Schneider effortlessly weaves a tale that the best authors of today would be proud of having written. I can easily see this story taking off and becoming so popular that a movie might be looming… and I doubt that’s just lofty, wishful thinking.

To quote a very old cliché, I couldn’t have written it better myself. This book review was recently published in the Summer Edition of The Baum Bugle (Volume 53, No. 2), a stalwart publication and the official journal of The International Wizard of Oz Club.

Cover of The Baum Bugle (Volume 53, No. 2, Summer 2009)

QUICK SILVER
Shoes to Die For

By Marcus Mébès

In recent years I have learned to curb my enthusiasm when I find out about a newly-published Oz book. With the advent—and easy access to—print on demand, the book market has been overwhelmed with every self-proclaimed genius author’s masterpiece, every digital public domain text turned into a poorly constructed “reprint”, and plagiarism run rampant. Just because a book may have “Oz” in the title does not guarantee quality writing, interesting situations, innovative plot twists, or aesthetic production.

Paul Miles Schneider’s book SILVER SHOES does not have “Oz” in the title, but it’s all about Oz… just not the Oz I was expecting. From the onset, this is an attractive book. The cover is a dynamic image of a tornado barreling down a Kansas highway, with the streamlined silver text of the title superimposed upon it. The clothbound hardcover is the same format given to books by nearly all other major publishers, and makes for an appealing and pleasing appearance. Something did not quite feel right about the cover to me, at first look, and I can’t help but feel that it might look a little better depicting a scene from the story, or perhaps the shoes themselves. Still, the artwork is stunning, and quite well done.

Everything about this book is top-notch quality. The layout and design clearly shows attention to every detail—from the script used for the titles and chapters, to the text block… everything is easy to read. Unlike other efforts put forth by self-publishers, if there are any typos in this book, I didn’t find them, and believe me: it was not for lack of looking. Perhaps that could be attributed by the excellent prose. This is one book that is very difficult to put down.

The story can best be described, by the author himself in an interview, as a combination of THE X-FILES, THE DA VINCI CODE, and THE WIZARD OF OZ. The story plays upon the idea that the events detailed in Baum’s THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ are fact, with a government conspiracy to cover it up, coupled with a cult formed from the repercussions.

Donald Gardner is an average boy with the standard life of a middle- or high-schooler. His mother collects antique silver, and when an opportunity presents itself for her to acquire an odd silver shoe at the side of a long, dusty road from a mysterious seller, she gladly takes advantage of it. None of the family have any inkling that this is one of the very same silver shoes that Dorothy wore when she left Oz, after defeating the Wicked Witch of the West. It’s as if history swallowed up the brave little girl and her dog, and they survive only in a classic children’s tale. There’s much more to these eldritch artifacts that meet the eye, and powerful magicks are revealed that threaten not only the lives of this unique family, but the entire world.

The story takes place in the midwest United States, and hops along over to Bavaria, once the story takes a turn for the worse. Glimpses of Oz are seen, but it’s not the Oz Baum wrote about in his several books. Federal agents are on the trail, and the Antiques Road Show unwittingly throws a monkey wrench into everything. Schneider effortlessly weaves a tale that the best authors of today would be proud of having written. I can easily see this story taking off and becoming so popular that a movie might be looming… and I doubt that’s just lofty, wishful thinking.

Seldom do I have the pleasure of reading such a skillfully crafted tale. Schneider obviously put a lot of work into this book. His years of experience working in the entertainment industry have gained him a great deal of savvy. Schneider knows what readers want, but more so, he knows what we need. We don’t need to be spoon-fed the same fantasy novel scenario, or the save-the-world-from-disaster epic. We need twists and turns and surprising situations that fit perfectly into a contraption that looks crazy but actually purrs like the proverbial cat. Who’s to tell if he would have written such a masterful story ten or twenty years ago? I’m glad it was published now, because apparently the wine is of an excellent vintage. Best book I’ve read in ages, hands down. Go buy it!

– Reprinted with permission of the review’s author Marcus Mébès and the Editor-In-Chief of The Baum Bugle, Scott Cummings.