High Druid of Shannara: Jarka Ruus [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Terry Brooks (Author), Charles Keating (Reader)

Book Description

Series: High Druid of Shannara | Publication Date: August 26, 2003

Devotees of the Shannara series will delight in this sequel to Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Morgawr. In the previous novel, the love of her courageous brother, Bek, enabled the Ilse Witch to renounce her evil existence and resume her younger identity as Grianne Ohmsford. The new book begins twenty years later, when Grianne, now head of a Druid Council formed to defend the Four Lands from anarchy and warfare, is challenged by those who cannot forget her former malevolence. When Grianne disappears, only a few loyal friends can help her escape from her prison among the Jarka Ruus. Joined by stalwarts Elf Prince Ahren Elessedil and Tagwen the dwarf, Grianne's charming nephew, Pen Ohmsford, takes the spotlight as the hero of the new trilogy.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

With Jarka Ruus Terry Brooks embarks on yet another journey with the legendary Ohmsford family. Beginning 20 years after the conclusion of the The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, the High Druid of Paranor Grianne Ohmsford finds herself struggling to unite the druids amid political morass risen from her prior history as the dreaded Ilse Witch. Her enemies' schemes come to fruition quickly and she is banished behind the wall of the Forbidding, the anti-demon security feature that collapsed so spectacularly in the magnificent Elfstones of Shannara. Her fate falls in the lap of the youngest Ohmsford, Penderrin, who unlike his Aunt Grianne and his parents is without the gift of magic. Pen along with Khyber and her uncle, the Elven Prince Ahren Elessedil, learn they must jump through the usual Brooks' hoops to unlock the door of the Forbidding and free Grianne.

Brooks is right at home in this formulaic addition to the Shannara franchise. All the furniture is here: the Druid Keep of Paranor, dark creatures in pursuit of reluctant young heroes and, of course, the Elfstones. The good news is that Brooks remains a master of description and the book hums along with comfortable ease. Devout Shannara fans will find their favorite magical realm exactly as they left it and no doubt anticipate this cliffhanger's sequel. --Jeremy Pugh --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Brooks's first book in a new trilogy treads complacently along the well-worn path of its predecessors. Set 20 years after the conclusion (in 2002's Morgawr) of the three-volume Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, it introduces the next generation of Ohmsfords and Elessedils: Penderrin, airship-flying nephew of former Ilse Witch and now High Druid (or Ard Rhys) Grianne Ohmsford; and Khyber, the Elven Prince Ahren Elessedil's headstrong niece. Teenaged protagonists can be annoyingly clumsy, and these two are no exception. As they set out to rescue Grianne from her politically motivated imprisonment in a bleak parallel plane known only as the Forbidding, they manage to repeatedly draw the attention of their pursuers, fall inopportunely in love and even kill a member of their own party. That neither Pen nor Khyber has the mitigating talents or charm of earlier Shannara heroes leads to the inevitable question of why exactly Fate has decreed that they should be the ones to take on this quest in the first place; a hope of learning the answer, ironically, may be the most compelling reason to anticipate the sequels. While Pen's fear that his family's magic is "thinning out" may parallel real-world criticisms of the most recent Shannara tales, Brooks does know a lot about the proper care and feeding of golden geese. Jaded readers are likely to seek their thrills elsewhere, but fans of formula fantasy will be quite content with the smooth prose, vivid descriptions and comfortable pacing.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Random House Audio; Abridged edition (August 26, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739307525
• ISBN-13: 978-0739307526
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,268,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > Books on CD > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Brooks, Terry

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

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brooks is Back on Track!!!, September 2, 2003

By 

AbeStreet (Mayfield Heights, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jarka Ruus (High Druid of Shannara, Book 1) (Hardcover)

I have been a fan of Terry Brooks and the various Shannara books for 20 years, anxiously awaiting each new series in the ongoing tale. However, I must admit the last trilogy, The Voyage of the Jerele Shannara (TVotJS), was not up to par with the high expectations I have for Terry Brooks writings. While the trilogy did have new settings and characters I thought that many of the story plots and themes had been written about before and just redressed for this trilogy. I awaited the release of the High Druid of Shannara (THDoS) series with caution.

Just a few days ago my wife purchased the first book on THDoS series for me JARKA RUUS (JR) and I found that Brooks had recaptured what I originally so liked about the Shannara series. In this book Brooks brings back some familiar people and places. Several characters from the TVotJS have returned. Most importantly Grianne Ohmsford, the former Ilse Witch, in her current role as Ard Rhys the current leader of the third druid council. Grianne Ohmsford was one of my favorite characters from the TVotJS and I think she makes a great druid, much better than Walker Boh.

Aside from the characters and magic that marks all his books this series has a great story, just as good as THE FIRST KING OF SHANNARA (TFKoS) and right behind THE ELFSTONES OF SHANNARA (TEoS). I have always like TEoS and there are strong links to TEoS in JR. If you have read TEoS and enjoyed reading about the different demons and wondered just what the Forbidding that held them back was about then this story will answer a lot of those questions. Also, the Warlock Lord makes a cameo appearance of sorts in this book. The only thing I did not care for in this book was the abrupt ending. I know its part of a series but I feel that each book in a series should have some kind of closure or resolve at least for some of the minor sub-plots. Not this book!! It actually increases the suspense and then ends abruptly leaving the reader somewhat upset at being left to dangle for an entire year.

Lastly, Brooks seems to be back on the right track with the Shannara series. I can not wait until summer 2004 to pick up TANEQUIL and continue with this great story.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating and suspenseful story!, October 2, 2003

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jarka Ruus (High Druid of Shannara, Book 1) (Hardcover)

In this first of the series, author Terry Brooks brings us back to his world of the Shannara series. Having fulfilled Walker Boh's dream of rebuilding the Druid Council, High Druid Grianne Ohmsford (erstwhile the Ilse Witch) finds that the Council has developed into a nest of vipers. When a cabal of power-seeking druids uses foul magic to banish Grianne to a different dimension, their attention turns to Bek Ohmsford and his son Penderrin, the only ones who might be able to bring her back. With Bek off on a voyage, Pen must run from the druids and towards a place where he is told that he can find the magic to return Grianne, and along the way he must do everything he can to keep himself alive.

Even though this is the first book in a series, Terry Brooks succeeds in building a fascinating and suspenseful story. Unlike the first book of the The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series, this one is much more than mere introduction and character development. I found this to be a gripping and fascinating story, one that I highly recommend to all fans of fantasy literature!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exciting Beginning to a New Series, October 14, 2003

By 

Jeffrey T. Munson (Dixon, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jarka Ruus (High Druid of Shannara, Book 1) (Hardcover)

In this first installment of the High Druid of Shannara series, author Terry Brooks picks up where the events of the "Voyage" series ended. It is now twenty years after the survivors of the battle with the Morgawr have returned, and Grianne Ohmsford, the former Ilse Witch, is now the Ard Rhys, or High Druid. However, not everyone at the Druid's keep at Paranor is supportive of her. Shadea a'Ru, a rival druid, has devised a scheme to remove Grianne from Paranor and place her in another dimension. Using a potion called liquid night, Shadea manages to sneak into the Ard Rhys' chambers and administer it to her. When Grianne awakens, she is no longer at Paranor, but trapped inside the Forbidding.

Tagwen, Grianne's faithful dwarf assistant, realizes she is missing and immediately suspects Shadea and her accomplices. Immediately, he decides to find Grianne's brother Bek Ohmsford, because his use of the wishsong may help in finding Grianne. Unfortunately upon arriving, Tagwen discovers that Bek has gone away on an expedition and Pen, Beck's son, is the only one home.

However, the druids have also thought of it to search for Bek and arrive almost at the same time as Tagwen. Pen and Tagwen flee and begin a journey to Emberen in search of Ahren Elessedil, the Elven Druid who survived the battle against the Morgawr twenty years earlier. With information given to them by the King of the Silver River, the companions begin their journey to find the Tanequil, a tree which has branches that will enable Pen to cross over into the Forbidding and bring Grianne back to the Four Lands. Will the companions make it to the Tanequil? Will Grianne survive inside the Forbidding?

Brooks has written another fine book which is surely to become a fantasy classic. As with each of Brooks' preceeding books, this one immediately draws the reader in with characters that the reader genuinely cares about and a plot that will definitely keep the pages turning. I'm only sorry that I'll have to wait until next year for book two to be released. I highly recommend this book. Its a great beginning to a new and exciting Brooks series.