Wizard at Large

The third installment of the Magic Kingdom of Landover series by Terry Brooks. 

Things have gotten relatively back to normal and Questor Thews is practicing his magic. In the past in order to save his friend's life, he turned Abernathy into dogman and hasn't been able to figure out how to turn him back into a human. But now he things he's got it. While wearing Ben's medallion, which he was reluctant to give away even for a moment, Abernathy submits to Questor's attempt only to get teleported away to Washington State in the USA. In place of Abernathy in Landover is a bottle with a demon inside that is oh so willing to grant wishes, but these wishes end up going poorly for the wisher most of the time. This bottle once belonged to the Old King's son, Michel Ard Rhi, who left Landover for Earth with Meeks and was the very reason Abernathy was changed into a dog to begin with. So when Abernathy finds himself in Michel Ard Rhi's castle home in Washington, he must escape and finds help in a little girl named Elizabeth. To make things worse, the bottle has gone missing. 

This was supposed to be the last book in the Landover series (though The Tangle Box came out 6 years later) and ends up coming to a nice, though somewhat abrupt, conclusion. 

The adventure has some suspense for Abernathy and Elizabeth which was my favorite part of the whole book. Them and Miles. We, as the reader, are finally given some depth and growth to other characters besides Ben (who is nice all). Questor is designated to find the bottle and get it back and fights a dragon for it while Ben and Willow get transported (by Questor) to the USA to find Abernathy, but because Questor struggles with magic, he transports them to Las Vegas instead of Washington State. Oops. With the help of Miles though they are able to track Abernathy down. 

I've noticed something, though. Maybe it's because it's a 1980s book or one of Terry Brook's first, but there is a lot more "telling" about things happening than there is "showing." We are told that Michel is a nasty bruit who is a mean runt and everyone was happy when he left Landover, but we never actually get to see him be awful. We're told he hurts animal, hence why Abernathy and Elizabeth are more scared of him, but we never actually get to see him being the bad guy. He puts Abernathy in cages and withholds food and drugs him, but making him dazed and hungry (even to a bad extent) didn't fill me so much worry as it probably could/should have, not that we need all the gory details. 

I did enjoy Questor vs Strebo and them barging into the courtroom. That was probably the best plot part in the whole thing. Happy Halloween guys! lol By far this one was the best of the series. The next book, as I said, came out about 6 years later, so hopefully he's improved. 

The Black Unicorn

The second book of the Magical Kingdom of Landover series by Terry Brooks. 

Ben Holliday is not a native of Landover, but he is now it's king and has been for about a year. But one night most of the members of the castle of Stirling Silver have dreams that seem more prophetic than regular dreams. Questor Thew's dreams of the location of his elder brother's books of magic, Ben dreams of troubles back on Earth with his friend Miles, and Willow dreams of the Black Unicorn.  Questor gets the books of magic, but one is burned and the other is full of pictures of white unicorns. Willow hasn't returned by the time Ben comes back having found everything okay with Miles. As he sleeps again, he finds himself dreaming of having lost the medallion, a vital trinket that holds his identity as King of Landover. Upon waking he finds that it wasn't a dream Meeks (Questor's elder brother) has magicked himself into Landover and has taken the medallion, both of which should have been impossible. Meeks has also changed Ben to look like some commoner and himself to look like Ben. Ben gets run out of the castle and called a thief by his friends. He how has no identity that anyone but a random talking cat that decides to follow him. 

Compared to the first book, this one had more to it and that had more more invested into the story. The plot had more going for it over all, questing for your own identity and this mysterious unicorn, though walking around to the same three places as they did in the first one seems to be a redundant occurrence which can get old fast. I understand that Landover isn't that large of a kingdom, but it can be repetitive. 

Character development for Ben was big this time, specifically on his identity not just in Chicago but as Landover's King and that he's going to stick by those guns and not give up on them. Others, however, still lacked growth. I don't think the kobolds or Willow (let alone the dragon or Nightshade) will ever get much actual development in growing as people (or dragons). We do see more of Willow being resilient and given the chance to turn back she didn't, but characters are supposed to be more one trait. Willow needs to be more than devotion and constancy, which are great qualities--don't get me wrong--but she would need to be more to be a well rounded character. 

It had a decent writing style and did keep me engaged. Some of the twists I didn't see coming, but others were easy to spot. But it somewhat ended the same way as the previous book, a battle with the Paladin. Although the reader described what was going on with the fight, my mind just skipped through it. Nothing intensely engaging happened and it seemed very similar to the first book, which was disappointing. 

Magic Kingdom for Sale/Sold

 This is a book that my husband has been trying to get me to read for nearly a decade.... It's taken me a while to get to it. Sorry, love. 

Ben Holliday is a lawyer in Chicago who is still grieving over the death of his wife and unborn child. He has no motivation in his life except for work and he is miserable. Looking through a Christmas catalog only for the uber wealthy, he spots a peculiar add about a Magic Kingdom for sale for 1 million dollars. What kind of heist is this? Who would fall for that? Well, when he can't get it out of his mind, he inquires with the add agency and it's a legitimate add. He actually purchases it. 1 million isn't that much to him, especially with a full refund guarantee if he's not satisfied. Any change would be good for him now. Anything is better than this stagnant feeling and dwelling in grief. So he goes, and finds out that it is for real. The first moment he steps into Landover where his first contact is a demon that tries to chase him down and then a dragon that he has to sneak by. The court wizard, who is really bad at magic, named Questor Thews takes him to his rundown and tarnished castle that is being run by a man who was turned into a dog and two kobolds. Not the welcoming parade and fanfare he might have assumed would accompany a king to a magical kingdom. With no authority other than the medallion he was given and the ragtag team of counselors, he decides he's not going to give up. Well, at least he has 10 days to fully decide. 

My rating of a 4 Star is generous. I'd probably give it more of a 3.75, but I haven't done quarters in my rating system, so.... 

Magic Kingdom For Sale:Sold! is an old school fantasy book, published in 1986 and it feels it. It's as if back in the 80's only guys read fantasy (which they might have) and it was very much published for them. There are two whole girls in this story, one is beautiful and fanciful, devoted with her entire heart (after just one meeting) and the most gorgeous being he's ever seen; while the other is an ugly old witch who is one of the three most powerful beings in Landover. There is no in between, it is simply two extremes. Willow did fall in love at first sight because it was fated to be and would willingly die for him if it would save him even though they had only met for about five minutes. Upon their next meeting of another five minutes she pledged herself. This is extremely unrealistic, fantasy or not, and I didn't like it. She has no personality besides her devotion to him. "I must stay with you, Ben" is something she says often in almost every book I've ready thus far. It most defiantly, in my opinion, fails the Bechdel Test which I honestly didn't think was much of a problem (probably because I mainly read more recent publications or those written by women). 

The character development for pretty much anyone besides Ben is extremely minimal. Many feel very two dimensional. Most of the quirks that the characters have are surface level (dogman, bad at magic, green lady, dragon, evil witch). They feel almost like caricatures or stereotypes who are happy to stay in the stereotype.  Nothing really happens to them. 

The plot of the book is very simple. *spoilers* He comes into Landover, finds it's rundown but is willing to work through it, goes to different people to help him gain some authority which kind of works, and then has to fight a demon who would try to kill him at the end of a year anyway. It's not complicated at all and is kind of a let down. 

I feel like this book hasn't aged well and if it weren't for my husband liking as much as he did the last time he read it and the fact that I can listen to it as an audiobook, I probably wouldn't have read on. But I have. 

The Black Unicorn is better.