Magic Kingdom For Sale/Sold (Magic Kingdom of Landover, #1) by Terry Brooks

Jan 31, 2012 Helen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This is my first Terry Brooks and I was a little hesitant going in. One of my good friends had recently skewered Swords of Shannara and I thought I might be stepping into a pile of crap. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this story. It was light and fun and I had a good time reading it. Maybe Brooks got better as he continued to write or maybe this story just hit me at the right time. Whatever it was, I liked this.

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Feb 11, 2008 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is my favorite book by Terry Brooks! A normal business man finds himself looking to a propertiy for sale... but its a kingdom! He doesn't even believe it and he goes to find out about it. He ends up buying it and goes to a far off world of new kinds. Where he meets a wizard who turned himself into a dog, and his friend Willow a girl who at night turned into a tree. This was not what he had expected to find in his new home. As well as the responsability to go on an adventure to save the town...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Lanica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks, read-in-2011

PERSONAL REVIEW:
I was pretty unimpressed...but I think it's just not my type of book. I never got into Douglas Adams or Monty Python either. I wonder if a lot of the humor just went right over my head...it was too dry, or to wet, or something...anyhow, although I could see where the humor was, I just wasn't finding it funny.

Additionally, story alone was pretty dull stuff. A man buys a kingdom...it's not what he expected...he goes from person to person asking for help and then it all ties nicely...more

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Nov 01, 2009 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, fantasy, multi-dimensional, reviewed, romance

This was definitely a fun and easy read. Ben Holiday is a disenchanted lawyer who is trying to find some purpose to his life after his wife and unborn child died in a tragic accident. When he sees an advertisement for a magic kingdom being sold for $1 Million, he all but jumps at the chance, even though he only partially believes it could be real.

Of course it is, and there is everything promised in the ad -- except not quite exactly as promised. Everything is running down and withering, because...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Lowed rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2011

I always thought this was a funny read. But it wasn't! To tell you, managing a fantasy kingdom is not as easy as it sounds. But I had a good time here. I had a good time at Landover that it makes me sick of frustration that I could not find the second book of the series!

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Jan 21, 2009 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This was a book that constantly frustrated me by not making the most of its premise. Here you have a pretty original premise, a humorous tone, and a diverse cast of characters, and yet all that emerges is a mildly engaging but not wholly entertaining read. There were countless missed opportunities, and I couldn't help wondering how this book would have fared in, say, Terry Pratchett's far more capable hands.

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Feb 21, 2011 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I actually enjoyed this series better than his more serious offerings.

My attention drawn back to this one sentence review...I found a typo.

The book is a humorous one but not a straight comedy. This falls into the category of literature (and media for that matter) which might be called "humorous or comedy drama". It's done pretty well. (By the way, if you read/finish the book you may think that I had a sort of "prejudice" toward the hero because of, one of the characters...not so, really.)

Lesson...more

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May 02, 2011 La Stamberga dei Lettori rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sakura87

Ben Holiday, ricco avvocato esercitante a Chicago, di una rinascita ne avrebbe proprio bisogno: la sua adorata moglie Annie è morta appena due anni prima in un tragico incidente stradale, e Ben trascina la sua vita tra un processo in tribunale e una bottiglia di Glenglivet. Eppure, quale persona sana di mente risponderebbe a un annuncio del genere, pubblicato sul catalogo natalizio di una nota ditta di vendita per corrispondenza? Ben ripiega il catalogo, ma resta ossessionato dalle parole dell'a...more

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Mar 29, 2009 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 23, 2008 Jenni rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love fantasy books, so of course Terry Brooks was on my list of must reads. The Landover series books were great for many reasons. First it was a light read. I am not saying there is no moral dilemas or complexity, just that you dont have to wrap your brain too deeply around it. I also liked it for the entertainment factor. There was action, but not too much, love interests, but not too much, magic... well you can't overdo that in a fantasy book, evil villians, a bumbling wizard (every fantasy...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Cleo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Magic Kingdom For Sale- SOLD! is an interesting fantasy novel. Ben Holiday is a dissatisfied lawyer; his wife has died recently, and he feels like life is over already at the age of thirty-nine. So when he sees an advertisement for a magic kingdom in a holiday catalogue, he jumps on it. Paying a million dollars, he arrives in Landover, only to find that the kingdom is not all it was cut out to be. Yes, there are fairies and dragons, but the kingdom is in ruin. "The Barons refused to recognize a...more Magic Kingdom For Sale- SOLD! is an interesting fantasy novel. Ben Holiday is a dissatisfied lawyer; his wife has died recently, and he feels like life is over already at the age of thirty-nine. So when he sees an advertisement for a magic kingdom in a holiday catalogue, he jumps on it. Paying a million dollars, he arrives in Landover, only to find that the kingdom is not all it was cut out to be. Yes, there are fairies and dragons, but the kingdom is in ruin. "The Barons refused to recognize a king, and the peasants were without hope. A dragon was laying waste the countryside, while an evil with plotted to destroy everything. Ben's only followers were the incompetent court Magician; Abernathy, the talking dog who served as Court Scribe; and the lovely Willow- but she had a habit of putting down roots in the moonlight and turning into a tree. The Paladin, legendary champion of the Kings of Landover, seemed only to be a myth and an empty suit of armor. To put the final touch on the whole affair, Ben soon learned that the Iron Mark, terrible lord of the demons, had challenged all prospective Kings of Landover to a duel to the death- a duel which no human could hope to win. The task of proving his right to be King seemed hopeless. But Ben Holiday was stubborn..."

As you can see, there's quite a lot going on, a lot to absorb. Ben sets out on a quest to seek the aid of many of the kingdom's most powerful inhabitants, in hopes that they will help him win his impending duel, and prevent his impending death. He meets with many strange creatures along the way.

This book has humor, adventure, and another quality that's hard to name. It's in the vein of epic fantasy, although obviously, it's not. I love how the first few chapters of the book set in Chicago and New York are so realistic, and then it all of a sudden transitions into a completely fantastical world, with fairies and dragons and bumbling wizards and dark magic. Terry Brooks's writing in both styles is really engaging, and easy to get into. I found myself once again immersed into the story of Ben's quest, and highly enjoyed this one.

I loved the characters too: all of them are different weird creatures. Abernathy, who was turned into a dog by one of Questor's (the court magician's) failed spells is really funny, especially since he's always bickering with Questor. I really love Willow too.

This is the first of a series, and I may read the second and third books.

www.novareviews.blogspot.com (less)

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Jul 09, 2012 Sakura87 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novecento, fantasy, saga-ciclo, autori-nordamericani

Regno magico in vendita: $1.000.000, richiesti colloquio personale e garanzie finanziarie. Chiedere di Meeks, sede

Ben Holiday, ricco avvocato, di una rinascita ne avrebbe proprio bisogno: la sua adorata moglie Annie è morta appena due anni prima in un tragico incidente stradale, e Ben trascina la sua vita tra un processo in tribunale e una bottiglia di Glengliver. Eppure, quale persona sana di mente risponderebbe a un annuncio del genere, pubblicato sul catalogo natalizio di una nota ditta di ve...more Regno magico in vendita: $1.000.000, richiesti colloquio personale e garanzie finanziarie. Chiedere di Meeks, sede

Ben Holiday, ricco avvocato, di una rinascita ne avrebbe proprio bisogno: la sua adorata moglie Annie è morta appena due anni prima in un tragico incidente stradale, e Ben trascina la sua vita tra un processo in tribunale e una bottiglia di Glengliver. Eppure, quale persona sana di mente risponderebbe a un annuncio del genere, pubblicato sul catalogo natalizio di una nota ditta di vendita per corrispondenza? Ben ripiega il catalogo, ma resta ossessionato dalle parole dell'articolo. Di soldi ne ha, ma non sa che farsene perché tutto ciò che desidererebbe è riavere sua moglie, e quello non si può comprare. Però forse potrebbe concedersi una lunga vacanza; in un mondo fantasy, magari, riverito re coinvolto in eccitanti avventure. L'idea è balzana, e l'annuncio è sicuramente una truffa, ma Ben, contrastando la voce della propria ragione e quella di Miles, il suo unico amico, pianta capra e cavoli e si reca a New York a colloquio con l'inquietante Meeks, che lo convince ad acquistare il particolare articolo.
Le istruzioni sono poche e chiare: Ben avrà dieci giorni per decidere se tenere o meno l'acquisto, scaduti i quali non avrà diritto ad alcun rimborso. Inoltre, potrà amministrare il regno per il tempo massimo di un anno, con facoltà di tornare indietro in qualunque momento utilizzando il medaglione che lo qualifica come Alto Signore di Landover. Ben, sentendosi del tutto alienato dalla realtà, accetta, mette ordine nel suo lavoro, e segue le istruzioni per raggiungere il Magico Regno di Landover, che si rivela essere... una gran fregatura.
O meglio: il regno fantastico è più reale che mai, e prima ancora di rintracciare il suo contatto dall'altra parte Ben rischia di essere eliminato dal Marchio di Ferro -una creatura maligna- e poi da un drago, nonché di perdersi nel Reame Fatato attraverso cui si snoda il passaggio tra il mondo reale e Landover. La questione è che Ben è Alto Signore di un castello in rovina, sovrano di quattro attendenti male in arnese -un mago incapace, un cinico scrivano tramutato in cane da una magia andata male, e due strane creature chiamate coboldi- e di un popolo che non si degna nemmeno di presentarsi all'incoronazione, nonché di signorotti, pericolose streghe e creature magiche che, stanchi di ricevere un nuovo re a ogni pie' sospinto negli ultimi vent'anni, hanno imparato a cavarsela da soli e non intendono più giurare fedeltà a nessuno. Questor Thews, il mago, gli spiega che nessuno dei re a cui è stato venduto il regno ha resistito a lungo, anche perché prima o poi ognuno di loro è stato sfidato dal pericolosissimo Marchio di Ferro, intenzionato lui stesso a ottenere il controllo di Landover. A Ben, che dopo aver soppesato l'idea di andarsene ha deciso di non mollare l'ennesimo progetto incompiuto della sua vita, non resta altro da fare se non rimboccarsi le maniche e dimostrare d'essere più degno re di coloro che l'hanno preceduto. Impresa tutt'altro che facile.

Ammettiamolo, la trama incuriosisce: è così banalmente assurda da insinuare la domanda dove andrà a parare?. E' solo per questo -ma anche perché i libri di Terry Brooks sono tra i miei scheletri nell'armadio- che ho letto il romanzo. Leggendo tra le righe, si può notare una sorta di autoironia dell'autore, che prende in giro se stesso e il genere di cui scrive gettando in un mondo fantasy molto simile a quello del ciclo di Shannara un avvocato dei giorni nostri, che naturalmente guarda e giudica con occhio estraniato: Ben comprenderà tuttavia che più le cose cambiano, più restano uguali e che la diplomazia appresa durante l'esercizio del suo mestiere gli sarà utile per ottenere alleati, anche se non sufficiente, perché ciò che conta veramente è la volontà di restare, di resistere, di gettarsi alle spalle la sua vecchia vita e il fantasma ossessionante della moglie morta. L'autoironia, che avrebbe dovuto essere il perno centrale per costruire una storia del genere -la trama in sé pretende che si abbandoni ogni pretesa di serietà-, in ogni caso si ravvisa a tratti: nei disastri compiuti dal mago Questor Thews; nelle ciniche battute di uno scrivano dalle sembianze canine e dall'ego eccessivo; in alcune riflessioni di Ben. Purtroppo, però, tirando le somme è un libro che si prende troppo sul serio rispetto a quanto avrebbe dovuto fare.
Alcuni dei personaggi sono ben costruiti: il protagonista sperimenta un coerente percorso di crescita che attraversa fortune e successi, ma anche sfortune ed errori. Ben, inoltre, non si lancia a testa bassa in un universo a lui estraneo comprendendone immediatamente i meccanismi e amandone ogni aspetto: ad esempio, è affascinato e insieme repulso dalla natura magica delle creature in cui s'imbatte, prima tra tutte la bellissima silfide Willow -a proposito, complimenti all'autore per l'originalità del nome- la cui forma umana lo attrae, ma sicuramente non si può dire lo stesso di quella vegetale. L'unica cosa che mi sento di rimproverare al protagonista è la facilità iniziale con cui affronta un evento del tutto illogico come l'acquisto di un regno fantasy.
Se la maggior parte dei comprimari -mago e cane in primis, soprattutto nel loro continuo bisticciare- risulta pittoresca e divertente, lo stesso non si può dire di Willow, la silfide che dovrebbe rappresentare la rinascita del lato affettivo di Ben, perduto con la morte della moglie: del tutto insignificante, di poche parole e di nessun gesto significativo.
Al di là degli ovvi limiti di questo primo libro -non posso prevedere come andrà avanti la saga-, l'autore costruisce un rilassante romanzetto d'evasione con una buona ambientazione, che restituisce perfettamente con il suo stile ampiamente descrittivo senza risultare pesante. A Terry Brooks molto si può imputare, ma non che scriva male e che non abbia una cartografia mentale fantastica di tutto rispetto. Il che è molto più di quanto non si possa dire di tantissimi altri scrittori fantasy, soprattutto degli ultimi due decenni.(less)

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May 19, 2012 Eleonora rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Ben Holiday, ormai esperto avvocato, turbato dalla recente morte della moglie, riceve un catalogo indirizzato a quest'ultima, che ancora continua a venerle inviato, e scopre su di esso un inserzione riguardante la vendita di un regno magico. Spinto da un irrefrenabile curiosità, richiede un colloquio con il venditore di tale regno, lasciando mortalmente stupito il suo socio di lavoro Miles Bennet.
Dopo circa un mese dal colloquio, Ben parte per entrare nel mondo promessogli per occuparne il tron...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ben Holiday, attorney at law, is dissatisfied with his life. He sees the justice system becoming more and more flawed and his profession become the butt of every bad lawyer joke. His wife has passed away and he is increasingly withdrawn. When he sees an advertisement for a honest-to-goodness magic kingdom in the Christmas Wishbook, he seizes on his chance to give some more meaning and purpose to his life. He's got more than he bargained for when he arrives to find the kingdom in disrepair and no...more Ben Holiday, attorney at law, is dissatisfied with his life. He sees the justice system becoming more and more flawed and his profession become the butt of every bad lawyer joke. His wife has passed away and he is increasingly withdrawn. When he sees an advertisement for a honest-to-goodness magic kingdom in the Christmas Wishbook, he seizes on his chance to give some more meaning and purpose to his life. He's got more than he bargained for when he arrives to find the kingdom in disrepair and no small amount of dangerous foes clamoring for his throne and his only allies a talking dog, an inept wizard, two kobolds and a girl who is part tree.
With such a premise, I expected this book to be much funnier than it was. I was only disappointed for a few minutes, though, because the story was so engaging as it was. I am not a huge fan of swords and magic epic fantasy, but this really brought a new twist, what with the protagonist being so out of place within the fantasy world. He spends just the right amount of time being amazed and disbelieving of his situation before coming to terms with the reality of the magic and the danger. He shows a lot of fortitude, but not so much that it comes across as disingenuous. The dynamism of the character is also an asset to the narrative. His rag-tag band of supporters are also able to learn and grow through their experiences with Ben, but not so much that there is no room for further development in the sequels, of which there are several. The climax and resolution of the tale is also just the right amount of satisfying whiles still leaving threads to be followed up with in later books.
I must also say that I listened to an audio book of the author's seminal work, The Sword of Shannara, some years ago, and despite the fact that it was the Absolute Favorite Book Ever of the guy I was seeing at the time, was not wholly enamored of the tale. I felt it went on too long and that it did not seem terribly original or engaging. Of course I was also driving from Minnesota to Georgia at the time and might have missed some things while my attention was diverted by traffic. I am pleased to say that I found this book much more pleasurable and may be induced to give that other series a try at some point. I continue to be told that it is rather good. (less)

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Mar 26, 2012 Sagatiaej rated it 5 of 5 stars

A few things: This series is what I call the "as good as Terry Brooks gets series". It is a Great series if you can get yourself to page 120of the first book. when I suggest this book to ppl I tell them "He's a lawyer, his wife is deceased and he's grieving, she has subscription to a catalog with a well known rep., the catalog has an advertisement for a legitimate magic kingdom for sale by a seedy character called Meeks, start at page 60...go!" The reason that I do this is because the first page...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Preston Moore rated it 5 of 5 stars

Have you ever you ever wanted to buy a magical kingdom that you could own for youself, that you could instantly become a king/queen of this kingdom?
Well, this book show an example what that could be like. Ben Holiday, big time bussniess man, is tired of the same old work routine that he follows everyday and is often depressed. It would be one day that in reading in the paper their would be an ad "Magic Kingdom for Sale". He thought this was a complete joke, who could sale an entire magical king...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Sean rated it 4 of 5 stars

How would you like to be King of your own magic kingdom complete with everything that you would expect to be in there, dragons, fairies, multi-colored plants, and magic spells? Terry Brooks brings you through the exciting and enchanting adventure of Ben Holiday, a very successful Chicago lawyer who shares a law firm with his best friend, Miles Bennet, who responded to the ad in the Christmas Wishbook catalog from Rosen’s Ltd. Ben’s wife, who was harboring their unborn child, died in an unfortun...more How would you like to be King of your own magic kingdom complete with everything that you would expect to be in there, dragons, fairies, multi-colored plants, and magic spells? Terry Brooks brings you through the exciting and enchanting adventure of Ben Holiday, a very successful Chicago lawyer who shares a law firm with his best friend, Miles Bennet, who responded to the ad in the Christmas Wishbook catalog from Rosen’s Ltd. Ben’s wife, who was harboring their unborn child, died in an unfortunate accident leaving Ben to feel that there wasn’t any point to keep doing what he has been. He wanted a different life, another chance to do something helpful and worthwhile for other people and himself. The ad in the Christmas Wishbook from Rosen’s was to be a king of a place called Landover, AD HERE. Ben, of course, thought that it couldn’t possibly be true, but was so desperate for a new life he tried it anyway, he had more than enough money after all. What he became king of was nothing that anyone would expect. There were real dragons and magic, not any kind of special effects, but he didn’t have much to rule with. The royal treasury was empty, there was only four people for the staff at the castle who are also the only ones who still stand in service of the throne. Those four are Questor Thews, court wizard and advisor to the king, Abernathy, court scribe who was turned into a soft-coated wheaten terrier accidentally, and two kobolds, creatures that look much like monkeys with large-ears and some of the fiercest and deadliest beings alive. Ben soon finds out that there hasn’t been a good king in over twenty years, only a lot of ‘play-kings’. Landover needs a ruling king to keep it’s magic working and strong, but without one, the land falls into a great despair, called The Tarnish. Two G’home Gnomes eventually come up and ask for Ben to free their brothers from the trolls and they will answer to the throne anytime after that. Unfortunately, the G’home Gnomes were the most disliked people in all of Landover because they steal people’s belongings and eat people’s pets. Ben was determined to treat all of Landover’s people the same, even if they were G’home Gnomes. The Mark, the demon overlord of Addoron, the underworld of Landover, also came to challenge Ben, but much earlier than he usually does. The only way to defeat the Mark is for the King to summon the King’s champion, known as the Paladin. No one thinks that he will come though because he hasn't been seen since the last King twenty years ago. But Ben is different than the play-kings that have occupied the throne and the Paladin comes for him, but with a dark secret that no one knows about but the King.(less)

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Apr 06, 2010 Robert rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

It sounds like the premise of a hilarious comic fantasy: Successful lawyer sees a magic kingdom for sale in a Christmas catalogue, buys it, and becomes king. Except, things are not as grand as they seem, and he finds himself accompanied by a talking dog, an incompetent wizard, and two goblins as his only retinue...

Unfortunately, the book never really delivers anything at all. The writing is bland, the humour is, for the most part, absent, and the story is altogether a misfire. There is a touch o...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Timothy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-reviewed-in-2012

Imagine that you were someone with a life that felt hollow. You were rich and had many opportunities, but ever since a personal tragedy occurred, everything seems hopeless. Then you see an ad for (what you assume to be) a Hollywood experience with a “magical kingdom” for sale for a one million dollar price tag. (Actually, the ad is for an actual magic kingdom, but that has to be all part of the fun show. I mean, obviously that's fake Hollywood stuff, right?) You buy the “kingdom” and get ready f...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Kate Millin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have found this very difficult to put down - it was the light relief I needed just now. The determination of Ben is inspiring, but I think that the morality behind the story could frustrate some although for me it was a helpful reminder that events are what I make of them. Which is just what I needed at the moment - how surprising and not what I was expecting from a fantasy novel.
Landover was a genuine magic kingdom, complete with fairy folk and wizardry, just as the advertisement had promised...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Shannon Chapel rated it 1 of 5 stars

I've read a lot of books but rarely write reviews. I only take time out of my day to write a review when I have strong feelings about a book. I have to love it or hate it, and after reading this book I definitely have strong feelings and opinions about it.

A family member of mine kept telling me how great this book is, and every time I spoke to her she'd ask if I'd read it yet. I didn't want to tell her that I just couldn't bring myself to read a book with such a terrible title: "Magic Kingdom F...more I've read a lot of books but rarely write reviews. I only take time out of my day to write a review when I have strong feelings about a book. I have to love it or hate it, and after reading this book I definitely have strong feelings and opinions about it.

A family member of mine kept telling me how great this book is, and every time I spoke to her she'd ask if I'd read it yet. I didn't want to tell her that I just couldn't bring myself to read a book with such a terrible title: "Magic Kingdom For Sale--SOLD!" Really? It sounds like a children's book (I later realized the language used in the text is NOT suitable for children). If that's the best title the writer could come up with, how much worse would the book itself be?

Several months went by, then I received an email from my family member stating she'd purchased the book for me and it was on its way. "Crap!" I thought. "Now I'll HAVE to read it." Several more months went by--several more months of my family member asking if I'd read the book, several more months of me making excuses not to. Finally I sucked it up and decided to get it over with.

I gave this book the old college try. I really did. I don't like wasting my time, so when I open a book I commit to liking it until proven otherwise. I read approximately 200 pages, and this is hands-down the worst book I have ever read. I think it's only the second book I've ever started and didn't finish. I was 200 pages in and the story STILL hadn't started. It's unbearably tedious and boring. I actually found myself groaning things like, "Ugh, for God's sake, can you PLEASE get on with it already!" aloud as I read. It was chapter after chapter of routine minutiae described ad infinitum--stuff like "He brushed his teeth, rinsed his mouth, then dried the water off the counter. He dressed in his favorite suit and snugged the tie tight against his throat. He poured himself a cup of coffee, two sugars and one cream, and stirred it slowly as he looked out the window. He walked back into the bedroom and put on his shoes, the black ones, lacing them up one at a time. He grabbed his briefcase, his wallet, and his cell phone as he opened the door, locking it behind him." UGH! Obviously this isn't actual text from the book, but the real text is just as bad if not worse.

I am truly baffled by the four and five-star reviews this book has received. I recommend holding on to your money; don't waste it or your time. New York Times Bestseller? That's stunning. STUNNING. And now Warner Brothers is making a movie? Hopefully the movie will have decent special effects to distract viewers from the terrible plot.(less)

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Dec 05, 2011 Lolly's rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mythic-fantasy, talking-animals, fantasy, part-of-a-series

I had a hard time slogging through this, as evinced by the length of time it took me from start to finish. The concept is good, in fact the plot is a tried-and-true escapist fantasy, it was just...dull.

First off, the main character, Ben Holiday, is, well, frankly, he's a woman in many ways. His behaviors and emotions reminded me quite often of the heroines in modern PNR fiction: "Oh, woe is me, I'm so miserable. I have a horrid sense of self-worth and everyone keeps telling me how important I am...more I had a hard time slogging through this, as evinced by the length of time it took me from start to finish. The concept is good, in fact the plot is a tried-and-true escapist fantasy, it was just...dull.

First off, the main character, Ben Holiday, is, well, frankly, he's a woman in many ways. His behaviors and emotions reminded me quite often of the heroines in modern PNR fiction: "Oh, woe is me, I'm so miserable. I have a horrid sense of self-worth and everyone keeps telling me how important I am, how special I am, and I just can't, I won't believe it, at least, not until the last act when my obstinacy and sullen attitude has put everyone else in a position of danger and I wake up, stop being such a whiny bitch and take my rightful place as the true leader I was supposed to be all along." Yeah, that gets really annoying after the first few chapters and even more so when it's a man doing the whining. Conversely, Ben Holiday would also act like a complete Neanderthal when it came to female characters. This was most obvious in his actions toward Willow the sylph (half sprite, half wood nymph). He constantly rejects her, even when she tells him that his rejection will be detrimental to her and/or to him. For instance, she tells him to ask her father, the River Master (the sprite), for his permission for Willow to leave with Ben, as she's important to his quest. Instead, he sneaks off the next day at dawn without talking to the River Master about Willow and when she shows up later on (to rescue him, naturally), she tells him that because she left without permission, permission Ben failed to acquire, she's now exiled from her father's land. And he's surprised about that! What a dumbass. Then again, Willow isn't much better as a character. When she first meets Ben, she tells him she belongs to him, a concept which he doesn't accept (of course), but which she repeats on every subsequent meeting with him. If that isn't bad enough, most of the time she's around, she simply floats passively through the scene, as though she's there merely to do Ben's bidding or to get trampled on by his insensitivity. Which she pretty much is. Even during the rescue, when she gets to be proactive for once, you don't feel any sense of heroics from her, just a sense that she couldn't let anything bad happen to the man "she belongs to." The whole thing is irksome. (And, by the way, when did hairy women become sexy? Willow has long hair on her head, which is fine, but also lines of long silky hair, growing along the backs of her forearms and along the backs of her calves. I'm sorry, but yuck!)

As far as auxiliary characters, once again they were simply there to support Ben. I didn't feel any particular connection to them and while the wizard, Questar, had a backstory, none of the others really did. And it didn't feel as though that much effort was put into them. I mean, one of his retainers is a former man who's now a dog, having got that way through a magical mishap perpetrated by Questar. Really? That's it? A dog. Granted, a dog who wears glasses and a waistcoat, but, and this is where the creativity seems less creative and more lazy, a dog whose hands have conveniently not fully turned into paws, having stubby fingers at the end of them so that he may still do his job. Right off the top of my head, I can come up with five other creatures/objects the retainer could've been turned into, each of them presenting a more creative and intriguing angle to the plot than this one.

The plot was a quasi-quest as Ben, the new king of this magic kingdom called Landover, roams the land in order to get support for his rule. However, even though there's a big duel at the end and a few confrontations throughout the novel, for my part, I never felt any real tension as far as "I need to get the support of my people before the demon who's challenged me comes to spit me on the end of his lance." It all felt very meandering and casual, with no real drama or danger. And the thing which bugged me the most about Brooks' writing is that he's very repeat-y. In one paragraph, in which he's describing the appearance and situation of a particular valley, he uses the word 'valley' four times...in a three sentence paragraph! And he loved the word 'trailers' when it came to describing the actions of the mist which surrounded said valley; I can't count the number of times he used it. And why, when there are plenty of other, really great words to describe the ethereal, mercurial, fleeting nature of that particular meteorological phenomenon. I realize repeating a word isn't a national crime, nor is using a different word to describe the same object any better; however, a little variety can be a good thing.

I think the most disappointing thing about this book, though, is that it was sold to me as more a comedy than a straight fantasy, at least according to the blurbs on the book jacket. I adore a good comedic fantasy and I was expecting this to be along those lines. Sadly, it wasn't. I've never read any of Brooks' other works; I've heard he's supposedly a well-respected author. If that's the case, this book isn't an ideal introduction to his talent. Overall, it was a very dissatisfying read.(less)

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Jul 25, 2011 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Terry Brooks is one of my favorite authors, but I prefer the Shannara world to Landover. That being said, Landover is still good. It's been a while since I've read the series. I'm beginning a re-read due to the release of a 6th book. I'm reminded of newer series where the protagonist is transported/has eyes opened to a new magical world (Fablehaven, Beyonders, Harry Potter) as well as a much older series which does the same (Narnia). But Landover isn't written for children, it's for adults, thou...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Jennifer Locke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, landover, terry-brooks, my-books

This book is a great mix of almost normal reality with a little bit of fantasy thrown in...or is it the other way around? Terry Brooks takes a broken hearted lawyer from Chicago and sells him a Magic Kingdom. He gives his protagonist something to live for and something to fight for. Ben Holiday is suspicious of the validity of the sale at first but once he reaches Landover, he becomes a believer. Given an unsual asortment of companions, Ben must fight against the forces of evil in the forms of a...more

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Jun 21, 2009 DeAnne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Terry Brooks is one of those authors I haven't read since I was a kid. His style is infinitely closer to the 50's Fantasy style, where things are very clear cut...good is good, bad is bad, hero gets the girl, and I tend to choose fiction now of a philosophical bent and visions of dystopian existentialism at war with itself. (China Miéville...I'll always love you...)

But I found myself with a free copy of this book on my Kindle, and was surprised at how well the book read. The premise is an amusi...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Malcolm rated it 3 of 5 stars

Terry Brooks is a bigger name in the fantasy genre -- but as I'm finding in my later life, the writing in that genre can often be pretty simplistic, when reviewed under a bright light.

Avoiding spoilers, this book does involve a Magic Kingdom for sale (duh) and some of the obvious developments that occur as a result. The character development thereafter is interesting, but somewhat contrived -- we are TOLD a great deal more of the struggles of the main character than SHOWN. The past struggles of...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Lee Skoyles rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have to say, i was sceptical about this book from the off, finding the title a little clumsy if not downright inelegant. I was however, pleasantly surprised as i progressed throughout the pages. While not something i could rave on about, Brooks maintains a pleasantly engaging level of humour and adventure, and while i found the characters a little 2D at times, and Ben's issues with his lost love personally a little tricky to relate to (and sudden, abrupt change of heart a little strange), none...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Gemma Irene Seyger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I was intrigued by the premise of buying a fairy world (kingship included!), and thank God I was, because it took a few chapters for this to take off for me. Once things got settled, this was a pretty fun and entertaining read for me.

Ben Holiday, lawyer and widower, came across as mopey and unbalanced at first. I can't say he didn't have his reasons, though. His wife was dead, and he was contemplating buying the kingdom of Landover for one million dollars, all on a whim. He was full of doubts fo...more I was intrigued by the premise of buying a fairy world (kingship included!), and thank God I was, because it took a few chapters for this to take off for me. Once things got settled, this was a pretty fun and entertaining read for me.

Ben Holiday, lawyer and widower, came across as mopey and unbalanced at first. I can't say he didn't have his reasons, though. His wife was dead, and he was contemplating buying the kingdom of Landover for one million dollars, all on a whim. He was full of doubts for being a successful thirty-something, but given the situation that seemed logical. Within ten minutes of setting foot in Landover, he had to escape the demon known as the Iron Mark and the dragon called Strabo, then ran across the would-be wizard Questor Thews, who wasted no time in demonstrating his ineptitude. Good start! I like how whenever Ben was in over his head trying to validate his claim to the throne, he fell back on his courtroom experience and stayed cool. It was training that served him well.

It's hard to say who I liked best out of the secondary characters. Questor was well-meaning, Abernathy the talking dog (who was once human) was often sarcastic, but he had a level head and gave some good advice, even if Ben didn't take it. Willow the sylph wasn't a main player until about halfway through the book, but she was so steady I couldn't help but come to like her.

There's problems in Landover, and that's for sure. The magic that keeps the land alive is failing, and the only way to save it is for a King to establish himself. But first Ben has to win over the people he'd be king to, and that's not going to be easy. Before the Lords of the Greensward will pledge to him, they want him to get rid of Strabo. Before the River Master will pledge to him, he wants Ben to stop the humans from polluting the river system. To get rid of Strabo, he'll have to convince the witch Nightshade to help him (and I doubt we've seen the last of her yet!). To top it all off, the Iron Mark has challenged him to a duel, and the only way he could possibly survive that is through the help of the Paladin, the King's protector and champion of old. Just one problem: no one has seen the Paladin in twenty years.

If it weren't for the occasional swearing, I wouldn't have been able to guess that this was aimed at adults. It didn't take itself too seriously and it was at times light-hearted and, well, just plain fun. I also appreciated the old school fantasy characters as opposed to the generic ones we're stuck with today, and I can only hope that's a trend that continues through the series. Overall, I'd say Mr. Brooks is off to a fine start as far as I'm concerned. The only thing that kept this from getting a five-star rating was the way the pacing took its sweet time in a few places. Other than that, I can't complain!(less)

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Jan 01, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demons, dragons, fairies, urban-fantasy

Ok, kind of funny story about this book:
I started reading this book back in the summer of 2006, my family had just moved to a new house, I didn't have a card for the local library, and I owned about 300+++ books. Needless to say, acquiring a library card rather quickly, and given my penchant for not feeling motivated to read books I actually own, I got distracted from this book about 250 out of 370 pages in. Fast forward 3.5 years later and I haven't read nearly enough books this year, I am tryi...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Fiona rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi-horror, vine, setting-fantasy, setting-usa, 2010

It took me a little while to get into this book to be honest with you, not so much because of the book but due to my mood and personal things that happened at the time I started it. However, for the most part I enjoyed it and think I would have enjoyed it a lot more had it not been for the exact time I started reading it. I wavered between giving it 3.5 or 4 stars but decided, because the ending was pretty good that I’d round it up. It’s the first book in a while I’ve felt I have really enjoyed....more It took me a little while to get into this book to be honest with you, not so much because of the book but due to my mood and personal things that happened at the time I started it. However, for the most part I enjoyed it and think I would have enjoyed it a lot more had it not been for the exact time I started reading it. I wavered between giving it 3.5 or 4 stars but decided, because the ending was pretty good that I’d round it up. It’s the first book in a while I’ve felt I have really enjoyed.

It reminded me slightly of one of those old pixelated point and click games like Simon the Sorcerer where you click on ‘pick up’ or ‘use’ from the command menu – or maybe even more like the really old King’s Quest type games where you had to write ‘look’ or ‘pick up’ which I used to love playing. In fact, it’s made me really want to play Simon the Sorcerer again as I never completed it as a kid but I did used to love it. Hmm wonder if it’d work on Vista? (Damn you Microsoft!) Anyway that isn’t really anything to do with this review at all.

Brooks’ writing could occasionally be a little repetitive – he liked the word admonished quite a bit and Ben was forever wanting to throttle people and the characters were slightly flat and predictable. However, the story was the strongest point and there were quite a few times when I laughed out loud. The world was quite imaginative in a clichéd way – it’s your typical ‘fantasy’ land complete with dragons, witches, wizards and other fairy people as it said in the sales pitch. It felt a little undeveloped as a whole but it is the first book in a series so I think the set up will lead on to something stronger. I loved the castle Sterling Silver being a ‘living’ thing and I also really thought the idea of the ‘fairy’ world was incredibly interesting – I hope in the following books we get to go back there.

The following book ‘The Black Unicorn’ sounds good already – but seeing as I’m on this book ban for the foreseeable future and have a huge stack of library books I haven’t read yet (bugger that’s just reminded me I have an overdue loan!!) I am not sure when I’ll get to it. I have a feeling these are light easy book that can be easily dipped in and out of. I’m not gasping to read the second one but I know that I want to. It’s on the post-ban wish-list. (less)

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Magic Kingdom For Sale/Sold (Magic Kingdom of Landover #1)

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