Landover was a genuine magic kingdom, complete with fairy folk and wizardry, just as the advertisement had promised. But after he purchased it for ...
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Feb 01, 2012
Helen
rated it: 
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
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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
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Sep 14, 2011
Lanica
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
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Apr 22, 2011
Becky
rated it:
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 wither More...
Of course it is, and there is everything promised in the ad -- except not quite exactly as promised. Everything is running down and wither More...
Jan 27, 2011
Lowed
rated it: 
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
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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:
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 o More...
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 o More...
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May 02, 2011
La Stamberga dei Lettori
rated it:
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
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Mar 29, 2009
Debbie
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
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Nov 23, 2008
Jenni
rated it:
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 f
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Apr 28, 2011
Preston
rated it:
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 ent More...
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 ent More...
Mar 24, 2011
Sean
rated it:
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
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Apr 06, 2010
Robert
rated it: 
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 More...
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 More...
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Dec 05, 2011
Laura
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Jul 25, 2011
Dan
rated it:
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,
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Sep 21, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
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
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Jun 21, 2009
DeAnne
rated it:
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 prem More...
But I found myself with a free copy of this book on my Kindle, and was surprised at how well the book read. The prem More...
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Sep 25, 2011
Malcolm
rated it:
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 s More...
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 s More...
Dec 28, 2011
Lee
rated it:
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
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Jan 01, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Jul 03, 2010
Fiona
rated it:
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.
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Apr 11, 2010
Kathy
rated it:
A different kind of fantasy book...and I enjoyed it...
Ben Holliday... an unlikely hero... in his forties, a lawyer who is loosing faith in the law, and depressed - his wife died 2 years earlier, and life did not have any meaning...
until he read an ad that a magic kingdom was for sale... he had the money...
But what he really needs is to face his fears, to let go, and to embrace the new kingdom wholeheartedly...
A tranfigured dog for a scribe... a More...
Ben Holliday... an unlikely hero... in his forties, a lawyer who is loosing faith in the law, and depressed - his wife died 2 years earlier, and life did not have any meaning...
until he read an ad that a magic kingdom was for sale... he had the money...
But what he really needs is to face his fears, to let go, and to embrace the new kingdom wholeheartedly...
A tranfigured dog for a scribe... a More...
Jan 08, 2012
Angela
rated it:
I'm re-reading this because "A Princess of Landover" came out not too long ago, and I wanted to re-familiarize myself with the series before taking it on. "Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold" is an older book, and feels like it; there are only two female characters, the evil witch and the mindless love interest. The concept is good - a fantasy realm is bought by a lawyer who hopes to rekindle his passion for justice, but turns out to be much more than he was expecting - and the
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Feb 11, 2012
Dmdutcher
rated it:
Ben Holliday is a successful lawyer who is still grieved over his wife Annie's death. One day, a wishbook-a luxury catalog providing experiences like no other for the very rich-arrives at his door, addressed to Annie. He leafs through it, and out of all the experiences offered, finds out a magic kingdom is for sale.
In a mixture of hope and desperation, he goes to inquire about it, and winds up buying it. True to form, it really is a magic kingdom for sale, and he is now the king of i More...
In a mixture of hope and desperation, he goes to inquire about it, and winds up buying it. True to form, it really is a magic kingdom for sale, and he is now the king of i More...
Nov 13, 2010
Detective
rated it:
I picked this up after reading the Maria V. Snyder's *Study* & *Glass* series, with a' need to read. hehe!! I'll say, it was a serious struggle for me to pick up on Terry's style, not that he isn't gr8, cuz' he is, but it only gets better as he weaves his own magic into quite an enchanting tale! This is book #1 in: The Magic Kingdom of Landover series, which has five (so far... heard Terry's possibly adding another) and they are: #2 The Black Unicorn #3 Wizard at Large #4 The Tangle Box #5 Witch
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Oct 03, 2011
Pages read:
The Magic Kingdom: 153-322
Total: 170
Summary: Ben Holiday, a famed lawyer whose pregnant wife has recently passed away, is in search of an escape from his current life. He is flipping through a fancy Christmas catalog when he sees a sale that intrigues him. Landover, another world in which he could purchase and become king. This seemed crazy, but was exactly the escape he was looking for. After a lot of consideration, he decides to purchase Landover for 1 More...
The Magic Kingdom: 153-322
Total: 170
Summary: Ben Holiday, a famed lawyer whose pregnant wife has recently passed away, is in search of an escape from his current life. He is flipping through a fancy Christmas catalog when he sees a sale that intrigues him. Landover, another world in which he could purchase and become king. This seemed crazy, but was exactly the escape he was looking for. After a lot of consideration, he decides to purchase Landover for 1 More...
Mar 12, 2010
Meg
rated it:
I picked this up as a Kindle freebie quite a while before getting around to reading it - actually I'm glad I didn't read it right away, as I was probably more amused by the lawyer-as-hero than I would have been if I'd read it before starting law school.
The world I liked, the story I liked, but the writing gets mixed reviews. There's some clunky language (repeated mentions of the hero's "lawyer mind" got old pretty quick), lazy characterization, and the whole thing fails the More...
The world I liked, the story I liked, but the writing gets mixed reviews. There's some clunky language (repeated mentions of the hero's "lawyer mind" got old pretty quick), lazy characterization, and the whole thing fails the More...
Dec 23, 2009
Tracy
rated it:
I have read this book before and liked it (enough to read most of the rest of the series). So this review has ended up being more about how my reading sensibilities have changed and comments about the narration in this audiobook.
There I was, merrily listening along and being reminded of the story from when I'd read it years/decades before, when I realized that I was getting a bit frustrated with something. The main character, Ben, doesn't see what's smack in front of his face and he More...
There I was, merrily listening along and being reminded of the story from when I'd read it years/decades before, when I realized that I was getting a bit frustrated with something. The main character, Ben, doesn't see what's smack in front of his face and he More...
May 30, 2011
Erik
rated it:
An altogether mediocre book, which I purchased only because it came packaged 3-books-in-1
The premise is great - a jaded lawyer, unable to overcome his sorrow over his late wife's untimely death, comes across an ad selling a magical kingdom for ONE MILLION DOLLARS (fufufufu). Skeptical, he nevertheless decides he has nothing else to lose. He purchases it and finds that, indeed, there is a magical kingdom called Landover, full of unicorns and lions and tigers and bears oh my! Unfortun More...
The premise is great - a jaded lawyer, unable to overcome his sorrow over his late wife's untimely death, comes across an ad selling a magical kingdom for ONE MILLION DOLLARS (fufufufu). Skeptical, he nevertheless decides he has nothing else to lose. He purchases it and finds that, indeed, there is a magical kingdom called Landover, full of unicorns and lions and tigers and bears oh my! Unfortun More...
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Dec 07, 2009
Mike
rated it:
The only book I like better is "The Stand" by Stephen King. With that being said, this book is the one I say is my favorite! Ben, having lost his family and having a ton of money, needs...SOMETHING...ANYTHING! He finds it in a magic kingdom which he buys for a million bucks BUT, doesn't really believe in. That certainly changes, but not quickly. It's easy to read. There's no twenty-syllable names of people or places, which I hate, like...Crundhathohten of the Rinadjotun Klan...GRRR!!).
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