The Yellow Knight of Oz
Series: Oz 24
Reviewed date: 2023 Jul 30
226 pages
Well plotted. Not super interesting, but a decent plot line.
Sir Hokus of Pokes
Sir Hokus sneaks away from the Emerald City in search of a proper adventure.
Speedy
A boy from Long Island crashes into Oz, rescues Marygolden, a living statue of gold, and picks up a horse named Stampedro.
Sultan of Samandra
Meanwhile the evil Sultan of Samandra has been searching ten long years for his lost camel, who we soon learn is the Comfortable Camel. Samandra is in a far corner of Winkie Country. He sends his goons to pay a visit to the Emerald City, but the Comfortable Camel is not there. (He's gone after Sir Hokus, obviously.)
All wrapped up
Eventually everything is revealed. Five hundred years ago the Sultan of Samandra had enchanted all the inhabitants of the two neighboring kingdoms. With help from Speedy, the kingdoms are restored and the people brought back. It turns out Sir Hokus is the Yellow Knight, the Prince of Corumbia. He weds Marygolden, who turns out to be a princess of Corabia. Stampedro is the Knight's faithful steed. Ozma and Glinda banish the Sultan to Samandra, never to leave the boundaries of his own kingdom for five hundred years. Speedy goes back to Long Island. The end.
I actually enjoyed this one a lot. There was a bit too much of the solve everything by magic resolution, but the plotting was stronger than in RPT's previous books. This may be my favorite RPT book yet. Still, it doesn't hold a candle to Baum's best books.
RPT Oz books, ranked
Here is a ranking of the first ten RPT Oz books from my favorite to least favorite.
The good
- none
Middling
- #24, The Yellow Knight of Oz
- #23, Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz
Forgettable
- #20, The Hungry Tiger of Oz
- #22, The Giant Horse of Oz
- #18, Grampa in Oz
- #17, The Cowardly Lion of Oz
- #16, Kabumpo in Oz
Marginal
- #21, The Gnome King of Oz
- #15, The Royal Book of Oz
Nope
- #19, The Lost King of Oz