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Loading... The Darkling Childby Terry Brooks
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Not quite as good as High Druid's Blade, but I still flew through the book in just a few sittings. I'm totally into the Shannara series, I have been since I was in grade school. Arcannen is a fun villain, there some genuinely visceral moments in the book and some colorful characters, along with a ton of fantasy tropes, young romance and familiar story beats. I will say this felt really different than other Shannara books, far less epic and more lean, far smaller in scale and I really appreciated that. Older Shannara books were almost always about saving the entire world, whereas the last few have been about a select few characters and it's a nice change of pace. Somehow, this series is not as all encompassing as the usual Shannara books - and I have read and own ALL of them. The 'epic fantasy' feel of multi-cultural elements is lacking. I miss encounters with all the other races. This series centers around the Druids and the Southland and somehow doesn't have the adventure I am used to encountering in this world. I will of course read the third book in the trilogy to see how it ends...and because I have already bought it! While still an entertaining listen, this book was somewhat of a disappointment as I didn't feel that the story was enhanced in a meaningful way from the initial book in this series. The main character went from someone struggling to find there way to mostly a failure at anything attempted in this novel. 3.5 stars for remaining an entertaining story. I have been a fan of Terry Brooks since I read 'The Sword of Shannara' many years ago. I eagerly await each new book, which I can devour within a couple of days. I have however been less impressed with his more recent books and in particular this latest one 'The Darkling Child'. Brooks' strength has been his ability to transport the reader to a world of magic, myth and swordplay, with strong characters who you care about and engaging themes. This latest book felt as if it was one chapter stretched out into a book at the end of which I still don't know who the Darkling child is. Please bring back the old Druid styles and magic we have come to love from the world of Shannara. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesShannara Universe: Chronological (27 (Defenders of Shannara 2)) Belongs to Publisher SeriesShannara Trilogy (Band 34)
Fantasy.
Fiction.
Science Fiction.
Thriller.
HTML:From New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks comes a thrilling stand-alone novel in his legendary Shannara series??the perfect place for new readers to begin. After taking up his enchanted sword against the dark sorcerer Arcannen, Paxon Leah has become the sworn protector of the Druid order. Now a critical hour is at hand, as a beloved High Druid nears the end of her reign and prepares to pass from the mortal world to the one beyond. There is little time for Paxon to mourn his friend and benefactor before duty summons him. For in a distant corner of the Four Lands, the magic of the wishsong has been detected. Paxon must accompany a Druid emissary to find its source??and ensure the formidable power is not wielded by the wrong hands. But danger is already afoot in the village of Portlow. Gentle traveling minstrel Reyn Frosch possesses the uncanny gift, and curse, of the wishsong. And now his coveted abilities have captured the malevolent interest of none other than Arcannen??whose quest for power is exceeded only by his thirst for vengeance. The lone survivor of a brutal assault on a notorious pirate city, the sorcerer is determined to retaliate against the Federation??s elite military guard??and use the devastating power of the wishsong as his ultimate weapon. Praise for The Darkling Child ??Brimming with magic . . . a bubbling cauldron of fantasy and intrigue. This novel shines best through a full-bodied embrace of its most wildly imaginative magic and artifice, which is careful not to overshadow the story??s greater half, fueled by a complex but well-constructed manifold of motives. The intrigue, grounded in a world that strays just enough from a traditional fantasy universe to elicit delighted curiosity, guarantees a solid fantasy read, especially for those already drawn into Brooks??s vast world of Shannara.???Booklist ??Brooks??s fans and those who prefer their fantasy on a smaller scale will appreciate the more personal but still high-stakes turn in this famous world.???Publishers Weekly Praise for Terry Brooks ??The Sword of Shannara is an unforgettable and wildly entertaining epic, animated by Terry Brooks??s cosmically generative imagination and storytelling joy.???Karen Russell, New York Times bestselling author of Swamplandia! ??If Tolkien is the grandfather of modern fantasy, Terry Brooks is its favorite uncle.???Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author of The Desert Spear ??I can??t even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks??s books I??ve read (and reread) over the years. From Shannara to Landover, his work was a huge part of my childhood.???Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind ??Terry Brooks is a master of the craft and a trailblazer who established fantasy as a viable genre. He is required reading.???Brent Weeks, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Angel Trilogy ??The Shannara books were among the first to really capture my imagination. My daydreams and therefore my stories will always owe a debt to Terry Brooks.???Br No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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Having grown up reading Brooks' Shannara series (all of them) each time he comes up with another story from that universe, I get a little crazy. I find it awesome how he is able to share these stories, and they are intermixed in a large timeline in Shannara, but are all inter-connected. Brooks' writing style, as always, is easy to read for adults and young readers, with little or no extra narrative needed to explain concepts. I really like the book cover art, too.
As most books, this ARC was given to me from the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra, in exchange for a review through Netgalley.com. ( )