Oz is full of tight little communities defined by people’s special interests and constitutions. But what happens when individuals from one of those little communities feel they don’t fit in?
"The Bashful Baker of Oz" peeks into the life of Maria, a young baker who lives in Crafton, a place where everyone uses their talents for the community. Maria's is baking. As the title suggests, she's a shy girl. However, she has a friend in Lord Luka, a friend of Ozma's. He encourages her to go to the Emerald City and leave Crafton behind. Finally, one day, feeling that she is being overlooked in favor of her talents, Maria goes to the Emerald City. But will she find everything exactly as Luka promised her? Marcus mainly deals with his own new characters, but when a classic Oz character appears, they match the pre-established characterizations. Marcus writes with a style that is upbeat and lively. This brings a welcome volt of energy to Oz. I only have two complaints about The Bashful Baker of Oz. For some reason, the third and fourth chapters have the same title, an error which the author has promised to correct. The other is that the story ends on page 50. It's a bit... More > short, especially carrying a book on its own. But anyways, I'd recommend it for anyone who just wants to read a good Oz story.< Less
