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Straken (High Druid of Shannara, Book 3) (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: diapson crystals, wishsong magic, rail slings, Sen Dunsidan, Traunt Rowan, Gnome Hunters (more...)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In bestseller Brooks's satisfactory conclusion to his High Druid of Shannara trilogy (after 2004's Tanequil), young Pen Ohmsford retrieves the "darkwand," whose magic will allow him to enter the Forbidding and find his aunt Grianne Ohmsford, the Ard Rhys of the lawful Druids and the Straken queen. Meanwhile, though the elven army has been defeated, Pied Sanderling leads a desperate (and well-depicted) commando-style operation to destroy a secret superweapon of the Federation. Pen's parents are simply trying to find their son. While the author may not equal the wit of his earlier Magic Kingdom of Landover series, his characterization has grown substantially more sophisticated over the years, and both his optimism about the triumph of virtue and his avoidance of graphic sex and slaughter make this series an excellent starting place for younger readers wishing to explore high fantasy.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist

Brooks concludes the High Druid of Shannara trilogy, which begins with Jarka Ruus (2003) and continues with Tanequil (2004), in an equally rich and riveting high-fantasy style. Young Pen Ohmsford, now armed with the darkwand he obtained from the ancient sentient tree Tanequil, is taken to Parador by Druids who have been pursuing him, is imprisoned, and is deprived of the darkwand, his only means of crossing over into the Forbidding to rescue his aunt Grianne, held captive by a demon. Can Khyber Edessedil, wielder of the Elf Stones, rescue him? The demon that passed through to the Four Lands when Grianne was taken is still working to destroy the barrier between the two worlds. Shadea, the false leader of the Druids, and Federation prime minister Sen Dunsidan continue their machinations aimed at destroying the elf and dwarf populations and expanding their sovereignty. All characters remain true to their already established identities, and Brooks unerringly weaves the many threads of his complex saga into an intricate and colorful tapestry that, taken with the previous books, casts the expected magical spell over the reader. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Del Rey; 1st Ed. edition (September 6, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0345451120
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345451125
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #263,375 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #47 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Series > Shannara
    #81 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Brooks, Terry

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Terry Brooks
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
diapson crystals, wishsong magic, rail slings, fire launcher, pilot box, light sheaths, glowing runes, little engineer
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sen Dunsidan, Traunt Rowan, Gnome Hunters, Weka Dart, Ard Rhys, Trefen Morys, Pyson Wence, Swift Sure, King of the Silver River, Grianne Ohmsford, Ulk Bog, Four Lands, Rock Trolls, Prime Minister, Tael Riverine, Etan Orek, Khyber Elessedil, Vaden Wick, Druid Fire, Jarka Ruus, Home Guard, Elven Hunters, Ilse Witch, Erris Crewer, Taupo Rough
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Straken (High Druid of Shannara, Book 3)
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Straken (High Druid of Shannara, Book 3) 3.8 out of 5 stars (71)
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Customer Reviews

71 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (71 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Good, with some original ideas, but not great, September 21, 2005
Terry Brooks writes books that are at times brilliant and at times pedestrian. This book is really neither. As the third and concluding part of a three book series, it is very similar in many ways to his previous Shannara books. If you have not read them, start with "Sword of Shannara" and go from there.

The highlights of this book include that fact that there are some original ideas here. The whole concept of weaving the story into previous storylines is great. The characters are likable, and perhaps best of all Terry avoids some of the typical psychological angst that his previous lead characters all seem to be obsessed with. While perhaps this aspect makes for a more realistic depiction of how individuals handle events beyond their control, it was really becoming a tired cliché in his writing.

The downside of this story is that it is too simple. The three book series could have easily been put into one long book (as his earlier books were) or at least expanded into a much more rich tapestry. He certainly introduced enough opportunities here, but failed to capitalize on them.

In short, his work is always enjoyable to read, but is becoming a bit shallow. Other comments from other reviewers seem to indicate he is just in it for the money. While I hope not, it is nonetheless a perception he is creating when you know he is capable of much better.

If you are at all a fan of the genre (Lord of the Rings, etc.) you will enjoy this book. Despite my concerns I nonetheless bought it immediately and read it in a couple sittings. Have fun, but don't expect too much.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Again subpar, October 23, 2005
The past six years have brought us six new Shannara novels from Terry Brooks. (You realize that it took him four years to write Elfstones?) Each has disappointed in its own fashion, and Straken is no different.

Perhaps my rating is due to nostalgia; the original trilogy and Heritage (a four-book series) were so good that it's probably impossible to sustain that sort of excellence. Maybe with a different author, I would've rated this book a three of five.

But this is Terry Brooks, an author I once celebrated as among the best, who has of late fallen into the trap of over-using themes and characters. He has rewritten the same book several times, trading his ingenuity and characterization for tired storylines and cliched plots.

Straken bothers me for several reasons, but principally I think that it is because Mr Brooks has uncovered one of the mysteries that made his former books so engaging. Like peering into the Druid's mind in Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, we are once again admitted to a previously closed wardrobe: the Forbidding. Imagination surely made it more terrifying than what is portrayed in the 400 or so pages of Straken. Its landscapes, like those of Parkasia, are drab and boring; this is a new world--it should have a bit more verve, even if it is inhabited by demons.

Other concerns are wooden characters, boring villians (the Moric seems surprisingly similar to the Changeling of Elfstones), predictable plot, lack of intrigue, and few plot twists. Almost all of the elements that made his first two series so good are absent from the last two. It saddens me to read one of his books in a night and find myself wishing to finish it rather than savor it. Good books are meant to be read past your bedtime for more than one night.

I have wondered if perhaps Brooks has been attempting to appeal to a younger crowd; his latest heroes have been teenagers. Maybe that explains writing lots of action at the expense of substance and elevating convenience over cliffhanger. Whatever it is, Mr Brooks' writing has become somewhat more forbidding in its own right over the past several installations in the Shannara world. You'd be well-advised to wait for a paperback edition or skip buying altogether in favor of checking this one out at the library.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars A bad ending to an overall good series, September 16, 2005
Straken completes the 3 book series of the High Druid of Shannara. Tanequil (book 2) ends up with Pen Ohmsford's completion of his task to obtain the darkwand to free his aunt, Grianne Ohmsford, Ard Rhys of the Third Druid Council, from the Forbidding. Pen gives himself up to the druids (who swiftly return him to Paranor to let the new Ard Rhys, Shadea A'ru deal with him herself) that have been pursuing him in order to expedite his return to Paranor to attempt a rescue of Grianne Ohmsford. Previously in this series, we learned that when Shadea A'ru sent Grianne Ohmsford into the Forbidding, unbenknownst to Shadea a changeling demon traded places with Grianne in the Four Lands. The demon's goal was to destroy the Ellcrys, an ancient tree with magical powers that protect the Four Lands from the demons trapped in the Forbidding. I thought Jarka Ruus and Tanequil did a wonderful job building up for an an exciting, heart-stopping ending in Straken.

I WAS UTTERLY DISSAPOINTED!!

The main antagonists Shadea A'ru, Pyson Wence, Traunt Rowan, along with the demon showed poor judgment throughout this book, and did not seem tough at all. The main thing I did not like in this book was that it was simply too easy for the Ohmsfords and other protagonists to succeed. I expected much more of a showdown and fight between Grianne Ohmsford and the Druids who plotted against her. In addition, the way that Bek, Rue, Khyber and Pen dispatch the demon is simply ridiculous and much much too easy. The ending of the book with Grianne is interesting, but I felt completely let down by the author when I finished it. I can go on and on about how disappointed I was, but I hope whoever reads this understands my point.

I have been a long time fan of Terry Brooks and have read all of his books. This quite possibly is the worst out of all of them. I didn't give it a 1 star because it still is Terry Brooks and he'll always be my favorite author, but this is one I probably will not waste my time reading again.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Straken by Terry Brooks
As usual T Brooks has done a great job. I have yet to be disappointed in his work. Well worth the time to read.
Published 18 days ago by Cindy Powell

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderfully entertaining
Perfect conclusion in the this saga of 3 books, will keep you guessing till the the end.
Published 1 month ago by Thomas D. Arreola

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay, but not thrilled
I have loved every Shannara book Terry Brooks has written; except this trilogy. While it had all the necessary components of a good story, I felt it lacked depth. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Kelly Hughes

5.0 out of 5 stars Great ending to the shannara series.
I started reading Shannara books in November (First King), and I vowed not to stop until the library had run out of books. Well with Straken my journey has been completed. Read more
Published 19 months ago by rebotco

4.0 out of 5 stars good story
I enjoyed this story, but some of the pages were hard to read due to printing errors: fingerprint smudges, faint print across the page, ink blotches. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Carolyn S. Almennigen

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, fun read, not terribly compelling.
I could write this review for all three books in the series. Perhaps I'll just copy and paste it. The unfortunate thing is I could probably write this review for most of his... Read more
Published 22 months ago by C. Russo

5.0 out of 5 stars What's not to love?
Terry Brooks has a lot of critics out there, and I can't quite figure out why. Perhaps it is just the fact that he is a one of the few consistently good authors out there in the... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Super Dave

4.0 out of 5 stars Good buy mild let down
Love Terry Brooks and have enjoyed all of the Shannara series, but this one wasn't quite as good as the others in the series. Read more
Published on October 26, 2007 by shadow31071

3.0 out of 5 stars Working too hard to join his series
Unfortunately Mr. Brooks has caught a bad case of "Asimov-ism" which compels the writer to try to join two separate series together (witness Robots and Foundation). Read more
Published on October 12, 2007 by Karl Wieman

4.0 out of 5 stars Peace returns to the Four Lands!
Jarka Ruus announced Terry Brooks' re-emergence as a master of the fantasy genre. Then Tanequil pushed that envelope further and showcased his skills as a writer that could add... Read more
Published on September 28, 2007 by Paul Weiss

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