Son of a Witch

Starred review from July 18, 2005
The death of Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West, brings about spectacular changes in this masterfully imaginative sequel to Maguire's 1995 blockbuster Wicked
—most notably, the startling possibility that Elphaba had a son. Scattered among the ruins of great portions of Emerald City, many residents have been skinned and bloodied, supposedly by the barbaric Yunamatas. Travel caravan leader Oatsie Manglehand stumbles upon the body of an unknown young man, badly beaten but still alive. She presents him to the wise Superior Maunt, who recognizes the hurt boy as Liir, rumored to be the dead Witch's secreted son. A mute waif named Candle revives him with her haunting, ethereal music and hidden affections. Meanwhile, Maguire supplies alternating chapters of extensive, mesmerizing backstory of Liir's boyhood, from the witch's watery demise, to the trek to the Wizard's Castle with Dorothy and company, his search for the imprisoned princess Nor, and a long stint in the Munchkinland Army, all while donning his mother's black cape and clutching her magic broom handle. Along the way, a headspinning cast of vividly described, eccentric characters emerges, but nothing prepares Liir for Candle's shocking surprise announcement. Tucked into Maguire's enchanting fable are carefully calibrated object lessons in forgiveness, retribution, love, loss and the art of moving on despite tragic circumstances. Ten years after Wicked
(which is still on Broadway), fans will once again be clicking their heels with wonderment. Agent, William Reiss at John Hawkins & Associates.
13-city author tour.

March 1, 2006
Adult/High School -"Son" picks up where Maguire -s highly successful "Wicked" (HarperCollins, 1995) left off, with the death of Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West. She left behind a daughter, Nor, and Liir, who may or may not be her son. After her death, he enters into a decade of listless soul searching. He travels for a time and then joins the military, enjoying the structure it provides his life. But eventually his rearing by the Witch as well as his possible heritage catch up to him and he finds himself in demand to start a new revolution against the tyranny of Emerald City. An odd series of disfiguring murders starts occurring all across Oz. Liir discovers that the new Emperor sits behind the machinations and uses the strange killings to spread distrust among the various races of the land. Wielding Elphaba -s flying broom and donning her magical cape, Liir makes some small but bold gestures that help the populace of Oz and replants the seeds of hope that Elphaba spread a generation before. "Son" is a tighter work than "Wicked", making deft use of flashbacks and varying viewpoints to create a quicker pace. And Liir -s quest -both to find himself and to save the people of Oz -is easier to believe than the motivations that drove the bitter yet heroic Elphaba. A well-written, well-crafted fantasy that can stand on its own." -Matthew L. Moffett, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2005
This sequel to the adult fairy tale "Wicked" (1995) -later adapted as the hit musical of the same name -begins ten years after the destruction of Elphaba, a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West. In Maguire's dark version of the Land of Oz, there's not much to ring the bells for in the Emerald City, despite the tyrannical Wizard's departure. Corruption is rife, political factions compete for power, and radicals proclaim "Elphaba lives!" Elsewhere, a horribly injured young man called Liir wakes in the religious House of Saint Glinda to many puzzles. Who tried to kill Liir? How did an enigmatic Quadling girl revive him? Why is he expected to take up a quest on behalf of sentient Animals? Above all, was Elphaba his mother? These and other questions drive a tale that adroitly mixes drama, humor, and political satire into a well-knit examination of good and evil -and leaves several doors open for future journeys over the rainbow into this cleverly constructed dystopia. Recommended for most fantasy collections. -Starr E. Smith, Fairfax Cty. P.L., VA

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2005
Liir has a lot of questions. He has always been with the witch Elphaba, but he doesn't know whether she is his mother. She always evades the issue. When she is unceremoniously dispatched by that girl from Kansas, Liir at 14 has nowhere to go and nothing meaningful to do. He has Elphaba's cape and broom but no magical abilities, and the question of his parentage is now more than bothersome. He leaves the castle and Elphaba's long shadow, and sets out into the wide world for some answers. But the questions get bigger and more complicated. For soon he wakes in the Cloister of St. Glinda, amnesiac and healing from broken bones, sprains, and internal injuries. How did he get in such a state? Another mystery: Candle, the mute young novice who pulled him from the edge of death with her extraordinary musical gift and has cared for him so intently, has unintentionally bound herself to him in ways that could change them into something bigger than they can imagine. The biggest question is, why has Liir's life been spared? Maguire fills out the sequel to " Wicked" (1995)--source of the hit musical--with astute, frequently comical observations on present-day politics, social injustice, religion, and the human condition. At the same time, in his hero's story, he acknowledges the human capacities for love, compassion, and courage. This is no lightweight fairytale--entertaining, to be sure, but also complex and multilayered in plot and meaning, thought-provoking, and unforgettable.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)

January 2, 2006
With a voice that sounds a bit like Richard Dreyfuss on helium, Maguire does a solid if somewhat unconventional job of narrating his own novel. His pace, like his prose, is deliberate and thoughtful. His creativity and imagination shine in his ability to provide his strange characters (not a human among them) with equally unusual voices. It is not the tonal range that makes his delivery interesting, though; it's the cadence and timbre of the voices that win the listener over. Liir, who may or may not be the son of the Wicked Witch of the West, is read with a detached, depressed air, an adolescent with ennui looking for his lost half-sister, Nor. Candle, the Munchkin girl who becomes his sweetheart, has a voice that sounds almost like backwards masking. A short interview with Maguire is an added value on the final disc; he says he enjoys the recording process and that the inspiration for the book was twofold: the many letters from young fans asking what happened to Nor, last seen as a chained political prisoner, and seeing the Abu Ghraib torture photographs. This one-two punch left an itch that could only be scratched by writing Son of a Witch
. Simultaneous release with the Regan Books hardcover (Reviews, July 18).