A Dark Descent

Gr 4–6—This second book in the "Ages of Oz" series continues the epic tale of a teenage Glinda Gavaria and her companions as they fight against the tyranny of the Wicked in the magical land of Oz. After defeating Aphidina—the Wicked Witch of the South—in the first book, Glinda and her friends Locasta, Ben, and Shade join with other forces of Good to challenge the rule of the remaining witches; find and enlist the help of the Elemental Fairies; seek the wisdom of the sorceress Mythra; and reunite with Glinda's mother, Tilda. Intended as a prequel, the story is faithful to the fantasy world created by Baum in structure and style. While the descriptions of the magical realms and the people that inhabit them are vivid, the necessary, copious text tends to slow the pace of the story's action. Furthermore, the narrative style and vocabulary employed to communicate an aura of high fantasy make this tale challenging for the middle grade readers who are most likely to engage with the adventurous plot elements. There is no preamble to set the scene from A Fiery Friendship, the first book of the series, or to introduce the historic Oz mythology; readers who begin their foray into Oz with this title are likely to be quite lost.