The Brides of Maracoor

A Novel (Another Day, Book 1)

By: Gregory Maguire

Narrated by: Debra Wise

Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

The first in a three-book series spun off the iconic Wicked Years from multimillion-copy best-selling author Gregory Maguire, featuring Elphaba’s granddaughter, the green-skinned Rain.

Ten years ago this season, Gregory Maguire wrapped up the series he began with Wicked by giving us the fourth and final volume of the Wicked Years, his elegiac Out of Oz.

But “out of Oz” isn’t “gone for good.” Maguire’s new series, Another Day, is here, 25 years after Wicked first flew into our lives.

Volume one, The Brides of Maracoor, finds Elphaba’s granddaughter, Rain, washing ashore on a foreign island. Comatose from crashing into the sea, Rain is taken in by a community of single women committed to obscure devotional practices.

As the mainland of Maracoor sustains an assault by a foreign navy, the island’s civil-servant overseer struggles to understand how an alien arriving on the shores of Maracoor could threaten the stability and well-being of an entire nation. Is it myth or magic at work, for good or for ill?

The trilogy Another Day will follow this green-skinned girl from the island outpost into the unmapped badlands of Maracoor before she learns how, and becomes ready, to turn her broom homeward, back to her family and her lover, back to Oz, which — in its beauty, suffering, mystery, injustice, and possibility — reminds us all too clearly of the troubled yet sacred terrain of our own lives.

©2021 Gregory Maguire (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Slooooowwww

This has such a slow start. I bought it, so I needed to finish it. The last few chapters finally ramp up the action and make it interesting. Not worth it.

couldn't stop

As a lover of the Wicked series. I loved this new spin-off. I couldn't stop when I started.

please finish the story soon

the continuation of out of oz. but left unsettled . frustrating at best. write another please

It's not even my birthday!

Out of Oz might be one of my all time favorite books. I've listened to the audiobook at least a dozen separate times. Yes, it's a 30 hour long audiobook. I said what I said. I had already come to terms years ago with the fact that I would never get to know what happened to my most beloved book protagonist Rain after she threw the Grimmerie into the ocean. When this book was recommended to me by audible, I was totally blindsided. I felt almost as if the author wrote this specifically for me, who has adored Rain for many years.

The performance is ok. It is a pretty huge tonal shift from the narration of John McDonough, which was very eccentric and theatrical. In contrast, this new narrator sounds very somber and subdued. This may be intentional as the setting and culture for this book is different, but I can't quite tell.

I quite enjoyed the new setting. I feel like we barely scratched the surface of the culture and history of this mysterious new world Rain finds herself in. As for the plot of the story, it felt much more contained than the Oz books. It is a good deal shorter as well. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though. If there is one criticism I had for Out of Oz, it's that despite the book being 30 hours long I felt as if there were so many bits of detail and characterization that were lost by the hugeness of the story being crammed into one book. So I'm fine with this story being much more contained. This book still introduces many new characters and lore to enjoy.

Overall, I am so happy to be able to peek into Rain's world again. I look forward to the next novel in this series.

Wonderful

Creative, whimsical, beautifully read, definitely worth a read if you love fiction stories. I never cared much for Oz but this made me love it!

Back to oz

This was great I can’t wait to see I wounder if the grimory did not fall on the invaders island that’s how they had so much power to invade maracor also i can’t wait to see where rain will go next! I wouder if she won’t happen upon. The scarecrow i love this darker more real richer oz im so glad he went back to this universe! Thanks agin Gregory son of a witch stuck with me so much I have bin sining the one truth song this hole book I was hopeing that there devotions to the ug were similar to the brides agin thank you for returning to this universe

Not an Oz book

I really don't understand the point of making the main character related to Elfaba because it never comes up. Oz never comes up either So don't expect this to have anything to do with those books. As a standalone book it doesn't stand up to other Mcguire books I found it a little boring.

loved it

really enjoyed this book. highly recommend. fantasy lovers will really enjoy this book and will anticipate the next one

A wonderful surprise!

I did not read the Wicked Series and was a little nervous about investing in this book but I did not need to worry. I listened to the entire book in one sitting and truly enjoyed every bit. I have considered going back and listening to the original series but unfortunately I couldn't get past the narration in the sample so I will have to actually pick up a book. I do enjoy hands on reading it just takes me a lot longer.

Great introduction to a new world

I do really love Rain, as a character, and I’m so glad Gregory McGuire has decided to continue this story line. Other reviewers have said the action is slow in this book, and it is… at first, anyway. But it is so worth it in the end! McGuire’s characters are never simple or one-dimensional. No action or reaction is all good or all evil. I suppose one might critique the amnesia storyline we’ve seen touched on before in the Wicked series, but I know that my life story involves recreating a few of my parents’ sins or coping mechanisms, so I’m not surprised that Rain has experienced a bit of the genetic inheritance of trauma…

Anyway, I’m very much looking forward to the next book in this story!