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hylian_narwhal's review against another edition
4.0
True overall rating; 3.75 stars
This is a omnibus of three novels which I have reviewed separately below.
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Rating; 3.75 stars
A charming and ridiculous tale of the haphazard adventures of the Patchwork Girl - Scraps - and munchkin boy Ojo the Unlucky, to provide a remedy for Ojo's uncle.
It is (spoilers) one of those stories where, the solution could have been reached much earlier but then the adventuring wouldn't have continued. I found it an amusing conclusion to the story, but fair (albeit vague) warning.
Tik-Tok of Oz
Rating; 3.5 stars
Despite having very little to do with Tik-Tok himself, this is another charming tale.
To be honest, it's nice to just read some easy conflict-resolution right now while everything is feeling very unsolvable.
The Scarecrow of Oz
Rating; 3.75 stars
Alike to Tik-Tok of Oz, the title misleads you into thinking the Scarecrow will be around in this tale, whereas he only appears in the last quarter or so - if even that - to provide a final resolution and rescue for the true protagonists of the story.
This is a omnibus of three novels which I have reviewed separately below.
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Rating; 3.75 stars
A charming and ridiculous tale of the haphazard adventures of the Patchwork Girl - Scraps - and munchkin boy Ojo the Unlucky, to provide a remedy for Ojo's uncle.
It is (spoilers) one of those stories where, the solution could have been reached much earlier but then the adventuring wouldn't have continued. I found it an amusing conclusion to the story, but fair (albeit vague) warning.
Tik-Tok of Oz
Rating; 3.5 stars
Despite having very little to do with Tik-Tok himself, this is another charming tale.
To be honest, it's nice to just read some easy conflict-resolution right now while everything is feeling very unsolvable.
The Scarecrow of Oz
Rating; 3.75 stars
Alike to Tik-Tok of Oz, the title misleads you into thinking the Scarecrow will be around in this tale, whereas he only appears in the last quarter or so - if even that - to provide a final resolution and rescue for the true protagonists of the story.
hylian_narwhal's review against another edition
4.0
True overall rating; 4 stars
This is a omnibus of three novels which I have reviewed separately below.
Rinkitink in Oz
Rating; 3 stars
Mostly another adorable adventure in the surrounding lands of Oz, but King Rinkitink is a fatphobic caricature and I am not here for that.
The Lost Princess of Oz
Rating; 4.25 stars
Royal Princess Osma of Oz, and all the magical tools of the good people of Oz go missing, leading to a typical Oz adventure quest.
The Tin Woodman of Oz
Rating; 4 stars
The Tin Woodman aka Nick Chopper is prompted to go on a quest to fulfill his promise of marriage to his sweetheart. Both heartwarming and amusing.
This is a omnibus of three novels which I have reviewed separately below.
Rinkitink in Oz
Rating; 3 stars
Mostly another adorable adventure in the surrounding lands of Oz, but King Rinkitink is a fatphobic caricature and I am not here for that.
The Lost Princess of Oz
Rating; 4.25 stars
Royal Princess Osma of Oz, and all the magical tools of the good people of Oz go missing, leading to a typical Oz adventure quest.
The Tin Woodman of Oz
Rating; 4 stars
The Tin Woodman aka Nick Chopper is prompted to go on a quest to fulfill his promise of marriage to his sweetheart. Both heartwarming and amusing.
sjvang88's review against another edition
2.0
Being an Oz-nerd I really enjoyed reading all the adventures of Dorothy and the gang, until Ruth Plumly Thompson took over for The Royal Book of Oz.
almeidalmt's review against another edition
3.0
The first two books I enjoyed much more than the third. All in all a nice light read for children. The first two books were good for book discussions.
derekdavis31's review against another edition
4.0
I am definitely seeing a bit of a pattern with the Oz stories, but it isn't really taking the joy I am getting out of reading the books. I still am enjoying reading them and will more than likely do an entire re-read at some point later down the road.
Although I do have one question. Does it seem that Dorothy and Ozma are kidnappers? Haha
Although I do have one question. Does it seem that Dorothy and Ozma are kidnappers? Haha
derekdavis31's review against another edition
4.0
RINKITINK OF OZ
This is probably my least favorite book in the series. The title character of the story was slightly amusing and I found myself laughing at various parts of the story, but to me he just seemed to serve as nothing more than a jolly character and nothing more.
The story itself was a simple story and didn't seem to be as complex as the others in the series thus far. It seemed that Baum wanted to incorporate this as a separate story in the beginning, but changed his mind and had it as a part of the series. It might have been better, had it remained a standalone without any reference to Oz and not including Dorothy or Ozma.
THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ
I enjoyed The Lost Princess of Oz much more than I did with Rinkitink of Oz. The premise of the story was very solid and the new characters were very interesting. I especially enjoyed the antagonist of the story, Ugu the Shoemaker. His rationale as to why he wanted all the magic of Oz was very relatable in certain ways, and reveals just how timeless the moral of the story really is.
THE TIN WOODMAN OF OZ
I really enjoyed my time in this story. In previous stories, we hear about the Tin Woodman's story of how he came to be. In this story, it is another journey, but this time we are journeying to find what has become of Nimmie Amee. I'd explain more of this journey, but that will open up to potential spoilers.
Along the way, Polychrome comes back into the story. I must admit, I enjoy her character the most, as she is very joyful and is explained and described so beautifully. However, I was not content with the way the story ended, although I did end up correct in my assumption on what happened once they had found Amee. The ending felt way too choppy, and could have been better written.
This is probably my least favorite book in the series. The title character of the story was slightly amusing and I found myself laughing at various parts of the story, but to me he just seemed to serve as nothing more than a jolly character and nothing more.
The story itself was a simple story and didn't seem to be as complex as the others in the series thus far. It seemed that Baum wanted to incorporate this as a separate story in the beginning, but changed his mind and had it as a part of the series. It might have been better, had it remained a standalone without any reference to Oz and not including Dorothy or Ozma.
THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ
I enjoyed The Lost Princess of Oz much more than I did with Rinkitink of Oz. The premise of the story was very solid and the new characters were very interesting. I especially enjoyed the antagonist of the story, Ugu the Shoemaker. His rationale as to why he wanted all the magic of Oz was very relatable in certain ways, and reveals just how timeless the moral of the story really is.
THE TIN WOODMAN OF OZ
I really enjoyed my time in this story. In previous stories, we hear about the Tin Woodman's story of how he came to be. In this story, it is another journey, but this time we are journeying to find what has become of Nimmie Amee. I'd explain more of this journey, but that will open up to potential spoilers.
Along the way, Polychrome comes back into the story. I must admit, I enjoy her character the most, as she is very joyful and is explained and described so beautifully. However, I was not content with the way the story ended, although I did end up correct in my assumption on what happened once they had found Amee. The ending felt way too choppy, and could have been better written.
derekdavis31's review against another edition
4.0
The Magic of Oz (5/5)
This is probably one of the best Oz stories I have read thus far. The premise of this story was interesting and very enjoyable, and I really found the chemistry between the former Nome King and Kiki Aru to be entertaining. Out of all the antagonists in this book series, I find the Nome King to be the most interesting. While one doesn't really learn more about the magic found in Oz, it does show how diverse the magic is.
Glinda of Oz (4/5)
Glinda of Oz would be the last story Baum would write for this series. It eventually continued on, with the writings of Ruth Plumy Thompson. Baum's last Oz book certainly was entertaining and enjoyable. At first, one would wonder why this book was called Glinda of Oz, but at the midpoint, Glinda shines through. This was a great story and after I finished it, I will admit some tears were shed.
The Royal Book of Oz (5/5)
Ruth Plumly Thompson did a wonderful job of picking up the series and continuing it! Her first entry in the series was filled with the same joy and whimsy that very nearly marches the whimsical nature of Baum. The premise of the story was very fitting, with Professor Wogglebug working on a Royal Book, as the title of this story indicates. The story focuses on the origin of the Scarecrow Man (which I'm not sharing, as it's a rather huge spoiler), which was rather surprising to me! This really was a well-done introduction to her work, and I am really excited to keep reading her entries in this series!
This is probably one of the best Oz stories I have read thus far. The premise of this story was interesting and very enjoyable, and I really found the chemistry between the former Nome King and Kiki Aru to be entertaining. Out of all the antagonists in this book series, I find the Nome King to be the most interesting. While one doesn't really learn more about the magic found in Oz, it does show how diverse the magic is.
Glinda of Oz (4/5)
Glinda of Oz would be the last story Baum would write for this series. It eventually continued on, with the writings of Ruth Plumy Thompson. Baum's last Oz book certainly was entertaining and enjoyable. At first, one would wonder why this book was called Glinda of Oz, but at the midpoint, Glinda shines through. This was a great story and after I finished it, I will admit some tears were shed.
The Royal Book of Oz (5/5)
Ruth Plumly Thompson did a wonderful job of picking up the series and continuing it! Her first entry in the series was filled with the same joy and whimsy that very nearly marches the whimsical nature of Baum. The premise of the story was very fitting, with Professor Wogglebug working on a Royal Book, as the title of this story indicates. The story focuses on the origin of the Scarecrow Man (which I'm not sharing, as it's a rather huge spoiler), which was rather surprising to me! This really was a well-done introduction to her work, and I am really excited to keep reading her entries in this series!
derekdavis31's review against another edition
5.0
The three books that make up volume one were, in one simple word, fantastic!
The first book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was very familiar to me, as it should be to those who haven't lived under a rock. I was still shocked to see how many parts of the story left out of the original film, starring Judy Garland. The backstory of the Tin Woodman was rather frightening, but also very illuminating. I loved Dorothy's interactions with the Wizard of Oz in particular.
The second book, The Marvelous Land of Oz, was a treat! Starting out with a new character, we learn more about the land of Oz and what it means to be a father. Without revealing too much, the ending certainly took me by surprise.
The final book in Volume 1 was Ozma of Oz, which was also made into a film entitled Return to Oz. The Wheelers were the most interesting of all the players in the story, and it was wonderful to see the original characters come back! Bill (aka Billina) always made me smile and laugh, and played her part so well in the climax of the story, I was rather satisfied with it. Much better than how it was portrayed in Return to Oz.
Can't wait to begin the second volume!!
The first book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was very familiar to me, as it should be to those who haven't lived under a rock. I was still shocked to see how many parts of the story left out of the original film, starring Judy Garland. The backstory of the Tin Woodman was rather frightening, but also very illuminating. I loved Dorothy's interactions with the Wizard of Oz in particular.
The second book, The Marvelous Land of Oz, was a treat! Starting out with a new character, we learn more about the land of Oz and what it means to be a father. Without revealing too much, the ending certainly took me by surprise.
The final book in Volume 1 was Ozma of Oz, which was also made into a film entitled Return to Oz. The Wheelers were the most interesting of all the players in the story, and it was wonderful to see the original characters come back! Bill (aka Billina) always made me smile and laugh, and played her part so well in the climax of the story, I was rather satisfied with it. Much better than how it was portrayed in Return to Oz.
Can't wait to begin the second volume!!
derekdavis31's review against another edition
5.0
Once again I am completely blown away by Baum's story telling! The three books that made up this volume each had their own special quality, and I loved reading more about the new characters and how they ultimately fit into the story line.
Can't wait to start the third volume!
Can't wait to start the third volume!