Title: Tik-Tok of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Type: Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 256
Rating: 4/5
I read the entirety of this book in one sitting, except for a few breaks to move from a train station to a pub and then back to the train station. Part of that is because it was gripping, but part of it was just because there was nothing else for me to do on the journey.
By this point in the series, Baum has set a formula that he sticks to, but the good news is that he’s still able to come up with a few different tweaks that can keep things fresh. It was also good to see some new characters again, but we also got to see a lot of friends, including the titular character.
I also felt as though there were fewer inconsistencies here, something that’s plagued the Oz books since the second one. It’s as though Baum immediately forgot what he wrote in his books as soon as he sent them off to the publisher. There was even quite a clever piece of retconning in which a character’s name changed but it was explained by a previous plot point.
All in all then, I was pretty happy with this one, but it was nowhere near as good as the first book, which really blew my socks off. After that, it’s had its peaks and troughs, and this one feels like we’re on the ascent again. Bring on more!
