Editorial Review

If you have never read anything by beloved fantasy writer Terry Brooks, take your chance with Read more

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*3.5 stars*
I was somewhat dissapointed by this novel, brooks stated he would 'bridge' two wonderfully seperate series-word/void and shannara.
Bridging Word/Void with Shannara
Terry Brooks revisits the world of his greatest work: The Word and the Void. That original trilogy was set in a modern day United States where there are demons working for the Void trying to turn humans to acts of evil to twist the world to be a more violent, dangerous, and lost place. John Ross, a Knight of the Word, fought daily against visions of the future that he had to try to prevent. Ross's visions were of events that could happen in his own lifetime and for all of Ross's success, all he did was delay the inevitable. Armageddon's Children is set some eighty years after Angel Fire East and the world is a ruined place and things are only fixing to get worse. Pollution is out of control, a nuclear war occurred, the humans which are "safe" live in compounds (like Seattle's Safeco Field) warded off against the outside world. Those compounds are all under siege and they are falling day by day until there will be nowhere left to run or hide. In Seattle there are gangs of children calling themselves Tribes. Adults have failed them and street children are not allowed in Compounds so they must survive by becoming their own families and looking out for each other. Humans who had been caught outside for too long and who somehow survived drinking radioactive water and eating off of the poisoned land have mutated. This is our world, only broken. This could be our future.
This is not my idea of a trilogy...
I just finished this book a few minutes ago. The story is good, but I want to express my extreme frustration with the ending. A trilogy is a story told in three parts, NOT one third of a story that just stops and the reader has to wait a year for the next chapter. The books in Tolkien's Ring trilogy did not end with cliff hangers such as this. I have read every book Brooks has written. The other Word and Void books could stand alone.I am disapointed in the handling of this story so far.
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Editorial Review

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The trap is sprung!
Walker Boh, the 'Dark Uncle,' is the most powerful magic wielder in the Four Lands, but when he's pitted against Antrax, the 'old world' artificial intelligence, it seems he's finally met his match.Below the ruins of Castledown, they engage in a battle of wills that will see one of them destroyed.
Fantastic!
If you are looking to relax and get away from it all, reading the adventures in Terry Brooks novels will certainly help.This book is no exception, I could hardly put this book down there is nearly non-stop action from beginning to end.

More Hints At Post-apocalypse
Antrax, the title character is a sentient machine, that controls the city of Castledown.It is very smart and has lured the voyagers to it's awaiting maw.It needs magic to stay alive.After waking years after technology crumbled Antrax found a new power source: magic.It was built as the perfect weapon and ultimate protector.Maybe too perfect.It has outlived its masters but must still follow its orders.Protect Castledown at all costs.
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Editorial Review

War threatens the Four Lands, and Shannara's only hope lies in Penderrin Ohmsford, but it's a dreadfully slim hope. To save his world, Pen must restore his aunt, the former Ilse Witch, to her rightful position as High Druid of Shannara. But first Pen must free his aunt Grianne from the Forbidding: the world of the demons. To have the slightest chance of freeing her, he must find the mystical tree called the Tanequil, and somehow craft a talisman from its wood. But Shadea a'Ru, the treacherous usurper of his aunt's position, will do anything to stop Pen--and she has already captured Pen's parents and forced them to reveal their son's whereabouts. Sen Dunsidan, the monstrous Prime Minister of the Federation, has armed his greatest airship with a horrible new weapon. And Pen is just a boy, accompanied on his dangerous quest by only a Dwarf, a young Elf, and a blind Rover girl.Read more

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Middle novel of a Terry Brooks story
Terry Brooks has made a career out of a complicated fantasy world where magic rules as well as politics and inter-racial warfare keeps the balance of good versus evil in a constant state of flux. In all of his books there are several steady components: The Ohmsford family through all of its generations is imbued with a strong strain of magic that they are regularly called upon to exercise even if they do not wish to do so.
series in decline
Although I loved the first Shannara series, something of the magic has departed the more recent books. Picking up where Book I left off, Tanequil tells the stories of what has happened to the world since Griane Ohmsford's betrayal. As her enemies work to solidify their rule, her family tries to find her. Spurred by the words of the King of the Silver River, her nephew, Pen, searches for the Tanequil, a magical tree, somewhat like the Ellcrys, to craft a dark wand so he can journey into the Forbidding to rescue her, but he did not count to cost before setting out, and it is dear. Meanwhile, Griane's plight is more desperate than she can imagine. Now the prisoner of the Straken Lord, she is forced to call upon her own evil to survive, risking losing herself in the process.
A great story with some re-used ideas
I'm definitely an avid Brooks fan, and this book is not a disappointment.There are some very similar elements between Tanequil and the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series (Read more

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Good Ending for a Good Series
Good ending to a good series.Terry Brooks comes through again.

Good News and Bad News
The good news is that Terry Brooks' latest Shannara trilogy, High Druid of Shannara, is a considerable improvement over his previous effort (Voyage of the Jerle Shannara).The bad news is that this one suffers almost as much from sheer "ho hum", as the last one did from sheer implausibility.
Series fizzles out
Spoiler warning.
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hey
i would say this book was good. was kind of out of in regards to all the specific details but i got alot of the main plot.

An absorbing and straightforward plot
Very east to read and its worth buying the whole series of 5 books.Although they can be read seperately from each other the story interweaves throughout all books.I like the way the author does not let his character figure out to quickly what is happening even though the reader knows what is happening.

A well thought out novel, with a fun story
Brooks has an amazing way to twist words and thoughts together in a flow that paints a beautiful picture for his readers. When reading The Black Unicorn, I found that I was able to visualize the world that Ben Holiday and his friends traversed from day to day, and that I was able to understand, at least in part, the lives of those who would inhabit the world.
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The finale and a review of the trilogy
The Isle Witch has discovered the truth about herself, and seeks to make amends for herself by helping those she once considered enemies escape from the land of Antrax.But her ex-ally and mentor the Morgawr has other plans for his protégé and the crew of the Jerle Shannara.
One Circle Closes, Another Opens
Morgawr begins with Sen Dunsiden witnessing the terrible power of the Morgawr himself.We jump to a world away as the last remnents of the Jerle Shannara, try to repair the ship so they can make their way towards home.But there is a new snag, the Morgawr is in Parkasia, looking for not only Walker Boh, but also Grianne Ohmsford the Ilse Witch.
"Your Time for Regret will be Short..."
"Morgawr" is the third and last book in Terry Brook's "Voyage of the Jerle Shannara" trilogy, which concerns the last of the triad of villains that the "Jerle Shannara"s crew goes up against. In the previous two books "Ilse Witch" and "Antrax" the Druid Walker led a range of characters to the faraway island of Parkasia in order to find a great treasure trove of ancient knowledge. Stalked by the Ilse Witch and then attacked by the archaic machinery of the Antrax, the crew found themselves utterly divided. Walker has been fatally wounded by the Antrax after unsuccessfully attempting to gain this treasure, but now bids Bek to save the one thing that they can salvage from the mission: the Ilse Witch.
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Editorial Review

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"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.
Revisit the amazing world of Shannara!
Grianne Ohmsford, struggling with the inner demons of her former evil life as the Ilse Witch, also wrestles with the politics of her new role as Ard Rhys, High Druid of Paranor, responsible for the unification of the third Druid Council. Peace and harmony among the races of the four lands seems a distant, faint hope as her enemies on the council, the dissenting druids led by Shadea a'Rhu, refuse to accept the reality of Grianne's redemption and plot to bring her down, each striving to achieve their own ends and bring their own agenda to completion. When Grianne vanishes, seemingly defeated by the circle of treasonous plotters surrounding her and locked behind impenetrable magic walls in the land of the Forbidding, her trusted servant and aide, Tagwen, realizes that his own life hangs in the balance and narrowly escapes Paranor himself. Relentlessly pursued by Terek Molt, another rebellious Druid on the Council and Aphasia Wye, a deadly assassin, Tagwen seeks help from the only people he can think of - Pen Ohmsford, Grianne's resourceful, young nephew and Ahren Ellesdil, a self-exiled elf Druid and master of no small amount of magic himself!
WOW.That pretty well sums it up.
I've loved Terry Brooks since 1979 when I first read The Sword of Shannara. Was it essentially the same plot outline as Lord of the Rings? Yes. But I was 11, and had just finished reading LOTR for the first time. Shannara worked well for me, and I was quickly hooked.
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Editorial Review

When casting about for an author to novelize the script for Read more

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Doesn't add much to the film.
Being tapped to write a novelization of a film as massively successful as a Star Wars movie has got to feel like a bit of a thankless job, artistically speaking. Sure, the exposure and potential earnings would probably excite many a potential author, but it has to be rather limiting to any lofty literary aspirations a writer might have. I can also imagine that Lucasfilm is likely quite restrictive of writers taking liberties with the adaptations of the Star Wars films, especially when the book in question is of the first Star Wars film to be made in sixteen years.
Meet Jar Jar Binks
The disadvantage of reading The Phantom Menace is that we have all seen the movie. We know what happens. Given that caveat and with some reservations, I still feel that Terry Brooks did a workmanlike job in continuing the story of Darth Sidious' machinations with the help of his apprentice Darth Maul. More importantly, we are introduced in the story to Anakin Skywalker and, less importantly to some, to Jar Jar Binks. Admittedly, my review is unavoidably influenced by my love of the movie. The book could do so much more.
Better than the movie!
I am a BIG Star Wars fan.Of all the books available based on the actual movies, this was the only one I was lacking.After reading it, I felt compelled to watch Episode 1 again on DVD.The book is well-written, and very descriptive.The development of all the characters was exactly what the movie version was lacking, unfortunately.Nevertheless, after you read this book, you will truly understand MORE than you thought you understood of the story for Episode 1. ... Read more

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What was I thinking?
I read all of Terry Brooks books as a kid and thought I'd re-read a bunch of them for fun.Picked up most of the books at a used book store on a whim.
Once again, Terry Brooks delivers and Dick Hill captures the mood.
Terry Brooks returns to Landover with yet another stunning tale of adventure and danger. Less than a year after nearly losing the kingdom of Landover to the duplicitous wizard Meeks, Ben Holiday once again finds himself fighting for his life. The mess begins when Questor Thews, the court wizard and half-brother to the vanquished Meeks, rushes into the garden room to announce triumphantly that he has finally found a way to change Abernathy, the court scribe, back to his human form after more than twenty years. The spell requires just one thing, a catalist that will separate the man from the dog in Abernathy, thereby allowing the transformation to take place. Unfortunately, the only item within easy reach that could possibly serve this purpose is Ben's enchanted medallion. Despite the danger posed by such an act, Ben reluctantly hands over the medallion, giving Questor the Ok to work his magic. But as we all know, Questor's magic doesn't always work the way he intends, and sometimes the results can be devastating. A sneeze on the part of Questor sends the magic spinning wildly out of control with catastrophic consequences. Not only does Abernathy fail to change back, but he's also sucked down into a strange well of light that carries him off to an unknown land...along with Ben's medallion. The mystery only deepens when, almost immediately after Abernathy vanishes, a mysterious bottle appears where the scribe once stood. Though at first nobody knows neither the origin nor the nature of the bottle, Questor remembers an event in his past that sheds a disturbing light on Abernathy's situation.
This series continues to roll on with energy
The landover works are very well done, with stand out characters. Action, missteps, all done with great skill. Keep upthe good work!!
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"Trust Not the Cat..."
As the fourth book in the "Landover" series, Terry Brooks's somewhat comedic-fantasy series (especially when compared to the serious "Shannara" saga), "The Tangle Box" continues Ben Holiday's adventures as king of a fairytale kingdom that he purchased in a shopping catalogue. Having successfully ruled Landover for several years, Ben is delighted when his sylph-wife Willow informs him that she is expecting their first child. However, the celebration is short-lived when the charlatan Horris Kew returns from exile in Ben's world to the Landover, with a new plan to cause havoc.
The Tangle Box
In The Tangle Box, Ben Holiday, king of Landover is trapped away from those he loves.Willow, his wife, is on a journey alone carrying their child.In the meantime, havoc ensues in Landover with the arrival of a past citizen, who had been exiled, Horris Kew.
plus a few for extra good writing
Finally Brooks took some risks and put his characters really on the line. I found this the best plotted one of the series! I loved it. The characters' explorations in their prison are wonderfully done, especiallythose they make into themselves. I think Brooks put more meat in this one,and that is why I like it so much. You gotta read this one. It isdefinately the most satisfying of the bunch, with the G'Home Gnomes beingthe coolest part of the book practically. Read it. ... Read more

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Landover' Great
Ben Holiday continues to struggle with the Kingdom of Landover, always seems something's going on which requires his attention. Very well done and may be the best of the series to date. Good fantasy and a an easy, enjoyable read.
Lighthearted fantasy in keeping with Landover mystique
I was a big fan of Terry Brooks' Kingdom of Landover series when the original books came out.Because I was a member of the Science Fiction Book Club, receiving regular mailings, I always saw when the next one came out and made sure I would get it right away.At some point, however, either my subscription ended or I got the series before the final book, Witches' Brew came out in 1995.
The second best Landover novel yet
Book 5 was especially creative and kept me interested; much better than the long-winded #4 in this series.Almost as good as the original Magic Kingdom for Sale! Holiday's daughter is an intriguing character and I liked following some of the story through her eyes.What now, Terry?? ... Read more

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Editorial Review

Dark forces are on the move from the Northlands, and Bremen, an outcast Druid, learns of the huge Troll armies on the march and the Skull Bearers who act as their spies.To save the Druids, Bremen must convince the people of the Four Lands that their only hope lies in uniting -- and in using themagic they fear above all else. ... Read more

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Fun read, if not an epic one
This was my first read in Terry Brook's popular Shannara series.When I was younger I attempted to read the Sword of Shannara but I didn't have the attention span for the author's drawn out descriptions.I was able to appreciate his writing more this time around.I decided to read this book more for leisure than anything else.It's a fun read as long as you don't expect anything too epic.
Standard fare, though enjoyable
This was my first book of the Shannara series. I had read Brooks' Landover series when I was younger and enjoyed them. Travelling through the airport, I picked up this book as a guilty pleasure on a long flight. I do not recommend it.
Maybe not the best of Shannara, but still a good read
If you have never read a "Shannara" book, I would not suggest starting with this one, even though the events in this book are chronologically first in the Shannara timeline.
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