Newly Discovered Landover

So finally, the "big moment," the arrival at Terry Brooks' new Magic Kingdom of Landover book -- and as it trumpets on the cover, the first in over a decade: A Princess of Landover.

Sadly, it couldn't live up to the hype. Really, it couldn't even live up to the fun I had re-reading the first five books. This new novel isn't "bad" by any stretch, but it's certainly the weakest of them all.

Chalk it up to a bit of "experimentation" Terry Brooks decided to do here, whether it was intentional or not. This book isn't really very plot-driven, it's character-driven. As the title would lead you to believe, it focuses on the king's daughter, Mistaya. She's now an adolescent, and while rather more intelligent and thoughtful than a typical teen, she's still moody and rebellious. The book isn't about any particular crisis facing the kingdom, or Ben, or even her, really. It's just sort of a "look at life from her eyes."

As the book opens, she's being expelled from the school (on Earth) where she's been sent by her parents to study. She returns home to Landover, and now her parents must "figure out what to do with her." But upon delivering their "punishment," Mistaya runs away and sets out on an adventure of her own.

Really, it's not a very "adventurous" adventure. After nearly two-thirds the length of the book, she does finally stumble onto a puzzle to unravel, and the climax of the story does ultimately revolve around her solving a problem. But it's all pretty thin compared to the more engaging material of the earlier Landover books.

It's not a total bust, though. At least in choosing to write a character book, Terry Brooks has made the character fairly interesting. She's not dozens of layers deep or anything, but she's not annoying or unsympathetic as a moody teenager could easily be. And along the way, as usual, nearly all the series' various minor characters show up for a chapter or two (though, like in Witches' Brew, not Fillip and Sot).

Overall, the book isn't as engaging as the other Landover novels, but it is still rather fun, which is really what the series is all about. I rate this new book six a B-. Look to it for any kind of grand culmination or payoff, and you're sure to be disappointed; just approach it as "another Landover novel," and it's alright.