Magic Kingdom of Landover #1
“I bought a kingdom where the king has no army, no staff but the four of you, and no money? I paid a million dollars for that?”
Ben Holiday
This book may have been written over thirty years ago, but it holds up well. Ben Holiday’s crazy adventure after purchasing the throne of a fantasy kingdom, Landover, shows that some things never change, no matter what world you’re in.
Ben Holiday is a well-known lawyer in Chicago who has been spiraling downwards since his wife was killed in a car accident. Deciding that he has nothing to lose, he buys a fantasy kingdom from a Christmas Wishlist catalog. Landover is not what he expected but is beautiful, even in its rundown state. From trees that function as a complete, balanced meal to sentient castles and G’home gnomes, Landover has many fantastical elements that bring it to life.
Landover also has a diverse population. It feels like every fantasy archetype has its own little part of this world. Ben manages to find himself in each area of the country at some point. Whether visiting the medieval feeling holdings in the Greensward or the home of the sprites and nymphs in the Lake Country, each area feels unique.
Ben is the glue that holds the story together, and he works well as the lead character. His background in the law gives him a unique perspective when trying to draw the different groups together. At the same time, he goes on rollercoaster downers of feeling inadequate and pining after his wife. These abrupt changes in attitude did get annoying, and I was glad when, with the help of a lot of magic, his emotions finally got settled.
The supporting cast is entertaining as well, especially Questor and Abernathy. Some of their arguments were highly entertaining. Willow and the situations around her didn’t resonate with me, mainly when they resulted in another of Ben’s about-faces.
Landover is well worth visiting, and I expect to return again, especially since there are another five books in the series.
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