A Lion Among Men

A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire is the third volume in the Wicked Years series.  The book takes a slightly different approach by following the life of the famous Cowardly Lion, Brrr. Now a Sir Brrr, he has been sent on assignment from the Emerald City to interview the mysterious Yackle, the old oracle that seems to have been around for much of the late Elphaba's life. As Yackle shares her story, Brrr recalls his own - a life that can only be classified as "always in the wrong place at the wrong time."  The most interesting parts of this book are the sections that cross over into Elphaba or Liir's story, because we were left wondering from the first two books. This story ends in a very disappointing way, and one can only hope that a fourth volume will pick up the pieces where this left off. Otherwise, the book seems pointless all together despite the themes of fate, chance, and family. The rating could go up depending on if a fourth book is written. Read this book if you want to keep up with the Wicked series, if you like retold fairy tales, or if you're interested in the world of Oz. I give it a 6 out of 10.