Witches' Brew - Terry Brooks
        Legend Hardback, also available in paperback

                      Reviewed by Sue

Terry Brooks is the author of two distinct series of books. The
first is the Shannara series which are best described as Tolkein
clones, enjoyable as they are I didn't find them terribly
original.  I've read the first few books of them, but I've always
preferred his Landover series which are much more light-hearted
and the storyline is quite unique. Witches' Brew is one of the
later Landover novels, written in 1995. I don't know if any others
have appeared since.

It's quite a while since I read the earlier novels but this is how
I remember the basic plot. When Ben Holiday's wife died, he
thought his life was over. Then he saw an advertisement which he
answered. He thought it was a joke, but no. He actually became the
owner, and High Lord, of a magical kingdom, Landover. The kingdom
was rather run down and his main assistants turned out to be the
somewhat inept court wizard Questor Thews, the court scribe
Abernathy, a man who'd been accidentally turned into a wheaten
terrier (with human hands, fortunately) by Questor Thews, and two
kobolds, Bunion and Parsnip. His castle, Sterling Silver, was in
the middle of a lake to the west of Landover, to the south was
woodland and Elderew, ruled by the River Master, and in the middle
was the Greensward, a vast area of grassland with a river running
through it. Surrounding the whole were the Fairy Mists, keeping
Landover safe from non-magical lands. In becoming High Lord of
such a place, here was something that could really take Ben's mind
off his tragedy.

But even magical kingdoms have their downsides. The lords of the
Greensward, notably Kallendbor, Lord of Rhyndweir, objected
strongly to an outsider coming into Landover and ruling it. But
Ben gradually brought most of them round. Harder to control was
the witch Nightshade who lived in the Deep Fell, a tangled area of
trees and bushes to the north of Sterling Silver.  She became
Ben's deepest enemy and he had to be forever on his guard against
her evil plans.

Being a land where fairy and human coexist to some extent, though
not wholly trusting each other, it wasn't surprising that Ben met
and fell in love with the beautiful sylph Willow, daughter of the
River Master and a wood nymph. Their daughter Mistaya was born at
the end of the previous book. Probably because of her part-fairy
heritage, having been born as a seedling and nourished in Deep
Fell, Nightshade's domain, she grew incredibly quickly. Only two
years old, she looks and acts more like eight. And it is apparent
to Nightshade, if no-one else, that her magical powers are
probably growing as quickly.

The story really starts when a mysterious knight calling himself
King Rydall arrives at the gates of Sterling Silver from beyond
the Fairy Mists, calling Ben's rulership into question. Rydall
says that he will send several of his champions to fight Ben, and
when Ben is killed, Rydall will take over. Ben sends Misty to stay
with her grandfather, the River Master, for safe-keeping but en
route she is kidnapped. All the men with her, including Questor
Thews and Abernathy, also vanish. Ben and Willow are at a loss to
know what has happened. But the reader knows that Nightshade has
arranged the whole thing and is using Misty's magical powers to
summon champions to fight against her own father. Ben has his own
champion, the Paladin, who he is linked to by a magic medallion
and indeed becomes in times of need.  But if the Paladin is
defeated, what happens to Ben?

An added complication is Questor Thews and Abernathy who have been
catapulted back to Earth, Ben's original home, when Nightshade
tried to kill them. Her magic was thwarted by a mud puppy, a small
magical creature given to Misty by the Earth Mother to protect
her. During the transportation process, Abernathy has been turned
back into a man, for the first time in years. Is this somehow
connected with their plight? Can they get back in time to help
Misty and Ben?

The books before this one were Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold!, The
Black Unicorn, Wizard at Large and the Tangle Box.  I've read all
of them and enjoyed all of them. Witches' Brew is as good as the
previous novels, but I'd suggest you read at least some of them
before this one to get the full flavour of the series and the most
enjoyment from the book.

















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