Legends of Shannara (Pre-Shannara - The Measure of the Magic

When it comes to “The Measure of magic” – Book Two of the Legends of Shannara, Terry Brooks mixes the ingredients of high adventure in perfect proportions.

The remnants of mankind have not learned the harsh lessons inflicted upon them over five hundred years before that led to them being sequestered from the rest of a world ravaged by a demon instigated nuclear war. Come to that, neither have the elves, nor the other races that came into the hidden valley along with them.

Still divided, ever suspicious of creatures not of their own kind, they have remained fragmented and fractious. So much so that their ongoing squabbles and petty politickings play right into the demon’s hands with catastrophic consequences.
How catastrophic?

You’ll see when we rejoin Panterra Qu, Prue Liss and Phryne Amarantyne as they struggle to come to terms with a drastic change of circumstances. Each has gained varying degrees of magical ability. Yet it is apparent they are ill prepared for the consequences such responsibility involves, nor the hurdles their long-established insecurities seem to place in their way, despite the best of intentions.

This is a darker and altogether grittier tale of how easy it is to rise – or fall – to the occasion, no matter how personally important things may be or how much you want to succeed.

In a nutshell? I absolutely loved it. Frustrating, engaging, poignant and bitter-sweet. Not all fantasy adventures end happily ever after... and I’m glad they don’t.

A superb continuing introduction to the later world of Shannara.

It has been a while since I read a Terry Brooks novel. I loved the original Shannara books, but stopped reading them at some point. I decided it was time to reacquaint myself with Terry Brooks as an author and to see what was happening in the world of Shannara with this book, though this story is actually part of a prequel to the Shannara stories, "Legends of Shannara," and a sequel to "Bearers of the Black Staff." I enjoyed this story and I would read it again.

The story opens with the Ragpicker. We quickly learn that the Ragpicker is a demon and he is on the hunt for the bearer of the black staff. The Ragpicker is also after Prue Liss. Indeed, the Ragpicker would have caught Prue Liss had there not been timely assistance from an unexpected source. At the same time, Panterra Qu finds himself the new bearer of the black staff. Pan struggles with his new role and alternates between overconfidence and doubt. Fortunately, once Prue Liss joins Pan the pair is much more than the sum of their parts.

Of course, if this story was only about Pan and Prue Liss, it might be interesting but relatively unimportant. Pan and Prue live in a valley long hidden from the world. The valley did have protection from those who would be quite happy to eliminate the inhabitants of the valley, to enslave them, or worse. Unfortunately, the protection is gone and the trolls know how to find the valley. Pan and Prue are working against the inevitability of discovery to try to get defenders for the valley.

Complicating matters is that princess Phryne Amarantyne's stepmother has imprisoned Phryne (where have we heard this one before?), accusing Phryne of killing her father, the king. Phryne's stepmother has a completely separate agenda from protecting the valley or even the Elf city. Since the Elves are the only credible force capable of stopping the inevitable troll invasion, Pan and Prue have to gain the help of the Elves, which may mean rescuing Phryne.

The story wends its way through the valley from Pan and Prue's home to the Elf city and then outside the valley as the story threatens to become epic, but falls just short. I was unable to stop reading this story. Author Brooks used a cliffhanger style and I had to keep reading to pick the story up again. Brooks used this style effectively from beginning to end, which made the story quick for me. I must admit that the elements of this novel reminded me of another author's novels, that being Stephen King. The Ragpicker had points where he reminded me of Randall Flagg from "The Stand." The way old technology entered the story reminded me of places in "The Dark Tower" series. Of course, this story is completely different from King's stories; I just kept having feelings of déjà vu.

This novel is hardly ground breaking. Indeed, many of the story elements are familiar from countless other stories. However, Author Brooks wrote the story well and I enjoyed most of the story from beginning to end. I wished Brooks had time to expand some of the details, but that is a minor quibble. The real point of this story is the journey, and the journey was fun for me. The only other thing I found slightly annoying was the internal conflicts of the characters. Strangely, had the internal conflicts not been there, some people would have complained that the author spent insufficient time in character development. Sadly, an author can never satisfy everyone.

As I noted earlier, it has been a while since I read a Terry Brooks novel. I can see that I have a lot of catching up to do. Brooks has expanding Shannara's world significantly since the days of "The Sword of Shannara." Shannara's world has a prehistory and lots of development. I need to fill in the holes and read all the books to see how it all ties together. This novel has given me the enthusiasm to do just that.

Enjoy!

The book has all of our heroes in classic Terry Brooks challenges for each of them to surmount. As an author, he's always had knack for designing life-or-death situations for his characters to face and hopefully survive. And I think these individual trials went fairly well for the most part, although Prue did have a bit of a deus ex machina save at the last minute.

The part that had annoyed me the most in this story was Panterra Qu's romantic entanglement with Phryne. Brooks has always had as a weird need to have a romantic plot element thrown into the mix of things and the inexplicable connection between Panterra and Phryne was really a stretch. And I think it really took away from the greater story since it seemed like this odd distraction despite everything going on.

The demon really got a lot of "screen time" in terms of this book and this wasn't too bad a thing. He had some pretty complex plans going on here and there and he certainly had a pretty significant set of magical powers at his disposal. I kind of wish that we had someone who could truly be his equal in this story, but then that wouldn't be as fun I suppose. Brooks has always made sure that his demon characters are significantly stronger than any of the heroes and thus they act as really big challenges that can only be overcome with a lot of determination and will on top of any innate skills or abilities.

The big finish in this story was satisfactory, but not amazing. But the Elven battle certainly ended in a manner that was very different from most other Shannara books. It was certainly a visually powerful way to end things, but it may not make as much narrative sense in the long run given we never see such a display of magical power ever again in the later books.

On the whole, the joining of Word & Void and Shannara into one timeline certainly made sense from a general perspective, but there may still be more to this than was revealed. This is not a request for more stories in this period, but I think at the way things were told there's a lot left unaddressed that doesn't quite make sense.

I am very disappointed with this "series" from Terry Brooks.
I have come to expect his stories to have a hero, a collection of problems, and a solution to all the problem by the end of the book. But this story ends without fixing anything.
It was annoying to realize that somebody broke the story in the middle of the action so there could be TWO books. When I bought the second book, six month after reading the first book, I had to go back and read the last hundred pages of the first book again so I would know what was happening.
These two books are not enough to tell this story. This book should be the second of a three book series because the story of these characters was left incomplete.
If anything - everything is worse than it was at any other point in the story.
We don't know what happens to Pan. We are told that he is supposed to lead his people to a new home, but it never happens.
Prue's color blindness becomes total blindness. I expected her to discover that there was a good reason for her to be be totally blind - like maybe a monster like Medusa - and she would be able to walk past it without seeing it.
There are dead people laying all over the place with no sign of a burial. And the living have been left to wander aimlessly, without any mention of the families they had lost and the massive grief that should be gripping the town.
The passes into the valley are still open, so enemies and hideous monsters can wander in and kill as they please --- but this is not discussed.
Characters are left where they are with no indication of what happened next.
AND - - - Where is the "Legend of Shannara" link???? I didn't see one.
And what is "the Measure of Magic"???
So I think Terry Brooks really should write a third story in this series to tell us how everything ends.

The Measure of the Magic is the second (and final?) book in the Legends of Shannara duology and the bridging stories that take us from our "modern" world of science and technology (from the Word/Void and Genesis of Shannara series) into the fantasy realm of the rest of the Shannara series. I felt like the first book in this series was interesting generally but at the same time it felt to me like it dragged on and moved a bit slower than necessary. The cynic in me felt like these two books would have been better had they been edited into a single book but for revenue purposes there was a push for two books. It could have been a larger single book as there wasn't a lot that I felt extraneous or in need of culling. Like I said, I found the first book interesting, just a little slow.

With that introduction, it should come as little surprise that I enjoyed this second book in the duology much better than the first. The first book left a large threat (an army of trolls) looming over the inhabitants of the valley and in this book that threat is off the page for a good chunk of the reading. The trolls aren't completely ignored or forgotten by the text. It's just that most of the action of this book takes place inside the valley and the various schemings and machinations of the inhabitants there.

I really loved the way this book started. While the trolls were only a peripheral threat until near the end of the book, this book introduces a new antagonist for our heroes to deal with. The book begins with a seemingly crazy old man wandering through the post-armageddon world outside the valley. He calls himself the Ragpicker and for the first little while it's unclear whether he will be friend or foe to our protagonists. When he is finally noticed and confronted, we quickly learn his true nature. He is a demon and he hunts the Black Staff that figured so prevalently in the first book and the Genesis series. The Demon can sense the magic and he is trying to track it to its source. He discovers the troll threat and the presence of the valley and he works his way into the valley to subvert and manipulate the inhabitants in an effort to draw the staff Bearer to him.

I enjoyed the added tension and adventure throughout this story. As is very familiar in other Brooks books, we have a handful of key characters each out on their own mini-quests. Where in book 1 these treks felt like busy work, in book 2 these adventures felt compelling and exciting. I enjoyed the political intrigue among the elves and the quest undertaken by the princess Phryne. I really liked the way Prue works to help Panterra and the sacrifice and adjustments she has to make. I felt like a few plot points and events stretched a little thin but they were still enjoyable.

As far as bridging the historical gap between our post-armageddon world and the world of the rest of the Shannara series, I'm still left a little dissatisfied. My interpretation of the maps and the reading of the "Voyage" series led me to interpret the Shannara world to exist somewhere out in the South Atlantic Sea (since they seemed to sail north east to reach what appeared to be the Florida area). And yet as this book ends we are still somewhere in middle America. Unless the geography changed immensely after the wars, this didn't sit exactly right with m. And so I suspect we may still see another set of travelogue adventures with our heroes leading the races out of the valley into some new distant safehold. Still, any additional stories in that vein are just speculation on my part. It's entirely possible that Brooks will leave the historical bridge behind and continue with new, more compelling (at least to me) adventures. I know I'm enjoying and excited for the continuation of the "Dark Legacy" series.

Anyway, for the completionist Shannara readers (like myself), I can recommend The Measure of the Magic as a fun adventure story that is better than the first book in the series. However, even though the story is interesting, I didn't feel like this series progressed the overall Shannara world in any meaningful or necessary way. As with the other books, there are some fun and intriguing characters but there aren't any new artifacts, histories, or enemies to be revealed (except the minor revelation about the heritage of the race known as Trolls). An average read, but not one of Brooks's best works (nor is it my least favorite *grin*).

***
3 out of 5 stars

By this stage there are so many books in the Terry Brooks' "Shannara" series that each new installment requires a lengthy rundown of where it belongs in the sequence. After writing the original Shannara trilogy back in the 1970s, as well as a bevy of direct sequels, Brooks went on to write a seemingly-unrelated contemporary fantasy trilogy that introduced the Knights of the Word, champions of light who are armed with powerful staffs of black wood who fight against demonic forces that strive to bring about the end of the world.

Since then, Brooks has written a trilogy and a duology that bridges the gap between his "Shannara" series and "The Word and the Void" trilogy. The Genesis of Shannara trilogy and Legends of Shannara duology chronicle the time period between the world as we know it falling into a post-apocalyptic stage and the rise of the familiar fantasy-setting of his earliest books. Spanning over twenty books, it's obviously quite a complex set-up by this stage, and newcomers should definitely *not* begin their reading experience here. A better starting-point would be Running With the Demon or The Sword of Shannara, the former being chronologically first in his canon, and the latter being his first published book.

"The Measure of the Magic" is a direct sequel to Bearers of the Black Staff, with Brooks continuing to weave together elements of his series both past and present. Sider is the last of the Knights of the Word, protecting the valley in which the descendants of the last trilogy's characters have peacefully lived for the last five centuries. But when the magical barriers fail, the dangers of the outside world begin to encroach on the valley. This comes in the shape of a dangerous troll-army, one that has managed to infiltrate the valley and compromise it from the inside. As his final act, Sider passes on his staff to Panterra Qu, a young tracker who now has the responsibility of the valley and its people on his shoulders.

There is danger at every turn: not only is the troll-army on the march, but a demon is creating dissention among the people of the valley, and a coup has occurred in the elven capital. Panterra's dearest friend Prue is held captive by the trolls, and his ally Phyrne, an elven princess, is on trial for the murder of her father (I guess the letter "P" was popular among parents when these three were born). Brooks moves between these three subplots as the trio of characters try to reach each other once again: Panterra hunting down the demon, Prue sacrificing a piece of herself in order to reach her friends, and Phryne evading her evil stepmother and going in search of the missing Elfstones.

The story itself is quite piecemeal. The three situations aren't really connected to one another (the three antagonists - troll, elf-queen and demon - are not only boring, but have no awareness of each other's existence) which leads to a disconnect between each main character and what they're trying to achieve. Although the pacing is steady and the action is exhilarating, it all builds to an ending that is hopelessly anticlimactic. I appreciated the bittersweet conclusion, as Brooks often opts for a more traditionally happy-ending, and the denouncement leaves the series wide open for further exploration of this world's origins.

Therein lies the rub. Despite this book being set in Shannara's prehistory, I still feel as though Brooks isn't doing enough to explore it. Familiar relics such as the Ellcrys and the Elfstones are present, but it turns out that they predate everything in his timeline (thus denying us the chance to see how they originated in the first place). There is a (very) brief mention of feeders here, but none of the Lady. The King of the Silver River appears as a total deus ex machina to extract a price from one of the main characters that is...well, a bit random and silly. Still no word on the Druids, the Ildatch, the famous Sword of Shannara - or even (and this is strangest of all) the Shannara family. Given that both the "Genesis of Shannara" series and the "Legends of Shannara" duology actually HAVE the name "Shannara" in their titles, their absence is baffling. It's like watching a Star Wars movie without any war.

The past and future of this world still don't successfully merge, and since a prequel's strength lies in exploring the origins of the past, it's a strange oversight that Brooks skips so many aspects of his established mythology. Having gone from what was a basic Tolkien retreat in his very first book The Sword of Shannara, only to find his own voice and write some exceptionally good stories of his own Running With the Demon and The Heritage of Shannara, Brooks has looped back around and is now copying himself. Many of the subplots involving Elven politics, an assassin tracking our heroes, or the Elfstones as a magical McGuffin have been used countless times in his other books. The idea of a "midquel" breaching the gap between past and present was a great opportunity to stake out new ground, but at this point the same story is just being told over and over again. It's a pleasant, diverting read, but it's really nowhere near as good as it could be.

The Measure of the Magic (2011) is the second Fantasy novel of the Legends of Shannara subseries, following Bearers of the Black Staff. The initial work in the Shannara sequence is The Sword of Shannara.

In the previous volume, after five hundred years, the magics protecting the valley of refuge have vanished. Sider scouted the passes and outer lands, finding indications of hostile trolls and other dangers. Sider warned various groups in the valley of these threats.

Pan and Prue tracked one such threat and escaped death only with the intervention of Sider. Phryne went to see the trolls and the monsters caught Prue. Sider sent Deladion to rescue Prue while he concentrated on Arik.

In this novel, Sider Ament is the Gray Man. He carries the staff of a Knight of the Word. Although he is a descendant of the Knights and can use the black staff, the Lady has never spoken to him.

Panterra Qu is a very young Tracker from Glensk Wood. Pan is the best tracker of his generation.

Prue is also a young tracker from Glensk Wood. She has the talent of premonition, sensing danger just moments before it appears. She is the partner of Pan.

Aislinne Kray is the wife of Pogue Kray, the leader of the Glensk Wood Council. She too is on the Council. Once Aislinne thought that she would marry Sider. Then the previous bearer of the black staff chose Sider as his apprentice.

Phryne Amarantyne is an Elf princess. Her father is the King, but he is not an energetic ruler. She is rather spoiled, but more active than her father.

Skeal Eile is a Seraphic in the Children of the Hawk cult. He is very ambitious and willing to hire assassins to achieve more power.

Arik Siq is a Troll, the eldest son of Taureq Siq. He is the brother of the more impulsive Grosha.

Deladion Inch is a human mercenary. He has stockpiles of weapons and other devices from before the apocalyptic war.

Ragpicker is a demon. He has been hunting for a bearer of the black staff for five hundred years.

In this story, Prue hears the explosion that means the end of Inch. The surviving trolls soon locate the entrance to Deladion's fortress. Prue tries to sneak out the back, but encounters a troll and runs back inside. The troll follows her and she is forced to shoot him.

Ragpicker finds the trolls searching for a way to enter the fortress. He offers to assist them, but the leader lays hands on him. After the leader is dead, the remaining trolls are more helpful.

Ragpicker finds Prue within the fortress and she flees from him. When he corners her in a dead end, she shoots him multiple times without effect. Then she disappears in a flash of light.

Prue was saved by the King of the Silver River. The fae spirit offers to restores and enhance her intuitive talents to support Pan. The cost of his gifts is a film over each eyeball so that she seems blind. He also warns her that she may have to pay other prices in the future.

Pan had found Sider dying from a poisoned dart. Sider tried to give Pan the black staff, but Pan questioned whether he had the skills to replace Sider. Now Pan asks himself who else would do the work.

After building a cairn for Sider, Pan takes up the staff and tracks Arik back toward Arborlon. Pan is relieved when the staff warns him of traps. Arik changes directions several times and eventually heads back to Declan Reach.

Pan climbs up to the high meadows and starts crosscountry toward the pass. He runs continuously until nearing the pass. Then he stops and listens for indications of others.

Apparently Pan has reached the pass before Arik. He repositions one body and lies down to play dead. Arik walks past him and approaches the moved man.

Pan rises and hits Arik hard with the staff. He chains Arik and waits for him to awaken. Then Pan takes him back to Glensk Wood.

Pan summons Pogue and the Seraphic. He tells them that Arik has killed Sider. Arik tries to interrupt him and Pan knocks him senseless. When Skeal starts to deride him, Pan threatens to put him down beside Arik.

Pan leaves Arik with Pogue and goes to visit Aislinne. He informs her of Sider's death and tells her about Arik. Aislinne tells Pan about the death of the Elf king and the imprisonment of Phryne.

Ragpicker also comes to Glensk Wood and meets several villagers. He spreads rumors to create chaos and stirs up other troubles. Then he waits for a black staff bearer to appear.

This tale presents Pan and Prue with a serious situation. They have an army of trolls outside the passes and a demon within the valley. They also have an Elf princess locked up for her father's murder. Pan does learn that the staff responds to his needs.

This volume is a bridge to the next book. It introduces several twists in the plot and changes in the characters, but still concludes with many dangling plot threads. The next installment in this sequence has not yet been announced on the store.

Highly recommended for Brooks fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magical talismans, armed combat, and responsible younglings. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

After getting bored with much of the Shannara books about 10-12 years ago I had stopped reading the new releases. It was pretty much the same situations over and over, just with different people. However the three-book series Armageddon's Children (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 1),The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara), and The Gypsy Morph (Genesis of Shannara, Book 3) brought me back for a moment as it was about events that would lead to the Shannara universe, including the last days of the modern world. The originality of at least the first two books was refreshing and renewed my thirst for Brooks' writing. So along comes Bearers of the Black Staff: Legends of Shannara and although we're now back in the Shannara universe it's still an interesting read. But as we come to the conclusion of that book it's beginning to feel very familiar.

But Heaven knows, I had to read the second and last installment of the latest. So along comes "THE MEASURE OF THE MAGIC" and everything is back to the old themes. Magic battles with demons, use of the blue elfstones, political intrigue within the elven community, even the King of the Silver River makes an appearance. The only thing missing are creepers and everything would be complete.

This is not to say this is a bad book. I did find myself interested in the characters and how they would save themselves from the invading troll army. I always enjoyed Brooks' ability to weave a story in such a way that you can't wait for the next chapter. I'm guessing that if the Genesis of Shannara had been my introduction to the world of Shannara then I would be highly anticipating each new release with the same enthusiasm I had when I first started The Heritage of Shannara series back in 1994. But 17 years later it just seems a bit stale, at least to me. There will be another series coming based on the adventures of Prue and his two elven friends as they journey to find a new haven for their peoples. I'll be in "wait-&-see" mode on whether I'll read it. Definitely a far drop from "highly anticipating" a new release.

Disclaimer-If you read the review and feel there is a spoiler in it, please let me know and I will remove that section. Also, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Thank you.

The Measure of the Magic is the second and final book in the Legend of Shannara duology. The first book is Bearers of the Black Staff. There are many books in the Shannara series beginning with the Shannara books and continued with the Heritage of Shannara books, The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy, High Druid of Shannara trilogy and the Genesis of Shannara trilogy.

The Measure of the Magic continues immediately where Bearers of the Black Staff left off. There is an army of trolls outside the valley waiting to invade, the princess of the elves is in one heck of a predicament, the town of Glensk Wood, Prue is awaiting rescue and Panterra Qu's life is changing in a whole new way. The Queen of the elves is trying to cement her rule and her co-conspirator is working his way to realize his own ambitions. Add to all that, there is now a demon creating havoc.

I feel this book moved more slowly than the last one. There are really long periods of personal reflection in this one and it made it so the book did not move at a pace I would have expected for the final book in this section of the Shannara series. Though there are times that this really fleshes the character out and really brings them to life, but there are moments in the action when this detracts from what is happening and doesn't feel as real as it should. This may be a bit of a spoiler and I don't really like putting them in, but I felt this needed mentioning. The dragon that was encountered in the first book does make a reappearance and the way that it was handled, I enjoyed it, but I can see others who may not since it was a totally different take on dragons and for some, it may have been handled a bit childishly. I still enjoyed the characters and really felt they were well crafted and easy to connect with.

Some criticisms:

1. The pacing of this one was slower than I expected for the final book in the duology. I would have preferred there was more action and with all the plotlines going on thought there would be more to it, however, there was just simply too much personal reflection and getting into the characters minds.

2. There were too many long periods with certain characters and it almost felt like the other plotlines were going to be left out. Though it is nice that the book doesn't constantly jump around, it still felt like it took forever to get back to some of the other characters that I really wanted to know what was going on.

Some positives:

1. The characters once again really shine in this one. Each had their own voice and you could really connect with them. Even the side characters seemed to play a pivotal role in the story and added to it overall.

2. I have to say that I was surprised at some of the ways in which Mr. Brooks closed some of the subplots and rectified those situations. I would expect that one thing would happen to some of the villains and then something completely different ends up happening. It helped to keep the book from becoming predictable.

For me this one was another book that was a bit above average and I really am glad that I was able to read it. As I get freedom from other series that I am reading, I will definitely come back to read the rest of the Shannara books.

Happy reading

-Dimndbangr

The Measure of Magic by Terry Brooks is the second book in the Legends of Shannara duology published by Del Rey. I recently finished reading Bearers of the Black Staff, the first book in the duology, and was pleased with the book. I thought there was a lot of promise in the book. The Measure of Magic is a at a bit of a handicap as it cannot be full of promise, it must deliver on the promise being the concluding installment in the series.

I think that Terry largely delivers but misses the mark in a few areas that keep the book from being as good as it could. That being said, I enjoyed the book a lot. It is very well written and keeps intact the core themes of Shannara. Please be warned that there are some minor spoilers in this review if you have not yet read the first book.

The Measure of Magic continues the journey of the three main characters of the Legends of Shannara duology: Panterra Qu (Pan), Prue Liss and Phryne Amarantyne. The three continue to search for a way to prevent an army of Trolls from descending into their hidden valley and seizing it for themselves. Complicating matters, a demon, the Ragpicker, has appeared bent on seizing the Black Staff, an artefact of magic carried by Pan. The demon complicates matters because it decides the best way to go about seizing the Black Staff is to sow discord amongst the inhabitants of the hidden valley and aid the troll incursion. So, Panterra, Prue and Phryne must work to not only save their respective peoples from the trolls but also confront the demon. Generally speaking, fairly standard fantasy fare.

The biggest surprise with the book was how Prue Liss became my favorite character. I thought Terry Brooks did an excellent job developing her as a character and really filled the void caused by the death of Sider Ament. In the Bearers of the Black Staff she was a character full of promise but of little real impact. Her encounter with the King of the Silver river provides Terry a great means of exploring her character but also keeping in line with one of the core themes of Shannara, sacrifice.

A second surprise with The Measure of Magic was the increased narrative complexity in the last half of the book. I both praised and criticized the Bearers of the Black Staff for its excellent pacing but also feeling over edited resulting in a very linear and vanilla story. The Measure of Magic keeps with that style until the last half of the book. There, in an effort to wrap up each story line and unveil the climatic finish, each story thread ends in cliffhanger fashion with the big reveal saved for the final few chapters. I though this really elevated the tension of the book, making you want to read just one more chapter.

Lastly, I thought Terry did an excellent job keeping with the core themes of Shannara. Great sacrifice is required to preserve the world. Evil of the few is abetted by the inaction of the many. One of the bit criticisms leveled against the Legends of Shannara duology is how little it ties into the mythos, i.e. the lack of specific objects and people. While I can sympathize with this perspective, I think it is unimportant. First, because you do not want to alienate new readers. Second, it is the themes that are more important, not cameos of items and people. Terry's ability to preserve those themes also preserves the "Shannara" feel to the books and helps make them distinct from his other writings.

Now, there were several things that I did not like as much. Upon reflection, I did not like them in the Bearers of the Black Staff either, but it was the first book in the series and not the last. So, I was willing to give the series the benefit of the doubt. My biggest issue is that the relationship between Pan and Phryne. I commented on my dislike in my review of the first book.

Things haven't improved in The Measure of Magic. The relationship between Pan and Phryne still feels rather superficial. I think you could have removed it entirely from the series with minimal impact. I think the main reason it exists was to develop an additional connection between Sider & Pan's character vis a vi Sider's relationship with Aisilline. Thus you create a better metaphorical transferral of duties between Sider and Pan when Pan takes up the staff.

There is just zero depth to Pan & Phryne's relationship. Worse, is the narrative continually reminds you that it is impossible. So why bother? The low point of this relationship was the sad "I need to be close to someone right now, lets have sex" scene. It was just very hollow. Conversely, Sider & Aisilline's relationship had weight. Weight that was increased with Aisilline visiting Sider's old homestead. Also worsening matters is the wonderful interplay between Pan and Prue over Prue's sacrifice. The fact that Pan can have a complex relationship with Prue but have such a non-existent relationship with Phryne is frustrating.

Also disappointing were characters I found interesting but were never given an opportunity to grow into something great. Particularly painful was Aisilline. I thought she was interesting and really wanted to read more of her, but unfortunately the book ends just as she really hits her stride. This criticism is perhaps a bit unfair however, as it is more directly a criticism on the length of the books. None the less, in addition to Aisilline, I would have liked to seen more time spent on Tasha and Tenerife as well.

Another frustration that centers on the relatively short length of the series is how some characters are less characters and more plot devices, some are clearly deus ex machina. In the Bearers of the Black Staff, Deladion Inch was a the best example of this fact. Deladion was introduced to aid Sider, save Prue and set the stage for the introduction of the Ragpicker. Once this was accomplished, he was pruned, i.e. killed, from the story.

In The Measure of Magic, you have a few more of these characters. Xac Wen in particular seems to exist for little reason beyond conveying information between far flung characters. He runs fast and is of little import. I think Isoeld even fits into this category, being a fairly two dimensional antagonist for Phryne. The dragon at the end of Phryne's story definitely fits and one of the more egregious deus ex machina moments. That said, dragons are like literary bacon. But, can these even be criticisms when ultimately, I am complaining that I simply wanted more?

So what is my verdict? If you are a fan of Shannara then read the books. It is really that simple. Terry is a terrific writer and his skill shows. The Measure of Magic is probably too vanilla for more adventurous speculative fiction readers, much as I said for Bearers of the Black Staff. But, I still have a soft spot for Shannara. I thought there were a few misses and the story didn't finish nearly as strong as I would have liked, but that only means its a good book, not a great book. Lastly, I just wish there was more. I would have liked to seen Terry explore the people of the hidden valley and the outside world. But is that not itself an endorsement of the book? I want more? May you will as well.

For centuries, walls of mist have separated the valley from the depleted earth. Now, those walls have vanished and in the process, the holder of the black staff has fallen. As he died, Sider Ament gave the staff to Panterra Qu, but the young man knows nothing of magic, nothing of the working of the staff, and he doesn't have much time. Not only are troll armies massing along the passes leading to the valley, a new force, something that once was human but is now purely demon, has entered the valley and is desperately seeking the power that the staff represents.

If the valley pulled together, it might be able to withstand at least the military attacks but the elf-queen has murdered her husband, illegally seizing the crown, and religious zealots among the humans cling to their belief that the change can only mean that their savior is coming agan... and that anything they do to prevent his return is sinfull. Panterra has only his oldest friend, fellow tracker Prue, and the princess of the elves as dependable allies and the princess is jailed while Prue, too, is hunted by the demon. Even together, the three seem far from capable of defending the valley, let alone leading its inhabitants back into the real world.

Author Terry Brooks continues his Shanarra fantasy series with a follow-up to BEARERS OF THE BLACK STAFF. Mixing magic interesting and emotionally compelling characters, and a magical future world based on a breakdown in today's technological society, Brooks bridges the gap between science fiction and fantasy in an intriguing story. THE MEASURE OF MAGIC also serves to demonstrate Brooks's view of our current world through the lens of fantasy. As in our world, many of Brooks's characters worry about their social standing, choose to interpret their faith in ways destructive to themselves and others, and ignore the environmental consequences of their actions. Fans of the Shannara fantasy line (which Brooks has faithfully depicted in a series stretching over decades) will enjoy this latest addition.

As a long time fan of Terry's work I have most of his books in my book case. I've enjoyed all of them and the previous trilogy greatly surprised me by combining the Word and the Void series with the Shannara series. This also created a problem, as any books in between the first Shannara trilogies and this were bound to tell a lot of things the reader would already suspect or know from the numerous historical lessons in the older books. To keep the story interesting it would have been nice if the lore would have turned out wrong, misinterpreted or embellished, instead of just mostly forgotten.

Partly because of this and mostly because the book follows basically the same plot as the other series and re-uses many of the known situations and some of the characters, it left me without any surprises. At the beginning of the book most characters get a basic idea of what they have to do, and except for the dragon, which was pretty cool, it foretold most of the book.

This is the last book in the duology. Which is both had and good. I didn't feel the urgency to read the on after this book. While I Usually look forward to that moment as soon as I finish the last chapter. The book did leave me with a lot of questions and unfinished business. It almost feels like the duology was originally intended to be a trilogy after all.

One of the other things which has been bugging me for a long time with Terry's books is the lack of true emotions. People die, deaths are even predicted, but it seldom has a major impact on the main characters. It even strengthens them or they intrinsically know it's for the greater good. After reading Brent Weeks' The Night Angel Trilogy and Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind, I long for a more realistic emotional response from the characters. You don't just bury your teacher, take his staff, and pick up where he left off without some serious doubt and pain; when you then finally find the resolve to do what is being asked of you, I, as a reader, am much more inclined to accept that.

All in all, a disappointing read for a long time fan. I suppose new readers to Terry's works might have fewer issues.

This is the second and final book of this two book series following Bearers of the Black Staff. This book is related the the Armageddon's Children series.

The book is set in a post-apocalytpic world where human and elf survivors have been hiding in a protected valley until the magic surrounding and protecting them begins to fail.

The humans and elves must battle against demons and trolls who seek to take over the battle and destroy them.

This book should be read after the Bearer's of the Black Staff or you will have trouble understanding the story lines and setting. The author doesn't do much rehashing of the plot or descriptions in this second book which makes reading the first book essential. Really, you should read the Armageddon's Children books because the world and how they end up in the valley is covered in those books.

The protagonists of the books have some magic mainly the Black Staff wielders (good guys) and the demon (bad guy).
***SPOILER ALERT***
Sider Ament, the last black staff wielder has died and Panterra Qu, a tracker, takes on the burden of carrying the black staff and wielding the magic to protect the people of Glensk wood.

He is joined by his fellow tracker, Prue Liss, and the elf princess, Phryne Amaratyne. They battle the troll invasion of their home valley and battle a demon, named the ragpicker, who seeks to kill the black staff wielder. The protagonists must also contend with factions among the humans and elves who for greed or power work against them.

Overall, a very enjoyable read and fine conclusion to the series.

I'm new to the Legends of Shannara. I tried reading one of the books a couple years ago but it failed to catch my interest. I think this is probably because I had no real idea where to start the series. So, I could hardly hold that against Terry Brooks. That said though, The Measure of Magic just didn't stand out enough for me to warrant reading any other books.

Maybe I expected too much? For years I've only heard good things about Terry Brooks and the Legends of Shannara. I always figured I was missing out. But after reading The Measure of Magic I'm not quite sure what I was missing. None of the characters struck me as especially compelling, a facet of books that has gotten more and more important the older I get. The characters spend plenty of time talking about their feelings but I failed to develop any deep connection with them. I've gotten to be very discriminating when it comes to fantasy. Perhaps it is unfair to compare this book to the works of George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, or Brandon Sanderson but I find it difficult to judge a book by its own merit. Granted unlike those authors I just mentioned, I'd have no qualms about recommending Brooks to young readers but at the same time I feel like this book could have used a good dose of maturity.

The Measure of Magic isn't a bad book. Brooks has a clean writing style and there are some good action scenes and some nice world building. That said people looking for a deeper, more personal story should probably look elsewhere.

Panterra, Pru, and Prynthe are growing up. One is an Elf, the other two humans, but in this book they must leave their childhood behind and take on the roles of the saviors of the valley and its inhabitants. This is the second book in what is bound to be another Terry Brooks trilogy, and as is usual for him at this stage, the various plot lines interweave and intermingle. In the case of this book, we are introduced to a demon at the very first chapter and how to deal with that demon is the largest plot that this book addresses. As usual though, there is a lot more going on. The last bearer of the Black Staff died at the end of the last book, and Pan was asked to pick it up - will he? Prynthe has her own issues with a stepmother who is clearly out to rule- and make sure that Prynthe and her father are not going to stop her. And Pru? Well, what is Pru's role in all of this?

I do not want to give too much away, but those of us who have followed Terry Brooks and his writings can guess that what we will be reading will be a convoluted story with lots of magic, drama, adventure, and heartbreak. Clearly the three youngsters are the magic wielders and because of that, they will need to renounce various histories and learn to grow up fast. That seems to be the point of every one of Brooks's novels. In this case, we are reading about the land that is becoming Shannara and we are five hundred years after the great war that destroyed the United States and the civilizations of the 20th century. The land has changed quite a bit as have the inhabitants. We already met the trolls in the previous novel so this one introduces more of the inhabitants of the future - like the Moor cat; however, even Brooks can go on flights of fancy at times, and we are re-introduced to a Dragon - which is a new species for the series.

Brooks' writing still has all the strong points that he always had: The sense of dread as the children start figuring out that saving the world is now in their hands; characters that come and go, and sometimes stay that are drawn with a fine hand; characters that are not main ones, but that clearly will play major roles are described and you just know that you will read of them some more; and finally, a nice way of describing the opponents who are always very evil and greedy. In the case of this one, I already mentioned the trolls and the demon, but there are more - some of who appeared already in previous books, and some of whom appeared just in the last book in the series.

The sense of suspense as we read builds as the book goes along with nice intervals where some relaxation of the tension takes place. Of course, the last one hundred pages of the book have non-stop action as everything starts moving faster and faster towards this book's climax. And then, the resolution and the opening of the next set of plot lines to set the stage for the next book in this series. All of this is vintage Brooks and he does a good job in this book. So, why do I not give it five stars? Mainly because his writing has become somewhat formulaic; while he tries his best to change up some things, and add some more grown up themes to this story; it is still a middle book in a Brooks trilogy and the main currents of the book will be familiar to all who read him. So, there was little real suspense and only one or two real surprises for me. That is why I took one star away, but this is still a good book and one that I enjoyed reading. Needless to say, I will be eager to read the next book when it comes out.

Granted, Brooks has taken intense pains in creating a wonderful fantasy world in Shannara. The problem I am having is that I want to discover something new. He has great talent in writing, perhaps a new world (not Landover!) would be the next step?

But this is a nice and fitting end to his Shannara prequels. The reader now has a good feel for the history of Shannara from our near future Earth to destruction and the re-birth of the Earth into a new world. This is the final of the three novels that takes us through the slightly later prequel and bridges the Genesis of Shannara with the original novels and their more recent prequels.

It seems that one might need a timeline to traverse the world of Shannara, but each little grouping of books is rather independent. You might start with the original trilogy (as I did back in the day) and then move on to the Scions series and then go back to one of the prequels or move ahead to some of the sequels.

But as I said, it's a nice book that continues the Legends of Shannara series and ties everything up nicely. If you are new to the world of Shannara then I would say to start with Sword of Shannara and just realize that it was the first novel and that it was heavily edited; or start with the Genesis of Shannara series (Armageddon's Children) for an interesting post apocalyptic style novel. Starting in with this series might lose some readers, but you could start with Bearer's of the Black Staff if you really wanted to...

Regardless, I feel the the Shannara series peaked with The Scions of Shannara series and the rest is very good, yet fails to really capture the intensity of the struggle of that series.

I've been a fan of Terry's since the mid-eighties, and have read every Shannara, Magic Kingdom, and Knight of the Word book that he's written.

The past several books that Mr. Brooks has put out have been lackluster. The characters don't quite make sense, the story lines seem undirected, and the outcomes seem unbelievable. Terry has always been a good writer, so the prose always had a strong polish, but the stories themselves were disappointing.

This book is a reversal of that trend. While not as strong as the Scions storyline (or the original trilogy), this book had strong characters with discernible motivations, a tightly woven storyline, believable outcomes, and a clear direction. While there were some cliches (a mythological beast that saves the day? Really?) and some predictable outcomes (does anyone believe a bearer of the black staff is truly in danger of not accomplishing his goal?), I found this book to be a fun and compelling read, taking me back to the joy of earlier Shannara stories.

The story does have a bit of an open ending that will evidently not get resolved, but I'm okay with that. Those who know the Shannara world ultimately know how it will all end up, even if we don't know some of the details.

To me, this is a bit of a return to the fine storytelling I experienced in earlier Shannara works. If you like Terry Brook, or fantasy in general, I think you'll enjoy this book.

I am a long time fan of Terry Brooks. He has a way with words that grab you and pull you into the story and keep you entranced throughout. The Measure of the Magic does just this. The Characters are well developed and I felt that the book could stand on it's own. I DID NOT read the first book in the duology (Bearers of the Black Staff) because I was not aware of this series until I was offered this book. Keep in mind that I have read all of the other Terry Brooks books and do have knowledge of the Word and the Void, the Demons, The King of the Silver River, the staffs, etc. If you are a new Brooks fan you should definitely start with his first books (and best series to date): The Sword of Shannara Trilogy

If you are a long time Brooks fan like myself, this book is definitely worth the read. While it does not hold up to The Sword of Shannara series and the ending is bitter-sweet (which we all knew it would be), it is a solid read. Brooks includes the use of magic, elfstones, demons, the King of the Silver River, tragic battles and more fantasy elements that transport you to the world that we all love. He also adds a lot of new twists and sacrifices along the way. Based off of the second book alone, I personally liked this series better than the Landover series.

Whether you are new to fantasy, or an old fan: make sure you check out Terry Brooks. He is a great author and definitely worth your time.

Though I gave the first book 4 stars, I considered it one of the weakest of the Shannara series. I found this book to be much better. Overall the storyline for the two books is still weaker than other books in the series, but if you were ok with the first book in this one, you will like this book much better. I think the author better fleshed out characters I was on the fence with (Pan, Prue, Phryne, Bonnaisant). Characters I did not like did not improve enough for me to like them (mostly the Orullians, Isolde and Skeale Eile)He also introduced a new villain (Ragpicker) who was a much better villain to have in this series than the Isolde and Skeale Eile. One area that was weak was I was expecting this book to tie Word and Void and Shannara closer together. Instead it seemed just one step closer. Almost as if these two books were really part of Genesis only. There are still questions to be answered and maybe another series to fully tie them all together.

This marks book 8 of the prequel books (not counting First King) that links the old world with Shannara. With each, he inches a bit closer to the original series. Perhaps a bit too slowly, as we are still many years away. I had hoped the gap would have been closed a bit more. Here, in this book, you can see the beginnings and a few hints to what comes later. Even though this is only a two-parter, it ends as if Brooks will return to this some day. His skipping of many years between each series allows each to stand alone, but long-time readers often wish he would return to examine what happened to thier favorite characters. If you started with Word & the Void, this is the last book for now. Go on to The Sword of Shannara. If you have read none of his books, start there, work forward, then do the prequels. Also get the companion The World of Shannara.

Before reading this book you need to read the preceding book, Bearers of the Black Staff, or you will be lost. This one is NOT a stand-alone read. The story takes place in pre-Shannara. The main characters are in a valley surrounded by mountains and protected from the outside world by powerful magic. However, the magic fails and the outside world starts to come in and of course they are trying to stop this from happening.

Obviously the characters are teenagers whose lives get turned upside down. Their dialogue tended to be dry and boring and they whined and cried a LOT. IMHO the characters felt inconsistent and it was hard to identify them from one another as they all talked alike.

Overall I felt this story seemed incomplete and thrown together w/out enough development to hold my interest. It is probably geared more towards a younger teenager.

This novel is the conclusion to a two-part series that continues to merge the worlds of Mr. Brooks' Shannara novels and the Word and the Void novels. This process began in the last trilogy, the Genesis of Shannara, in which the last Knights of the Word and their allies led remnants of the Elves and other survivors of the Great Wars to a valley that was cocooned in magic and kept safe from demons and the ravages of the end of the old world. The Genesis of Shannara trilogy was Mr. Brooks' strongest work since the original Word & the Void trilogy.

In this novel the magic that shielded the valley for centuries is down, and the inhabitants of the valley are in grave danger from threats within and without the valley. A large troll army is bent on conquering the peoples of the valley, and only a greatly-outnumbered force of Elves has been sent to oppose them. The rest of the people of the valley are too caught up in their own schemes to respond. The last Bearer of the Black Staff, Panterra, who guards the valley with his newly-inherited magic, is torn between attempting to raise a defense of the valley and trying to rescue his good friend, Prue. He also learns that Phryne, the Elven princess that he has feelings for, has been accused of the murder of her father, the King of the Elves, by her scheming stepmother, the Queen. Furthermore, a new danger has come upon the valley: the last demon searches for the last staff bearer to kill him and take his magic.

There are some aspects of Mr. Brooks' style on display here that I have always appreciated: 1) a clean writing style without strong language, sex, etc. that gives me no qualms about recommending it to younger readers; 2) good world-building with the benefit of deep-seated mythology crafted over the course of many novels; 3) good characters and interesting villains.

This novel has its high points with some battles, magic, and monsters, but parts of the novel drag a bit. One problem with this latest series is that Mr. Brooks does not delve very deeply into his world and mythology. This novel seems to run shallowly across the world that he has built. He spends too much time (as usual) delving into the characters' self-doubts and inner demons. I wish the author would spend less time with his characters' pity parties and more time showing us his world, whether it is more monsters, battles, or magic. More action, please, less whining.

I am a pretty big fan of Terry Brooks. I first read the Sword of Shannara about 30 years ago, not long after reading the Lord of the Rings. I thought the original Shannara novels were fantastic, especially Elfstones of Shannara and Wishsong of Shannara. I reread them many times over the years. Later Shannara novels ranged from mediocre to good. I have wondered at times if his writing style is more suited to young adults. I still enjoy his novels, just not as much as I remember enjoying his early novels when I was younger.

I recommend this novel for fans of the series simply because it advances the storyline. I enjoyed it well enough, but I was too conscious of its imperfections. I hope we get more from the next series.

I didn't like the Armageddon's Children series so this was a nice surprise. It's not without it's faults. This didn't need to be two books, especially if you cut out all the fat, ala deep feelings all the characters were having. Story wise, the characters were interesting and in typical Brooks fashion there was a lot going on. I never felt the book was rushed, I think to make it any longer would have dragged it out. It was your typical fantasy novel and entertaining.

The one huge problem I'm starting to have with Brooks books is the deep feelings all his characters are always having. I get that Pan cares deeply for Prue and misses her...okay, done. You've established the impact these characters have for one another so I don't really need the character to have another deep feeling moment every five pages or so. That gets a little tiresome but if you can deal with that the story was enjoyable.

I felt this book was rushed through. Seems it was quickly thrown together to make a few more bucks.

I'd read the original Shannara trilogy years ago and decided to read them all starting with Word/Void trilogy. So far seems Brooks has really lost his writing touch in the years since then. Either I'm overstating how interesting and exciting the originals were or the new books aren't the same. I found this series pretty boring.Bearers of the Black Staff wasn't bad but this one the story seemed to rush through to get through the book. Felt like it was a chick flick with people always talking about their feelings.

Still plan to read the rest of the series but so far feel this series and the Genesis of Shannara trilogy was nothing more then to make a few extra bucks on the Shannara name.

Just finished Measure. I started reading Brooks when Sword of Shannara was his only book. As an Illinois lawyer (like Brooks) of similar age, and longtime fan of Tolkien, CS Lewis, Charles Williams (and, yes, Harry Potter) I have kind of identified with Terry Brooks, and have read all the Shannara books, as well as Word/Void. Though I doubt Brooks's Word/Void series began with a conscious plan to integrate them into the beginnings of the Shannara world, I thought it was really ideal when that effort began. It became apparent in Shannara, as you went along, that its world had evolved from a post-modern apocalypse of some kind, which works well and provides a lot of food for more novels. (I've read Canticle for Liebowitz, Malevil, On the Beach, and a bunch others of that genre as well, and Shannara'a evolution from that world just began to make great sense.) So, I had huge hopes with Genesis that Brooks would link up the world of Word/Void with Shannara. I thought Bearers, and Measure, would finish what Genesis had started in doing that. But, I thought the resolution was left incomplete. Where was this valley? There was no map included, and I could not situate its only Shannara situs, Arborlon, or exactly where in the valley Arborlon was. I was expecting an ending where Panterra and Prue would vanquish the Ragpicker demon (a masterful villain, written about brilliantly) and go off to found Paranor, and Phryne would marry Pan, abdicate, and join him there, elfstones in tow. But, alas, no Paranor, and no anything else from Shannara except for the unlocatable Arborlon. Measure had me really enthused with the love/sexual relationship (first ever for a Brooks book, I think) between Pan and Phryne. But, then she abruptly leaves him, even doubts her having loved him, and dies, leaving that unresolved, too (though her tragic flaw of impetuousness is somewhat redeemed by her heroism in saving the elves from the trolls.) But how can Phryne be queen, which I thought was going to happen, being dead? Why not at least leave her fate unknown, something for Pan (and the rest of us) to hope for. If a heroine should have died, dare I say let it have been Prue, as the ultimate sacrifice in protecting the life of the comrade whom she deeply (though maybe not yet romantically) loved? But, wasn't Sider enough? It was almost like Game of Thrones, where so many of the sympathetic characters I liked are killed off and taken away from us. Well, the lack of a resolution caused me to drop a star from the rating. Still, Measure did add some, if not enough, substance to the Word/Void - Shannara link, and did at least resolve the undead demon that stalked through from Word/Void, and Genesis, to finally, and thankfully be destroyed in this latest volume. Indeed, Measure has a lot of exciting parts, and I believe it truly merits at least 4 stars. How to fix it from here? Maybe don't leap centuries into the future in your next book, past the latest Shannara era, but bring the Hawk's valley into the Duln forests, or Leah, or somewhere in Shannara, and give us the rest of the transition, the dwarves and the gnomes, and the Southlanders, and Paranor, and link Arborlon to where it is supposed to be. Maybe you can do it through Elven diaries and histories that are somehow discovered preserved and un-decomposed. But, why not instead just add a third book to the Bearer - Measure series? Make the demon either survive in spirit to corrupt some of the Glensk Wood or other folks so that they mutate into the evil beings that Brooks created in Shannara? Lots of possibilities there. Nonetheless, Measure was still good, and deserves to be bought and will provide enjoyment when read if you are any kind of fan of Terry Brooks, and I do recommend it.

This was mildly better than okay. Not terrible, but not great by any stretch either.

It picks up RIGHT after the action in the last novel, and things continue in motion.

I wont wreck any surprises that come up, but there really werent any in my opinion, just a lame Deus Ex Machina, or two. Reminded me a bit of one of the Landover novels, but I cant recall which - been too long since I read them.

I will probly still read whatever Brooks grinds out next, but I think he is missing the real potentially intersting points. Why not focus on the origins of the Elf Stones, or the Sword of Shanarra, or even Shanarra... There are a few hints, and I am an experienced enough reader to get the between the lines stuff, I dont need to be hit over the head... But Brooks just seems to be out of touch and recycling old material.
There is the getting of the Elf Stones, but not much on their origin. It just seems like he is missing intersting ideas in favor of rewriting the Word & Void crammed together with Shanarra WOLRD.

Sound familiar?

Overmatched youth and inexperienced magic user(s) overcome evil trolls and a demon who are more experienced and ruthless. I know it is a common enough theme in the fantasy genre, and done well it works. I just got the feeling the author was writing away, wandering all over the place, got too many balls in the air, and introduced the dragon and king of the silver river to bail everyone out.

This Legends of Shannara duology is a prequel to the classic Shannara trilogy but a sequel (about 500 years after) to The Genesis of Shannara trilogy, which is several decades after the Word/Void trilogy. Still with me? Don't worry if you haven't read all the books, but reading Bearers of the Black Staff is mandatory if you'd like to read and enjoy this fine addition to the Shannara canon.

[PREQUEL SPOILERS AHEAD!!]

The Measure of Magic picks up immediately after Bearers of the Black Staff (BOTBS), where the magical seal protecting a valley of humans, elves, and mutants has suddenly eroded, opening up passages to an outside world saturated with hardened creatures that have survived 500 years of post-nuclear apocalypse, and want nothing more than to attack the inhabitants within the valley.

The last descendant of the Knights of the Word, Sider Ament, has done what he can to protect the valley, and died at the conclusion of BOTBS. But now it is up to human trackers Panterra Qu and Prue Liss - both with their own special abilities - and elven princess Phryne Amaratyne, to save the world they hold dear. Their foe is the troll army amassing just outside their valley stronghold, and a new, ominous villain named "the ragpicker," whose feeble frame belies his demonic abilities and powers.

As with other Shannara books, Terry Brooks does a fabulous job providing depth to the location, the characters, and the relationships between all. For good reason, a great deal of time is spent establishing the bond between Panterra and Prue, Similarly, the duplicitous nature of those seeking power is uncovered as evil amongst man and elven jockey for position amidst a world holding onto the threads of magic, monarchy, and legend. And much like others in the series, the slow buildup and deliberate tension is well worth the eventual breakneck pace of the climax. To ride a literary wave, a reader needs to sit through the storyline ripples.

The writing style and narrative - you're either a fan of Brooks' voice or you're not. Me, I happen to like the crisp, realistic narrative that doesn't delve too deeply into lengthy diatribes or thesaurus searches. Short chapters help the storylines along, and enough detail is provided so readers can create some of the fantasy world themselves without being force-fed. Simply put, fantasy fans, and particularly Brooks' fans who have read BOTBS, will like this addition a lot.

Measure of the magic started out really where the first book left off. While reading I expected the usual Shannara set up and was suprised one of the once-men demon survived from the Great Wars. This is mainly the plot of the entire story about the demon trying to wrest the staff from Panterra, as well as focusing on other key characters such as Phryne and Prue.

Really expected the ending to tell about the origins of the Druid magic via the black staff. I mean the Knights of the Word & Druids are so similar. But the story really focused on the present characters rather than laying the magical foundations of the original Four Lands stories. Never really does explain why the Word & Void seemingly just disappear & the Knights fade into obscurity. Oh well....

Overall the books is a decent read and look forward to the Brook's Legacy of Shannara in the future.

For over 30 years, Terry Brooks has been entertaining readers of fantasy with the epic tales of the world of the Four Lands and, specifically, of the family line of Shannara. Within the many pages of histories he lays down, fans have followed the Third War of the Races, trans-oceanic quests, and have been taken back to our modern world and seen its destruction and transformation into the Four Lands. With THE MEASURE OF THE MAGIC, Brooks completes the Legends of Shannara duology and continues to show the melding of the Old World into the world of the Four Lands.

"Brooks still regales the reader with a sense of wonder, mystery and magic. He just keeps doing it better."
The book picks up exactly where the prior installment, THE BEARER OF THE BLACK STAFF, left off. Sider Ament, the aforementioned Bearer and wielder of the power of the Black Staff, is dead. With his dying breath, he has given possession of the Black Staff over to Panterra Qu, a young Tracker. Panterra, though, doesn't know how to unlock the power of the Staff. Time is not on his side, however. The Elf king of Arborlon has been assassinated, and Trolls are massing for an invasion. Elsewhere, Panterra's companion, Prue Liss, is desperately trying to find her way back to safety. Trolls hunt her, but if that were all, it would be bad enough. Coming in their wake is a darker and more sinister foe: The Ragpicker, a Demon bent on locating magic. In particular he seeks the Black Staff, and whomever happens to possess it will fall under his assault.

The main storyline Brooks weaves with Panterra is extraordinarily fun. The tension is ramped up as Panterra struggles to understand the Staff and how to control it. Throw in the mystery and the conspiracy surrounding the death of the King of the Elves, and you have more than enough excitement and intrigue. The scales tip further with the pursuit of the Demon. What you're left with is a page-turner full of action and magic. Watching Panterra earn his stripes as the newest Knight of the Word is worth the adventure alone.

Brooks has written dozens of books in the Shannara line, and they are bricked into snippets of time with gaps between the installments. That actually serves this duology well. It would not be impossible to pick it up and begin to immerse oneself in the world of Shannara. There's enough of a gap between these and the pre-history and post-history that from here you could easily slide in either direction. At the same time, a reader would not be lost in starting with this two-book segment.

Over the past several books, Terry Brooks has really come to take charge of his craft, to hone it and refine it. While still immensely entertaining, he has found a way to make his work more literary. But it never loses its soul. With THE MEASURE OF THE MAGIC, Brooks still regales the reader with a sense of wonder, mystery and magic. He just keeps doing it better.

--- Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard

I have to admit that it has been several years since I have read a work by Terry Brooks, although I generally enjoyed the books in the Shannara series. "The Measure of Magic" is the second in what could be considered a "duo" dealing with a time before the original Shannara series. It is unfortunate that I had not read the first book of the "duo," as it would have added much to my understanding of the situations in this book. My lack of knowledge of the backstory on certain events and circumstances, including relationships betweeen some of the characters, made some of this book somewhat unclear to me upon a first reading. It is not a stand-alone book, but, to be fair to Mr Brooks, it was not intended to be one.

That issue aside, my major criticisms include a hero that I found difficult to identify with, since I personally don't care for reluctant heroes: I am rarely interested in a hero who always wants to go off alone so his friends are not put in danger. It is a trope that wears thin quickly with me. However, I expect that most readers will enjoy the character of Pan, as Brooks created him as a fully rounded individual, not a mere cardboard cutout entitled Reluctant Hero. I also was disappointed in the way the ending was written: throughout the story I was eagerly anticipating a grand confrontation between Good and Evil that was ultimately glossed over. On the positive side, as indicated above, the major characters were well developed: Pan, and, especially, the villain. The storyline was sound, even though I was handicapped by not having read the first book of the short series. I believe that fans of Terry Brooks who have read the first book of the duo will be pleased with this offering. I intend to go back and read the first book myself at some point and become reacquainted with an author who was once a great favorite of mine.

A few tropes you'll encounter in this series
- a young man and woman who grew up together (and view each other like siblings) realizing they might have feelings for each other
- a lonesome wizard-type character who mentors one of the stories heroes.
- a large army of evil trolls
- a rebellious elven princess forced to grow up
- etc

To me it feels like stitched-together cliches. I feel like an adult reading a kid's book. So maybe the problem is me, I'm getting too old for this nonsense.

Anyway, positive points for an overall engaging and interesting story, if you can get past all the eye-rolling cliches.

I'm a rabid Terry Brooks fan and I was happy to see him create a duology that tied in the passing of old world to the new. In this continuation of the "Bearer's of the Black Staff", Brooks reveals more of the new world, damaged by total destruction, forcing the safe haven of men, elves, lizards, and spiders that have been locked away in a protective valley to realize that their world has now changed since the protective walls, which were set in place 500 years ago by a boy known as Hawk have finally fallen away to reveal the polluted, yet changing world outside.

Still ununited as usual, the beings of the valley try to prepare to protect their home, though the evil of a demon, Trolls and a false queen cause much death and destruction. This book was a great tie-in continuing in the Brooks' way of protagonist/antagonist struggling for survival, but blending a bit of both old and new world, combining automatic weapons, old world buildings, and magic such as the staff and elfstones and other forms.

I'm trying not to reveal too much of the story, but I must say, I felt like this, of all the Brooks' books had the strongest love story between two people albeit brief. In the end, I was heartbroken by the outcome and I honestly didn't expect it. Thanks for throwing a wrench into the plot Terry, haha.

I do have to say that I was worried as the pages began winding down because I had a lot of unanswered questions, but in the typical Terry Brooks way, he wrapped it all up seemlessly before the last page. I still feel there is more he could tell before "First King of Shannara" like how did the people of the valley settle into the outside world, how was the Druidic Order formed, and how did the elfstones pass back to the elves or did they just disappear only to be found in "Elfstones of Shannara". But, that may just be bits of history that us Shannara buffs want to know that doesn't require a climactic story to be told within the explanations. Maybe Terry will do some more short stories to fill in the hundreds of years between "Measure" and "First King" to appease the fans.

So, Terry, if you are reading this, it's me, the wishsong singing wineglass breaker and I'd be happy with those short stories:)

All in all I am never disappointed when I get a new Shannara book because I know I''ll be captivated for hours.

I sort of raked the first book over the coals in that the author took many 'easy ways out' using 500 year old tech that should not have been working and ignoring the bigger picture of the novel and focusing on inconsequential details. I am glad to say this book is a major improvement. The author quickly divests characters of old tech, guns, solar powered ATV, and we are squarely in a magic filled, Shanara world. I don't want to spoil but we have a new wielder of the black staff and some exciting changed to characters! Also the introduction of the malevolent "rag picker" is one of Brooks' scariest foes in a long while! My only complaint is I wish this was a 3 part series!!

I started reading Terry Brooks over 15 or 20 years ago when I was in hight school. I was always amazed how easy his prose took me into an enchanted world painted with only words..words of power... words of adventure. Like most of us, I got caught up in the day to day routine of making a living, and I forgot the wonder of everything that I had as a teen. That is until this boook was offered by the Vine Program....and I thought, I remember that author. The magic and wonder within me was still there, and Shannar is still great. Now, I have to caught up on all of the wonderous works of this gifted writer.

This is the second book in the Legends of Shannara duology which is another of the prequel series that takes place before the original Shannara trilogy.

I read this latest book after just finishing "Bearers of the Black Staff" the first book in this short series. I quite enjoyed the first book which in many ways was standard Fantasy fare but written capably. Brooks is very good at creating solid characters that you care about and want to find out what happens next. "The Measure of the Magic" does add quite a lot of escalation to the first novel. The first book ends with a very serious situation of an invasion coming into the valley that had been protected for 500 years. A new danger enters onto the scene that is much more serious and a greater threat to the new holder of the Black Staff and his friend and companion. This really adds to the story and makes it something more than just the end of the duo logy wrapping up previous plot points.

I really liked the character development and the sacrifices some of the characters made and the book is more bitter-sweet than the other novels in the series. Other plot elements and new characters round up the story. Considering the young age of the main characters this novel though does feel more like a transitional novel than the end of the duology. The characters were certainly strong enough for a continuation of the story and I certainly liked it enough to have wanted this to be more than a duology, but there always has to be a cutting of point when working with young heroes such as the Harry Potter series.

If you like Terry Brooks style I am confident you will enjoy this addition. I had forgotten how much I liked his writings and need to go back and read the other series again in the Shannara world.

This review is based on an Advance Uncorrected Proof provided to me by the the store Vine program.

I am a huge fan of the original Shannara trilogy. I read them in either late Elementary or Middle school. I loved them at the time, and still love them today. Somehow, I never quite understood the timeline, until reading the Word and Void series. Today, I love these modern fantasy books, like the Word and Void. This book takes place in our future and the past for The Sword of Shannara. The world has experienced a major war, but for 500 years a community has been successful and peaceful hidden in a valley, until now. Their magical wall has fallen, Trolls have found them, and a Demon has sensed their Knight of the Word.

This book follows two human teens who are way braver than their fellow villagers.

The book was good, but not great. As a said on another forum, it just doesn't have the magic (pun intended) of the original trilogy.

Everything I've read says that this is the second book of a duology, but it sure ends like there's more story to tell. It will be interesting to see what Terry Brooks comes up with. I will keep reading the Shannara books, looking for that magic.

After reading "Bearers of the Black Staff" I was eagerly looking forward to reading the conclusion. I've been a fan of Brooks' worlds (both Shannara & Landover) for three decades. The end of "Measure of the Magic" left me wanting and somewhat disappointed. It seemed to me missing something that I'd previously enjoyed when visiting the Shannara world, I'm not even sure what that really is. All I know is when I finished the last chapter, I set down the book with a sigh of discontent. I've never had that happen before with one of Terry Brooks' novels, so I really do hope it's just a one-time thing.

Another good read from Terry Brooks. If you are an avid follower you will want to read this book. Brooks has the gift of his characters becoming lasting memories. It can be a few years before he comes out with another book in a series and as I read it I do not have to learn about the character all over again. One thing I would say to someone that likes fantasy but has not read any of his books, get a list of all of his books and read them in order.

Unlike the tepid Bearers of the Black Staff, here Brooks returns to his classic style. Measure of the Magic contains a lot more action, mayhem, and short-lived characters, reading much like his earlier volumes.

As a long-time Terry Brooks fan, I was excited when the "Genesis of Shannara" series came out, tying together the Shannara world that helped introduce me to modern Fantasy, with Brooks' wonderfully edgy "Word and Void" series. The Genesis trilogy was richly interesting, with deeply wrought characters, filled with constant action woven into the backstory for Brooks' best known worlds.

But the next series started with a disappointing dull flop (Bearers); Measure of the Magic redeems the duology, but still contains a lot fewer epic battles, less magic, less relics of technology, than Brooks' previous series. The relatively slow pacing and being the "middle of the story" makes this a poor place for new readers to begin, but dedicated fans won't want to miss this one. Recommended.

In the words of my older son, the resident Shannara expert in my home:

In this sequel to BEARERS OF THE BLACK STAFF, Terry Brooks fills in more gaps between his separate universes, showing the evolution of his world of Shannara from our modern world. Long-time followers of Brooks' Shannara universe will enjoy the book for Brooks' further character development of figures from his previous work. While the prose at times appears rushed, Brooks' initiating the development of the Shannara cultures makes me eager to read the next installment.

I sort of raked the first book over the coals in that the author took many 'easy ways out' using 500 year old tech that should not have been working and ignoring the bigger picture of the novel and focusing on inconsequential details. I am glad to say this book is a major improvement. The author quickly divests characters of old tech, guns, solar powered ATV, and we are squarely in a magic filled, Shanara world. I don't want to spoil but we have a new wielder of the black staff and some exciting changed to characters! Also the introduction of the malevolent "rag picker" is one of Brooks' scariest foes in a long while! My only complaint is I wish this was a 3 part series!!

I started reading Terry Brooks over 15 or 20 years ago when I was in hight school. I was always amazed how easy his prose took me into an enchanted world painted with only words..words of power... words of adventure. Like most of us, I got caught up in the day to day routine of making a living, and I forgot the wonder of everything that I had as a teen. That is until this boook was offered by the Vine Program....and I thought, I remember that author. The magic and wonder within me was still there, and Shannar is still great. Now, I have to caught up on all of the wonderous works of this gifted writer.

This is the second book in the Legends of Shannara duology which is another of the prequel series that takes place before the original Shannara trilogy.

I read this latest book after just finishing "Bearers of the Black Staff" the first book in this short series. I quite enjoyed the first book which in many ways was standard Fantasy fare but written capably. Brooks is very good at creating solid characters that you care about and want to find out what happens next. "The Measure of the Magic" does add quite a lot of escalation to the first novel. The first book ends with a very serious situation of an invasion coming into the valley that had been protected for 500 years. A new danger enters onto the scene that is much more serious and a greater threat to the new holder of the Black Staff and his friend and companion. This really adds to the story and makes it something more than just the end of the duo logy wrapping up previous plot points.

I really liked the character development and the sacrifices some of the characters made and the book is more bitter-sweet than the other novels in the series. Other plot elements and new characters round up the story. Considering the young age of the main characters this novel though does feel more like a transitional novel than the end of the duology. The characters were certainly strong enough for a continuation of the story and I certainly liked it enough to have wanted this to be more than a duology, but there always has to be a cutting of point when working with young heroes such as the Harry Potter series.

If you like Terry Brooks style I am confident you will enjoy this addition. I had forgotten how much I liked his writings and need to go back and read the other series again in the Shannara world.

This review is based on an Advance Uncorrected Proof provided to me by the the store Vine program.

I am a huge fan of the original Shannara trilogy. I read them in either late Elementary or Middle school. I loved them at the time, and still love them today. Somehow, I never quite understood the timeline, until reading the Word and Void series. Today, I love these modern fantasy books, like the Word and Void. This book takes place in our future and the past for The Sword of Shannara. The world has experienced a major war, but for 500 years a community has been successful and peaceful hidden in a valley, until now. Their magical wall has fallen, Trolls have found them, and a Demon has sensed their Knight of the Word.

This book follows two human teens who are way braver than their fellow villagers.

The book was good, but not great. As a said on another forum, it just doesn't have the magic (pun intended) of the original trilogy.

Everything I've read says that this is the second book of a duology, but it sure ends like there's more story to tell. It will be interesting to see what Terry Brooks comes up with. I will keep reading the Shannara books, looking for that magic.

After reading "Bearers of the Black Staff" I was eagerly looking forward to reading the conclusion. I've been a fan of Brooks' worlds (both Shannara & Landover) for three decades. The end of "Measure of the Magic" left me wanting and somewhat disappointed. It seemed to me missing something that I'd previously enjoyed when visiting the Shannara world, I'm not even sure what that really is. All I know is when I finished the last chapter, I set down the book with a sigh of discontent. I've never had that happen before with one of Terry Brooks' novels, so I really do hope it's just a one-time thing.

Another good read from Terry Brooks. If you are an avid follower you will want to read this book. Brooks has the gift of his characters becoming lasting memories. It can be a few years before he comes out with another book in a series and as I read it I do not have to learn about the character all over again. One thing I would say to someone that likes fantasy but has not read any of his books, get a list of all of his books and read them in order.

Unlike the tepid Bearers of the Black Staff, here Brooks returns to his classic style. Measure of the Magic contains a lot more action, mayhem, and short-lived characters, reading much like his earlier volumes.

As a long-time Terry Brooks fan, I was excited when the "Genesis of Shannara" series came out, tying together the Shannara world that helped introduce me to modern Fantasy, with Brooks' wonderfully edgy "Word and Void" series. The Genesis trilogy was richly interesting, with deeply wrought characters, filled with constant action woven into the backstory for Brooks' best known worlds.

But the next series started with a disappointing dull flop (Bearers); Measure of the Magic redeems the duology, but still contains a lot fewer epic battles, less magic, less relics of technology, than Brooks' previous series. The relatively slow pacing and being the "middle of the story" makes this a poor place for new readers to begin, but dedicated fans won't want to miss this one. Recommended.

In the words of my older son, the resident Shannara expert in my home:

In this sequel to BEARERS OF THE BLACK STAFF, Terry Brooks fills in more gaps between his separate universes, showing the evolution of his world of Shannara from our modern world. Long-time followers of Brooks' Shannara universe will enjoy the book for Brooks' further character development of figures from his previous work. While the prose at times appears rushed, Brooks' initiating the development of the Shannara cultures makes me eager to read the next installment.

I have been a fan of Terry Brooks' books for years and have loved the way his stories sort of suck you in, transport you to a different time and you just can't put them down. This one, sadly, fell short for me. The story seemed to delve too much into teenage angsty feelings, as if I were reading something directed more towards a teen reader than an adult. Most characters weren't developed as well as they usually are and I think there were some interesting people who deserved a bit more 'page' time. The rushed yet rather open ending makes me wonder if there will be another book or series to follow, seeing the elves and the humans move out of the valley and start some of the places we are familiar with in stories that take place in the future. If you are a new reader to Brooks, this book is not the place to start; if you are just getting started and this is your second novel of Mr. Brooks, keep reading, the Shannara series is a great escape!

This can't be written by Terry Brooks. It is missing his descriptive verbage. This reminded me of a 7th grade essay instead of a college manuscript. The story held promise. But I love Terry Brooks' books for there amazing descriptive quality that draws you into a realm of beauty and suspenseful fantasy. just compare the first page of all of his books to this one and you'll agree that he is not the author.

Terry Brooks's latest addition to the land of Shannara is both intriguing and saddening. Where part one deals with Sider, the final remaining Knight of the Word, this one deals with Panterra Qu, his designated heir. I'll keep this review short, but I'd like to say that while this isn't as amazing as something like 'Voyage', 'Wishsong', 'Genesis', or even the highest of his books 'Elfstones' this duology was certainly a decent addition to this universe. The end is anticlimactic but proves wrong the theory that he can't make himself write a bittersweet ending. He's received criticism for that in the past but he's shown here that he is more than capable. I recommend this.

As another reviewer already said, as I finished this absolutely excellent addition to the world of Shannara, I really wished it had been more than just a duology. I can take heart knowing that I probably won't have to wait long before another will hit the shelves, but I think you get the idea.

I've been easily one of Terry's bigger supporters (at least IMO) since I first read his original 'Sword' back in 1978-79...so yes, that IS a long time to like someones writing. In all honesty, in all that time, I don't think that I have felt disappointed in ANY of his novels that I've read. The closest I came was about 50 pages away from the ending of 'The Scions' when I suddenly realized there was simply NO WAY he could wrap the storyline up so quickly. It was quite upsetting because up 'til then, each of the previous Shannara novels had been self-contained stories. Now that I am more familiar with his cliff-hangers, I was almost disappointed that this one in fact ended...but not too much. Don't worry, I'll get over it.

For the hard-core fans of Shannara, I believe this story in particular reminded me more of his earlier novels than he's written in quite some time, but that could be just my interpretation, who knows. Personally, I really enjoyed the 'Bearers of the Black Staff' so much that I was really looking forward to this one (but then again, I suppose there really isn't such a thing as a Brooks novel I'm NOT excited about). Terry did not disappoint...as usual.

I really liked how this one picked up quite literally as the first novel left off--something I really appreciated. I am constantly impressed at how individually different Terry manages to make each of his Main characters, while in keeping with the 'Spirit' of the Shannara Universe. The story's plots were very well handled, which is even more impressive when you realize how many story threads there are floating around from a series he's essentially been writing since 1977 and NEVER intended to link together. It shows the tremendous growth as a writer which has continually evolved since his first novel was published. I understand some are not as invested in these characters as maybe I am, and thats okay. Everyones opinions are different, and thats okay, too. Personally, I feel that if you have followed Terry for as long as I have and you still count yourself a big fan, you will find plenty to like/love within the pages of this latest adventure.

As always, I can hardly wait to see where this series goes to next. Terry still remains one of my all-time favorite writers--and with novels like this one, its easy to see why.

In typical Brooks fashion, this story is well thought out, well rounded, and flowing. There are threads that link the beginning of the book to the end, and themes that carry on throughout.

However, unlike some of his other books, this story is very slow throughout most of it's journey. The pace picks up at the important moments, but the prose doesn't move as well during this book as during others.

However, an immensly enjoyable read, and one that hints very strongly at further books to come.

The story starts out introducing the Ragpicker--an outstanding villain. Unfortunately, it goes downhill from there. I was a big fan of Brooks' early Shannara books, but I'm terribly disappointed in this last version, which I consider to be lazy writing. The King of the Silver River is used to tell the reader things that a more artful author would have accomplished by showing us, not telling us. In two separate parts of the book, while in the villain's point-of-view, he says things like, "if only ... had known that.." and, again, lazily tells, instead of showing, the reader what is happening. If his next book is no better than this one, I fear I'll have to stop reading Brooks. I'm a writer of epic fantasy myself, and Terry was the inspiration of my first novel; and sadly, his writing has come to this.

I had already read the first book in this 2 part story and enjoyed it very much. This second half was well written with some surprises I didn't see coming (and a few I did).

I have been a fan of Terry Brooks since "The Sword of Shannara" so I am an old reader of his material. Before reading this I would go to the prequels to this story starting with "A Knight of the Word".

Terry Brooks comes highly recommended.

I usually enjoy Terry Brook's books, and couldn't believe how disappointing I found this book. The characters were predictable and not very interesting. The plot was simplistic and it was difficult to engage with the story. The writing was repetitive and I felt that many of his scenarios were taken from other books and then tweaked. The characters that were the most interesting did not survive the series.

If you've enjoyed reading the previous Shannara books by Terry Brooks, then I probably don't have to convince you to read this one.

I'll admit that these Prequels didn't hold my attention the same way most of the other books in the series did; but, at the same time, I would definitely recommend reading them if you're a fan of the series.

This book did not disappoint! Great character development and an intriguing storyline made this book a pleasure to read. It felt like I was right there with the characters, going through the adventure myself.

This book and its prequel are a good introduction to the world of Shannara. In this book, Brooks finishes the story he starts in the first book and does a good job of resolving the cliffhangers. I found the characters engaging, particularly the main antagonist. The author does a good job of showing how each of the characters grow as a result of their adventures, as well as showing how they adapt to a larger world than they'd previously known. Overall a good book. I recommend it and the previous one as a way to start exploring the Shannara universe.

Pretty much the same formula in all his books, when it looks bad, good always wins regardless. Even the big final battle was over in a page or so. Just never really settled in. Maybe just getting bored with these books.

Its unfair for me to rate this because I haven't read it yet. I was planning on adding the dualogy to my Kindle soon, but there's no way I - or anyone - should have to pay $14 for an ebook. When are the publishers going to learn?

The Measure of Magic by Terry Brooks was excellcent reading. I have used all his writing one time or another in my classroom, as I taught males. What is interesting is he goes from one generation to another. So the novel continues. It is great reading.

For five centuries the survivors of the Great Wars (see the Genesis of Shannara saga) lived in peace and harmony. Magic hid their haven from the devastated and lethal rest of the world. However, recently the magical barriers have failed and outside malevolent forces have invaded the valley.

Sider Ament possesses the last black staff of power. He has lived his life protecting those in the valley. Now as he is near death, Sider gives the powerful black staff to young tracker Panterra Qu, the recently chosen Knight of the Word. Panterra must defend the sanctuary against evil trolls though he has no idea how to use the staff. At the same time someone assassinated the Arborlon Elf king with his daughter Princess Phryne Amarantyne accused of patricide. Finally Panterra faces a nameless ruthless killer who lives to take the black staff from the corpse of the current owner.

The Measure of the Magic is an exciting Shannara's prehistory fantasy, but saga fans must read the previous entry (see Bearers of the Black Staff) to fully comprehend how the magical walls came crumbling down. The story line is fast-paced with Panterra a fascinating protagonist who reminds this reviewer of when a dying Abin Sur "gives" the ring to chosen Hal Jordan (see Showcase comic book 22) as neither feel worthy. Loaded with action, Terry Brooks provides a strong entry in his enthralling epic series.

Harriet Klausner

I enjoyed the storyline, but the ending seemed wrong. This is the story of a young man who is a tracker becomes Knight of the Word without any say so or training and his tracker partners who uses magic but with a price.
It is also about a young queen who also sacrificed everything for magic. But what happened to the people that went back to their homes? With the barriers down are they okay when monster and other evil things come for them?
I guess the ‘Measure of Magic’ is how you accept the magic and how much you are willing to give up to use the magic(?).
Not as good as Terry Brook’s other books.