A Lion Among Men: Volume Three in the Wicked Years

By Gregory Maguire

Book Overview

Return to a darker Oz with Gregory Maguire's bestselling adult fairy tale retelling. In A Lion Among Men, the third volume in the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling series The Wicked Years, a fuller, more complex Cowardly Lion is brought to life and gets to tell his remarkable tale. This political fantasy is a story of oppression and fear in a world gone mad with war fever--of Munchkins, Wizards, and the legacy of the Wicked Witch of the West--and especially of a gentle soul and determined survivor who is truly A Lion Among Men.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0063398389
• ISBN13: 9780063398382
• Release Date: August 2024
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

A lion among men

I love the book thank you!

a lion, indeed~

Third in the series... it ties up ALOT of loose ends, and makes your heart ache for those of us who do not 'get' things done quite right. It leaves you thinking, "perhaps , I need to go back and re-read 'Son of a Witch'". Do you think there will be a fourth book? ? ? I need to know more about 'the Dwarf'...EXCELLENT read!

Review for A Lion Among Men

This book is a great follow up to Son of a Witch! I can't wait for the next book in this series!!!!

Best one yet...

This book is the best one yet. Just as with Elphaba we find that the "Cowardly Lion" is complex and missunderstood. As with all Maguire books it's confusing in spots and painful in others, but, that's what makes his characters so real.

Maguire continues to amaze with his reinterpretation of classic fairy tales.

Gregory Maguire is a rare author indeed. He manages to take classic somewhat worn fairy tales and give them a completely new interpretation and perspective that is stunning and thoughtful. And this is his work for adults! I have long been one of his fans, to the point where I have even read a fair number of his books for younger folk to my children. They have loved his originality and genius as well (I think; maybe they just know a good story when they hear one!). What began for me with "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" continued through the first book in the "Wicked" series. I am alternately amazed, bemused, and thrilled by the wonderful plots and beautifully descriptive writing. "Wicked" itself is certainly a masterpiece in my eyes. Not only is it engaging on an almost visceral level, it left me with questions and thoughts for a very long time. It was no surprise to me that it has become practically an icon of pop culture (a Broadway play no less, that of course did not come close to doing this fine work justice). I was not as impressed with "Son of a Witch" which I felt lacked the enduring originality of some of Maguire's other writing. It was nevertheless a great tale in its own right. "A Lion Among Men" is the latest in this series, and for me it signals a return to Maguire's strongest point as a writer: his ability to create deep empathy for a fictional character by making him as real and lovable/hatable as your next door neighboor. I loved the Cowardly Lion of this tale; his struggles were so utterly human that at times I forgot he was an animal. His search for a place in the human world; his struggle to forget or perhaps understand the past; his attempted sexual conquest; his love for his transparent cat: all of these and so much more made this character one worth getting to know. The Lion's tale was set for the most part amidst great turmoil and political strife in Oz, which was a wonderful counterbalance to the introspection of our protagonist. I was sad when the book ended, for I feel there could be a great deal more to this story. Maybe this character will appear in later books in the series! In short, this was a great, fun and thoughtful read and I cannot wait for Maguire's next book.