I've read reviews that suggest that Glinda of Oz is the darkest, possibly because Baum knew he was dying at that point. (4.5, but for Oz's sake I'll err up instead of down.) It's good for any age if you want to escape from the headlines, death and taxes. If you know Baum, you know it's going to turn out happily, but how will it happen? I have loved this story for over 60 years. The characters are a little darker, the plot a bit more derived from the world of his time (WWI cast some influence on it no doubt).

The stately Glinda plays a starring role. Invisible walls, mist maidens, purple-spider loving, contrary Yookoohoos with red hair, poison, a kid named Ervic, gold, silver, and bronze fish, and a sinkable island all play parts in this fast-moving story which is, in my opinion, second only to 'Ozma of Oz' in the Baum series. When they disappear, they are followed by the whole tribe of our beloved Oz characters. After all, Ozma can't have wars going on in the peaceful land of Oz. Glinda, Ozma and Dorothy learn of it and decide to sort things out.

The Flatheads and Skeezers both suffer under the rule of tyrants who have usurped power. Two of Oz's multitudinous ethnic groups are having it out in the northern reaches of the Gillikin country. Sorceress Settles Strife, Serendipitously Saves Skeezers I just need to find a cyclone that's headed my way or some silver slippers. Slightly annoying, but a minor grumble really.Īs I say, I've enjoyed revisiting this childhood favourite but, after twenty one books (f0urteen 'core' Oz books and seven that are tangentially related to Oz but take place elsewhere), I'm ready to move onto something very different now. My main complaint about this one is that what can and can't be accomplished by means of magic is pretty arbitrary basically, if it suits the plot, magic can do it, if doesn't suit the plot, there's suddenly a random reason why magic can't do it. It's fair to say it does not go well at first and our two protagonists ending up needing to be rescued by their Emerald City friends. This book features two of the minor nations within the Land of Oz going to war against each other and Ozma and Dorothy's attempt to bring peace to these countries. I have to say that I've enjoyed revisiting Oz for the first time since my very distant childhood and this book was a nice one to end on, featuring as it does the vast majority of the characters from the other books in the series, albeit somewhat briefly in some cases. Well, that's me done with the Oz series (I'm not really interested in reading the more recent books by authors other than Baum).

Glinda of oz gutenberg