Ages of Oz and Truth Above All!

Eager readers! Welcome to another interview and book review. 

Ages of OZ book 1 Fiery Friendship

 First my review: Truth above all! Ages of Oz book one Fiery Friendship is an elemental, mysterious and thrilling epic fantasy that revitalizes the Wonderful World of Oz and uses brilliant modern language to capture the real story of the coming of age of Glinda. Fiery Friendship is a powerful story full of insight into Glinda’s personal world, some life lessons, and plenty of gorgeous illustrations and an abundance of witty character building. The book is full of magical and exciting plot twists and sharp plot turns that will keep the reader guessing throughout the book! Well worth a careful and open hearted read! Truth above all!

To celebrate “Tell a Fairytale” day, which is today, February 26th, I wanted to share my interview with the creator, Gabriel Gale, and author, Lisa Fiedler, of Ages of Oz. Ages of Oz has been launched with a new book series by Simon & Schuster and is a new adaption of L. Frank Baum’s original 14 Oz books including America’s fairytale “The Wizard of Oz.” The first book in the series is called A Fiery Friendship and was published May 16, 2017. The second book in the series is called A Dark Descent and will be published May 15, 2018.

 1. In 144 words or less reveal to our readers how did the books came to be?

Gabe: I’ve been working on the larger Ages of Oz project for about 11 years. It is a vast story that I always intended for transmedia and spans 1000 years of Oz history – starting roughly 900 years before Dorothy landed in Oz. It includes a magical parallel world called Lurlia (where Oz is only one country), time travel, robots, and other types of land, sea, and sky beings. I chose to launch the brand with a children’s book series about Glinda as a young woman for a few reasons: (1) I think Baum would have wanted to continue telling stories to young people about heroic young people, (2) I wanted to pay tribute to the most influential person in Baum’s life, his mother-in-law Matilda Joslyn Gage (Google her, she’s amazing!) (3) I believe this is the best story to tell during this tumultuous political climate, and (4) I wanted to tell a story of Unity and the overturning of Wickedness by a young woman and her friends. We’re extremely happy that Simon & Schuster agreed! (Ok, so that was a few more than 144 words.)

2.     In the opening letter from the creator, you say it’s true and that Gabriel is a historian of the world and ages of oz. please explain?

Lisa: Ah, ha! I knew this would come up again!... Gabe, I told you that we should ease our readers into this whole “I’ve been to Oz,” thing slowly because it’s a little difficult to believe…

Gabe: Yes, yes, I know. Ok, so we agreed to call it “fiction” – for now. But our readers should know that while Baum was writing his books, he also insisted that Oz was real (for example, saying that Dorothy “shared these stories with him through the wireless”). He took letters from his passionate readers and incorporated some of their ideas into his books. He believed in imagining that anything is possible, that Oz belonged as much to his readers as himself, and that we could all be Royal Historians of Oz. I took that to heart and whole-heartedly agree with him.But, from a “fictional” perspective, when I say the story is “true,” I also mean that the powerful ideas in our book series such as Unity and Friendship, despite differences, can be truer than the reality that is presented to us every day in the news. We can investigate and discuss very powerful ideas through fiction because we put aside the political, ideological, and sociological lenses that have grown over our eyes over the course of our lives. These lenses are very hard to see through once they grow over our eyes. In fiction, since we are discussing a ‘fantasy world’ we are more likely to relax the lenses and see with fresh eyes. We use the phrase “Truth Above All” in our book series because we believe that a powerful idea can sometimes be more truthful than our everyday lives.  

3.     How would you introduce ages of oz book 1 fiery friendship in your own words? . 

Lisa: I would say… Girl power collides with Magic. A quest for truth, a battle against Wicked, and some laughs along the way.  

Gabe: I would say it’s a story of how Unity, Intelligence, and seeking ‘Truth Above All’ in a tumultuous political environment can still vanquish Wickedness. Yes, girl power is a large themebecause we believe that Baum was greatly impacted by his women’s suffragist mother-in-law while he was writing about Oz, but Glinda rose to be the most powerful Sorceress in Oz with the help of all her friends – male and female, human and non-human, younger and older. 

4.     Why did you choose to explore the childhood and youth of Oz characters? Why is Glinda the lead character in book one?  

Gabe: All the original Oz books were targeted for children, so I thought it’d be a great homage to Baum’s work to identify with Baum’s original audience with friends that we can all grow and learn with. I chose Glinda to be the main character of the book series that we launched the entire brand with because I thought her origin story would have the most apropos message for all readers – both younger and older – to identify with today.

Lisa: Further to Gabe’s points, it’s always interesting to take characters we know as ‘adults’ and imagine them as younger versions of themselves.  Glinda, for example, grows up to be a powerful force in Oz, but that had to start somewhere, there had to be a time BEFORE she was confident and capable.  This story shows her coming into her talents, finding her own voice, her own way of thinking.   Glinda is an excellent role model for girls in today’s world.  She is not perfect, but she tries her hardest.  She’s eager to learn, and to do what’s right, and she understands that when you are faced with a challenge, you must face it head on and do your best.  

5.     Explain the title Fiery Friendship as it is defined in the first story? Do Fiery Friendships exist today?  

Lisa: The fiery friendship in the title refers to the relationship between Glinda and Locasta.  In many ways they are total opposites—Glinda is by nature soft spoken and polite, a bit of a rule follower.  Locasta is feisty and impulsive and has a quick temper.  When the girls disagree, it’s like a small fire igniting (and of course, this is an allusion to the Fire Fairy, Ember, whom they must find together.)  The important thing is that as different as they are, they do share some very important traits and values.  They are both loyal, they are both determined to succeed, and in my opinion they can both be very funny!   Fiery Friendships definitely exist.  Whenever you hear someone use the phrase ‘opposites attract’ they’re probably talking about a relationship that creates sparks!

Gabe: Agreed. And they certainly do exist! I know that Lisa would agree that our friendship is a testament to that. 😉

6.     What is meant by “truth above all?” Is it a lesson or a warning throughout the book? 

Lisa: “Truth Above All” is definitely a lesson.  In Glinda’s story, the truth has been hidden from the people of Oz, and it will be up to her and the powerful group known as the Foursworn to reveal it.   So finding the truth and setting the world to rights is Glinda’s most important goal.  Finding the truth comes ‘above’ everything else.

Gabe: Yes, it’s definitely a lesson that I think we should all pursue. 

Will the Truth set Glina free? Illustration by Sebastian Giacobino

7.     What is your favorite quote from book 1?  

Gabe: It’s when Glinda’s mother, Tilda, tells Glinda that she is going to allow herself to be captured by the Wicked Witch. Glinda asks her mother ‘Why?!’ And Tilda’s response is “Because you are going to save me.” Tilda had an incredible amount of confidence in what Glinda could accomplish and it was a significant wake-up call for our 13-year old Glinda! 

Lisa: When Tilda tells Glinda, ‘Be as brave as you’ve been and as wise as you are.’   I tell myself that when I need a pep talk, although I’m nowhere near as brave or wise as Glinda!

8.     What is the role of paths and decisions in the book?

Gabe: For me, Magic is a metaphor for making our dreams come true. The “Pathways of Magic” refer to my thoughts on the elements necessary for us all to be successful creators. We need to balance our Intellect, Emotion and Ambition and create Objects which will represent our thoughts and hopes for the world. In my case, I wanted to tell a story about the search for Truth. First I made a plan (Intellect), and I had to muster all my courage (Ambition) to believe that I could execute the plan. I had to deal with my own Emotions and the emotions of others. And I had to see the plan through to completion, which in this case was a Book series, so that my ideas could be shared with the world.   

Lisa: The Road of Red Cobble is very symbolic.  In life, the path you’re meant to take isn’t always clear.   You have to go on faith sometimes, and trust that you’ll get where you need to be.  Sometimes we decide, and sometimes the path decides for us.  Mostly though, it’s a team effort!

9.     What magic do the witches have?  

Lisa: There is a long answer to this question, that deals with the four types of Magic that exist in Oz—too much information to include here.  Let’s just say that the Witches have taken what was once a good and powerful gift and turned it into a very Wicked set of powers.  They use spells to manipulate and destroy.  Each Witch is connected to an element, and this informs the kind of Magic she practices.  

Gabe: There’s a lot of backstory to the 5 Wicked Witches. Yes, there’s 5! Without giving away too many spoilers, the majority of the witches have come to rule their respective lands through obtaining magical objects from one powerful being. Each of the witches control different hybrid-being armies and each have a different Wicked way of ruling over their people. For example, Aphidina, the Wicked Witch of the South, has an army of plant-like creatures and controls Quadling country through Illusion and brainwashing her people into believing that “ In Quadling Country all is well” while it is far from ‘While Mirada, the Wicked Witch of the North, has an army of horned, quilled and furry beasts and controls Gillikin country through mass incarceration, to which her people are shackled and forced to work against their will. 

10.  What makes Glinda so special? 

Lisa: Glinda is special because her power comes from her genuine desire to be Good.  She recognizes that strength—Magical or otherwise—is not a license to do whatever you want to do.  Sometimes a bit of restraint is called for.   She understands that the greatest power in the universe is balance. 

11.  Explain the significance and limits of words to create and change magic in Oz?

Gabe: As you will see in the book, words are arranged into Spells which are a way for the Magician (be she a Witch, Wizard, Sorcerer or Maker) to channel her thoughts into a focused idea. The limits of the Spell are the same as the limits of the spell-caster. So in that sense, if the Magician were to free her mind, she could accomplish anything. 

12.  What would you do if you were Glinda in Oz? 

Gabe: Ask Tilda more questions about their genealogy. No spoilers for Book 2 though! 😉

Lisa: I would stay away from Blingle Plunkett!

Yours Drewly with Gabriel Gale and the Witch of the South

13.  What would Glinda and her fiery friends tell kids today? 

Gabe: They would tell the kids of today to think for themselves and pursue their individual strengths in the name of Unity and Truth Above All.

Lisa: “Think for yourself!” Align with people you trust and respect, and take their advice to heart, but use the lessons they teach you to find your own voice, and your own sense of purpose, and see it through.

14.  What does the future hold for the Ages of Oz series and beyond? 

Gabe: We are working on the transmedia and further sharing the story across the country!

Lisa: Book 2, “A Dark Descent,” comes out in May.  Glinda’s quest becomes even more dangerous, more exciting.  Her Magic will grow stronger and she’ll learn some incredible secrets about her own family history.   There’s still work to do in Oz, and Glinda is eager to do it!

 Thanks to the Simon and Schuster especially the Ages of OZ team (official website) and Instagram  and especially to Gabriel Gale facebook,  on (twitter)  and Lisa Fielder!


Thank you all!