It's difficult to follow up a successful and iconic work like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. There are always questions about how much from the first book to keep in a sequel and how much new material should be explored. Make it too much like the original and it might not ignite that same spark. Veer too far away from what made the first book successful and it might be too hard to ride that success into the second one. Ultimately, The Marvelous Land of Oz had a tough spot to fill, but it did an OK job of it.
With a world as rich and varied as Oz, there are a lot of interesting places to go and concepts to explore. The Marvelous Land of Oz decided to continue world-building without Dorothy, which is probably what made it feel less relatable than its predecessor. There wasn’t that human element that anchored all the wild and fantastical elements compared to a boring life in Midwestern America. Sure, there are still a few remnants of the original crew this story visits, but they almost feel like an afterthought to tie everything together.
The best thing about The Marvelous Land of Oz is that it built up more of the lore. I liked the twist with Tip at the end, but there were also a lot of new characters to keep track of. That so many of the characters are just sentient versions of things (like Jack Pumpkinhead or the Sawhorse) or talking animals doesn’t really inspire too much in terms of creativity. If this were trimmed down a bit and added as an epilogue to the first book, it may have been better, but it still has some value as a standalone.
A non-Dorothy story that expands the lore of Oz, I give The Marvelous Land of Oz 3.0 stars out of 5.