Customer Reviews

High Druid of Shannara: Tanequil

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

TANEQUIL is the second installment of the story of Penderrin Ohmsford and his quest to free his aunt. Mr. Brooks has supplied Penderrin with a host of characters that are either out to stop him or aide him.

Overall, the book was a typical second volume - the go between. It picks up where the first left off and then leaves the reader waiting for the conclusion. This book is not for the first time reader of Mr. Brooks. My suggestion would be to start with the Heritage of Shannara and continue on to Tanequil. His earlier books are his best offering.

Also it is a typical offering from Mr. Brooks of late. His recent plots and characters have become flat. Penderrin lacks the dimension of his earlier ancestors from the Heritage of Shannara. I found story to be told, not as involving as in the earlier books. Surprises are in the character development or plot are minimal and rarely interesting.

Tanequil and a hot cup of tea is ideal for a winter night.

This is the second book in Terry Brooks' newest series, picking up immediately after Jarka Ruus. Penderrin Ohmsford and his friends are running for their lives from the Druids, now led by unscrupulous Shadea a'Ru. The only hope for them and Grianne Ohmsford (erstwhile Ard Rhys of the Druids) is to make it to the Tanequil and fashion a darkwand, which will enable Pen to retrieve Grianne from her exile in the Forbidding. But, can Penderrin keep himself alive long enough to complete his quest, and what will the cost be?

Even though this is the second book in a series, and as such has no true beginning and end, Terry Brooks succeeds in building a fascinating and suspenseful story. I have enjoyed this series so far, even more so than the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series. I found this to be a gripping and fascinating story, one that I highly recommend to all fans of fantasy literature. Buy this book!

In Jarka Ruus (Book 1), Grianne Ohmsford, struggled with the inner demons of her former evil life as the Ilse Witch and the politics of her new role as Ard Rhys, High Druid of Paranor. A faction of dissenting druids on the Council led by Shadea a'Rhu, succeeded in a Machiavellian plot to lock her behind impenetrable magic walls in the land of the Forbidding. Her trusted servant and aide, Tagwen, narrowly escaped Paranor, relentlessly pursued by Terek Molt, another rebellious Druid on the Council and Aphasia Wye, a deadly assassin. Tagwen sought help from the only people he could think of - Pen Ohmsford, Grianne's resourceful, young nephew and Ahren Ellesdil, a self-exiled elf Druid and master of no small amount of magic himself! The Trolls, led by Kermadec, a faithful long-time friend of Grianne's, have been blamed for her disappearance and have retreated for now to the safety of their fortified mountain homeland.

The story continues in Tanequil (Book 2), as the small company of stalwarts - Pen Ohmsford; his blind, young love, Cinnaminson; Ahren Ellesdil, druid-in-exile and his apprentice neice, Khyber Ellesdil; Tagwen; and Cinnaminson's father, the Rover Captain, Gar Hatch - follow the cryptic instructions of the King of the Silver River. With the assistance of the banished trolls, they seek the Tanequil, a magic darkwand made from the branches of an ancient sentient tree in Stridegate who must be persuaded to willingly part with a piece of itself. They also strive to avoid certain cruel death at the hands of Terek Molt and Aphasia Wye who relentlessly track them using the residual trail of magic they leave behind them. The Tanequil is the only magic that will somehow open the doors of the Forbidding and allow Pen to enter in an attempt to rescue Grianne from the clutches of the banished Warlock Lord. In the meantime, a rather slimy Sen Dunsidan, Prime Minister of the Federation, fully revealed as a conspirator in the Druid's plot to eliminate Grianne, wages open war against the Freeborn elves to control the four lands and struggles for his political life with Shadea a'Rhu, now sitting as Ard Rhys of the Druid Council.

If Jarka Ruus announced Terry Brooks' re-emergence as a master of the fantasy genre, then Tanequil pushes that envelope further and showcases his skills as a writer that can add realism, extended character development and thoughtful, probing philosophical discussion to an exciting, perfectly-paced action filled plot! For example - not being female myself, I couldn't swear that he got it right - but Brooks provided a thought-provoking discussion on a female's perception of violence and rape! His compelling portrayal of the sibling rivalry between Kermadec, the leader of the Trolls, and his younger brother, Atalan, added high drama and real life characterization to the Trolls' flight from their mountain hideout to Stridegate. When Shadea a'Rhu murders a co-conspirator, the evil that was psychopathic is made even more frightening by its presentation as stunningly banal. Grianne's imprisonment and torture is convincing, to say the least, and demonstrates the depths of despair to which someone in her position can plummet! The exciting climax to Cinnaminson's and Pen's search for the Tanequil in Stridegate provides an inspiring example of how love, of necessity, often means sacrifice. His physical descriptions of the ephemeral, fluid magical landscape of Stridegate are ... well, magical ... I don't think any other word does it justice! Sheer poetry.

This time, he also got the ending right! The second novel ends at a precise turning in the plot and provides a natural starting point to leap into the third installment Straken - which I will be eagerly looking for! He's set the bar mighty high this time but, if he can clear the standard he's set for himself with the final part of The High Druid of Shannara, this will be a trilogy for the ages!

Paul Weiss

"Tanequil" is the second volume in the "High Druid of Shannara" series by Terry Brooks. It continues the story which was begun in "Jarka Ruus". The former High Druid of Paranor, Grianne Ohmsford (the Isle Witch from the last trilogy) has been betrayed by one of her druids and sent into the Forbidding. The Forbidding, if you remember "The Elfstones of Shannara", is the demon dimension which is sealed shut by the power of the Elcrys. It is a nasty, nasty place and Grianne is now stuck there. Her nephew Pen Ohmsford is on a quest to find the Tanequil, a tree which holds the key to rescuing Grianne. Like many other Shannara novels, he was put on this path by the King of the Silver River, a mythical creature who has guided many Ohmsfords over the course of the Shannara series.

While Pen is searching for the Tanequil, he and his companions (there are always companions) are also running for their lives. They are being tracked by a fearsome killer which has already killed one of their own. Grianne is left by herself to find her way in the Forbidding when she is captured by some of the demons. Rather that slaughter her like an animal, there seems to be something of a culture (such as it is) among the demons. Dealing with torture and captivity and isolation, Grianne fears that she may once again become the unfeeling Isle Witch which once terrorized the Four Lands. She doesn't want to, but it may be the only way to survive. At what price is survival worth it?

The previous trilogy, "The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara" was something of a disappointment, but "Jarka Ruus" and now "Tanequil" have been something of a return to the earlier quality of the "Scions of Shannara" quartet. Nothing has matched the original trilogy, but these are fast paced, interesting stories set in a familiar world. What makes this new trilogy so interesting is the reintroduction of The Forbidding. Unfortunately, "Tanequil" spends much less time on Grianne and the Forbidding as I had hoped. There was much less Grianne than I had expected. There is a theory that less is more, but in this case, less is less. "Tanequil" is good, though "Jarka Ruus" promised perhaps more than Terry Brooks was going to deliver. One thing I know, I am looking forward to seeing how Brooks ends this trilogy with "Straken".

-Joe Sherry

As the second book in the "High Druid of Shannara" trilogy, Brooks picks up right where he left off; with his heroes in dire straights. Betrayed by the treachery of her fellow Druids, Grianne Ohmsford has found herself transported into the Forbidding, the dimension that all the demons and monsters of the world were banished into thousands of years ago. Despite making a somewhat flimsy alliance with a create called Weka Dart, Grianne has now been captured by the terrible Straken Lord Tael Riverine, who has a terrible future in store for her - as well as plans for her world.

Only her niece Penderrin "Pen" Ohmsford and a small band allies carry the hope of releasing her from her prison, travelling to the region of Inkrim in order to find the magical tree tanequil and request from it the use of one of its boughs in order to make a talisman through which Pen may retrieve Grianne. Despite the fact they have managed to destroy a Druid airship hunting them, they still have to content with the frightening figure of Aphasia Wye, a monstrous Druid assassin who has taken over their airship and holding Cinnaminson - Pen's beloved - hostage. All this is under the orders of Shadea a'Ru, who has taken over as Ard Rhys of the Druid Council and taking drastic measures to prevent any chance of her rival's return.

As well as this, Brooks explores several other storylines within the context of the book; a new weapon has been created that could tip the balance of war in favour of the Federation, Shadea is still juggling the loyalties of the Druids now under her command, and - as in the previous book - an even darker plan is at work, that threatens to undermine everyone's plans for the future.

There is also a welcome return from Pen's parents, Bek Ohmsford and Rue Meridian, who were the protagonists of "The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara". Though I disliked their all-too-sudden romance in that previous trilogy, they are much more enjoyable here as a husband and wife team who react precisely as one would except over the disappearance of their son. Endangered by the Druids who see them as leverage against Pen, it should come as no surprise when the duo sense betrayal among the Druid ranks and decide to take matters into their own hands.

"Tanequil" is a solid follow-up from "Jarka Ruus", building on the previous storylines and expanding the scope of the adventure as Penn nears his destination, Grianne fights for survival and the Druids scramble to see their own plans put into action. The stakes are raised, several underlying mysteries are revealed and the story once again ends on a cliff-hanger for the third installment "Straken". Brooks does a wonderful job of creating the mysterious beauty of the tanequil's island, the setting for the book's climax; a place that calls for a great sacrifice on Pen's behalf.

However, there are several chapters that drag, particularly because they aren't really all that important within the context of the story, or at least could have been condensed down considerably. Most obviously is Brooks's introduction of a new character called Pied Sanderling, who commands the Elves against the Federation. Though the Freeborn/Federation War and the importance of Arborlon (particularly the Ellcrys) is crucial to the underlying arc of the trilogy, it didn't really justify the inclusion of a brand new character with his own little romantic subplot when the proceedings could have just as easily been recorded through the eyes of Sen Dunsidan.

Likewise, Grianne's experiences in the Forbidding are somewhat needless what with a failed escape attempt and a fight taking place in a gladiatorial arena. I would have been more interested if Brooks had spent more time exploring the mind-struggle she faces between her true self and her past persona of the Ilse Witch - perhaps if she had tried aligning herself with her captors in an attempt to escape and becoming overwhelmed by her newfound sense of power...? As it was, it simply felt as though Brooks was just twiddling his thumbs with regard to Grianne, waiting for Pen to come rescue her.

A lengthy attack on a troll village goes on a bit longer than necessary, though the troll Kermadec and his tempestuous relationship with his brother Atalan is an interesting component to Brook's treatment of trolls, who up till now in the series, have been treated as little more than mindless thugs. Overall, the pluses outweigh the minuses, and despite the story heading in a few needless directions, everything is in place for the final part of the trilogy, in what may be Brooks's best Shannara-based work since "The Heritage of Shannara".

I have been a long time Terry Brooks fan from the time the Sword of Shannara came out through all his other books including the Magic Kingdom and all the Shannara books. I have to say I am somewhat dissapointed with the last series of Shannara books (Isle Witch, Antrax, Morgwar) and the current series (Jarku Russ, Tanequil).

I seems many authors seem to lose their flair over time (Piers Anthony, others) and Terry Brooks appears to be suffering somewhat from the same fate. The more recent books (Tanequil is no exception) lack depth and subtlety. The character development is weak. The only characters we get to know very much are Pen and Grianne. For the most part all the other characters come across as nothing more than props to the story and have little life on their own.

The story itself comes across as being old and predictable. Terry Brooks uses the same formula that he has used in the previous Shannara books and there is little original material. Basically the story comes down to, next generation Ohmsford coming of age is forced on an adventure, meets the King of the Silver River who sends them on a quest to find an item to save the world. There were several instances that I found myself able to predict what would happen much further down the story, such as the death of Ahren (in the first book), to what would happen to the Moor Cat, to Cinnaminson's fate and when the Druids would catch up to them.

The book does have some redeeming qualities, such as what happens to Grianne and her adventures, which I found to be refreshing and original. During Grianne's segments we do spend some time with her and get to know here, something that is lacking with the other characters. I think Terry Brooks would do well to take some time to add more depth (detail) and subtelty to his novels, and spend some time with some of the other characters so we can really see what makes them tick.

I would give this book three stars, but I just feel that Terry Brooks can do better.

My title blurb pretty much covers it all. TANEQUIL continues the story of Penderrin Ohmsford in his quest to free his aunt, the vanquished High Druid of Paranor, from her prison in the Forbidding World.

As the second volume in the High Durid of Shannara trilogy we would expect a couple of things; one we get the set up for the final volume and two; everything will go wrong and things will be very grim for the good guys. We get pretty much what we would expect.

Since it's not the beginning and not the end of a story there isn't a whole lot to say about it. If you enjoyed JARKA RUUS and the story it started then you're going to like TANEQUIL. Same kind of action, same kind of character interactions.

I liked it and certainly RECOMMEND it but you really need to read JARKA RUUS before attempting this one. I will say I am looking forward to the final installment though.

Hey, if it has Terry Brooks on the front, it'll SELL -- no if, ands OR buts about it. So WHY does Brooks sell so well?? He is a dang good author. Simply put. He is VERY much in touch with his readers, and if you have ever had the opportunity to meet this man, you know how much effort he puts into making you feel like the ONLY person in line, regardless of how many other people are waiting to see him. Not all authors treat their readers this well, and this is also one of the MAIN reasons why Brooks has been SO successful for so long. He never forgets who made him who he is today.

So with that said, with all of the effort he puts into his books, not all of them have come out as Home Runs. Sure, I have liked each and every one, but some are better than others, which you can say about nearly every writer working today, especially if they have written enough books. Jarka Ruus started out a nice new Trilogy for the Shannara Universe. I seem to never tire of reading about what will happen next in this wonderful alternate existence. While Jarka was fun and entertaining, it wasn't up there with a large portion of the other Shannara tales. But I must admit that even so I really had fun reading it, which is one of the chief reasons why I read Brooks in the first place. However Tanequil took that fun story and built upon it in a really creative way. I VERY much enjoyed the alternate land in the Forbidding which made for a fun retreat for those of us familiar with the earlier Shannara stories. VERY well told if you ask me. Again, some people will like it more than others, but one of the big reasons why Brooks is so Universally liked is because he has set the bar so high himself by producing such fun Fantasy tales to begin with. It becomes difficult to surpass what you have already done, or at least one would think so after a while.

Now while I long for the day that Terry will return to the land of Shannara with HUGE stand-alone Epic Fantasy novels like he did with his first three books, I will patiently await that day reading whatever is knocking around his noggin in the meantime. He is one of those MUST READ authors I have enjoyed over the years and after having the supreme blessing of interviewing him one-on-one a few years back, I feel like I enjoy his novels even more having personally met him. Why? I don't really know, he just has a way of making you feel special simply because you enjoy what he does. Face it, the man has talent, not just for writing, but for making people feel important as well. We are truly fortunate to have him writing new stuff all the time...now only if he could step up the pace a little...

I would have given the first book in this trilogy 2 1/2 stars. If fact I wasn't that thrilled about reading this new one so it took me some time to get to it. What can I say about this book? A fantastic fun read! Terry Brooks recovers well in this second, fast paced book. Demons, Trolls, Druids, Weapon of Mass destruction, magic, oh my! You name I think Terry Brooks put it in this book. I look forward to the last book in this set. I was beginning to think what some people have said about this being a tired series that needs to be put to rest were true. I think this book just gave the series a much needed jolt.

The style of writing in Tanequil is up to par with Terry Brooks previous work, but the content just isn't what he used to give us. The book is a quick read and is almost predictable. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but was disapointed because I know what Brooks can do, and this just isn't his best work.