Son of a Witch Audiobook By Gregory Maguire cover art

Son of a Witch

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Son of a Witch

By: Gregory Maguire
Narrated by: Gregory Maguire
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About this listen

Ten years after the publication of Wicked, beloved novelist Gregory Maguire returns at last to the land of Oz. There he introduces us to Liir, an adolescent boy last seen hiding in the shadows of the castle after Dorothy did in the Witch. Bruised, comatose, and left for dead in a gully, Liir is shattered in spirit as well as in form. But he is tended at the Cloister of Saint Glinda by the silent novice called Candle, who wills him back to life with her musical gifts.

What dark force left Liir in this condition? Is he really Elphaba's son? He has her broom and her cape, but what of her powers? Can he find his supposed half-sister, Nor, last seen in the forbidding prison, Southstairs? Can he fulfill the last wishes of a dying princess? In an Oz that, since the Wizard's departure, is under new and dangerous management, can Liir keep his head down long enough to grow up?

For the countless fans who have been dazzled and entranced by Maguire's Oz, Son of a Witch is the rich reward they have awaited so long.

Listen to an interview with author Gregory Maguire.©2005 Gregory Maguire (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers
Action & Adventure Epic Epic Fantasy Fairy Tales Fantasy Fiction Magic Users Wizardry
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Critic reviews

"Masterfully imaginative....Ten years after Wicked (which is still on Broadway), fans will once again be clicking their heels with wonderment." (Publishers Weekly)
"A tale that adroitly mixes drama, humor, and political satire into a well-knit examination of good and evil." (Library Journal)

What listeners say about Son of a Witch

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Poor narration

the author is brilliant; his narriation is awful. I could not enjoy or follow this storyline as easily as the other Wickd volums, Read by John McDonough .

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Writers do not (always) good readers make!

The awful narration of what is possibly a good story made it a proper task to finish this book! Between the horrible attempts at accents, the ridiculous affectations, the jerky cadence, and the... oh I don't know, it was just hard to listen to. I almost quit at least a dozen times. I'd love to say the story was worth it in the end, but I'm left with nothing but an unfortunate "meh" feeling. I am disinclined to continue with the series, but I will soldier on.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Fascinating, brilliant, extremely detailed...

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Gregory Maguire has created the world within the original story of Oz. Wonderfully detailed descriptions which creates a very long story. Although some of the unnecessary details could have been cut and still have the same outcome to be shorter version. I would recommend Out of Oz to my friends, but this is not a book you can listen to all in one sitting!



What does Gregory Maguire bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrative by Gregory Maguire brings the passion, excitement and details to the story which he intended while writing the story that you cannot get from reading alone.

Could you see Son of a Witch being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

The Oz serioes by Gregory Maguire would make a great TV series simiar to the recent amazing Once Upon a Time series.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting in a weird way.

I found myself not really liking the character at times and wishing he'd make some decisions... but that's kinda the point. He's lost, in the same way that many of the main characters in this series ...are. And, this is his, the Son Of A Witch's, story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic writing and story

If you could sum up Son of a Witch in three words, what would they be?

engaging, loved it, recommed it

What other book might you compare Son of a Witch to and why?

Wicked because it is an OZ book and because it diverges in a facinating unique way from the traditional story.

What about Gregory Maguire’s performance did you like?

Speech was clear, the voices of the characters were identifiable when there. Emphasis and cadence were great.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Story of Oz! A new perspective!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Narrator is fine! People are spoiled, IMO

Ignore other reviewers’ histrionics about narration and settle in for a great story! I almost missed out and am glad I gave the narrator a chance.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

So so

So while I love that the author wanted to read his work, I felt at times that his voices and accents got in the way of understanding what the characters are trying to say. I wish the author who had read Wicked would've read this one. Also, the story had a lot going on and a lot that could've been trimmed down. At time it felt heavy and confusing, like you need a chart to keep up. I love that it continued the Wicked story, just wish it hadn't been so sticky.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not as bad as the reviews would lead you to believ

I read all the reviews about the writer being a poor narrator. I felt just the opposite. First off I had to read the sequel. I felt what better person to give life to his characters than the author himself. It was he that came up with the characters and he would know the way he intended the characters to sound. The story itself is not bad. I was thrilled to see a new outlook upon the Oz story. This time seen from the male point of view. I do recommend this book and the author as narrator.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining and Enthralling

I listend to Wicked and had to have Son of a Witch. Excellent narration, good story telling.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting interpretation

After thoroughly enjoying the narration of Wicked, I found myself puzzled by the new choice of narrator for Son Of A Witch. I did not figure out who it was until the question and answer section at the end. It was the author...oops. It would seem to make sense, to have the author read the words that he had in his head, to hear them as he did when he was writing them. Sadly, all the different voices and his way of phrasing did nothing to enhance the story for me, and often confused me. (I noticed that subsequent books went back to the capable narrator, John McDonough.)
The story was well executed and interesting. It is definitely an adult book, with adult themes.

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