Series Overview

The Hidden History of Oz is an original series conceived and written by Tarl Telford. Set in a magical land powered by dreams, the Hidden History of Oz is filled with whimsy and wonder. Courage and adventure await in this prequel series to L. Frank Baum’s classic novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This epic fantasy adventure series is written for ages 10 and up.

Each book contains a Guide for Parents.

Series Overview

The Celtic roots of Oz reach back more than one thousand years; a past full of Witches and warriors fighting to control the magic of the land. Oz is a land powered by human dreams, taking what is dreamed on earth to create magic.

Now the destiny of this magical land rests in the hands of two dreamers – a sorceress and a wizard. If they can conquer fear and overcome their troubled past, they will find a love for the ages and a brighter future for Oz. If not, their shadows will blanket Oz in an everlasting nightmare.

Book One: The Orphan Sorceress of Oz

Glinda is the daughter of the Ruby Sorceress, trapped in her so-called perfect life—stuck in a tower with books, locked away to protect her from the Wicked Witches until the fateful day when she will join her mother in the sorcerous arts.

With her sixteenth birthday approaching, all Glinda wants is freedom—from her life, her parents, and all of their expectations. Today, at the Abracadabra Bazaar, she was expected to dress nice and play her part, but her red-haired rebellion ruined everything. Humiliated, she runs away and rejects all offers of help, leaving a huge opening in her life for the devious Wicked Witches to step in wreak havoc.

Orphaned and alone, Glinda runs for her life, questioning the freedom she thought she wanted, but no place is safe from the reach of the Wicked Witches. Until one day a giant balloon from a far-off land drops through a magic hole in the sky and changes everything. Glinda befriends this young ventriloquist and finds courage from his stories of freedom and independence. Emboldened, Glinda stops running and faces the Witches and their armies.

If she can win the day against impossible odds, Glinda (and the entire Land of Oz) will be safe.

Journey with Glinda as she steps out of her sheltered life into a world of bitter enemies and loyal friends, unwanted destinies and impossible choices. Experience the heartache of opportunities lost, and the thrill of exciting new adventures. Enjoy the whimsy and wonder of growing up in a land where magic rules, and every freedom comes with a price.

Book Two: Dark Dreams in Oz

Two years ago, Oscar Diggs, the Wonderful Wizard, arrived in Oz and changed everything. His stories and dreams enchant the land and bring him great power, but with great power comes even greater enemies. Those closest to the Wizard witness firsthand his struggles as he isolates himself from the adoring world. In the shining Emerald City filled with people, the Wizard stands utterly alone. But then an act of betrayal reveals the Wizard’s darkest secrets and unleashes a terrifying new weapon, the likes of which could destroy Oz forever.

Glinda, the young sorceress, wants Oscar. Kally, the magically disguised Witch, wants Oscar. Oscar, the object of everyone’s affection, just wants sleep. Whoever wins, the Wizard loses. His shadows now follow him into the daylight waking hours, threatening to destroy his fragile control over sanity.

With time running out, and the Wizard under the control of the golden-eyed Witch, Glinda searches the land to find Oscar and bring him home. If she succeeds, the Wizard will be safely shackled under her watchful care. But if she fails, no power in all of Oz will redeem him from the shadows.

This darkly imaginative story intertwines the troubled first steps of the Wizard’s descent into madness, and the heroic and devious exploits of the two women trying to save him from himself, illustrating that every hero is defined by their own shadow.

Note: This story has a cliffhanger ending that will be completed in Book Three: Dark Wind in Oz.

Book Three: Dark Wind in Oz

Starting from the cliffhanger ending in Dark Dreams in Oz, all of Oz is at stake as the magic of the land becomes chaotic. To save the both the Wizard and the Land of Oz, two bitter rivals must join together on an epic journey that will shake the land forever.

The Glinda Letters

For nearly fifty years the Wizard locked himself in his throne room, living in self-imposed exile from the outside world. He had his reasons, but life went on. Glinda wrote letters to the Wizard, keeping him informed of important events, discoveries, and explorations in the Land of Oz. This volume covers more than fifty years of history in Oz, including the events contained in The Painted Queen, Tinntinnabulation, and The Wonderful Wizard. Mild spoilers given from Glinda’s perspective as historic events unfold in Oz, including:

• The birth of Ozma the Sixth (Ozma Tippetarius)
• The disappearance of Ozma
• The arrival of Dorothy Gale to Oz, the destruction of the Wicked Witches, and the liberation of the Winged Monkeys from slavery
• The discovery of Ozma and her true identity
• The return of both Dorothy Gale and the Wizard to Oz

The Painted Queen (Coming Soon)

Teaser: Who will be the mother of the next ruler of Oz?

Tinntinnabulation (working title)

Two years before the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the bells of war sound throughout the Land of Oz. To stop the magical armies of the Wicked Witch of the East, Glinda begins a soul-wrenching quest to stop the work of death. A tinsmith saves the lives of two enchanted young men – a woodman and a soldier – by building them bodies of tin. Glinda battles inhuman and magical enemies to protect the land from destruction.

The Wonderful Wizard (Coming Soon … maybe)

(with L. Frank Baum; includes The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as attributed text)

Teaser: The Wonderful Wizard that you know is only half of the story.

Glinda works overtime to stop the power-mad plans of Kalinya, the Wicked Witch of the East, as she attempts to bring another dreamer to Oz. Behind the scenes of Dorothy’s well-known adventure, Glinda picks of the pieces of the shattered structure of power that was held in place by the Witches.

Stealing Tippetarius (Coming Soon)

Teaser: L. Frank Baum wrote that the Wizard and the Witch Mombi kidnapped Princess Ozma from her father, King Pastoria, rightful ruler of The Emerald City. That is true … from a certain point of view …