Armageddon's Children (The Genesis of Shannara - Book 1)

For anyone who's read Brooks before, you won't be disappointed. The characters are rich, the plot is engaging and the writing is well developed. This book is the beginning of a series that merges the world of Shannara with Brooks' The Word and The Void series. If you haven't read Brooks before you'll still enjoy this book, but I'd suggest you start with some of his earlier writing. Like I said, this new series is a bridge.

One of the many reasons I actually like this series is because Terry Brooks knows how to write very well. What began with the Shannaria series and the Knight of the Word, I found this is a breath taking nightmarish world that bridges the gap between the two.
It's not just an excellent read, it's a must have for any die hard fantasy reader.

Armageddon's Children was a HUGE disappointment. I liked the Sword of Sh.. and the Magic Kingdom series, but this book was a waste of time for me. It felt like a very rough draft of a work for college creative writing. There are few different story lines, none of which were worth it to me. A male Knight of the Word with an impressive Assault Vehicle, another female knight who battles demons, some kids in a wasted city, and some odd story about Elves. One the male knight and the kids intersect anywhere in the book. None of the story lines is very compelling, and at the end of the book there IS NO CONCLUSION. The end has two of the main characters being thrown off a wall, and the city invaded. The female night is being chased by a demon, and the street kids are moving while some invasion is starting. The book just cuts off all the story lines. It is not even a cliff hanger, but rather just runs off a cliff and stops. What a waste! I will not get the next book, since it was boring to plod through this one. I felt cheated by the LACK OF AN ENDING.

Terry Brooks never fails to amaze me...(which is probably why he's my favorite author); Armageddon's Children was fantastic! And much like his other books, I couldn't put this one down!

I was totally drawn in with this story line and the characters. One of the things I enjoyed while reading this, was how it made me think about how I would handle myself in this sort of situation, should it arise. And, if there is anything I can do to help prevent it from happening. So not only was it thoroughly entertaining, it was also thought provoking.

When I reached the end, I was immediately wanting to read more of the story! I can't wait until the next one comes out! If you've read and loved any of Terry Brooks' other books, then you MUST read this one!

I really like Terry Brooks and this was one of his best. I didn't know anything about the story before I read it and it was quite a surprise when he brought elements of his other stories, like the elves into it. Some people seem to be upset about the fact that he didn't end the story with this book, but I remember being happy about the fact that he was going to continue this storyline, and it's even worth the wait for the next book.

Terry Brooks has a gift for story telling. A wonderful mix of fantasy and post-apocalyptic fight for survival. The storyline is well written, fast paced, and filled with unforgettable characters. For someone who has never read any of the Shannara books, this seems like a good place to start.

I've read the Shannara series but never the Knights of the Word. With this series Terry has created the bridge between the two piquing my interest for the latter. In this book, the author shows the destruction of our world by humanity's decisions (although the physical destruction is aided by demons) and plays with references to contemporary acts. Although the action is sometimes slow (few of these) it makes a good point of showing despair, stagnation, delusion, "xenophobia" and other societal ills that are sprinkled with glimpses of hope to keep the heroes going. I'm looking forward to see how this Earth becomes Shannara.

My favorite of the Terry Brooks' novels were the "Word and the Void" series encompassing: Running with the Demon, Knight of the Word, and Angel Fire East. I also read Shannara, but tired out after so many books in that world.

I never expected the two realities to be wed together and I'm somewhat reluctant to accept this pairing. I don't think it was an easy match for Brooks, either. There was far too much repitition and "Armageddon" didn't really start to move til page 200.

Further, the characters were the most shallow Brooks has written. Even his "Landover" series had a lot more depth than this.

I echo other reader's sentiments that the end was one of the worst I've ever read. Thus, my assertation what we read should have been a middle draft. Plot, characters and action needed a lot of refining before it reached hardcover state.

Will I read the next book? Doubtful, at this point. I might pick it up at a cafe bookstore and peruse, but I don't think I got a decent return on my investment for "Armageddon." Sad, too, since Brooks is a much better writer than this manuscript indicates.

I did not like the original Shannara stories however I liked the concept of Terry Brooks worlds. So I decided to give this story a try. I absolutely loved it! I really like post-apocolypse type stories as well as fantasy worlds. This blends the two seamlessly. I will definitely be getting into the word and the void series next.

As I continue with the Shannara series they have grown very old and boring. This latest book tops off a steady decline in action versus charater detail which started the last set of books. I noticed this trend in the conclusion of the last series where you can go 3/4ths of the way thru the book and see little suspence and Armageddon's Children is no different. Brooks has lost it period and this is the worst of the Shannara books.

Ever since the encounter with the giant abandoned robot thingy in The Sword of Shannarah I have wanted to know what happened to this world. Unfortunately I have grown up and recognized Brooks for the bore that he is. There is not nearly enough dialogue in his books, and his paragraph structure is so predictable that you can get by with reading the first and last sentence of a paragraph and know exactly what was said in it. This truly is a disjointed tale with very little to draw the reader in - and as soon as something interesting starts to develop Brooks cuts it off and starts a new chapter dealing with different characters in a different setting. Over halfway through the book a new storyline dealing with elves is started. There should be a rule in writing - all new subplots and "main" characters should be introduced as soon as possible. If this isn't done, the reader is confused. Wait a minute, who are these people? Where are they? Ellcrys? Isn't that from some different, later book of his? Oh, he's talking about the elves. Wait a minute, there are elves in this book? I thought this was supposed to be set in America... I don't know of any elves in America. And so on. This entire section of the book is so random and comes out of nowhere that it seems like it was part of a different book that accidentally got slipped into this one. I like the story's that Brooks tells, but getting through them is a chore. Not sure if I will be finishing this series, or reading any of his books again.

I first read the original 'Sword of Shannara' by Brooks when I was a kid, followed a couple of the follow-on tales. It has been years (if not decades) since I have read anything by Brooks and this story was a real treat. What I enjoyed most was that it pulls history from several of his prior stories (Word and Void), but does not require the reader to have read them.

If you want to start over with the fun and adventure of Shanarra, this is a great place to do it. I just purchased the next book in this series yesterday "The Elves of Cintra".

Terry Brooks has been making me nervous with his latest _Shannara_ novels, but this was a nice change. The idea is perhaps not original, but what setting is? The mood continues in the style of his _Word/Void_ books, dark and immersive. Characters are imaginative, and do not follow his previous cookie-cutter folks. He has begun to bridge _Shannara_ and _Word/Void_, and I am anxious to see where this goes.

All that said, I do not like Brooks' style of "serial" novels, where we are left with a cliff-hanger (literally?) for a whole year.

Without a doubt Terry Brooks is the best in the fantasy field today. The storyline is gripping and the future world he creates is real. Living in Seattle, I can picture all of his descriptions of the destruction and survival down into the details.

He is a good as ever in the beginning of his next trilogy.

I actually bought the second book first based solely on the fact that I like the author's work, not realizing it was part of a trilogy. Bought the first book and after reading the cover was surprised on the sci-fi type setting rather than the pure fantasy. Once again it was an excellent story and I enjoyed all three books. (Although you should really get the entire trilogy to get the full enjoyment.)

I remember the first time I picked up a Terry Brooks book. I was at my sister's house and picked up Isle Witch by chance. Before I knew it I was 60 pages in. It was fascinating and prompted me to read others.

This book did not fascinate me. I was actually disappointed. I was told Brooks would end the Shanara series, and that was abummer becuase I liked Walker Boh a lot.

I can characterize this as a bit like Steven King's "The Stand" meets Mel Gibson's Mad Max "Beyond Thunderdome." Instad of Mad Max, you have Logan Tom roaming around the post apocolyptic world kiling demons and other monsters. It sounds kind of cool, then all of a sudden, Eleves pop into the story, which threw me. I also though his choice to name a doig in the book after Dick Cheney really tacky.

This book doesn't have the feel of his other books. Still, it was easy to read. I would suggest that maybe you check the book out from the library if you want to read it, then decide for yourself if you want to continue.

I still respect Brooks. It's pretty difficult to write a book. It takes a great imagination. I might read the other books he comes out with, but I have to say this book makes for kind of a week start.

I loved the entire Shannara series.
I loved the Knight of the Word series.
When I discovered that Terry Brooks had planned for the KOTW books to evolve into the beginning of the original Shannara legend I was completely surprised. This book is fantastic! Another great story by one of the best minds to create fantasy! I love what Terry Brooks has done with this story.

So many of Brooks novels are inspiring and exciting but Armageddon disappoints. The post apocalyptic setting is dreary and depressing with redundant descriptions. Even the characters are drab, shallow and depressing. The plot is slow in developing and then ends without any resolution. Your reward for hours of suffering through is a complete disappointment.

A quarter of the way through Sword of Shannara, the astute reader would have predicted the inevitable isthmus between The Word and Shannara (those metal girders from the "great age").

After these many years to finally mate the worlds, I am disappointed in the result. Terry is too talented a writer to fall prey to a video game story line and a gimmick ending that smacks of a television season finale- shame on you (or your editors). Do you really believe your readers won't come back for the next installment.

The characters are mere cellophane archetypes; thin vessels indistinguishable from the wasteland that surrounds them. "Ghosts" was a fitting moniker. The emotional and psychological dies with the external landscape. Where is the energy in that?

More than a cursory handling of the mutants (Spiders, Lizards, Once-men) and exploration of life inside the "compounds" would have richened the political and social flavor of the story-line (and added to the mere 370 pages.)

The Shannara characters seem to be left-over ingredients dropped into a blender resulting in a book whose formulaic structure is itself a distraction from a story line that is as weak as it is ambitious.

Over the last 25 years I have read Brooks faithfully. I am disappointed, but there is nothing for it. The Word and Shannara should never have been mated - the result seems nothing short of, well... "Come look, boy. Come see what hides here in the darkness."

Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks was a book i read in one day.

what bleak picture of the world post armageddon, and

the thoughtlessness and inhumanity of man, and

don't know if i am glad i read it or not.

IMO- this book will give many people nightmares.

The book is readable but is no where near on par with McCarthy's The Road or even less so with Lessing's Mara and Dann. I found it kind of a hodgepodge of silly stories too fantastical to be good fantasy. I didn't like the religious overtones. There are too many demons, elves and fairies and such introduced as if the author is having a hard time figuring out what to write about next... There are a number of grammatical, even spelling errors, too. There is much better fantasy literature, and literature out there. I won't read any more Terry Brooks. Waste of time.

The problem here is that the book ended like the power going out at the movies - practically in mid-sentence. That is upsetting and unsatisfying.

Characters are being attacked, chased, hunted. A magical flash of light hides what happens to the key character. That's where the book ends.

The fact that it is the first book of a trilogy doesn't excuse the lack of resolution. It is the author's duty to manage the construction of the story. It is no one else's responsibility. If the story is too unwieldy, the author should re-work it into connected, but reasonably self-contained segments.

This is the first Terry Brooks book I've read. I was sucked in by the dust cover description inviting "new readers" and assuring this book would be good for first time readers.

Well, BAH! on that! I hate the feeling this book left me with, and l feel cheated of the time I invested in reading it.

Armageddon's children provides a continuation to the excellent Terry Brooks "Word and Void" series. The book introduces some interesting new characters and offers some provocative insights into the direction that America and the world is heading.

Two main problems I had with this book (and I have read the entire Shannara series):

1. The tie-in to Elves in this work dilutes the strength of the story line

2. The book is short, and provides a cliffhanger ending, ostensibly to get readers to snap up the next volume in this series. It reflects a desire to generate as much revenue as possible with the minimum acceptable product. The interesting characters could have been developed more effectively in a longer version of this book.

Let me preface what I am about to say by admitting that I have read all of the "Sword of Shannara" series, and absolutely loved each and every one of them. In those books, the stories were extraordinarily creative and rich in detail and imagery. I did not find this to be true for "Armageddon's Children". I looked passed the few cliches used in just the first couple of pages, however the usual substance that characterizes most of Brook's works, was sadly missing. I have tried to justify my thoughts while considering the fact that this is just the first book in a new series, but unless convinced otherwise, I do not think that I will be reading any of the other books that follow this one in the series.

This is a really good book. It continues on with the Gypsy Morph (Hawk) and shows his life and stuff. Very interesting. Hard to put down once you start it. Highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the Shannara books!!

The first Shannara Trilogy was a wonderful introduction to the world, and a great addition to the fantasy community. The Heritage series that followed was, IMHO, the best of his writing. The word series was much darker and had shorter books, but it offered interesting characters and ideas. The last Shanarra series seemed shallow and rushed. I have never felt the desire to re-read any but the first book in that series, which is how I judge a novels worth.

This novel tries to link the worlds together, but lacks the depth that he showed us in the earlier Shannara books. While I enjoyed the idea and many other aspects of this book, the overall feel was that it was rushed. This seems to have carried over from his last work, which is unfortunate. Mr. Brooks could have added 100 more pages and given us a meatier story with, as others have stated, a more satisfying ending.

I'm glad that I read this book, but also glad that I waited until it was available at the library.

I am one of those readers who doesn't like, or dislike, any specific genre. My only goal is to find a great story that I can get lost in, and boy did this do it for me! I love all the characters, as they are so well developed. You watch them all have ups and downs, go through good and bad, and react according to their nature (which may not be what you expect). Great read!

The thing that bothers me most is that Mr. Brooks stills owes us a book in the Shannara Series. The Knight of the Word trilogy was some of the best fantasy ever written, and this continuation is no different. There's so many characters in this book. All are well developed, so it seems this "trilogy" may once again run over into 4 or 5 novels. I hope so! It seems as though Brooks has merged the two series into one with the addition of the elves.

I really enjoyed Armageddon's Children. It was different then the other books that I have read of Terry Brooks. I did go and purchase the previously series 'Word and Void' series.

I missed the gnomes, trolls, etc... it did have elfs. Don't get me wrong the book was great and I am waiting on book 2!

This was not the best Terry Brooks book I have read (and I have read them all) but it was definitely one of the better ones. Like many of the editorial comments say, it is a great book to start with if you are new to Brooks, but the true enjoyment is had by those of us who have read everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) before, because this book is the one that starts to tie it all together.

I had a hard time putting it down, and will be reading it again as soon as I have the time.

Terry's last few books had left me disappointed, so I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. The story is very fast paced, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Additionally, you can pick up the book and read it, even without any prior knowledge of his series. The only problem I had with was the ending, which was a little too over the top, and seemed like the kind of cliff hanger they would use to end a hour sitcom with to make sure you watch the show next season. Other than that, much better than his last couple books and worth the money.

The plot of the story starts with magic already in the world. I was expecting the story to go over the evolution/birth of the magic not to just jump in with it already as an established part of the environment. The characters seemed to be just following a script with little personalization on their parts.

The thing that bothers me most is that Mr. Brooks stills owes us a book in the Shannara Series. The Knight of the Word trilogy was some of the best fantasy ever written, and this continuation is no different. There's so many characters in this book. All are well developed, so it seems this "trilogy" may once again run over into 4 or 5 novels. I hope so! It seems as though Brooks has merged the two series into one with the addition of the elves.

I really enjoyed Armageddon's Children. It was different then the other books that I have read of Terry Brooks. I did go and purchase the previously series 'Word and Void' series.

I missed the gnomes, trolls, etc... it did have elfs. Don't get me wrong the book was great and I am waiting on book 2!

This was not the best Terry Brooks book I have read (and I have read them all) but it was definitely one of the better ones. Like many of the editorial comments say, it is a great book to start with if you are new to Brooks, but the true enjoyment is had by those of us who have read everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) before, because this book is the one that starts to tie it all together.

I had a hard time putting it down, and will be reading it again as soon as I have the time.

Terry's last few books had left me disappointed, so I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. The story is very fast paced, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Additionally, you can pick up the book and read it, even without any prior knowledge of his series. The only problem I had with was the ending, which was a little too over the top, and seemed like the kind of cliff hanger they would use to end a hour sitcom with to make sure you watch the show next season. Other than that, much better than his last couple books and worth the money.

The plot of the story starts with magic already in the world. I was expecting the story to go over the evolution/birth of the magic not to just jump in with it already as an established part of the environment. The characters seemed to be just following a script with little personalization on their parts.

Terry Brooks has become one of my favorite authors. The first book I read of his was Knight of the Word. I loved the book and quickly read "Running with the Demon" and "Angel Fire East". I have been waiting for this sequel for a long time and I was not disappointed. I'm looking forward to the remaining two books to complete this trilogy.

Getting very tired of volumes that bog down in the middle with battle scenes that go on and on. The beginning and first few chapters were excellent, but then it was if the author ran out of steam. Sorry. It just didn't keep my interest.

Do you know what? Theres a lot of rubbish out there in the fantasy section. The amounts of time ive had a book, struggled through 80 or so pages and got bored. Not with this book and the other two that follow. Kept me hooked from start to finish. I have tried to read his other stuff but that bored me. Well done Terry, keep up the standard.

This was an incredable. the pictures of a ruined world painted with the author's words surpasses all other visualizations painted by any other author i have ever read. Terry Brooks is a master of bringing to life places that exist only in the mind, and making them real, and populating them with a myriad of interesting characters

If you are one of the followers of the Shannara stories, perhaps this book would have meaning to you. On its own the people and events are a slow, tedious rehash of other end-of-the-world books. This iteration of post-apocalyptic story writing rides the current popularity among some of bashing humanity for errors both real and imagined. This assault is so pervasive by what appears to be a political agenda that the story is overshadowed and becomes lacking in entertainment value, which is what I read fantasy for.

In Terry Brooks latest novel, we see a combination of his two most popular series: The Word and The Void, and the World of Shannara. This book is in the same vein as authors like Tolkien, where the world of magik (fairy) turns (evolves) to the world of men. While being an overall gloomy book, the author seems to weave a thread of social commentary into the story line. In an abstract sense this book is a 'what might have been' book. Good novel, but nothing really new here.

There was so much hype for this book, that I was expecting a lot more. There are many things wrong with this book. First of all, I am a huge Terry Brooks fan, I have every book he has ever written. The book is not written poorly, in fact, it is well written, fast paced, and interesting. The problem I have is that it jumps into the fact that the war has happened, everything is bad, mutants are out there, etc. I truly believe Mr. Brooks should of started this series even farther back. Show us how it happened, let us come along for the ride. He needs another story that is even before this one. I am not a fan of how magic is just in the world. He should of gone into more details of how it was created, something should of happened to create the magic. That would of made the story actually more believable and closer to home. Instead, we are forced to believe that magic just existed (same as in the Word and Void series). Ay any rate, not a fan of how we are dropped into a world where mutants already exist.

Also, a huge negative to me, a HUGE one, is that I hate when authors shove down your throat their political beliefs. While not being shoved down our throat, Mr. Brooks felt it was necessary to tell us how he felt about the current vice president. Authors should not do this. It alienates those that do not feel that way. In addition, using other, future presidents, etc. would lend that much more weight to the fact that we might be going there then telling us how you feel about the current administration. VERY uncalled for.

This is a great beginning for the Shannara Series. This prequel steps into our not too distant future in a way that is totally plausible, even taking some of the names of people we might know and placing them in a past rife with destruction and chaos. The characters are well put together, and as true to Brook's fashion, the scene is set for the next installment.

There isn't much I can say about this book. It's not terrible, but I felt a little bored throughout the entire story. I tried to get into the Running With the Demon stuff a while back, but I couldn't stand that. This, for some reason, didn't seem quite as bad, but a lot of nights I had to force myself into the mood to read it. I also felt that Brooks spent way to much of the book explaining the same material over and over. He could've added a little more action and adventure in there instead of drilling it in our heads that the story takes place in a post apocalyptic world and that these kids have a tough life. Anyways, I think Terry Brooks fans will enjoy it, but I wouldn't recommend it to somebody just looking for something new.

I was expecting this series of books starting with Armagddon's Children, to be like his other Shannara books. It wasn't! If I had known what I was getting into I would not have gotten involved with this series. It goes way beyond just being dark and depressing. It's like reading the horrible rantings of a madman. I'm ok with some of the adult characters in a fantasy adventure book being killed in fights etc. but children??? I love Christopher Paolini, his books do not come close to the depths of despair and drawn out horror of this series. Children being mutilated, tortured and made to suffer. My God has Terry Brooks lost his mind? I kept thinking, as I had to lay it down and give myself a break because I just couldn't take anymore, that this author is having a nervous breakdown and his madness has been put down in words. It went beyond depravity and descriptive tortue of innocents and as you read through this book, there is no let up, it just goes from one tragedy to the next. It goes on and on and you think my God what horrible thing is going to happen next!!! I had to stop for several days before I could continue. I was beginning to have nightmares of children being tortured and killed. It has been too much and if this is the way that his books are being written in the future, well I choose not to read anymore. I am alomost to the end of the last book, God I just wish that this horror that I've had to endure will have a good ending. I keep telling myself, it's going to get better, it just has to get better, good has to start winning but it's not. The heroes of these books are so wishy washy and filled with self doubt and hatred. At least in his last books there was some reprieve along the way, good does win every now and then to give you hope, not here in this series. This will be the last of the Terry Brooks novels that I will read. I have been a big fan up until this time. I keep telling myself that it's just a story, but as a reader I get so deeply involved with the characters. It's going to take me a long time to stop thinking about the children and what sufferring that they went through. It would not surprise me in the least, in this last book if the childrens camp is overun by demons and killed and then the world gets blown to smithereens. Reading fantasy adventures is supposed to be enjoyable, these three books are very very far from that! These books should be classed in the perverted section of an S/M category, nothing more. Goodbye Terry, I enjoyed your books before you lost your mind.

If you are familiar with the Knight of the Word series you will most likely enjoy this book. Be aware that this is the first in a second trilogy so you may want to start at the beginning, not with this book.

I've always been a fan of Terry Brooks' fantasy novels, and I have twenty of them on my shelves to prove it. His style and prose make him easily one of my favorite authors.

But for the first time I've ever noticed, he decided in this title to paint a picture using references to current events which, taken as a whole, rather clearly inform the reader of his political views. I found this to be an unnecessary distraction from my enjoyment of the book (the story would be able to stand on its own without blaming the Bush administration by name for "planting the seeds" of a nuclear holocaust).

The issue isn't whether I'm sympathetic to the author's worldview, rather it's that I am forced to contemplate it at all in a fantasy fiction book. The country is already polarized on these matters, and it's the last thing I want to think about when I'm ready to lose myself in a good fiction novel.

I used to very much look forward to the next Terry Brooks release, but my usual anticipation has been tempered by this latest one. I hope Mr. Brooks will go back to using his considerable skills to help us FORGET about what's actually going on in the world, or at least find a more appropriate outlet for his editorials.

Terry Brooks has done it again. He draws you in with fantasy on the edge of reality. Who can read this without thinking that it could actually be happening in the not so distant future. I wonder what the elves will be like...

I found this book a great read. Not only is it well written, but Terry Brooks pulls out the best story since "Running with the Demon." Whether you are a fan of either the "Running with the Demon" series or the "Shannara" series I think you will highly enjoy this book.

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.

Peggy

Having just read Elves of Cintas I can only wonder how Terry Brooks
really makes a living. Same story line, just different characters, same
endless descriptions of bad weather journeys etc. If you cut the needless fill from his books you would have one good book for each of his trilogies.

I read this book because it was described as a good starting point for people who haven't read Terry Brooks' previous novels. Mr. Brooks has, in my opinion, only writen half a book, but dragged that half out by constant repetition and characters that are plain and one-dimensional. His writing is just not for me.

I have been reading Terry since I was 13. I thought this book was great and after his last two series I was relieved since I could barely get through the Jerle Shannara series and could not finish the following one.

I don't normally read fantasy, but the first 3/4 of this book was a nice surprise. I thought it was an entertaining read

The cliff-hanger ending was infuriating. The book practically cuts off in mid-sentence. I'll probably return it, and I've never done that before. There is no indication that the book is part of a series and, in fact, the book jacket recommends it as "the perfect opportunity for readers unfamiliar with Brooks's previous work to experience an author at the height of his considerable storytelling powers." If they are going to explicitly market the book to readers unfamiliar with the author they should clearly disclose that the book is part of a series and in no way a stand-alone novel.

I had read Sword of Shannara, et al, when I was in high school and really loved the trilogy. So I saw the new Terry Brooks book in the bookstore and picked it up.

Imagine my surpise when I got to the end and realized it wasn't a complete story. It is part of a new trilogy. The last page pretty much says to buy his next book to find out what happens. Nowhere on the cover or inside the dust jacket does it say it is Book 1 of X.

Same thing happend with The Traveller (by John Twelve Hawks) and Dies the Fire (by S.M. Sterling). Now I have learned to read the last page before buying ANY science fiction book. I rue the day J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his trilogy. Now every writer thinks they have to have three books (and three times the expense for us readers) to tell a story.

The actual story was okay, but not as described by the dust jacket description. Unless you have read at least some of the other Void and Word books, you may not know alot of what is going on. By the description I thought this was a stand alone post-apocalyptic story. It is not; it is a continuation of his Demon and Elves stories from the past. What a ripoff. I just wish there was some way to get my money back!