"Trouble Under Oz" is the fifty-ninth book in the Oz series originally started by L. Frank Baum. It was written by Sherwood Smith and published in 2006. It is the second part of a trilogy of books commissioned by the Baum Family Trust, forcing this one into the canon without any possible exception.
"Trouble Under Oz" returns to the main characters of the previous entry, "The Emerald Wand of Oz," that being Dori and Em, who are direct descendants of Princess Dorothy. This time only Dori returns to Oz to help Rik the Nome attempt to take the throne of the Nome Kingdom away from its current ruler, King Kaliko. She is joined by Prince Inga of Pingaree, who possesses three magical pearls that give them protection along the way.
The whole business with Inga and the Nomes is a reference to the tenth book in the series called "Rinkitink in Oz" which travels along a similar path. That particular book is pretty darn good, and I liked reconnecting with those characters and situations.
The problem with Rik and Nomes in general is that they tend to be extremely immature and wicked by nature. Rik actually has a rightful claim to the throne because he is the son of the original Nome King. But Nome politics are extremely odd since lying and treachery are pretty much a way of life for them. They can even deceive each other as long as they don't get caught. Expected but still punishable by their own laws.
This leads Dorothy and Inga into a world that they just don't understand very well. And Rik, who they do support as King, does not really seem to have the maturity for it, even as a Nome. King Kaliko is actually as selfish and devious as Rik, but he is a far more mature Nome and understands the responsibilities that the station requires. Yes, this book is full of stuff like this.
The reason Dori was sent on this mission at all (by Ozma, in case you were wondering) was because there was a concern that there might be a war caused by the sudden change in power. This was a very real threat, and Dori was hoping that she could settle everything out peacefully before things got too rough. For one thing, King Kaliko had a myriad of treaties with hostile neighbors that would become nullified if he was replaced. The politics of this story was very interesting.
While this whole story is going on, Em is in Kansas watching all that is happening to Dori by way of a magic snow globe that was introduced in the first story. She has the comical duty of trying to hide the fact that her sister is not in the house for days from a prying mother, father, and nosey neighbor. These little segments were a lot of fun.
The sad and somewhat cynical contrast between our world and Oz's is still prevalent in this story. It is a situation that will hopefully sort itself out by the third book. Em and Dori's parents are not getting along, and it just seems like the most impossible thing to fix, which is crazy if you consider all the things they have to deal with in Oz seeming so much bigger by comparison.
"Trouble Under Oz" has two main hanging plot points that are left unresolved. In fact, these two plot points were introduced in the first book. First, Dorothy is missing, and nobody knows where she is. Second, there is a big scary cloud with faces appearing in it that seems to appear whenever anyone uses magic. Nobody knows what to do about these things.
Lastly, I want to say that the title of this book, "Trouble Under Oz," is unfortunately inaccurate. The story only goes underground when Dori and Inga go to the Nome Kingdom which is not within the borders of Oz. Misleading title aside, I do recommend this book! It seats solidly within Oz canon, and the reoccurring main characters are very well represented and feel real. Time to tackle the next one!
This blog was written on December 15, 2023.
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Politics and intrigue and the desperate hope to prevent a war. This is the "Tom Clancy" Oz book, it seems. The unresolved aspects imply another book was intended.
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah. It did feel like that a little bit.
DeleteIt's fascinating that the story deals with Nome politics and their treachery. Again with the sad contrast haha. Glad it was enjoyable though it sounds like a well woven tale.
ReplyDeleteI think this author really is having some sad feelings about her own world.
DeleteReal life will naturally be more frustrating. Lacking magic, we are forced to survive according to whatever wits we have. The selfishness of humanity tends to make this a miserable place.
ReplyDeleteWe make it bad and we put up rulers that make it worse.
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