found the end disappointing.

This book totally sucked. Just wanted to make that clear from the beginning. I loved the Broadway show Wicked, and I read the book Wicked, which was "ok" at best, so I thought I'd read the sequel, Son of a Witch. It was boring, hard to follow, and NOTHING HAPPENED. If I had to summarize this book for someone, I don't know if I could. SINCE NOTHING HAPPENED. I am 36 years old and have a master's degree, so I'm not some kind of intellectual slouch. But this book made no sense to me.

I've read some reviews that called the characters "eccentric" and "whimsical". No. The characters are just plain weird.

The plot, and I use that term lightly, is more of an afterthought in this book. It's like the author is merrily writing and then he thinks, oh yeah, better throw some plot in here. Nothing happens, and if something seems like it is going to happen, then one of the characters will balk and argue, or not agree, or something. And then nothing will happen. It is so frustrating to read this book. Nothing happens, and then nothing continues to happen. Are you getting the picture?

The language in this book is also very frustrating. For the most part it is written in a sophisticated style, only to screech to a halt with sophomoric words like "fart" or other junior high school descriptions. And the words the author just makes up are stupid. I don't mind made up words, just use them MORE THAN ONCE in the entire book. If the concept or the thing is so important that you have to name it a completely made up new word, then at least use that word again somewhere in the narrative or the story. Oh wait, there WAS no story, so I guess you just throw in a new word here and there and it will seem like a story. I just found it so confusing and frustrating. Can you tell?

The main character Liir: BORING. He's the title character, and my gosh, what a lifeless, cheerless, ambiguous characer. The Maunts at the Mauntery: WEIRD. Candle: WEIRD. I just did not get her. Princess Nastoya: Just plain WEIRD, I also did not understand or get her at all. The Scrow, the Yunamata: WEIRD. Shell: WEIRD. Even Glinda was just plain boring.

Did the people who gave this book a good review read the same book I did. Seriously, what am I missing.

Also confusing to me was the sexuality issues of Liir, and this conflict comes at the end of the book. There was seemingly no justification to this at all, no build up, no hints, no clues, nothing. I mean come on. Is this what passes for writing?

I got through the book because I bought it, but I didn't enjoy reading it at all. It was extremely disappointing, and the revelation at the end was just plain stupid. By the time I got to the end, I was like, who cares, I'm not reading anything by this author again.

Seriously, do not buy this book. It totally and completely sucked, consistently and thoroughly. Gregory Maguire is known for his unclear writing style, but I will be crystal clear: STOP NOW. PUT DOWN THE CREDIT CARD. Do not purchase this book. I wish the author could give me a refund for this horrible horrible book. Truly I say unto you, this book was terrible. I need a thesaurus to come up with a word to say just how much I hated this book. I guess I will make a word up, just like the auther did, and use this new word only once. So here goes. This book was utterly hidluquashocious.

I typically love Gregory MacGuire's books, however this book was a huge disappointment.
This book was very slow moving..very little action. I never came to like and or care about Liir, sadly I was happy to see the book end.

While Wicked captivated me and made me want to keep reading, Son of a Witch made me want to stop. But I held out and finished the book so that I could move on. The story seemed to have no focal point and seemed to go no where very slowly. Even the ending which I seriously looked forward to, wasn't what I had hoped it would be.

I loved Wicked so much. I actually like it better than the actual story of Oz. I love how Gregory Maguire makes us see a different side of who we have always been made to believe are villains. I was so excited when I heard about Son of a Witch. And I was not disappointed. I highly recommend this book!

While this book may not be as good as the first I think it is a great read all the same. It answered a few questions that were left in the first book and brought up new ones. I would love to see a third book in time. No doubt he is a great author but I would not let children read it.

Maguire is a fine writer but is way out of his league narrating. His voice and inflection are downright disturbing. At times his reading takes on a monotonic, robotic tone that sounds like Robby the Robot! I hope there is another edition ot there because I don't think I can make it through listening to him. And I do listen to audio books all the time!

bob

This book is one of the best that I have ever read. It really captures the reader and pulls them in. The first installment, Wicked, was great!! The fact that the sequel is just as good, if not better, comes as no surprise to me!! I love to read and this really entertained me.

I thought it was a fantastic sequel to Wicked, although the ending was a bit anti-climatic. The characters are still as interesting as before, and develop through the course of the story in a very moving way. I cannot wait to read Mr. Maguire's other works.

I read and loved Wicked, so had to read this one. But, it is adolescent and inconsistent in tone compared to Wicked. It has characters that make cheap sarcastic comments that are completely out of character, but instead seem to reflect whatever the author's mood was the day he wrote it. The most annoying thing is an unexpected and disturbing, homosexual relationship that left me feeling dirty and sick.

I really liked Wicked, but this sequel was awful. it felt like maguire rushed to write it to appease the publishers...or he was just trying to get it done and out of they way. either way, it was a terrible follow up to Wicked.

interesting story. some parts seem unnecessary and too drawn out. skimmed through some of the middle, but didn't seem like i missed much. a good read and sequel if you're just reading for the fun of it.

what please was the point to this book?

Fine, I get that this kid was trying to find himself, but why was the author looking for his storyline as well? He tied up to plotlines except the elephant queen, & frankly I could care less about any of his characters. It was a wasted read. (I had not read wicked BTW, so I am not comparing here)

This sequel to Wicked was terribly disappointing. It lacks a real plot and could not hold a candle to "Wicked." I was only able to read half of the novel before I gave up - and I really tried. I rarely ever stop reading a book, so it has to be pretty dull for me to stop.

Go ahead and read Wicked, it's great - but pass on this one.

Maguire's writing style makes all 3 of the books in the Wicked Years impossible to put down - makes me thirst for a fourth novel to the series (more questions to be answered)! The intriguing complexity of thefantasy story continues in Son of a Witch and Lion Among Men, I highly recommend them if you enjoyed Wicked.

I just finished this book. It was nothing more than an act of desperation and need for funds. I was caught in the story line of Wicked and felt for the characters as the story played out. I had no connection to Liir. he could have been killed off and I am not sure it would have made a difference.

The whole love plot of this book seemed like a cry for attention. It had no flow or rhythm with this book at all. The fact he left this open for yet another book, frankly scares me.

It was a waste of money and I am really disappointed.

I read and loved Wicked, so had to read this one. But, it is adolescent and inconsistent in tone compared to Wicked. It has characters that make cheap sarcastic comments that are completely out of character, but instead seem to reflect whatever the author's mood was the day he wrote it. The most annoying thing is an unexpected and disturbing, homosexual relationship that left me feeling dirty and sick.

I really liked Wicked, but this sequel was awful. it felt like maguire rushed to write it to appease the publishers...or he was just trying to get it done and out of they way. either way, it was a terrible follow up to Wicked.

interesting story. some parts seem unnecessary and too drawn out. skimmed through some of the middle, but didn't seem like i missed much. a good read and sequel if you're just reading for the fun of it.

what please was the point to this book?

Fine, I get that this kid was trying to find himself, but why was the author looking for his storyline as well? He tied up to plotlines except the elephant queen, & frankly I could care less about any of his characters. It was a wasted read. (I had not read wicked BTW, so I am not comparing here)

This sequel to Wicked was terribly disappointing. It lacks a real plot and could not hold a candle to "Wicked." I was only able to read half of the novel before I gave up - and I really tried. I rarely ever stop reading a book, so it has to be pretty dull for me to stop.

Go ahead and read Wicked, it's great - but pass on this one.

Maguire's writing style makes all 3 of the books in the Wicked Years impossible to put down - makes me thirst for a fourth novel to the series (more questions to be answered)! The intriguing complexity of thefantasy story continues in Son of a Witch and Lion Among Men, I highly recommend them if you enjoyed Wicked.

I just finished this book. It was nothing more than an act of desperation and need for funds. I was caught in the story line of Wicked and felt for the characters as the story played out. I had no connection to Liir. he could have been killed off and I am not sure it would have made a difference.

The whole love plot of this book seemed like a cry for attention. It had no flow or rhythm with this book at all. The fact he left this open for yet another book, frankly scares me.

It was a waste of money and I am really disappointed.

Liir, the son of Elphaba Thropp, struggles with her demise and finding his place in the world in Gregory Maguire's "Son of a Witch." Confused about his parentage and seeking his niche, Liir strikes out on a series of adventures that bring him closer to finding his own path.

I have to say that I am pretty disappointed with this novel. I am a huge fan of Gregory Maguire's and I expected much more from him. My main issues with this novel were 1.) how incredibly dull it was. There was no real action, nothing truly moving or exciting to grab hold of. The story just kind of was there.

And 2.) why should I care about Liir? I kept asking myself that question throughout the entire book. Why do I care? He wasn't much of a character in "Wicked" but I was OK with that. I figured that he would attempt to prove his own worth, follow in Elphaba's steps, something that would make me care, one way or another, about Liir. Sadly, I never did.

Unfortunately, this book smacked of a giant marketing ploy. "Wicked" is wildly popular, why not capitalize on that popularity?

Get this book from the library if you must read it. Don't waste your dollars.

i think everyone else is wrong about son of a witch saying that its booring and such. i love this book and it's a great sequel to Wicked!! everything is so descriptive and the plot was incredible. this book was overall, very good and i would recommend it to any wicked fan!! thanks gregory maguire for another Wicked musical follow up!

Got this for my daughters, 13 and 23. They both found it boring basically due to the reader's voice and style. It was so unstimulating that they couldn't tell me if the story was interesting or not.

I was quite disappointed with the sequel to "Wicked." At least until the last line of the book. That was the best part, but it didn't make up for the rest of the book, which I found disconnected and rambling. It seems as though Maguire simply put the book together to have a sequel rather than a good novel.

Liir is a wimp who merely rambles through life without strong convictions. Nothing dramatic happens, although I wouldn't mind if Liir had spent more time exploring Southstairs. It was a great setting for some interesting characters.