The Druid of Shannara

(book 10 for OUaT)

The Druid of Shannara by Terry Brooks

Publisher: Ballantine Books(March 1997)
ISBN-10: 0345911318

432 pages

 

From Publishers Weekly

The second installment of Brooks's new series, after The Scions of Shannara , follows Walker Boh as he reluctantly seeks the Black Elfstone, needed to bring back vanished Paranor, a quest laid on him by the shade of the Druid Allanon as part of the effort to save the Four Lands from the wraith-like Shadowen. Walker is rescued from a Shadowen attack by the beautiful and tragic Quickening, daughter of the legendary King of the Silver River. Walker and Quickening, with Morgan Leah and Pe Ell, travel to the land of the Stone King, who has stolen the Elfstone and is determined to turn the world into his own element. As the small band struggles though hostile terrain, Pe Ell's secret mission to assassinate Quickening complicates the battle with the Stone King's minions and his awesome powers. While this volume briefly touches on the fortunes of other questers, it appears that they will form the basis of future installments. Broadening the landscape of his magic world, Brooks has produced a deep and thoughtful fantasy.

From School Library Journal

YA-- This book in the second trilogy about Shannara, which began with The Scions of Shannara (Ballantine, 1990), is set over 300 years after the end of the first trilogy and the death of the Druid Allanon. The evil Shadowen still retain their hold and continue to drain the Four Lands of the magic that had been their lifeblood. The King of the Silver River, a fabulous being as old as mankind, creates a daughter named Quickening and sends her to assist. She joins Morgan Leah and Pe Ell, an assassin who plans to eventually kill her, on a journey to the far north to recover the lost magic, a process that involves the need to capture the Black Elfstone. Brooks weaves an intricate tale with a richly detailed fantasy world peopled with multidimensional characters. As with the previous four books about Shannara, fans will not be disappointed with this wonderful fairy tale. This should be an automatic pur chase for collections serving fantasy readers.

Well, I am glad to finish book 2 of this series, seeing at it was 2 books in one and over 800 pages total it was getting mighty heavy!

Book 2 departs from the brothers Par and Coll Ohmsford, and lets a few of the other main characters go off in search of the Black Elfstone which is supposed to help Walker Boh find Druids Keep and Paranor and bring them back to life along with bringing the Durids back again.

Not an easy task!

Walker Boh looses and arm, Morgan as only a broken magical sword and Pe Ell would kill them all.  Not quite a “walk in the woods”..heh.

Once again Terry Brooks brings to life another part of a big adventure that brings back thoughts of the original trilogy.  I can honestly say that, for those who thought Terry Brooks was doing nothing more then “stealing Tolkiens ideas”… that if that is how they felt with the original trilogy this set of books will prove beyond a doubt what a great story teller he is.

I find it hard when reading “high fantasy” (good against evil adventures) to not find many similarities. But if an author makes good characters, takes the time to make you feel that you really know them, and then sets them into action… you can’t help but get wrapped up into the adventure and wonder how it will all end.  Terry Brooks does that over and over again.

This is a good series even if you haven’t read the original Sword of Shannara trilogy..but It does make it a wee bit better if you know the background.  Brooks does and excellent job filling that in ..but what that does for me is bring back more memories than he even mentions.

This is an excellent set of books.. glad I have 2 more to go~

Next up… The Elf Queen of Shannara.