The companions of Dorothy are almost as famous as she is. Everyone knows the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. Now, since Gregory Maguire turned Oz upside down with his The Wicked Years series, what do you think happens to these characters after Dorothy goes back to Kansas? In book 3 of the series, A Lion Among Men, you learn about the Lion’s life and you get questions from the previous books answered. This book was published by Harper.
Brrr doesn’t know much about himself, other than he has horrible luck. He doesn’t remember ever having a family, but he knows he must have come from somewhere. As an adult, Brrr is both famous and infamous, although he’s not sure which is worse. The only way to redeem himself is to complete his mission of finding Mother Yackle and discovering the whereabouts of Liir, the son of Elphaba. However, Mother Yackle has some secrets of her own.
Through some give and take, the two magical cast-offs tell the tales of their lives. At least, what they can remember of them. All this reminiscing goes down when Oz is on the brink of war. Soldiers from both sides are closing in on the isolated maunts and time is running out. However, suspicion keeps both Brr and Yackle from divulging their secrets until it’s too late.
This book fills in some of the holes left by the first two books. Secrets are revealed, stories are told, and futures are made. Brrr is an interesting character that both cares and doesn’t care. He wants nothing to do with society, but can’t seem to stay away from it. All he wants is love and a home, and by the end of this book he finds it in the strangest of places. Yackle has been a mysterious character throughout this series, and her story is finally told, albeit reluctantly. You won’t be able to wait for the last book!
You can find A Lion Among Men at any of Tulsa’s local book stores: Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million and Gardners.
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