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The Wicked Years #3
A Lion Among Men
In this much-anticipated third volume of the Wicked Years, we return to Oz, seen now through the eyes of the Cowardly Lion - the once tiny cub defended by Elphaba in Wicked. While civil war looms, a tetchy oracle named Yackle prepares for death. Before her final hour, an enigmatic figure known as Brrr - the Cowardly Lion - arrives searching for information about Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West. As payment, Yackle demands some answers of her own. Brrr surrenders his story: abandoned as a cub, his earliest memories are gluey hazes, and his life's path is no Yellow Brick Road. A Lion Among Men chronicles a battle of wits hastened by the Emerald City's approaching armies. At once a portrait of a would-be survivor and a panoramic glimpse of a world gone shrill with war fever, Gregory Maguire's new novel is written with the sympathy and power that have made his books contemporary classics.
312 pages, Paperback
First published October 14, 2008
1575 people are currently reading
42796 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Maguire
106 books8,980 followersGregory Maguire is an American author, whose novels are revisionist retellings of children's stories (such as L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz into Wicked). He received his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Tufts University, and his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany. He was a professor and co-director at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature from 1979-1985. In 1987 he co-founded Children's Literature New England (a non-profit educational charity).
Maguire has served as artist-in-residence at the Blue Mountain Center, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Hambidge Center. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,371 reviews
December 1, 2008
To be honest... I'm getting frustrated with Maguire. His first book in the series (Wicked) has received national (if not global) acclaim, as it rightly should. I was originally entranced by Maguire's ability to reinvent Oz while still keeping the classical whimsical elements alive, in fact fleshing them out by putting them in a realistic and harsh reality of social commentary. However, with the introduction of Son of a Witch, about which he has said he never planned for, Maguire has gone on to tell some other story. This latest installment does give some halfway disappointing closure on the characters of Yackal and the dwarf that still for some reason doesn't make all kinds of sense; however, the story of the lion is long and depressing, filled with themes all too similar to the last book - of course instead of exploring failure because of fate, we explore failure because of cowardice. In fact that seems to be the core theme of the entire series - exploring failure. Maguire seems to have finally mastered his tempo problems of the first two books: the action, dialogue, and introspection all blend seemlessly to make this an easy, engaging read. However the only reason I kept reading was because I wanted to get through the endless history, on to what would happen next. This book revisits too much of the old books to really be called new, except for about two chapters worth of actually interesting revelations. That which isn't already known to the reader, and has no relation to the mysteries of the past or goings on of the present, is all completely useless and fluff. The worst travesty is the complete lack of any more references to the original books. That was the best part of Wicked, incorporating talking Animals, Lurline, the deadly desert, Boq, and a variety of other elements into the rich work. With the second we got a cocktease in the form of Tip. This third only builds on what's already there, dropping the name of Mumbly (Mombi). If you fell in love with the first book but were apprehensive about the second, I say save yourself the time and money and stop where you are. Maguire ended the first one perfectly and appropriately, allowing the reader to draw their own fantastic conclusions. If you've read the second and loved it - by all means, read this as well.
February 26, 2015
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Yes, A Lion Among Men has them all!
This is the Cowardly Lion's story in a nutshell...and a few other nuts are de-shelled as well. Watching cowards in action is hard to stomach. We forever wish them to be brave, to show some sign of courage. But that is not the Lion's way. Following him on his cowardly journey through life is taxing.
On the other hand, if you're a superfan of Oz - the sort who's at least read the Baum originals if not all of the myriad fanfic out there - Maguire's re-imaginings of the Land of Oz can be enthralling. He gives one-dimensional characters two and even three dimensions. He turns the map of Oz into a living geography. It's interesting to see what he's done with the place!
If you're not hep to Maguire's take on Oz, here's a word of warning: He has a somewhat comic approach and his material is occasionally blue. It's not all potty talk, but expect a fuck or shit now and then, along with the occasional mention of sex in it's many forms. His infusion of reality into a fantasy world matures the source material. Sometimes it works, sometimes it misses the mark. It's not always easy to go from serious to ridiculous and back again.
If A Lion Among Men is said to miss its mark - as many critics complain - it's due to a lack of a truly engaging story. Again, I point to the coward issue. Sure, one can sympathize with the Lion and his unfortunate courage-sapping beginnings, but sympathy runs out eventually upon seeing someone constantly fleeing and abandoning obligations and friends.
This is the Cowardly Lion's story in a nutshell...and a few other nuts are de-shelled as well. Watching cowards in action is hard to stomach. We forever wish them to be brave, to show some sign of courage. But that is not the Lion's way. Following him on his cowardly journey through life is taxing.
On the other hand, if you're a superfan of Oz - the sort who's at least read the Baum originals if not all of the myriad fanfic out there - Maguire's re-imaginings of the Land of Oz can be enthralling. He gives one-dimensional characters two and even three dimensions. He turns the map of Oz into a living geography. It's interesting to see what he's done with the place!
If you're not hep to Maguire's take on Oz, here's a word of warning: He has a somewhat comic approach and his material is occasionally blue. It's not all potty talk, but expect a fuck or shit now and then, along with the occasional mention of sex in it's many forms. His infusion of reality into a fantasy world matures the source material. Sometimes it works, sometimes it misses the mark. It's not always easy to go from serious to ridiculous and back again.
If A Lion Among Men is said to miss its mark - as many critics complain - it's due to a lack of a truly engaging story. Again, I point to the coward issue. Sure, one can sympathize with the Lion and his unfortunate courage-sapping beginnings, but sympathy runs out eventually upon seeing someone constantly fleeing and abandoning obligations and friends.
January 9, 2009
So. The third book in what's now referred to as The Wicked Years. Alright. I adore Wicked, both in its written and musical forms. Son of a Witch was a decent sequel. And I was really excited when I learned that we'd get the Lion's perspective in all this.
Brrr is on Emerald City business, in search of the oracle Yackle, who was mentioned in Madame Morrible's notes. Why? Mostly in search of both The Grimmerie, Elphaba's book of magic, and Liir, her son. Yackle was often on the outskirts of Elphaba's life and Brrr wants to know exactly why.
It soon gets mixed up with Brrr's past, Yackle's past, and the current civil war between EC and Munchkinland. Revolts, Emperors, and the like. But for all my excitement of this, I feel really let down. There were parts that were interesting, both with Brrr and Yackle. Brrr's childhood, for instance, since we know he was the cub in Wicked, and his interractions with Dorothy. Yackle's memories of Elphaba and Liir and Fiyero.
I'm sad to say, though, that I was often bored by this, and was just trying to finish it for the sake of finishing it. It's clear from the ending that there will be another book, and why not? People loved Wicked, and want to meet up with those familiar characters again. But I really, really hope the next book is much better. Too much politics and information that really isn't vital to the story.
Brrr is on Emerald City business, in search of the oracle Yackle, who was mentioned in Madame Morrible's notes. Why? Mostly in search of both The Grimmerie, Elphaba's book of magic, and Liir, her son. Yackle was often on the outskirts of Elphaba's life and Brrr wants to know exactly why.
It soon gets mixed up with Brrr's past, Yackle's past, and the current civil war between EC and Munchkinland. Revolts, Emperors, and the like. But for all my excitement of this, I feel really let down. There were parts that were interesting, both with Brrr and Yackle. Brrr's childhood, for instance, since we know he was the cub in Wicked, and his interractions with Dorothy. Yackle's memories of Elphaba and Liir and Fiyero.
I'm sad to say, though, that I was often bored by this, and was just trying to finish it for the sake of finishing it. It's clear from the ending that there will be another book, and why not? People loved Wicked, and want to meet up with those familiar characters again. But I really, really hope the next book is much better. Too much politics and information that really isn't vital to the story.
January 11, 2009
Gregory Maguire wrote a terrific book called "Wicked" that I liked a lot and that spawned a Broadway musical that bore only a passing resemblance to it, but was also terrific. He couldn't leave well enough alone and wrote a sequel, "Son of a Witch" that was really bizarre and a little creepy and didn't make a whole lot of sense, but was okay--sort of. Well, it's sort of okay now that I've read installment three, "A Lion Among Men".
"Son of a Witch" left the reader with a ginormous cliffhanger. It read like an unfinished novel. Maguire left a lot of loose plot threads. So, you knew there had to be a sequel. Unfortunately, "A Lion Among Men" is not that sequel until the last 50-60 pages. It's not until the very end that he ties this story into the first two. When he does it's through a literal deus ex machina twist that just tells you absolutely everything. This book is 250 pages of prologue and 50 pages of story. Worse, that story is just a set up for volume 4.
I love my husband dearly and it was really thoughtful of him to get me this book knowing that I'd read the first two and that I loved the musical "Wicked". I just wish Maguire had written a book worthy of the first volume.
"Son of a Witch" left the reader with a ginormous cliffhanger. It read like an unfinished novel. Maguire left a lot of loose plot threads. So, you knew there had to be a sequel. Unfortunately, "A Lion Among Men" is not that sequel until the last 50-60 pages. It's not until the very end that he ties this story into the first two. When he does it's through a literal deus ex machina twist that just tells you absolutely everything. This book is 250 pages of prologue and 50 pages of story. Worse, that story is just a set up for volume 4.
I love my husband dearly and it was really thoughtful of him to get me this book knowing that I'd read the first two and that I loved the musical "Wicked". I just wish Maguire had written a book worthy of the first volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2008
Considering how much I enjoyed Wicked, and how much more I enjoyed Son of a Witch, I found A Lion Among Men disappointing. I was all geared up to find out what happens with Liir and you-know-what-from-the-end-of-Son of a Witch, but the third book in this series barely mentions him. Instead, this book focuses primarily on the Cowardly Lion and his life experiences, and touches a bit on Fiyero's daughter.
I found the author's language annoying, if not incomprehensible at times (or maybe I just didn't have the patience to figure it out), and felt as though the effort he spent trying to sound profound could have been better spent developing a worthwhile plot for the Lion; overall the reading felt tedious.
That said, I did enjoy some of the book, particularly the bits involving Mother Yackle, a strange character first introduced in Wicked, whose history is revealed in A Lion Among Men, and is a lovely example of the bizarre, yet imaginatively delightful writing I was expecting from Gregory Maguire throughout the book.
I found the author's language annoying, if not incomprehensible at times (or maybe I just didn't have the patience to figure it out), and felt as though the effort he spent trying to sound profound could have been better spent developing a worthwhile plot for the Lion; overall the reading felt tedious.
That said, I did enjoy some of the book, particularly the bits involving Mother Yackle, a strange character first introduced in Wicked, whose history is revealed in A Lion Among Men, and is a lovely example of the bizarre, yet imaginatively delightful writing I was expecting from Gregory Maguire throughout the book.
December 8, 2015
I really love Gregory Maguire's writing style, and I love where he has gone with this story over the three novels. The structure of this book, however, felt somewhat scattered--it wasn't until the end, the last few chapters, where I started to feel that it had any coherency, unlike in Son of a Witch, where, although it may not have always been clear what the connections were, exactly, they always felt like connections. I suppose this is due to the fact that the protagonist in this story had little relation to characters I'd become attached to in the previous two novels--I still felt at odds at the end, and wishing a bit more to see the Point.
As always, however, Maguire's turn of phrase and ability to put complex thoughts into interesting prose did not disappoint, and whatever questions I had about the plot, I was carried through easily on the strength of the writing.
As always, however, Maguire's turn of phrase and ability to put complex thoughts into interesting prose did not disappoint, and whatever questions I had about the plot, I was carried through easily on the strength of the writing.
December 4, 2008
LOVING this book. Every other page I want to mark a quote. Thought Wicked was intriguing, Son of a Witch, fabulous. This is even better.
Maguire is either an Asperger's person or intimately knows someone who is, as he so perfectly describes the journey of a character who grew up with no social interaction abandoned in a forest (King of the Forest?), and slowly learns the art of conversation and dealing with people and relationships through eventual painful life experience. Beautifully and brilliantly done.
I have a son with Asperger's...how interesting to view him as a "lion among men," not quite fitting in despite his ability to speak the same language. And how very interesting to view "cowardice" as inaction based on the inability to feel empathy or a connection with others. But this is a smart lion who carries a tin symbol of courage, because he does somehow sense this is something he lacks...and by having the physical medal, he therefore has corrected the problem, right? So literal, so Asperger's.
I also love the encounter with Cubbins, the child bear who is in charge of the Northern Bear clan. Whoever is youngest is "in charge" (ain't that the truth in real life! and what a pithy observation about toddlers in general, or the pull between parents and children) because as the bears get older, they forget...particularly poignant for me as my real grandfather's Alzheimer's progresses and we hold circular conversations over and over, stuck in a never ending loop, exactly like a nonsensical verbal exchange in Alice in Wonderland.
Did I mention how intellectually satisfying Maguire is?! It seems that every moment I spend with one of his novels is time spent well. I will no doubt owe the stupid library five bucks by the time I'm done with this one.
_____
Some readers of Son of a Witch complained that Liir moped and groused and whined and laid in a figurative and literal coma for pages and pages before taking action, fulfilling his destiny, reaching his potential. I could see them really tearing their hair out over this poor "cowardly" Lion.
I happen to really enjoy the intellectual exercise of reading Maguire. He's been called a "wordsmith," but he's an "ideasmith" just as surely. I think he's fascinating.
In this 3rd Wicked novel, Maguire further explores perspective. What if the Wicked Witch, seen from a different angle, was really a misperceived freedom fighter, an intellectual hothead radical, and the Wizard an evil suspicious fraud. Now let's reexamine the Lion as a nursing cub ripped from his mother to become subject to laboratory experiments then thrown back into the forest, alone. He has no family, no social system, no language. We easily understand how hard it must be to master language (or the ability to be understood or truly communicate) without all the social context. But, there is so much more that goes with it such as the ability to feel empathy, and create bonds, real relationships. It is this lack of bonds and the resulting persecution from others that leads this Lion to being labeled "cowardly."
Some people choose to not enter true relationships with others, fear holds them back. Fortunately our Lion is more like an Asperger's person, who did not choose this condition or his lacking natural reactions. He is capable of learning how to relate, through lots of hard, confusing, real-life experience, giving him one piece of the puzzle at a time. Love the poignant ending. He finally learns how to be a friend, how to truly care about another.
Maguire is able to turn well-known children's fantasy upside down as an exercise in perspective and motive because he gives the story a realism that allows us to suspend our disbelief and go along with him on his ride. What an interesting journey -- the dialogue, wry humor, the surprises, and the deep philosophical observations.
The Lion is so socially awkward! I can't help but cheer for him as he struggles to connect with his humanity.
Maguire is either an Asperger's person or intimately knows someone who is, as he so perfectly describes the journey of a character who grew up with no social interaction abandoned in a forest (King of the Forest?), and slowly learns the art of conversation and dealing with people and relationships through eventual painful life experience. Beautifully and brilliantly done.
I have a son with Asperger's...how interesting to view him as a "lion among men," not quite fitting in despite his ability to speak the same language. And how very interesting to view "cowardice" as inaction based on the inability to feel empathy or a connection with others. But this is a smart lion who carries a tin symbol of courage, because he does somehow sense this is something he lacks...and by having the physical medal, he therefore has corrected the problem, right? So literal, so Asperger's.
I also love the encounter with Cubbins, the child bear who is in charge of the Northern Bear clan. Whoever is youngest is "in charge" (ain't that the truth in real life! and what a pithy observation about toddlers in general, or the pull between parents and children) because as the bears get older, they forget...particularly poignant for me as my real grandfather's Alzheimer's progresses and we hold circular conversations over and over, stuck in a never ending loop, exactly like a nonsensical verbal exchange in Alice in Wonderland.
Did I mention how intellectually satisfying Maguire is?! It seems that every moment I spend with one of his novels is time spent well. I will no doubt owe the stupid library five bucks by the time I'm done with this one.
_____
Some readers of Son of a Witch complained that Liir moped and groused and whined and laid in a figurative and literal coma for pages and pages before taking action, fulfilling his destiny, reaching his potential. I could see them really tearing their hair out over this poor "cowardly" Lion.
I happen to really enjoy the intellectual exercise of reading Maguire. He's been called a "wordsmith," but he's an "ideasmith" just as surely. I think he's fascinating.
In this 3rd Wicked novel, Maguire further explores perspective. What if the Wicked Witch, seen from a different angle, was really a misperceived freedom fighter, an intellectual hothead radical, and the Wizard an evil suspicious fraud. Now let's reexamine the Lion as a nursing cub ripped from his mother to become subject to laboratory experiments then thrown back into the forest, alone. He has no family, no social system, no language. We easily understand how hard it must be to master language (or the ability to be understood or truly communicate) without all the social context. But, there is so much more that goes with it such as the ability to feel empathy, and create bonds, real relationships. It is this lack of bonds and the resulting persecution from others that leads this Lion to being labeled "cowardly."
Some people choose to not enter true relationships with others, fear holds them back. Fortunately our Lion is more like an Asperger's person, who did not choose this condition or his lacking natural reactions. He is capable of learning how to relate, through lots of hard, confusing, real-life experience, giving him one piece of the puzzle at a time. Love the poignant ending. He finally learns how to be a friend, how to truly care about another.
Maguire is able to turn well-known children's fantasy upside down as an exercise in perspective and motive because he gives the story a realism that allows us to suspend our disbelief and go along with him on his ride. What an interesting journey -- the dialogue, wry humor, the surprises, and the deep philosophical observations.
The Lion is so socially awkward! I can't help but cheer for him as he struggles to connect with his humanity.
February 4, 2009
It has been three long years since we last traveled to OZ. And much has changed.
The land, once joined together, is now separated into two parties: those that support the current Wizard of OZ and the Munchkinlanders who long to be free and their own people.
It is not the OZ we’ve come to know. It is an OZ on the brink of war and on the cusp of social change. Whether it is change for the better remains to be seen.
Heedless of the turmoil of OZ that surrounds him, Brr, The Cowardly Lion, is on a mission. He must find Yackle, Oracle and Seer, and find out why her name was mentioned in the papers of the deceased Miss Morrible. Miss Morrible used to teach Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West.
He has other questions too: what really happened to Elphaba? Where is Liir, Elphaba’s son? And, though he is loathe to admit it, The Cowardly Lion has questions about himself too. Does Yackle know where he came from? Was he really freed by Elphaba from a cage?
Brr will get the answers he seeks. But first, Yackle wants to know where his life has taken him, what paths have brought him to her. Yackle asks him to tell her of his life before she goes to the life beyond death.
Brr concedes, thinking to tell her a few details to please her so that she will answer his questions. But Brr does not count on the power of the past. Once it is glanced at, it cries out to be examined, to be searched for clues, to be experienced all over again.
Memories, after all, are a powerful magic all their own….
A Lion Among Men is the third book in Maguire’s Wicked Years series and it’s the best one by far. Where Wicked was good, Son of a Witch was great, A Lion Among Men is amazing!
Where Wicked suffered from being too long and Son of a Witch suffered from not having enough to do with the characters we know and love from The Wizard of Oz, A Lion Among Men has us once again following the yellow brick road. And boy what a trip.
They say that the third time is a charm and that is certainly the case with Maguire’s A Lion Among Men. He’s clearly found his stride and it’s the best book in the series. What’s lovely about the novel is getting to know The Cowardly Lion from a different perspective. We only briefly glimpsed him in Wicked and Son of a Witch.
Now we get to know him intimately. This is his book after all.
And, much like Elphaba who had wickedness thrust upon her, I wonder if Brrr The Cowardly Lion is really cowardly after all.
A Lion Among Men is a very intimate book. As well as getting to know Brrr, we get to know Yackle and how she came to know the two women who would become the Wicked Witches of Oz. Some of the answers we learn in A Lion Among Men were from questions or mysteries first posed in Wicked, so the book should please fans of the series.
But even better than that, A Lion Among men is a wonderful parable and parallel of one lion among men who, though surrounded by people, is incredibly alone.
A Lion Among Men is one portrait of a lonely lion haunted by a need to belong. It’s at once funny, charming, harrowing, bleak and incredibly beautiful. If you haven’t read A Lion Among Men yet, do yourself a favour and visit OZ again.
We’re not in Kansas anymore.
The land, once joined together, is now separated into two parties: those that support the current Wizard of OZ and the Munchkinlanders who long to be free and their own people.
It is not the OZ we’ve come to know. It is an OZ on the brink of war and on the cusp of social change. Whether it is change for the better remains to be seen.
Heedless of the turmoil of OZ that surrounds him, Brr, The Cowardly Lion, is on a mission. He must find Yackle, Oracle and Seer, and find out why her name was mentioned in the papers of the deceased Miss Morrible. Miss Morrible used to teach Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West.
He has other questions too: what really happened to Elphaba? Where is Liir, Elphaba’s son? And, though he is loathe to admit it, The Cowardly Lion has questions about himself too. Does Yackle know where he came from? Was he really freed by Elphaba from a cage?
Brr will get the answers he seeks. But first, Yackle wants to know where his life has taken him, what paths have brought him to her. Yackle asks him to tell her of his life before she goes to the life beyond death.
Brr concedes, thinking to tell her a few details to please her so that she will answer his questions. But Brr does not count on the power of the past. Once it is glanced at, it cries out to be examined, to be searched for clues, to be experienced all over again.
Memories, after all, are a powerful magic all their own….
A Lion Among Men is the third book in Maguire’s Wicked Years series and it’s the best one by far. Where Wicked was good, Son of a Witch was great, A Lion Among Men is amazing!
Where Wicked suffered from being too long and Son of a Witch suffered from not having enough to do with the characters we know and love from The Wizard of Oz, A Lion Among Men has us once again following the yellow brick road. And boy what a trip.
They say that the third time is a charm and that is certainly the case with Maguire’s A Lion Among Men. He’s clearly found his stride and it’s the best book in the series. What’s lovely about the novel is getting to know The Cowardly Lion from a different perspective. We only briefly glimpsed him in Wicked and Son of a Witch.
Now we get to know him intimately. This is his book after all.
And, much like Elphaba who had wickedness thrust upon her, I wonder if Brrr The Cowardly Lion is really cowardly after all.
A Lion Among Men is a very intimate book. As well as getting to know Brrr, we get to know Yackle and how she came to know the two women who would become the Wicked Witches of Oz. Some of the answers we learn in A Lion Among Men were from questions or mysteries first posed in Wicked, so the book should please fans of the series.
But even better than that, A Lion Among men is a wonderful parable and parallel of one lion among men who, though surrounded by people, is incredibly alone.
A Lion Among Men is one portrait of a lonely lion haunted by a need to belong. It’s at once funny, charming, harrowing, bleak and incredibly beautiful. If you haven’t read A Lion Among Men yet, do yourself a favour and visit OZ again.
We’re not in Kansas anymore.
October 12, 2008
After the rushed feeling of "Son of a Witch", MacGuire redeems himself with this novel... it made me feel as if some wounds were healed for both the reader and the characters.
June 5, 2025
4.5 stars on the blog.
I loved this book so much that I immediately went on to the last book in the series, Out of Oz.
The .5 star reduction is only because in comparison to Son of a Witch, it pales some in my opinion.
I loved this book so much that I immediately went on to the last book in the series, Out of Oz.
The .5 star reduction is only because in comparison to Son of a Witch, it pales some in my opinion.
July 29, 2017
I don't know what to think about this one. I've wondered why I've persevered with this series (although it has been a long time since I read the previous book). These books are too clever for their own good - or at least they think they are.
The central characters in this book are the Cowardly Lion (who briefly appeared in the original book as cub) and Old Mother Yackle - the Oracle. Yackle still lives with the maunts and she wants to die, but try as she might she still lives. She even had herself shut in a crypt for a year and she still didn't die. So Yackle is trying to figure out why.
The Cowardly Lion (his real name is Brr) comes to Yackle for information - he's looking for Liir and thinks she can help him. But what he's really looking for is the Grimmerie. As a servant of the court he has to find it - otherwise he'll end up in Southstairs.
But Yackle needs to know if she can trust Brr - so she gets him to share memories. So this book is mainly flashbacks of both their past - but mainly Brr's past. Nothing ever seems to have gone right for him, no memory of his family, no memory of his childhood trip to Shiz, no friends, the only Animal in Society - when it wasn't fashionable to be an Animal. He stumbles from one uncomfortable situation to another.
Yackle has no memory of being young - she was born old. Blind (after events in the previous book) - you're never quite sure if the visions she has are real or not. But she was always there on the outskirts of Elphaba's life.
But Yackle isn't the only one prone to prophecy's - as a certain clock is making its way to the mauntery - accompanied by a woman that many thought was dead. Her tale is also woven into the story.
The problem is, that this story feels like a bit of a filler, a way to manoeuvre characters in preparation for the finale. Because it also rehashes what happened to Liir and Candle - so the search can begin for them and their little girl. Because war has broken out and maybe a witches granddaughter is the only one who can put things right?
The central characters in this book are the Cowardly Lion (who briefly appeared in the original book as cub) and Old Mother Yackle - the Oracle. Yackle still lives with the maunts and she wants to die, but try as she might she still lives. She even had herself shut in a crypt for a year and she still didn't die. So Yackle is trying to figure out why.
The Cowardly Lion (his real name is Brr) comes to Yackle for information - he's looking for Liir and thinks she can help him. But what he's really looking for is the Grimmerie. As a servant of the court he has to find it - otherwise he'll end up in Southstairs.
But Yackle needs to know if she can trust Brr - so she gets him to share memories. So this book is mainly flashbacks of both their past - but mainly Brr's past. Nothing ever seems to have gone right for him, no memory of his family, no memory of his childhood trip to Shiz, no friends, the only Animal in Society - when it wasn't fashionable to be an Animal. He stumbles from one uncomfortable situation to another.
Yackle has no memory of being young - she was born old. Blind (after events in the previous book) - you're never quite sure if the visions she has are real or not. But she was always there on the outskirts of Elphaba's life.
But Yackle isn't the only one prone to prophecy's - as a certain clock is making its way to the mauntery - accompanied by a woman that many thought was dead. Her tale is also woven into the story.
The problem is, that this story feels like a bit of a filler, a way to manoeuvre characters in preparation for the finale. Because it also rehashes what happened to Liir and Candle - so the search can begin for them and their little girl. Because war has broken out and maybe a witches granddaughter is the only one who can put things right?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2024
It’s been a minute since I’ve DNF’d a book but this is fucking boooooooring and I have no desire to finish it or the last book in the series. Honest opinion, Maguire should have stopped at Wicked.
June 14, 2013
Ever seen the clip from the old school Hercules movie in which the demi god throws his fists in the air and bellows at the top of his lungs, "Disappointeeeeeed!!!"" .... Upon finishing this book, that is exactly what I did, but I'm a nerdy ginger not a demi god, so the effect may have been less impactful. I adored Wicked, tolerated Son Of A Witch, and despised A Lion Among Men. I kept reading this last book hoping all the while that the everlasting backstory would turn into a decent plot, but my wishes were not granted. This book made no sense in context with the Wicked plot line, and was lacking in depth to be a stand alone novel. It failed to resolve the conflict involving Elphaba's death and was weak in addressing any thematic issues in earlier books. I was devastated when this book ended because the series felt so open ended. What of Liir's green child?? What happened to Candle? What was Yackle's significance to Nessarose? What was Madame Morrible's significance to Yackle?? And the biggest one of all.... IS ELPHABA DEAD?? Nothing was resolved. This book seemed more like an excuse to make money than a conclusion to a well written trilogy. McGuire did well in writing Wicked, but in order to retain your sanity, don't proceed with the series. Definitely not worth it.
January 9, 2009
What a disappointment! Wicked was an act of amazing and original brilliance, taking a world that we are all familiar with, and turning it completely upside down. Brilliantly imagined and equally brilliantly realized, one of its strongest suits was the way in which Maguire took elements of the original books, (not just Wizard) and wove them together into a familiar and yet wholly new world.
Since then, his approach to the series feels labored and incomprehensible to me. Son of a Witch was weak, and left you waiting for resolution of a number of issues at the end of the book. With Lion Among Men, these issues all remain unresolved, and a convoluted, and confusing tale is told about the Lion. There are flashes of Maguires brilliance in the first few chapters, but then the story just gets too difficult to follow, and the characters never reach the power or internal complexity of Elphaba or Gallinda.
I am sorry to say this, but I thought this book was a waste. If you read Son of A Witch and thought it was terrific, then knock yourself out, you'll probably like this one as well. If you were left wondering what happened to Oz, then I'd probably pass on Lion.
Since then, his approach to the series feels labored and incomprehensible to me. Son of a Witch was weak, and left you waiting for resolution of a number of issues at the end of the book. With Lion Among Men, these issues all remain unresolved, and a convoluted, and confusing tale is told about the Lion. There are flashes of Maguires brilliance in the first few chapters, but then the story just gets too difficult to follow, and the characters never reach the power or internal complexity of Elphaba or Gallinda.
I am sorry to say this, but I thought this book was a waste. If you read Son of A Witch and thought it was terrific, then knock yourself out, you'll probably like this one as well. If you were left wondering what happened to Oz, then I'd probably pass on Lion.
December 2, 2008
"Wicked" was fantastically drawn, while at the same time intriguingly vague and introspective. In my opinion it was a masterpiece. "Son of a Witch" and now "A Lion Among Men" only make blind attempts at creating the same mystique; they stumble along the way and end up a jumble of meaningless revelations that do nothing but create a more convoluted and less intriguing story. At the same time that story has none of the charm of "Wicked". Fleeting references to and reimaginings of the original Oz books tend to be worn thin or overly dramatic. The inclusion of these later chapters do nothing but frustrate me. In truth I was happier speculating about the vague origins of Yackle and the dwarf; I was content guessing at the significance of a partitioned Oz and a witch's bumbling son. Some mysteries are better left to the imagination. Honestly, this idea of all stories becoming a trilogy is wearing thin. Why not leave a good thing alone and let our imaginations fill in the holes?
March 27, 2022
Like the previous two novels in this series, Maguire presents a familiar character in a totally new, imaginative light, all the while commenting on society. What would happen if a very young, sentient creature was left alone, with no parent, no guardian, no community to guide him through his growing up? How might such a creature pick up language? How would he relate to others? The next time you consider someone thoughtless, abrupt, rude, or even cowardly, think twice - you never know what circumstances brought about their behavior.
May 24, 2022
It was a bit of a slog and I'm glad to be done with it.
March 16, 2025
nice wrap up to the "son of witch" book. hard to put down in the last 100 pages or so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2025
Not my favorite. Very slow and hard to stay engaged. Only reason I finished was to get to the last book of the series.
September 20, 2019
Talking animals have always been a fascination for people of all ages. Imagining a lion or even your dog talking would be amazing and everyone has wanted that to happen, to experience that wonder for one second. In A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire, many characters in the book are animals that are able to talk.
A Lion Among Men is the third book in the Wicked Years series. The first book in the series, Wicked, is a retelling of The Wizard of Oz from the Wicked Witch's perspective. This book is also set in Oz and tells the story of Brrr, the cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz and tells his story and why he was considered the ‘cowardly’ lion. The book is filled with lots of figurative language, like symbolism, and it is written in olden English.
The book starts out Yackle, who is just so old and ready to die. Brrr goes in search of information about Elphaba and finds Yackle, all by herself and blind. He tries to find out what happened to Elphaba, but the only way is to tell Yackle about his life. So he agrees. He tells her about being abandoned and alone and his experiences.
This book is very captivating and really makes you feel how the characters are feeling, and puts the beloved Cowardly Lion into a new light. It’s a long book, with over 300 words, but if you love fantasy and Wicked this book would interest you.
A Lion Among Men is the third book in the Wicked Years series. The first book in the series, Wicked, is a retelling of The Wizard of Oz from the Wicked Witch's perspective. This book is also set in Oz and tells the story of Brrr, the cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz and tells his story and why he was considered the ‘cowardly’ lion. The book is filled with lots of figurative language, like symbolism, and it is written in olden English.
The book starts out Yackle, who is just so old and ready to die. Brrr goes in search of information about Elphaba and finds Yackle, all by herself and blind. He tries to find out what happened to Elphaba, but the only way is to tell Yackle about his life. So he agrees. He tells her about being abandoned and alone and his experiences.
This book is very captivating and really makes you feel how the characters are feeling, and puts the beloved Cowardly Lion into a new light. It’s a long book, with over 300 words, but if you love fantasy and Wicked this book would interest you.
December 22, 2008
Maguire is a fantastic world builder and blew audiences away with Wicked back in 1995. Lion continues in this tradition, but offers no characters that differ greatly from those in Wicked. Maguire has a tendency of making all his characters very similar: Incredibly pessimistic and overly verbose. Often they sound like depressives who have just walked out of a thesaurus. But what is more unfortunate is that Maguire tries to substitute this pessimism for the guiding philosophy of the book. By emphasizing simply that the worst will happen, he discards the possibility of looking at why something is bad and how it how it happens. This tendency cheapens the insights of what is a otherwise a very talented writer. He continues his themes of the individual versus society, the question of fate, free will and human nature that were prominent in Wicked, but does not offer any new insights or new ways of looking at the question.
January 4, 2009
Arg! Just finished this last night, and it has the same curse as "Son of a Witch," in that it reveals just so much, but leaves you with so many more questions. I'd really hoped, for the satement of my curiosity, that this would be the last book, in which all is revealed. But, no. Which some day will be magnificent, when we sit down with the many books in this series, a cup of coffee, a warm blanket, and days and days ahead to gorge on this delightful brain candy. For now, I am agonized over the several years it's likely to take before I get another smidgen of insight into what the freak went on in Oz and beyond.
I took away a star because it left me hanging, again.
The development is a little slow - less action takes place - most in the present is in one building, over one day. But you get a lot of the backstory from the other two books. And are left really wanting to know more. Here's to Gregory Maguire's swift completion of the *next* book in this series.
I took away a star because it left me hanging, again.
The development is a little slow - less action takes place - most in the present is in one building, over one day. But you get a lot of the backstory from the other two books. And are left really wanting to know more. Here's to Gregory Maguire's swift completion of the *next* book in this series.
December 31, 2008
Disenchanted. That's what I am with Gregory Maguire. This book is almost completely backstory; we learn nothing more about Liir and Tristam and Candle and the new arrival. The part of the story that does advance moves only about 3 inches, and it was no mystery who the handmaiden of the clock is anyway. And Yackle's story--if you have to summarize it at the end, it wasn't well delivered. Speaking of the ending, it was ponderous, and Maguire could have done better than use a literal deus ex machina.
I did enjoy Brrr. And I'll read the next book because Son of a Witch hooked me. But the loose ends had better start coming together.
I did enjoy Brrr. And I'll read the next book because Son of a Witch hooked me. But the loose ends had better start coming together.
November 4, 2014
2.5/5*
Pese a que sigue el mismo estilo que los anteriores libros, me ha gustado menos.
La historia me ha resultado más aburrida y el personaje principal, Brrr, menos interesante que Elphaba o Liir, y aunque se han desvelado algunas incognitas, y algunas partes han sido muy interesamtes, me ha parecido bastante relleno en general
Aún así me sigue gustando mucho la manera de narrar de Maguire y he de agradecer haber podido saber más de la historia de Yackle, personaje que siempre me interesó mucho y del que ahora estoy enamorada.
♥♡♥
Pese a que sigue el mismo estilo que los anteriores libros, me ha gustado menos.
La historia me ha resultado más aburrida y el personaje principal, Brrr, menos interesante que Elphaba o Liir, y aunque se han desvelado algunas incognitas, y algunas partes han sido muy interesamtes, me ha parecido bastante relleno en general
Aún así me sigue gustando mucho la manera de narrar de Maguire y he de agradecer haber podido saber más de la historia de Yackle, personaje que siempre me interesó mucho y del que ahora estoy enamorada.
♥♡♥
February 20, 2009
It took me ages to get into this book. It's not the best of the series by far. I didn't even Like Brr or Yackle. You do learn a lot more about Yackle though. It is funny in parts too. The ending left room for more books. Eh...
February 7, 2021
Oh my life, these books are not for me.
September 7, 2025
A Lion Among Men, what a powerful title, right?
4.7/5 ⭐️ I opened this book thinking the Lion cub saved by Elphaba would be praised as one of the greatest Lion’s ever. How wrong was I. I should have known since his nickname becomes “the cowardly Lion”.
To put a name to a Lion, Brrr was first introduced to us back in Wicked. He was the young Lion cub in a cage used at Shiz for experiments. Elphaba saved him and not much was said about Brrr until the 3rd book in the Wicked series. Brrr shows up at mother Yackles door demanding answers about Elphaba, Liir and the Grimmerie. Oz is looking for this book and any trace of those who can use it.
The beginning of the book leads you to believe Brrr was sent here by Glinda herself and that he’s talked highly about in Oz.
But mother Yackle is not stupid, in fact she sees all and from the start is not sure if she can trust Brrr with her knowledge of Elphaba, Liir or the Grimmerie.
And she’s right, Brrr is only here to save his ass. He’s been seen as one of the worst Animals Oz has had to deal with. To face all his crimes, Brrr must obtain this knowledge or face consequences. Oz is also under a huge war. The munchkinlanders will no longer take the mistreatment. They are starting to attack the Oz soldiers and anyone not siding with them. Shell, Elphaba’s brother, hopes to obtain the Grimmerie to stop this war and to control Oz entirely, with no fear he’ll be taken down.
The majority of the book is Brrr explaining his life to mother Yackle to gain her trust. In the beginning Brrr starts off by saying things like he can’t recall, but he eventually tells his whole tale in this book.
Brrr admits he never sought for help for his first friend Jemmsy and how his death was due to Brrr’s lack of completing a task. How he was deemed to be on Elphaba’s side and the Wizards making him a traitor, to both. How his history with Muhlama couldn’t be repaired no matter how much he wishs he could, and many other things that went south due to his lack of experience.
Brrr had been on his own since he was a cub, when Elphaba saved him and let him go. No one taught him about humans and how they were out to get Animals. No one taught him about love or deception. Brrr was essentially at the wrong place at the wrong time on MANY occasions. Some times he did things I understand but others, he just really did what he thought was best.
We’re also introduced to the time dragon clock more in this book! You get the understanding of its importance and its place in Oz.
In this book we also say goodbye to mother Yackle who is already on the brink of death at the beginning of the book. Her death is filled with grief but also closes a chapter on another character in the most satisfying way!
Before about 50 pages left in the book, I thought this was going to be another Son of a Witch ending where the main point of the book is not explained.
But I was WRONG! You have to wait until the VERY END!! But it’s ALL here! And more!
In the book we’re introduced to Ilianora, and she and Brrr make a pact. Brrr will seek her out once his new journey of self discovery is completed. Together they will look for Liir and his daughter.
Because, as told by Yackle before her death, Elphaba is dead and gone but she will rise.
Now, in the book it is clear we’re unsure of who she is at the moment, but with it ending on this note, I truly believe Elphaba is reincarnated into her granddaughter and the only remaining hope to take down Shell, Elphaba’s brother, is with Elphaba’s reincarnation herself (and possibly her son!)
I enjoyed this book! Finally!!, a series I have enjoyed thoroughly! I’m so excited to wrap up the Wicked series with Out of Oz! I wonder if Brrrs sibling will be brought up!! It said in this book his father and sibling escaped but his mother died and Brrr was taken to Shiz.
I’m hoping the time dragon clock is mentioned in the final book as well!! So many questions!!, where does Oz stand with this huge battle? Will Animals ever be able to come out of hiding?! One book to go!
The only thing I struggled with is the writing style. That’s to come when reading a Gregory Maguire book. It’s written beautifully but the writing style isn’t typical and can be a bit hard to understand at times.
But overall!!, loved this book! 4.7/5⭐️
4.7/5 ⭐️ I opened this book thinking the Lion cub saved by Elphaba would be praised as one of the greatest Lion’s ever. How wrong was I. I should have known since his nickname becomes “the cowardly Lion”.
To put a name to a Lion, Brrr was first introduced to us back in Wicked. He was the young Lion cub in a cage used at Shiz for experiments. Elphaba saved him and not much was said about Brrr until the 3rd book in the Wicked series. Brrr shows up at mother Yackles door demanding answers about Elphaba, Liir and the Grimmerie. Oz is looking for this book and any trace of those who can use it.
The beginning of the book leads you to believe Brrr was sent here by Glinda herself and that he’s talked highly about in Oz.
But mother Yackle is not stupid, in fact she sees all and from the start is not sure if she can trust Brrr with her knowledge of Elphaba, Liir or the Grimmerie.
And she’s right, Brrr is only here to save his ass. He’s been seen as one of the worst Animals Oz has had to deal with. To face all his crimes, Brrr must obtain this knowledge or face consequences. Oz is also under a huge war. The munchkinlanders will no longer take the mistreatment. They are starting to attack the Oz soldiers and anyone not siding with them. Shell, Elphaba’s brother, hopes to obtain the Grimmerie to stop this war and to control Oz entirely, with no fear he’ll be taken down.
The majority of the book is Brrr explaining his life to mother Yackle to gain her trust. In the beginning Brrr starts off by saying things like he can’t recall, but he eventually tells his whole tale in this book.
Brrr admits he never sought for help for his first friend Jemmsy and how his death was due to Brrr’s lack of completing a task. How he was deemed to be on Elphaba’s side and the Wizards making him a traitor, to both. How his history with Muhlama couldn’t be repaired no matter how much he wishs he could, and many other things that went south due to his lack of experience.
Brrr had been on his own since he was a cub, when Elphaba saved him and let him go. No one taught him about humans and how they were out to get Animals. No one taught him about love or deception. Brrr was essentially at the wrong place at the wrong time on MANY occasions. Some times he did things I understand but others, he just really did what he thought was best.
We’re also introduced to the time dragon clock more in this book! You get the understanding of its importance and its place in Oz.
In this book we also say goodbye to mother Yackle who is already on the brink of death at the beginning of the book. Her death is filled with grief but also closes a chapter on another character in the most satisfying way!
Before about 50 pages left in the book, I thought this was going to be another Son of a Witch ending where the main point of the book is not explained.
But I was WRONG! You have to wait until the VERY END!! But it’s ALL here! And more!
In the book we’re introduced to Ilianora, and she and Brrr make a pact. Brrr will seek her out once his new journey of self discovery is completed. Together they will look for Liir and his daughter.
Because, as told by Yackle before her death, Elphaba is dead and gone but she will rise.
Now, in the book it is clear we’re unsure of who she is at the moment, but with it ending on this note, I truly believe Elphaba is reincarnated into her granddaughter and the only remaining hope to take down Shell, Elphaba’s brother, is with Elphaba’s reincarnation herself (and possibly her son!)
I enjoyed this book! Finally!!, a series I have enjoyed thoroughly! I’m so excited to wrap up the Wicked series with Out of Oz! I wonder if Brrrs sibling will be brought up!! It said in this book his father and sibling escaped but his mother died and Brrr was taken to Shiz.
I’m hoping the time dragon clock is mentioned in the final book as well!! So many questions!!, where does Oz stand with this huge battle? Will Animals ever be able to come out of hiding?! One book to go!
The only thing I struggled with is the writing style. That’s to come when reading a Gregory Maguire book. It’s written beautifully but the writing style isn’t typical and can be a bit hard to understand at times.
But overall!!, loved this book! 4.7/5⭐️
May 24, 2024
First off, I'm giving this 4 stars because I really wanted to learn more about "The Cowardly Lion." Was his backstory interesting enough to give him a whole volume of Oz history? I don't know, but I did enjoy it. Some people recommend skipping Book Three and going right to the final book of the series, "Out of Oz." I don't recommend it unless you're the type of person who enjoys skipping the middle of a book and going to the final chapter. And then saying that you read the complete book.
I enjoy reading the adventures of the characters, and the world of Oz is fun and extremely imaginative. Just as it was the first time L. Frank Baum wrote, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, " and the subsequent 14 Oz books.
I enjoy reading the adventures of the characters, and the world of Oz is fun and extremely imaginative. Just as it was the first time L. Frank Baum wrote, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, " and the subsequent 14 Oz books.
July 19, 2025
1.5 ⭐️ Shoutout to anyone who was ever able to physically read this novel from end to end.
The only way to get through it is by audio, and even then it is difficult to maintain interest. So many words with nothing going on; my mind often wandered and the audiobook became background noise.
By the halfway point when I realized this book hadn’t even gotten started yet. I knew we were doomed so I skipped ahead to the last 10% Hopeful for a rewarding conclusion only to realize this is such a skip over in the series.
Good job on the author for taking advantage of someone else’s IP and doing nothing with it.
The only way to get through it is by audio, and even then it is difficult to maintain interest. So many words with nothing going on; my mind often wandered and the audiobook became background noise.
By the halfway point when I realized this book hadn’t even gotten started yet. I knew we were doomed so I skipped ahead to the last 10% Hopeful for a rewarding conclusion only to realize this is such a skip over in the series.
Good job on the author for taking advantage of someone else’s IP and doing nothing with it.
May 6, 2025
This was definitely a transition story, or perhaps a side story to the main Wicked plot line. Most of the book is about a character whose life is seemingly inconsequential and unimportant. Yackle’s story was way more interesting than the Lion’s. It did get really interesting at the very end though. Definitely maintained my curiosity towards the overall storyline so I guess I’ll read the last book in the series.
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