Magic Kingdom of Landover #2
“Great High Lord!
Fillip & Sot
Mighty High Lord!”
The Black Unicorn is a fun, action-packed jaunt through the Magic Kingdom of Landover. The motley crew is back together, and Ben has his hands full fending off the newest and oldest threat to his crown. I loved the addition of Dirk to the crew, and the humor melded well with the more poignant moments.
For those who haven’t read Magic Kingdom For Sale — Sold!, there is enough recap to bring you up to speed. I found it helpful since it’s been a while since I read it, though I recommend reading that book first. Ben bought Landover for the bargain price of $1,000,000.00 and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Unfortunately, the hornet’s nests that he kicked securing the kingdom come back to haunt him in this book.
Ben’s occasionally stubborn ways and heaps of baggage from his life in our world can make him a challenging lead character to like. Fortunately, a crazy group of old and new friends around him adds a lot of humor and zaniness to even the direst circumstances. Abernathy, especially, takes center stage for several events in undignified ways, much to his horror.
The Black Unicorn doesn’t shy away from complex themes either. Moving past loss, truly knowing yourself, and caring for the environment are all touched on at different points. Thankfully, a careful balance is kept, and it never falls into the trap of feeling like a lecture.
The second Landover book is a solid entry in the series. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to seeing what trouble Questor stirs up in the next book.
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