Rinkitink of Oz

I’ll admit, I approached *Rinkitink of Oz* with low expectations. By the 10th book in a series, even Baum’s imagination should feel stretched thin, right? Wrong. This audiobook is a masterclass in subverting the formula while keeping the heart of Oz intact. Ron Knowles’ narration is the secret weapon here—his Rinkitink sounds like a tipsy uncle telling tall tales at a family reunion, all bluster and zero self-awareness, while Princess Inga’s quiet determination cuts through the nonsense like a knife. The production is clean, though I wish the sound levels were more dynamic; some of the quieter dialogues (like the whispers of the rebellious islanders) get lost if you’re listening in a noisy space. The story itself is a weird, wonderful mess. Baum takes a hard left from the usual Oz fare by making the conflict *geopolitical*—Inga’s island is invaded, her parents enslaved, and the resolution hinges on guerrilla warfare and a heist involving a magic pearl. It’s surprisingly dark for a children’s book, but Baum balances it with absurdity: a goat who eats everything (including a villain’s beard), a queen who turns people into ornaments, and Rinkitink’s *many* failed attempts at heroism. My biggest critique? The pacing drags in the middle during the underground escape sequence, where Baum’s love of tangential world-building slows the momentum. But when the final act delivers a siege involving sentient spoons and forks, all is forgiven. This isn’t the Oz you grew up with—it’s weirder, funnier, and somehow more human. If you’ve ever wanted to hear a classic children’s story narrated like a farce, this is your audiobook.