The Elf Queen of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara #3)
- Book Review,
by Terry Brooks
From Publishers Weekly
Finely tuned and occasionally elegiac, this third volume of Brooks's projected Heritage of Shannara tetralogy follows Wren Ohmsford in her search for the last of the Elves, part of the quest set for her by the shade of the Druid Allanon as her role in saving the world from destruction by the mysterious Shadowen. Wren and her nonspeaking, telepathic Rover mentor Garth find the Elves in their city of Arborlon threatened by monsters they created themselves in an attempt to revive their ancient magic. After Wren's true lineage is revealed--she is a granddaughter of the queen of the Elves--the girl agrees to lead a small band of companions in a desperate gamble to save her people and fulfill her mission. Wren must overcome her fear of the famous Shannara Elfstones and then learn to manipulate their powers if she is to succeed. Meanwhile, her cousin Walker Boh succumbs to his destiny in the ancient Druid city of Paranor, while Par Ohmsford, with Walker and Wren the third of the "children of Shannara," is further endangered by the sinister Rimmer Dall. Brooks's prose becomes more fluid and his world becomes more complex, ambiguous and credible with each volume. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From AudioFile
The Druid spirit, Allanon, orders Wren to find the Elves and return them to the land of men which they left more than a hundred years ago. Wren and her friend, Garth, assume this impossible task and go to a demon-haunted jungle. Theodore Bikel's deep, resonant voice tinged with a soft, strange accent heightens the suspense of this well-told tale. Music and sound effects are well-integrated into the story, and Bikel's range of vocal impressions separates the many characters. The third in a trilogy, the book also stands well on its own. P.A.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
From Kirkus Reviews
The latest addition to The Heritage of Shannara tetralogy, the separate quests of Wren, Coll, and Par Ohmsford, and their uncle Walker Boh, proceeding as ordained by the dead Druid, Allanon. Wren, with her faithful giant deaf-mute sidekick, Garth, has been charged with restoring the vanished Elves; the latter, she discovers, are beset by evil beasties and hiding behind magical barriers in their city Arborlon on the island Morrowindl, which is destroying itself in a volcanic eruption. In Arborlon, Wren learns that she's actually an Elf, the granddaughter of Queen Ellenroh, and it is her task to bring Arborlon back to the mainland concealed inside a magic jewel, the Loden. Coll, meanwhile, escapes--or so he thinks--from the clutches of the evil Shadowen leader, Rimmer Dall, only to lead the latter straight to Coll's brother Par; and Walker Boh rediscovers Paranor, the lost city of the Druids, by becoming a Druid himself, albeit against his will. Fancy and mostly agreeable stage-setting for the showdown to come in book four. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
"If Harry Potter has given you a thirst for fantasy and you have not discovered the magic of Terry Brooks, you are in for a treat."
"If you were delighted and entranced by Michael Ende's The Never Ending Story, you will definitely want to sample one of more of Terry Brooks's books."
Review
"If Harry Potter has given you a thirst for fantasy and you have not discovered the magic of Terry Brooks, you are in for a treat."
"If you were delighted and entranced by Michael Ende's The Never Ending Story, you will definitely want to sample one of more of Terry Brooks's books."
Book Description
"Find the Elves and return them to the world of Men!" the shade of the Druid Allanon had ordered Wren.
It was clearly an impossible task. The Elves had been gone from the Westland for more than a hundred years. There was not even a trace of their former city of Arborlon left to mark their passing. No one in the Esterland knew of them -- except, finally, the Addershag.
The blind old woman had given instructions to find a place on the coast of the Blue Divide, build a fire, and keep it burning for three days. "One will come for you."
Tiger Ty, the Wing Rider, had come on his giant Roc to carry Wren and her friend Garth to the only clear landing site on the island of Morrowindl, where, he said, the Elves might still exist, somewhere in the demon-haunted jungle.
Now she stood within that jungle, remembering the warning of the Addershag: "Beward, Elf-girl. I see danger ahead for you . . . and evil beyond imagining." It had proved all too true.
Wren stood with her single weapon of magic, listening as demons evil beyond all imagining gathered for attack. How long could she resist?
And if, by some miracle, she reached the Elves and could convince them to return, how could they possibly retrace her perilous path to reach the one safe place on the coast?
From the Inside Flap
"Find the Elves and return them to the world of Men!" the shade of the Druid Allanon had ordered Wren.
It was clearly an impossible task. The Elves had been gone from the Westland for more than a hundred years. There was not even a trace of their former city of Arborlon left to mark their passing. No one in the Esterland knew of them -- except, finally, the Addershag.
The blind old woman had given instructions to find a place on the coast of the Blue Divide, build a fire, and keep it burning for three days. "One will come for you."
Tiger Ty, the Wing Rider, had come on his giant Roc to carry Wren and her friend Garth to the only clear landing site on the island of Morrowindl, where, he said, the Elves might still exist, somewhere in the demon-haunted jungle.
Now she stood within that jungle, remembering the warning of the Addershag: "Beward, Elf-girl. I see danger ahead for you . . . and evil beyond imagining." It had proved all too true.
Wren stood with her single weapon of magic, listening as demons evil beyond all imagining gathered for attack. How long could she resist?
And if, by some miracle, she reached the Elves and could convince them to return, how could they possibly retrace her perilous path to reach the one safe place on the coast?
From the Back Cover
"If Harry Potter has given you a thirst for fantasy and you have not discovered the magic of Terry Brooks, you are in for a treat."
"If you were delighted and entranced by Michael Ende's The Never Ending Story, you will definitely want to sample one of more of Terry Brooks's books."
About the Author
A writer since high school, Terry Brooks published his first novel, The Sword of Shannara, in 1977. It was a New York Times bestseller for more than five months. He has published seventeen consecutive bestsellers since, including The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch and the novel based upon the screenplay and story by George Lucas: Star Wars®: Episode I The Phantom Menace™. His novels Running with the Demon and A Knight of the Word were each selected by the Rocky Mountain News as one of the best science fiction/ fantasy novels of the twentieth century.
The author was a practicing attorney for many years but now writes full-time. He lives with his wife, Judine, in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii.
Visit us online at www.shannara.com.
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