On the HahaFiction shelf
Magic Kingdom for Sale—Sold!
Magic Kingdom of Landover · Book 1 · 1986
Ben Holiday buys Landover in the hope that becoming a king will give his life a new direction. The magic kingdom is real, but the royal authority is much less certain. A ruined realm, suspicious barons and dangerous supernatural neighbors require more from the grieving lawyer than the advertisement suggested.
From the publisher’s blurb
“The task of proving his right to be King seemed hopeless. But Ben Holiday was stubborn.”Read the full description at Del Rey publisher description
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What makes it funny?
His court’s resources include a wizard who cannot be relied on and a talking dog employed as a scribe. Even Willow, an ally who believes in him, periodically becomes a tree. Book-group readers call the resulting fantasy funny and light.
The comedy at work
The purchase gives Ben a title without the cooperation he expects from subjects or courtiers. He has to persuade people to recognize his authority while discovering how unreliable his magical helpers can be.
Try this if…
A modern outsider learning the rules of a magical realm drives this adventure. Readers in book groups suggest the Landover books as a lighter read between other fantasy series.
Good to know
Ben’s grief over his wife’s death matters to the opening, and Landover faces hunger and deadly threats. Kirkus enjoyed the setup but found the resolution prolonged and heavy-handed.
More funny fantasy
Sources & further reading
- Reader discussion
Reader discussion
- Kirkus review
Review
- Publisher: novel and ebook edition
Publisher
- Fantastic Fiction: first Landover novel
Book information
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