Customer Reviews

The Gypsy Morph (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 3)

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have been reading Terry Brooks books for years and would tend to recommend his fiction just based on past performance. 'Sword of Shannara' and the related books are on just about any fantasy fan's top ten list.

I first read 'Running With the Demon' (Book one of The Word and the Void trilogy) back in 1998. I was fascinated by the concept and the writing was superb. I eagerly read the next two books and was just as impressed. I assumed that Brooks was going into a genre of writing similar to Charles De Lint (urban fantasy). What I did "not" get from any of those books at the time, was the tie-in to Shannara. As the next trilogy (The Genesis of Shannara) unfolded, I had to smack myself in the forehead for not realizing that these two trilogies were prequels to the original Shannara series.

Imagine that a writer can take a lion's portion of his works and tie them all together in such a neat package three decades down the road. It boggles my mind!!

Not much need for me to repeat the story line - others have outlined that in far more detail then I really care for. What I would like to add is that while you do not need to read all of the various Shanarra books to get into this one, you would be doing yourself a disservice by not starting back at 'Running With the Demon' and working through all ive previous books beore starting 'The Gypsy Morph'. I strongly believe it to be worth the effort!! Brooks does a marvelous job of wrapping up the major story lines (he admits at lectures and on-line that he leaves a few small threads open just to allow readers some leeway)

If you decide to read - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

All the best,

Jay

There are few authors working today who can boast the sustained success that Terry Brooks has managed since 1977 with virtually zero breaks in between. I would have to say, with few exceptions, his novels stack up well in the Fantasy Realm as a whole against almost any other author currently working and/or who has ever written and been published. Is that to say he is the all-time best there has ever been? That's a personal question that will vary from reader to reader...and I refuse to attempt to make my opinion the only one that matters. Opinions vary--and for those who are long-time, or even new fans of Brooks will most likely agree that 'The Gypsy Morph' is yet another top-notch addition to his fantastic-and growing collection of works.

I have had the fortune of interviewing Mr. Brooks several times (once in person) and I assure you, he was asked literally THOUSANDS of times whether or not the Word & Void series was, or would be connected in ANY way to Shannara...I was one of those asking. When 'Armageddon's Children' came out, I guess that question was finally put to rest. And I must say, he put that to bed in absolutely the best style imaginable! Again, opinion's vary, but I honestly feel that just being able to come up with a plausible storyline to bridge the two was amazing. But the end rusult? Utterly fantastic.

There are critics of both the Word & Void as well as Shannara and seeing as how both series are now forever connected, I am interested to see how all the blogs will continue. I was initially quite skeptical that Terry would be able to successfully mate these two dramatically different storylines together in ANY way that could satisfy his demanding fans, but once again, even though it seems as though I am sounding like a broken record, but WOW, what a great job. The contemporary Fantasy theme of Word & Void, and the full-on Fantasy genre tied together via this Genesis was not only creative, and offered some genuine surprises and plot twists, but--at least to this reviewer--provided a sense of absolute satisfaction at how that connection was made and how it followed through.

So whats next for Brooks? I have it on good authority a new Magic Kingdom novel is in the works, and while that was never my favorite series in the genre, I still enjoyed it and look forward to diving head-first back into that realm as well. Honestly, for long time fans of Terry Brooks, how can you possibly be anything BUT impressed with 'The Gypsy Morph'? Sure, there will be those who will disagree with my thoughts, and that's ok...but chances are if you liked the 1st two books in this series, you will be more than fine with how it all goes together in this one. And again, remember, opinions vary.

As with every single Terry Brooks novel I've read, I enjoyed "The Gypsy Morph" immensely. My work schedule only allows me to catch up with my reading in the evening, and since starting this book a few days ago, I've become an insomniac! Reading well into the night until the words are all but blurred and swimming on the pages. Even now, it's past one o'clock in the morning, and having just finished the book, I'm still thinking about it and can't get it out of my head!.

"The Gypsy Morph" brings you through a wide range of emotions: joy, fear, anger, and sadness. At one point in the story, I found my self grinning from ear to ear, while in another, on the verge of tears. Only a handful of masterful writers can involve you in the characters so deeply, that you experience their emotions right along with them. And Terry Brooks is certainly a master of his craft.

Without fail, for every one of Terry's books I've read, I've always been disappointed to turn the last page and find that there's no more. He has this uncanny ability to wrap up his stories without closing them completely. He gives you just enough to get his point across and leaves the rest of the story open for the reader to come to his/her own conclusions. Although I admire this, it can also be very frustrating!

But that aside, it was a wonderful, exciting trilogy. And Gypsy was a fantastic end. I can't wait to visit Landover again next year! It's about time!

I would like to start by saying I think Terry Brooks is a great Author and one of my favorites. I have enjoyed every one of his books.

I just think the ending to this book could have gone a bit better. The demise of a certain bad guy was very predictable early on. I think what this series needed was another book to further tie in the old world to the new world.

I've read the other reviews of this book from the many fans of Terry Brooks and his world of Shannara and I have to say I disagree. I am sure I will bear the brunt of their displeasure but this really didn't do it for me.
I read the original Shannara books many years ago and then kind of moved on. The same story kept being told and, frankly I got bored with the plotting and the repetitive and somewhat simplistic style of writing. But then out came Armageddon's Children which dealt with the end of the world as 'we' know it and had an interesting post apocalyptic setting. This was followed by the fairly forgettable Elves of Cintra which introduced the elves that nobody knew about and threw them into the post apocalyptic mix along with the surviving humans and the evolving demons. So here we have the end of the trilogy with the emergence of the Gypsy Morph and our surviving humans and elves heading for a place of safety from the end of our world. So amongst the various chase and quest scenes the author has fun by throwing in modern technology along with the magic, so we have machine guns and a kind of armoured vehicle (that reminded me of the one in that awful film Damnation Valley) and a man in a nuclear bunker.
I think this will be my last visit to the world of Shannara. While the author shows us a pre-history to Shannara he fails to really make it either very interesting or very tense. Part of the problem is that by nature of the other books, you know whether the journey and quest in the book will succeed and indeed the very first chapter hints at how it may well all come about. So no surprises as our bunch of rather dull characters head off to start the promised land of Shannara and this will be the last book I read by Mr Brooks as he wrings more then you would have thought possible out of his imaginary world. Stop the bus, I'm getting off.

In a horrifying blend of post-apocalyptic terror and new age urban fantasy, Terry Brooks' GENESIS OF SHANNARA series describes a world ravaged by nuclear war, plague, pestilence, famine, mindless zombie-like creatures, demons and terrifying creatures born out of devastating mutations. Deaths have numbered in the billions and humanity teeters on the very brink of extinction. Most of those few humans who have survived have reverted to a dark age in which they remain walled up in fortified compounds brutally scavenging from one another and scratching out a mean subsistence life in much the same fashion as tribes would have done during the earliest periods of mankind's existence.

The power and excitement of this series rests in his convincing blend of the reality of a burnt-out destroyed human landscape with the beguiling and utterly fascinating mythological beginnings of the fantasy world that was born in full bloom in his earlier Shannara stories.

Long, long ago in a place that was definitely not far, far away, the Elves conquered the demon hordes wandering Earth and sealed them away in a bleak existence called "the Forbidding". A biblical scholar might have suggested that "The Word" ruled over the Earth and the Earth was good - a kindly, warm and benevolent place to live.

But current events on the earth - the wars, the nuclear radiation, the burgeoning evil that mankind is both experiencing and causing - are weakening the walls between Earth and the Forbidding. As evil's grip on the earth tightens, its defence has been reduced to the last two remaining Knights of the Word - Angel Perez and Logan Tom - two warriors carefully chosen by the Word for their indomitable spirit who have been given a magical staff and special powers to be used in the fight against demons and "The Void".

Perez and Tom have been charged by the Elven nation with finding a talisman called the Loden Lodestone and a magical young child called "The Gypsy Morph". Without the magic of the Lodestone and the power of the Gypsy Morph whose destiny is critical to the survival of humankind, earth is doomed. Goodness and "The Word" will disappear forever and the world will become the dominion of the demons and their dark lord, Findo Gask. "The Void" will rule forevermore.

GYPSY MORPH is powerful indeed. Far more than a simple story of the unending and timeless conflict between good and evil, it tells a story of love, commitment, honour, dedication, trust and so much more. For example, the tale of orphaned children attempting to raise themselves in a bleak, nuclear-blasted world without reference to parental guidance, while astonishingly reminiscent of Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES, is fresh, exciting, heart-wrenching and most definitely not derivative in any way.

Brooks' descriptions of a troubled world are graphic and breathtaking. His character building is deep, complex and utterly convincing. On the dust jacket of the novel, Christopher Paolini, author of the young adult fantasy, ERAGON, was quoted as saying, "If you haven't read Terry Brooks, you haven't read fantasy"! Quite a compliment coming from a fellow author who might well be assumed to be in competition with Terry Brooks for the same audience. I have to agree with Mr Paolini's ebullient assessment.

I waited a long time for this one and, I think you'll agree. The GENESIS OF SHANNARA series combines the earlier SHANNARA and KNIGHT OF THE WORD series in a stunning, entirely innovative new series that fantasy fans are going to eat up.

In THE GYPSY MORPH, the stunning climactic conclusion to the series, we witness Kirisin Bellorus, the young elf who has been entrusted with the ancient magic, deliver his entire civilization to safety from the demon armies as the Word and the Void clash for dominion over a scarred mortal world. When the dust settles we are privileged to witness the tentative dawning of a new era.

On the face of it, a magnificent fantasy that ties Terry Brooks' universes together into a wonderful, complex but very complete and unified whole. On a slightly different level, THE GENESIS series is a mystical allegory and while it may be typical in that it pits good vs evil and personifies both sides of the battle, it is unique in the depth and the excitement that is conveyed during the exploration of this age old theme.

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

The Gypsy Morph is the final book in The Genesis of Shannara trilogy, finishing the story began in Armageddon's Children and continued in The Elves of Cintra. Will the boy, Hawk, lead the children to safety? Will the elves survive their journey in the Loden? Will the Knights of the Word survive at all? How does the world end?

Brooks again masterfully weaves together the separate tales that he has created for each main group of characters, finally connecting them so the reader can gain a different perspective of the whole picture. Although, in a way, we know the outcome of this story, Brooks now fills in the details along the way. Each character is carefully crafted and has a unique personality that fits the role they must play. Brooks builds his world with so much detail that it is almost another character in the story, impacting the choices the other characters must make. Emotions run high in this book with fear and doubt only slightly tempered by hope.

The Gypsy Morph is a a satisfying conclusion to The Genesis of Shannara trilogy. It contains much darkness but finally begins the journey into the light. The Genesis of Shannara books do a great job at bridging the gap between The Word and The Void series and the rest of the Shannara story.

To take a series that was written in the 1970s and connect it to a seemingly unrelated trilogy published in the 1990s is certainly quite a feat, but that's what Terry Brooks has done in "Genesis of Shannara." From the typical fantasy world that was introduced in The Sword of Shannara, published way back in 1977, Brooks has often hinted that the Four Lands were a post-apocalyptic portrayal of our own world, thousands of years into the future. Readers were looking out for clues to this when Running With the Demon was published in 1998, which made significant use of the term "The Word," that had been previously used in the "Shannara" series. But it was not until the publication of "Genesis of Shannara" that the link between the two series was confirmed.

By this stage a plot summary is somewhat redundant. Long story short: the world is ending and the survivors are following Hawk, a "gypsy morph" formed of wild magic, to a safe haven. Making this journey all the more difficult is an army of demons who exist for the sole purpose of wiping out humanity (and elfin-kind, many of whom are traveling alongside humans with their city and population encased in a magical gemstone). From the Word/Void trilogy there are Knights of the Word who act as protectors to the street-kids known as Ghosts, and from the Shannara series are the Elves and their Elfstones, working alongside humans for the first time in living memory.

"The Gypsy Morph" (and in fact, all of Brooks' books) is what I call "pulp fantasy," with an emphasis on thrills, action, battles (physical or magical), romance, cliff-hangers, and capture/escape/chase scenarios. Brooks provides examples of these in droves, all told at break-neck speed...but the "Genesis" trilogy had the potential to be so much *more*. This was our chance to see the birth of the Four Lands and its inhabitants, but it's less about the "genesis" of the Shannara series as it is the conclusion of our civilization and world as we know it. Had it truly been a "genesis" of Shannara, surely there would have been more links with that particular land and the origins of all the "ancient" creatures that populate it.

As others have mentioned, there are several obvious connections between the two series that could have easily been made explicit, but weren't for whatever reason. For instance, I was certain that the Lady would somehow be connected with the Ellcrys tree; or that the union of Simralen and Logan and their magic would lead to the beginning of the Shannara/Ohmsford bloodline, or (though this one's a bit of a stretch) that the book of names that Findo Gask carried around throughout Angel Fire East would somehow evolve into the sentient Ildatch book of The Wishsong of Shannara. Of course, I can't expect Brooks to remember all of these plot threads strewn throughout over four decades of writing, but these particular examples seemed blatantly obvious to me. There are components of both "Word/Void" and "Shannara" present here, but like oil and water, they never mingle in a satisfactory way.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that this trilogy was a perfect opportunity to shed some light on the history of this world and the nature of many of its inhabitants. As it is, the story comes across as a bit of a rehash of previously published books, (plotlines such as Elfstones that need finding, the Ellcrys that needs protecting, demons that need unmasking and defeating, motivational speeches that need telling) and in one case a sub-plot repeats itself twice over in this very trilogy: in the second book a demon called Delloreen hunts down a specific target at the behest of Findo Gask. In this, the third book, a demon called Klee hunts down a specific target at the behest of Findo Gask. There are too many meaningless subplots and side-quests here: nothing is gained by them, and they just come across as filler. For instance, a HUGE amount of emphasis is put on the characters of Panther and Catalya, only for the two of them to abandon the group and go in search of life beyond the confines of Hawk's proposed settlement. Since the story ends with the world engulfed in a nuclear winter, I can only assume they don't get very far.

Although the story is fast-paced and one certainly gets the sense that a lot is riding on the success of our heroes, a lot of the plot relies on contrivance. There is an irritating shuffling of characters as they continuously and needlessly keep splitting-up. The King of the Silver River can transport Hawk to his domain, but apparently lacks the power to do so for everyone else. Kirisin is the only one who can activate the power of the Elfstones...at least until it's convenient for someone else to do so. Candle looses her physic abilities for no discernible reason, and then just as inexplicitly gets them back again at the most opportune time. As the titular hero of the title, Hawk doesn't do a heck of a lot of work. Instincts guide him to the safe haven and he gets two impressive displays of power toward the end of the book, but it's really the Knights who do most of the grunt-work. Hawk just comes across as a figurehead of hope rather than the messianic leader of men that he's initially made out to be.

And what happened to Trim? I liked that little owl!

As always, Brooks displays a tendency to waffle on. The Elves provide long tracts on environmental pollution and how the nasty humans have destroyed the world; whilst the Knights of the Word introspect endlessly on how painful/precious life is, how the battle has robbed them of their youth, whether humanity is worth the effort, etc. Brooks tells us the thoughts and feelings of characters rather than simply letting us assume the obvious and experience their pain for ourselves, and he has this odd compulsion that is prevalent throughout all his work on reiterating the same plot-points over and over again. For example, we are told on page 243 that Kirisin carries: "the Loden Elfstone, which contained the bulk of the Elven nation, its talismanic tree, and its city." Er, Brooks, why are you repeating this information to us? We know all this! We were there when it happened, remember? Whatever the reason, the man just loves to repeat himself. After a while, you become proficient at the "skimming" technique.

The premise of the "Genesis" trilogy is a great one, and while it lasts it is a read that manages to be both riveting and sluggish (and if you don't think that's possible, just consider the fact that even though things repeat themselves several times, they're done at such a break-neck speed that you're not given a chance to realize it until it's over), but I can't shake the disappointment that this should have been an "answer" book, shedding light on many of the mysteries and enigmas that shroud this series. Not in a blindingly obvious "this is how it all works" way, but in a subtle way that allows for illumination at the puzzle pieces between the two worlds clicking together. But it simply isn't that type of story, and perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had I known that initially. So if you're reading this, hopefully you'll now know what to expect: it's a fine read, but the two worlds of the far-reaching series are bridged, yet never really merged.

I have enjoyed Terry Brooks' books for many years. One issue I had though is that he keeps coming back to the same situations over & over again. After awhile the main themes become predictable. Yes, the characters are different, the locales vary, but all-in-all, same stuff, different book.

So when I picked up book one of this latest trilogy I was very hopeful. The premise of showing the transistion from the old world to the new was very intriguing. And through the first book, Armageddon's Children (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 1), that promise was fulfilled. Great new characters reacting to completely new situations. It didn't even seem to be a "Shannara" book at first, at least until the Elves show up about halfway though. The second book, The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara), also was very good, even though we began to see some of the old patterns emerging.

The Gypsy Morph though began to be predictable. It is still a good and exciting book, but I would have to say it is the weaker of the three. We're back to the elfstones being the tool to save the world, the city of the Elves being transported (again) to a safe haven and the true gifts of a magical being being realized. There were some curves thrown in, like the deaths of characters that you would not expect, and the final chapter was original for a Brooks book.

Did I enjoy the book? Yes. Am I interested in the next chapter of evolution in the Shannara universe? Not sure yet. We'll have to see what the plotline is. But I would definitely recommend this to the standard Brooks fan, and also to someone just starting out on his books. Overall, an enjoyable read.

I can only give this book (and series) a solid 2 stars. Its keeps you on the edge of your seat at times but it could have been SO much more. Terry has attempted to join his 2 successful series (Knight of the Word & the Shannara series) together to tell the epic story of the Great Wars - the wars that sundered the planet and ended civilization as we know it and gave rise to the world of the Shannara books. The problem is it doesn't feel very epic. I have been reading Terry's books since the first ever Sword of Shannara release - thats a long time ago! My kids are older than I was when I first read that book!

Terry spends a lot of time inside his character's head on trivial details that aren't relevant to the epic end of the world story this should be. We have 10 pages on Panther's emerging feelings for the half breed Kat and 2 pages about Findo Gast - the antagonist of the entire series! We get a lot of pages with useless, irrelevant dialogues like this:

"Panther stands at edge of the campfire and stops when he sees the plate of food. How had it gotten there? Who had left it? Was it for him? Surely he was hungry, having been on scout patrol all day. But something seemed odd. This food seemed to appear out of nowhere, or had he simply not noticed before in his weariness. He approached the food cautiously. Maybe if Kat were here she could tell him what to do. He missed her, more and more. In a swift move, he picks up the plate of food and eats it down. It tastes good, really good. "Man this is good food, really good", he says to no one in particular. But then he comes to a stunning realization - though he has eaten the food - he will need more tomorrow!"

So, now to be fair I made that sample up (grins) - but there are hundreds of pages of that encompassing that level of minutiae - and honestly - do we care? I want to know about the demons, the elves, the elcrys, the lady of the word, the end of the world - but we get page after page of this. Its like Terry was having problems thinking of what to say and needed to stretch it out. At times its like reading a juvenile fiction book. The demons are barely covered and we barely get to see Findo in this book at all.

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Terry really misses the opportunity to blend these 2 series together better. It feels more like a TV episode where a guest star from 1 series that stops by on another series - interesting - but incongruous. Its like Kramer from Seinfeld stopping by on Friends and doing his Kramer thing and then leaving. Example: We have 2 sets of demons - the elves' fantasy genre demons that are locked away in the Forbidding. These are the more fantasy demons that want to rule the world and such. Then we have the human form demons from the Word & the Void series - but they don't mix well. In fact we don't even address why they are separate? I thought maybe we'd learn that the human form demons were minions of those in the Forbidding - here to push the human into destroying the world. But no, sadly we are left with 2 separate races of demons that seem to have similar goals but don't see to have anything to do with other.

Then we have the Lady of the Word and the Elcrys - I thought surely we'd discover they were one & the same. They are both semi-relgious, mystical figures that personify themselves as female to their chosen ones and ask them to carry out vague and dangerous quests. Surely I thought when the elven city was restored Logan would stand before the Elcrys and realize this was the Lady he served. It makes sense? The elcrys presents herself as a human woman to her human chosen so they would accept her more? And she has done this as she needs help from the humans to save the elves & life in general. But no - the elcrys and the lady are just 2 entirely separate semi-relgious, mystical figures that personify themselves as female to their chosen ones and ask them to carry out vague and dangerous quests. What a waste of an opportunity.

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Last note: the book just ends. Yes the children and elves and few adults do arrive safely at the happy valley and are shielded from the nuclear destruction of the rest of the world. But we never get to see the elves receive their thanks from the Elcrys. The Knights of the Word never receive their pardon & thanks from the Lady. Its just over. I guess they stay in the valley for a few hundred years while the radiation subsides? This isn't really a Genesis of Shannara - there is no mention on anything Shannara - related. I thought we'd find out that Logan and Cimarlin would marry and their bloodline would produce the Shannara lineage - the combination of elfstone magic and the magic of the word but no. There is no real connection between these books and the Shannara books other than the omnipresent elf stones & the king of the silver river.

I guess we'll get another book series soon picking up where this one stopped abruptly. I don't mean to be so critical but for a series that chronicles events that Terry has eluded to for over 20 years, it falls pretty short where it could have soared.