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asourceoffiction's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've loved this series ever since I picked up Wicked in 2007 and discovered an Oz filled with all the magic and wonder of the film, but much darker and grittier; an Oz for grown ups. This final installment is a fantastic conclusion to a brilliantly unique series.
I love the struggle for power throughout these books, particularly the question of who (if anyone) has the right to rule Oz. The war between loyal Oz and Munchkinland takes centre stage here, and my loyalty as a reader seemed to lie wherever the story had taken me at the time. Dorothy's return among the chaos is masterful, and I love the way her character in these books is given so much more complexity (although her propensity to burst into song has survived unscathed).
And as dark as the books can get, they're also funny; this world is never afraid to mock itself with references to the film, the original L. Frank Baum stories or the Wicked musical (definitely got Defying Gravity stuck in my head at one point). Characters are filled with whimsy and eminently likeable as a result. The writing is brilliant in that regard; the humour doesn't take anything from the darkness in the story.
There was a great twist at the end, which I feel like I should have guessed, but I carried on in blissful ignorance and probably enjoyed it more because of that. I did get slight Lord of the Rings vibes from the ending though; there were several separate concluding chapters that felt like an ending, only to be followed by another chapter. But I love the ambiguity with which the story was left. The books may be finished but Oz itself will endure, with or without another story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Confinement