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Magic Kingdom For Sale/Sold!
717 pages
A nostalgic, fish-out-of-water portal fantasy that balances wry humor with a genuine, heartfelt quest for belonging.
What it feels like
Reading this classic portal fantasy feels like stepping through a doorway into a world that is simultaneously wondrous and frustratingly broken. It balances a wry, fish-out-of-water humor with a surprisingly earnest exploration of grief and the search for meaning. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging pace, pulling you out of the gray monotony of the real world and dropping you into a vibrant landscape where magic is real but comes with a mountain of bureaucratic headaches. The prose is accessible and comforting, wrapping the reader in a nostalgic, escapist atmosphere that never takes itself too seriously yet still delivers genuine emotional stakes. It is a perfect fit for anyone who has ever wanted to run away to a fairy tale, only to realize that true magic requires rolling up your sleeves.
- Mood
- escapist
- whimsical
- nostalgic
- mildly perilous
- Tone
- wry
- earnest
- adventurous
- hopeful
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- finding purpose after loss · the reality of escapism · reluctant leadership · found family
- The writing
- Accessible and straightforward, blending the mundane frustrations of modern life with the colorful, trope-filled descriptions of classic high fantasy.
- The arc
- Moves from the heavy numbness of grief and disillusionment into a vibrant, hard-won sense of belonging and renewed purpose.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love classic portal fantasies where ordinary people must use their mundane skills to solve magical, bureaucratic, and heroic problems.
Content notes
- grief and loss of a spouse
- fantasy violence
- mild peril
About the book
After Ben Holiday purchased Landover, he discovered the magic kingdom had some problems. The Barons refused to recognize a king and the peasants were without hope. To make matters worse, Ben learned that he had to duel to the death with the Iron Mask, the terrible lord of the demons--a duel which no human could hope to win....From the Paperback edition.
Description from Open Library.
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