Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Oz, Reimagined

Spelled by Betsy Schow

Puns, fairy tales and snark, oh my!

Spelled is a laugh-out-loud romp through Oz with new and unique characters and new twists on old ones. Schow has cleverly intertwined several Oz characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow) and The Marvelous Land of Oz  (Mombi) with the classic fairy tales of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. She includes modern pop culture references with fantasy names like Glitter, instead of Twitter, UPS Service -United Pegasus Service, and Hans Christian Louboutin designer heels.

Dorthea, the Emerald Princess, goes on an adventure seeking to put the order of magic that she unwittingly changed by a selfish wish, back to normal. No one ever heard of an Emerald princess with green fire for hair marrying a chimera. And no Emerald princess ever had a smart-mouthed handmaiden, who was filled with more fear than friendship, causing her betrayal. But Dorthea, Rexi, and Kato make this fast-paced, magical adventure a story the reader will not quickly forget. Kudos for humor and magic.

Four stars ****