Date: Sat, 3 May 2008 16:42:47 -0700 
From: "Marcus Mebes" <baringer at gmail.com> 
Subject: [Regalia] Seven Blue Mountains of Oz,    volume 1: The 
    Disenchanted Princess of Oz 
 
Hi folks... I hope I can kick this off in a way that actually does not 
post spoilers for those who might be still reading or who have not yet 
read the book. 
 
The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz, volume 1: The Disenchanted Princess of 
Oz is actually one of the most pretty and well-designed of recent Oz 
books. Melody Grandy not only wrote and illustrated, but designed the 
book entirely. The cover art shows Zim Greenleaf and his assistant 
(who we'll call Dinny for the time being, because really, that's who 
he is) flying over the Seven Blue Mountains, with the sorcerer's cloak 
framing the image. Melody beautifully designed the text to frame the 
cover, and though it looks like the font called University Roman, it 
is only based on University Roman. Melody drew the letters, too! 
 
The back cover shows the same two main characters as mer-people, due 
to a brief enchantment that happens later in the book. 
 
The colors are amazing and vibrant, and it turns out Melody colored 
her own artwork... so she went all out on this volume. 
 
The protagonists of the tale are the above mentioned Zim and Dinny, 
despite the subtitle of the book being "The Disenchanted Princess of 
Oz." There are some other new and interesting characters introduced, 
but I'm hesitant to plow right into any of that until we've heard from 
more folks. 
 
Thanks! 
Marcus

Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 12:32:23 -0400 
From: "Nathan DeHoff" <fablesto at gmail.com> 
Subject: [Regalia] A few thoughts on DISENCHANTED PRINCESS 
 
One of the things I particularly like about the SEVEN BLUE MOUNTAINS 
trilogy, and perhaps most about DISENCHANTED PRINCESS in particular, 
is something that I believe Phyllis Ann Karr mentioned in her review 
of the book.  Melody's take on Oz makes it seem pretty real, and she 
does a good job creating an isolated part of the country that still 
works within the rules established in the FF.  The first book has 
familiar characters appear only in bit parts, yet it still feels Ozzy 
throughout. 
 
There have been a few recent books that include visits to the 
underground lands from DOTWIZ, but (with no offense intended to any 
other writers), I think Melody did this best.  She fleshes out the 
Vegetable Kingdom and Voe, and has Zim improve the former through his 
experimentation.  As the series progresses, I think it kind of gets to 
the point where Zim does too much, basically solving every unresolved 
problem in the original Oz books (and some post-FF books as well, 
including COLORFUL KITTEN).  The little bit of it we see in 
DISENCHANTED PRINCESS, however, is done quite well, and manages to 
incorporate the Rose Kingdom as well. 
 
In addition to the longer visits to these places, there are also more 
subtle references to characters, events, and locations from earlier 
books.  Dinny's rescue of Lord Saxon's daughter makes a callback to 
the Wishing Pill sequence in LAND.  The shrinking berries from 
Pessim's Island in SCARECROW makes an appearance.  We see more of the 
deeds of Wunchie and Himself from HANDY MANDY.  Zim uses Gorba's 
now-abandoned garden for his experiments with the Mangaroses.  And 
perhaps most interesting of all are the references to the deeds of the 
legendary wizard Wam, who was mentioned in passing in COWARDLY LION 
and WISHING HORSE, and whose fate is thoroughly explored in the other 
two books of the series. 
 
I'm sure I'll have more to say about this book later on, but I think 
these comments will do for now. 
--  
Ozma and Oz Forever, 
Nathan 
fablesto at gmail.com or nathandehoff at gmail.com

Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 09:40:35 -0700 
From: "Marcus Mebes" <baringer at gmail.com> 
Subject: Re: [Regalia] A few thoughts on DISENCHANTED PRINCESS 
 
Being somewhat of a "green thumb" myself, I had a great appreciation 
for Zim's botany, and his use of plants in general to fix things up. I 
found that MOST appealing about the Seven Blue Mountains trilogy, and 
without revealing Zim's greatest secret, he is indeed very close to 
the plants he uses, and spends much time in his arboretum. Quite 
appealing. 
 
MM 
 
On 5/4/08, Nathan DeHoff <fablesto at gmail.com> wrote: 
> One of the things I particularly like about the SEVEN BLUE MOUNTAINS 
> trilogy, and perhaps most about DISENCHANTED PRINCESS in particular, 
> is something that I believe Phyllis Ann Karr mentioned in her review 
> of the book.  Melody's take on Oz makes it seem pretty real, and she 
> does a good job creating an isolated part of the country that still 
> works within the rules established in the FF.  The first book has 
> familiar characters appear only in bit parts, yet it still feels Ozzy 
> throughout. 
> 
> There have been a few recent books that include visits to the 
> underground lands from DOTWIZ, but (with no offense intended to any 
> other writers), I think Melody did this best.  She fleshes out the 
> Vegetable Kingdom and Voe, and has Zim improve the former through his 
> experimentation.  As the series progresses, I think it kind of gets to 
> the point where Zim does too much, basically solving every unresolved 
> problem in the original Oz books (and some post-FF books as well, 
> including COLORFUL KITTEN).  The little bit of it we see in 
> DISENCHANTED PRINCESS, however, is done quite well, and manages to 
> incorporate the Rose Kingdom as well. 
> 
> In addition to the longer visits to these places, there are also more 
> subtle references to characters, events, and locations from earlier 
> books.  Dinny's rescue of Lord Saxon's daughter makes a callback to 
> the Wishing Pill sequence in LAND.  The shrinking berries from 
> Pessim's Island in SCARECROW makes an appearance.  We see more of the 
> deeds of Wunchie and Himself from HANDY MANDY.  Zim uses Gorba's 
> now-abandoned garden for his experiments with the Mangaroses.  And 
> perhaps most interesting of all are the references to the deeds of the 
> legendary wizard Wam, who was mentioned in passing in COWARDLY LION 
> and WISHING HORSE, and whose fate is thoroughly explored in the other 
> two books of the series. 
> 
> I'm sure I'll have more to say about this book later on, but I think 
> these comments will do for now. 
> -- 
> Ozma and Oz Forever, 
> Nathan 
> fablesto at gmail.com or nathandehoff at gmail.com 
> _______________________________________________ 
>

Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 12:54:50 -0400 
From: "Nathan DeHoff" <fablesto at gmail.com> 
Subject: Re: [Regalia] A few thoughts on DISENCHANTED PRINCESS 
 
On Sun, May 4, 2008 at 12:40 PM, Marcus Mebes <baringer at gmail.com> wrote: 
> Being somewhat of a "green thumb" myself, I had a great appreciation 
>  for Zim's botany, and his use of plants in general to fix things up. I 
>  found that MOST appealing about the Seven Blue Mountains trilogy, and 
>  without revealing Zim's greatest secret, he is indeed very close to 
>  the plants he uses, and spends much time in his arboretum. Quite 
>  appealing. 
 
I also found Zim's plant collection and use of plant-based magic to be 
quite interesting.  We see a lot of the magical plants that had 
appeared  in earlier Oz books, as well as many new ones.  The surprise 
tree and jungle gym that the Flying Sorcerer gives to Truro's tomboys 
are clever creations.  (I wouldn't mind having one of them myself! 
{g})  Zim's connection to Wam was quite possibly the result of the 
Travelers' Tree in COWARDLY LION being credited to the latter. 
--  
Ozma and Oz Forever, 
Nathan 
fablesto at gmail.com or nathandehoff at gmail.com

Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 15:11:06 -0400 
From: "J. L. Bell" <jnolbell at earthlink.net> 
Subject: [Regalia] DISENCHANTED PRINCESS 

I haven't reread DISENCHANTED PRINCESS for a number of years, so these
comments perforce won't be very detailed. But I remember concluding that
this vision of Oz felt more "Moey" to me than "Ozzy." By that I meant
two things.

First, I kept expecting the volume to wrap up its several threads into a
single main plot, particularly one resolving Dinny's identity and place 
in life, and it never really did. Many Oz books are episodic, of course, 
but the episodes usually take place along a journey that serves at the 
book's throughline. In this case, Dinny and/or Zim would go out, have a 
mild adventure, then return. The episodes were interesting and tied into 
many threads of Nonestic-region history, but they weren't adding up to 
more than the sum of their parts. I finally came to see this volume as a 
series of short stories--like THE MAGICAL MONARCH OF MO--rather than a 
novel.

It's possible that putting all of Melody Grandy's volumes together
(which I suppose would include some likely never to be written) might
show more connections among those episodes. But I hadn't seen it yet.

Another reason I found DISENCHANTED PRINCESS to be "Moey" was the
immense amount of magic surrounding the main characters. Of course,
that's what happens when you work for a tremendously powerful sorcerer.
Number Nine had much the same experience in the Neill books.

In most Oz books, however, the young protagonists don't have nearly
unlimited magic at their disposal or nearby, and/or is just learning to
use what they do have. Usually heroes don't attract the support of
powerful magicians until halfway through an adventure or further. Dinny
becomes Zim's protege early on, and Zim can solve just about any problem 
that arises. Furthermore, much of Zim's magic grows in his garden. Like 
MO, these stories take place on a landscape bursting with magic.

DISENCHANTED PRINCESS is a very handsome book, with Melody Grandy's 
illustrations and design head and shoulders above many micro-sized press 
productions of the period.

J. L. Bell                 JnoLBell at earthlink.net

    Musings about some of my favorite
    fantasy literature for young readers.
    http://ozandends.blogspot.com

Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 15:41:20 -0400 
From: "Nathan DeHoff" <fablesto at gmail.com> 
Subject: Re: [Regalia] DISENCHANTED PRINCESS 

On Sun, May 4, 2008 at 3:11 PM, J. L. Bell <jnolbell at earthlink.net> 
wrote:
>  It's possible that putting all of Melody Grandy's volumes together
>  (which I suppose would include some likely never to be written) might
>  show more connections among those episodes. But I hadn't seen it yet.

I think the more straightforward narrative of TIPPETARIUS manages to
tie some of these episodes together, but FLYING SORCERER returns to
the disconnectedness of the first book.  As with the Mangaboo chapters
in DISENCHANTED PRINCESS, the last book is mainly devoted to Zim
solving problems and tying up loose ends from earlier Oz books.
-- 
Ozma and Oz Forever,
Nathan
fablesto at gmail.com or nathandehoff at gmail.com

Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 15:37:34 -0400 
From: "Nathan DeHoff" <fablesto at gmail.com> 
Subject: [Regalia] Time in the SEVEN BLUE MOUNTAINS trilogy (SPOILERS) 
 
Throughout the SEVEN BLUE MOUNTAINS trilogy, Melody Grandy uses a 
time-keeping method based on years of Ozma's reign.  Since TIPPETARIUS 
begins in "the eightieth year of Ozma's reign," and the author's note 
says that the story takes place "around 1982," it seems like Melody 
thought of LAND as taking place around 1902, which is the date that 
both Tyler Jones's HACC and Joe Bongiorno's Royal Timeline use. 
Oddly, between Chapters 15 (which takes place in the eleventh year) 
and 20 (set in the thirtieth year), Melody does not say when things 
take place, meaning that we don't know exactly when Dinny's return to 
Lostland occurs. 
 
SPOILER WARNING!  The rest of this post assumes knowledge of 
DISENCHANTED PRINCESS and TIPPETARIUS!  Don't read on unless you've 
read the book, or don't mind having some plot points spoiled! 
*******************************************************************************************************************
********************************************************************************************** 
In Chapter 4 of DISENCHANTED PRINCESS, Dinny tells Snapper Toad that 
he is twenty-eight years old.  Since Dinny would presumably have to be 
about the same age as Ozma in order for Mombi's switch to work, is 
this a hint as to Ozma's age?  I suppose twenty-eight years would be 
enough time for the Wizard to age from "a young man" to "a very old 
man."  True, if he was around 30 (my own age) when he arrived, and 58 
when he left, I wouldn't consider that "very old."  Still, considering 
how the Wizard had shut himself off from the world for so long, he 
might think otherwise.  JACK PUMPKINHEAD says that Tip had only lived 
with Mombi for nine years, but this seems suspect to me.  The Wizard 
did not arrive in Oz until after Pastoria had left the throne, and 
even if there was a period of time in between Pastoria's being deposed 
and his transformation by Mombi, it wouldn't have made sense for 
Lurline to have left Ozma in his care during this time.  I suppose 
it's possible that Ozma spent a decade or two as a baby before the 
Wizard found her and delivered her to Mombi, though. 
 
In TIPPETARIUS, Zim gives his age as 275 in Chapter 25 and 276 in 
Chapter 26, one of which is probably a typo.  Regardless, this would 
mean that he was created around 1707, and Wam disappeared not long 
afterwards.  This is compatible with what we learn about Wam in the 
FF, since he's presented as a shady figure from the past whenever he's 
mentioned.  On the other hand, it's much more difficult to reconcile 
with the apocryphal BLUE EMPEROR, in which Wam is still active in the 
1950s.  Of course, there's no way for post-FF Oz authors to be totally 
consistent with everything that's been written before, but it would 
have been nice if the only two works I know of to use Wam in a 
significant capacity had been more consistent with each other. 
--  
Ozma and Oz Forever, 
Nathan 
fablesto at gmail.com or nathandehoff at gmail.com

Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 12:49:46 -0700 (PDT) 
From: ericshanower <shanower at pacbell.net> 
Subject: [Regalia] Wizard's chronology 
 
The Wizard can't be more than 46 years old in 1900. Omaha didn't exist before 1854. "Very old" 
is likely Dorothy's subjective view. 
 
The Wizard probably arrived in Oz between 1870 and 1873. 1870 is when balloon ascensions at 
circuses came into style. After 1873 balloon ascensions started to add spectacle such as 
acrobats; one man in a balloon wasn't enough to attract customers any more. 
 
Best, 
Eric Shanower 
 
Nathan DeHoff <fablesto at gmail.com> wrote: Throughout the SEVEN BLUE MOUNTAINS 
trilogy, Melody Grandy uses a 
time-keeping method based on years of Ozma's reign.  Since TIPPETARIUS 
begins in "the eightieth year of Ozma's reign," and the author's note 
says that the story takes place "around 1982," it seems like Melody 
thought of LAND as taking place around 1902, which is the date that 
both Tyler Jones's HACC and Joe Bongiorno's Royal Timeline use. 
Oddly, between Chapters 15 (which takes place in the eleventh year) 
and 20 (set in the thirtieth year), Melody does not say when things 
take place, meaning that we don't know exactly when Dinny's return to 
Lostland occurs. 
 
SPOILER WARNING!  The rest of this post assumes knowledge of 
DISENCHANTED PRINCESS and TIPPETARIUS!  Don't read on unless you've 
read the book, or don't mind having some plot points spoiled! 
*******************************************************************************************************************
********************************************************************************************** 
In Chapter 4 of DISENCHANTED PRINCESS, Dinny tells Snapper Toad that 
he is twenty-eight years old.  Since Dinny would presumably have to be 
about the same age as Ozma in order for Mombi's switch to work, is 
this a hint as to Ozma's age?  I suppose twenty-eight years would be 
enough time for the Wizard to age from "a young man" to "a very old 
man."  True, if he was around 30 (my own age) when he arrived, and 58 
when he left, I wouldn't consider that "very old."  Still, considering 
how the Wizard had shut himself off from the world for so long, he 
might think otherwise.  JACK PUMPKINHEAD says that Tip had only lived 
with Mombi for nine years, but this seems suspect to me.  The Wizard 
did not arrive in Oz until after Pastoria had left the throne, and 
even if there was a period of time in between Pastoria's being deposed 
and his transformation by Mombi, it wouldn't have made sense for 
Lurline to have left Ozma in his care during this time.  I suppose 
it's possible that Ozma spent a decade or two as a baby before the 
Wizard found her and delivered her to Mombi, though. 
 
In TIPPETARIUS, Zim gives his age as 275 in Chapter 25 and 276 in 
Chapter 26, one of which is probably a typo.  Regardless, this would 
mean that he was created around 1707, and Wam disappeared not long 
afterwards.  This is compatible with what we learn about Wam in the 
FF, since he's presented as a shady figure from the past whenever he's 
mentioned.  On the other hand, it's much more difficult to reconcile 
with the apocryphal BLUE EMPEROR, in which Wam is still active in the 
1950s.  Of course, there's no way for post-FF Oz authors to be totally 
consistent with everything that's been written before, but it would 
have been nice if the only two works I know of to use Wam in a 
significant capacity had been more consistent with each other. 
--  
Ozma and Oz Forever, 
Nathan 
fablesto at gmail.com or nathandehoff at gmail.com

Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 15:55:50 -0400 
From: "Nathan DeHoff" <fablesto at gmail.com> 
Subject: Re: [Regalia] Wizard's chronology 
 
On Sat, May 10, 2008 at 3:49 PM, ericshanower <shanower at pacbell.net> wrote: 
> The Wizard can't be more than 46 years old in 1900. Omaha didn't exist 
> before 1854. "Very old" is likely Dorothy's subjective view. 
 
It's the Wizard who calls himself "a very old man" in Chapter 15 of 
WIZARD.  I'd still fall back on my earlier explanation of the Wizard 
thinking of himself as "very old" due to being closed up in his palace 
for so long, though. 
--  
Ozma and Oz Forever, 
Nathan 
fablesto at gmail.com or nathandehoff at gmail.com

Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 15:48:33 -0700 
From: "Marcus Mebes" <baringer at gmail.com> 
Subject: [Regalia] SEVEN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OZ 
 
When talking with Melody Grandy several years back, I remarked that I 
thought Truro and her tomboys were interesting characters, asking if 
they were perhaps based on her, or on her daughter. Indeed, they were 
(both). In speaking with Melody a couple months ago, I asked about her 
daughter and found out that she was turning 18. I knew her when her 
daughter was still in her tummy! WOW! 
 
MM

Date: Sat, 17 May 2008 16:01:47 -0400 
From: "Nathan DeHoff" <fablesto at gmail.com> 
Subject: [Regalia] A few DISENCHANTED PRINCESS observations (SPOILERS) 
 
This post contains several spoilers for DISENCHANTED PRINCESS, and at 
least one for TIPPETARIUS. 
 
As far as I can remember, we never do learn the identity of the lockup 
who twice helps Dinny escape from Lostland. 
 
At the beginning of Chapter 4, Dinny thinks about the good wizards 
Brown Bleegum, Ganalan, Winkle, and the Green Knight.  The problem 
with this is that he presumably would have had no way of knowing about 
Winkle at this point, as the sailor only seems to be active outside 
Oz.  I'm inclined to think that Melody meant to mention Vega instead 
of Winkle. 
 
Dinny's insistence on referring to his alter-egos as "Jack" might be a 
reference to Jack Pumpkinhead, whom Tip presumably named without ever 
having heard of a jack o' lantern. 
 
"The Way to the Emerald City," the OZIANA story that eventually became 
the framework for TIPPETARIUS, pretty much confirms that Huge Mountain 
is a copyright-safe name for Big Enough Mountain, the old home of 
Nandywog from PURPLE PRINCE. 
 
Melody's drawing of Himself on p. 199 makes him look nothing like 
Neill's pictures in HANDY MANDY do.  I did appreciate seeing Wunchie 
as a character, and there's another example of Himself not exactly 
following her orders to the letter, as he does with Kerry and Nox. 
 
We never find out why Oris has a name, or why she was to be thrown to 
the Clinging Vines, do we? 
 
Considering what we learn in TIPPETARIUS, I think the vegetable person 
on whom the spell to restore humanity was tried (see p. 250) was Zim 
himself. 
 
The Princess of the Mangaboos refers to her sorcerer as "Durig" on p. 
269, but he's repeatedly called "Davig" after that. 
 
The box of darkness that Zim uses against the Mangaboos presumably 
came from Gloma, but it doesn't work exactly the same way as the one 
Dorothy uses in WISHING HORSE.  Zim's box works when he simply opens 
it, while Dorothy has to throw a pinch of powder into the air.

Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 13:19:32 +0100 (BST) 
From: Boq Aru <boq_aru at sbcglobal.net> 
Subject: [Regalia] Disenchanted Princess 
 
I suppose we're past the spoiler stage, though I don't think any of the following are exactly 
spoilers anyhow. 
   
    
  I loved the plant names. They're all good but I particularly liked... 
  The morphosa's of course. 
  Gramen cancerium = crab grass. That's my back yard. 
  Pirum musicum = musical pear. Silver and undoubtedly clingle clangles in pear shaped tones. 
  Invisiblis porthia = invisible transport. I suppose that's Zim's name for the Dama. 
  Gratus animus = grateful for breath, the kissing vine. 
  Trifolium duplex = three leaved double, six leaved clover. Perfect! And used in a cure.

Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:09:04 +0100 (BST) 
From: Boq Aru <boq_aru at sbcglobal.net> 
Subject: [Regalia] Disenchanted Princess 
 
And then there's another weed I'm rather curious about. As to how it functions in Oz. 
Veneum equinum. Horse venom. In the Great Outer World, the common name of Hippomanes 
which is an animal product used in magical potions. There are three different varieties, two liquid, 
one pulpy solid, which are associated with birth in horses. Two of them are used in Homeopathic 
remedies to correct erectile dysfunction, enlarged prostate and irregular menses. Not likely to be 
relevant in Oz. Also pain and stiffness in the wrists and stiffness and swelling of the fingers. Not 
likely in Oz but possible I s'pose. The third variety is an aphrodisiac, used to promote conjugal 
interest and as an ingredient in potions of true love. Shades of the fairy godmother in Shrek! 
That last, true love, seems to me to be somewhat likeliest for an Ozian witches brew. Lucky, 
perhaps, that it doesn't grow in Jinxland. If the plant product is similarish to the animal product, 
the weed should bear pulpy pods, dark brown, filled with a slimy fluid. I haven't read any of the 
other Seven Mountains 
books. Does it occur in them? Or is it artistic verisimilitude background?