Wards of Faerie

Wards of Faerie by Terry Brooks.

Series: The Dark Legacy of Shannara
Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Del Rey;(February 26, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0345523482

Seven years after the conclusion of the High Druid of Shannara trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks at last revisits one of the most popular eras in the legendary epic fantasy series that has spellbound readers for more than three decades.
Tumultuous times are upon the world now known as the Four Lands. Users of magic are in conflict with proponents of science. The dwindling Druid order is threatened with extinction. A sinister politician has used treachery and murder to rise as prime minister of the mighty Federation. Meanwhile, poring through a long-forgotten diary, the young Druid Aphenglow Elessedil has stumbled upon the secret account of an Elven girl’s heartbreak and the shocking truth about the vanished Elfstones, which once warded the lands and kept evil at bay. But never has a little knowledge been so very dangerous—as Aphenglow quickly learns when she’s set upon by assassins. Yet there can be no turning back from the road to which fate has steered her. Whoever captures the Elfstones and their untold powers will surely hold the advantage in the devastating clash to come.

I have followed the Shannara series from the beginning, and like many long running series I still feel the first trilogy was the best.  That might well be because of how character driven I am and I really liked the characters in those books.  Now many new characters appear but live in the “same land” and have many adventures surrounding familiar things:  re: the Elfstones.  Having familiarity helps you want to stay with the series and his adventure writing and land building is of high quality.

It’s hard to recommend this trilogy (beginning book 2 right now) only because so much has come before, and it’s hard for many people to come into a series knowing that it’s almost “never ending” lol.  So my strong recommendation is, if you think this is a series you might like… begin at the beginning with: The Sword of Shannara, The Wishsong of Shannara, and the Elfstones of Shannara.

I intend to finish this trilogy and …not surprisingly.. Terry Brooks just had a new Shannara book released last month called: The High Druid's Blade: The Defenders of Shannara .

This whole series carries a likeness to the Lord of the Rings.. that sort of adventure along with some very nasty looking vile villains…  nuff said.     Ok, that’s it for now… off to begin book 2!!