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Magic Kingdom of Landover #6
A Princess of Landover
Ben Holiday, High Lord of the magic kingdom of Landover, and his wife Willow have sent their 15-year-old daughter Mistaya to our world to attend a prestigious girls' boarding school. Mistaya--Misty to her friends--is not pleased with the arrangement. She is forbidden to use her magic for any reason, can't understand why other girls her own age don't revere the natural world, and is too clever for her own good in coming up with activities definitely not contained in the private school charter. It's only a matter of time before the authorities have to act--and Misty is suspended until she can prove she'll follow the rules.
Misty is perfectly pleased to be sent home to her beloved Landover. She wants nothing more than to continue her studies with the wizard Questor Thews and Abernathy, the court scribe. But Ben Holiday is furious that his daughter has been kicked out of school. To show her the importance of dedication to a task, he sends her to Libiris, the kingdom's long-abandoned royal library. Misty runs away rather than take on the assignment, but eventually ends up at Libiris nonetheless, there to uncover a magical plot that could spell the end of all Landover.
Misty is perfectly pleased to be sent home to her beloved Landover. She wants nothing more than to continue her studies with the wizard Questor Thews and Abernathy, the court scribe. But Ben Holiday is furious that his daughter has been kicked out of school. To show her the importance of dedication to a task, he sends her to Libiris, the kingdom's long-abandoned royal library. Misty runs away rather than take on the assignment, but eventually ends up at Libiris nonetheless, there to uncover a magical plot that could spell the end of all Landover.
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First published August 12, 2009
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About the author
Terry Brooks
417 books77.8k followersTerry Brooks was born in Illinois in 1944, where he spent a great deal of his childhood and early adulthood dreaming up stories in and around Sinnissippi Park, the very same park that would eventually become the setting for his bestselling Word & Void trilogy. He went to college and received his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College, where he majored in English Literature, and he received his graduate degree from the School of Law at Washington & Lee University.
A writer since high school, he wrote many stories within the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction, until one semester early in his college years he was given The Lord of the Rings to read. That moment changed Terry's life forever, because in Tolkien's great work he found all the elements needed to fully explore his writing combined in one genre.
He then wrote The Sword of Shannara, the seven year grand result retaining sanity while studying at Washington & Lee University and practicing law. It became the first work of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months.
A writer since high school, he wrote many stories within the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction, until one semester early in his college years he was given The Lord of the Rings to read. That moment changed Terry's life forever, because in Tolkien's great work he found all the elements needed to fully explore his writing combined in one genre.
He then wrote The Sword of Shannara, the seven year grand result retaining sanity while studying at Washington & Lee University and practicing law. It became the first work of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 362 reviews
November 5, 2010
I went back and forth with this, debating whether to give it two or three stars. In the end I went with three... But just barely.
Let me start by saying that I am a big fan of Terry Brooks. He was the first fantasy author I ever read, and I've read just about everything he has ever written.
That said, this book was somewhat of a disappointment to me. I was excited when I learned there would be a new Landover book, I had been hoping for one for a while. But the entire book felt sort of forced. It felt like Brooks was under pressure to put out a new story in the Landover series, and so he threw this together. The plot was pretty weak, very predictable, and not very engaging.
So why did I give it three stars? Well, in the end, despite it's flaws, reading this book was like taking a little journey into a land I had forgotten even existed. It had been a long time since I last read a Landover story, and it brought back many fond memories to read it. But in the end it came across as Landover-light, same world but half the content.
I'm hoping that if Brooks chooses to continue the series, he gets back to the roots and does it because the story has someplace to go, not just to say it was done.
Let me start by saying that I am a big fan of Terry Brooks. He was the first fantasy author I ever read, and I've read just about everything he has ever written.
That said, this book was somewhat of a disappointment to me. I was excited when I learned there would be a new Landover book, I had been hoping for one for a while. But the entire book felt sort of forced. It felt like Brooks was under pressure to put out a new story in the Landover series, and so he threw this together. The plot was pretty weak, very predictable, and not very engaging.
So why did I give it three stars? Well, in the end, despite it's flaws, reading this book was like taking a little journey into a land I had forgotten even existed. It had been a long time since I last read a Landover story, and it brought back many fond memories to read it. But in the end it came across as Landover-light, same world but half the content.
I'm hoping that if Brooks chooses to continue the series, he gets back to the roots and does it because the story has someplace to go, not just to say it was done.
September 27, 2019
When Mistaya is kicked out of Carrington private school, she runs home to her parents in the magical land of Landover just to be reprimanded for what she loved to do. Upset, she runs away from home. Can she survive the land of Landover and the dangers within? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good fantasy story. Be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
This was a pretty good fantasy story. Be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
February 10, 2017
3.5 total stars.
This book was a lot of fun. Not in a, "OMGsh! It's the best book ever," kind of way, but in a comfort food kind of way. I was instantly comfortable with the characters, having read the rest of the series back in middle school. It was a pretty awesome feeling to hang out with Ben Holiday, Abernathy, and most important, Quester Thews again. It was a fun experience for me.
But overall this book isn't super amazing. Sure, it's good enough, but it doesn't capture the magic that I remember the first 5 books doing for me all that time ago. It makes me want to go back and read them, but at the same time I don't want to tarnish books that mean a lot to me. The third book, Wizard at Large, is one of my favorite books of all time. I even had to go a write a review for it. This was the first fantasy series I finished to completion and it's near and dear to me :)
It did make me realize something I had forgot though. Terry Brooks is a good author and I do want to try and read more books by him.
While a little underwhelming, it was still a decent book with a good cast of characters (except the gnomes, uggghh) and there is an opening for more books. Bring 'em on, because I will certainly read them.
This book was a lot of fun. Not in a, "OMGsh! It's the best book ever," kind of way, but in a comfort food kind of way. I was instantly comfortable with the characters, having read the rest of the series back in middle school. It was a pretty awesome feeling to hang out with Ben Holiday, Abernathy, and most important, Quester Thews again. It was a fun experience for me.
But overall this book isn't super amazing. Sure, it's good enough, but it doesn't capture the magic that I remember the first 5 books doing for me all that time ago. It makes me want to go back and read them, but at the same time I don't want to tarnish books that mean a lot to me. The third book, Wizard at Large, is one of my favorite books of all time. I even had to go a write a review for it. This was the first fantasy series I finished to completion and it's near and dear to me :)
It did make me realize something I had forgot though. Terry Brooks is a good author and I do want to try and read more books by him.
While a little underwhelming, it was still a decent book with a good cast of characters (except the gnomes, uggghh) and there is an opening for more books. Bring 'em on, because I will certainly read them.
May 13, 2023
It is Terry Brooks' skills as a writer more than the story itself that garnered the rating. It is not every writer that can take an extremely and completely unlikable main character and make them if not exactly likable then at least relatable by the end while still keeping the character consistent. That being said, while this book felt like a Landover novel it also felt like a homage to the likes of Lloyd Alexander. This gets a full 4/5 stars.
February 4, 2019
This book has one of the most annoying main characters i've read in a long time. Not only was the plot and characters really weak, but the writing sounded like something a 15 year old would write.
I do not recommend this book to anyone above the age of 10.
I do not recommend this book to anyone above the age of 10.
August 20, 2009
This book was a light read for me, mostly taking me a day to burn through. But if you know me, you would know that I would not burn through a book as fast asa that unless I was really interested in the storyline. From the start pretty much, Terry Brooks had me wanting to reach in the book and slap the main character, which as the title suggests, is the Princess of Landover. Ben Holiday is now the proud owner of a teenage daughter, and a very strong willed one at that. She starts off as the character that thinks that everything she does, right or wrong, is within perfect reason and everyone elses logic must be askew if they so much as mention anything to the contrary. When she goes and get's herself sent back from our world back to Landover after being suspended from school for using some of her magic to frighten another girl, which Strabo has a personal objection to,she runs away from home when her father fails to see things through her misdirected lines of thinking. Through her misadventures in Landover while on the road and in hiding, she finds a long lost "friend" of her father's that promises her what she wants, if you are a fifteen year old over hormonal girl that doesn't have very good ears. While in hiding, she finds out that someone the kingdom would rather forget has a plot that could end Landover's rule as we know it. Through her struggles, she has a chance to see herself through other peoples eyes. I think this was a great addition to the series, it had me hooked from the beginning and emotions ran high as I made my journey through this book. It was almost like I was sitting right beside the Princess through this whole debacle. I won't say the emotions were anything good, but for a story to make you feel as much as I did through it, there had to be magnificent writing in the mix. The ending was left open of course due to a character from their past disappearing from their place of exile. Five stars and two thumbs up for this book.
May 19, 2025
(actual rating 3.5) A solid Landover novel where Brooks passes the torch to Mistaya Ben Holiday's daughter. The story is sort of a coming of age one for Misty. All the familiar characters appear, even Nightshade appears briefly at the beginning of the novel. What I find peculiar is the ending of the story, which kind of makes you think there is another Landover book coming, and yet 16 years later, still nothing, and Brooks is now semi retired. A good book, just not great.
Next hardcover: "The Black Elfstone: The Fall of Shannara book 1" by Terry Brooks (2017).
Next hardcover: "The Black Elfstone: The Fall of Shannara book 1" by Terry Brooks (2017).
September 19, 2018
Questa volta la trama è poco ispirata, meno dinamica rispetto a quelle precedenti (pur trattandosi comunque di un fantasy "leggero"), e prima che succeda qualcosa di un po' più interessante è necessario arrivare a circa metà libro: una cosa che può piacere o non piacere a seconda dei gusti, ma personalmente ho avuto la sensazione che fosse un po' piatto. Il problema maggiore, per quanto mi riguarda, credo stia nella protagonista: Mistaya riesce a rendersi antipatica già dalla sua prima battuta. Un personaggio semplicemente odioso, altero, viziato e capriccioso a cui nulla si può dire, peggio ancora criticare. La principessa ha un temperamento egoistico e superbo che, per un protagonista, non è il massimo, soprattutto perché Terry ha scelto una caratteristica molto difficile da sviluppare. Mistaya infatti ha 15 anni ed è quindi un'adolescente, ma allo stesso tempo dovrebbe possedere una mentalità molto più matura in relazione alla sua età (visto che le sue fasi di crescita sono diverse da quelle umane terrestri). Il problema è che questa caratteristica non traspare quasi mai, proprio perchè il più delle volte si legge di una ragazzina alle prese con la sua natura ribelle e la sua vita problematica. Questo è ciò che traspare da questo libro: una storia più leggera e adolescienziale, fra i problemi con la scuola, i rapporti quasi disastrosi con i genitori, il primo amore, la voglia di fare di testa propria senza considerare niente e nessuno. Eppure, non si sa come, nel libro tutti adorano Mistaya come se fosse un esempio di bontà e altruismo, quando invece pare non sopportare nessuno e non volere altri che se stessa attorno a sé.
Per il resto, i personaggi nuovi non rimangono impressi in modo particolare -troppo uguali ad alcuni di quelli conosciuti nei precedenti libri- e i cambi di scena sono meno frequenti. I vecchi personaggi, invece, sono appena inquadrati: Ben per fortuna viene visto in diverse occasioni, anche se questa volta ha (giustamente, suppongo) un ruolo passivo. Willow, invece, si è ritagliata un misero angolino facendo solo la parte della madre saggia e consigliera. Insomma, avrei preferito la si vedesse un po' di più, specialmente nel finale.
Il tutto non è esente da diversi cliché, soprattutto nell'ultima parte, e alla conclusione si ha la sensazione che Terry abbia voluto tenere le porte aperte per un possibile seguito in caso di buon successo... seguito che, francamente, spero non uscirà mai se il ritmo dovrà ancora essere questo. Landover, per il momento, ha già detto tutto e non si sente la necessità di altre avventure che coinvolgano tanto i protagonisti quanto gli antagonisti, sia vecchi che nuovi. Personalmente, poteva già concludersi con il penultimo.
Per il resto, i personaggi nuovi non rimangono impressi in modo particolare -troppo uguali ad alcuni di quelli conosciuti nei precedenti libri- e i cambi di scena sono meno frequenti. I vecchi personaggi, invece, sono appena inquadrati: Ben per fortuna viene visto in diverse occasioni, anche se questa volta ha (giustamente, suppongo) un ruolo passivo. Willow, invece, si è ritagliata un misero angolino facendo solo la parte della madre saggia e consigliera. Insomma, avrei preferito la si vedesse un po' di più, specialmente nel finale.
Il tutto non è esente da diversi cliché, soprattutto nell'ultima parte, e alla conclusione si ha la sensazione che Terry abbia voluto tenere le porte aperte per un possibile seguito in caso di buon successo... seguito che, francamente, spero non uscirà mai se il ritmo dovrà ancora essere questo. Landover, per il momento, ha già detto tutto e non si sente la necessità di altre avventure che coinvolgano tanto i protagonisti quanto gli antagonisti, sia vecchi che nuovi. Personalmente, poteva già concludersi con il penultimo.
January 3, 2022
3.5 stars. I'm not sure why I like this one way less than the other Landover books. Princess Mistaya is a spoiled brat and that just annoyed me throughout the book. Also, nothing really happens, the story drags on a bit. Some parts could have been explored more, like the story of Craswell Crabbit or Thom. I wish we got some more closure from Thom and Mistaya as well. Strabo's appearance didn't really make sense, and the library story also was vague and could have been explored way better. I love Terry Brooks and his world building though, so it was still enjoyable to be. Just not as much as the others. There is a small cliffhanger at the end, but I don't think Landover will be visited again by Mr. Brooks soon. I am curious about that, though!
December 6, 2009
One of the better Landover books. Thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to more Lanover novels, now that my interest is piqued once again.
April 24, 2020
Terry Brooks is een Amerikaans schrijver die zijn toga van advocaat aan de kant gelegd heeft om voltijds auteur te worden. Hij is vooral bekend van zijn reeks over Shannara waarvan het eerste deel al in 1977 uitgebracht werd. Brooks schreef ook het boek Star Wars Episode 1: A phantom menace.
Een prinses van Landover is het zesde boek in de reeks van Het magische koninkrijk. Mistaya, de dochter van Ben en Wilgje word geschorst op haar aardse school en keer terug naar Landover met het idee om haar oude leven terug op te nemen. Van haar vader moet ze in Libiris ,de koninklijke bibliotheek , gaan werken maar dit ziet ze niet zitten. Om aan haar vader te ontsnappen verschuilt ze zich op de minst voor de hand liggende plaats, Libiris. Daar ontdekt ze dat heel Landover in gevaar verkeert.
De eerste passage zorgt ervoor dat de lezer al direct geïnteresseerd is om te weten wat hiervan de betekenis is. Lezers die de vorige boeken gelezen hebben zijn hier wel in het voordeel.
Het verhaal speelt zich af op een fantasywereld met zeer diverse bewoners. Van slijkploeters en gaweggnomen tot slenterapen. Bevolkt door elfen, kobolten en mensen. Veel verschillende personages op een prachtig beschreven wereld. Weliswaar een wereld die erg gevaarlijk kan zijn.
Brooks zijn schrijfwijze leest zeer vlot en de flow kent maar weinig verzakkingen die de aandacht zouden doen verslappen. Er is altijd wel ergens iets dat op het punt staat van verklaard te worden of dat je merkt dat je in de laatste lijn zit naar een spannend moment.
De personages blijven zeer menselijk en beleven zaken die de lezer zelf ook wel kan overkomen. Denk maar aan de combinatie van ouder en tienerkind ,maar dan maal3. Dit zorgt er wel voor dat je je op de één of andere manier wel kunt verplaatsen in hun karakter om te begrijpen waarom ze bepaalde beslissingen nemen.
Naarmate men het einde nadert word de spanning opgedreven en komen er onverwachte elementen naar boven. De loshangende lijntjes van het verhaal worden netjes afgerond.
De laatste passage kan men terugkoppelen naar de eerste en doet de lezer wegdromen van wat nog kan komen. Een vervolgverhaal.
Conclusie
Een spannend verhaal dat zich afspeelt in een zeer diverse wereld . Een verhaal die spannend is tot het einde.
Een prinses van Landover is het zesde boek in de reeks van Het magische koninkrijk. Mistaya, de dochter van Ben en Wilgje word geschorst op haar aardse school en keer terug naar Landover met het idee om haar oude leven terug op te nemen. Van haar vader moet ze in Libiris ,de koninklijke bibliotheek , gaan werken maar dit ziet ze niet zitten. Om aan haar vader te ontsnappen verschuilt ze zich op de minst voor de hand liggende plaats, Libiris. Daar ontdekt ze dat heel Landover in gevaar verkeert.
De eerste passage zorgt ervoor dat de lezer al direct geïnteresseerd is om te weten wat hiervan de betekenis is. Lezers die de vorige boeken gelezen hebben zijn hier wel in het voordeel.
Het verhaal speelt zich af op een fantasywereld met zeer diverse bewoners. Van slijkploeters en gaweggnomen tot slenterapen. Bevolkt door elfen, kobolten en mensen. Veel verschillende personages op een prachtig beschreven wereld. Weliswaar een wereld die erg gevaarlijk kan zijn.
Brooks zijn schrijfwijze leest zeer vlot en de flow kent maar weinig verzakkingen die de aandacht zouden doen verslappen. Er is altijd wel ergens iets dat op het punt staat van verklaard te worden of dat je merkt dat je in de laatste lijn zit naar een spannend moment.
De personages blijven zeer menselijk en beleven zaken die de lezer zelf ook wel kan overkomen. Denk maar aan de combinatie van ouder en tienerkind ,maar dan maal3. Dit zorgt er wel voor dat je je op de één of andere manier wel kunt verplaatsen in hun karakter om te begrijpen waarom ze bepaalde beslissingen nemen.
Naarmate men het einde nadert word de spanning opgedreven en komen er onverwachte elementen naar boven. De loshangende lijntjes van het verhaal worden netjes afgerond.
De laatste passage kan men terugkoppelen naar de eerste en doet de lezer wegdromen van wat nog kan komen. Een vervolgverhaal.
Conclusie
Een spannend verhaal dat zich afspeelt in een zeer diverse wereld . Een verhaal die spannend is tot het einde.
September 26, 2025
The last two books in the series have definitely been my favourite, this was a very young adult fantasy vibe and was a lot of fun to read, other than Ben’s choice of parenting style… Oh and the fact that a 15 year old girl didn’t want to be sent to a magical library to restore it… because I mean who wouldn’t 🤷♀️
Definitely room for more books in the series and despite their flaws, I look forward to reading them, Landover is a gem
Definitely room for more books in the series and despite their flaws, I look forward to reading them, Landover is a gem
September 17, 2009
During my sophomore year of high school, a friend of mine who also shared my interest in classic "Star Trek" was stunned and horrified to learn that while I'd read a good bit of sci-fi, I'd never cracked a cover of a Terry Brooks novel. During a visit to the school library, unable to find a copy of the first Shanara book, he shoved a copy of "Magic Kingdom For Sale, Sold" into my hands and said I had to read it.
So, I did and I enjoyed it enough that I went on to read the second and third installments in the series, noting that while I enjoyed the stories and characters a great deal, that Brooks was essentially telling the same story over and over again. Each of the first installments of the Magic Kingdom of Landover series involved hero Ben Holiday somehow facing a threat to his ability to rule the Magic Kingdom of Landover that he'd purchased the king-ship to in the first novel, usually through some kind of case of mistaken identity or being duped by various magic wielding person within the kingdom.
I have to admit the sense of familiarity that permeated each Landover novel didn't do much to win me over to Brooks and it is probably one of the big reasons I've never really cracked the Shanara novels.
But for some reason, I've kept up with the Landover books. In a lot of ways, they're bubblegum fantasy--fun to read and enjoy while you can, but they're not going to be terribly life changing or landmarks in the genre.
Brooks has taken a bit of a break from the Landover series while he expanded the Shanara novels. I figured after the fifth installment that Brooks had run out of stories for Landover and had retired the series.
Now, a decade after his last entry (as the dust jacket tells us in bold print), Brooks has decided to go back. And here I am, once again, drawn back into Landover.
When I heard the premise for the book--that it would center more on the daughter of Ben Holiday and his wife, Willow--I was immediately hopeful that Brooks would break the mold for the Landover novels and give readers something new, different and refreshing. And for the first 100 or so pages, it seems like Brooks is doing just that, all the while catching us up with our old friends that we've come to know and love from this universe.
And then, disappointingly, the book takes a sharp turn back into familiar territory and ends up feeling like every other entry in this series. The titular princess, Mistaya begins her journey being kicked out of a boarding school in our world and returning home to find her place in the universe. When it's suggested she organize the great royal library and she finds out about a marriage proposal by one of her father's rivals, Mistaya decides to head out on her own and find her own way. Her disappearance sets off an interesting race if you will by her father and want-to-be suitor to find her as well as putting Mistaya into a situation where she may or may not understand the full implications of her impulsive actions.
"A Princess of Landover" has a lot of potential to be something more and to breath some fresh life into this series. And for a while it does just that. But then it quickly becomes more of the same and you'll quickly encounter that same feeling you did when you read novels two through five--that feeling you've somehow been here before and that the same thing keeps happening over and over again.
So, I did and I enjoyed it enough that I went on to read the second and third installments in the series, noting that while I enjoyed the stories and characters a great deal, that Brooks was essentially telling the same story over and over again. Each of the first installments of the Magic Kingdom of Landover series involved hero Ben Holiday somehow facing a threat to his ability to rule the Magic Kingdom of Landover that he'd purchased the king-ship to in the first novel, usually through some kind of case of mistaken identity or being duped by various magic wielding person within the kingdom.
I have to admit the sense of familiarity that permeated each Landover novel didn't do much to win me over to Brooks and it is probably one of the big reasons I've never really cracked the Shanara novels.
But for some reason, I've kept up with the Landover books. In a lot of ways, they're bubblegum fantasy--fun to read and enjoy while you can, but they're not going to be terribly life changing or landmarks in the genre.
Brooks has taken a bit of a break from the Landover series while he expanded the Shanara novels. I figured after the fifth installment that Brooks had run out of stories for Landover and had retired the series.
Now, a decade after his last entry (as the dust jacket tells us in bold print), Brooks has decided to go back. And here I am, once again, drawn back into Landover.
When I heard the premise for the book--that it would center more on the daughter of Ben Holiday and his wife, Willow--I was immediately hopeful that Brooks would break the mold for the Landover novels and give readers something new, different and refreshing. And for the first 100 or so pages, it seems like Brooks is doing just that, all the while catching us up with our old friends that we've come to know and love from this universe.
And then, disappointingly, the book takes a sharp turn back into familiar territory and ends up feeling like every other entry in this series. The titular princess, Mistaya begins her journey being kicked out of a boarding school in our world and returning home to find her place in the universe. When it's suggested she organize the great royal library and she finds out about a marriage proposal by one of her father's rivals, Mistaya decides to head out on her own and find her own way. Her disappearance sets off an interesting race if you will by her father and want-to-be suitor to find her as well as putting Mistaya into a situation where she may or may not understand the full implications of her impulsive actions.
"A Princess of Landover" has a lot of potential to be something more and to breath some fresh life into this series. And for a while it does just that. But then it quickly becomes more of the same and you'll quickly encounter that same feeling you did when you read novels two through five--that feeling you've somehow been here before and that the same thing keeps happening over and over again.
September 28, 2017
I had such high hopes for Mistaya after her showdown with Nightwish, but unfortunately all her growth and development from the previous book magically disappeared and she became a insufferably bratty princess once more. I spent half of the book wanting to give her a good slap. It gradually improved as Mistaya once again learned that she isn't the infallible center of the universe, but at the end of the book it still feels like she would go back to her self entitled ways given the slightest imagined provocation. Then it capped it all off with a cliffhanger. I despise cliffhangers.
May 14, 2019
Overall I liked this book. It started a little slow, but I feel like it came into its own once the setting moved to Libiris. However, the conclusion was summed up a little too quickly leaving me feeling somewhat unsatisfied. I did enjoy the open ending and hope there will be another in the series so I can find out what happens to the characters next.
May 9, 2020
Enjoyable book,more about Mistaya than her dad.And we meet new characters and re-visit some of the older ones we've met.
December 2, 2024
A 3.5. The sparkling originality that I thought the strength in this series has gone. This is Landover by numbers. Maybe in an effort to freshen things up, the titular Princess is now the main protagonist. Unfortunately, the whole escapade feels a little forced and halfbaked. It also lacks a satisfying denoument, with elements being repeated from previous instalments. It was enjoyable enough but ultimately pretty forgettable. The ending is left open for further adventures should Mr Brooks come up with some more ideas.
August 29, 2018
I liked this one a lot better than the earlier ones. I still feel like there is a deeper level that is missing and there were some times that I wanted to smack the characters over the head. But it was pretty close to a Mighty Girl story, even if she was a bit whiny at times.
Strabo is still best. I think Strabo is the real hero of this series.
Strabo is still best. I think Strabo is the real hero of this series.
March 4, 2024
Overall, a very enjoyable read, with a couple of issues: the gratuitous appearance of Nightshade and number of years elapsed since Ben got to Landover, along with Mistaya's age. Theoretically, she appears to be 15, although based on the explanation in Witches' Brew, she is really only 7, which makes Ben having been in Landover 12 years, not 20.
December 16, 2022
The conclusion to the beautiful wild world of Landover. Though I did enjoy this book, I found that I was wanting more than what was written. A solid story & good ending to the series.
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
World: 3/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
World: 3/5
March 15, 2017
This book is the reason why after many, many years I picked up the Landover series again. I had to reread everything just to remember what had happened in preparation for this book. To its credit, I did enjoy a nostalgia-laced trip down memory lane reading the previous novels, but this book was extremely disappointing. This book centers mainly on Mistaya. I didn't really care for her in the previous books and I downright hated her during this one. She was such a brat. The spoiled princess arc was already worn out in 1996 (when Terry Brooks wrote his last Landover book). I really didn't care whether she succeeded or not. I just wanted to slap the pretentious pain. I was secretly hoping that Nightshade would appear and zap her (but more on that later). Mistaya does grow as a charcter, but it has that after-school special sort of wrap up that everyone predicts will happen.
The focus on Mistaya also leads to another pretty big issue for me. I've always read this series because I found the characters very interesting. The plot for these novels has always been a bit hit and miss for me, but the characters were entertaining enough to keep me coming back. Ben Holiday has had his own series hijacked by his daughter. All of the characters that people who still remember this book from 96 and want to see again, are barely there. They are the garnish on the plate instead of the actual meal. Questor and Abernathy are the most present, but they don't get to do very much and their relationship (which has been evolving throughout the series) kind of comes to a halt for this book. Ben is a stereotype of an overprotective parent instead of the well-rounded interesting leader he was in the previous books. I also kind of hate the way Brooks writes the way Ben and Mistaya interact. It is made painfully obvious that Ben loves Willow in every novel, but sometimes you can't help but wonder if Ben even likes his daughter. Brooks does sort of do a decent job at a father-daughter moment towards the end of the novel, but it doesn't quite make up for the rest of the novels. Once again, I hate Willow. I never liked her, but I've officially moved to hating her in this novel (even though she is barely in it). I'm not a parent so I probably shouldn't judge other parenting skills (even those of fictional characters), but my parents are both educators and I can tell you that this is the type of parents that drove them nuts! The "it's-not-my-kid's-fault-she's-special" type of parent. Again, not a parent here, but I've always been led to believe that parents should be on the same team and back each other. Willow plays good cop to Ben's bad cop A LOT in her short time in this novel. She really demeans Ben's authority and personally I'm with Ben, Mistaya was a spoiled brat. I know all parent characters are not meant to be portrayed as "good" parents, but I get the idea that we were kind of supposed to agree with her. While I thought Ben's message was a bit harsh (and rather out of character) at least he didn't throw Willow under the bus the way she did.
A minor but recurring gripe of mine is that Philip and Sot are once again absent. I suspect that Brooks got rid of them because he was afraid they were becoming the "Jar Jar Brinks" of the series, but I actually found them amusing. If nothing else they were way more interesting than the current group of g'home gnomes. It really irks me that they have simply vanished without an explanation.
Another character who is barely in this story is Nightshade and that is perhaps the biggest disappointment for me. If nothing else, she was a really cool villain. Brooks teases the reader in the first chapters with Nightshade in her crow form, but Nightshade doesn't actually play a role in this story. The book sets up the plot for the next book. This at least gives me hope that there is a chance for redemption for this series. I offer the follow suggestions. Give Ben back his series and move the focus back to him, turn Abernathy back into a human, make Nightshade the main villainess again, and find Philip and Sot!!
The focus on Mistaya also leads to another pretty big issue for me. I've always read this series because I found the characters very interesting. The plot for these novels has always been a bit hit and miss for me, but the characters were entertaining enough to keep me coming back. Ben Holiday has had his own series hijacked by his daughter. All of the characters that people who still remember this book from 96 and want to see again, are barely there. They are the garnish on the plate instead of the actual meal. Questor and Abernathy are the most present, but they don't get to do very much and their relationship (which has been evolving throughout the series) kind of comes to a halt for this book. Ben is a stereotype of an overprotective parent instead of the well-rounded interesting leader he was in the previous books. I also kind of hate the way Brooks writes the way Ben and Mistaya interact. It is made painfully obvious that Ben loves Willow in every novel, but sometimes you can't help but wonder if Ben even likes his daughter. Brooks does sort of do a decent job at a father-daughter moment towards the end of the novel, but it doesn't quite make up for the rest of the novels. Once again, I hate Willow. I never liked her, but I've officially moved to hating her in this novel (even though she is barely in it). I'm not a parent so I probably shouldn't judge other parenting skills (even those of fictional characters), but my parents are both educators and I can tell you that this is the type of parents that drove them nuts! The "it's-not-my-kid's-fault-she's-special" type of parent. Again, not a parent here, but I've always been led to believe that parents should be on the same team and back each other. Willow plays good cop to Ben's bad cop A LOT in her short time in this novel. She really demeans Ben's authority and personally I'm with Ben, Mistaya was a spoiled brat. I know all parent characters are not meant to be portrayed as "good" parents, but I get the idea that we were kind of supposed to agree with her. While I thought Ben's message was a bit harsh (and rather out of character) at least he didn't throw Willow under the bus the way she did.
A minor but recurring gripe of mine is that Philip and Sot are once again absent. I suspect that Brooks got rid of them because he was afraid they were becoming the "Jar Jar Brinks" of the series, but I actually found them amusing. If nothing else they were way more interesting than the current group of g'home gnomes. It really irks me that they have simply vanished without an explanation.
Another character who is barely in this story is Nightshade and that is perhaps the biggest disappointment for me. If nothing else, she was a really cool villain. Brooks teases the reader in the first chapters with Nightshade in her crow form, but Nightshade doesn't actually play a role in this story. The book sets up the plot for the next book. This at least gives me hope that there is a chance for redemption for this series. I offer the follow suggestions. Give Ben back his series and move the focus back to him, turn Abernathy back into a human, make Nightshade the main villainess again, and find Philip and Sot!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2023
Fin da adolescente sono stato un appassionato della prolifica produzione di Terry Brooks, specialmente quella legata all’universo di Shannara.
Grazie ai romanzi precedenti a La Principessa di Landover, sono riuscito a conoscere un’altra versione della fantasia di Brooks.
Arrivato a questo ultimo capitolo della saga, devo ammettere che la qualità dell’inventiva e della narrazione dell’autore sono andati scemando nel corso del tempo.
Se Il magico regno di Landover aveva aggiunto una ventata di novità alla bibliografia di Brooks, con contatti tra il mondo della fantasia e della nostra realtà, se vi era un’analisi più profonda del dolore e dei sentimenti di Ben Holiday, dopo cinque capitoli della saga di Landover, tutto questo sembra essere sfumato in questo sesto volume, confermando una mia precedente opinione circa una parabola discendente nella qualità delle storie legate al Landover.
La narrazione sembra stagnare sui soliti battibecchi tra personaggi, i dubbi e la descrizione di certi sentimenti diventa ridondante nel corso dei capitoli, ogni tanto vi è un accenno di umorismo che però non è veramente così divertente, la narrazione diventa lenta e a parte qualche colpo di scena - che nonostante la sorpresa non riesce a ravvivare la curiosità per la storia - sembra che non vi sia uno sviluppo veramente interessante della trama.
Anche le scelte dei personaggi sembrano dettate da “colpi di testa” che non hanno nulla di veramente logico, e il caso e la fortuna diventano le chiavi per il successo delle azioni dei protagonisti.
Ritengo che il finale aperto e le linee narrative che gli ultimi capitoli lasciano in sospeso, potrebbero costituire degli ottimi elementi per creare un ultimo capitolo della saga, per chiudere il ciclo di Landover, ma se lo stile di narrazione e la “scarsità” di materiale narrativo devono rivedersi in un eventuale possibile epilogo di saga, forse sarebbe meglio chiudere l’arco narrativo con La Principessa di Landover.
Approcciare la scrittura di Terry Brooks dopo un anno sabbatico (non per scelta autoimposta, ma per soddisfare altri desideri di lettura) dai suoi libri mi ha fatto sorgere dei dubbi circa il cambiamento nei miei gusti di lettore, o forse, potrebbe darsi che Terry Brooks stia esaurendo le idee per animare i suoi universi narrativi con il passare del tempo.
Qualunque sia la risposta e al netto di ogni dubbio, questo ultimo capitolo di Landover non mi ha del tutto convinto e, per quanto Brooks non sia mai stato un autore difficile o pesante da seguire nel filo delle sue narrazioni, do due stelle per la trama povera e per tutte le altre ragioni di cui sopra.
Grazie ai romanzi precedenti a La Principessa di Landover, sono riuscito a conoscere un’altra versione della fantasia di Brooks.
Arrivato a questo ultimo capitolo della saga, devo ammettere che la qualità dell’inventiva e della narrazione dell’autore sono andati scemando nel corso del tempo.
Se Il magico regno di Landover aveva aggiunto una ventata di novità alla bibliografia di Brooks, con contatti tra il mondo della fantasia e della nostra realtà, se vi era un’analisi più profonda del dolore e dei sentimenti di Ben Holiday, dopo cinque capitoli della saga di Landover, tutto questo sembra essere sfumato in questo sesto volume, confermando una mia precedente opinione circa una parabola discendente nella qualità delle storie legate al Landover.
La narrazione sembra stagnare sui soliti battibecchi tra personaggi, i dubbi e la descrizione di certi sentimenti diventa ridondante nel corso dei capitoli, ogni tanto vi è un accenno di umorismo che però non è veramente così divertente, la narrazione diventa lenta e a parte qualche colpo di scena - che nonostante la sorpresa non riesce a ravvivare la curiosità per la storia - sembra che non vi sia uno sviluppo veramente interessante della trama.
Anche le scelte dei personaggi sembrano dettate da “colpi di testa” che non hanno nulla di veramente logico, e il caso e la fortuna diventano le chiavi per il successo delle azioni dei protagonisti.
Ritengo che il finale aperto e le linee narrative che gli ultimi capitoli lasciano in sospeso, potrebbero costituire degli ottimi elementi per creare un ultimo capitolo della saga, per chiudere il ciclo di Landover, ma se lo stile di narrazione e la “scarsità” di materiale narrativo devono rivedersi in un eventuale possibile epilogo di saga, forse sarebbe meglio chiudere l’arco narrativo con La Principessa di Landover.
Approcciare la scrittura di Terry Brooks dopo un anno sabbatico (non per scelta autoimposta, ma per soddisfare altri desideri di lettura) dai suoi libri mi ha fatto sorgere dei dubbi circa il cambiamento nei miei gusti di lettore, o forse, potrebbe darsi che Terry Brooks stia esaurendo le idee per animare i suoi universi narrativi con il passare del tempo.
Qualunque sia la risposta e al netto di ogni dubbio, questo ultimo capitolo di Landover non mi ha del tutto convinto e, per quanto Brooks non sia mai stato un autore difficile o pesante da seguire nel filo delle sue narrazioni, do due stelle per la trama povera e per tutte le altre ragioni di cui sopra.
October 11, 2012
I'm usually unable to put Terry Brooks' books down, but I think I outgrew this series a long time ago. Because I've still been enjoying his other series (all the Shannara books), I thought this would be just as good.
Unfortunately, I was wrong.
I felt this book was a bit too immature (even for the teenage main character). The pace was very off, too; it was too rushed in the important points of plot and too slow in the background/setup portions.
Part of the problems I had with this book may be ones that are inherent in the way this series has developed over the years. The premise is a bit silly to begin with (a man buys a magic kingdom out of the sears roebuck catalogue in the first book, and things get sillier from there), but I could still enjoy the ride for the first few books. It took the author quite a few years to come out with this book, and I think there's a reason for that: the series was over before this book. Maybe the author expects to be able to keep writing in this world like he has, very successfully, with Shannara, but the truth is that this world and its stories have never been as rich as those in Shannara.
Unfortunately, I was wrong.
I felt this book was a bit too immature (even for the teenage main character). The pace was very off, too; it was too rushed in the important points of plot and too slow in the background/setup portions.
Part of the problems I had with this book may be ones that are inherent in the way this series has developed over the years. The premise is a bit silly to begin with (a man buys a magic kingdom out of the sears roebuck catalogue in the first book, and things get sillier from there), but I could still enjoy the ride for the first few books. It took the author quite a few years to come out with this book, and I think there's a reason for that: the series was over before this book. Maybe the author expects to be able to keep writing in this world like he has, very successfully, with Shannara, but the truth is that this world and its stories have never been as rich as those in Shannara.
February 14, 2012
Jordan Darymple introduced me to the Landover series in eighth grade when he reviewed Magic Kingdom, For Sale, Sold! by Terry Brooks. All these years later I have just finished book six of the series, A Princess of Landover.
Princess Mistaya has been sent to King Ben's world to attend a boarding school. There's just a few problems with that, she has an adult mind thanks to her mother's faery heritage and a teenage body, thanks to Ben's genes. She gets herself expelled as quick as she can and goes home.
But that's just the start of Mistaya's problems. To teach her some self restraint, Ben comes up with a new plan. He sends her to a library internship at the royal library — a magical building that has been long forgotten.
Here's where for me the book became the perfect fall read for me. When I began the book I was only a few weeks into my own cataloging internship. Mind you, the library I was working in wasn't semi-sentient, nor was it being invaded by creatures unknown.
It was a fun read and oddly appropriate for me at this time in my life.
Princess Mistaya has been sent to King Ben's world to attend a boarding school. There's just a few problems with that, she has an adult mind thanks to her mother's faery heritage and a teenage body, thanks to Ben's genes. She gets herself expelled as quick as she can and goes home.
But that's just the start of Mistaya's problems. To teach her some self restraint, Ben comes up with a new plan. He sends her to a library internship at the royal library — a magical building that has been long forgotten.
Here's where for me the book became the perfect fall read for me. When I began the book I was only a few weeks into my own cataloging internship. Mind you, the library I was working in wasn't semi-sentient, nor was it being invaded by creatures unknown.
It was a fun read and oddly appropriate for me at this time in my life.
January 25, 2013
This is the first new installment in this series in 14 years. I read the first five books when I was much younger, so I'm now left wondering: is this one not as good? Or is it me that's changed? In any case, I found this book tedious.
Princess Mistaya is an annoying brat; kicked out of the girls' school she'd been sent to in our world, she heads back to Landover in the early chapters (although the 'Carrington Preparatory School' gate and school desk on the front cover led me to believe that at least some of the story would take place there--it doesn't).
Willow keeps insisting that Mistaya is more mature than her years because she's part sylph, but it doesn't show to the reader, she just seems like a self-absorbed bratty child. She runs away from home to the library where the king was intending to send her, thinking that's the last place she'll be looked for.
The characters seemed very flat, with mwahaha villians that want to rule the world.
I have very fond memories of this series, and this book did not live up.
Princess Mistaya is an annoying brat; kicked out of the girls' school she'd been sent to in our world, she heads back to Landover in the early chapters (although the 'Carrington Preparatory School' gate and school desk on the front cover led me to believe that at least some of the story would take place there--it doesn't).
Willow keeps insisting that Mistaya is more mature than her years because she's part sylph, but it doesn't show to the reader, she just seems like a self-absorbed bratty child. She runs away from home to the library where the king was intending to send her, thinking that's the last place she'll be looked for.
The characters seemed very flat, with mwahaha villians that want to rule the world.
I have very fond memories of this series, and this book did not live up.
December 18, 2019
In questo ultimo libro viene messo particolarmente in risalto il rapporto tra Mistaya e i suoi genitori;la quindicenne è particolarmente insofferente e capricciosa,ma quando intuisce che c'è un ennesimo pericolo che rischia di stravolgere la sua Landover,allora diventa un'eroina.
Qusta volta,i cattivi di turno sono un mago che sembra una grossa cavalletta, un re che vuole spodestare Ben e un ometto dalle sembianze di topo. In soccorso,arriveranno il gatto prismatico,il cucciolo di fango,il drago Strabo,mentre in disparte,rimarranno le figure di Ben,Willow, Abernathy e Questor Thewes.
Che dire: tutto di nuovo già visto e anche il posto principale dove si svolge il romanzo,Libiris,la vecchia biblioteca reale di Landover, forse poteva avere una marcia in più,anzichè essere come Sterling Silver. Lo schema rimane pressochè invariato e la fine sempre frettolosa,come nei precedenti libri.
Il personaggio dell'intera serie che ho amato di più e decisamente il gatto prismatico,pungente al punto giusto per risvegliare l'autostima,ma che poi si comporta davvero come un micio.
Qusta volta,i cattivi di turno sono un mago che sembra una grossa cavalletta, un re che vuole spodestare Ben e un ometto dalle sembianze di topo. In soccorso,arriveranno il gatto prismatico,il cucciolo di fango,il drago Strabo,mentre in disparte,rimarranno le figure di Ben,Willow, Abernathy e Questor Thewes.
Che dire: tutto di nuovo già visto e anche il posto principale dove si svolge il romanzo,Libiris,la vecchia biblioteca reale di Landover, forse poteva avere una marcia in più,anzichè essere come Sterling Silver. Lo schema rimane pressochè invariato e la fine sempre frettolosa,come nei precedenti libri.
Il personaggio dell'intera serie che ho amato di più e decisamente il gatto prismatico,pungente al punto giusto per risvegliare l'autostima,ma che poi si comporta davvero come un micio.
August 9, 2009
The Princess of Landover is about the daughter of Ben Holiday (the hero of the first 5 books in the Magic Kingdom for Sale/Sold series). She's very much a typical teenager. She wants to be good, yet she finds the rules that she has to live under unfair, so she rebels. First by getting kicked out of school, then by running away from home (and worse as the book progresses). She eventually finds herself at a magical library where she has to solve a mystery without getting her or her friends killed.
I'd classify this as light fantasy. It's in a magic world, but it isn't as complex as the Wheel of Time. There is some humor, but it isn't as over the top as the Discworld series. The world is in some danger, but not that much. The characters have some problems, but in the end the good guys/gals win. The bad guys are evil, but not too evil.
Apparently thsi is the beginning of more books in this series, based on the way it ends, but it does work as a stand alone novel.
I'd classify this as light fantasy. It's in a magic world, but it isn't as complex as the Wheel of Time. There is some humor, but it isn't as over the top as the Discworld series. The world is in some danger, but not that much. The characters have some problems, but in the end the good guys/gals win. The bad guys are evil, but not too evil.
Apparently thsi is the beginning of more books in this series, based on the way it ends, but it does work as a stand alone novel.
March 26, 2012
Because I know what this author is capable of and how disappointing this book was for me. I gave it one star. I literally waited for YEARS for this book and when he finally comes out with it it is obviously written without even half of the ambition, creativity, or passion that the previous books in the series had. A literary tragedy. Complacency is not not a winner. I don't feel that his motivation or will was behind this book at all. The end of the book is just that,.. the quickest end to a project that Mr. Brooks, clearly didn't want to do. The best advice I can give? It is better not to do something at all than to do it half-assed. I just read down through the other reviews and realized that no true Landover fan was not disappoint in the return to Landover. That's a real shame.
December 12, 2017
I loved this series. Hopefully it's not over - there are enough hints that it might pick up again...
The other 4 books were about a guy from Chicago who buys a magic Kingdom (and then has to fight for it). Now that he's married a magical wife, saved the kingdom numerous times, fought of Demons, a witch, and old Wizards, and made peace with a Dragon (somewhat?) - It's time for his daughter to grow up and his true life struggles as a parent to rise to the top. Refreshingly, this book is mostly about his Daughter's adventures. Why not?
Even 15 year old magical Princesses can be stubbornly self-absorbed and rebellious. And bad guys won't stop at anything to use her to take over the Kingdom. Lots of fun.
The other 4 books were about a guy from Chicago who buys a magic Kingdom (and then has to fight for it). Now that he's married a magical wife, saved the kingdom numerous times, fought of Demons, a witch, and old Wizards, and made peace with a Dragon (somewhat?) - It's time for his daughter to grow up and his true life struggles as a parent to rise to the top. Refreshingly, this book is mostly about his Daughter's adventures. Why not?
Even 15 year old magical Princesses can be stubbornly self-absorbed and rebellious. And bad guys won't stop at anything to use her to take over the Kingdom. Lots of fun.
November 22, 2015
I couldn't decide whether to give this 2 or 3 stars. I ended up going with 3 stars because I liked the rest of the series so much. I didn't really feel this was a fantasy novel, this was more like a coming of age novel about Mistaya. It was filled with a bunch of teenage angst and nothing really fantastical. My hopes started to lift when I realized a good deal of the story was going to be set in a magical library but they were quickly dashed. I followed through with this book because I wanted to complete the series but the ending of this book is left kind of open leading me to believe there just might be another Landover novel. Not sure how I feel about that.
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