The Sword of Shannara — (1977-1985) Most of the Shannara books are available in audiobook or audio download format. Click through to Amazon and “see all editions.” If your library offers free downloadable books, this popular series is likely to be included, so you might want to check there first. Publisher: Living in peaceful Shady Vale, Shea Ohmsford knew little of the troubles that plagued the rest of the world. Then the giant, forbidding Allanon revealed that the supposedly dead Warlock ord was plotting to destory the world. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness was the Sword of Shannara, which could only be used by a true heir of Shannara—Shea being the last of the bloodline, upon whom all hope rested. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flew into the Vale, seeking to destroy Shea. To save the Vale, Shea fled, drawing the Skull Bearer after him....
     
Available for download at Audible.com
 The Sword of Shannara: Unoriginal ideas don't count, sorry
I have to admit that when I first read The Sword of Shannara back in 1980 as a freshman in high school, I was entranced and enthralled. I was delighted with the characters, the action, the magic — everything.
Then a horrible thing happened. I grew up, and realized that the reason I liked The Sword of Shannara wasn't because the book itself had exceptional merit. The reason I liked it was because it took me back to The Lord of the Rings, in terms of recreating characters, and it also did things that The Lord of the Rings never did, things I wished (as a teenager) that it had.
And it has nothing to do with an inability to see past The Lord of the Rings. I've seen past it dozens of times, notably with Tad Williams, Stephen Donaldson, George R.R. Martin, and, during the first few books of the Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan. They are all well written and original. The Sword of Shannara is not.
First, the characters. We can go down the list and draw direct parallels between them and characters in The Lord of the Rings:
• Flick Ohmsord = Sam Gamgee
• Shea Ohmsord = Frodo Baggins
• Allanon = Gandalf
• Menion Leah = Aragorn with a dash of Han Solo (although Brooks couldn't have known of Solo at the time he was writing TSoS)
• Balinor = Aragorn/Boromir
• Eventine = Take your pick of elven kings from the 2nd age of Middle Earth
• Dayel and Durin = Legolas
• Hendel = Gimli
• Skull Bearers = Nazgul
• Keltset = fairly original, but a slight resemblance to an Ent
• Warlock Lord = Sauron (remember, Sauron was pretty much there in spirit, and wouldn't be whole again, entirely, until he retrieved his ring)
There are other characters, some original, some not, but the main cast of characters is straight from the pages of LOTR.
Regarding the things I wished to have read in The Lord of the Rings: I was always disappointed that we never actually saw Gandalf fight the Balrog, or the scene where he battled the Nazgul on Weathertop. I was hugely disappointed when Gandalf didn't engage the Chief of the Nazgul at the gates of Minas Tirith, and of course immensely disappointed that we never saw Sauron, and especially that we never saw Gandalf kick his tail in, which I was certain he could do, even if Gandalf himself wasn't. (Granted, later I came to understand that this was part of Tolkien's brilliance: he was so good, he didn't need to show us these things.)
In TSoS, we get to see some of these confrontations, and let's face it — it's exciting. Seeing Allanon battle one of the Skull Bearers was pure heaven for me back then, but it was only such because I imagined Gandalf battling one of the Nazgul. The same goes for Keltset's encounter, and others.
When I picked this up again as an adult, with the hope of reliving some of the magic, I discovered that this just wasn't what I thought it was. It was indeed, no matter how well intentioned, a retread of The Lord of the Rings. And while re-reading it, because the writing was so sloppy, I found myself wondering, "Is he writing an adult fantasy, or is this supposed to be geared toward kids?" I have read some of the books in his Landover series, and it's evident that his writing style is much more suited toward lighter fantasy. Yet he still continues to churn out Shannara books that have become, sadly, a franchise. And a pretty poor franchise at that.
I don't think that Terry Brooks set out to write a retread of The Lord of the Rings. I believe, as a very prominent fantasist has said, that Brooks admired Tolkien so much that when he sat down to write his own story, emulation was inevitable.
And, contrary to what some may think, you can write bad books and sell millions of copies of them. Look no further than John Grisham for an excellent example. English teachers wielding red pens would have a field day with his prose. —Todd Comments
Adapted from a review originally published 9/2004
 The Sword of Shannara: “I'm putting down this huge, long, overly-written, derivative, dull, long, book,” the fantasy lover with the wavy black hair said groggily as she tossed the purple and black book thoughtlessly and grumpily to her tall, blue-eyed skinny pre-teen eldest son.
The Sword of Shannara was a very popular book back in the 70s right after the huge success of The Lord of the Rings when everyone wanted to read more fantasy. I wasn't old enough to read it back then, so I came to it much later. I read part of the first book and, knowing how popular it had been, and feeling like it was a classic, I was prepared to enjoy it. About half way through I gave it to my ten year old son.
The weird thing is, it's so like The Lord of the Rings, at the same time that it's not. I don't mind a few common fantasy elements (especially in works written before they were cliché), but Brooks' plot and characters come almost straight out of Tolkien. This may have been acceptable if the writing had come straight out of Tolkien, too, but Brooks' style is clunky, wordy, and awkward. Adjectives and adverbs are used without restraint. I mean there are constant repetitive superfluous unnecessary redundant profligate excessive numbers of adjectives. And did I mention the weirdly-placed adverbs which are used unsparingly, unrestrainedly, extravagantly, and immoderately? And annoyingly? . . . When I couldn't care less whether Shea and Flick (they're the hobbits — I mean the heroes) live or die, then the characterization is weak. Actually, I was kind of hoping that they would die. If they died, the book would have to end, right?
Conclusion: These are fine for kids (at least this one is, I can't say if all of the later Shannara books are — probably not). But, do you really want to teach them to write like that? If not, give them C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Susan Cooper, and Lloyd Alexander. To be fair: This series is wildly popular. Perhaps the writing gets better (it has been 30 years, after all). I have heard that only the first book is too much like Tolkien. But I'll never know for sure because I can’t make it through the first one. —Kat Comments
 The Wishsong of Shannara: "You are Saviour and Destroyer..."
Out of the original trilogy of Shannara novels, The Wishsong of Shannara is possibility the best of the three, though certainly not Brooks's best overall (not that his best is groundbreaking literature anyway). As one of the early detractors of Tolkien, Brooks's Shannara series caters to the fantasy buffs that just can't get enough of noble quests against evil—but with likeable characters, fast-paced narrative and some genuinely intriguing components stirred in Brooks's works aren't a complete plagiaristic waste.
Something makes me keep coming back to Brooks's work each time he publishes a new book, that I can't explain (and it's not just the fact that my father loves him, buys his books and then passes them on to me). At this stage, I've simply become invested in his created world, but I know better that to enthusiastically recommend his work. The facts are twofold: 1. Brooks unmistakably bases heavily on Tolkien's work. 2. Some people don't care about that. You should know by this stage which category you belong to and whether you want to continue reading this review or not.
The great-granddaughter of Shea and the daughter of Wil (the protagonists of the first two books in the series), Brin Ohmsford is called upon by the Druid Allanon to undertake a mission for the sake of the Four Lands. Her father's use of the magical Elfstones in the previous novel had an extraordinary effect on the capabilities of his children: both Brin and her brother Jair have magical abilities based in song. Coining it "the wishsong," Brin and her brother simply have to sing for whatever they wish and it will occur. Brin is the stronger of the two since her singing actually causes reality to change, whereas Jair's is based in illusion, and so it is she that is called upon by Allanon.
The Druid tells her about an ancient book known as the Ildatch, which is the root of all the evil that has ever plagued the Four Lands; the tome which corrupted the Druid Brona into becoming the Warlock Lord. Although Brona was destroyed in The Sword of Shannara, the book's existence is still a danger to those seeking out power, having already created a new kind of evil that has been set loose in the world. The mission is simple: to find the book and destroy it.
Brin sees little choice in the matter, and sets out with Allanon and her friend Rone Leah to do precisely that (stopping for a couple of detours to the Druid's Keep and the Hadeshorn to complete Allanon's own mysterious errands). Jair is not happy about being left at home, but is soon caught up in his own adventure when he runs into two strangers: a Gnome called Slanter with whom he forms an unusual friendship, and the King of the Silver River who has a task for him that coincides with his sister's fate.
Brooks is initially more interested in Jair's story than Brin's, as the first half of the book is devoted more to Jair than his sister (who simply follows Allanon around for the first part of her adventure), but soon things balance out to explore the inner struggles of both siblings. Brin is a thoroughly likeable young heroine and has a place in modern-fantasy history as the first female protagonist of the genre. Kind, clever, brave and resourceful Brin has her weaknesses too and as such comes across as a three-dimensional character. She's backed up nicely by the loyal Rone and her brother (the sibling relationship in particular is strong despite the fact they spend most of the book apart, and is necessary for the completion of the plot).
Brooks is terrible when it comes to writing romantic connections between characters (I still wince when I think of Bek and Rue in The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara; and other couplings such as Par/Damson and Pen/Cinnamonson aren't much better), infusing too much corniness and melodrama into his love stories. But here, the romantic placing of Brin and Rone is fantastically done, simply because it is so understated. Instead of falling in love during the course of the story, Brin and Rone are already in love at the beginning of the novel (though they're not fully aware of it) and just beginning to express it to one another. So instead of mushy nonsense, there is simply an unspoken bond between them that is palatable. Brooks shows us that they love one another, instead of relying on long-winded declarations of love that pop up in both earlier and later books.
So our three main characters are very good—but any and all supporting characters are sadly lacking. Allanon is there, the same as always but surprising developments remove him from the story reasonably early on. Jair's followers (made up of an elf, a dwarf, a man, a warrior and a gnome) are never developed enough to make us care about them, and though Slanter is given a "crusty gnome with a heart of gold" persona, it comes across a little corny. Likewise, Brin is joined late in the game by a psychotic old man named Cogline and his bland granddaughter Kimber whose presence in the story isn't really justified or explored. (Cogline will turn up again in The Heritage of Shannara series with a complete personality shift).
As always, the biggest criticism of Brooks's work is its borrowings from Tolkien which go beyond the typical fantasy scenario (a detailed imaginary world, a quest narrative, good against evil, magical spells). With Brooks several things are so obviously taken from Tolkien that it's painful —the cloaked and hooded "Mord Wraiths" (who are also called "Black Walkers") for example. Even the concept of the wishsong is swiped from Tolkien (who in a throwaway passage mentions that Elves can create visions from the sound of their singing voices).
Unfortunately the concept of the wishsong is a flawed one. It is difficult for any author, not just Terry Brooks, to describe the sound of music and song, and so to make it the main focus of your novel is a little foolish. In this case it gets even more confusing, as Brooks never gives us any clear indications of how it works or what it sounds like; for example he mentions that the wishsong is composed of words, but we never get an example of what these words are. On top of all this, it's quite disconcerting to imagine characters in terrible danger that save themselves by...singing. Sounds like something out of a Disney cartoon. It's not that the wishsong is a bad idea; just that it is clumsily handled within the course of the story.
But despite my complaining, Wishsong is a solid story that is sure to entertain established fans of Terry Brooks's works. When read as a complete series (seen in the context of past and future publications, including The Word and the Void trilogy and the upcoming Armageddon's Children) Brooks's work is a fascinating history of a world with very close ties to our own. As a complete series, Brooks is in control of his created-world, and as such Wishsong also provides set up for further books in the series (namely the Sword of Leah and a strange ritual performed on Brin, both of which will not come into play till the next series, long after the two characters are dead). With this ongoing "master plan" in play across such a massive length of time, it is hard not to get sucked into Terry Brooks's creation. —Rebecca Comments
The Heritage of Shannara — (1990-1993) Publisher: Since the death of Allanon, life in the Four Lands has drastically changed. Yet Par Ohmsford still has some power of the Wishsong. And when a message from the ancient Druid, Allanon, reaches them, Par is ordered to recover the long-lost Sword of Shannara, and the glory that once was the Four Lands....
       
The Scions of Shannara: "You Believe We Are the Ones for Whom the Trust was Intended..."
Whether you love or hate Terry Brooks's books, one thing is certain: that the four-part Heritage of Shannara is the best of his fantasy series (though Running With the Demon is his best singular novel). Of course, when I say "best" I do not mean that it is profound, life-changing stuff. Like all of his work it contains long-winded sentences, awful dialogue, too much sentimentality, borrows heavily from Tolkien and tends to tell rather than show. But for all of that something keeps me coming back to the Four Lands, and The Scions of Shannara is the beginning of a tightly-structured, fast-paced adventure that will sustain the interest of anyone who's not too picky.
It has been over a thousand years since the events of the original Shannara trilogy; magic has been severely depleted from the world and in its place a military-based government called the Federation has filled the power vacuum. But here and there little pockets of magic emerge, and Par Ohmsford is one such example. Possessing the power of the wishsong, Par needs only to sing of something in order to form images in the air, visions which compliment his brother Coll's storytelling as they travel about the land in order to spread tales about the old days.
But Par's magic has drawn attention from three very different factions: first is Rimmer Dall, the leader of the Seekers, a group formed by the Federation in order to find and eliminate anyone who possesses magical abilities. Second are the mysterious creatures known as Shadowen, sinister and dangerous beings of magic that seem to be parasitic in nature. Third is the ancient man known as Cogline, last seen in The Wishsong of Shannara, still very much alive (though completely different from his wild and erratic persona in the previous book) who is gathering together the Children of Shannara so that they might answer the summons of the Druid Allanon.
The famous Druid Allanon has been dead for centuries, but his shade is calling out from the realm of the dead in order to gather together the scions he needs in order to save the Four Lands from its latest threat: the Shadowen. Par, his cousin Wren Ohmsford and his uncle Walker Boh are the three champions that the land needs, each with the appropriate gifts that will help them achieve the missions that Allanon assigns them: Walker must restore the Druid Keep of Paranor, Wren must find the lost race of Elves, and Par must discover the hiding place of the legendary Sword of Shannara. With these three world-changing tasks completed, the entropy and chaos that the Shadowen are causing will be halted.
It takes a while for the book to get up to this point, with Brooks taking the time to establish his wide range of characters and their allies, the condition that the Four Lands finds itself in, the threat that both the Federation and the Shadowen pose and the tasks that each Scion is appointed to. From this midpoint, the characters disperse, and Brooks focuses his attention on Par and his attempt to locate the Sword of Shannara (the following books will concentrate on Walker and Wren respectively, before combining all three in the concluding volume The Talismans of Shannara).
Par, Coll and their long-time friend Morgan Leah travel to Tyrsis in search of the sword, allying themselves with two dwarfs and the leader of the secret Movement against the Federation along the way. It would be wrong to divulge anymore about a plot that is surprisingly twisty and turny when considering Brooks's earlier novels were straightforward quest narratives, but anyone who was frustrated with the predictability of his previous trilogy may want to consider giving him another go.
Par is a nice enough young hero—idealistic and brave, but also practical and compassionate, behaving as we ourselves would expect to behave if we were in his circumstances. He's backed up nicely by brother Coll and friend Morgan (who soon becomes the protagonist of his own adventure; a nice change from the sidekick role that Brooks almost always relegates the Leah family to), but Par's romance with the beautiful Damson Rhee is cringe-inducing. Between neck-smelling opportunities, gazes of adoration and declarations of love after two days of knowing each other, I would advise Brooks to seriously lay off the romances in future.
But Brooks excels in terms of the story; having a master plan in place for all four books surely helps (tucking away Walker and Wren for later installments), with dense plotting and character intrigue helping Scions along considerably. Brooks has some brilliant ideas at work, with enough enigmas and mysteries to sustain both this and the next three books. Some readers may lament the long passage of time that exists between this and the last trilogy, which renders Shea, Wil, Brin and Jair long-distant memories, but Brooks is considerate enough to mention past characters and adventures frequently, making their lives and legacies just as relevant to this story as they were to their own (probably the reason why this quartet is called The *Heritage* of Shannara). Brooks is especially satisfying in incorporating components of the last Shannara book into this one; namely the blood-trust that Allanon bestowed on Brin and the magical abilities of the Leah sword. It brings an interesting depth and weight to the series.
Despite some sloppy writing techniques, Scions is surprisingly good stuff, even for those who've disliked The Sword/Elfstones/Wishsong of Shannara. As for the diehard fans, I think most would agree that this series is the best he has to offer, hitting just the right note between the Tolkien rewrites of earlier books, and the predictability of his later ones. Give it a try. —Rebecca Comments
 The Druid of Shannara: "I Envy Your Past...I Have None..."
The second book in the four-part series The Heritage of Shannara focuses on Walker Boh, the most unique and intriguing character that Brooks has ever created. In an ongoing series that is filled with grim wizards, plucky farm-boys, feisty love-interests, and bland members of the Leah family thrown in for good measure, Walker Boh is a breath of fresh air and makes a compelling protagonist for the best installment of Brooks's best Shannara-based series.
In the previous novel The Scions of Shannara, three members of the Ohmsford family were summoned by the shade Allanon to complete three specific tasks in order to combat the rising threat of the mysterious Shadowen: to find the lost Sword of Shannara (Par), discover the hiding place of the lost elves (Wren) and restore the Druid Keep of Paranor—the mission appointed to Walker. But unlike his nephew and niece who accept the tasks, Walker has no interest whatsoever in doing what Allanon requires. Suspicious of manipulation and secrecy, he furthermore has no desire to help a world who treated him like an outcast.
But unforeseen circumstances are occurring at the edges of reality; the King of the Silver River as created a daughter out of his domain who is sent out into the world with a mysterious plan in play to assist the scions of Shannara. Her name is Quickening, and she gathers together a small band of followers to travel with her into the realm of Uhl Belk the Stone King, the King of the Silver River's brother, in order to retrieve the Black Elfstone that he so long ago stole from the Druids.
It is this Elfstone that is essential in Walker's task to restore Paranor to the physical realm, but it is also the talisman that has heightened the Stone King's power; the entire land of Eldwist has gradually succumbed to stone around him. But Quickening is resolute in her determination to gain possession of the Elfstone, and soon has recruited three men whom she says will be essential to the success of the quest: Walker himself, Morgan Leah (a friend of Par who was separated from him in the last book) and Pe Ell, a shady assassin who has been sent by the Federation to dispose of Quickening — but who has decided to halt this plan till he has ownership of the Elfstone. With each of these characters distrustful of each other, and yet inexorably bound to Quickening, they set off on their journey into dangerous territory.
The Druid of Shannara is a success because of its character motivations and interactions; in particular Pe Ell and Quickening, who have deeply laid secrets at work within the story. The uncovering of these secrets and the unraveling of the travelers' journey into the deadly Eldwist keep the reader sustained for the entire length of the book. There are a couple of side-issues that aren't really of much importance to the overall story arc (such as a character called Carisman who has been made king of a group of primitive gnomes; it doesn't really add much to the story) and a few silly bits (giant rats?!) but on the whole the threats are both credible and frightening. The city of Eldwist is haunted by the Stone King's monstrous child whose creeping influence changes everything around it to stone, as well as the formidable Rake, a creeper like the one seen in the previous book—only worse.
As well as this, a few chapters are devoted to what's going on with the other scions: Par is hiding out with the lovely Damson in the sewers of Tyrsis, convinced that he's responsible for the death of his brother Coll, whilst Wren and her companion Garth arrange a meeting with the mysterious Addershag who has information on the missing elves.
It is probably through Morgan's eyes that we witness most of the story, and though he isn't quite as interesting as Walker, he's a nice enough guy and has a crucially important part to play throughout the progression of the quartet (as opposed to other members of the Leah family that pop up in other books), and there is a bittersweet romance at work between Morgan and Quickening that is handled surprisingly well by Brooks (who tends to get corny when dealing with love-stories). Quickening herself is an enigma, childlike and yet devoted to her purpose, and her relationship with the members of the groups (not just Morgan, but Walker and Pe Ell as well) make for interesting character interactions.
Unfortunately, Druid suffers from a continual defect that appears throughout Brooks's work: a tendency to waffle on. If Terry Brooks is going to remark on something within the text, he'll compose a lengthy paragraph that ends up repeating the same point several times. Take for example Walker's dialogue on the advantage they have over Uhl Belk:
It is true that we appear to be little more than beggars off some Southland city street, that we have nothing with which to threaten Uhl Belk, that we are as insignificant to him as the smallest insects that crawl upon the land. But that appearance may be an illusion we can use. It may give us the chance we need to defeat him. He sees us as nothing. He does not fear us. He disdains to worry about us at all. It is possible that he has already forgotten us. He believes himself invulnerable. Perhaps we can use that against him.
This is but one example, but it is a trait that shows up in every single story that Brooks has written; a long-windedness that bloats the length of the books, repeats the obvious and almost makes it seem as though Brooks considers his readers idiots who have to have certain points hammered into their heads. It's intensely frustrating, especially when all Walker needs to say is this: "Uhl Belk considers himself so powerful that he'll underestimate our chances. We should use that to our advantage." There! I've probably saved at least seven trees!
But despite the fact that Terry Brooks needs a more ruthless editor, The Druid of Shannara is good stuff, the best installment of the best quartet within the Shannara saga. —Rebecca Comments
The Elf Queen of Shannara: "Goodbye Wren That Was..."
The third volume of The Heritage of Shannara quartet, and also the most insular. Although there are brief mentions of what fellow-heroes are up to, Elf Queen almost exclusively focuses on Wren, quite different from the other three books that tell the over-arching story from various points of view.
The deceased Druid Allanon has given three scions separate quests that must be fulfilled if they are to defeat the mysterious and sinister Shadowen and the totalitarian Federation that is slowly encroaching upon the freedom of the Four Lands. Par Ohmsford was to find the Sword of Shannara and Walker Boh to return the Druid Keep Paranor to the corporeal world. But Rover-girl Wren was instructed to find the Elves, who had gone missing from the lands years ago. With her traveling companion Garth, she sought information from the sage-like Addershag who advised her to burn a signal fire for three nights on the shores of the Blue Divide (the sea). The story begins as Wren and Garth set out for the coastline, trailed by some unshakeable opponent, and ends when Wren returns to the Four Lands - her mission complete, but at great personal cost.
Making up the bulk of the book are Wren's journeys on the island of Morrowindl, where she suspects the missing Elves have been hiding. As the island is infested with monsters, this is no easy task and the second half of the book reads like a standard fantasy-horror, with a large group of characters gradually getting killed off in various gruesome ways. Though it is quicker-paced and debatably more interesting than the first two volumes, it does not have the same re-readable quality since much of the suspense of the second half is based on the premise: who will survive the return journey? Once you know, there's no point in treading the path a second time.
Except that Terry Brooks has made Wren a compelling and sympathetic heroine, with an intriguing story-arc. Unlike typical 'hero-journeys' when the protagonist ends up discovering and solidifying their true identities; Wren's growth goes in the opposite direction, from a content and carefree Rover-girl to a confused and lonely scion with a massive weight of responsibility on her shoulders. Though not the most interesting or unique, she is certainly the most three-dimensional character of the series and Brooks takes great pains to explore her psyche and motivations throughout the course of the book. Also worthy of note is her companion, protector and trainer Garth, whom Wren speaks with in sign language. He is a stalwart figure throughout the adventure, though less present in the second half than in the first and his relationship with Wren is palatable. (Though Brooks sometimes forgets that he's supposed to be deaf, as a couple of times he reacts to noises in the jungle).
Finally, keep an eye on Wren's newfound relatives, Ellenroh and Gavilan —they are intriguing characters in their own right, made even more so by the complex and often painful relationships they forge with Wren.
Elf Queen is concerned with the answering of many mysteries that have lingered throughout the first two books; the disappearance of the Elves, the true nature of the Shadowen, and the parentage of Wren herself. All of these queries are resolved by the end of the book, but some not as satisfactorily as the others (the revelation concerning the Shadowen is not much of a revelation; Brooks recycles from his previous series, which in turn was recycled from Tolkien. Sigh).
But if you've already invested time and energy into the first two installments, then there's no question you'll want to read Elf Queen. By its end, Brooks has all the pieces in play for the final volume in the series: The Talismans of Shannara, a fitting end to an above-average fantasy saga. —Rebecca Comments
The Talismans of Shannara: "Some of Us Listened to the Earth's Whisper..."
The fourth and final installment in The Heritage of Shannara quartet. The premise is that the Four Lands are dying under both the totalitarian Federation and the sinister Shadowen, and the shade of the Druid of Allanon has called together three scions who can put an end to the entropy. Par is sent in search of the Sword of Shannara, Walker to bring back the Druid Keep of Paranor, and Wren to discover the missing race of Elves and restore them to the Four Lands. As the story starts, all these tasks have been completed, though with a heavy toll. Walker is trapped in Paranor by four Shadowen assuming the shape of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; Wren is now the untested Queen of the Elves, facing an approaching army; and Par still believes he is responsible for the death of his brother, unaware that Coll is alive and well, but under the control of the Federation-leader and Shadowen Rimmer Dall.
Now our heroes are gradually reunited (sometimes in rather ingenious ways, such as Morgan and Wren's serendipitous meeting ) in order to join forces against the Shadowen once and for all. There is a strange power growing in the undergrounds of the Federation Tower that may be the key to their undoing. Slowly the pieces of the puzzle fit together as the Four Lands gradually unite under the Scions.
The problem is, there is a lot of exposition and action leading up to this main event. The characters have to be re-established and to meet up with each other and in this regard Brooks is in danger of running out of ideas. This volume in particular suffers from an excess of main characters getting captured by the bad guys and the need for elaborate escape plans to be drawn up by those who've managed to escape the authorities: there's five examples of this throughout the book (count `em: Damson, Par, Coll, Padishar and Wren all managed to get kidnapped throughout the course of the book). Apart from getting repetitive, it also holds off the climatic ending, causing it to seem somewhat rushed by comparison.
There is one other major problem, that in hindsight, stretches over the entire series: the nature and purpose of the Shadowen. In my opinion, they make for weak antagonists. Admittedly, some are genuinely scary. Others, not so much. None of them —not even Rimmer Dall— become three-dimensional characters. Their origins (explained in Elf Queen and elaborated on here) are not particularly original, interesting or properly explained. Although there is a half-hearted attempt to explain why there are so many different types of Shadowen, it ultimately rings false. The weirdest example of this is when Walker is held captive in Paranor by four Shadowen who take on the form of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Read carefully; they are not the Biblical Horsemen, but simply Shadowen taking on their form. If this is the case, then why only send four? Why not a whole army? Why don't all Shadowen take this form and by doing so imbue themselves with the power of the Four Horsemen?
My point is that the Shadowen come across as too arbitrary, too random. Brooks gives himself the power to make them whatever he wants them to be, whether humanoid, animalistic, or mythological and they only as powerful as they need to be to defeat/be defeated by the protagonists — whatever the story calls for at that particular moment. Furthermore, the origins of the Shadowen is painfully plagiaristic of Tolkien (something I had hoped the Heritage series was drawing away from) as well as reminiscent of his own work in the original Shannara trilogy.
But for all of this, Talismans is a satisfying end to the story that was started way back in Scions. All the major plot threads are wrapped up and all the questions answered (though some better than others). By now the characters are established enough for their personalities and actions to really shine, and the reader is fully invested in their fate. Par, Coll, Walker, Wren, Damson, and newcomer Matty are nice, normal people who do extraordinary things, a concept that never fails to entertain. —Rebecca Comments
  Prequel: First King of Shannara — (1996) Publisher: Horrified by the misuse of magic they had witnessed during the First War of the Races, the Druids at Paranor devoted themselves to the study of the old sciences, from the period before the collapse of civilization a thousand years before. Only the Bremen and a few trusted associates still studied the arcane arts. And for his persistence, Bremen found himself outcast, avoided by all but the few free-thinkers among the Druids. But his removal from Paranor was not altogether a terrible thing, for Bremen learned that dark forces were on the move from the Northlands. That seemingly invincible armies of trolls were fast conquering all that lay to their south. That the scouts for the army—and its principal assassins—were Skull Bearers, disfigured and transformed Druids who had fallen prey to the seductions of the magic arts. And that at the heart of the evil tide was an archmage and former Druid named Brona! Using the special skills he had acquired through his own study of Magic, Bremen was able to penetrate the huge camp of the Troll army and learn many of its secrets. And he immediately understood that if the peoples of the Four Lands were to escape eternal subjugation they would need to unite. But, even united, they would need a weapon, something so powerful that the evil magic of Brona, the Warlock Lord, would fail before its might...
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara — (2000-2002) Publisher: When a half-drowned elf is found floating in the seas of the Blue Divide, an old mystery resurfaces. Thirty years ago, an elven prince led an expedition in search of a legendary magic said to be more powerful than any in the world. Of all those who set out on that ill-fated voyage, not one has ever returned. Until now. The rescued elf carries a map covered with mysterious symbols–and Walker Boh, the last of the Druids, has the skill to decipher them. But someone else understands the map’s significance: the Ilse Witch, a ruthless young woman who wields a magic as potent as his own. She will stop at nothing to possess the map–and the magic it leads to.
    
High Druid of Shannara — (2003-2005) Publisher: Twenty years have passed since Grianne Ohmsford denounced her former life as the dreaded Ilse Witch—saved by the love of her brother, the magic of the Sword of Shannara, and the destruction of her evil mentor, the Morgawr. Now, fulfilling the destiny predicted for her, she has established the Third Druid Council, and dedicated herself to its goals of peace, harmony among the races, and defense of the Four Lands. But the political intrigue, secret treachery, and sinister deeds that have haunted Druid history for generations continue to thrive. And despite her devotion to the greater good as Ard Rhys—the High Druid of Paranor, Grianne still has bitter enemies. Among the highest ranks of the Council she leads lurk those who cannot forget her reign of terror as the Ilse Witch, who covet her seat of power, and who will stop at nothing to see her deposed . . . or destroyed. Even Grianne’s few allies—chief among them her trusted servant Tagwen—know of the plots against her. But they could never anticipate the sudden, ominous disappearance of the Ard Rhys, in the dead of night and without a trace. Now, barely a step ahead of the dark forces bent on stopping him, Tagwen joins Grianne’s brave young nephew, Pen Ohmsford, and the wise, powerful elf Ahren Elessedil on a desperate and dangerous mission of search and rescue—to deliver the High Druid of Shannara from an unspeakable fate.
    
Jarka Ruus: "The One that Plays the Others as a Master Does his Puppets..."
It's been twenty years since the events of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, in which a combined group of Elves, Men and Dwarves sailed under the leadership of the Druid Walker Boh in an attempt to reclaim archaic knowledge from lost islands far to the West. Though the mission failed in this respect, it did achieve one of Walker's chief desires; to redeem the life of Grianne Ohmsford. Kidnapped from her family when she was a child, she was raised as the evil Ilse Witch and only made aware of her true identity by the intervention of her brother Bek Ohmsford.
My assessment of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy was not a favorable one, as I ultimately felt it was nothing more than an introduction to ideas that Terry Brooks planned to go into more detail on in later books; namely the persona of Grianne Ohmsford and the reforging of the Druid Council in the Four Lands. After reading The High Druid of Shannara trilogy, I felt this was a pretty fair judgment. All the major characters and plots here had their roots in The Voyage series, and one can almost see in the writing that Brooks is far more interested in his subject matter here than he was in The Voyage. This of course adds up to a much more satisfying read and, for the first time, Brooks is brave enough to veer away from some of his more predictable story structures.
For instance, the primary objective of the protagonists in this book is not to fight already-existing villains and monsters, but to halt an unraveling plan of evil-doers before it even reaches fruition. For the first time there is no back-up from the Leah family or the Sword of Shannara. The time difference between this and the previous series is also markedly different; a mere twenty years rather than several hundred. Most importantly, allies and enemies are not so clear-cut this time around; there are positive and negative factions to each organization and species that are included here; and even the undisputable bad-guys are only trying to reclaim what was technically theirs to begin with.
However, Brooks still hangs on to some tried-and-true methods. The main character is still a young Ohmsford — here called Penderrin, the son of Bek and Rue of the previous trilogy — who is given a task by the mystical King of the Silver River and is joined by representatives of other species (Trolls, Elves, Dwarves and Rover-men) in order to complete it.
Grianne Ohmsford has put her past behind her, and established the third Druid Council in an attempt to bring wisdom and peace to the Four Lands once more. Unfortunately, though it started out hopefully, the Council is slowly breaking apart with several mutinous Druids plotting against Grianne. One group in particular, led by the treacherous and ambition Shadea a'Ru has come up with a plan to rid themselves of Grianne forever (and no, I won't share the details!) With her disappearance, Shadea seizes control of the Council and begins to org anise her enemies from her allies. Long allied to Sen Dunsidan, Minister of the Federation, Shadea pledges her support in the elimination of the Free-Borns, whilst sending out assassins to dispose of her greatest threat: the Ohmsford family.
Whilst his parents are away, Pen is enjoying his freedom... till he's warned of the danger he's in and given a task to perform in order to save his aunt Grianne. In order to free her he must find a talisman called a darkwand, obtainable only from the living, conscious tree called the tanequil, found on an island in the mountains. Aligning himself with the dwarf Tagwen, uncle-and-niece duo Ahren and Khyber Elessedil and an airship of Rovers (including love-interest, the blind and beautiful Cinnaminson), Pen sets off on his journey to rescue his aunt.
Brooks juggles a lot of separate story-strands, from the central quest of Pen and his friends, the intrigues that go on concerning Shadea and her band of Druid allies (each with their own agendas), the war rising between Federation and Free-Born armies, and Grianne's toils when she discovers the horrifying truth as to where she's been exiled too. Among these tangled threads, Brooks cleverly hides a deeper plot at work that all — heroes and antagonists alike — are ignorant of; unbeknownst to all of them, they are being played by a greater power with plans of its own. Not since The Heritage of Shannara quartet has Brooks set up such a sophisticated mystery at the core of his story, and here's hoping it will be sustained throughout the next two installments.
As mentioned, Pen is a typical Brooks hero; young, inexperienced, naive, impulsive, optimistic — you get the idea. As such, he can be a little annoying at times, but his heart's in the right place and he's backed up by a strong cast of supporting characters. However, it must be said that in this case the antagonists overshadow the heroes in terms of strong characterisation, motivation and reader-interest — whenever Shadea or Sen Dunsidan show up on the page with their twisted mechanization, we forget all about what Pen is up to.
Jarka Ruus is a promising start to a new Shannara series, with plenty of intrigue and adventure, strong characterisation and steady pacing. Because it is set so closely after the events of The Voyage we get updates on several characters, and many of the problems and situations dealt with (such as Grianne's past as the Ilse Witch, or Sen Dunsidan's role in the Federation War) have more weight to them given our prior familiarity with them. However, this does mean readers may miss certain characters of that trilogy that do not make an appearance here — Quentin Leah and Redden Alt Mer for example — and those who are new to the Shannara world are best advised to start way back with The Sword of Shannara, considering this is the twelfth book in the overall series! —Rebecca Comments
Tanequil: "It is the Power We Wield that Commands Our Loyalty..."
As the second book in the High Druid of Shannara trilogy, Brooks picks up right where he left off; with his heroes in dire straights. Betrayed by the treachery of her fellow Druids, Grianne Ohmsford has found herself transported into the Forbidding, the dimension that all the demons and monsters of the world were banished into thousands of years ago. Despite making a somewhat flimsy alliance with a create called Weka Dart, Grianne has now been captured by the terrible Straken Lord Tael Riverine, who has a terrible future in store for her — as well as plans for her world.
Only her niece Penderrin "Pen" Ohmsford and a small band allies carry the hope of releasing her from her prison, traveling to the region of Inkrim in order to find the magical tree tanequil and request from it the use of one of its boughs in order to make a talisman through which Pen may retrieve Grianne. Despite the fact they have managed to destroy a Druid airship hunting them, they still have to content with the frightening figure of Aphasia Wye, a monstrous Druid assassin who has taken over their airship and holding Cinnaminson — Pen's beloved — hostage. All this is under the orders of Shadea a'Ru, who has taken over as Ard Rhys of the Druid Council and taking drastic measures to prevent any chance of her rival's return.
As well as this, Brooks explores several other storylines within the context of the book; a new weapon has been created that could tip the balance of war in favor of the Federation, Shadea is still juggling the loyalties of the Druids now under her command, and — as in the previous book — an even darker plan is at work, that threatens to undermine everyone's plans for the future.
There is also a welcome return from Pen's parents, Bek Ohmsford and Rue Meridian, who were the protagonists of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara. Though I disliked their all-too-sudden romance in that previous trilogy, they are much more enjoyable here as a husband and wife team who react precisely as one would except over the disappearance of their son. Endangered by the Druids who see them as leverage against Pen, it should come as no surprise when the duo sense betrayal among the Druid ranks and decide to take matters into their own hands.
Tanequil is a solid follow-up from Jarka Ruus, building on the previous storylines and expanding the scope of the adventure as Penn nears his destination, Grianne fights for survival and the Druids scramble to see their own plans put into action. The stakes are raised, several underlying mysteries are revealed and the story once again ends on a cliff-hanger for the third installment Straken. Brooks does a wonderful job of creating the mysterious beauty of the tanequil's island, the setting for the book's climax; a place that calls for a great sacrifice on Pen's behalf.
However, there are several chapters that drag, particularly because they aren't really all that important within the context of the story, or at least could have been condensed down considerably. Most obviously is Brooks's introduction of a new character called Pied Sanderling, who commands the Elves against the Federation. Though the Freeborn/Federation War and the importance of Arborlon (particularly the Ellcrys) is crucial to the underlying arc of the trilogy, it didn't really justify the inclusion of a brand new character with his own little romantic subplot when the proceedings could have just as easily been recorded through the eyes of Sen Dunsidan.
Likewise, Grianne's experiences in the Forbidding are somewhat needless what with a failed escape attempt and a fight taking place in a gladiatorial arena. I would have been more interested if Brooks had spent more time exploring the mind-struggle she faces between her true self and her past persona of the Ilse Witch - perhaps if she had tried aligning herself with her captors in an attempt to escape and becoming overwhelmed by her newfound sense of power...? As it was, it simply felt as though Brooks was just twiddling his thumbs with regard to Grianne, waiting for Pen to come rescue her.
A lengthy attack on a troll village goes on a bit longer than necessary, though the troll Kermadec and his tempestuous relationship with his brother Atalan is an interesting component to Brook's treatment of trolls, who up till now in the series, have been treated as little more than mindless thugs. Overall, the pluses outweigh the minuses, and despite the story heading in a few needless directions, everything is in place for the final part of the trilogy, in what may be Brooks's best Shannara-based work since The Heritage of Shannara. —Rebecca Comments
Straken: "I Hate That Everything We Do is Dictated by These Secret Keepers..."
What was shaping up to be the best Shannara-based serial since The Heritage of Shannara stumbles on the finish line. Despite a promising start and a strong middle, The High Druid of Shannara goes out more with a whimper than a bang, due to several pointless chapters, unbelievable coincidences, the undermining of previously established plot-points and too much stupid behavior on the part of its antagonists.
Grianne Ohmsford was banished into the world of the Forbidding by her treacherous fellow Druids, under the leadership of Shadea a'Ru. What they failed to understand is that they themselves were being played, as by sending Grianne into the Forbidding, they unknowingly released a demon into their own world who has since been manipulating events in order to secure the destruction of the Ellcrys — the magical tree that stands as a barrier between this world and the demons of the Forbidding.
The only thing that could stop such a thing from happening was Grianne's young nephew Penderrin "Pen" Ohmsford, who was sent by the King of the Silver River to fetch a talisman that could send him into the Forbidding and return with his aunt, before using it again to send back the demon. Gaining possession of the talisman (called a darkwand) cost Pen something he loved dearly, but before he's even had a chance to grieve properly, he finds himself surrounded by an airship fleet of Druids. Discovering that his parents Bek and Rue are held captive at the Druid Keep of Paranor, (and knowing he has to get there anyway if he's to use the darkwand correctly), Pen agrees to accompany them.
Meanwhile, as the self-declared Ard Rhys of the Druid Council, Shadea attempts to maintain her control over the order whilst negotiating arrangements with Prime Minister Sen Dunsidan of the Federation, as the threads of intrigue and manipulation around her gradually become clear. So far so good, up until this point. But after re-establishing the central plot-points of the two previous installments (Jarka Ruus and Tanequil), Brooks begins to pick them apart.
Throughout the course of the story, no less than five captives manage to escape from imprisonment, despite being outnumbered, exhausted, overwhelmed and under heavy guard. In other words, the heroes continuously benefit from utterly inept security as the antagonists fall to the villain cliché of putting their captives into the hands of useless minions rather than overseeing the dirty work themselves. Later, a group of the heroes manage to dismantle a trap designed to capture the returning Grianne; an easy enough task considering the antagonists neglected to set up any sort of guard around the room that they knew she'd be returning in! Such rampant stupidity severely lessons any sort of respect or fear we might have once held toward the antagonists, who here simply become cartoon baddies.
A character called Pied Sanderling, introduced in Tanequil continues to add absolutely nothing to the progression of the book. He and his associates never even meet the main cast of characters much less help them out in any way, so then why does Brooks insist on making him the focus of a pointless and cheesy romantic triangle? Why does he continue to dwell on Sanderling's point of view of the Federation/Free-born War when it no longer matters to the central plot of the story? Why focus on skirmishes over the Prekkendorran plain when it is Arborlon and the Ellcrys that are crucial to everyone's well-being?
As the story draws to a close, it gets even more muddled. I was disappointed in the final confrontation between Pen and the demon, which is so anti-climactic that it beggars belief. I was let down by the return of a character who had sacrificed themselves for the greater good, considering that this destroys all the poignancy that surrounded their original decision. I was irritated at the lengthy interaction between Pen and a dragon that ultimately served no purpose except as a final end-joke. I was confused at the abrupt disappearance of the character of Weka Dart, one of Brook's more intriguing creations whom I thought would still have an ace up his sleeve. I was annoyed that one of Shadea's more interesting cohorts was killed off without a second thought.
And I was incredibly disappointed with Grianne's final decision to step down from the Druid Council and leave the work for others, making not only this trilogy, but the previous one The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara (which was based around her conversion from Ilse Witch to force for good) rather pointless. Why go to all the trouble of rescuing her if she's simply going to give up her responsibilities and retire from nothing less than life itself?
So although the first two installments in this trilogy had me excited and intrigued, I was sadly disappointed by this final book. —Rebecca Comments
Genesis of Shannara — (2006-2008) Mr Brooks is planning one more stand-alone novel in this series and he plans another Shannara trilogy. Publisher: Extrapolating from current world events, Brooks projects a worst-case scenario in which the steady destruction of all humankind is a reality. Plagues have killed half a billion, weapons of mass destruction have decimated entire populations, and the few survivors have retreated into a siege mentality, turning city stadiums into walled compounds and shutting out the "freaks"—those who have mutated from breathing the polluted air and drinking the badly fouled water. A variety of principals propel the transfixing yarn Brooks spins in this setting: Logan Tom and Angel Perez, both Knights of the Word committed to keeping the magic that binds all things together in balance; Hawk, a street kid who leads a group of other young people in Seattle; Kirisin, a young elf who is one of the Chosen safeguarding the Ellcrys, a magnificent tree upon whose existence the lives of the elves depend and whose safety is now threatened; and the demons and their minions, the once-men, who have been subverted by false promises and lies. Everything and everyone moves inexorably toward a deadly confrontation in the Northwest. Characterizations are dynamic and multidimensional, the descriptions of the land as well as the ruined cities and small towns are compelling, the action and battles are mesmerizing, and, as is Brooks' wont, the ending is a cliff-hanger that leaves readers salivating for the sequel.
     
 Armageddon's Children: "I Will Grow Up to be Like My Mother..."
Best known for his expansive Shannara series set in a typical fantasy-realm of swords and sorcery, Terry Brooks is also the author of the Word and the Void trilogy, an urban-fantasy concerning the entropy of our world fought against by Knights of the Word. Although both series seemed unconnected (despite a few hints that the world of Shannara was set thousands of years into the future, a world built on the foundations of our own, and the common use of the phrase "the Word" in both series) this new trilogy builds a bridge between the two of them. Aptly called The Genesis of Shannara, the trilogy purports to act as a sequel to Angel Fire East (the final book in the Word and the Void trilogy) and the prequel to the first book in the Shannara series: First King of Shannara — which is in itself a prequel to the first Shannara book ever written: The Sword of Shannara. Confused yet?
Combining elements from both series, in Armageddon's Children the world as we know it is a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The Knights of the Word (as they appeared in the original trilogy) have failed in their mission to halt the demons' mission of chaos and entropy. Now demons roam the landscape, feeding off humans caught in concentration camps or still holding out in fortified compounds. Strange mutant creatures known as Lizards, Moles and Spiders (which will no doubt evolve into the various species of the Shannara series) lurk in the cities, and humanity seems destined for extinction. Certainly, there is no salvaging this world.
Brooks juggles four separate storylines (that will no doubt meet up as the trilogy goes on) as the Armageddon bears down on all of humanity, and the survivors prepare to cut their losses, gather together, and embark into a 'brave new world.' Like the Star Wars prequels, the best part of this trilogy is seeing the two series link up: because this trilogy is in the unique position of being both a sequel and a prequel, there is plenty of enjoyment to be found in recognizing familiar elements of both series, and Brooks takes great pleasure in building up his already-extensive history and mythology of the Shannara world.
Logan Tom is a Knight of the Word, his family murdered by a demon, and led by dreams to Hopewell, the setting of Running With the Demon (Word and the Void, book 1). He is given the task to find the legendary gypsy morph (a concept introduced in Angel Fire East) in which Nest Freemark — the protagonist of the previous trilogy — found herself impregnated by magic) who is destined to lead the people into the new world. Of course, he is not the only one hunting the gypsy morph, as Findo Gask (the demon who had hunted it in Angel Fire East) has once again taken up the quest to eliminate the morph — or to turn it to evil. The only problem is — no one knows who the child of Nest Freemark actually is.
Hawk is the leader of the Ghosts, a group of feral children who has strange visions of leading his people out of the darkness and into a strange new world. He lives with several others in an abandoned building, and the only thing holding him back from following his visions is his girlfriend Tessa, who lives in one of the compounds and is reluctant to leave her family.
Meanwhile, the third sub-plot is one directly lifted from Shannara, involving the Elves and the Ellcrys — a magical tree created from the life of an Elf who keeps the Elven people safe. Kirisin is a young Elf who helps keep the tree healthy, but is distraught when he begins receiving messages from the tree warning him of impending doom and the need for the Elves to relocate to a new land. The problem is trying to convince his fellow-Elves of the legitimacy of his claims. The presence of the Elves is a little off-putting, simply because there was no mention of them in the Word and Void trilogy. One would assume that they were there in the world all along, hiding away, but it's still a little strange to have them inserted so suddenly into the narrative.
Finally, a second Knight of the Word named Angel Perez is given the task to find an Elfstone known as the Loden (used extensively many books later in The Elf Queen of Shannara) in order to keep the Elves safe during their exodus.
As you can see, it's a fairly big set-up, and I guess it's fairly obvious that you can't begin reading Terry Brooks with this installment! You'll either have to start with the very first published book The Sword of Shannara or Running With the Demon. If you're serious about embarking on Brooks's work, I suggest the former, and following the rest of the series in publishing order.
As usual, Brooks' writing suffers from his usual long-windedness of sentence structure (he's of the opinion that nothing is properly understood by the reader unless it's been stated at least three times in slightly differing ways), but the story itself is reasonably fast-paced. There are a few needless flashbacks, and it does ultimately feel like one big introduction to the rest of the trilogy, but on the whole the story flows well.
Brooks manages to include a wide range of familiar faces and places from the rest of his work, including Owain Glyndower, Two Bears, Findo Gask, the Lady, tatterdemalions, the Elfstones, the Ellcrys, and even finds an intriguing — if somewhat grisly — way to include Nest Freemark. I'm looking forward to what else Brooks will incorporate in the coming books (I've got my fingers crossed for back-story on the Druid Council and the Ildatch from The Wishsong of Shannara). The story picks up again in The Elves of Cintra. —Rebecca Comments
 The Elves of Cintra
Growing up, my love for fantasy literature can be largely attributed to a select few authors including J.R.R. Tolkien, Lloyd Alexander, Robert Jordan, and the subject of this review, Terry Brooks. Ever since the original Shannara trilogy, I’ve been a Terry Brooks addict and over the years, the author has continued to impress me with his numerous Shannara sequels, The Magic Kingdom of Landover series which is a personal favorite, and the excellent urban fantasy trilogy The Word and The Void.
Mr. Brooks took readers by surprise with Armageddon’s Children, which was set in a post-apocalyptic Earth where the author’s worlds of Shannara and The Word and The Void collided with one another, laying the groundwork for the Genesis of Shannara series, which revolves around a gypsy morph whose purpose is to save the human race by leading the people of the Word to the Promised Land, a haven that will shelter them until the outside madness and destruction are complete and the world has had time to heal itself.
Immediately picking up after the cliffhanger events at the end of Armageddon’s Children, The Elves of Cintra continues the storylines that were established in the previous book including the fate of Hawk and Tessa, Logan Tom leading the Ghosts away from the city of Seattle, and Angel Perez and the tatterdemalion Ailie reaching the haven of the Elves and joining forces with Kirisin who is in search of the Loden Elftsone that will save the Ellcrys, and in turn, the Elves.
Among the various subplots in play, there’s a demon disguised as a prominent elf, a rogue Knight of the Word, a scene that satisfyingly ties in with The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy, and a final showdown between Angel and the demon Delloreen, not to mention familiar themes of destiny, regret, family, forgiveness, responsibility, survival and growing up.
Overall, the story in The Elves of Cintra is vintage Terry Brooks — fast pacing, multiple viewpoints, short chapters, mini-cliffhangers, succinct length (384 pages), et cetera — and is a worthy follow-up to Armageddon’s Children. To be honest though, I didn’t think it was quite as strong as its predecessor. Obviously Elves play a much more prominent role in the story this time around, and as fascinating as it is to see the worlds of the Word/Void and Shannara crossing over, I have to admit that the whole concept of Elfstones, Ellcrys and so forth, seems a little played out. I guess that’s why I enjoyed the parts that featured Logan and the Ghosts so much more, because they offered something different from what you might normally see in a Terry Brooks adventure.
The only other problem I had was with the ending. If you’ve been reading Terry Brook’s books for a while now, then you know that cliffhangers are a major part of his repertoire, and since The Elves of the Cintra is the middle volume in a trilogy sequence, I was expecting quite a humdinger. Instead, Mr. Brooks does a good job of wrapping up events in a bearable manner for those who hate to wait between releases, but I thought the finale was disappointingly anticlimactic. Of course, that’s not going to stop me from looking forward to the next book in the series.
Like any Terry Brooks novel, The Elves of Cintra features a large cast of characters, comprised of a mix of young heroes/heroines, experienced veterans, enigmatic mystics, nasty villains, and an animal or two. For me, this kind of format has its advantages and disadvantages. From one perspective, the many different voices offer great diversity and help the story to move along at a fast clip. On the other hand, in-depth character analysis can be a bit lacking, but fortunately Mr. Brooks handles this problem area better than most. Looking at The Elves of Cintra specifically, the biggest issue I had was that some of the characters seemed too much like previous Terry Brooks characters. For instance, Logan could be John Ross reincarnated, Angel is indistinguishable, Hawk is the prototypical boy ‘destined for greatness,’ and Kirisin, Simralin, et cetera, are just like any other elves that the author has already written. Thankfully you have the Ghosts, a group of street kids who each have their own distinctive personality and talent and work well together as a family. They’re easily my favorites in the book and it was particularly nice to get to know more about Fixit, Bear and Candle. Unfortunately, some of the characters from the first book that I enjoyed reading about — Hawk, Tessa, Findo Gask — are not as prominent in The Elves of Cintra. The villains in particular have been a bit disappointing, especially compared to some of the more memorable ones Mr. Brooks has come up with in the past, but I’m hoping that will be remedied in book three.
Another issue I had was with the character deaths. Because of the large cast, it’s sometimes difficult to connect with everyone in the book, especially the minor role players, and a couple of the casualties in The Elves of Cintra lacked any real emotional impact and seemed more like plot devices than something I should care about. Finally, of the new characters introduced, Catalya is by far the most intriguing and I definitely look forward to reading more about her. As a whole, the characterization in The Elves of Cintra is solid as usual, but I have seen better from Mr. Brooks.
The Genesis of Shannara series has been a particularly fun and rewarding experience. In fact, I think anyone who calls themselves a fan of Mr. Brooks would be hard-pressed not to enjoy the new trilogy. For readers new to Terry Brooks, I think The Genesis of Shannara would be accessible to you since it’s basically serving as the ultimate prequel to the Shannara series. Sure, you might miss out on a few references to The Word and The Void — John Ross, Nest Freemark, Two Bears, feeders, the Lady, Hopewell — and Shannara — King of the Silver River, Elves/Faerie, Ellcrys, Blue Elfstones, the Forbidding, Arborlon, the Elven Home Guard, shades, et cetera — but as a series, the books stand well on their own.
In the end, even though I felt The Elves of Cintra was not as strong as Armageddon’s Children, the trilogy as a whole is shaping up to be one of Brook’s most accomplished works and I can’t wait to see howit ends and what the author has in store for his readers following The Genesis of Shannara. What impresses me the most about the trilogy is that even after thirty years of writing, Terry Brooks is still producing high-quality fantasy at a prodigious  rate, and in fact, has gotten even better. So thank you Mr. Brooks for all of the wonderful books that you’ve given us and may your career continue to be a long and successful one.
 FYI: The Dark Wraith of Shannara, an original graphic novel, has been published by Del Rey. The story, which takes place a few years after the events of The Wishsong of Shannara and stars siblings Jair and Brin Ohmsford, the young girl Kimber Boh, Cogline the Druid, and the Croton Witch, was created by Terry Brooks with Robert Place Napton (Saint Angel, Deity, Battlestar Galactica) writing and Edwin David (Battle of the Planets, ShadowChasers) drawing. —Robert T. Comments
The Gypsy Morph
To take a series that was written in the 1970s and connect it to a seemingly unrelated trilogy published in the 1990s is certainly quite a feat, but that's what Terry Brooks has done in GENESIS OF SHANNARA. From the typical fantasy world that was introduced in THE SWORD OF SHANNARA, published way back in 1977, Brooks has often hinted that the Four Lands were a post-apocalyptic portrayal of our own world, thousands of years into the future. Readers were looking out for clues to this when RUNNING WITH THE DEMON was published in 1998, which made significant use of the term "The Word," that had been previously used in the SHANNARA series. But it was not until the publication of GENESIS OF SHANNARA that the link between the two series was confirmed.
By this stage a plot summary is somewhat redundant. Long story short: the world is ending and the survivors are following Hawk, a "gypsy morph" formed of wild magic, to a safe haven. Making this journey all the more difficult is an army of demons who exist for the sole purpose of wiping out humanity (and elfin-kind, many of whom are travelling alongside humans with their city and population encased in a magical gemstone). From the Word/Void trilogy there are Knights of the Word who act as protectors to the street-kids known as Ghosts, and from the Shannara series are the Elves and their Elfstones, working alongside humans for the first time in living memory.
The Gypsy Morph (and in fact, all of Brooks' books) is what I call "pulp fantasy," with an emphasis on thrills, action, battles (physical or magical), romance, cliff-hangers, and capture/escape/chase scenarios. Brooks provides examples of these in droves, all told at break-neck speed ... but the GENESIS trilogy had the potential to be so much more. This was our chance to see the birth of the Four Lands and its inhabitants, but it's less about the "genesis" of the Shannara series as it is the conclusion of our civilization and world as we know it. Had it truly been a "genesis" of Shannara, surely there would have been more links with that particular land and the origins of all the "ancient" creatures that populate it.
There are several obvious connections between the two series that could have easily been made explicit, but weren't for whatever reason. For instance, I was certain that the Lady would somehow be connected with the Ellcrys tree; or that the union of Simralen and Logan and their magic would lead to the beginning of the Shannara/Ohmsford bloodline, or (though this one's a bit of a stretch) that the book of names that Findo Gask carried around throughout Angel Fire East would somehow evolve into the sentient Ildatch book of The Wishsong of Shannara. Of course, I can't expect Brooks to remember all of these plot threads strewn throughout over four decades of writing, but these particular examples seemed blatantly obvious to me. There are components of both "Word/Void" and "Shannara" present here, but like oil and water, they never mingle in a satisfactory way.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that this trilogy was a perfect opportunity to shed some light on the history of this world and the nature of many of its inhabitants. As it is, the story comes across as a bit of a rehash of previously published books, (plotlines such as Elfstones that need finding, the Ellcrys that needs protecting, demons that need unmasking and defeating, motivational speeches that need telling) and in one case a sub-plot repeats itself twice over in this very trilogy: in the second book a demon called Delloreen hunts down a specific target at the behest of Findo Gask. In The Gypsy Morph, the third book, a demon called Klee hunts down a specific target at the behest of Findo Gask. There are too many meaningless subplots and side-quests here: nothing is gained by them, and they just come across as filler. For instance, a HUGE amount of emphasis is put on the characters of Panther and Catalya, only for the two of them to abandon the group and go in search of life beyond the confines of Hawk's proposed settlement. Since the story ends with the world engulfed in a nuclear winter, I can only assume they don't get very far.
Although the story is fast-paced and one certainly gets the sense that a lot is riding on the success of our heroes, a lot of the plot relies on contrivance. There is an irritating shuffling of characters as they continuously and needlessly keep splitting-up. The King of the Silver River can transport Hawk to his domain, but apparently lacks the power to do so for everyone else. Kirisin is the only one who can activate the power of the Elfstones... at least until it's convenient for someone else to do so. Candle looses her physic abilities for no discernible reason, and then just as inexplicitly gets them back again at the most opportune time. As the titular hero, Hawk doesn't do a heck of a lot of work. Instincts guide him to the safe haven and he gets two impressive displays of power toward the end of the book, but it's really the Knights who do most of the grunt-work. Hawk just comes across as a figurehead of hope rather than the messianic leader of men that he's initially made out to be.
And what happened to Trim? I liked that little owl!
As always, Brooks displays a tendency to waffle on. The Elves provide long tracts on environmental pollution and how the nasty humans have destroyed the world; whilst the Knights of the Word introspect endlessly on how painful/precious life is, how the battle has robbed them of their youth, whether humanity is worth the effort, etc. Brooks tells us the thoughts and feelings of characters rather than simply letting us assume the obvious and experience their pain for ourselves, and he has this odd compulsion that is prevalent throughout all his work on reiterating the same plot-points over and over again. For example, we are told on page 243 that Kirisin carries: "the Loden Elfstone, which contained the bulk of the Elven nation, its talismanic tree, and its city." Er, Brooks, why are you repeating this information to us? We know all this! We were there when it happened, remember? Whatever the reason, the man just loves to repeat himself. After a while, you become proficient at the "skimming" technique.
The premise of the GENESIS trilogy is a great one, and while it lasts it is a read that manages to be both riveting and sluggish (and if you don't think that's possible, just consider the fact that even though things repeat themselves several times, they're done at such a break-neck speed that you're not given a chance to realize it until it's over), but I can't shake the disappointment that The Gypsy Morph should have been an "answer" book, shedding light on many of the mysteries and enigmas that shroud this series. Not in a blindingly obvious "this is how it all works" way, but in a subtle way that allows for illumination at the puzzle pieces between the two worlds clicking together. But it simply isn't that type of story, and perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had I known that initially. So if you're reading this, hopefully you'll now know what to expect: it's a fine read, but the two worlds of the far-reaching series are bridged, yet never really merged. —Rebecca Comments
Forthcoming Shannara titles:
Genesis of Shannara Duology book 1 (2010)
Genesis of Shannara Duology book 2 (2011)
Post-Straken Shannara Trilogy book 1 (2012)
Post-Straken Shannara Trilogy book 2 (2013)
Post-Straken Shannara Trilogy book 3 (2014)
|
links. Or donate.
Posts
Posts
Amazon is selling a used imported (to USA) copy of Revelation here
, but I don't know anything else about the book.
Novels:
Revelation (1987)
This book is on the lips of many a Terry Brooks Fan.
Its seems to be some what a Mystery as to whether it actually exsists or not.......!!!
can you help us find this book