The Witch Queens Trilogy
Contents
Copyright Info
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Author's Note
Other Books by the Author
The Story So Far
Book I: The Witch Queens
Part One: The Girl
1. The Life of Glinda
2. The Magic Bazaar
3. The Convocation of Witches
4. The Secret of Red Hair
5. The Secret of the Winged Monkeys
6. The Destruction of the Ruby Palace
7. The Destiny of King Oz the Seventeenth
8. The Girl Named Wickrie-Kells
9. The Crowning of a New King
10. The Confederation of Witches
11. The Blood and Sand and Magic
Part Two: The Boy
12. The Battle of Winkie Plains
13. The Soldier with Green Hair
14. The Alliance for Freedom
15. The Secret of the Elders
16. The Golden Cap
Part Three: The Witches
17. The Silver Slippers
18. The Dreams that Change
19. The Traitor is Revealed
20. The Flying Fish
21. The Arrival at South Castle
22. The Witch's Oath
23. The Declaration of Liberty
24. The Brave Little Wheeler
25. The Words of a Father Endure
Part Four: The War
26. The Twisted Lighthouse
27. The Girl with Red Hair
28. The Enslavement Begins
29. The Dream of Freedom
30. The Fallen Tower
31. The Necessity of Invention
32. The Battle of Emerald Prairie
33. The Escape to the East
34. The Foundations of Emerald City
35. The Storm that Raged
36. The Battle of Munchkin Fields
37. The Conquering of the Winkies
38. The Rise of Glinda the Good
Book II: Crown of the Dreamer
Part One: Tears
1. Schemes and Things
2. Opening the Curtain
3. Golden Cage
4. Wizard's Waltz
5. Shot in the Dark
6. Roses Have Thorns
7. Amber Eyes
8. Standing Army
9. Silver Mirror Tells No Tales
10. Wizardly Vision
11. Schemes and Dreams
12. Secret Apprentice
13. Winds of Change
Part Two: Pearls
14. Secret Spring
15. The Strength of an Army
16. Stones and Shadows
17. Among the Munchkins
18. The Road West
19. Emerald Spectacles
20. The Search for the Wizard
21. The Truth About Men
22. The Man Behind the Curtain
23. Glinda's Nightmare
24. Seeds of Destiny
25. Battle of Mighty Miss Gulch
26. Mirror, Mirror
27. A Voice in the Darkness
28. Sister Feud
29. Treasure and Refuse
30. Eye in the Sky
31. How the West was Lost
Part Three: Battle Cry
32. Oath Unto Death
33. The Fighting Girls
34. Night to Be Forgotten
35. Unremembered Treasures
36. Secret of the Wizard
37. Morning Magic
38. The Witch's Army
39. The Proud King
40. Human Outside
41. Revelation of the Kalidahs
42. Morn'light War
Book III: Emerald Spectacles
Part One: Alliance
1. Mortal Enemies
2. Magic Lines
3. Always a Spectacle
4. Selfless Soldier
5. Holding On
6. Dissonance
7. Whispers of War
8. Multitude of Unseen Things
9. Hidden Treasures
10. Valley of Time
11. Giant Hourglass
12. No Place Like Home
13. Fixed Points in Time
14. Listening Organ
Part Two: Gathering
15. Blood and Honor
16. Racing Waters
17. Grandfather's Legacy
18. Dangerbread House
19. Twelve Crowns
20. Waking, Dreaming, Singing Songs
21. Flickering Loyalties
Part Three: Broken
22. Vanity of a Peacock
23. Haunted Man
24. True Faces
25. Onyx Labyrinth
26. Missing Wizard
27. Magic Picture
28. The Safest Place in Oz
29. Light to See
30. A Sound Like Thunder
Part Four: Lost
31. A Soldier's Heart
32. Handful of Hope
33. Seat of Destiny
34. Rising Dark Tide
Part Five: Star
35. Witch Wall
36. Song in the Storm
37. Crowns and Soldiers
38. Silver Bell
Part Six: End of the World
39. Pins and Needles
40. At the Edge of the World
41. Remembrance
42. Protector of Oz
Book IV: Appendix - The Witch Queens Trilogy
About the Hidden History
Contents
Annotating Oz
Explanation of Supplementary Material
Intersections of Oz
Characters
The Players: The Witch Queens
The Players: Crown of the Dreamer
The Players: Emerald Spectacles
Extras
Hidden Treasures in Oz: Easter Eggs
Music of Oz
Sneak Preview: The Glinda Letters
Guide for Parents and Book Groups
Glossary
Guide for Readers: The Witch Queens
Guide for Readers: Crown of the Dreamer
Guide for Readers: Emerald Spectacles
Maps of Oz
Atlas: Land of Oz
Atlas: World of Non
Locations in Crown of the Dreamer
Locations in Emerald Spectacles
Map of Oz: HH1, circa 1852
Map of Oz: HH3
Map Credits
Story Synopsis
Series Overview
Synopsis by Character
Synopsis: Book One: The Witch Queens
Synopsis: Book Two: Crown of the Dreamer
Synopsis: Book Three: Emerald Spectacles
Synopsis: Book Four: The Glinda Letters
Timeline
Chronology: HH1 - HH2
Chronology of Oz: HH1 - HH3
The Witch Queens: The Hidden History of Oz, Book One
Copyright © 2012 Tarl Telford
All rights reserved.
Print ISBN-13: 978-0615667874
Crown of the Dreamer: The Hidden History of Oz, Book Two
Copyright © 2013 Tarl Telford
All rights reserved.
Print ISBN-13: 978-1301074761
Emerald Spectacles: The Hidden History of Oz, Book Three
Copyright © 2015 Tarl Telford
All rights reserved.
Print ISBN-13: 978-1311474315
The Witch Queens Trilogy
Copyright © 2016 Tarl Telford
All rights reserved.
Dedication
To my red-haired wife, Aimee, who believes in my dreams.
And to the memory of L. Frank Baum,
who realized that without strong females, there would be very little magic in the world.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks go out to all of those who have written in Oz before me—L. Frank Baum, the original creator of this faerie land, and those who have followed in his footsteps, faithful and otherwise creative. And to those who have made Oz the ultimate American fairy tale, bringing new generations along the yellow brick road, into the realm of dedicated fans, you are appreciated.
Gratitude and thanks to those early readers who offered constructive feedback on the first drafts of these stories.
For my family, who reads and listens, those who have always believed in my writing ability, and in my dreams of making a living as a writer—thank you.
The greatest appreciation to my wife, for listening to my dreams day after day and year after year. You are the everlasting heart and inspiration that makes these stories real.
And to you, dear reader, for picking up this book and discovering the power and adventure of dreams, thank you.
Author's Note
Every generation rewrites its fairy tales to give meaning to world that they live in. That is why we see so many re-imaginings of Grimm's fairy tales in books, movies and television. The stories lend themselves to reinterpretation in new settings and times. However, those fairy tales are hardly the only ones that have been re-imagined. The Oz stories provide a ready canvas for painting the stories of the day into a fairy tale setting.
The Hidden History of Oz is a series that takes the original vision of Oz, conceived by L. Frank Baum, and imagines it with the more grown-up tones prevalent in today's times, but it also adds a clear explanation of the history of Oz—a requirement for a thorough dissection of history and events.
In this exploration of the history of Oz, there is one key rule: Find the Wonder.
Wonder is curiosity, fascination, and awe. Wonder gives greater light to the world in which we live. In every story there is a kernel of wonder—a spark of imagination—to give greater meaning. In the best stories, the kernel pops, and wonder spreads like a popcorn tree. Every reading experience should embody the search for the inspirational, the uplifting, and the good—often found shining in the shadows—which creates wonder.
Maps. Books full of concept art. Character designs. Fanciful ideas. All sorts of worldbuilding bric-a-brac. These pieces hint at a greater world glimpsed by the creators in building a fictional world. Sketches hint at mysterious places and creatures that peer out of the imagination. Each provides bricks to be used as stepping stones into wonder.
Is it enough to deconstruct and discover how a character or a story works? The forensics may be interesting to understand the how, but these pieces never quite get to the why and what else of the matter. If a story tears down, deconstructs, and reveals all of the flaws and inner workings simply to show that it can, it does not create wonder. That sort of deconstruction slays dreams just to prove that they can bleed and die.
Deconstruction is a useful tool, insofar as it provides bricks to build again. To put the pieces back together in a new and novel way that reveals a different, and perhaps greater, truth—that is deconstructing to build wonder. Without wonder, a story does not rise to its full potential. Without wonder, the story is easily forgotten.
My predecessors in Oz have left a varied trail of names, locations, stories, and ideas to establish the classic version of Oz that is recognized the world over. My role has been to create the foundation and backbone of the structure that underpins Baum's Oz. Deconstruction has been a necessary part of building the strong foundation.
In his introduction to his first novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum wrote in part:
Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks only entertainment in its wonder-tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident.
Having this thought in mind, the story of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was written solely to pleasure children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heart-aches and nightmares are left out.
More than one hundred years ago, public education included instruction on morality. Not so, in this time. Today, we live in a world full of facts and fame at our fingertips, but we are bereft of wonder. The noise of an ever-present now clouds clarity. Without clarity, truth, light, and beauty drown in murky mediocrity—everything looks the same because everything is blurred.
On a personal level, heartaches and nightmares are dragons that each child faces as they look out into the world. These exist in every life. Without the light of a clearly-defined morality (good and evil) to guide their higher thinking, there is little wonder to inspire a child's world.
Another author, G.K. Chesterton, is credited with the idea that:
Fairy tales do not tell children dragons exist. Children already know the dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.
Baum wrote fairy tales to entertain children and to explore wonder without the heartache. Chesterton wrote fairy tales to empower children to slay dragons in daily life. Today, fairy tales serve to separate the shadows from the light and to lift heroes from obscurity into purposeful duty. A child with understanding can change the world.
Perhaps we need fairy tales as bricks to shore up the walls of morality and reality around heroes. In a world where shadows cling, and waking wishes distract, dreams can just as easily find other heroes. It is up to the heroes—whatever their age—to be worthy of the dream. As the heroes of these fairy tales do their duty, the tales of wonder live on inside of you, the reader. When these heroes live in you, then you become part of keeping the dream alive.
See the Bricks. Watch the Heroes. Find the wonder.
* * * * *
The Witch Queens Trilogy serves as a prequel series to the novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum and published in 1900. Every attempt has been made to stay faithful to the original source material and create a solid backstory for the characters introduced in the original story. Please bear in mind that this prequel is specific to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz—not any of the successive novels by Baum or those who came after.
This story attempts to fill in many of the gaps left in fictitious historical references made by the original author in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. There were many stories told in that book that were never referenced again. Connections are drawn based on available information from the original work. While there are inconsistencies within the original body of Oz novels, this author attempts to reconcile historical occurrences and character histories to craft a solid and entertaining story. Any discrepancies between this story and the many stories currently existing in Oz canon and beyond are strictly the responsibility of the author.
The publication of this box set marks the foundational trilogy for The Hidden History of Oz saga. Glinda's story, though far from complete, is established, and the foundation is laid for the future stories. There are many reimaginings of that original story. Some authors choose to branch off and do quasi-sequels. To the best of my knowledge, The Hidden History of Oz is the only series of stories that attempts to build the world that makes Baum's vision possible.
For those readers interested in uncovering the history of Oz, expanded reference material is provided in the Appendixes at the end of the book.
—Tarl Telford (September 2016)
Books Published by Emerald Engine Studios
The Hidden History of Oz series
Book One: The Witch Queens
Book Two: Crown of the Dreamer
Book Three: Emerald Spectacles
Book Four: The Glinda Letters
Tabby Abacus and the Dangerbread House
First Nail (an Omby-Amby Adventure)
Candor Bandersnatch and the Secret Gate of Oogaboo
Poetry
Ghosts of Serpentariis, and other Somnificient Musings
The Story so Far...
The Wizard wa
s a wanted man. He was wanted for his charm, his stories, and his wisdom. He was also wanted for his power, the control he had over the people, and the ever-changing magic of his dreams. Oscar Diggs, who had come to this land two years ago from the territory of Nebraska, had changed the Land of Oz forever, but he was not done yet. To end this war, he swallowed a magic potion not meant for dreamers. His journey in the shadow of death will define his legacy as a wizard and push his friends to the very edge of their courage.
* * * * *
Glinda was a young sorceress, born to rule. Her red hair shone brighter than the sun, blazing throughout the Land of Oz. She was her mother's daughter, and her father's greatest invention. Her love for the Wizard leads her to challenge the Witches, the history, and the fate of Oz. And although she did not yet know it, her destiny would change the history of Oz forever.
* * * * *
The Wicked Witches proclaimed themselves Witch Queens over the different lands in Oz. Kalinya claimed the East, and her golden eyes burned with hatred for Glinda and her hidden knowledge. Ondri-baba conquered the West through guile, and used the ill-gained Golden Cap to enslave the Winged Monkeys to her cruel will.
Other Witches were not called wicked, but they also claimed their portion of Oz. Locasta, former apprentice of Kalinya, claimed no title, but followed the direction of the Oracular Hat to "Be what Glinda cannot be", and became protector of the North. Mombi became a shadow behind the throne of the Emerald Lands and became confidante and guide to King Pastoria.
* * * * *
Soldiers protected the kingdoms that wanted to be free. The Wizard's Emerald City had the Emerald Guardsmen, led by Omby-Amby, the Soldier with Green Whiskers. The South, and its capital of Chronometria, Glinda's Palace, was protected by the Fighting Girls, led by Wickrie-Kells, an amber-eyed beauty who can read magic.
* * * * *
The Third Witch War embroiled Oz in a slow, simmering cauldron of greed. The need for power grew among those who hungered. The weapons in this war were knowledge, magic, and inhuman armies. On the side of the Witches, Professor Nikidik provided metal automatons to Kalinya. Guiding Glinda was Promethus the Guardian.
Desperate to retain her hold on the crown, Mombi tried to keep Pastoria back, but the king would not be contained. The otherworldly Madness gripped him and found a new face.