Customer Reviews:
 A Good, if not Great Sequel November 24, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The one thing that really disappointed me in this sequel to Wicked is that the one question we all want to know, "Is Liir Elphaba's son?" is never blatanly answered. (Although you can infer the answer from the last line of the novel.) Other than that this book is pretty good. Very Gregory Maguire. It kept me anxiously reading from the very beginning.
One note. One of the reviewers says that Nor is Elphaba's daughter. This is not true. Nor is the daughter of Fiyero and Sarima. She is their only daughter. Just wanted to clear that up.
 Maguire's imagination receives a 10 November 18, 2008
Gregory Maguire creates an Odyssey for Liir, the presumed son of the now deceased Wicked Witch of the West. Liir, with the burned, witch's broom and cape in hand, ventures off from the castle, Kiammo Ko, in search of his true heritage and the only friend he ever knew, Nor. Is Liir the son of the Witch, Elphaba? Is Nor his half sister? Will the broom work for him? With his knack for personification, Maguire puts his readers in the adventure, and the reader comes to believe there really is an Emerald City and Munchkinland where animals and dwarfs can talk, feel and battle for good and evil. Liir has several unforgetable affairs with humans; one affair with the female, "Quadling" named Candle, and another with a male, enemy-turned-allie, and soldier for the Emerald City, a "minor Menacier," Trism bon Cavalish. With the use of flashbacks, the years and adventures pass and in the end, Candle leaves a very special gift for Liir. This gift makes for an exceptional ending, a smash, and one this writer won't give away here. Hopefully, we haven't heard the last of Liir and this special gift. Any lover of the Wizard of Oz will thank Gregory Maguire for once agian, keeping the Land of Oz alive.
 The author should have stopped with Wicked! November 17, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book contains long periods of boredom with minimal amount of interest. It is a true let down from it's predecessor. The author should have stopped while he was ahead.
I might be in the minority here...but November 13, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I think Son of A Witch was every bit as good as Wicked. Son of A Witch is the story of Liir, a young man who was raised by the Wicked Witch, but may or may not be her son. Liir's near dead body is found by travelers and brought to the mauntery for the maunts to try to heal. It just happens to be the Cloister where Elphaba once resided. It was from that same place that Elpahaba left years later with young Liir in tow. With the help of a young lady named Candle, Liir begins to heal. The thoughts running through his subconsious as he is healing tells his story starting at the point of the Witch's demise, when Liir left the castle with Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Man.
We follow Liir as he seperates from his companions and lives a solitary life, for the most part. He joins the military and much happens to him there that shapes the remainder of his life. We see glimpses of other characters we met in Wicked.
It is easy to see Liir as human, and making of human mistakes, some grave, but still a decent man who wants good. He desperately wants to be Elphaba's son, despite his insistance otherwise, even to himself.
I believe that Son of a Witch, despite an ending that leaves some things hanging, is the more thought out of the two books. It seems to have a clear path, telling the story of this boy who later becomes a man. I found it a very quick, and satisfing read and I hope to read any future books in this series that Maguire releases.
Son of a Witch- what a great book!! November 2, 2008
A great book all around. Dragons, wizards, witches- Oh My! Love it, love it, love it! Waiting for the musical version....
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