Publishers Weekly
08/21/2023
Maguire closes out the Another Day series, a spin-off of his bestselling Wicked Years novels, with this memorable and satisfying adventure. Following the events of The Oracle of Maracoor, it’s time for Rain, the adolescent greenish-skinned granddaughter of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, to return to Oz, where the Cowardly Lion rules as the absent Ozma’s regent. The plot largely consists of a series of misadventures along the journey as Rain slowly overcomes her series-spanning amnesia and remembers her past life. Though she’s coming back to herself, she’s still struggling with the effects of the Grimmerie, a spell book with a strange level of control over her, despite having thrown it into the sea. She also pines for her young lover Tip, who is really the spellbound Ozma. Gradually, Rain tames her adolescent anger and loneliness by accepting the things she’s lost while she’s been away from home and realizing that the key to maturity is love. Maguire’s edgy take on Oz is as much fun to visit as ever, full of sentient animal wisdom from Rain’s goose familiar, complicated familial dynamics, and even some winged monkeys. Series fans will be thrilled. Agent: Moses Cardona, John Hawkins & Assoc. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
An enchanted coming-of-age tale twinged with dark magic” — Entertainment Weekly
“The Brides of Maracoor was an arrival; The Oracle of Maracoor a journey; and The Witch of Maracoor a destination. … Rain’s meandering journey is dreamy, odd, sometimes retrospective, but Maguire’s tone, and Rain’s voice, can be sharp, wise, practical. … [Maguire] knows exactly, beautifully, how to draw his intimate yet world-spanning story to a close. … Some books you understand; some books you accept. This is the latter. It feels like a reminder, like a guidebook through rough times, and at the same time it reads like a dream.” — Tor.com
“Fans of the Wicked saga and Maguire’s rich, multifaceted world will enjoy the references, heartaches, and conclusions.” — Booklist
“Gregory Maguire once again has created an awe-inspiring work of fantasy that takes on the Oz stories and improves on them through expansion of new characters, places and ideas. It all makes for an engaging read and welcome time spent in a place that feels simultaneously strange and eerily familiar.” — BookReporter on The Oracle of Maracoor
“A decade after she flew Out of Oz in Maguire’s Wicked series, Elphaba’s granddaughter crash-lands on an island inhabited by seven sacrificial virgins. The arrival of the green-skinned teen (and her talking goose) upends their enclave. An exquisitely crafted introduction to a new fantasy trilogy.” — People on The Brides of Maracoor
“Rain’s story—begun in The Brides of Maracoor and finished, last month, in The Witch of Maracoor—felt like a gift. . . . The series is odd and dreamy, amnesiac and inventive, and full of what Maguire calls ephrarxis, which he defines as ‘nostalgia for something that had never been.’” — Tor.com
“[Maguire’s] books, written from the perspective of the villain in beloved fairy tales, are captivating, full of life lessons and teach us to look at the misunderstood in a different light. … every page takes the reader on an adventure.” — Newsweek
“Wonderful attention to detail. . . . [Maguire] does excellent character work. . . . The larger world of Maracoor Abiding . . . has echoes of Greek mythology and looks to be fertile ground as a setting for more books. An expertly crafted introduction to a new series of magic and adventure.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on The Brides of Maracoor
“The Brides of Maracoor once again shows Maguire’s rich, mesmerizing world building, full of small, frustrating human absurdities. . . . It also shows off his gift for crafting compelling characters. . . . It’s an intriguing, witty start to a fantastical proposed trilogy.” — Booklist on The Brides of Maracoor
“[A] complex, enticing fantasy. . . . Maguire cleverly teases out the characters’ motivation and desires, turning what at first appears to be a straightforward tale into a gripping page-turner. Fans will revel in this triumphant return to the world of Wicked.” — Publishers Weekly on The Brides of Maracoor
People on The Brides of Maracoor
An exquisitely crafted introduction to a new fantasy trilogy.”
DECEMBER 2023 - AudioFile
Debra Wise narrates the final installment of the Another Day series, the story of Rainary Ko. Rain, granddaughter of Elphaba, continues her journey back to Oz as her memories slowly return. While her progress seems haphazard, Wise's narration grounds the choices she makes and ties the many disparate plot threads together. Wise sneaks unexpectedly wry humor into the long and arduous journey, making the many diversions Rain engages in worth the listener's attention. Similarly, Wise's brisk pacing assists in keeping the descriptive passages lively. While Rain ultimately achieves her goal, it's Wise's performance that shepherds the story to its conclusion. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
