A Lion Among Men | Gregory Maguire

Title: A Lion Among Men
Author: Gregory Maguire


Wicked was a masterful reinvention, a brilliantly imagined and intricate take on a familiar world. It wove together elements of L. Frank Baum's original Oz books with sharp social commentary, creating a wholly new and enthralling narrative. It was a complete story with a perfect ending, leaving it open for readers to draw their own satisfying conclusions. But where Wicked was a genius work of fiction, A Lion Among Men feels like a tired and unnecessary extension.

This book, like the previous one, Son of a Witch, feels like part of a different story altogether, one that strays far from the magic and intrigue that made the first book so captivating. The plot centers on Brr (the Cowardly Lion), but his tale is long, depressing, and all too similar in theme to the previous installment. While the pacing has improved, the story itself is a convoluted mess of flashbacks and unfulfilling revelations. It's an easy read, but mostly because you're racing to get through the endless history and fluff to find the two chapters that actually offer something new.

The biggest disappointment is the almost complete absence of rich, whimsical details from the original Oz books that were so central to the magic of Wicked. What was once a vibrant tapestry of Animals, peculiar characters, and an enchanted landscape has been replaced by a vague and meandering narrative that has none of the charm of the first book. The characters lack the internal complexity of Elphaba and Glinda, and the brief, fleeting references to the source material feel forced and dramatic rather than clever and integrated.

If you loved Wicked and were left wondering about what came next, you're better off letting your imagination fill the gaps. Some mysteries are simply better left unsolved.

Two out of five stars.

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