How I Discovered: Terry Brooks

I discovered Terry Brooks when I was in high school.  Basically, I found Terry Brooks because he was really close to Piers Anthony.  I did not start off with his more popular Shannara series.  The first series I ever read and loved by Terry Brooks all started when I read Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold!.  This is the Magic Kingdom of Landover series, which I loved because it all seemed a little ridiculous to me.  The reason that I really enjoyed this story was because it started in the real world and then transitioned into the kingdom of Landover, is traditional fantasy and is ever so slightly ridiculous.  Although there is a whole series, I really do prefer to read the first book by itself.  Also, I just looked at goodreads.com and there is a sixth edition to the series.  However, it was published 14 years after the fifth book and I don't think that I'll be re-reading the whole series just to read the sixth book.

The basic plot is that the main character, Ben Holiday, no longer wishes to live in the real world.  Although he is a successful lawyer with a lot of money, life has nothing to offer him anymore.  However, he sees an ad and believes it is an elaborate hoax that someone is playing on him.  Being a lawyer and also filled with curiosity, Ben Holiday decides to respond to the ad.  He ends up purchasing the Kingdom, only to find that it was not quite as advertised.  Sterling Castle isn't quite as sterling, there are all kinds of monsters and the taxes haven't been collected in quite a long time.  In addition, there is a mysterious knight who keeps popping up every time that Ben is in danger.  Who is the knight and what does he have to do with Ben?  You'll have to read it to find out!

Once I finished this series, I started in the Shannara series.  I just gave up after a while.  It seemed like there was no end to the series and sub-series.  It is a traditional fantasy series, but unlike Landover, doesn't really seem to poke as much fun at itself.  Combine those two facts and I just got bored with the series.  If  you like fantasy, I would suggest the original Shannara Trilogy.  If you like those, you'll like the others in the sequel series as well.