While not quite as compelling or dramatic as other installments in the Oz series, "Dororthy and the Wizard in Oz" is a pleasant follow up to "Ozma of Oz" (the strongest of all the early Oz entries). Baum doesn't try to accomplish too much in this tale--his main intent seems to get that humbug of a wizard back to Oz. Along the way there are some amusing adventures, populated with wonderful new creatures and characters. In this Oz adventure the wizard is reintroduced to the storyline in the darkest of Lyman Frank Baum's books about Oz. It starts with an earthquake and progresses through dark sectors of the earth. From the Glass city to the dragon layer near the crust of the Earth the whole story reminds me of Dante and his rungs of Hell, each layer having inhabitants that are queer and creepy. This dark adventure eventually concludes on a happy note but not before introducing us to exciting new characters and broadening the Oz universe.