Tag: Shannara

Bearers of the Black Staff

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Bearers of the Black Staff
Legends of Shannara #1
Terry Brooks
Fantasy
3 Stars
Epub, 336 Pages

taking place after the Genesis of Shannara trilogy. 500 years later, the ward of protection Hawk placed wears out. The valley has split into factions, mainly based on species, but the world outside has survived too, albeit, all the nasty strong things. Inside the Knights of the Word devolved into outcasts who forgot their history. Follows 2 humans, both who have magic potential, as the valley is about to be invaded by trolls. One of the them is a candidate for the blackstaff and it looks like he will probably be the founder of the wizards. Typical Brooks, with nothing stunning, but nonetheless, an interesting story, mainly because we want to know how things get to the world of The Sword of Shannara.

Recycled material. So no real surprises.

But even with that, quite a good read. I found it more enjoyable than the last 2 Genesis of Shannara books.

The Gypsy Morph

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The Gypsy Morph
Genesis of Shannara
Terry Brooks
fantasy
3 stars
402 pages

a typical Brooks novel. Hawk, the gypsy morph, gathers a group and goes to a safe place. Elves all go into the Lodenstone and are also taken to the Safehaven. Findo Gask is supposedly destroyed by a combination of the Elfstone magic and Tom Logan’s Knight of the Word magic. I don’t believe it. I think he is the Warlock/Morgawr. Ends with Hawk going into a magical sleep and placing a protective mist around the new enclave and some insane soldier firing off all the remaining nukes that America has. Really doesn’t say how our world “changed” into Shannara, just shows the end of ours. I was really hoping for more. I bet he writes another trilogy taking place one generation after this one though. Milk that cash cow 😉

Elves of Cintra

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Elves of Cintra
Genesis of Shannara #2
Terry Brooks
fantasy
3 stars
376 pages

Very enjoyable. Logan takes the Ghosts under his wing, Hawk/Morph is rescued by the River Master and told his destiny. Angel meets the elves and goes off with one of the Chosen and a tracker to find the Lodenstone. They find it and 2 demons are destroyed. This story just continues to show how humanity completely fell apart. Because of the spiritual aspect of it, I can really relate. It is the worst of humanities nightmares brought forth without the hope of Jesus. Thank God there is a God and not just demons.

Armageddon’s Children

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Armageddon’s Children
Genesis of Shannara #1
Terry Brooks
fantasy
3 stars

this is the first in trilogy that ties the Word and the Void Trilogy to his Shannara series. This was a well written book. Dark enough like the W&V series but without as much of the hopelessness of it.

The future envisioned by John Ross is here. Demons and once-men roam the world while humans hide behind walls in enclaves that are slowling falling to the demons onslaughts. Follows one Knight of the Word as he is sent to find and protect Nest Freemark’s son, the gypsy morph, who has not aged in the last 80+ years. Another Knight[and these 2 seem to be the last 2 alive, all the others falling prey to the Demon Gask’s machinations] is led to protect a group of elves who are on a quest to find the Elven lodestone, in which the Elcrys can hide and survive the coming destruction. The final focus is on a group of kids[teens and early 20’s] who have banded together and are led by a youngman named Hawk, who has a vision[and who is the gypsy morph, it is revealed at the end]. I enjoyed this, without the emotional problems I had with the W&V series.

Straken

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Straken
High Druid of Shannara #3
Terry Brooks
fantasy
3 stars

the conclusion. Pen rescues his Aunt Grianne[the former Ilse Witch] from the Forbidding. She dissolves the Druid Council and re-establishes it with young druids. She then goes to the Tanequil and exchanges herself for Cinnaminson.

Wide open for future novels tho. Enjoyed this novel enough to buy all 3, lol

Angel Fire East

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Angel Fire East
Word and the Void #3
Terry Brooks
urban fantasy
4 stars

Final Battle of John Ross, Knight of the Word. Finds a gypsy morph, powerful wild magic, and must figure out how to use it for service to the Word.

He dies, but it becomes a baby in Nest Freemarks body.

I could only read a couple of chapters at a time. Sets up perfectly for the upcoming Armageddon’s Children. As a whole, this whole Word & Void series was depressing. The Word creates, the Void destroys. The Word has no hope of ever getting rid of the Void, but the Void feeds on the thot of destroying the Word. I’m sorry he’s tying this into his Shannara series, but it was inevitable I guess.

Tanequil

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Tanequil
High Druid of Shannara #2
Terry Brooks
fantasy
82 / 3 stars

gets a bit more heavyhanded in the philosophy department. Reminds me more of the Word & Void series. I feel like he created great characters in Jerle Shannara and now has degraded them by placing them in this story. I don’t plan on buying this trilogy as of now.

Jarka Ruus

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Jarka Ruus
High Druid of Shannara #1
Terry Brooks
fantasy
83 / 3stars

Yet another Shannara book. Enemies seem to be hard to find, and so he reaches into the Forbidden and finds some evil mastermind to cause everyone problems. Not nearly as good as the Jerle Shannara trilogy. I didn’t care about the characters.