One thing I found very nifty about the original Maguire book is that The Grimoire that Elphaba gets her spells from is actually a book of black magic which is originally brought to Oz by The Wizard from our world, so a lot of the craziness that turns Oz upside down comes from our own reality.
@@Dalekzilla yes! That’s such a fun detail. It’s a subtle side plot, but I love how we slowly learn about it over time, especially with how it connects to Merlin.
This is why the oracle of Maracoor was one of my favourites, that backstory for the Wizard was sooo satisfying after being absorbed into the world of the books for so long.
Great overview! I’ve read/listened to the first four, and this is the first I’ve heard about the Rain trilogy. I’m definitely gonna check them out. BTW, I’d love to watch in-depth videos on each of the (now) seven Wicked l books, with greater analysis and no fear of spoilers. Just the bits you talked about in this video already have me looking at the books in a different way. Keep up the great work.
@@danielc56 oh thanks! I think I definitely want to do really spoilery in depth reviews of my favourite books, so I will definitely add this to the list!
so glad you made this video. I've had a paperback copy from the 2010's I've been picking up and putting down for years because I really had no idea what I was reading, and with the movie coming out, everything just clicked. so excited to read this.
@@bluecobaltsteph2689 yeah, the first two are really the only ones I’d say are my favourites. The Another Day trilogy was fine, and it fits in the bigger story, but ultimately it didn’t add THAT much.
Son of a Witch is a good book. I consider Wicked to be pretty much a work of genius. By far the best thing Maquire has ever written. I HATED Lost, I didn’t love the Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. I haven’t read a lot of the other things and apparently I have missed at least one Oz book if not two. So thank you!!
@@Mister_Sosotrisfinishing your video - 1) we totally agree on Out of Oz, and 2) apparently I totally missed a whole new trilogy! How did I do that !!???
i remember reading the first 2 books because i was seeing the musical on a field trip in high school, and really liking them. I didnt get my hands on any orhers (the first 2 were a gift) but with the movue coming out think its time to give the rest of the series a shot. I also liked confessions of an ugly step-sister, and i had no idea there was a sequel series so thank you for giving some details about it! loved the video 👍
I read the Oz series quite some time ago. I just discovered there was a newer trilogy. This was a great video! The first book Wicked is definitely in my top 5 books of all time. After I finish my current book( Fairy Tale- Stephen King). I definitely want to give the whole Oz series a re read and read the newer trilogy. I just discovered your channel and new subscriber here. This was an amazing video. Thanks for sharing!
@@christeanap719 thank you so much! I’ve got Fairy Tale on my TBR, too. I’ll probably read that in the winter. As for Oz, the series has its ups and downs, but when it’s good, it’s excellent!
I didn't know there were books after the fourth one. I stopped at Son of Witch, because I didn't really care about any of the other characters to be honest.
@@Rahhelthethird that’s totally fair. It does kind of overstay it’s welcome a bit. I did like elements in the later books, but the first two are definitely the best
@@Rahhelthethird yeah, the Lion book rehashes a lot, but it DOES explain finally who Mother Yackle actually is, if you’re interested in that. But it takes a bit to get to that point
Side comment for the algorithm: right now I’m super annoyed because books I want to read (by audiobook, I’m not reading regularly other ways right now) are not available in the app I use. I use audiobooks because I don’t feel like giving Bezos even more money for Audible if I can avoid it. Top ones: The Will of the Many and Tress by Sanderson. And a really cool third part to a Sherlock Holmes speculative fiction book too. I raced through the first two and now I have to wait. But at least it will be released soon …….. (take that, Rothfuss!!!!).
@@bluecobaltsteph2689 oh that’s annoying! I have an audiobook subscription through kobo and get one credit a month, but there are some books that unfortunately are ONLY available on Audible, so I try to find those on Libby if I can. It’s definitely a process
I have read plenty of the legitimate Oz books from the original series and the more modern books from other independent publishers who are fans of the original series. I have tried my hardest to read the Wicked books, but unfortunately they seem to become a chore to read for me more than anything as the books seem to meander a lot. I feel if they were much shorter, I might like them more.
@@tylerlaird1663 that’s totally a fair assessment. The original Oz books are a delight. This series has its strengths, but it IS a bit meandery and in love with its own cleverness at times.
I would LOVE videos about other Gregory Maguire books !!!!!
One thing I found very nifty about the original Maguire book is that The Grimoire that Elphaba gets her spells from is actually a book of black magic which is originally brought to Oz by The Wizard from our world, so a lot of the craziness that turns Oz upside down comes from our own reality.
@@Dalekzilla yes! That’s such a fun detail. It’s a subtle side plot, but I love how we slowly learn about it over time, especially with how it connects to Merlin.
This is why the oracle of Maracoor was one of my favourites, that backstory for the Wizard was sooo satisfying after being absorbed into the world of the books for so long.
@ I did love that added dimension to his character!
Great overview! I’ve read/listened to the first four, and this is the first I’ve heard about the Rain trilogy. I’m definitely gonna check them out.
BTW, I’d love to watch in-depth videos on each of the (now) seven Wicked l books, with greater analysis and no fear of spoilers. Just the bits you talked about in this video already have me looking at the books in a different way.
Keep up the great work.
@@danielc56 oh thanks! I think I definitely want to do really spoilery in depth reviews of my favourite books, so I will definitely add this to the list!
I love the wicked years and liked another day, but I agree another day felt unnecessary.
@@noahdelarosa2793 yeah, it just kind of said stuff that had always been implied. I didn’t hate it, but it also didn’t add a ton to the overall story
so glad you made this video. I've had a paperback copy from the 2010's I've been picking up and putting down for years because I really had no idea what I was reading, and with the movie coming out, everything just clicked. so excited to read this.
@@gavinstem8441 it’s a terrific book! Enjoy!
Wicked definitely absolutely must-read. Son of a witch - yeah. The rest……. Hmmm. Not so sure. A lion among men not so much.
@@bluecobaltsteph2689 yeah, the first two are really the only ones I’d say are my favourites. The Another Day trilogy was fine, and it fits in the bigger story, but ultimately it didn’t add THAT much.
Son of a Witch is a good book. I consider Wicked to be pretty much a work of genius. By far the best thing Maquire has ever written. I HATED Lost, I didn’t love the Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. I haven’t read a lot of the other things and apparently I have missed at least one Oz book if not two. So thank you!!
@@Mister_Sosotrisfinishing your video - 1) we totally agree on Out of Oz, and 2) apparently I totally missed a whole new trilogy! How did I do that !!???
Great review, I’m definitely going to check out these books 😊
@@DragonRyder94 oh thanks! It’s definitely a series for ✨vibes✨ so if you like the feel of the books, that definitely continues throughout
i remember reading the first 2 books because i was seeing the musical on a field trip in high school, and really liking them. I didnt get my hands on any orhers (the first 2 were a gift) but with the movue coming out think its time to give the rest of the series a shot. I also liked confessions of an ugly step-sister, and i had no idea there was a sequel series so thank you for giving some details about it! loved the video 👍
@@zeoranger4green313 thanks! It’s an interesting series, for sure!
I read the Oz series quite some time ago. I just discovered there was a newer trilogy. This was a great video! The first book Wicked is definitely in my top 5 books of all time. After I finish my current book( Fairy Tale- Stephen King). I definitely want to give the whole Oz series a re read and read the newer trilogy. I just discovered your channel and new subscriber here. This was an amazing video. Thanks for sharing!
@@christeanap719 thank you so much! I’ve got Fairy Tale on my TBR, too. I’ll probably read that in the winter. As for Oz, the series has its ups and downs, but when it’s good, it’s excellent!
I didn't know there were books after the fourth one. I stopped at Son of Witch, because I didn't really care about any of the other characters to be honest.
@@Rahhelthethird that’s totally fair. It does kind of overstay it’s welcome a bit. I did like elements in the later books, but the first two are definitely the best
@@Mister_Sosotris Well, I might read the ones after the Lion book, since it does sound very skippable.
@@Rahhelthethird yeah, the Lion book rehashes a lot, but it DOES explain finally who Mother Yackle actually is, if you’re interested in that. But it takes a bit to get to that point
@@Mister_Sosotris Good thing it's the shortest book then I guess. :)
Side comment for the algorithm: right now I’m super annoyed because books I want to read (by audiobook, I’m not reading regularly other ways right now) are not available in the app I use. I use audiobooks because I don’t feel like giving Bezos even more money for Audible if I can avoid it. Top ones: The Will of the Many and Tress by Sanderson. And a really cool third part to a Sherlock Holmes speculative fiction book too. I raced through the first two and now I have to wait. But at least it will be released soon …….. (take that, Rothfuss!!!!).
@@bluecobaltsteph2689 oh that’s annoying! I have an audiobook subscription through kobo and get one credit a month, but there are some books that unfortunately are ONLY available on Audible, so I try to find those on Libby if I can. It’s definitely a process
I have read plenty of the legitimate Oz books from the original series and the more modern books from other independent publishers who are fans of the original series. I have tried my hardest to read the Wicked books, but unfortunately they seem to become a chore to read for me more than anything as the books seem to meander a lot. I feel if they were much shorter, I might like them more.
@@tylerlaird1663 that’s totally a fair assessment. The original Oz books are a delight. This series has its strengths, but it IS a bit meandery and in love with its own cleverness at times.
It's definitely worth it for me