The Elves of Cintra (Genesis Of Shannara Book 2)

Upon reading the first of the Shannara series, you have an understanding of a previous world and the war that ravaged civilization at some far point in the past. This current trilogy is an excellent link to that past, with all the thrill, suspense, and enjoyment that you've come to expect from Terry Brooks.

I have always loved Terry Brooks. The Shannara series is one of my all-time favorites. I really enjoyed the Word and the Void series and to see how he has masterfully spun that series into a prequel to Shannara is fantastic. This book is up there with everything else he has done.

Dark depressing continuation of the Genesis trilogy. Superb character development. Adds great depth to the history of the Shannara universe. Sets stage for Tragic/Heroic/Conflicted Druid characters of future Shannara series. I highly recommend this series and anything related.

Book missing outside cover, many pages were folded over, not as described. Will not order from again. I appreciate it when people are honest about the items they sell, those that are not shouldn't be allowed to sell.

In “The Elves of Cintra” we continue the story of Logan Tom and Angel Perez, two knights of the word, intent on their own individual missions.
Logan seeks to recover an ancient talisman of wild magic – the gypsy morph – and icon that can prevent humanity’s destruction. In doing so, he inadvertently becomes the surrogate protector of a ragtag bunch of street kids fleeing south from Seattle in their search for a safer place to live.
Meanwhile, Angel Perez is heading north, escorting the ephemeral ambassador of the fey – the tatterdemalion – to the elves of Cintra. Though isolated from mankind’s affairs for centuries, the elves are also in danger and need to take drastic measures to ensure they are not also swept away in the coming destruction. But will they listen?
If their job wasn’t difficult enough, both knights are forced to contend with the dross of a ruined civilization, mutants, freaks, once-men and demons. They also have to battle their own shortcomings, proving once again that in the post apocalyptic world of the future, the streets are always paved with so many hidden traps and snares, you never know who to trust…until it’s too late.
A thoroughly enjoyable romp through the seeds of the Shannara legend. I look forward to the next installment.

Very well done. I didn't like Armageddon's Children (the first book in the series; this is the second) all that much -- I found myself skipping sections of it. It just didn't hold my interest very well. But this one is different. Terry Brooks really hits his stride here. All the interesting elements of the story start to gel early in the book, and they held my interest to the end. I don't want to spoil things, so I won't say more. Just that I was very pleased with this book. The last few Terry Brooks' novels I'd read had fallen a little flat for me, but I think he hit the nail on the head with this one. Good themes, good characters, emotionally moving moments, heroism, sacrifice, big stakes -- all the things you want in a Terry Brooks novel, with a crisp pace. Well done.

This is the second book in the "Genesis of Shannara" trilogy, a series that holds the interesting position of being both a prequel (to the extensive The Sword of Shannara series) and a sequel (to The Word & the Void trilogy). Though there have been little clues strewn about various Terry Brooks books that hinted at a connection between the epic fantasy of the former and the urban fantasy of the latter, it was with more than a little excitement that I picked up Armageddon's Children (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 1), knowing it to be the first of a trilogy that bridged the two series.

The Knights of the Word are in the service of the Lady, a powerful spirit that arms them with magical staffs and guides them with dreams in their fight against demons and "once-men" that have ravaged the world and its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the Elves of Cintra (what humans call Oregon's Cascade Mountain Range) are hiding away in their city, determined not to get involved with the human world that is dying beyond their borders. Finally, a street kid called Hawk learns of his extraordinary identity as a "gypsy morph," a creature made of wild magic that is destined to lead the survivors of this apocalyptic world into the Promised Land.

In the previous book, there were four main storylines pertaining to these central concepts from the "Shannara" and "The Word/Void" books; here that has been whittled down to two as plots and characters begin to collide. After Knight of the Word Logan Tom (given the task of protecting the gypsy morph by the Lady) witnesses Hawk thrown from the walls of a compound only to disappear into a blazing white light, he takes Hawk's family of street kids and begins the march to a rendezvous point in which he hopes to be reunited with his original charge.

Meanwhile, fellow Knight of the Word Angel Perez joins with the Elvish siblings Simralen and Kirisin (continuing Brooks' odd trend of bestowing feminine names on male characters) who have been charged by the mystical Ellcrys tree to - in this order: find the Elfstones so that they might find the Loden so that they might contain the city in its depths and carry it to the place of safety that the gypsy morph will lead them to. Further complications arise when it becomes clear that a demon is hiding in their midst, anticipating their every move...

Finally, in a plot that's so short it's barely worth mentioning and disappointingly minor for the character who is ostensibly meant to be the main character, Hawk is transported from his execution and awakens in the gardens of the King of the Silver River (another major character from "Shannara") and told of his lineage, powers and destiny. Hawk, the savior and subject of the final book's title, does absolutely nothing proactive in this installment.

As the title would suggest, the book is mainly concerned with the plight of the Elves and the search for the Elfstones, and (though tastes may differ) this segment makes up the most enjoyable part of the book, despite the slight repetitiveness of the plot - it seems as though every "Shannara" book has a group of Elves trying to find the long-lost Elfstones. In comparison, Logan's journey from point A to point B with a gang of street kids known as the Ghosts is frustratingly slow and - speaking with the authority of hindsight, having read the final book - fill of pointless events that come across as needless padding. With a couple of exceptions, the Ghost are too numerous to be individualistic and so there is little emotional impact when they are used as cannon fodder in order to drive home the point of how dangerous the situation is.

They fight killer robots, come up against a rouge Knight of the Word, search for medicine when others get sick, mourn over the dead, try to rescue a disfigured boy who ends up kidnapping one of their number, meet a random character called the Senator and a girl who decides to tag along with them, scavenge and bicker with one another, but nothing is all that important in the long run. It is a survival story as they traverse inhospitable territory, running up against various obstacles on the way to their reunion with Hawk, and although it is all told at a break-neck speed (in fact after Candle is kidnapped and escapes her captor, her reunion with the Ghosts is relayed in *hindsight*), none of it really amounts to much. None of the dangers are specifically linked with anything that occurs in the next book, or in the "Shannara" books to follow.

I suppose I was simply coming into this book with misconceptions. When I think of a prequel I automatically assume that it's going to take advantage of two things: the opportunity to explore the origins of certain people, places and objects, and the fact that there is a foregone conclusion at work. We already *know* how this particular story is going to end: with the death of one world and the beginning of another. What's (supposed to be) interesting is how it gets there and what we learn on the way. To me, the whole point of these types of stories is so that the readers can recognize foreshadowing, smile knowingly at in-jokes, see the characters in a "before-they-were-stars" angle and discover the origins of certain ideologies and artifacts.

There are little touches here and there, such as a visit to the Oronyx Experimental Robotics Systems that hints at the main antagonist of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara Trilogy, as well as the emergence of mutated humans nicknamed Croaks, Spiders and Lizards that are presumably the prototypes of the Gnomes, Dwarfs and Trolls of later books. But take for example, the Elves. If the mutants in this book are the forerunners for the fantasy species of "Shannara", then why couldn't the Elves have been some sort of genetically mutated and superior race? How about instead of finding the Elfstones and protecting the Ellcrys (two plots that have already been done to death, most predominantly in The Elfstones of Shannara and The Elf Queen of Shannara) Brooks instead explores the *origins* of these two iconic Elfish talismans?

I had this pet theory before cracking open "Genesis of Shannara" that the Lady of the "Word/Void" trilogy would end up being the first incarnation of the Ellcrys tree and the one who (with a little help from the newly crafted Elfstones) sealed up the demon hoards in the oft-mentioned Forbidding of the "Shannara" books. However, this story opens with the Ellcrys, the Elfstones and the Forbidding already in existence, giving us no clue whatsoever as to where these iconic Elfish talismans originated from, or what the difference is between Shannara's demons and the Word/Void's once-men that roam the post-apocalypse landscape (I had always assumed they were one and the same species). It just felt as though Brooks is robbing himself of the opportunity to explore and explain his own created world in more detail.

But for the most part, this is a rewarding story, which is also surprisingly self-contained considering Brooks' usual tendency to leave a reader hanging with a cliff-hanger. The pacing is fast and the action is almost non-stop, and for the most part "The Elves of Cintra" avoids "middle book syndrome," in which nothing starts and nothing finishes: in this case, the protagonists get plenty of work done, though still have their main objectives left to achieve in the final book. As always, the main characters are likeable enough, though they indulge themselves in plenty of needless pontificating, repetitive introspection and a tendency to state the obvious.

Certainly epic in scope and apocalyptic in nature, "The Genesis of Shannara" may not be completely rewarding reading for those hoping have illumination thrown on the deep history of the Four Lands, but it's certainly doing its job in bringing the world as we know it to eminent destruction and pushing the survivors forward into a brave new world.

In the Elves Of Cintra, the storyline that was started in the Armageddon's Children continues and develops. It starts out with nary a pause as the final chapter of the previous book is reprinted in whole. Logan Tom tries to save Hawk (the Gypsy Morph) while he is being thrown from the walls of the Seattle compound only to get there too late, and after some sort of magic whisks the boy and his girlfriend away. From this point on we follow three threads with Logan Tom and his Ghosts charges coming down from Seattle towards the Columbia River, Angel Perez and her Tatterdemalion friend Ailie continue their escape from the demon by riding north of Los Angeles towards the Elves, and the Elves themselves are trying to figure out what to do about the stunning realization that the Ellcrys is feeling threatened and is asking for help.

All three threads continue in this story with the most emphasis being placed on the Elves and their stories. The lead characters are young elves who find it difficult to get anyone in the elf hierarchy to believe them. However, all proceeds as one would expect with the young elves figuring out what needs to happen and moving their part of the plot along. One of the weak points of this particular book is that it feels somewhat recycled and obvious as only one elf youngster seems to have the power that has been lost for thousands of generations and manages to find not only the seeking elfstones, but also the Loden Stone within a matter of days.

Evil is also a part of the story as the armies of once-men and the demons stalk the various groups and seem to always know what the various people and elves are planning on doing. You always wonder - when reading Terry Brooks - how come evil is always ahead, yet manages to lose to the good side with all that preparation time? No matter, this is a signature of Brooks's writing style and if you did not like it in any of the other books, it is no different in this one.

Because this is the second in a trilogy, none of the main threads are resolved, but clearly they are starting to take on the shape of the final resolution of the story. There are moments of brilliant writing and fun and imaginative concepts that make this worthwhile, and quite a bit of predictable action as evil looms large. Some of the more pedestrian writing involves which of the characters get killed and in what ways, and I wish there was a better way to do this - but that is why I am not a writer and Terry Brooks is a very successful one. Nonetheless, this is a good story and a fun book to read and if you are a Terry Brooks fan, then it is one that should be in your library. Enjoy.

"The Elves of Cintra" has both strengths and weaknesses. Brooks is capable of gripping narrative. Some episodes in the book are irresistible -- the kind of gripping style that keeps one`s light burning until the wee hours of the morning. Some of the characters also seem believable and genuinely interesting. The successes of the book come through excellent narrative writing, great description, and a wonderful evocation of atmosphere, tone, and mood. This is the "plus side" of the novel.

But I would be remiss if I did not point out some troubling weaknesses. The book seems fragmented -- less a unified novel at times than a chain of short stories or vignettes. To be sure, many large novels break back and forth between a series of loosely linked narratives -- with the reader proceeding forward in faith that all threads will be woven together at the conclusion. In this novel, I think Brooks carries this "multiple threads" style too far -- snapping us back and forth between disconnected characters and settings to the extent that the continuity of the story is compromised. We lose our bearings. And worst, at the end of this novel, the fragments have NOT been welded together -- we are still working with pieces of a story. I realize this is a trilogy, but I DO think the reader should have some sort of at least interim resolution after persevering with Brooks for 350 pages.

The novel also has problems with flow. Midway through the novel, Brooks suddenly begins a series of flashbacks into the past of the major characters. Now bear in mind, we have already journeyed about 500 pages with these characters -- I'm including the first novel of the trilogy -- and so we have gotten to know them pretty well. Why stagnate the flow with these blocks of "embedded stories" at THIS point? Moreover, all the embedded stories are about the same -- describing sad, disrupted, and often tragic childhoods: children abandoned, and struggling to survive in the post-apocalyptic world of the novel. In other words, these flashbacks are all clones of one another -- essentially boring. They arrive far too late in the narrative to be of much value to the book as a whole. They just kill the pace. I suspected padding -- fattening the book just to meet the editor's guidelines.

Why almost all fantasy books today have to be trilogies is beyond me. In most trilogies, the second book is the most difficult to really bring alive. Nothing really starts, and nothing really finishes. So much for this, the second volume. I am still in hopes the final novel will satisfy. The story has potential, and at least a few of the characters are generally interesting. And, of course, Brooks' considerable power as a writer of the individual episodes is still very much in evidence.

Terry Brooks has done something extremely unusual in fantasy trilogies. He made a great middle book. Brooks picks up where he left off in "Armageddon's Children" and whisks the reader into the harrowing world of a future earth in the process of being overrun by demons, once-men, and monsters of ancient Faerie. Weaving four stories together so tightly that he doesn't skip a beat, Brooks continues the stories of the Ghosts, Angel Perez, the Cintra elves and the endangered Elcrys, Logan Tom, and Hawk, the boy/gypsy morph in their fight against the forces of the Void. There is barely time to breath and you won't be able to put this one down. In the midst of all of this the noble human element shines through in heroism, self-sacrifice, and the struggle to stand up for what is right even in the face of ridicule and danger to oneself. Bravo Mr. Brooks. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Ok, so after starting this two years ago, setting it down and picking it back up last week to restart it, it may sound like I lost interest in it. Actually, no. I just got sidetracked on reading other stuff. So, this is as good or better than part one. This was a great fleshing out of the story after such a great setup in book one.
As stated in my review for part one, I was a little skeptical about the whole concept of a "Genesis" story for Shannara. Granted, it had to start somehow. But as I get into part three, this is worthy (not just this book, but the trilogy in general) of the name Shannara. There were a few surprises for me in this one as well. It will definitely worth the read, as you don't want to put it down.

I must confess, I starting reading Armeggedon's Children because I was desperate for something to read, and I have read most of Terry Brook's works, so I picked it up. When I finished, I didn't think it was all that good (but not bad). However, I push on because I like to finish a series once I start to read them.

I don't give five stars often, but this book was really worth it. I was surprised many times, but always pleasantly (even when a couple of the storylines left me thinking that they were certainly going to be dumb). The story introduces a few new characters that are well developed, both good and bad.

About the only negative thing that I can say is that Brooks has never been very good at disguising the "mystery demon". In this story, identifying the demon is not nearly as suspense ruining as it was in Night of the Word.

I can't wait for book 3!

First the positives:
1)It's definitely a worthy follow up to Armageddon's Children, and frankly it moved even faster.
2)The story was never boring, and was actually incredibly engaging.
3) Upon finishing, I have to say I'm looking forward to the last installment this August.
Downside:
1) Overall this feels like a book that adults enjoy but is really intended for young people. Some might say that's a plus, and I wouldn't argue that. I guess what I'm saying is the story and characters are very simplistic, some feeling like devices to propel the plot, with two pages of back story to explain who they are.None of this makes for a bad book by any means, and again I really enjoyed it. Having never read terry Brooks before these novels, it just comes across slightly sophomoric.

It is always a pleasure to read Terry Brooks. His prose is clear and easy, and unlike so many other SF authors, his books revisit his fantasy world again and again, telling fresh stories without repetition, and creating fresh, well-defined characters.

But Brooks' PC preaching, especially in the first book of the series, is a distraction and prevented me from becoming immersed in the story.

In the story line, the world is nearly destroyed in the near future. One would think that the few survivors, and especially the children in this story, would have little, if any, reliable information as to what actually happened to cause the destruction. Brooks could have used this uncertainty as part of his plot: conflicting rumors leading to ill-advised decisions, perhaps.

Instead, we get a direct lecture from the omniscient author about what nearly destroyed the world, and there appears to be no disagreement among the characters in the story as to what happened, either: The world was nearly destroyed, not by terrorists, but supposedly by America's foolish response to the terrorists. The armies of evil are the former US military personnel, whom we are told were the most susceptible to evil. And of course, they are led by a demon. And in case this is too nuanced, the dog is named "Cheney", after a politician who always spoiled for a fight.

If you happen to disagree with Brooks' world view, this is uncomfortable and not pleasurable to read.

Now, here's what's so odd: the story itself conflicts with this world view. The instincts of Cheney the dog are unfailingly correct. Cheney is indeed good in a fight, and the story's hero gets into serious trouble only when he decides not to rely on Cheney. The heroes in the story are all self-reliant individuals, avoiding wherever possible the remaining collectivist governments. And the heroes fight back against the bad guys, which is okay, unlike the earlier fight against terrorists, which somehow was not okay.

By the way, Brooks' inventions of solar powered airships and now a solar powered high performance car seemingly are offered up as alternative energy solutions, yet violate the laws of physics without any possible theory offered for how it could possibly work. Another distraction from a well-written and otherwise enjoyable story.

Whereas Book One of this trilogy focused on Logan Tom and Angel Perez on Earth and basically ignored the elves, this book focuses mostly on the Elf Community. The story tells about the elfquest for the Elfstones and the Loden stone, and features many an exciting battle between elves and demons. Logan Tom's role has some thrilling moments as well, including a battle with an outcast Knight of the Word. The kids from the Ghost tribe are featured in small vignettes, and each one is given time to shine.

Largely, this book serves to set up the finale. I recommend reading this to anyone interested in the series, but not as a stand alone book.

Picking up right where Brooks left off, the literal cliffhanger as it has become to be known, EoC continues the suspenseful and dramatic scene where the children are being thrown from the walls and the army is marching toward the compound while Logan is desperately trying to reach them. It's really hard to follow such a series of events by trying to build on Angel and the Elves' storyline. Had I not been stoked from the first bits of the book, maybe it would have seemed less boring.

Nonetheless, it is still a good piece of writing. Angel's character really builds, as I had hoped at the end of AC, and the storyline of her and the Elves is believable (well, as believable as a fantasy book can get). The demon's identity is somewhat predictable, but more so if you are familiar with Brooks' writing.

I realize the point of the book was focused on Angel and the Elves, but Hawk's two brief appearances disappointed me. I think Brooks should have given him just a little bit more attention to build our expectations for book three. The introduction of the King of the Silver River, in my own opinion, was predictable, but it definitely helps bridge these pre-Shannara books with the originals.

Logan Tom's story is FRUSTRATING! Not in the sense that it's frustrating to read, but you truly feel the frustration that he feels, along with the street kids. So many hold-ups and obstacles that really don't seem to have a point other than to wear down the Knight of the Word and his charges. It really shows the post-civilization world as it could be, everyone fighting to stay alive and keep what they have. The street kids' individuality comes in handy with Fixit driving, Panther's aggression, and Sparrow's inner warrior; this really adds quality to the story.

The demons were not as well tracked by Brooks as the were in AC either. It's good to build the bad guys just as much as the good guys.

It's not often I rate Brooks below 5 stars, but this one just didn't keep the pages turning like the Word/Void series, Armageddon's Children, and the first two Shannara series.

Terry Brooks continues to deliver edgy science fiction in this volume of The Elves of Cintra. Using a real world venue, he creates an alter world that is so believable that one feels immersed in the actions and adventures of the travelers found within. It is a must read; but a word to the wise, if you aren't the type of reader who doesn't mind jumping into the book in the midst of a series of books, start with the first Terry Brooks' book and work your way through his whole sci fi collection of works.

The Elves of Cintra (2007) is the second fantasy novel in the Genesis of Shannara series, following Armageddon's Children. In the previous volume, Logan Tom gave Nest Freemark's finger bones to Hawk, then left him in the compound lockup and returned to the Ghosts. Owl had decided to leave the Pioneer Square quarters and Logan Tom encouraged this move. After a few hours, Logan Tom took Panther with him and returned to the compound. While Panther kept the guards busy watching his antics, Logan Tom snuck into the stadium and reached Hawk's cell, but it was empty.

Hawk had been taken from his cell well before the time of the execution, maybe to build more terror within him. He tried to talk Tessa into jumping before the guards could touch them, but she was already terrified and clung to Hawk. Then the guards grabbed the couple and threw them off the wall.

Meanwhile, Angel Perez and Ailie the tatterdemalion learned that the demon Delloreen was chasing them on the Harley Crawler that they had left behind. Angel turned off onto a logging road and tried to slow the demon down and to throw it off her scent. However, the demon persevered and eventually caught up with them.

Angel fought the demon, but she seemed to tire faster than it did. Finally, she knocked it aside and reached the Mecury-5 ATV. Then she charged the demon and zipped down the highway when it flinched.

After King Arissen failed to recontact him, Kirisin confronted Erisha and forced her to admit that she had already passed the warning on to the king. Although she defended her father's actions, Erisha was convinced to help Kirisin look for more information about the Loden in the histories. As they were searching through the volumes, someone challenged them from the darkness.

In this novel, Logan Tom is climbing the steps of the stadium to the west wall when he hears cries of shock and excitement. Near the top, he overhears comments indicating that Hawk and Tessa had disappeared without a trace. He asks a young girl about the couple and she describes the throwing of Hawk and Tessa off the wall and then the flare of a bright light surrounding them. When the light faded away, the couple were gone.

On his way out of the Compound, Logan Tom sees a fleet of boats carrying the once-human toward Seattle. Although he looks and calls for Panther, the boy is nowhere to be found. Deciding to rejoin the Ghosts in their flight, he heads toward the freeway.

Panther has fled the compound to avoid a group of hunting Croaks. He meets Sparrow in Pioneer Square and both of them flee from the pursuing Croaks. Everywhere they go, the Croaks are there waiting. Finally, Logan Tom appears and they drive off the Croaks.

Heading down a freeway entrance ramp, the Ghosts draw near to Logan Tom's vehicle, but are faced by a group of mutant street kids. Owl is beginning to get through to the strangers when a sudden movement causes the leader to shoot her with a shockgun. The electrified leads hit Squirrel instead of Owl, but Owl also receives a lesser shock since the boy is on her lap.

Bear rushes at the youngster with the shockgun and knocks him senseless. Chalk receives a minor shock from the wheelchair handles, but recovers quickly. Owl recovers more slowly, but is soon able to tell them that Squirrel needs more aid than she does.

River checks out Squirrel and finds that he is not breathing. She starts CPR, but Squirrel still isn't breathing after many minutes. Owl stops her, but Logan Tom arrives shortly after that and tries more CPR. Finally, they have to give up. They load up the Lightning S-150 and head south out of the city on the freeway.

In this story, Angel flees on the Mercury-5 ATV with Ailie. Behind them, the demon howls and follows. In her new shape, Delloreen is cat-like, but with scaly skin and a body over ten feet long. The demon concentrates on following the scent of the Knight as she runs through the night.

In Cintra, Kirisin and Erisha have been discovered by Cluth, the keeper of the histories. He soon falls in with their plans and provides more information about the elfstones and the Loden. He tells them that a queen and sorceress of long ago had been buried in Ashenell -- the elven burial ground -- with a trio of blue search stones.

Elsewhere, Hawk finds himself in a great garden, with profuse greenery stretching out of sight in all directions. An old man -- the King of the Silver River -- tells him that his memories have been edited and fills in some of the missing memories. Hawk is told that he will be the one to lead thousands of humans and elves to safety. Hawk has trouble believing the old man.

This story has Angel and Ailie finally reaching the elven domain and waiting for Simralin, the older sister of Kirisin. After their mission is explained, Simralin blindfolds the Knight and guides them to the meeting hall. She also sends messengers to the king and the elven High Council. Angel is given an opportunity to tell the Elves of their danger and the need for escape to another sanctuary.

Kirisin is still thwarted by the Elven King and forced to search for the Loden Stone with few companions while being pursued by demons. The Ghosts continue on toward a rendezvous with Hawk, Tessa and Cheney. Helen Rice and the rescued compound children reach the Columbia River and camp on the south bank.

This volume ends with the discovery of the Loden Stone and its aftermath. Presumably this subseries will conclude with the next volume. Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Brooks fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of demonic conflict, magical quests, and familial love.

-Arthur W. Jordin

The Elves of Cintra makes for good, light, quick entertainment. The plot arcs of the previous installment (Armageddon's Children) are steadily advanced towards what seems like a mostly-predictable conclusion (that is, beyond whatever can be predicted from the existence of the rest of the Shannara series). This book focuses mostly on the Elven fetch quest, though the stories of the other characters outside of Elfland are tended to as well. Complaints of middle-book-syndrome are, I feel, inappropriate, as the book is just as self-contained and story-advancing as the first one (which is to say, "not very" and "fairly so," respectively).

The book's primary flaw, to my eyes, is the consistently uninteresting and often (for me) off-putting writing style. Brooks writes to keep you engaged, but it is simply the fact that you just want to know what happens -- rather than how he tells the story -- that gives any incentive to continue. I will also admit that I am a fan of consistent POV throughout a section, and the fact that Brooks shifts POV within sections (i.e., within a span of text that is not blocked off by a few line breaks or three asterisks) is distracting. It (1) prevents getting emotionally involved with the focal character, and (2) sometimes results in very unnatural language (like people referring to "the Elves" rather than "you" or "you Elves" when addressing Elven folk). I'm not even sure if he knows he's doing it, but whoever edits him should tell him to get a clue (either that, or I'm just too picky).

he is one of my favorite authors, one reason being i can never anticipate what he may or may not do to his characters. most books, i can pick it up knowing that the main characters will succeed and get out of the situation alive and happy. this is not the case with brooks. i never know what he will put his characters through!
i really enjoy this series, can't wait for the least book, and really enjoy the future destruction human world/faerie relm mix. the characters are likeable and believable, no character is too sure of themselves (which i have found in other "hero" novels) fear and doubt are abundant, but so is hope.
it didn't end leaving me on my seat at the end so much as the last one did, but it was excellent!

Five decades into the future earth is a terrible place to live as pollution is everywhere with plague being the norm. Most humans live inside fortifications never venturing outside the walls if they want to live as human predators are everywhere, but along with these "once-men" are powerfully magical evil Void demons.

A few good souls remain with the strength to keep dwindling humanity safe, but these Knights of the Word are realistic as they know they are slowly losing the fight. Still they adhere to their pledge so that the remaining twosome Logan Tom and Angel Perez risk death or worse protect children. However, they are losing the battle of Seattle where they and a child with magic Hawk try to keep the Ghosts children of the street safe from the demons and their once-men minion. Hawk vanishes; ending up in the mythical Garden of Life. However, there is no time to worry about the young practitioner as Logan and Angel split up in hopes of saving at least one group. Logan assisted by Cat the lizard girl lead one horde of kids out of the city; Angel takes another group into hiding in the nearby woods where they meet Kirisina Cintra elf hiding there also. Hopes are slim, but Kirisin offers an idea, find the blue Elfstones that will lead him to the powerful Loden Stone.

The second Word and Void fantasy thriller (see ARMAGEDDON'S CHILDREN) is a terrific bleak epic tale of an earth destroyed by human excesses especially the inability to see beyond the immediate bottom line of the "it's the economy stupid" philosophy. The post-apocalyptic world seems genuine even with magic working as the audience will accept Terry Brooks' theory that we of today killed the earth. Thus in this nightmarish future, readers quickly understand the courage of Logan and Angel, who could easily walk away to a safer nicer lifestyle.

Harriet Klausner

Excellent read! Terry Brooks is indeed a master story teller and weaver of tales. When I first heard Mr. Brooks was going to meld the story lines of Shannara and Knights of the Word I was concerned about how the storyline would evolve. With Terry Brooks at the helm I should not have worried in the least. Holding true to each story line in Mr. Brooks blending technique has been amazing to watch, how strand after strand lays into place and the blend becomes more of a single storyline instead of two different ones. I have enjoyed reading Terry Brooks for over twenty years now. I look forward to his works every year and will continue for as long as Mr. Brooks chooses to share with us. To Mr. Brooks, Thank you sir for many years of fun and fascination. I look forward to sharing your works with my children and grandchildren.

Brandon McKinley