Ozma of Oz

I

I'll say this straight off. I enjoyed Ozma of Oz. the characters were silly but that's alright because they each had their own personality quirks. Only qualm I have is that it wasnt really about Ozma very much. Otherwise it was a well written and plotted out fable. It turned where you thought it should and there were a few new, interesting bits for flavour.  

We start off with Dorothy and a yellow hen named Bill. Dorothy quickly "fixes" it to Billina then picks on the bird for eating bugs. Bit of Xanth flashback when they find the lunchbox and dinnerpail trees. Or a flash forward? Poor creatures the Wheelers. Warn people about themselves as a preservation technique then cry about being weak when someone calls a bluff. Either way they are an odd race, fancily dressed but with no thumbs to do the buttons! The clothes could be their actual hides. Wouldn't that save the tailor a bit of work. Cross breed wheelies to get the color, cut, and fabric pattern you wanted. Completely immoral seeing as they are a sentient species, but maybe you could magic that out of them. 

The story goes along with clues being discovered then used not too long after. Poisonous deserts are introduced, Tik-Tok is wound for the first time, royal family sold into slavery, and a Ruler with 30 heads. She only wears one at a time having only one neck. If it was America she'ld just be a serial killer. Or a collector of the macabre! Or a wig maker, with realistic wig stands. 

Dorothy ends up locked away for a night and the rest of the characters show up and set her free. Then it's off to rescue the royal family! Their keeper, not kidnapper as they were sold to him, cant see parting with good slaves even if they are part of a knick-nack collection. He seems a friendly enough hoarder until he realizes his guests are slightly more clever than he likes. But no worries, traveling with a hen has its advantages as her eggs are a deadly poison to the underground inhabitants. A quick tussle and belt thievery has our heroes with the upper hand. Royal family restored, Nome King egged, and back to the palace. 

After Dorothy decides to say foo to her worrying family back in australia, she spends a few months cavorting around Oz and being best pals with Ozma. Eventually she asks about them, and as Glinda has a magical mirror of spying, Dorothy learns that her uncle is still sick, and very possibly DYING because she has left him to worry alone in the outback. A quick wish back to the real world and all is back to normal. With noone questioning anything about disappearing little girls or thinking about the effects of their actions. Ahh, good to be home.  

-The Posh Panda