Eager readers! Welcome to another interview and book review.
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| 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?
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.
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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!
Gabe: Ask Tilda more questions about their genealogy. No spoilers for Book 2 though! 😉
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| 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!