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Bewitched in Oz
Magic Below
When Princess Ozma summons Zerie Greenapple and her friends Vashti and Tabitha, they have no idea what awaits. Tasked with infiltrating Glinda the Good's palace, Zerie travels by water, Vashti by land, and Tabitha by air. Zerie transforms into a mermaid and enters the underwater realm of Aquaria, where she is met with impossible obstacles. Not only is Zerie's concept of time put to the test, but soon her memory, values, and sense of self are also strained. Unsure whom she can trust in Oz, will Zerie's magic ultimately be used for good . . . or evil?
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
About the author
Laura J. Burns
36 books263 followersLaura J. Burns has written more than thirty books for kids and teens, touching on topics from imaginary lake monsters to out-of-control Hollywood starlets. (Those two things have more in common than you'd think.)
With Melinda Metz, she has also written for the TV shows ROSWELL, 1-800-MISSING, and THE DEAD ZONE. Their next book is THE LOST MAP OF CHAOS, coming in 2018!
Laura lives in New York with her husband, her kids, and her exceptionally silly dogs.
With Melinda Metz, she has also written for the TV shows ROSWELL, 1-800-MISSING, and THE DEAD ZONE. Their next book is THE LOST MAP OF CHAOS, coming in 2018!
Laura lives in New York with her husband, her kids, and her exceptionally silly dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 19, 2015
Review copy received from NetGalley
This is a retelling of the Wizard of Oz. Perhaps the better explanation would be to say that it uses Oz as the setting and characters from the original Wizard of Oz books.
It was intriguing; I don't believe that I've ever read any 'Wizard of Oz' retellings before this.
Now, I didn't realize that this was a sequel to Bewitched in Oz until after I had been approved for a review copy. So I was a bit wary when I began to read. Now, a good sequel can be enjoyed as a standalone; it can be enjoyed by a reader even if the person has not yet read the previous books in the series. And so it was with 'Magic Below'. I would say that approximately 50 pages of the book was a recap. However, the recap of the previous novel's events were woven into the story so well that Magic Below's events were still progressing even though readers were still being caught up with the timeline and details of the story. It flowed very well and seemed very natural; it was not at all boring. I didn't feel like I was confused or missing vital pieces of the plot even though I hadn't read Book 1.
The writing was pleasant; the novel was easy to read without being simple; it was well written without being difficult.
I enjoyed the plot; it flowed smoothly and was entertaining and engaging. I really liked the authors depiction of the merpeople and their world. These beings communicate differently than humans, and can sense thoughts and emotions. This seems to go really well with the water element to me, everything flowing and running together before separating again. It was a different and more creative portrayal of the mermaids than I normally see and I found it refreshing and believable.
There was a little bit of romance, and the main character had times when she wasn't sure which guy she liked better. It was done in quite an innocent manner and there was nothing inappropriate about it, I just felt that the conflict that the main character had over this was unnecessary to the book and its plot, which would have been just as good without this element.
Overall, I found the book to be creative and entertaining. The overall mood was pleasing. It was somehow a relaxing read, even when the characters were in peril. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an original MG fantasy with a taste of adventure.
This is a retelling of the Wizard of Oz. Perhaps the better explanation would be to say that it uses Oz as the setting and characters from the original Wizard of Oz books.
It was intriguing; I don't believe that I've ever read any 'Wizard of Oz' retellings before this.
Now, I didn't realize that this was a sequel to Bewitched in Oz until after I had been approved for a review copy. So I was a bit wary when I began to read. Now, a good sequel can be enjoyed as a standalone; it can be enjoyed by a reader even if the person has not yet read the previous books in the series. And so it was with 'Magic Below'. I would say that approximately 50 pages of the book was a recap. However, the recap of the previous novel's events were woven into the story so well that Magic Below's events were still progressing even though readers were still being caught up with the timeline and details of the story. It flowed very well and seemed very natural; it was not at all boring. I didn't feel like I was confused or missing vital pieces of the plot even though I hadn't read Book 1.
The writing was pleasant; the novel was easy to read without being simple; it was well written without being difficult.
I enjoyed the plot; it flowed smoothly and was entertaining and engaging. I really liked the authors depiction of the merpeople and their world. These beings communicate differently than humans, and can sense thoughts and emotions. This seems to go really well with the water element to me, everything flowing and running together before separating again. It was a different and more creative portrayal of the mermaids than I normally see and I found it refreshing and believable.
There was a little bit of romance, and the main character had times when she wasn't sure which guy she liked better. It was done in quite an innocent manner and there was nothing inappropriate about it, I just felt that the conflict that the main character had over this was unnecessary to the book and its plot, which would have been just as good without this element.
Overall, I found the book to be creative and entertaining. The overall mood was pleasing. It was somehow a relaxing read, even when the characters were in peril. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an original MG fantasy with a taste of adventure.
December 1, 2015
Received from: Capstone
Received Via: NetGalley.com
THE REVIEW
Why this book?
I really liked the first book in the series
What I thought
I didn't like this book as much as I liked the first. Zerie as a mermaid was boring and the only interesting parts was Brink in the dungeon. I also didn't like how Zerie was attracted to that merman im a die hard Brink/Zerie shipper. Overall it was an ok read.
Received Via: NetGalley.com
THE REVIEW
Why this book?
I really liked the first book in the series
What I thought
I didn't like this book as much as I liked the first. Zerie as a mermaid was boring and the only interesting parts was Brink in the dungeon. I also didn't like how Zerie was attracted to that merman im a die hard Brink/Zerie shipper. Overall it was an ok read.
October 28, 2021
Pretty Magical. I loved it. I'm kind of obsessed with this book.
December 3, 2018
I had high hopes for this series, because I can’t stand Ozma and really wanted a story where she was the villain, the way she should have been painted in the Oz books. I withheld judgment on the first book because it seemed to set up a lot of good stuff. But this book… it was bad. So, so bad.
All that really cool stuff about Oz politics, and Zerie’s relationship with her friends, and the idea of Glinda as the Big Bad… never mind literally all of that. We spend about 80% of the book with Zerie as a mermaid, learning how to use the merpeople’s weird telepathy and ignoring the anvil-sized hints of the merpeople’s ulterior motives. Should she stay a mermaid forever? With Handsome Tryan (he’s literally called that in the book)? Burns substituted lame world-building in place of a plot here, and that made this book essentially worthless.
The main antagonist – Glinda – doesn’t even show up in the book. The only cool shoutouts to Oz are Prince Inga’s pearls (which are the wrong colors) and mention of Queen Coo-ee-oh. It’s astounding how little actually happens in this book, and yet how much of a slog it was to read. I urge everyone to stay far away from this drivel, and I’m off to downgrade my rating for the first installment.
All that really cool stuff about Oz politics, and Zerie’s relationship with her friends, and the idea of Glinda as the Big Bad… never mind literally all of that. We spend about 80% of the book with Zerie as a mermaid, learning how to use the merpeople’s weird telepathy and ignoring the anvil-sized hints of the merpeople’s ulterior motives. Should she stay a mermaid forever? With Handsome Tryan (he’s literally called that in the book)? Burns substituted lame world-building in place of a plot here, and that made this book essentially worthless.
The main antagonist – Glinda – doesn’t even show up in the book. The only cool shoutouts to Oz are Prince Inga’s pearls (which are the wrong colors) and mention of Queen Coo-ee-oh. It’s astounding how little actually happens in this book, and yet how much of a slog it was to read. I urge everyone to stay far away from this drivel, and I’m off to downgrade my rating for the first installment.
December 21, 2017
It was ok. Not exactly great. It was boring until the end, and even then a lot that I would have liked to see wasn't there, such as the actual invasion. I disliked how it was all tied up in a perfect little bow, with no engaging twists or action. There was the one towards the end, but it didn't consist of much; just the queen lying and trying to steal the pearl. It is too quickly resolved for the readers to really engage, and the only real feeling Zery experiences through all this is disbelief at Tyson. Only Tyson.
This book just didn't satisfy my expectations and I feel like it could have been greatly improved.
This book just didn't satisfy my expectations and I feel like it could have been greatly improved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2018
Rated 5 stars!
Ages 13+
-
I am almost entirely satisfied with this sequel. If not for how short it was (I would have liked a longer ending, detailing more of Zerie and Brink's relationship after Glinda's surrender) and perhaps being disappointed with Princess Serina, I would be entirely satisfied. I still love this book, though!
Ages 13+
-
I am almost entirely satisfied with this sequel. If not for how short it was (I would have liked a longer ending, detailing more of Zerie and Brink's relationship after Glinda's surrender) and perhaps being disappointed with Princess Serina, I would be entirely satisfied. I still love this book, though!
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December 1, 2020I LOVE IT AND I WOULD DIE TO MEET LAURA J BURNS I LOOOVVVEEE YOUUUUUUUU
February 1, 2021
I really like this book! I especially love how there are mermaids in this book! The setting is underwater!
January 18, 2018
Voilà une suite totalement inattendue ! J’avais eu un coup de cœur pour Bewitched in Oz, une réécriture incroyable du Magicien d’Oz et Laura J. Burn remet le couvert avec la suite directe et répond enfin à certaines de nos questions : qu’est-ce qu’est devenu Brinks ? Qui est réellement la méchante à Oz ? Que va-t-il advenir des 3 amies ? Il aura fallu attendre 2 ans, mais cela en valait le coup bien que ce ne soit pas aussi prenant et incroyable que le premier opus.
Zerie est toujours la même, tête brûlée, intuitive, curieuse et maligne, elle a beau se mettre dans de sales draps, elle s’en sort toujours. Elle a prit confiance en elle et en ses pouvoirs, malheureusement on ne peut pas dire autant de son entourage. Méfiance, manipulation, secrets, la jeune fille va devoir prendre son courage à deux mains pour sauver tout le monde.
Mais Zerie n’est pas la seule à être dans une position délicate, c’est aussi le cas de Brinks qui a été emprisonné par Glenda. On voit certaines de ses facettes alors qu’il tente de s’enfuir. Il est réellement amoureux de Zerie, il remet bien des choses en question et surtout il prend confiance en ses capacités.
L’ambiance que j’avais apprécié dans le livre précédent est toujours au rendez-vous. Mais c’est assez normal puisque les choses reprennent directement après la fin de Bewitched in Oz, si ce n’est que ça se passe en même temps. Il n’empêche qu’il y a certaines nouveautés bienvenues, comme l’univers sous-marin et la découverte de nouvelles races, de nouveaux ennemis.
J’ai apprécié qu’on ait un autre point de vue que celui de Zerie, surtout que j’apprécie Brinks, mais il est dommage que ce n’est pas été plus le cas. Il n’y a pas tant de chapitres que cela de son point de vue, bien que ce soit ce qui donne vraiment du rythme à l’histoire. En plus, même si on entend parler de Vashti et Tabitha, on ne sait pas grand chose sur leurs aventures respectives, ainsi que celle de Ned. J’espère que si l’auteure continue son aventure, elle donnera vie à ces autres personnages intéressants et intriguant.
Une histoire agréable dans son ensemble, avec du rythme, de l’aventure et de la romance, mais je suis un poil déçue vis-à-vis au premier tome. Cependant, ceux qui adore les aventures de Dorothy ne pourront que se régaler et les plus jeunes s’amuseront avec cet univers magique et plein de rêve.
Zerie est toujours la même, tête brûlée, intuitive, curieuse et maligne, elle a beau se mettre dans de sales draps, elle s’en sort toujours. Elle a prit confiance en elle et en ses pouvoirs, malheureusement on ne peut pas dire autant de son entourage. Méfiance, manipulation, secrets, la jeune fille va devoir prendre son courage à deux mains pour sauver tout le monde.
Mais Zerie n’est pas la seule à être dans une position délicate, c’est aussi le cas de Brinks qui a été emprisonné par Glenda. On voit certaines de ses facettes alors qu’il tente de s’enfuir. Il est réellement amoureux de Zerie, il remet bien des choses en question et surtout il prend confiance en ses capacités.
L’ambiance que j’avais apprécié dans le livre précédent est toujours au rendez-vous. Mais c’est assez normal puisque les choses reprennent directement après la fin de Bewitched in Oz, si ce n’est que ça se passe en même temps. Il n’empêche qu’il y a certaines nouveautés bienvenues, comme l’univers sous-marin et la découverte de nouvelles races, de nouveaux ennemis.
J’ai apprécié qu’on ait un autre point de vue que celui de Zerie, surtout que j’apprécie Brinks, mais il est dommage que ce n’est pas été plus le cas. Il n’y a pas tant de chapitres que cela de son point de vue, bien que ce soit ce qui donne vraiment du rythme à l’histoire. En plus, même si on entend parler de Vashti et Tabitha, on ne sait pas grand chose sur leurs aventures respectives, ainsi que celle de Ned. J’espère que si l’auteure continue son aventure, elle donnera vie à ces autres personnages intéressants et intriguant.
Une histoire agréable dans son ensemble, avec du rythme, de l’aventure et de la romance, mais je suis un poil déçue vis-à-vis au premier tome. Cependant, ceux qui adore les aventures de Dorothy ne pourront que se régaler et les plus jeunes s’amuseront avec cet univers magique et plein de rêve.
February 2, 2016
Zerie and her friends are with Princess Ozma and are completely confused on who to trust. Each girl must get inside Glinda the Good’s palace, but a different way. Zerie must travel through water, Vashti must travel by land and Tabitha must reach the palace by air. Although Zerie is transformed into a mermaid for her journey, she must still overcome a series of obstacles and learn to adjust to this entirely different world. During all of this, Brink is being held captive inside Glinda the Good’s palace and he has the added challenge of believing the girls are in a greater danger than him.
Magic Below is the second book in the Bewitched in Oz series. This is a short book that reads even more quickly than may be expected and as the reader approaches the end of the pages it is easy to see that more books are needed to get to the end of the saga. The majority of the story is told from Zerie’s point of view with a few chapters about Brink thrown into the mix. Unfortunately, Vashti’s and Tabitha’s stories are not brought back in until the penultimate chapter and readers are still left wondering what they were doing during this three day time period. I can’t find any information about the next books in the series, so we will all have to wait and see if Burns tells the other two stories or just continues with the adventure. Magic Below could have been a 4-star book if the story was longer so that it didn’t feel as if everything wrapped up quickly and neatly.
Magic Below is the second book in the Bewitched in Oz series. This is a short book that reads even more quickly than may be expected and as the reader approaches the end of the pages it is easy to see that more books are needed to get to the end of the saga. The majority of the story is told from Zerie’s point of view with a few chapters about Brink thrown into the mix. Unfortunately, Vashti’s and Tabitha’s stories are not brought back in until the penultimate chapter and readers are still left wondering what they were doing during this three day time period. I can’t find any information about the next books in the series, so we will all have to wait and see if Burns tells the other two stories or just continues with the adventure. Magic Below could have been a 4-star book if the story was longer so that it didn’t feel as if everything wrapped up quickly and neatly.
March 17, 2016
This is a perfect book for lovers of The Little Mermaid and books on the ocean. Set in Oz, this story is filled with mermaids and wizards and of course, magic. I recommend reading the first in the series, which is also quite good and because there are several things in this story that will feel a little off without the benefit of the first. It is a good series for young readers of fantasy and is very clean. A great book to continue the adventures of OZ!!
January 15, 2016
I did not read the first book in this series. This is a different way of telling the Wizard of OZ story but mermaids are in it. This was weird for me. I was confused but I love mermaids so I want to give this book a chance. I don't think this is a series I will continue. * I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
May 6, 2016
This one took me a long time to get into, and just didn't grab me the same way the first book did. Not enough time in Oz itself, and Aquaria, while interesting in its own way, just doesn't have the same charm.
On a somewhat unrelated note, the targeted gloss on the cover made Zerie's eyes look rather creepy. :S
On a somewhat unrelated note, the targeted gloss on the cover made Zerie's eyes look rather creepy. :S
March 2, 2016
A somewhat satisfying sequel to Bewitched in Oz in which the friends undergo separate missions to help Princess Ozma defeat Glinda and her soldiers. The writing was a bit simplistic and plot points are predictable, but there is enough to the story to keep 9-year-olds entertained.
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January 19, 2018The follow-up to Bewitched in Oz focuses largely on the main viewpoint character, Zerie Greenapple, whom Ozma turns into a mermaid so Glinda won't be able to track her. There's a reference here to the Pearls of Pingaree, but here they're different colors and work more subtly. They're also said to be a gift from Prince Inga of "the Faraway Isles"; after the use of several names from the original books in the first volume, why couldn't they just call it Pingaree? I suppose these could be different pearls than the ones in Rinkitink. The story of Magic Below also seemed a bit thin compared to the first, but I guess Burns is saving significant plot developments for future installments.
May 7, 2019
This was a very good book. I enjoyed the fun imagination. I hope to go on another adventure with them again.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews