Wizard at Large (Magic Kingdom of Landover Series #3) by Terry Brooks

Synopsis

It all began when the half-able wizard Questor Thews announced that finally he could restore the Court Scribe Abernathy to human form. It was his spell that had turned Abernathy into a Wheaten Terrier - though still able to talk.

All went well - until the wizard breathed the magic dust of his spell and suddenly sneezed. Then, where Abernathy had stood, there was only a bottle containing a particularly evil imp. It had been in the collection of Michel Ard Rhi, former King of Landover, now exiled to Earth. Abernathy must now be a part of that collection!

High Lord Ben Holiday set forth for Earth, taking his green but beautiful love, Willow, with him. Unfortunately, they were long in returning. And without the soil of Landover in which to root as a tree at times, Willow could not long survive.

That left it up to Questor Thews to save them. Grimly he set out to seek help, knowing himself to be incompetent. And to make things worse, the imp had escaped and sought the help of the evil witch Nightshade, now back from exile in Faerie. Questor's only idea seemed impossible, but . . .

Annotation

The peace in Ben Holiday's Magic Kingdom is suddenly shattered as Court Wizard Questor tries to return the dog Abernathy to human form--and fails. Now Ben must travel to Earth, accompanied by his green love, Willow, to find Abernathy. With Willow and Ben suddenly in danger, Questor attempts to use his magic to save them.

Janet Martin - Library Journal

Brooks's "Magic Kingdom of Landover" books were first published between 1986 and 1995 as lighter fare than his epic "Shannara" series. While these titles may have recently languished on library shelves, interest may perk up as the series is currently under film option, and a new title is scheduled for 2009. In this third episode, originally released in 1988, Ben Holiday, nicely settled in as high Ruler of Landover, has his life upset when Court wizard Questor Thews determines to undo the magic that has Abernathy, the Court Scribe, in talking dog form. Borrowing the medal that has allowed Ben to move between his home in the United States and the magical kingdom of Landover, Questor promptly sends Abernathy-complete with medal-somewhere, unexpectedly exchanging him for a bottle that contains a nasty demon. Leaving Questor to deal with the black mischief caused by the demon in Landover, Ben has the wizard send him after Abernathy, who has fallen into the clutches of an exiled former king now living near Seattle. Dick Hill, known chiefly for his straightforward readings of thrillers, demonstrates his considerable ability to use varied voices, giving life to a large cast of human and imaginary characters. This lighter work is recommended for all collections that include fantasy fiction; it is likely to appeal to older Harry Potter fans, as well as those who prefer family friendly audio. [Brooks is the bestselling author of more than 25 books. Wizard at Large is also available in an abridged edition: 4 cassettes. 7 hrs. ISBN 9781587883781

Biography

Terry Brooks published his first novel, The Sword of Shannara, in 1977. It was a New York Times bestseller for more than six months. He has published twenty-four New York Times bestsellers since. Two of those – the novels Running with the Demon and A Knight of the Word – were chosen by the Denver Rocky Mountain News as among the best fantasy novels of the 20th century. Brooks lives in Seattle with his wife, Judine.