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acoffia's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
saroz162's review against another edition
4.0
This has never been one of my favorite Baum Oz books, but on my first re-read as an adult, I found it surprisingly enjoyable. It's easy to dismiss as one of Baum's last four Oz stories because the other three are so startling in what they're doing differently, plot-wise; Lost Princess is a roadshow, with appearances from almost every one of Baum's protagonists, a peculiarly spiritual ending; Tin Woodman is an existential novel with moments of extreme dissonance; Glinda is female-oriented proto-science fiction. Magic is far more...well, normal...but there are still surprises: an unhappy, disgruntled protagonist; an invasion that peters out mid-book; and a generally melancholy tone for what's supposedly a book about a party. It's still not the most memorable book in the series, but it's better than I'd ever given it credit for, and more interesting than the mid-series books where Baum was clearly focusing elsewhere. If this is a "lesser" story, it's only because it's a bit more familiar; as a writer, he's clearly firing on all cylinders and perhaps, just before his death, at the peak of his abilities.
paperrhino's review against another edition
3.0
Again, Baum produced a solid book in the realm of Oz with a plot that holds together well.
jmbz38's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
roshk99's review against another edition
2.0
There are way too many of these books, all with the same plot
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
3.0
A pleasant enough story though nothing especially stand-out-ish. That said, it is better than typical for Oz and should read out loud pretty well. And a bit different for Oz - still a travelogue but not only a travelogue. And mostly old visiting with older characters both good and bad. What is missing is true characters, though the magic is a little bit bigger part of the story than normal. 3.5 of 5.
chandranolynne's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This one wasn't my favorite. Not that it was bad; I think I've figured out at this point that there's no such thing as a bad Oz book! It just wasn't quite as a exciting as the others. Plus the main character was a bad guy, which was just... weird. I'm really glad there's another book and that the series doesn't end on this note.
klc721's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0