Running With the Demon (The Word and the Void Trilogy

This is one of the best books I've ever read and I have read all the Shannara books, all of Tolkien, and many other top-selling fantasy and biographies. If you are looking for the usual Brooks Shannara story you may be initially underwhelmed but keep reading. The irony in this book is top notch. The rest in the series are very good but this one is great. Worthy of its inclusion as one of the top books of the 20th century.

Granted I was coming off the Frank Miller Batman graphic novels, but this book was just so damn slow. I found myself drifting off into thoughts that had nothing to do with the story at hand.

I never read any of the Shannara novels and have had this on my shelf for years, I picked it up because I ran out of stuff to read and didn't want to buy anything new. Well, it seems like that's exactly what Brooks intended for this book, something you read because you have nothing better at hand. Everything was going nowhere fast. The pay-off was the final confrontation with the demon but even that didn't really justify everything we had to trudge through.

I'm one of those readers that will lie to myself and try to find the best parts of a piece of work just so I can get through it. So I told myself that it's nice that he can combine adult elements with young adult themes, but really it's annoying. One point of view is enough. If it was a YA book from the 14yo characters' p.o.v. maybe all the filler with the adults would've been more succinct and interesting. Or strictly and Adult novel from the Knight's POV.

I also lied to myself about it not being utterly predictable. But that was part of the boredom: the fact that I've read this book a few times before. After the Landover series, I really wanted to believe that Brooks had something special waiting for me here. But now I'm left hoping this was just a jump-off point for a series that will only get better down the line.

I tried to convince myself that everything came together in the end, but looking back, I feel that everything was simply contrived to give form to a cloud of a story. There really wasn't any logical reason for most of the choices these characters made. There was really no connection between the union workers' story line and the rest of the characters'. It was just fluff. And maybe I was daydreaming through that part, but it wasn't very clear how they were going to ruin July 4th for everyone. I mean, who opens a factory on a holiday, anyway?

I'm going to read Knight Of The Word (horrible cover art and all) regardless and hope I don't hate myself for it like I did with this one.

I thought this book was a real page turner. The title was the part that really caught my eye. As well as the billing "A Novel of Good and Evil." I was very interested in the adventures of Nest and Pick, as well as how they would kill the demon. Who the demon turned out to be was the real shock. I was sad when the book ended and I had to put it aside. I was so mesmerized by the adventures and secrets of the book that I longed for a sequel. I knew the story couldn't be over. I give this book a 5 star rating because it was interesting, mind-boogleing, and very unpredictable.

It's been years since I last read his books. I couldn't remember the story but I did remember enjoying them immensely. However, Running with the Demon is really weak. I had difficulty identifying one character from the next.
I don't think the book even deserved to be call a fantasy novel. I am inclined to belive that the Freemark women suffered from a hereditary mental problem and imagined all those feeders.
Frankly, who would want to be a Knight of the Word if all he gets are nightmares and nothing else. At least the Knight of Solamnia (Dragonlance) have their glory days before. This Knight of the Word is one big loser.

while not quite up to par with his shannara works, it's still worth reading - several times too. the sequels are pretty lackluster, but this one (as are most originals) is the best in the series.
a great introduction to brooks as well, even if you havent read the shannara books - this will introduce you to his writing style which is very good.
the thing i like the best about this novel is that the characters are so vivid and the events are so realistic and logical. the knight of the word and the demon are both described very well and are so deep psychologically that its hard for me to think of a fantasy novel that rivals it in its depth of psychology. a great buy!

The latest I have read by Terry Brooks.
All I had read of his before were the first 2 Shannara series, and the Landover series.

This is a much more DARK and grownup series.
If it were a movie, it would be Terry Brooks directing a Stephen King or Dean Koontz production. It has that very King / Koontz feel to it, as opposed to his earlier stuff which was fun fantasy with an almost YA feel to it.

I still like it quite a bit, it was just a bit of a gear shift.

There is not much I can say about this book that has not been said. I picked up all three becuase I found out that they are "Prequels" that lead up to the Genesis of Shannara series that shows how the real Shannara series actually started. This book introduces some characters that have magic, and many more that do not. There is a demon in town and it is up to John Ross to find him and kill him. The main source of work in the town is stopped due to the union. In the end, the demon is killed after a "shocking" revelation. If all this sounds exciting, by all means run out there and pick it up now...NOW, I'll wait. The rest of you will have to force yourself through thinking like I did "It's the first book, of course it won't be great, the characters and rules of the world have to be explained." This book is a slogfest in that it is not exciting but does not disappoint like some other books I have read. Most of the time spent reading will be in a flat monotone thought, unlike his earlier works. So again, this book is not terrible, but it is not great.

This was my first Terry Brooks read. I'm thinking I might like to try the rest of this series. I'm typically a romance reader, but spreading my wings.

It's just his writing is not what I'm used to. He writes all narative with way too detailed descriptives of every little thing. It came off as an author trying too hard - it convinced me the author was a male before I got to the back cover and had it confirmed. I've seen it way too often in male writers. Someone needs to tell them to tone it down and limit it to what helps the story move along.

There were also a few places where the scenes were disrupted with backtracking of another character - it's hard to stay in the story when an author does this.

I loved the story itself and John Ross is intriguing. I adored Pick and honestly wish I could purchase him to sit on my desk. The whole senario of the demon, feeders and the tree kept me interested.

I've been a Brooks fan for the past ten years. So, I can say with great authority that this isn't just the worse book he's ever written, but the worse book I've ever read. The plot is trite and predictable. I could have told you the ending at page 20. Furthermore, the characters are extremely underdeveloped. At times their actions were mysterious for the simple sack of mystery -without any other function in the narrative. It was an extremely frustrating book to read. I'm surprised I was able to finish it! I still have faith in Brooks, though. Maybe the sequel will be better. It can't get much worse.

I very much enjoy Terry Brooks and have been reading him since my youth when he started with the Sword of Shannara. As an interesting aside, I don't know if this was mentioned but Sinnissippi Park exists and you can travel around it using Google maps. It is located in Sterling, Il. not Hopwwell which is further south. It is mostly just as described in the book.

When I first heard about this book set in modern times. I thought oh no not another Landover series. Not only is it much better than Landover it is every bit as good as the Shannara books. It is also much more original. Brooks has manage to capture the magic and demons of epic fantasty not only in modern times but without running across the globe either. He also blended in real life drama in an amazingly smooth conglomeration. It makes me wish that Brooks would write a novel set in modern times without the fantasy to see how well he would do(and I am a die hard fantasy fan) It just that good.

Terry Brooks has definitely shown his talent in "Running with the Demon." His ability to show detail in the smallest of things is absolutly amazing. This dramatic book is an excellent story about a young Nest Freemont who believes she is different and trying to figure out her past. A man named John Ross has come to the town of Hopewell for one reason, to find and destroy the demon who lurks in it. He leaves the town with one reason why it will be remembered, Nest Freemont. I highly encourage this book to be read by any drama reader.

Capsule Summary: Rating: Excellent. A "positive horror" novel which is well-written, well-paced, and clever.

The spine of the copy of Running With the Demon that I have just says "Fiction"; associations with the author's name invoke a general "fantasy" expectation. Running With the Demon could be considered "urban fantasy", but to me, it's clearly in another genre.

This is modern horror. This is Stephen King's bailiwick. I found myself thinking a LOT of King's work while reading Running With the Demon, and King suffers badly in the comparison. In this book, Brooks gets to show off a somewhat different style of writing, and demonstrate his skills depicting "regular people". The Shannara books take place in an entirely different world (albeit with the conceit that they are actually this world, after a sort of mystical apocalypse), and the Magic Kingdom books have a comedy slant which drives much of the character action.

Here Terry is writing a serious "Novel of Good and Evil", and his characters have to ring true. They have to be people we can imagine living in this world, even if underneath the world we know there is Something Else. And those who are connected to the Something Else we have to at least believe as residents of this world, as capable of hiding their presence from the mundanes.

Running With the Demon presents us with a world like our own, but one that is, unbeknownst to most people, under seige; a battleground between Good and Evil, or perhaps between Growth and Creation and Decay and Destruction. The Creator-power, God if you will, is the Word, and the destructive is the Void. Agents for each are selected, or select themselves through their choices. The "demon" of the title is a man who has become a demon, something inhuman, through his own choices. His general approach is to manipulate others to perform destructive acts. His main adversary, a Knight of the Word named John Ross, was chosen for this duty by a sort of manifestation of the Word called the Lady (with connections to imagery from Welsh history/myth and, at least in general imagery, seems related to the Arthurian cycle as well).

In a sense Running With the Demon seems to be almost a combination of two King novels, or rather two King novels as they might have been written by a better writer. This is The Stand meets Needful Things, because we have both an apocalyptic threat, a confrontation which may lead to the end of the world, and a story of small-town events, of the ways in which evil can use our own fears and desires against us -- possibly with a soupcon of "The Dead Zone", because John Ross can see visions of possible futures -- terrible futures, usually, which it is his job to prevent, but for which he has only the most cryptic of clues as to HOW to prevent them.

But Running With the Demon is BETTER than these books. The Stand, in the end, had to use a literal Deus Ex Machina, or possibly Machina ex Dei, the Hand of God, to finish off everything -- and in doing so made virtually all the efforts of the people useless except as symbolic acts (i.e., choosing good over evil). Needful Things allowed the main hero to survive, but at the expense of not merely a few other people but an entire town. Running With the Demon is at least as well WRITTEN as anything King's done -- and if you have read "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption", you should know that is high praise indeed -- but more importantly for me, it's a more optimistic book. The choices of humans -- even ordinary, non-powered, non-Chosen humans -- MATTER. Yes, evil is dangerous, and in any fight against it there will be costs, there will be sacrifices, but there can also be victory, and not just Pyrrhic victory, either.

There are indeed losses on the side of Good, and several of them are painful, but none of them are without value. This is a book that brought a tear to my eyes at a few points, and at one ultimate moment a triumphant and appreciative "YES!" for the cleverness of one part of the final resolution.

Thank you, Terry. That was a damn good read.

This was a decent read. Seems this trilogy gave Terry a new outlet in 2 ways. First, it was cool to see him write in 'our world', and do so well. Secondly, it was nice to witness a different 'formula'. Some of his books are formulaic, albeit enjoyable otherwise I wouldn't read them. From what I read before I purchased many reviews focused on how much the 1st was heads above the other two and how they were copies of the first. I don't agree with this. If you like the 2 main characters of the 1st, you'll enjoy the rest of the trilogy. I look forward to reading in a later trilogy how he ties this word vs void world to Shannara. Let this review stand for the entire trilogy.

Don't get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with this book; there just didn't happen to be anything great about it anyway. If you are a Brooks fan, or if you enjoy the genre, then this is an okay book to read, but otherwise it's not really worth it.
Brooks' writing style leaves very little to the imagination; he describes every person, place, and thing, at least physically, very well. Unfortunately, there isn't anything terribly new,exciting, or innovative about this story. The main character, Nest, is typical, John Ross has potential but doesn't really do anything, the Demon is an overconfident wimp, and the horrible Maentwrog isn't really so horrible as he seems. Pick is obnoxious and boring, the plot is just a basic Good vs. Evil recap, except Brooks calls God "the Word," and Satan "the Void." The magic is kind of silly, it only works by making eye contact with someone...so what are you supposed to do if you're up against a blind guy?
Still, this is a mildly entertaining, quick moving little book that is a good filler if you're bored. Also to be noted is that this is a complete story, you don't need to read the other books in this trilogy for a complete picture.

Strange, strange, strange, this book is said to be fiction on the side but it really is fantasy on planet earth. It has a Stephen King like feel because of this and the fact that it is dark. However, it doesn't have the memorable characters that Stephen King creates. The only thing I remember about Nest's guy friend is that he is a computer geek (oh please a computer geek in this book wears a t-shirt that says microsoft rules....) and one of her girl friends is a barbie doll who obsesses over her hair. Nest's best friend (the svylan) is just annoying which makes me wonder why she is even friends with him. In terms of plot this book is fair but predictable (because there are so many twists that you can predict what absurd twist could happen next). Something that made hardly any sense to me was that no one seemed to make a big deal out of her power to harm kids without even touching them. Overall, only get this book if you don't have much else to read.

Originally written to be a stand alone series, it has become the ultimate prequel to another existing series.
For years Terry Brooks fans asked if this was in anyway related to his Shannaran series and at the time he genuinely did not believe it was or would ever be, but surprise... that is exactly what is has become.
Revolving around the main character named Nest, the story evolves into a fantasy/horror/mystery novel that involves a new Character type call a Knight of the word who is in the service of a mysterious creature called the lady, his job is to stop the upcoming apocalypse that is being advanced by the creatures of the void.
The Word and the Void have been at battle since time began, each working toward dominance in the world. If the void wins we will be plunged into darkness, and mankind will become enslaved by demons and once men.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good yarn that tantalizes the imagination.

Fantasy is a genre that far too often gets compartmentalized and attributed to a certain type of fan. And far too often fantasy authors write towards this audience. In this ambitious effort, Terry Brookstakes fantasy in drops it in the real world. Running with the Demon is one of the most gripping stories of any kind that I have ever read. It was practically impossible for me to put the book down, and still think about the book (over a year later) when it is dark, and I see glowing yellow eyes on the edge of sight. . .

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It has a good even pace about it and a whopper climax. Though it is funny that it has elements which reminded me of Elfstones of Shannara with the tree and all. Almost as if Brooks really doesnt have many new ideas, but nonetheless it is a good story and I am looking forward to the next volume.

Terry Brooks has cleverly fused his unique, contemporary, and personalized approach to the supernatural together with a dramatic coming-of-age story about a special 14-year-old girl. The plot is intricately constructed. Every event - big or small - happens for a reason. This theme of purpose in every event is carried one step further - small events add up to make life-changing occurrences. (A theme echoing the chaos theory touted in the contemporary social and physical sciences.) However, instead of randomness and chaos determining the significance of events in this story, the incremental orchestration of events is insidiously carried out by an evil being. This orchestrated plot is solid and brilliant. Character development is strong - another highlight of the book. The manner in which conflict is dealt with in the book is adequate. While Brooks' style in dealing with conflict does not interfere with the flow of the story, he could have refined his story-telling a bit more, providing further details for the reader to really feel engaged in the ongoing battle. Brooks is quite adept at actively engaging his reader elsewhere in the story through character development and plot construction. One measure of a book's worth is if you still ponder its themes a few days after you have completed the book. Brooks' treatment of the difficulty of coming-of-age, the balance of good and evil, and the purposeful methods taken by servants of good and evil may spark you to think about the fabric of truth, awareness, and balance in our real world. It did me.
Scott Granado

This story is a different path for Terry Brooks to take. The book is more focused on the concept of evil in the world, and this evil being human nature and other natural horrors. In John Ross's dreams, he sees the horrors of the Armageddon, and what happened after the demons of the void took over the earth. He could not stop it, but in his dreams, as he sees more and more terror and destruction, Ross feels that he has no other purpose but to make sure that these terrible events never come to pass.

Who on Earth can do this?Who can write three serieses with no resemblance?
Landover was different enough from Shannara,well hey,it was funny.Word and Void goes back to the serious outlook on things,but modern fantasy!Terry's doing pretty good as far as ideas go.
The only slight resemblance to Shannara in this is that the magic can take over you and do stuff sometimes.But that's it!The creatures,such as sylvans,are like nothing Brooks has ever done before.Feeders,sylvans,maentwrogs,demons,who could ask for more?!
Fans of The Golden Compass,and the Dark is Rising should enjoy this book.

With a few twists and turns, what could have been a boring book gets good. With a few more, this book could have been really great. But there weren't and it wasn't. I found the plot pretty stereotypical of the genre, but it was the extra stuff that kept me reading. I have also read the second book in the series, but not the third. While this book stands well on its own, when combined with the second book, the author's idea of the world becomes even more clear and this book actually becomes better.

Bought this book in the drugstore - no category given, but the name was intriguing. Have been dining on romances for the past few years and have just about had my fill. Have worked through a few mysteries - Carol O'Connell is wonderful. But,this was definitely something different - it was fascinating! Extremely well written, vivid characters and scenes. I am ordering "Knight of the Word" today. Might edge my way into the "Shannara" series and run all the way with Terry.

I have enjoyed reading this book through a second time now, and it was every bit as enjoyable the second time around as the first. It is just a good read, a story of good and evil, about things that go bump in the night, about magic and how life just might be were it real.

I picked this book up after reading the reviews on this site, as I'd read Brooks' shannara trilogy and liked them a lot. I knew this one would be a different kind of story but I wasn't disappointed at all. I can really say this was one of the best books I've read in a long while. For me the story took a little time to get going; but once it did, it kept me riveted. There's a lot of powerful prose and ideas in this book, it really made me think without being too heavy of a read. One little thing that bothered me though about the writing was Brooks' over-use of the word "dappled." This is nit-picky I know, but for some reason that word always got on my nerves and he used it quite a few times in this book. But aside from that very small annoyance, I loved the book and plan on checking out the rest of the series. One book I would liken this to is a book by Feist called "Faerie Tale." They're a bit different in style, but there are a lot of similarities and I loved them both.

In this modern-day confrontation between good and
evil, Brooks draws on many themes that his long-time
readers will instantly recognize: a young girl
faced with resisting the heritage of evil, a man
cursed with the power and responsibility of trying
to change the fate of mankind, and a dark creature
of the Void who seeks to upset the balance of the
world and ultimately destroy it. All the elements
of magic that appeal to Brooks' readers
are present, and his fans are unlikely to walk
away disappointed.

The most unique and convincing aspect of this novel,
however, is the splendidly well-drawn portrait of
life in small-town America. Nest, and her family
and friends are people I knew and recognized. Brooks
once again shows his masterful ability to capture
the elements of a collective subconscious. I found
the bleak future he paints reminiscent of the works of
Octavia Butler. Even those who long ago gave up
on Brooks' fantasy novels may want to give this
one a try.

I have been an avid fan of Terry Brooks ever since "The Sword of Shannara" first hit the bookstores in 1977. I absolutely love the Shannara and the Magic Kingdom series. Let me first say, I applaud Mr. Brooks attempt to bring fantasy into the modern world. When I first picked up this book, the thought had me positively excited. I was soon to become concerned and disappointed. In writing fiction, certain consistencies need to be maintained. When writing science fiction, you may change the rules of physics. When writing historical fiction, the major historical events cannot be changed (i.e. denying the Holocaust). In this case, writing about the spiritual world, Mr. Brooks should have done better research about the truths and facts of that world. I suggest Mr. Brooks consult the works of Frank Peretti; while these are fiction, the characters and events are consistent with the reality of that world. Mr. Brooks is an excellent and enjoyable author, and I ! look forward to his next Shannara or Landover novel. However, he needs to be careful with artistic license on subjects that touch on reality.
What I mean is, We readers like to believe it is possible that there are alternate universes, such as Landover, and so it is possible that there could be a doorway hidden somewhere in the Blue Ridge mountains. However, in "Running with the Demon," John Ross and Nest say and do things not consistent with their characters.

Without a doubt, this is the best writing that Terry Brooks has done. While keeping his familiar themes intact, he takes them to new levels in this book. The small town and its wonderful cast of characters make this a great reading experience. You feel like Nest and the others are real people. My only nitpick is I wanted their to be less dark fantasy elements and more passages about the characters.
If you are thinking about reading this book, I recommend it highly, whether you have read Terry Brooks before or not. I would easily rank this with Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. Thanks, Mr. Brooks, for surprising me with another great reading experience

I recently reread this book and still find myself enjoying it as much if not more as the first time. So of the subplots and dialogue feels alittle contrived like Two Bears' speech to Nest or Derry and Junior talking about making the Union and Company see eye to eye or pay.

Despite noticing more and more this flat, wooden writing, this story is still very good.

Anyone who reads Terry Brooks should read this book. Very enjoyable and good to have yet more of the back story filled in. It moved slower than what I'm used to from Mr. Brooks, but well worth reading. I've been reading his books for years and I'm glad to have another to add to my library.

An 8 for several reasons: Nothing Brooks ever writes again will touch Sword of Shannara. The ending which should have been the best part of the book was rushed, lacking description, and some excitement. From his Del Rey interview, generally I agree with Brooks that this is his best writing. Running With The Demon was better than expected and I look forward to the next.

a very well written book. Terry Brooks has once again proven himself to be one of the great fantasy authors of all time. This book incorporates fantasy with everyday reality in such a way as to make it believable in many aspects. With this novel, Brooks has opened up many new possibilities for the fantasy genre to explore. If your not exactly one for fantasy, you'll like this definitely. A must read!

I'm a devout follower of Brooks, having read all of his books while considering him the best of his kind since Tolkien. And this was a strong contemporary story that I devoured during a crosscountry flight. However, Terry, if you see this, stay with your Shanara format. I can read contemporary stories like this anywhere, but only you can follow Tolkien's enchanting stories.

This book is a great reader. If you are a Terry Brooks fan, this would be a keeper. In this, the author has a very good sense of where he's going and how he wants the novel to end. If you have read most of his other novels, you would realize that he has plot that goes through all his novels, which I think is included here.

John Ross is a Knight of the Word, doomed to opposed the forces of the Void, with only his staff for comfort. His dreams are a test, every night, of what may come if he abuses his power, leading to a post-apocalyptic demons eat humans horror world.

Nest Freemark is a teenager, and the women in her family have a special magical heritage and are able to talk to, and see some of the supernatural entities surrounding their decaying small town. She opposes the demons in her own way.

I recently read Running with the demon by Terry Brooks. There are a few authors that I purchase new books by as soon as they are available in paperback and Brooks is high on that list. This book was awesome from start to finish. The characters were well thought out and fleshed out nicely. The best part of the books concept is the fact that it COULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN. If you stop and think about it, why not? It would explain a whole lot about whats going on in the world. I reccomend Running with the Demon highly and would also reccommend reading all of Brooks' other works as well.

RUNNING WITH THE DEMON wasn't part of the Shannara series, therefore I was sceptical. However, that assumption was wrong, this book is one of Terry Brooks greatest accomplishments. He has found a way to intertwine our everyday reality, with his amazing fantasy dream world. The things he says through his characters, and the way his writing style can discribe a scene. I felt like the characters, and scenes were drawn out for me.
There was never a dull moment in this book. Brooks either left you on the edges of your seat with a magnificent battle. Or he really got you wondering the who, what, when, where, why, and how of this book.
I highly recomend this book , if I could, I would give it a 12.

"Running with the Demon" is far and away the BEST Terry Brooks novel I have ever read.  Reminiscent of H.P. Lovecraft, or Stephen King, but completely original (in other words, not a rip off of either).  I was absolutely unable to put it down. I finished this and the sequel, "A Knight of the Word", in three days. Considering that I operate on a businessman's tight schedule, that should be all the recommendation either of these books need! If you are a fan of Terry Brooks, fantasy fiction, supernatural horror, or just generally excellent fiction, you will want to check this out!

I was a little worried that Terry Brooks was starting up a new series until I picked up this book. Brooks moves into the land of fantasy/horror and does an excellent job with both the plot and the characters. I look forward to the sequel.

Great book and I love the way it ties into the Shannara series as a whole.

Nest Freemark is a believable young heroine.

John Ross is an amazing, if haunted warrior and a powerful Knight of the Word.\

The supporting characters like Evelyn Freemark and Old Bob Freemark, really show human sides and all of Nest Friends are great in their devotion to the main character.

I can't wait for Knight of the Word, the second book in the series!

For the Shannara lovers and the Magic Kingdom fans this is an excellent story of good and evil! I loved every second of the book, it kept me in so much suspense, and I was addicted from the beginning! Thanks Mr. Brooks!

Small county town charm and the intriguing brilliance of fantasy highlight this amazing book!With an amazing cast of characters with an intricately woven storyline,Brooks has developed one of his finest.A must read!

I have read almost everything that Mr. Brooks has written and am rarely disappointed. Running with the Demon was no exception. I found it as enjoyable to read as The Sword of Shannara. I couldn't put it down! There is more to this novel than meets the eye, and I found it engaging even the second time I read it. I was impressed with the way Mr. Brooks was able to use his considerable fantasy-writing talents as effectively in Hopewell, Illinois, as he has in the Four Lands and Landover. An excellent read!

This novel has it all. Suspense, thrills, chills and fantastic characters. Brooks has once again created a masterpiece of fantasy. He takes us on a journey through the world of good and evil as seen through the eyes of Nest Freemark, a teenage girl who has just been informed that she is the deciding factor as to whether or not the world will be doomed. Brooks' style is unparallelled in the world of fantasy/fiction and this book is a testament to his greatness as a writer. I highly recommend this book!!!

I loved this book! I'm a Terry Brooks fan and when this came out I had to read it. And I wasn't diappointed!! All I want is more books about John Ross (sorry it I spelled that wrong, I read it a while ago) Knight of the Word!

I thought that this book was terrible. The story line was so predictable. I knew what was going to happen all through the book. The characters were stick figures. They had no depth, color or interest. I have read five other Terry Brooks books and thought they were all pretty good. But I keep wanting to leave this book on a park bench. What a waste of reading time. The only reason I finished the book was because I was on an airplane with nothing else to read. Don't waste your time on this one.

In the early 80's I walked into a very small book store in a mall and gravitated to the fantasy section. The first book I pulled was the Sword, I read the back and linked forever to this author. I love alot of things about Terry writing.I love this for the same reason I love the first book. Terry takes me into his world.

Running with the demon is the first, Terry Brooks book I've read. Honestly, I've never heard of it until watching The Shannara Chronicals on MTV. Now I can't wait to finish the rest of The Word and the Void.

I was really enjoying this book up until the end, the ideas and the imagination thrown into real world settings was really interesting and entertaining to read, but in the end I was expecting more. The end was rather predictable and the 'evil' side didn't seem all that evil. The only plot twist in the end isn't even that relavant to the main story. I really liked the book a lot, which was why I found the poor conclusion so dissapointing.

Terry Brooks is one of my favorite authors and this was a solid book but I did not find it to be as enjoyable as his fantasy series books. The characters were very good but the book is pretty slow in several sections.

I'm an avid sci-fi/fantasy reader. This book "Running With the Demon" hit the spot. It's the first book by Terry Brooks that I've read and am encouraged to read more of his past works. I can't believe that I waited this long to read his work. His character building is great, I had a real feel for Nest Freemark and Pick. It was easy to read and become involved with. Good book! Could there be a second book coming? Seems that Nest and Pick still have work to do.

Mr. Brooks blends dark fantasy (light horror, if you prefer...) elements in a (mostly) contemporary setting. This book really is a must-read, for the craftsmanship alone.
Of course, when you add the story, it becomes "un-put-down-able". Buy this book for yourself, then buy more for your friends for Christmas. Unfortunately, you will then have to sit back and await the sequel--at least you will have company...

Terry Brooks is an amazing writer and he's done it again. I actually read the second book, A Knight of the Word, before reading this one and it still worked out. Wonderful story, engaging characters. Generally couldn't put the book down.

I came to know Terry Brook through the Sword of Shannara and his subsequent books thereafter. Having read around 8 or 9 Shannara books Running With the Demon is a refreshing change of pace. Brooks presents a believable present day world, yet still manages to infuse it with the magic and wonder that makes his Shannara material so enjoyable. Terry Brooks is slowly making me a believer.

This book really changed the way I look at literature, I enjoyed the class in high school but would never be caught dead reading unless it was a requirement. From the day I picked up this book the characters just grabbed me and never let me go I'm hoping the fourth book in the series comes out soon. It's a great book for anyone but if you want to get younger people interested in reading this should be where you start.

i prefer a world when described to me which make sense. the straight evil and good often do not make sense. because it is not any where close to reality. and it is the case for this story. but if you read it like a story for little kids. then it is ok.

the reason why this is not a harry potter, harry potter has commerce, has school, a lot of sense in some strange way. but then this is my first book of shannara. so maybe it would get better.

I have read all five of the "Magic Kingdom for Sale:Sold!" books. I eagerly await the next!! This book, "Running with the Demon: A Novel of Good and Evil", appears to be the start of another fantastic series; with Nest Freemark and John Ross, the Knight. So much to look forward to!!!!

I don't understand this book. John Ross dreams about a horrible future every time he falls asleep, a future that will happen if he doesn't stop it from happening. He's suppose to stop the Demon from getting to 14 year old Nest Freemark. But the Demon was never going to get to Nest because her grandmother had already taken care of things. The horrific, end-of-the-world future was never going to happen in the first place because of grandma! This book would have turned out EXACTLY the same without John Ross. Such a wimpy hero!!! I'm just surprised that more people don't find this fact really annoying.

This was the first book I have ever read of Terry Brooks. It captured me instantly, although the dreams of the tormented knight keep you guessing if you're in the past or the future, it reads quite well. Is Terry Brooks a christian? One would think he is after reading this!

The dialogue is awful. There's little action or suspense until the last few pages and it's over quickly. The villian isn't much and is defeated quickly. Most of it's just filler with not much of a plot.

I'm not going to explain the plot, you can read that elsewhere. The characters are captivating, they become familiar almost right away. The story is fasanating, building all the time until it explodes at the end. This is the first Brooks book I've read, and I'm massively impressed.

This is a wonderful book, and i love the whole series. It was impossible to put down, and had me on the edge of my seat. This novel has adventure, romance, mystery... everything I look for in a book. Read it!

I'm disappointed the publisher didn't feel including the cover image for the Kindle was necessary. All you get is a generic picture of the publisher's logo, not what's shown on the product page. I've contacted customer service but could not resolve this problem. This is not the first book I've purchased from the publisher that didn't include any cover art. Very disappointed.

Like one of the other reviews for this book I struggled through the beginning of the book. When it really started to pick up towards the end of the book I had trouble putting it down. I agree it was a bit weak on the plot development at times. I did like the ending, it felt satisfying.

Because I read Armageddon's Children, the Elves of Cintra, and Gypsy Morph all prior to this book, I must read the next 2 books in the Word and Void Trilogy. With the ending of this book it's hard to imagine became what it is in the Genesis of Shannara trilogy. I'm glad, so far, Nest has not turned to the `darkside'.