Books › The Magic Kingdom of Landover
The Magic Kingdom of Landover
717 pages
A nostalgic portal fantasy that balances the cozy whimsy of a fairy-tale realm with the earnest anxieties of fatherhood and leadership.
What it feels like
Reading this feels like slipping into a comfortable, nostalgic sweater of classic portal fantasy. It blends the wry, fish-out-of-water humor of a modern professional navigating magical bureaucracy with the earnest, high-stakes emotional core of a father protecting his family. The atmosphere is enchanting and vibrant, filled with quirky sidekicks, fairy mists, and looming, theatrical threats that keep the pages turning at a brisk, entertaining clip. The prose is accessible and warm, grounding the whimsical worldbuilding in genuine emotional stakes without ever becoming overly dense. It is a delightful escape for readers who love their high fantasy tempered with a touch of contemporary pragmatism, offering a cozy yet adventurous journey that champions the enduring power of love, loyalty, and found family.
- Mood
- nostalgic
- enchanting
- cozy-yet-perilous
- lighthearted
- Tone
- earnest
- wry
- whimsical
- adventurous
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- burdens of leadership · fatherhood and protection · clash of logic and magic · found family
- The writing
- Accessible, warm, and straightforward, blending modern pragmatic sensibilities with classic high-fantasy flourishes.
- The arc
- Moves from idyllic domestic contentment into anxious, high-stakes determination, culminating in a triumphant reaffirmation of family and duty.
- Who it's for
- Fans of classic portal fantasy who enjoy a mix of lighthearted whimsy, earnest family dynamics, and a modern protagonist navigating magical tropes.
Content notes
- child abduction
- fantasy violence
About the book
An acorn falls far from the treeFormer Chicago lawyer Ben Holiday was very proud and quite happy. And why shouldn't he be? The Magic Kingdom which he ruled as High Lord was finally at peace. He was free to lie back and watch as his new daughter grew.And grow she did--by leaps and bournds, shooting through infancy in a matter of months. She took her first steps and learned to swim in the same week. An amalgam of magic and heredity, Mistaya was born a seedling, nourished by soils from Landover, Earth, and the fairy mists, come into being in the dank, misty deadness of the Deep Fell. She was as lovely as her mother, the sylph Willow, with dazzling green eyes that cut to the soul. Ben wished he could enjoy his daughter's childhood and his happy kingdom forever.Alas, those idyllic days were not to last. For Rydall, king of lands beyond the fairy mist, rode up to the gates of Sterling Silver and shattered peace of Landover. His armies were poised on the border, ready to invade unless Ben accepted a challenge: Rydall would send seven champions to face Ben, each in a different form. If Ben triumphed over all seven, Rydall would then abandon his claims to the kingdom.Some counseled the High Lord to refuse Rydall's challenge, but Holiday could not, for Mistaya had been snatched from her guardians by foul magic. And Rydall held the key to her fate...From the Hardcover edition.
Description from Open Library.
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