End of Oz: A darker legacy in a familiar land

As 2024 winds down, Out of Oz, the final novel in Gregory Maguire's The Wicked Years series, feels especially fitting in a year consumed by social upheaval and renewed interest in revisionist tales.

In this conclusion to his reimagined Oz, Maguire shifts the spotlight to Rain, the granddaughter of Elphaba—the Wicked Witch herself.

Rain’s journey through a war-torn, morally grey Oz reflects a society riddled with political discord, not unlike our own.

The book brings home Maguire’s sweeping vision of Oz as a place where no one, not even Dorothy, holds simple answers; instead, everyone must reckon with complicated legacies and personal identities.

Not just a political story

Rain’s story plays out in a world of simmering civil unrest, drawing uncanny parallels with today’s global atmosphere of protest and reflection.

But Out of Oz isn’t just a political story; it’s a deeply personal one, mirroring generational shifts and the struggle young people face to navigate a world inherited from complicated forebears.

Rain’s heritage, intertwined with Elphaba’s legacy, doesn’t offer easy answers, and that’s where Maguire’s brilliance lies: he gives us an Oz shaped as much by conflict and resilience as by magic. The journey feels arduous at times, and Maguire’s prose reflects that slow burn—a reminder that some answers take a lifetime to unfold.

A timeless story

This year, the excitement around the Wicked film adaptation, set for release this holiday season, makes the Oz saga even more compelling. Early reviews point to an adaptation that’s visually arresting and emotionally rich, capturing the moral complexity that defines Maguire’s work.

Together, Out of Oz and Wicked offer a powerful, multi-layered exploration of identity and transformation, appealing to those who crave a more complex Oz—a world that questions as much as it enchants.

For readers today, revisiting Out of Oz isn’t just about completing a series; it’s an invitation to see Oz, and our own world, with fresh eyes, where the borders between good and evil are as fluid as the characters who navigate them.

Ahmad Nazir is a UAE based freelance writer, with a degree in education from the Université de Montpellier in Southern France