The lndubitable Unicorn

Reviews

Review: Land of Unreason Editorial Review - Kirkus Reviews An imaginative blend of myth, legend, fairy tale, and tongue-in-cheek humor, dating from 1941. (Pratt, 1897-1956, also collaborated on the well-known The Incompleat Enchanter.) During WW II, US diplomat Fred Barber is vacationing in Yorkshire when he's kidnapped by a drunken elf--and wakes up in fairyland, confronted by king Oberon and queen Titania! Fairyland, it emerges, is plagued by a mysterious series of 'shapings' whereby familiar and charming objects or scenes transform into the grotesque or dangerous: spells don't work properly, and Oberon and Titania are constantly bickering. Hence, Barber's first task is to deal with the subterranean kobolds, Who are busy making swords and planning conquest. (Alone of fairyland's inhabitants, they can handle iron safely.)
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Later, Barber is transformed into a frog in order to tackle a subaqueous dictator. And eventually he grows wings for an aerial trial, finally discovering his real identity. Smile-worthy rather than hilarious, but well-plotted, crisply narrated, and smartly paced: a satisfying, often absorbing jaunt--and more substantial than recent de Camp offerings.

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