Listened to: "Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold!" by Terry Brooks

Listened to Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold! by Terry Brooks, 1986, downloaded from Overdrive.

1986? This book is older that I thought.

Ben Holiday is a Chicago lawyer. Holiday is a workaholic since his wife was killed. Holiday is all boo-hoo and weepy over his dead wife. Holiday is a, "My poor, dead, lovely wife, you are my only love blah blah blah" type of guy.

Holiday gets a holiday catalog from a fictional Neiman-Marcus. Used to be wife's favorite catalog so he reads it. Sees advert for magic kingdom and the chance to be king of it. Ben ponders. Ben figures, "I've got nothing to lose." Ben interviews about purchase of kingdom. Ben purchases for $1 million. Ben drives to North Carolina, walks into woods with a magic medallion, walks into the kingdom.

Ben meets aid to the king. Ben meets others. Ben finds he is one of many who have bought the kingship. All others skipped out after a couple months. Ben tries kinging around. Ben sees fantastical things and creatures. Ben tries to unite kingdom. Ben's overtures to inhabitants are rebuffed. Kingdom's magic is dying. Ben decides to stay.

Ben meets green sylph, named Willow, who devotes herself to him. Green chick is wicked hot but Ben is all, "I can never love again! My poor, dead wife, boo hoo hoo." Green chick has to occasionally turn into a tree. Ben is aghast at would-be girlfriend's tree-ness. Ben prevails against a witch and a dragon. Ben resists green chick. Ben starts to boner up a little for green chick. Ben defeats demon who wanted to take over kingdom.

I have about 15 minutes worth of the book left. I will finish listening but assume that all the inhabitants pledge loyalty to King Ben, the magic starts to renew, Ben bones the green chick and his dick does not turn into wood.

An enjoyable and easy read (listen) with several frustrations:
1. The narrator has bizarrely incorrect pronunciations of several words.
2. The narrator's voices for female characters are awful, awful, awful.
3. Ben is weepy and whiny at times.
4. I did not feel enough threat towards the main character. I always felt like he would be okay. Maybe this was written at a High School aged audience. Kind of like a lot of those Shannara books I read in middle school.
5. This is first of a series. i would reserve book two but it is not listed on Overdrive. I'll have to add it to the WPLC selection list.
6. That reminds me, I should get some Lloyd Alexander audio titles.