Tanequil

Tanequil—a shimmering gem in Terry Brooks’ illustrious crown of fantasy. As a devoted reader since the '70s, I can’t help but marvel at how Brooks continues to weave magic into his tales. 🌟

In this second installment of The High Druid of Shannara trilogy, we journey deeper into the Four Lands. The characters—like old friends—return, their destinies entwined. Penn Ohmsford, the reluctant hero, inches closer to his fateful encounter with the enigmatic Tanequil. Grianne Ohmsford, once the Ilse Witch, grapples with her past and the weight of leadership. And the Druids, oh, the Druids—they scheme and plot, their ancient knowledge a double-edged sword. 🌿

Brooks’ prose remains as clear as a mountain stream, his storytelling show more seasoned with nostalgia. The stakes rise, secrets unfurl, and the Four Lands tremble. If you seek adventure, magic, and a touch of melancholy—the hallmark of Brooks’ craft—Tanequil awaits. show less

Tanequil—a shimmering gem in Terry Brooks’ illustrious crown of fantasy. As a devoted reader since the '70s, I can’t help but marvel at how Brooks continues to weave magic into his tales. 🌟

In this second installment of The High Druid of Shannara trilogy, we journey deeper into the Four Lands. The characters—like old friends—return, their destinies entwined. Penn Ohmsford, the reluctant hero, inches closer to his fateful encounter with the enigmatic Tanequil. Grianne Ohmsford, once the Ilse Witch, grapples with her past and the weight of leadership. And the Druids, oh, the Druids—they scheme and plot, their ancient knowledge a double-edged sword. 🌿

Brooks’ prose remains as clear as a mountain stream, his storytelling show more seasoned with nostalgia. The stakes rise, secrets unfurl, and the Four Lands tremble. If you seek adventure, magic, and a touch of melancholy—the hallmark of Brooks’ craft—Tanequil awaits. Read it by candlelight, my friends, and let the shadows dance across the pages. show less

The second book of the High Druid of Shannara series is arguably better than the first - Brooks manages to bring up the quality of the book by cutting down references to the previous series, The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, and giving some air time to the Elves - and ends in a cliff hanger that had me reaching for book three immediately.

The highlight of Tanequil is the character growth. Brooks has developed a trademark style of writing about teens who have no clue about their place in the world, and takes them on perilous journeys so they can figure it out, but with Pen, Brooks follows someone who knows his power and is comfortable with it, who is well versed in his ancestry, and who is politically and socially aware. Penderrin's show more challenge has been one of leadership and self confidence, and this book focusses on it by dropping Cinnaminson into his care and placing the lives of the small company in his hands. Pen adapts and learns refreshingly quickly, and doesn't wallow in his misfortunes like some of the other Shannara protagonists were prone to.

Khyber Elessdil, determined to take over the role her uncle left behind, also undergoes some major developments, and she quickly becomes the voice of reason and caution for the group. It's a bit clichéd, given that she's an Elf, but given the sage-like qualities of her Arhen, with whom she was very close, I think it can be forgiven. Brooks finally allows us a look into the Elven kingdom in this book, and it's clear that the Elves are in trouble given their current monarch. I liked that the Elves aren;t impeachable in this scenario - perhaps after centuries of sustained contact with humans, they have become susceptible to human foibles. In any case, I'm a big fan of this incarnation of the Captain of the Home Guard, and interested in the tantalising details Brooks has dropped about his relationship with the Queen. I look forward to this angle being explored in the last book of the series.

There are still far too much recounting of Shannara history for my liking - I know the rationale is that new readers and those who read the previous books a long time ago will benefit from the recaps, but I find them tiresome. The issue is that High Druid is set only 20 years from the events in Voyage - this is a comparatively tiny gap between Shannara series - and I feel like I'm reading one series spanning six books, rather than two that contain three books each. Brooks focusses a lot on what happened in the Voyage series: Bek and his wife reminisce about it, the Elves still haven't gotten over the betrayal they chose to see, and the world's politics has stagnated.

Tanequil is a great sequel to Jarka Ruus and surpasses its predecessor for entertainment value. It doesn't suffer second-book-syndrome (when the second book feels like filler material until the finale), but does focus too much on retelling the past. The previous series left me doubting whether Terry Brooks could pull off any more Shannara books, but this novel contains the spark that I felt Voyage lacked. A must read for fans of the series, but interested newcomers would benefit immensely beginning the adventure with The Sword of Shannara and continuing the behemoth of a series in publication order (a personal preference, but you can also see Terry Brook's recommended reading orders for newcomers and revisiting readers, or read the books in the canonical chronological order). show less

After the Voyage of Jerle Shannara I was left disappointed that Brooks had somehow maintained a formula, but the magic of the company's tale was not as stong as his previous work. With the first book in the High Druid of Shannara series, Jarka Ruus, came a stronger storyline, a more entangling series of events and an underlying political plotline which allowed Brooks' mastery to come forth. In Tanequil it all moves up a notch. It's fast paced, full of backstabbing, intrigue, character development and, of course, magic. It's compulsive emotionally charged reading. The only regret you'll have is finishing it and not having Straken to read.

This is the 2nd of the High Druid of Shannara trilogy, and the 13th Shannara book overall. It picks up where Jarka Ruus left off, with the young duo of Pen, who can communicate with plants and animals, and Khyber, who wields the Elfstones, set to rescue Cinnaminson, the blind Rover girl, then find the Tanequil and get a branch from it, which in turn is supposed to help Pen rescue his aunt, the Ard Rhys, who's been imprisoned in The Forbidding.

Again, it's pretty standard fantasy fare. I preferred the scenes with the Ard Rhys in the Forbidding, as she tries to understand why she's there and figure out how to save herself, and is tested by the demon lord. I also enjoyed the scenes with the conspirators, as things go awry with them, and show more those who thought they were in control find that maybe they're not.

The main storyline, though, fell kind of flat, as it did with Jarka Ruus, though I didn't realize what was bothering me until I read this one. It was the character of Cinnaminson. I kept expecting, then wanting, then hoping that she would end up betraying them. Otherwise, she was like the princess in The Neverending Story--weak and pitiful, but hey, at least she's pretty. Betraying them, even accidentally, would have given her some depth, but she's just bland and boring, and Pen is "in love" with her in the way only young boys are with pretty girls they think they can save. She's pretty much the sacrificial lamb of the story, and just about as interesting.

I'm hoping the third book will liven things up a bit, but it's still solid, entertaining fantasy. show less

For me, this might have been the best book of the series. Even though it reminded me of Elfstones in places, I still found the characters and the plot to be compelling. If you are a Brooks fan, and like his simple, clear characters and straightforward plots, you'll enjoy this one.

Gostei muito. Este 2º volume da Trilogia High Druid of Shannara desenvolve o local para onde foi enviada a Ard Rhys/Grianne Ohmsford e as dificuldades que se lhe deparam em sobreviver e não reverter à selvajaria e frieza da Ilse Witch.
É-nos revelado também porque razão foi Grianne Ohmsford enviada por troca para um local tão assustador.
Ao mesmo tempo, é-nos apresentada a falta de bom-senso que se verifica nos cargos de maior responsabilidade e que leva ao massacre de inocentes. Mas o mais poderoso no livro é a caminhada do jovem Pen Ohmsford e a descoberta daquilo que ele tem dentro dele e como ele pode ajudar a salvar a tia.