Magic Kingdom for Sale – Sold! Review

After my disappointment with Brooks’ last novel, and my lesser disappointment with some of the more recent Shannara books, I’ve wondered occasionally if all of his other books were really as good as I remember them being.  When I decided I wanted a light fantasy read between heavier books, I tested that thought by picking up what might be his only successful non-Shannara series: Landover.  Not that I’m planning to re-read the whole series, but to my relief, Magic Kingdom for Sale – Sold! was just as enjoyable as I remembered.

Now, it is necessary to keep in mind that this is not going to be The Lord of the Rings – not in scope, not in quality, not in significance – but that need not detract from what it is.  Magic Kingdom for Sale – Sold! is a light, somewhat escapist fantasy novel that stands well on its own, builds from an intriguing premise, and presents an imaginative twist on some of the genre’s tropes.  It features an unusual protagonist, in the form of a middle-aged lawyer, and while his tragic backstory is a little overdone at times to sell the reader on his decision to purchase a purported “magic kingdom” based on a catalogue advertisement, he is still a refreshing change when fantasy protagonists are most commonly young, poor, and destined to become great warriors.

For a court, this foreign king has an incompetent wizard, a talking dog who serves as scribe, a couple of monkey-like creatures, and a sylph who believes she is predestined to love him and periodically turns into a tree.  While these might seem like trappings of a comedy, and I did describe the book as light, I would not describe it as silly.  It has humorous moments, but it primarily takes itself just the right amount of seriously, with satisfying and convincing challenges, and a realistic conclusion that does not require the protagonist to acquire miraculous powers or abilities (mostly).

You’re not going to find deep worldbuilding, challenging questions, complex magic systems, or immense character transformation here, and that’s okay.  That’s not why you pick up a book like this.  Instead, you pick it up because you still knock on the back of wardrobes (or desks) every now and then in the hope that you might find a passage into Narnia.  In fact, that might be the best way to think of it.  Magic Kingdom for Sale – Sold! is Narnia for those who are too old to get through the wardrobe anymore.  And if you read the book, you don’t even need to spend a million dollars to appreciate it.