Editorial Review

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

Reviews (26)

*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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Subjects:  1. Fantasy    2. Fantasy - General    3. Fantasy fiction    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Fantasy    6. Science Fiction And Fantasy    7. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (63)

Sorry To Close This Book
I had put off reading this book for a long time.It just sat there on my bookshelf wanting to be read.But for some reason I didn't until recently.And now I know why.I hated closing this book because now I will never see Nest Freemark again.
Another page turner from a master
Angel Fire East is the last installment in the Word and Void trilogy that started with Running with the Demon.Twenty-nine year old Nest Freemark lives in her hometown of Hopewell, IL recovering from a divorce and trying to decide what to do with the rest of her life after a strange ending to her career as a professional runner.Meanwhile John Ross, the Knight of the Word, starts a mission to find and capture a gypsy morph, a creation of wild magic that can be used for good or evil, which could tip the balance in the war between the Word and the Void.Of course, the forces of the Void are hot on his trail and Nest and the people she loves most are caught in the middle as a battle for the gypsy morph is joined in Hopewell.
a fine conclusion to Word/Void
Terry Brooks wraps up his Word/Void Trilogy with Angel Fire East.It is now some fifteen years after the events of Running With the Demon and ten since A Knight of the Word.John Ross is still fighting the good fight, trying to stop the small events that he knows will tip the world closer to the power of the Void.He dreams of the future, of a world in ruin and of the events that could hold off that future.He learns that a Gyspy Morph will be born, a being born of wild and uncontrolled magic that could tip the balance in the favor of the Void if Ross fails in captured the Morph.It is raw magical energy in a physical form.Standing in Ross's path is Findo Gast.Gast is a demon sent to stop John Ross and to claim the Morph for the Void.He's a mean one, Mr. Grinch.
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Subjects:  1. Brooks, Terry - Prose & Criticism    2. Fantasy - Contemporary    3. Fantasy - Dark/Horror    4. Fantasy - General    5. Fantasy fiction    6. Fiction    7. Fiction - Fantasy    8. General    9. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Editorial Review

John Ross, the tortured, conflicted Knight of the Word from TerryBrooks's Read more

Reviews (68)

A page turner, but...
John Ross is a Knight of the Word (or Creator) who has had it with his lonley mission to fight the evil minions of the Void (guess who he is).After a mission that ends in tragedy Ross calls it quits and tries to make life for himself serving the homeless in Seatle with a new home and a lover.Life is good, but can Ross escape his calling to defend the world from the depredations of demons and the forces of chaos?No.Ross's past catches up with him in the form of an insidious demonic plot to seduce him into the service of the Void.However, there is hope!Nest Freemark, the girl Ross saved in Running with the Demon, is sent by the Lady, a servant of the Word, to save Ross not only from the Void, but also from the fatal consequences the Word will visit on him if he doesn't get his act together.
some of the best work Brooks has produced
When I was a young lad I would read every Shanarra novel I could find, and several times. I read all of Terry Brooks' Magic Kingdom of Landover novels. But for some reason I never picked up Running With the Demon or any of the Word/Void novels. It really makes no sense because of how much I enjoyed Brooks' work. A couple of months ago I finally read the first Word/Void novel and was stunned. Running With the Demon was quite possibly the best thing Terry Brooks has written with an argument to be made about Elfstones. What's more, it felt fresh. It was the story of John Ross, a normal man picked by the Word to be its Champion in trying to hold the balance against the Void. When the novel started, Ross had been a Knight for some twenty or so years and made his way to Hopewell, Illinois to try to stop something from happening. He wasn't sure what because his dreams only give him a location and a taste of the horrors that would be unleashed on our world if he fails. He finds a teenaged girl, Nest Freemark and her magic.
John Ross' Story Continues
A Knight of the Word begins with John Ross quiting his destiny of being a Knight.But he is still plagued by dreams of an unpeakably horrifying future (a future that may come true, just read the Shannara books).
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Subjects:  1. Brooks, Terry - Prose & Criticism    2. Didactic fiction    3. Fantastic fiction    4. Fantasy    5. Fantasy - Epic    6. Fantasy fiction    7. Fiction    8. Good and evil    9. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Reviews (71)

Terrifyingly dull and unoriginal
I bought it, and I have never NOT finished a book that I started... so I'll finish it. But I don't recommend anyone else starting it.
Sword of Shannara is the best of the three
The first book in the trilogy, The Sword of Shannara is in my opinion the best of the three. With Flick and Shea, and the whole supporting cast, the adventure rolls on from the very beginning when the tall dark stranger shows up.
The Sword of Shannara Trilogy
I have not finsihed reading the trilogy yet, but find what I have read interesting.I bought the trilogy to save a little money.I won't do this again.The book is so darned heavy to hold onto physically that I cannot lose myself in the story because I am trying to manipulate the weighty volume.I am not certain I will finish reading it because of this.I may try to find individual editions of each story instead. My rating is based on the physical state and has nothing to do with the story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fantasy    2. Fantasy - Epic    3. Fantasy fiction    4. Fantasy fiction, American    5. Fiction    6. Fiction - Fantasy    7. Shannara (Imaginary place)    8. Fiction / Fantasy / Epic   

Reviews (53)

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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Subjects:  1. Druids and druidism    2. Elves    3. Fantasy    4. Fantasy - Epic    5. Fantasy - General    6. Fantasy - Series    7. Fantasy fiction    8. Fiction    9. Fiction - Fantasy    10. Science Fiction - General    11. Shannara (Imaginary place)    12. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

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

Reviews (50)

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

Subjects:  1. Fantasy    2. Fantasy - Epic    3. Fantasy - General    4. Fantasy fiction    5. Fiction    6. Fiction - Fantasy    7. Shannara (Imaginary place)    8. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Reviews (14)

A wonderful series.
The Heritage of Shannara series collected into a single volume is a great peice for a collection as well as a shelf space saver.This series outshines the Sword of Shannara series, as it tells a single epic story in four separate books, allowing for greater character and plot development.
Another great set...
I am still amazed that Terry Brooks can keep you going and draw you into the stories to where you feel apart of it...great books...

Shanara fans rejoice - 4 in 1- Great book
I was introduced to the world of Shanara rather late, age of 29. I read the first three books and enjoyed themagreta so, so much so that I went right out and bought the Heritage of Shanara as well. After all, four books for the price of one you really can't go wrong.
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Subjects:  1. Fantasy    2. Fantasy - Epic    3. Fantasy - General    4. Fantasy fiction    5. Fantasy fiction, American    6. Fiction    7. Fiction - Fantasy    8. Shannara (Imaginary place)    9. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Reviews (4)

A faithful novelization
Poor Peter Banning is living his life in the fast lane, making deals, making deadlines, attending meetings, and getting ahead. But, if there's someone he's not getting ahead with, it his children. But, when his children are kidnapped, Peter suddenly finds himself thrust into a world beyond his imagination. It seems that his children were kidnapped by Captain Hook...that's right, the villain of J. M. Barrie's story. It seems that Hook has this far out idea that Peter Banning is really Peter Pan. To rescue his kids, Peter is going to have to reach deep inside himself, and find something that he lost. But, will he do it in time?
poor Terry
I just read "Sometimes the magic works," a memior from Terry Brooks.He said writing this book was the worst experience of his life.The movie workers helped him in no way, so I was shocked when that person (someone who reviewed the book on amazon) said that the credit for this book goes to them.
A must-read.
Granted, this book is a novelization of a movie, and a very faithful one at that, so much of the credit goes to the makers of the movie rather than to Brooks, but he does succeed in taking a marvelous story and telling it wonderfully, fully capturing the spirit of the story with his tone, as well as the events in it.Read more

Subjects:  1. Brooks, Terry - Prose & Criticism    2. Fantastic fiction    3. Fantasy fiction    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. Movie novels    7. Movie-TV Tie-In    8. Movie/Tv Tie-Ins    9. Peter Pan (Fictitious characte    10. Peter Pan (Fictitious character)    11. Fiction / Movie or Television Tie-In   

Reviews (79)

A solid close to the original Shannara trilogy
Brooks proved himself capable of writing an original story with the first two books of the Shannara Trilogy, and he never falters here. While I didn't like this story as much as the other two novels, it was still well worth the read.
Amazing
I loved the Wishsong of Shannara. It was filled with so many amazing characters. My favorites are Rone Leah and Garet Jax. SPOILER WARNING! No book has ever made me cry. I was crying when Allanon and Garet Jax died. I didn't cry when Dustfinger died in Inkspell, but I cried 3 times while reading. 1: When Allanon was killed. 2: When Garet Jax was discovered dead. 3: When Brin Ohmsford talked to Allanon's shade. You will love this book. I promise.

"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 plagaristic waste.
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Subjects:  1. Elves    2. Fantasy    3. Fantasy - General    4. Fantasy - Series    5. Fantasy fiction    6. Fiction    7. Fiction - Fantasy    8. Shannara (Imaginary place)    9. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Reviews (194)

This is a GREAT Book!!
This is my all-time favrite Shannara book. I really liked all of the action and sheer exitment! The Reaper, one of the demons who escapes the Forbiding, sort of gave me the creeps. I was really frightened for Wil and Amberle. The Ellcrys was a really cool plant. I wish I could have one! I love Allonon, but feel sort of sorry for him. I would highly recomend this book for anyone who likes elves, science fiction, and action! I really like the way Terry Brooks writes, with all of the description, I can really picture what's happening. I love this book and all of the others(The Sword, The Wishsong, The Scions,etc.) This, however, was my favorite as I said before. If you are like me and like big, fat books filled with suspense and thrilling moments, this is a book for you. This is a fantastic book! :)

Terry Brooks exceeds expectations (4.5 stars)
I've read a ton of fantasy and this single novel by Brooks is by far his best. His first, Sword of Shannara, is overly long, filled with non-events, and pretty much a ripoff of Tolkien in just about every way without ever really adding anything to that mythos (which is what any blatent homage should do if its going to single itself out). Wishsong of Shannara (the third in Brooks' initial series) has some very good moments and characters but by this time it feels recycled - the quest to save the world where only one man/woman/teenager can summon the magic inside them to overcome a great evil - blah, blah, blah.
a sequel that is equal to the original !
Normally, any sequel to a book that was written so well and with the impact of The Sword of Shannara is disappointing. Not so with The Elfstones of Shannara.
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Subjects:  1. Elves    2. Fantastic fiction    3. Fantasy    4. Fantasy - Series    5. Fantasy fiction    6. Fiction    7. Fiction - Fantasy    8. Shannara (Imaginary place)    9. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Subjects:  1. Fantasy    2. Fantasy - General    3. Fiction    4. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Reviews (18)

Disappointing
My daughter bought this book for me as she knows that Terry Brooks is my favorite author.It is misleading to have Terry Brooks' name in large letters on a book he didn't write!I don't think this is worth the money, not even half.

A great companion to the fantastic Shannara epic tales
Everything about this book screams one major thing: RESEARCH.The authors have spent a great deal of time studying the works of Terry Brooks and went to great lengths to include as much as possible about what was available at the time of the printing.Basically nothing was omitted -- that I could see anyway.Details about things I never would have even thought about have been explored in great detail.No stone was left un-turned, so-to-speak. A Great Companion Book
This is a coffee-table companion book to Terry Brooks' ongoing Shannara epic fantasy series.It's by the same lady who did The World of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time.It has the same format of that book, in that it's a history of the world with illustrations of characters, places, and events sprinkled throughout.But it's different in that it makes reference to all of the Shannara books, from the First King prequel all the way up to the recent Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy.Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Brooks, Terry    3. Fantasy    4. Fantasy - General    5. Fantasy fiction, American    6. Fiction    7. Handbooks, manuals, etc    8. Handbooks, manuals, stc    9. Literature - Classics / Criticism    10. Science Fiction & Fantasy    11. Shannara (Imaginary place)    12. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Reviews (44)

"Some of Us Listened to the Earth's Whisper..."
The forth and final installment in "The Heritage of Shannara" quartet, preceded by the "Scions", "Druid" and "Elf Queen" of Shannara. 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.
Amazing end
Teery brooks is a genius, this book that end the heritage series is an explendid book, it conlcudes everything that happened in the first 3 books of the heritage series and it leaves you with your mouth open wishing for more.

The Final Fight For the Four Lands Begins!
The Talismans of Shannara is the conclusion to the sequence started in The Scions of Shannara and continuing in The Druid of Shannara and The Elf Queen of Shannara.All the story threads come together.Coll risks everything to save Par from complete madness.Wren and the returned Elves fight against the Shadowen controlled armies of the Federation.Walker fights the Four Horsemen.It all culmanates at Rainbow Lake where the Scions search for the missing Wren.Par comes face-to-face with his worst fears and the secret behind the Shadowen's power is revealed.
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Subjects:  1. Brooks, Terry - Prose & Criticism    2. Elves    3. Fantastic fiction    4. Fantasy    5. Fantasy - General    6. Fantasy - Series    7. Fantasy fiction    8. Fiction    9. Fiction - Fantasy    10. Shannara (Imaginary place)    11. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

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

Reviews (141)

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.