A Dark Descent

February 1, 2018

Gr 4-6-This second book in the "Ages of Oz" series continues the epic tale of a teenage Glinda Gavaria and her companions as they fight against the tyranny of the Wicked in the magical land of Oz. After defeating Aphidina-the Wicked Witch of the South-in the first book, Glinda and her friends Locasta, Ben, and Shade join with other forces of Good to challenge the rule of the remaining witches; find and enlist the help of the Elemental Fairies; seek the wisdom of the sorceress Mythra; and reunite with Glinda's mother, Tilda. Intended as a prequel, the story is faithful to the fantasy world created by Baum in structure and style. While the descriptions of the magical realms and the people that inhabit them are vivid, the necessary, copious text tends to slow the pace of the story's action. Furthermore, the narrative style and vocabulary employed to communicate an aura of high fantasy make this tale challenging for the middle grade readers who are most likely to engage with the adventurous plot elements. There is no preamble to set the scene from A Fiery Friendship, the first book of the series, or to introduce the historic Oz mythology; readers who begin their foray into Oz with this title are likely to be quite lost. VERDICT While highly recommended for those with a keen interest and passion for Oz, this is not an essential purchase for general fiction collections.-Kelly Kingrey-Edwards, Blinn Junior College, Brenham, TX

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2018
Young Glinda and her purple-haired friend Locasta take another step toward saving Oz by tackling the Wicked Witch of the North.Aphidina, the Wicked Witch of the South, may be history (see A Fiery Friendship, 2017), but even as the grass-roots Foursworn Revolution gathers steam, challenges remain for the band of doughty young heroes. Notable among these is finding and enlisting the long-hidden Elemental Fairies to battle not only the remaining three Wicked Witches, but also the disembodied "fifth Witch" who controls them. Fiedler strews the narrative with sly allusions ("I have a feeling we aren't in Quadling anymore"), such requisite elements as a magic map and rhymed clues (Locasta: "Oh, hey, here's a surprise. Another obscure and cryptic verse for us to decipher"), and melodramatic but leisurely battles in which no one is ever described as bleeding or dying. She populates her quest with exotic denizens from Sea Fairies and the winged monkeys to the pun-loving Nome King. Flashbacks, references to recent events, and a plethora of characters both new and vintage make familiarity with the opener a must and at least a passing acquaintance with some of the original series' classic episodes a good idea. Oz's inhabitants come in a great variety of colors and species; Glinda and the human(oid) members of her company are white.It's an unabashed pastiche, but it doesn't take itself too seriously. (Fantasy. 10-12)

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