Son OF A Witch!!! Wicked Book 2 Review and Summary | Deep Themes and Deep Thoughts

episode

Besties and the Books Podcast not yet transcribed

▲ 0

Transcript

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet Upvotes decide what gets transcribed next — 0 so far. Sign in to upvote

More from Besties and the Books Podcast

Ep 126 The Gods Will Sing Our Song by Autumn Krause and The Importance of Historical Romantasy | Book Review + Deep Dive 1h 21m · 08 Sep 2026

All episodes from Besties and the Books Podcast →

Report any issue

Source

Recorded01 Nov 2025

Publisherfeeds.buzzsprout.com

Handlerec:10876283

Show notes

Send us a textToday we continue our coverage of the Wicked 5-book universe by Gregory Maguire with book two: Son of a Witch! We’re diving into political fantasy like we never have before, just in time to watch Wicked for Good with all of you! Check out our kickoff “Are Books Political" episode all about why books and reading are inherently political and why it’s not only important to acknowledge this, but to read our favorite books through this lens. We concluded during our subsequent deep dive of Wicked (book one) that Maguire intentionally uses the fantastical to expertly critique issues like authoritarianism, colonialism, and racism, just to name a few.In this episode we dive into book two: Son of a Witch, released ten years after Wicked, which follows the life of Liir, protege and possible son of Elphaba as he grapples with what it means to be a soldier, a “man,” a human, and a possible rebel and military deserter. Who were our favorite and least favorite characters and plot points? Was this book what we expected? Do we think these books can be separated from politics just because they’re fantasy? What philosophical questions are posed? And what literary devices does Maguire use to critique government structures like the military industrial complex, and the ensuing “isms?”Fantasy stories can be so much more than surface level storytelling, and often are. We’re here to discover why! Listen on for our reviews of book two, our deep dive reactions with five sentence summary, and fun facts about the book that started the Wicked phenomena! Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)Shop our Merch line | https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.comCheck out these author interviews? ⬇️Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKbWe interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4Check the official Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of Split or Swallow! Now a Barnes & Noble & Amazon best seller titled: Kiss of the Basilisk! https://youtu.be/fknhocSNIKM____Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!Ashley is wearing: A Wicked Tee from Lamb Comedy | * https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTHcMV23XxMXm-nPfQx/Liz is wearing: “Spooky Feminist Witch” crewneck by @evelinesapparel on Etsy | * https://go.magik.ly/ml/3a97q/Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!Support the showYouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast Besties and the Book Club on Fable!https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358Liz Instagram | TikTok@TheRealLifeVeganWife AshleyInstagram | TikTok@AshleyEllix

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.