A Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks

September 2009, Orbit

336 pages, Hardback

Review copy

Lots of tension, humour, some tissues needed. 

Somehow I've got through life without reading Terry Brooks. After reading A Princess of Landover, I don't know how I bypassed this brilliant fantasy author.

Terry's story is filled with a balance of humour and suspense. Princess Mistaya gets kicked out of school on Earth, just because she conjured up an image of a fearsome dragon to scare a bully. Naturally the headmistress didn't see Mistaya's point of view, so Mistaya heads back to Landover. Her parents aren't exactly thrilled to have her back. They want her to do something with her life. Mistaya would happily return to the way things were before going to school, but that isn't to happen.

Mistaya turns down her father's concept of her heading to the royal library suffering from long term neglect. Why on earth would a princess want to go to a musty library? (Yes, I was having kittens at this point. Think of all those books!) Anyway, a few events happen, involving a moron (my words and opinion entirely) who wants to marry Mistaya. Mistaya believes there is one solution - running away.

Unfortunately her uncle refuses to let her hide out among his people. The world seems to be set against her plans, including the two G'home Gnomes Poggwyd and Shoopdiesel who won't leave her alone. but then a mysterious cat appears, willing to help her. Never trust a talking cat. They always have ulterior motives. It's an ulterior motive which lands Mistaya in deep trouble of the evil person variety.

The good news: she isn't alone. Befriending Thom, a boy there, gives her someone to talk to as she pretends to be Thom's sister and works at the library. The bad news: she really is on her own, her father can't go and bail her out.

I fully enjoyed the twists of the tale, and I enjoyed watching Mistaya grow up and lose some of her teenage angst. Sometimes you have to make mistakes to understand why family wants you to head in a certain direction. There are many paths to the same destination. The concepts that houses can be alive was a new one to me, and one I hope is explored in further books. There's definitely room for another installment in this series, if the last chapter is anything to go buy.

Terry Brooks has his own comprehensive website here.

Liked this? Try The Heart of Glass by Vivian French.