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jlswitchblades's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
i started rereading TWY in 2021? 22? and thrifted the 3rd and 4th books. I've been very go and stop and almost lost interest in this book but it rallied in the end tying it back to elphaba and co. enough to make me want to complete the series!
protoman21's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know why I keep reading the books in this series. I guess I am loyal to a fault. Most of the story I didn't care for, and the few parts that were interesting didn't really thrill me since I didn't care about any of the characters. I really hope this is the end, but it doesn't seem like it to me, and I am afraid if another book is written I will be compelled to read it!
pbraue13's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful portrayal of a lost, broken, and powerless soul through a whimsical and hopeful lense. Loved hearing the Cowardly Lions origin story (Brrr is the perfect name for him) and it has a bearing on the rest of the series! We learn more about the Grimmerie and the secrets of Oz! Also love the glass cat! Could have done without the animal sex scenes though, lol. Otherwise loved loved loved it!
sraev19's review against another edition
2.0
I was eager to dive into this story after finishing Son of a Witch to see what followed from its cliffhanger, but A Lion Among Men turned out to be a big letdown.
While this book does follow the events of the previous one, it has very little relation to it. Maguire turns his attention to the Cowardly Lion and Yackle, and through flashbacks we learn about their histories, how the Lion came to be Cowardly, and just who Yackle is.
These past events range from mildly interesting or humorous to straight-up boring, and with regards to the Lion, they’re not really relevant. The Lion’s role in Maguire’s series is minimal, and the one defining moment he did have—being taken as a cub by Dr. Nikidik for experimentation in class— isn’t elaborated on much or shown to have affected him in a profound way.
Maguire’s attempt at character development thus falls flat. We get another whiny, passive, cowardly character who doesn’t have a lot of agency. The Lion was a catalyst for Elphaba’s journey in Wicked, and here his presence helps Yackle finish hers, but all the while he doesn’t do much of anything himself.
As with the previous two books in the series, A Lion Among Men is a rough read. The beginning did not pick up where I was expecting it to, and the flashbacks dragged on without adding anything meaningful. It’s not until the last few dozen pages that Maguire tries to bring us full circle and reward us for slogging through the Lion’s and Yackle’s backstories.
The payoff, of course, is another cliffhanger. Yet this time I’m left decidedly disappointed. I feel like I’d been jumping through hoops to get to the big finale for no reason other than to make the end seem worthwhile. It was a whole lot of busywork. Maguire could have saved everyone the trouble and led with the ending.
I’m going to read the next book for completion’s sake and a twisted sense of curiosity: How much worse can it get?
While this book does follow the events of the previous one, it has very little relation to it. Maguire turns his attention to the Cowardly Lion and Yackle, and through flashbacks we learn about their histories, how the Lion came to be Cowardly, and just who Yackle is.
These past events range from mildly interesting or humorous to straight-up boring, and with regards to the Lion, they’re not really relevant. The Lion’s role in Maguire’s series is minimal, and the one defining moment he did have
Maguire’s attempt at character development thus falls flat. We get another whiny, passive, cowardly character who doesn’t have a lot of agency. The Lion was a catalyst for Elphaba’s journey in Wicked, and here his presence helps Yackle finish hers, but all the while he doesn’t do much of anything himself.
As with the previous two books in the series, A Lion Among Men is a rough read. The beginning did not pick up where I was expecting it to, and the flashbacks dragged on without adding anything meaningful. It’s not until the last few dozen pages that Maguire tries to bring us full circle and reward us for slogging through the Lion’s and Yackle’s backstories.
The payoff, of course, is another cliffhanger. Yet this time I’m left decidedly disappointed. I feel like I’d been jumping through hoops to get to the big finale for no reason other than to make the end seem worthwhile. It was a whole lot of busywork. Maguire could have saved everyone the trouble and led with the ending.
I’m going to read the next book for completion’s sake and a twisted sense of curiosity: How much worse can it get?
essiewakeman's review against another edition
2.0
Doesn't live up to the previous books at all. It really felt to me like the Oz story was being milked for all it was worth and it was generally just not a very enjoyable book.
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
2.0
A Lion Among Men revisits the Oz of Elphaba Thropp and [b:Wicked|24936|Wicked|Gregory Maguire|/images/nocover-60x80.jpg|1479280]. This time the political maneuverings in Oz are told through the eyes of the Cowardly Lion, otherwise known as Brrr. The story begins when Brrr has tracked down Sister Yackle to the mauntery where she is trying to die. There is a lot of back story from both of them and then a lot of resolution in the present in the last hundred pages or so.
Let me say right up front that I won this in a first reads giveaway. So I hate to say it, but I really didn't enjoy this book. I liked Wicked and [b:Son of a Witch|562233|Son of a Witch|Gregory Maguire|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175810518s/562233.jpg|845295], but A Lion Among Men just crawled along for me. I liked Yackle's parts of the story, but Brrr's just seemed to drag on and on. His story could practically have been summed up with "Wrong place, wrong time, story of my life."
Finally, around page 240 or so, the story caught up to the present and things got interesting. That far in, there was finally a synopsis of what had come before. It's been a while since I read Son of a Witch, so I'd been kind of lost throughout the book. It also probably didn't help that Brrr's purpose in visiting Yackle isn't revealed until around page 190. So it picked up and I enjoyed it--just in time to be left hanging, waiting for the next book.
Honestly, this felt like filler. I truly dislike reading books that don't serve much of a purpose other than to hook you into the next book, and that's how this felt to me.
The "witty dialog" between Yackle and Brrr mostly just fell flat. Here's an example:
"Is this germane to your investigation, or do I detect a particular interest in sexual jealousy? An uptick in your circulation? Some shallow breathing?"
"F**k you."
"If I'd only been so lucky."
That's about the way it goes.
I guess the upshot for me is that die-hard fans of the series will enjoy this latest installment. People who recall the storyline from the previous books better than I do will probably enjoy it also. But this is the end of the line for me and The Wicked Years.
Let me say right up front that I won this in a first reads giveaway. So I hate to say it, but I really didn't enjoy this book. I liked Wicked and [b:Son of a Witch|562233|Son of a Witch|Gregory Maguire|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175810518s/562233.jpg|845295], but A Lion Among Men just crawled along for me. I liked Yackle's parts of the story, but Brrr's just seemed to drag on and on. His story could practically have been summed up with "Wrong place, wrong time, story of my life."
Finally, around page 240 or so, the story caught up to the present and things got interesting. That far in, there was finally a synopsis of what had come before. It's been a while since I read Son of a Witch, so I'd been kind of lost throughout the book. It also probably didn't help that Brrr's purpose in visiting Yackle isn't revealed until around page 190. So it picked up and I enjoyed it--just in time to be left hanging, waiting for the next book.
Honestly, this felt like filler. I truly dislike reading books that don't serve much of a purpose other than to hook you into the next book, and that's how this felt to me.
The "witty dialog" between Yackle and Brrr mostly just fell flat. Here's an example:
"Is this germane to your investigation, or do I detect a particular interest in sexual jealousy? An uptick in your circulation? Some shallow breathing?"
"F**k you."
"If I'd only been so lucky."
That's about the way it goes.
I guess the upshot for me is that die-hard fans of the series will enjoy this latest installment. People who recall the storyline from the previous books better than I do will probably enjoy it also. But this is the end of the line for me and The Wicked Years.
deblyn's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good story, but I was a bit disappointed. I really wanted more about Liir and the baby. There was a lot of flashback and I felt like we revisited a lot we aleady knew.