The Write Book Buzz

by Nick DiChario

Son of a Witch, a book review 

           Son of a Witch is Gregory Maguire’s follow up to his now famous novel Wicked. I can’t really talk about Son of a Witch, the sequel, without discussing the first book. If you haven’t read it, Wicked lives up to all the hype you’ve undoubtedly heard. Based on the classic Wizard of Oz story, Wicked enters the realm of weird, quirky and gothic, with all the benefits of an intricate story populated by complex characters. Elphaba, more generally known as the Wicked Witch of the West, carries the novel on her capable (if rounded) shoulders, into a dark world of espionage, political intrigue and eventually personal tragedy. I never thought I’d feel much of anything for the Wicked Witch of my childhood nightmares, least of all empathy, by Maguire pulls it off with considerable grace, aplomb, and elegant prose.
           Now, ten years later, let’s move on to the long-awaited sequel, Son of a Witch. This book takes up the story after the witch’s death, and is carried on the not-so-capable shoulders of her son, Liir (although there is some question about his lineage throughout most of the book). Liir is somewhat dull-witted and not nearly as interesting a character as Elphaba, but Maguire seems stuck with him as his protagonist, which often leaves the reader craving the more interesting territory of his earlier book. He makes up for this deficiency by focusing on other events whenever he can. The Emerald City, for example, has fallen on hard times and now casts a mere shadow of its once previous glory. The threat of the dragons, set free to brutally kill innocent victims, is an extremely suspenseful diversion. Princess Nastoya, the great beast who desperately needs Liir’s help, is a sympathetic anchor to a plot that often feels adrift.

            You’ll find that Son of a Witch has many of the familiar themes its predecessor carried off so well. Love, revenge, betrayal, etc. Dorothy and her companions are back. The sister maunts play an important role. And we learn much more about Liir and his childhood. It’s enough to keep you turning the pages, turning the pages rather quickly as a matter of fact, wanting more. But does it live up? Quite honestly, not as much as I had hoped. At the end, I’m not quite as satisfied as I thought I would be, and I’m still left wanting, but not with the same hungry enthusiasm I felt after reluctantly turning over the last page of Wicked. As much as I hate to admit it, this novel has the feel of a “middle book,” and I can’t help thinking that Maguire spent a lot of time here setting us up for a third.

            Even so, I’m recommending both books. They’re magnificently written, wildly imaginative, and they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, as all good fables should, slyly reminding the reader that fantasy and real life are intimate strangers.

Order both books from The Write Book and Gift Shop at ten percent off (until our next review), and free shipping as always.

Nick DiChario is the owner of The Write Book and Gift Shop, located in the quaint little village of Honeoye Falls, NY (www.Writebookandgifts.com), the official bookstore of Writer-On-Line. His short fiction has appeared in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and mainstream publications in the United States and abroad, and his work has been reprinted in The Year’s Best Science Fiction, The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, and The Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century, among many others. (Some of his short fiction may be found at http://www.fictionwise.com.) Nick has also been nominated for a John W. Campbell Award, two Hugo Awards, and a World Fantasy Award. In addition to writing stories, Nick is the fiction editor of HazMat Literary Review (http://www.hmlr.org), a magazine dedicated to printing new voices and politically aware poetry and prose. Some of his plays have been presented in Geva Theatre’s Regional Playwrights Festival in upstate New York, and he is the workshop coordinator for Writers & Books (a non-profit literary center). Nick’s first novel, A Small and Remarkable Life, will be published in spring 2006 by Red Deer Press.