The Druid of Shannara (Book Two of the Heritage of Shannara) [Paperback]

Terry Brooks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 5, 2006

To the scions of Shannara had fallen three tasks: Par must find the fabled Sword of Shannara. This he has accomplished, but he believes he has killed his brother, Coll. Rimmer Dall, the Federation's Chief Seeker, has planted an awful thought in Par's mind - that he himself is Shadowen, the very evil he seeks to destroy. Wren is in the Westland, seeking out the elves. And in the Northland ...Walker Boh has been commanded by the shade of Allanon to discover the lost city of Paramor and recreate the Order of Druids, disbanded these three hundred years. To begin this he must find the Black Elfstone, but the gem is in the hands of an ancient being of timeless evil - the Stone King. Beset on all sides by enemies, and his own self-doubt, Walker sets out on his part of the perilous quest which will either bring success - or destruction.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The second installment of Brooks's new series, after The Scions of Shannara , follows Walker Boh as he reluctantly seeks the Black Elfstone, needed to bring back vanished Paranor, a quest laid on him by the shade of the Druid Allanon as part of the effort to save the Four Lands from the wraith-like Shadowen. Walker is rescued from a Shadowen attack by the beautiful and tragic Quickening, daughter of the legendary King of the Silver River. Walker and Quickening, with Morgan Leah and Pe Ell, travel to the land of the Stone King, who has stolen the Elfstone and is determined to turn the world into his own element. As the small band struggles though hostile terrain, Pe Ell's secret mission to assassinate Quickening complicates the battle with the Stone King's minions and his awesome powers. While this volume briefly touches on the fortunes of other questers, it appears that they will form the basis of future installments. Broadening the landscape of his magic world, Brooks has produced a deep and thoughtful fantasy.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- This book in the second trilogy about Shannara, which began with The Scions of Shannara (Ballantine, 1990), is set over 300 years after the end of the first trilogy and the death of the Druid Allanon. The evil Shadowen still retain their hold and continue to drain the Four Lands of the magic that had been their lifeblood. The King of the Silver River, a fabulous being as old as mankind, creates a daughter named Quickening and sends her to assist. She joins Morgan Leah and Pe Ell, an assassin who plans to eventually kill her, on a journey to the far north to recover the lost magic, a process that involves the need to capture the Black Elfstone. Brooks weaves an intricate tale with a richly detailed fantasy world peopled with multidimensional characters. As with the previous four books about Shannara, fans will not be disappointed with this wonderful fairy tale. This should be an automatic pur chase for collections serving fantasy readers.
- Barbara A. Lynn, Econo-Clad Books, Topeka, KS
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; First Edition edition (October 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857233808
• ISBN-13: 978-1857233803
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,560,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Terry Brooks is the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty-five books, including the Genesis of Shannara novels Armageddon's Children and The Elves of Cintra; The Sword of Shannara; the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy: Ilse Witch, Antrax, and Morgawr; the High Druid of Shannara trilogy: Jarka Ruus, Tanequil, and Straken; the nonfiction book Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life; and the novel based upon the screenplay and story by George Lucas, Star Wars(R): Episode I The Phantom Menace.(tm) His novels Running with the Demon and A Knight of the Word were selected by the Rocky Mountain News as two 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hmmm, April 28, 2005

By 

Seminary Man (Sunset, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Druid of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara) (Mass Market Paperback)

Written as the second part of a four part series, Terry Brooks' The Druid of Shannara continues a larger series begun by the author in 1977 with the publishing of The Sword of Shannara. In its second incarnation, the world of Shannara is thrown into chaos, not by evil magic seeking to dominate, but rather by evil magic that wishes to leech the life force from the Four Lands. This departure is the first of many characteristics that ensures the longevity of Mr. Brooks' career; a career that is still growing.

The first of these features is adaptation. Brooks is able to use the same setting for all of his stories. He spaces the events of the first and second series four hundred years apart so that he can continue to use pre-existing themes in new situations. He retains the Leah and Ohmsford families as the protectors of the Four Lands, but the evil they fight is not the evil of the Warlock Lord. In addition, new players are introduced to the story. These include the Federation and the Freeborn Liberation Movement, both of whom will have lasting effects of the Four Lands for centuries to come.

Mr. Brooks' ability to expand and revise his own creation ensures that the plot of his works are never boring. It the constant change also means that readers are always in the same place. What I mean is that someone who did not read the first series could easily begin the second series and not be completely lost (I should know because I started with the third series). The evolution of the world and the characters in the world leads to increased sophistication and development as the novel progresses.

Characters in the novel also portray unique elements in Brooks' style. Readers can easily connect with the druid Walker, who studies the ways of Paranor against his own will. Quickening, the daughter of the King of the Silver River, has the gift of healing, usually expressed by her calm, soothing, words which warm and inspire the company into action. There is also the rash character of Par Ohmsford who makes decisions irrationally and then suffers the consequences of hasty plans. Then there is Par's alter-ego and brother, Coll, who supports his brother and yet adds a hint of rationalism to the story.

Readers connect to characters. Brooks understands this concept and creates for each character a soul that mirrors emotions. It is very easy to feel the grief when a character dies in and Terry Brooks novel, because the reader follows that character from the beginning of their journey, where he or she is usually young and irresponsible, to an emotional maturity that is gained only through experience, and too often, loss.

Brooks writes in a style that moves from one event to the other. He does not waste time exploring unimportant information, and if an event has not bearing on the plot, he does not include it. This quick moving adventure enthralls most readers, who want more that nothing else, to see the conclusion of the novel to learn the fates of the characters.

Finally, Brooks has created a world for modern adventurers. The possibilities of one's imagination are endless, it only needs a jump start every once and a while. Brooks' continuing evolution of the Shanarra series is proof of the power of imagination. He has created a world that the reader has no map to except in his own mind. Brooks presents characters to fill this world that readers can easily associate with either their own lives, or the lives of someone they know. A combination of all of these factors has ensured he survival of the Shanarra series, and provides the foundation for its future growth.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite book of all time..., November 27, 2005

By 

Contra Rose (London U.K.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Druid of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is absolutely beautiful.

The first book I ever read of Terry Brooks was The Elfstones of Shannara. i then hopped onto Wishsong of Shannara (Being, as I was, afraid to tackle Sword of Shannara because there were just so many pages!) and then I started the Heritage of Shannara. No other book has left such an impact on me as the Druid of Shannara and I have read hundreds of books since then. I have since graduated onto the new Master of the Genre (George R R Martin) but this novel will always occupy the number one spot in my heart. The character of Quickening has got to be one of the most astonishing, anywhere in any kind of novel, and her tragic romance with Morgan Leah will make even the strongest of hearts cry. Even now, at the age of 24 a full ten years since I first read the book, I always pray that Quickening and Morgan Leah somehow get together. I would recommend this book to anybody and everybody. Excellent.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a book!, June 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Druid of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara) (Mass Market Paperback)

The Druid of shannara is perhaps the finest of the heritage of shannara series. While the entire series is an interesting, well written adventure, the Druid showcases Mr. Brooks' finest talents. In many ways darker and meaner than the rest of the series, it is not overly so. Pe Ell, a master assassin working for the evil Shadowen, is quite possibly the most sinister character Brooks has ever created. despite the heroism of the protagonists and the 'righting the wrongs' theme, the assassin's shadow looms over the heroes through the whole book. The line drawn between the members of the little band of people is often toes, sometimes crossed and never certain. It creates an excellent air of tension and provides for excellent dialogue and conflict for the characters. This conflict, coupled with the continuing self doubt and inner struggle of the druid, Walker Boh, provide for some of the best parts of the story. The characters always seem as though they are on the edge of personal and world wide tragedy, and remain human through out. The characters react as human beings would in every situation. The feeling of reality prevails and engrosses the reader totally. I cannot recommend this book enough.