Mad Treasure Hunt”, I’ll find something to add to my own collection. Fantastic stuff in this post and really liked your take on L. Frank Baum’s works! I always love seeing new perspectives on Oz. “No one ever said I was nice!” (to Ozma) And you even managed to put a smile on the face of Glinda, who always comes across as stiff and not too friendly to any new arrival. Nice touch. Bee, that is one of my favorite things in this whole series, and this one has it too! I can so easily visualize him like that, with his chin resting on his hands, his ears perked up, enjoying the stories people tell about him. And a good reminder that everyone has a backstory too. Not just the villain. The Wizard is my favorite character, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised 🙂 I love that, thank you! I’m very glad you liked this one. You get a gold star! You remembered her hair. 🙂 She did seem to get into her role much more in this one. I’m so glad to hear that the Wizard was your favorite character, but I’m sorry you’re not enjoying The Royal Historian! It’s one of my favorites too, and it’s a pretty major shift in focus for the series, so I really hope you do decide to give it another try. So true about the backstory. When you stop and look at a person you realize they have a story they’d be willing to share if you took the time. 🙂 I’m glad you liked that. But maybe now he would be more willing to talk. Yes, the one I loved in Wizard was even better than her story in The Royal Historian! 🙂 I would recommend you read all the way through that one, and maybe get the audiobook for that one as well. The narrator for it is amazing. She is absolutely the most intriguing character in this story. But it’s sad that The Wizard wouldn’t have anything to do with her. He seemed much more accepting in her first adventure! Oooh, I have to look for it! I’ve been meaning to reread The Royal Historian again, and I can’t wait to hear the whole thing! Wicked is one of my favorite novels ever. And I was curious to see a reaction to it from someone who really hated the first one, so thank you for that. It’s very interesting to see a different perspective. The Wizard didn’t seem all that interesting to me. The story about the woman just didn’t quite work for me. I agree with others that the book would have been better if she were a human being instead of a dolphin. And her character was very passive. I loved these characters even before the movie versions were made. I think it was because when I was growing up, the movies and the book were pretty much the only stories I had to tell. I read the books over and over again. Of course, I never had anyone to talk with about it. It must have been very lonely. He’s not really a villain so much as a tragic hero, really, and for me that’s much more interesting than his portrayal in the movies. I thought he was brave. 🙂 And I totally understand what you mean about having to resort to stories you loved to share. I’ve been trying to read my grandkids books more often, and I always pick up something I have liked, hoping they’ll like it. And they really do love it! Even my younger one who has no interest in reading loves to listen to the stories! This book is more focused on the man, with an emphasis on the past. The story was an interesting one, however, and I would probably recommend it to others. But as always, it’s not for the faint of heart. So true. I always felt very alone with books! As far as “evil”, if you’re a villain you should at least be interesting and not a cliché. Oh yes, I love the first one so much, but it’s so hard to compare them. Your story really reminded me of another one I read as a kid, “The Silver Crown” by Roger Duvoisin. I loved that one too. This is kind of ironic, because I have never really liked Oz books until you pointed out that Dorothy, as a kid, is so much like Ann Marie. So I’m sure you won’t like this one. 🙂 You were a little harsh on the books, because many of them are actually quite good! 🙂 The story is interesting enough, but I think what it did to Dorothy is a bit much. It gave her character a bit of an excuse to develop a chip on her shoulder, which I really didn’t care for in the book. It was hard for me to relate to her at all in the beginning, which I think was the point, but it didn’t last long enough. And no, I wouldn’t recommend that book. But I’m sure you would if you liked this book. 🙂 And I appreciate your feedback, as always. It’s very much appreciated. ❤ Fantastic review. Your comment about Dorothy getting a bit of a chip on her shoulder has hit on one of my biggest peeves about the Oz books. In order to bring the characters to life they had to be less than perfect. No one was perfect, whether they were mortal or of the living dead. That is simply not the way life works. And in this time period, that chip on Dorothy’s shoulder, and Dorothy herself, makes perfect sense. And yes, I would have enjoyed this story more if Ann Marie had been a human character. I think Ann Marie was an interesting person, in her own way. But she was just too perfect for me. This is still, to my mind, one of the best stories of Oz that was ever written. And I would love to know why you gave it three stars. Thank you for this review. I hope you continue to give others the chance to enjoy this story as you have mine. For the first time in a very long time I am eager to return to the world of Oz and the life of Dorothy. Now if we can just convince the real Dorothy to hop on over from her retirement in Hawaii. I’m glad you’re going back. 🙂 The Royal Historian is one of my favorite books, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on that one too! Oh yes, those movies and books are way too perfect. I loved that Ann Marie was a character in this, and I think the story of the Ozma of Oz had something to do with it. Not perfect, but not a villain. I wanted Ann Marie to be a better human being, even though her story is one that many in real life are not lucky enough to escape. Ah yes, the Royal Historian. A childhood favourite of mine, from when I was in my teens! 🙂 Dorothy’s story was not as well thought out in my opinion. Perhaps it was just because I had seen that other ‘perfect’ book so recently, or perhaps it is just a case of my dislike for cliches. That being said, I have no problem with Ann Marie! 🙂 I’m glad you could see the positives in this book despite your dislike for the protagonist, for whom you gave three stars. I have heard some people complain that she was boring, but that is really the point. She was a victim of her own circumstances. And, as you say, her character does not come across as perfect. And yes, I think you really got the point of this story, so you were just being critical of the writing style. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t warm up to her as much. 🙂 I’m still trying to wrap my head around how someone would have written this story. The only reason I felt very critical of Ann Marie was because she never got angry. She was very patient and even-tempered. But I guess that makes it all the more impressive when she finally does decide to act. I loved the ending! And I agree with you that this was probably more like real life than most other Oz stories, in that Dorothy probably would have changed her mind if she had been given more time. I liked it a lot. I was really tired of the whole Oz mythology by the time I read it, and had some doubts about the series. But your description made me want to go back and re-read it, because it had all the right elements of a classic story. 🙂 And yes, I think it’s very accurate to real life that the story changed in Ann Marie’s mind. It did. I was reading it last night and it is just so interesting! The more I learn about her, the more I’m trying to figure out where her story could have been better. It probably could have been better if she was a human character. I love Oz but Dorothy was probably a bit much. I think I read an article that talks about her story and it sounded like it might have been better if she was a human being. Not to mention the other characters, they were all so incredibly boring. If you think about it, Ann Marie could not have been real. Otherwise the Wizard wouldn’t be able to be blamed for it all.