It pains me to say this, but this book was a bit of a disappointment. There is a war going on in this book and whereas I can respect the author for not wanting to focus on it the way in which it is written makes me think that the characters are going to have a big impact in the war. Granted they do have a big impact in the and change the world of Oz, it’s not until the very end The plot moved at a snail’s pace, yet at the same time felt very rushed. If you ask me, this book, had it been more than one, could have excused the slowness of it and incorporate more action within the plot to allow for more character growth and plot growth.

Rain was another problem I had with this book. Often times, in writing workshops I am criticized for creating initial unlikable characters. That is what Rain was. She was completely unlikable and had no personality. She was obnoxious and rude and just had no personality. She is definitely no Wicked Witch of the East. Now, although I felt no connection to the character and didn’t like her, I ultimately felt pity for the character. Nevertheless, the pity I felt for her did not let me sympathize with her character or relate to her which denied me an understanding of the inside struggle with Rain. It was almost as though Maguire wanted to make Rain a more powerful character by making her more like Elphalba, but it didn’t work. In trying to make her the same and yet different, he ruined the character, stripping away from her an sense of personality.

While I was reading this book, I could not quite figure out the intent of this book. If you ask me, A Lion Among Men, should have been the ending. It made the circle full circle, this book just opened a whole new chapter with no proper conclusion. 2/5 ★‘s and a “C+”.