A Lion Among Men

The Wicked Years, Volume 3

By: Gregory Maguire

Narrated by: John McDonough

Length: 12 hrs

Publisher's summary

In the much-anticipated third volume of the Wicked Years, we return to Oz, seen now through the eyes of the Cowardly Lion.

While civil war looms in Oz, a tetchy oracle named Yackle prepares for death. Before her final hour, a figure known as Brrr - the Cowardly Lion - arrives searching for information about Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West.

Abandoned as a cub, his path from infancy is no Yellow Brick Road. In the wake of laws that oppress talking animals, he avoids a jail sentence by agreeing to serve as a lackey to the warmongering Emperor of Oz.

A Lion Among Men chronicles a battle of wits hastened by the Emerald City's approaching armies. Can those tarnished by infamy escape their sobriquets to claim their own histories, to live honorably within their own skins before they're skinned alive?

Gregory Maguire's new novel is written with the sympathy and power that have made his books contemporary classics.

©2008 Gregory Maguire (P)2008 HarperCollins Publishers

One of Gregory's Best

Gregory returns to his best form with this book. I enjoyed this book as much as the original volume Wicked. The characters are vivid, fully formed, and deep. The prose is some of his best. A must listen/read.

The production of the book was only OK though. There are a few music interludes in the book of about 15 seconds each. I never did figure out why they were there and what they represented. There were several instances where the story broke off to start a new thread, these transitions were often abrupt and it was unclear that a scene transition occured. Other than that the story was well read and told. I just felt the editing of the story was a bit haphazard.

A good continuation

I found it hard to follow in parts but a great good in the series rewarding the loyal fan of the series.

A great chapter in the story.

If you could sum up A Lion Among Men in three words, what would they be?

I love the Gregory Maguire Wicked series. It is great to see a story told from a point of view where no one is a hero or really a villain, other then the Wizard.

Gregory and John Together Again

I have to agree with the outstanding reviews of the novel. For those who didn't receive closure in this book, it's very important to understand that not everything has closure and that's what I appreciate about Gregory Maguire's Wicked novels. They always leave me wanting more of the story (which for me seems like a very smart thing to do from an author's stand point).

This book is from another viewpoint of a character from Baum's original creation of characters. He opens another world for us as insight on a more feasible less childlike version of the original with "real" problems and "real" characters.

Further, I love that John McDonough is narrating this 3rd installment. He narrated the Wicked and it was fantastic. Son of a Witch was narrated by Gregory Maguire himself, and while I think this was a great novelty, I much prefer the development that McDonough has put into the characters.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love for Wicked or it's predecessors.

great continuation

The third book and a series. Though it is based on the Lion's story many other character lines are continued. A very good read.

Great story and reader!

I really enjoyed not only the actually story of this book, but the reader as well. It has a nice flow and the word play is fantastic. If you're into something witty but still nipping at the heels of humor, you've got it in this book.

Great Book, Annoying Interludes

I loved this book (as I have all in the series). McDonough does a fantastic job bringing the characters to life as he reads. The only thing I’d change is the musical interludes... they don’t add anything to the story and they disrupt the flow of it while you’re listening.

What a good book!

I think that this book is every bit as good as the first book in the series "Wicked"...the detail and storytelling were long in some parts, but then it started to come together, and you understood how the charactures were beginning to fit together. The Lion, the hero of this story was every bit as distinctive as Elphaba. All I can say is "wow." Can't wait to read the end of the story. The narration was excellent, story imaginative and unpredictable, and well worth the time spent.

Too Good to Waste on Profanity.

The story of an alternative Oz history is interesting and entertaining. Too much unnecessary profanity. It detracts and distracts. It hers to the point where I wish I had not read the first 2 books (gifts), and now must force my way through.

very touching

Can't quite relate to the bad reviews. I was very touched by this story. I want to scratch him under the chin. I've read WICKED and this one and like this one just fine. The lion is endearing, pitiable, likable, sympathetic and finally heroic.