Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold! by Terry Brooks

Title: Magic Kingdom for Sale--Sold!

Author: Terry Brooks

Genre: Fantasy

Summary: A Chicago lawyer is missing something from his life, but he can't quite put his finger on what it is, until a listing in a Christmas catalog for a magic kingdom catches his eye.

The Take-Away: A very clever fantasy novel. What working adult wouldn't like to escape to a magic kingdom? To find that magic works and mystical creature live? Of course, there's a catch. After twenty-some odd years, the kingdom is in less than stellar shape. No money in the treasury, no army and enemies abound. It's not so much as a kingdom, as a living castle and a strong sense of responsibility without authority.

The title was published in 1986 when third person point of view was the standard. If written today, it would benefit from a switch to first person.

The series is a bit of required reading for a secret project that I'm working on. I lack a strong foundation in fantasy, and need to get some basics under my belt. I enjoyed the escapist mentality and tried not to notice the dated writing style. Since I'm researching fantastical elements, I don't have comments on the use of magic or the worldbuilding. Yet.

Recommendation: A great escape and a promising start to the series.

Technorati tag: Book review