Son of a Witch

I read Wicked by Gregory Maguire a while back. I actually really liked it. I thought it was an interesting spin on a childhood classic. So, when I was shopping and came across Son of a Witch, the sequel to Wicked, I had to buy it.

This novel is about Liir, the (could be) son of Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West). It picks up where Wicked left off, Dorothy has splashed water on Elphaba and she dies. Liir is left with no one, so he tags along with Dorothy and her crew.

A decade after this incident, Liir is found near death on the side of the road. Nearly all of his bones are broken and he is in a deep comatose state. He is taken to a Mauntery where he is cared for by the women who live there. A young girl, Candle, is taken to Liir’s room and shut in there with him. She plays a musical instrument in hopes of bring Liir back to life. Between these, snippets of  Liir’s life over the last ten years are brought to light. He was emotionally lost after Elphaba’s death, and haunted by not knowing whether she was his mother or not, he wanders around Oz looking for a purpose in life. Finally he joins the military.

A lot more happens within Liir’s life. Finally he awakens at the Mauntery, tries to find a purpose for himself again - and then the book ends.

I can’t say I loved it, or even really liked it that much. It was very political. Not a lot of action. A bit confusing at times. I think maybe I should have reread Wicked just to remember everything that had happened in it. Liir was flat and uninteresting – I felt nothing for him. He was this emo little brat, sniffling the entire time about not knowing where he came from, or what he should do with his life.

If I come across A Lion Among Men, I'm sure I will read it. But, I was not overly impressed by this second novel. At all.

On to reading!