THE TANGLE BOX
by Terry Brooks
Fourth of Brooks's Magic Kingdom of Landover series. For those unacquainted, widower and lawyer Ben Holiday bought the otherworldly kingdom of Landover for a million dollars and unknowingly acquired a heap of trouble. This time out, King Ben confronts conjurer, trickster, and con man Horris Kew and his sidekick, Biggar the talking bird. Worse, Horris has been sent from our world by the powerful and vengeful sorcerer Gorse, who plans to enslave the fairies of Landover. And soon Ben is trapped in the foggy, labyrinthine Tangle Box with his erstwhile allies, Nightshade the witch and Strabo the dragon. Only the lady Willow can free Ben and friends, but of course Willow has vanished on a mysterious mission of her own. Solid entertainment for series fans, and useful comic relief from Brooks's recently completed Shannara series.