The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Morgawr FROM OUR EDITORS
The Barnes & Noble Review
Terry Brooks -- whose first novel, The Sword of Shannara, became an
instant bestseller upon its release in the late 1970s -- is the author of
scads of popular fantasy novels. While the author's ongoing appeal is due to his
quick-flowing prose, action-packed sequences, and colorful characters, he
owes much of his success to his strict concordance with the "epic quest"
model established by J.R.R. Tolkien 40 years earlier.
But give the man some credit -- Brooks writes a killer yarn. (He has millions
of diehard fans to prove it.) And while his stories rely heavily on
Tolkien-esque elements (such as arduous journeys, magic-wielding wizards,
young protagonists who are always more than they appear, and, of course, the
obligatory dark evil force), Brooks has a charm all his own, and he
consistently keeps his readers guessing and wildly flipping the pages.
Brooks fans are certainly in for a treat with The Voyage of the Jerle
Shannara: Antrax, the follow-up to the series kickoff, Voyage of Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch. If you're unfamiliar with this particular
story line, stop reading now and pick up Ilse Witch first -- it's a great deal
of fun, even for those unfamiliar with Brooks's previous works. Antrax
begins exactly where Ilse Witch lets off.
Some background: Ilse Witch tells of a potentially devastating magic
that the forces of good and evil both desperately want to control. The good
guys set off on an airship in an effort to find this magic; the bad guys are
hot on their trail. At the conclusion of Ilse Witch, the young Bek
Rowe learns that he is really Bek Ohmsford, a direct descendant to the
fabled Elf King, Jerle Shannara. Because of his lineage, Bek possesses the
powerful gift of the Wishsong and the sole ability to use the
mythical Sword of Shannara. As if this weren't enough for the lad to digest,
he also discovers that his team's deadly adversary, the Ilse Witch, is his
sister.
In Antrax, the race continues as Bek, the Druid Walker Boh, Bek's
cousin Quentin, a few talented Rover flyers, the seer Ryd Ord Star, a score
of Elf hunters, and the thoroughly intriguing shape-shifter Truls Rohk
battle not only the Ilse Witch but also a relentless army of technological
monsters. Brooks devotees will be happy (although not surprised) to hear
that Antrax provides a punch of pure adrenaline. It's high-quality,
rapid-paced entertainment. (Andrew LeCount)
ANNOTATION
Something not human. Something old beyond reckoning that covets the magic of Druids, elves, even the Ilse Witch. Something that hunts men for its own designs: Antrax. It is a spirit that commands ancient technologies and mechanical monsters, feeds off enchantment, and traps the souls of men.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Harrowing confrontations with the merciless Ilse Witch and the monstrous Antrax have already taken their toil on the intrepid heroes of the Four Lands. But their darkest adversary now snaps at their heels, in the form of the Morgawr - master of the Ilse Witch, feeder upon the souls of his enemies, and centuries-old sorcerer of unimaginable might." With a fleet of airships and a crew of walking dead men at his command, the Morgawr is in relentless pursuit of the Jerle Shannara and the crew that mans her. For the Morgawr, the goal is twofold: to find and control the fabled ancient books of magic and to destroy the dark disciple who betrayed him - the Ilse Witch. But the Ilse Witch is already a prisoner...of herself. Exposed to the awesome power of the Sword of Shannara, and forced to confront the truth of her horrifying deeds, she has fled deep into her own mind. Now at the mercy of those who seek vengeance against her, her only protector is her long-lost brother, Bek Ohmsford, who is determined to redeem his beloved sister...and deliver her to the destiny predicted for her by the Druid Walker Boh.
SYNOPSIS
In The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Antrax, we follow the adventures of Walker Boh -- the last of the Druids -- as he and his companions continue their journey deep into the land of the unknown in search of forbidden magic. But what awaits them at the end -- an enigmatic prsence known as "Antrax" -- may prove too powerful even for the Druid.
FROM THE CRITICS
Dallas Morning News
Even readers who haven't read a Terry Brooks title since his classic Sword of Shannara will welcome The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch . . . The action and creatures come fast and furious. . . . This latest volume finds Mr. Brooks' power ascending.
Rocky Mountain News
"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.
Santa Cruz Sentinel
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.
Publishers Weekly
Continuing the saga begun in The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch (2000), bestseller Brooks opens this slick, lightweight fantasy with our band of heroes (Druids, elves, shape-shifters, Rovers, etc.) trapped on an island ruled by the evil artificial intelligence Antrax. Antrax has lured this disparate crew to its underground lair in order to use their assorted magics to expand its influence across the world of Shannara. The expedition's leader, the Druid Walker, wants to steal Antrax's ancient technology, but to gain it, he must engage in deadly combat with the machine. The treacherous seer, Ryer Ord Star, and the young, frightened elven prince, Ahren Elessedil, join the fight. Meanwhile, Bek Ohmsford, a prot?g? of Walker's who's been left mostly in the dark about his own magical potential, must try to convince his sister, the dangerous Ilse Witch, that his version of their shared past is true, as he struggles to keep her from killing him or his friends. Also complicating the plot are the battles of the Rovers to reclaim the group's airship the only means for the adventurers to return home. Some emotionally painful encounters occur with former friends who have been enslaved by Antrax, turned into cyborgs and forced to do the nasty AI's bidding. Brooks's fans are sure to be pleased with this action-packed yarn, which neatly weaves the many plots and characters into a coherent whole. Those readers looking for more depth or less predictability are unlikely to have started on this series in the first place. 12-city author tour. (Sept. 21) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Publishers Weekly
This last installment of the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy, which chronicles the exploits of the remaining adventurers who set out in Ilse Witch (2000) and staggered through the tribulations of Antrax (2001), may not be up to the standard of bestseller Brooks's early work (Sword of Shannara, etc.), but it proves once again that he puts out books that sell because of their quality, not just because of his name on the cover. As newfound mage Bek Ohmsford and his cousin Quentin Leah rejoin the Free Rover crew of the Jerle Shannara after destroying Antrax, tensions mount, for the Ilse Witch the Rovers' mortal enemy has been revealed to be Bek's sister, Grianne, and is now under his protection as she struggles to break out of the catatonic state induced by her encounter with the Sword of Shannara. Worse, the Druid Walker Boh has died, leaving behind only cryptic instructions to those who followed him into Parkasia, and the Morgawr, who trained the Ilse Witch and now seeks her destruction, has captured elven prince Ahren Elessedil and Ryer Ord Star and is using Ryer's talents as a seer to track the Jerle Shannara and those who ride it. As usual, Brooks leaves at least as many loose ends as he ties up and drops in several surprises. Some references won't mean much to someone unfamiliar with this trilogy or the larger Shannara time line, but otherwise the book's neat and subtle exposition makes it quite accessible to new readers without alienating current fans. Neither groundbreaking nor recycled, this book is simply a good read. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
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