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Book two in the "Magic kingdom of Landover series". A year had passed since Ben Holiday bought the Magic Kingdom from the wizard Meeks, who had set a series of pitfalls against him. Ben survived, by the aid of three loyal friends: Questor Thews, an ill-trained wizard; Abernathy, a talking dog, the Court Scribe; and the lovely Willow, who sometimes had to be a tree. But Ben had been troubled by dreams of disaster to his former partner, Miles Bennett. Yet when he returned to Earth, Ben found show more Miles doing splendidly. Unknown to Ben, the dreams had been a trap by Meeks, who had returned to the Magic Kingdom as a tiny insect hidden in Ben's clothing. That first night back in Landover, Ben awoke to see Meeks gloating over him, claiming to have the medallion that could summon the mysterious knight-protector, the Paladin, and that he had cast a spell to switch appearances with Ben. Ben found himself outcast, no longer recognized by any friend, though all his powerful enemies seemed to know him. Without the medallion, he couldn't seek the help of the Paladin against Meeks. There was only the prism cat - whatever that might be! show lessTags
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As with the first book, I had a really hard time getting into the story. It wasn’t until halfway through the book that I started getting invested in Ben’s new challenge—revealing Meeks for what he is—and the story behind the black unicorn. I would have also liked to have seen more of the changes to Landover under Ben’s rule, as well as some greater consequences whenever he leaves one world for the other. It was a good book, and for as much as I enjoyed it, I really don’t feel like picking up the rest of the series, mainly because of the fact that I’ve had a hard time just getting into the plot of the first two books.
Boy, a lot of people really don't like this book. Well, I do. Granted, it's not as good as the first book in this Landover series, but I still think it tells a good story. In it, one night Ben Holiday, the new king of Landover, his wizard Questor Thews, and the sylph Willow all have dreams that compel them to go on individual quests because of what they see in their dreams -- Ben sees his former law partner in Chicago in trouble and crying out for Ben's help, Questor sees some magic books he can acquire, and Willow sees a black unicorn and a gold bridle meant for it. However, the evil wizard, Meeks, reappears and is the source of these dreams. He follows Ben back into Landover and exchanges identities with Ben, getting Ben kicked out of show more the castle and taking over the rule of the land. He then takes possession of the books that Questor attained and goes on an extensive search for the black unicorn, which apparently possesses some serious magic that he wants to harness. Meanwhile, Ben sets out on a search for Willow, anticipating great danger for her and wanting to save her from it. He is joined by a fantastic character, a fairie creature in the form of a "prism" cat named Edgewood Dirk. He accompanies Ben on his journeys, saves his life on occasion, and tries to impart wisdom in a game playing, cryptic cat-like way that merely infuriates Ben. (Brooks seems to really GET cats in his portrayal here.) He learns nothing. And this is where people have a problem with the book. In the first book, Ben used his skills learned as a world class lawyer to guide his way through becoming king of Landover. In this book, he's dense as a rock. I mean, dumb as hell. Midway through the book, a 10-year-old child can figure out what has happened to Ben, but it's not til the end of the book that he himself does, this after Dirk has hinted at it repeatedly. Apparently this infuriates a number of fans. I take it with a grain of salt and knock the book down a star. Of course, since this is a four book series, you know Ben's going to beat Meeks and win in the end, but it's fun to see it occur. And there's the love interest between Ben and Willow, although it's also frustrating to see how dense Ben is about his feelings regarding Willow. Still, this wasn't a bad book. I like magic and fantasy and there's plenty of that here. I've already read the third book in this series and I think it's a bit better, so chalk this up to trying to write a sequel to a really good first book and falling a bit short. Nonetheless, recommended. show less
One night, Ben Holiday, High Lord of Landover, and his companions the wizard, Questor Thews and the sylph, Willow, each have a dream which compels them on a quest. The three journeys seem unrelated, but they may not be. The reappearance of the evil wizard Meeks and the sighting of a Black Unicorn might also have something do to with the situation.
This is a rather lackluster novel of magic and journeying across a fantasy world, which this author seems to be known for (except the lackluster part. I hear a lot of people really like this guy's books). I wasn't impressed with the first book of his that I read. The second one I quite enjoyed, with it's rather unique premise of having a regular guy from our world become king of a fairy world, show more but now that he's kind of settled in to the whole fairy kingdom thing, it becomes more reminiscent of every other swords/fairy creatures/good vs. evil magic book I've ever read. Also, I figured out the mysterious secret of the magical plot way, way before the characters did. I probably won't continue this series right away.
Oh! I almost forgot. The one redeeming quality this book has is that of the prism cat, Edgewood Dirk, who follows Ben on his quest and imparts important information in a cryptic cat-like way. He was so funny, and so very, very like what I would imagine a magical talking cat would be, so aloof and arrogant. I loved him. That's what frustrates me about this author. The premise of Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold! was wrought with so much potential for amusement, but he mostly played it straight. This book, with more from Dirk and the scribe/talking dog Abernathy, could have been better. It's like he's hovering around the edge of awesome, but can't quite get there. show less
This is a rather lackluster novel of magic and journeying across a fantasy world, which this author seems to be known for (except the lackluster part. I hear a lot of people really like this guy's books). I wasn't impressed with the first book of his that I read. The second one I quite enjoyed, with it's rather unique premise of having a regular guy from our world become king of a fairy world, show more but now that he's kind of settled in to the whole fairy kingdom thing, it becomes more reminiscent of every other swords/fairy creatures/good vs. evil magic book I've ever read. Also, I figured out the mysterious secret of the magical plot way, way before the characters did. I probably won't continue this series right away.
Oh! I almost forgot. The one redeeming quality this book has is that of the prism cat, Edgewood Dirk, who follows Ben on his quest and imparts important information in a cryptic cat-like way. He was so funny, and so very, very like what I would imagine a magical talking cat would be, so aloof and arrogant. I loved him. That's what frustrates me about this author. The premise of Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold! was wrought with so much potential for amusement, but he mostly played it straight. This book, with more from Dirk and the scribe/talking dog Abernathy, could have been better. It's like he's hovering around the edge of awesome, but can't quite get there. show less
The Black Unicorn is a fun, action-packed jaunt through the Magic Kingdom of Landover. The motley crew is back together, and Ben has his hands full fending off the newest and oldest threat to his crown. I loved the addition of Dirk to the crew, and the humor melded well with the more poignant moments.
The second book in the Landover series starts out (after a brief prologue) with our cast of characters sitting around at breakfast talking about dreams. Don't worry, this is indeed a fantasy adventure novel and not some Freudian Interpretation of Dreams textbook. However, there is a lot of psychological exploration of character and motivation that happens in this book. In fact, that's one of the elements of Brooks's writing that I often enjoy…the internal conflict that many of the characters go through as they try to sort out their own identity and/or motivations.
In this book, we get into the semi-standard "quest" formula often found in fantasy and commonly used in Brooks's books. A series of dreams have suggested individual quests show more for three of our main characters. Ben needs to return to his non-magical hometown of Chicago to help his old friend who is in danger. Questor (the eccentric and comical wizard) has been shown the location of the secret lost books of magic which he must set out to recover. And Willow (the beautiful sylph who has fallen in love with Ben) has been prompted to seek out the mystical Black Unicorn, find a magical golden bridal that can capture it, and return to Ben.
As each member of the party sets off on their individual quests, it quickly becomes apparent that the dreams were not as straightforward as they appeared. Most of the action follows Ben but we are given occasional chapters that keep us up to date with the other characters. Ben's return to Earth and his subsequent return to Landover unlocks a series of events that lead to his downfall from power and recognition as King of Landover. The result is his exile from his own castle and a new quest to find Willow (who still hasn't returned from her quest) and seek to protect her and to somehow solve his own problems along the way.
The adventure aspect of this book is engaging enough. There are a couple of rather exciting and intense scenes (such as when Ben is with the River Master who is trying to summon the Black Unicorn…or the later confrontation between the witch Nightshade and the powerful dragon Strabo) but a lot of the novel involved inner monologue or strings of dialog in which Ben tries to unravel the mystery of his downfall.
Ben's narrative explores the psychological question of "Who am I?" and "What's my motivation/passion/purpose?" Ben has "lost himself" in more ways than one. The questions and thoughts explored in the book are intriguing and thought provoking, but they dragged on a little too long, in my opinion. Page after page we wander along with Ben as he tries to find answers to these questions. He gains a magical companion in Dirk, the mystical prism cat who poses thought provoking questions and enigmatic explanations.
After a short time, I was so frustrated with Ben that I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him to just "snap out of it"…tell him that the answer was so very obvious and he was an idiot for not seeing it and for asking the same stupid questions over and over without making any progress. This to me was a major disconnect. Ben is supposed to be a very bright lawyer with a quick mind for problem solving and evaluating the situations. I will gladly admit that it's generally harder to see something clearly that's right in front of you…easier to solve someone else's problems than your own. But truly, Ben should have been able to figure things out by halfway through his journey rather than at the last possible moment for salvation. Even if he wasn't fully able to unlock the magic spell that held him bound, he should have at least been able to see the nature of the problem.
Apart from that character disconnect, I liked the general message of the psychological exploration. That we need to admit our own passions if we ever hope to achieve them…that the truth we see and understand may not be the real truth and that we should be willing to pull back the layers of illusion to better understand ourselves, others and the world.
I felt like the story was fun and the characters developed a bit more than they had in the first novel. It still isn't an overly deep series with spanning epic proportions, but then it doesn't set out to be. This is another entertaining read.
***
3 out of 5 stars show less
In this book, we get into the semi-standard "quest" formula often found in fantasy and commonly used in Brooks's books. A series of dreams have suggested individual quests show more for three of our main characters. Ben needs to return to his non-magical hometown of Chicago to help his old friend who is in danger. Questor (the eccentric and comical wizard) has been shown the location of the secret lost books of magic which he must set out to recover. And Willow (the beautiful sylph who has fallen in love with Ben) has been prompted to seek out the mystical Black Unicorn, find a magical golden bridal that can capture it, and return to Ben.
As each member of the party sets off on their individual quests, it quickly becomes apparent that the dreams were not as straightforward as they appeared. Most of the action follows Ben but we are given occasional chapters that keep us up to date with the other characters. Ben's return to Earth and his subsequent return to Landover unlocks a series of events that lead to his downfall from power and recognition as King of Landover. The result is his exile from his own castle and a new quest to find Willow (who still hasn't returned from her quest) and seek to protect her and to somehow solve his own problems along the way.
The adventure aspect of this book is engaging enough. There are a couple of rather exciting and intense scenes (such as when Ben is with the River Master who is trying to summon the Black Unicorn…or the later confrontation between the witch Nightshade and the powerful dragon Strabo) but a lot of the novel involved inner monologue or strings of dialog in which Ben tries to unravel the mystery of his downfall.
Ben's narrative explores the psychological question of "Who am I?" and "What's my motivation/passion/purpose?" Ben has "lost himself" in more ways than one. The questions and thoughts explored in the book are intriguing and thought provoking, but they dragged on a little too long, in my opinion. Page after page we wander along with Ben as he tries to find answers to these questions. He gains a magical companion in Dirk, the mystical prism cat who poses thought provoking questions and enigmatic explanations.
After a short time, I was so frustrated with Ben that I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him to just "snap out of it"…tell him that the answer was so very obvious and he was an idiot for not seeing it and for asking the same stupid questions over and over without making any progress. This to me was a major disconnect. Ben is supposed to be a very bright lawyer with a quick mind for problem solving and evaluating the situations. I will gladly admit that it's generally harder to see something clearly that's right in front of you…easier to solve someone else's problems than your own. But truly, Ben should have been able to figure things out by halfway through his journey rather than at the last possible moment for salvation. Even if he wasn't fully able to unlock the magic spell that held him bound, he should have at least been able to see the nature of the problem.
Apart from that character disconnect, I liked the general message of the psychological exploration. That we need to admit our own passions if we ever hope to achieve them…that the truth we see and understand may not be the real truth and that we should be willing to pull back the layers of illusion to better understand ourselves, others and the world.
I felt like the story was fun and the characters developed a bit more than they had in the first novel. It still isn't an overly deep series with spanning epic proportions, but then it doesn't set out to be. This is another entertaining read.
***
3 out of 5 stars show less
I listened to the audiobook with the family on a road trip. I probably wouldn't have continued the series after the first book if it was only my choice.
I’m not a fan of the main character, Ben. He’s not proactive, and shows no ability to see things from others perspective and empathize (a trait you’d think would be helpful in a lawyer). Most of the time I want to slap him upside the head and tell him he’s being a self-centered idiot. At the end of this book I’m still not sure why his friends are his friends, other than he is the Great High Lord, Mightily High Lord. (In all honesty, the best part of the book is that it led to a family joke biased off of Philip and Sot’s litany).
Interesting world, interesting characters, but show more my inability to respect the main character leaves me with no interest in the rest of the series. show less
I’m not a fan of the main character, Ben. He’s not proactive, and shows no ability to see things from others perspective and empathize (a trait you’d think would be helpful in a lawyer). Most of the time I want to slap him upside the head and tell him he’s being a self-centered idiot. At the end of this book I’m still not sure why his friends are his friends, other than he is the Great High Lord, Mightily High Lord. (In all honesty, the best part of the book is that it led to a family joke biased off of Philip and Sot’s litany).
Interesting world, interesting characters, but show more my inability to respect the main character leaves me with no interest in the rest of the series. show less
I only got up to page 25 and decided the book just isn't for me at this point in my life. There are so many many books I want to read that I don't have time for books that are just okay.
The book has been on my shelves for a long time. (I must have over 2K books at this point, many still unread.) If I had picked it up even a decade ago, I expect I would have finished it. It's my kind of book, a quirky fantasy, yet it just didn't grab me enough to keep reading. Maybe it had too many silly elements to it for my taste these days--a talking dog who was a man transformed by a magical mistake for one. And the cliche of a bumbling wizard whose magic doesn't always go as he had planned.
I will be adding this to my To Sell pile.
The book has been on my shelves for a long time. (I must have over 2K books at this point, many still unread.) If I had picked it up even a decade ago, I expect I would have finished it. It's my kind of book, a quirky fantasy, yet it just didn't grab me enough to keep reading. Maybe it had too many silly elements to it for my taste these days--a talking dog who was a man transformed by a magical mistake for one. And the cliche of a bumbling wizard whose magic doesn't always go as he had planned.
I will be adding this to my To Sell pile.
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Author Information
147+ Works 111,867 Members
Terry Brooks was born in Sterling, Illinois on January 8, 1944. He received a bachelor's degree in English literature from Hamilton College and a graduate degree from the School of Law at Washington and Lee University. Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a practicing attorney for many years. His first book The Sword of Shannara (1977) was show more the first work of fiction to appear on the New York Times Trade Paperback Bestseller List. He made the list again with his title The High Druid'd Blade: The Defenders of Shannara. His other works include the Word and Void trilogy, The Heritage of Shannara series, Magic Kingdom of Landover series, The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series, High Druid of Shannara series, Genesis of Shannara series, and the novelization to Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Goldmann Fantasy (23935)
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Black Unicorn
- Original title
- The Black Unicorn
- Original publication date
- 1987-10
- People/Characters
- Ben Holiday; Willow; Meeks; Questor Thews; Abernathy; Prism Cat (show all 11); Fillip; Sot; Bunion; Parsnip; River Master
- Important places
- Landover; Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Epigraph
- "How do you know she is a unicorn?" Molly demanded. "And why were you afraid to let her touch you? I saw you. You were afraid of her."
"I doubt that I will feel like talking for very long," the cat replied without ranco... (show all)r. "I would not waste time in foolishness if I were you. As to your first question, no cat out of its first fur can ever be deceived by appearances. Unlike human beings, who enjoy them. As for your second question--" Here he faltered, and suddenly became very interested in washing; nor would he speak until he had licked himself fluffy and then licked himself smooth again. Even then he would not look at Molly, but examined his claws.
"If she had touched me," he said very softly, "I would have been hers and not my own, not ever again."
Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn - Dedication
- For Amanda
She sees unicorns that are hidden from me... - First words
- The black unicorn stepped from the morning mists, almost as if born of them, and stared out over the kingdom of Landover.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Some of them passed it on.
- Publisher's editor
- Del Rey, Lester
- Original language
- English
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Statistics
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- Reviews
- 24
- Rating
- (3.49)
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 47
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