Item - The Enchanted Kingdom

Fairy rings again! Some people can't seem to get enough of them! Actually, this is a fairly interesting entry in the series, delving into British folklore in a light but entertaining manner. Of course, it's not as interesting as actual British books that cover the same material (the Knightmare series, for example), but it's not bad. I was also once again pleased by the little details in Judith Mitchell's illustrations; as a Doctor Who fan, I was particularly happy to see jelly babies represented in the candy shop illustration on page 29. There is one slight goof, however -- the startled girl on page 55 should be wearing blue jeans according to the text, not shorts. Oh well.

More reviews by Demian

Ellen Kushner had only five entries in the original Choose Your Own Adventure series, but she has a knack for spinning yarns of fairy lore. The Enchanted Kingdom begins with you on a European vacation to visit your aunt Grace in the Downs, a rural part of England with much character and history. You soon become curious why Aunt Grace places a saucer of milk outside the front door every night; after all, she has no pets. One day you take a walk through the grassy hills of the Downs and come upon seven massive gray stones in a circle. An elderly shepherd tells you the Standing Stones are where the Fair Folk—fairies—have their fun on Dancing Night, and he warns you against lingering when they are around. He recommends you speak to Bessy Turner, proprietor of the village sweetshop, if you have further questions. But might it be simpler to ask Aunt Grace?

Your aunt admits the milk she leaves out is for the Fair Folk, but cautions against bothering them. If you spy on the saucer overnight, you'll earn you some amusing interactions with these fairies. If you instead stake out the Standing Stones, you find yourself in the midst of a wild Fair Folk celebration, but are unable to stay hidden long. You are now their prisoner in Elfland. Earn the king's trust and you could end up on a rescue mission into the Iron Mountains after his son, abducted by ghouls. Don't be overly bold in your pursuit, for your understanding of Fair Folk enchantment is new. If you go on the king's Wild Hunt to torture ghosts who were evil men in life, you may meet your distant cousin Morton Moreton...a happenstance that could lead to disaster, or fame and fortune.

A longer story branch leads you either to the king's woods or queen's castle, each of which unlocks many adventures. The queen is a hard and flighty woman, a captive human named Morgan the Harper secretly tells you. You can inform the queen of Morgan's unflattering words, but she has no intention of allowing your return home, at least not before the Halloween festival. There are portals to your home world around Elfland, which could give safe passage to your former life. Do you trust the queen to release you after Halloween, or do you need a plan to outsmart her magic? Can you rely on Morgan the Harper not to double-cross you? How about Janet, the Minnesota farm girl you meet when you accidentally travel through a portal to your home world? Courage and good sense is essential to escape Elfland. If you anger the queen she may sentence you to life as a slave in the silver mines, a place so menacing that miners gulp down a concoction called the Brew to anesthetize their minds against its horrors. Will you drink the Brew, or join a small resistance force of human miners determined to find their way back to Earth? These smart, gutsy people provide good companionship even if you never get out of Elfland, but is any comfort worth giving up the hope of home?

Perhaps you originally asked Bessy Turner, not Aunt Grace, about the Standing Stones. Bessy talks about treasure in the burial mounds near the circle of stones, and you could go to the village library and learn more. If you take your shovel and head to the mounds at night, you'll irritate spiritual powers that would rather you not poke around these ancient graves; however, digging during the day creates its own issues. You meet a kid named Robin Goodfellow who promises treasure beyond anything in these mounds, but do you have faith he'll steer you in the right direction? The truth is, as soon as Robin Goodfellow pops up on the scene you're not going to reach a positive ending, but at least this run-in with the Fair Folk isn't a threat to your life or freedom.

The Enchanted Kingdom is better than average for Choose Your Own Adventure. There's a variety of story options, and some are drilled down into deeply enough to hit a rich philosophical vein or two. My favorite scenario is your captivity in the silver mines, where you're faced with some rough choices. Should you chug the Brew, guaranteeing you won't feel the trauma of lifelong enslavement in this dark place, but dooming yourself to never be free again? Or should you resist to your final breath, convinced there's no substitute for liberty? Ellen Kushner's language is by turns devious and lovely, offering some of the better moments in series history. Judith Mitchell's involvement is another of this book's strengths; she adds a dozen or two stunning illustrations, ranging from gorgeously detailed to unexpectedly macabre. If the themes were a bit stronger or the action more visceral, The Enchanted Kingdom could stand among the finest Choose Your Own Adventure.

More reviews by KenJenningsJeopardy74