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Heritage of Shannara #2
THE DRUID OF SHANNARA
A sequel to "The Scions of Shannara". In the 300 years since the death of the Druid Allanon, the mysterious Shadowen have seized control and are ruining the Four Lands. The shade of Allanon deputes Walker Boh to retrieve the black Elfstone, but it is now in the hands of the ancient Stone King.
423 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1991
390 people are currently reading
11174 people want to read
About the author
Terry Brooks
410 books77.8k followersTerry Brooks was born in Illinois in 1944, where he spent a great deal of his childhood and early adulthood dreaming up stories in and around Sinnissippi Park, the very same park that would eventually become the setting for his bestselling Word & Void trilogy. He went to college and received his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College, where he majored in English Literature, and he received his graduate degree from the School of Law at Washington & Lee University.
A writer since high school, he wrote many stories within the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction, until one semester early in his college years he was given The Lord of the Rings to read. That moment changed Terry's life forever, because in Tolkien's great work he found all the elements needed to fully explore his writing combined in one genre.
He then wrote The Sword of Shannara, the seven year grand result retaining sanity while studying at Washington & Lee University and practicing law. It became the first work of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months.
A writer since high school, he wrote many stories within the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction, until one semester early in his college years he was given The Lord of the Rings to read. That moment changed Terry's life forever, because in Tolkien's great work he found all the elements needed to fully explore his writing combined in one genre.
He then wrote The Sword of Shannara, the seven year grand result retaining sanity while studying at Washington & Lee University and practicing law. It became the first work of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months.
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March 15, 2020
I really struggled with this one, and it took me a month to get through.
This novel had serious pacing issues. The beginning and the end were both pretty good, but the middle dragged, and I found myself heavily skim reading just to get through it.
I do have issues with the Shanara books in general. They are all pretty samey, and the original novel especially feels like a rip off of LOTR. The previous novel was actually pretty enjoyable and built up a fun cast of characters, and I had been looking forward to continuing the story. Sadly this one chose to focus on only a few of those characters and the questing just got tedious for me.
I’ll take a short break the will press on to the Elf Queen. Despite my issues with this novel, I do want to see this series out.
This novel had serious pacing issues. The beginning and the end were both pretty good, but the middle dragged, and I found myself heavily skim reading just to get through it.
I do have issues with the Shanara books in general. They are all pretty samey, and the original novel especially feels like a rip off of LOTR. The previous novel was actually pretty enjoyable and built up a fun cast of characters, and I had been looking forward to continuing the story. Sadly this one chose to focus on only a few of those characters and the questing just got tedious for me.
I’ll take a short break the will press on to the Elf Queen. Despite my issues with this novel, I do want to see this series out.
February 2, 2014
The Heritage of Shannara quartet of books continues with The Druid of Shannara. As the book begins, the King of the Silver River is reflecting on the events of the previous book. The King of the Silver River is a powerful “fairy spirit” that is sort of a minor god/angel that was assigned by the Word (the God of the Shannara universe) with governing over the area where he lives (in a caring for that part of the natural world sense, not a political sense). That area, the “Silver River” is in the Four Lands, which are mostly in the Northwestern United States in the Shannara books' post-apocalyptic setting.
Anyways, this spirit can sense that the Shannara children are in jeopardy, but can succeed in their quests. But one of the “children” (they are all adults, but are the heirs of the Elven House of Shannara, and are also considered “children” by this immortal being), Walker Boh, is in grave peril. The King of the Silver River also senses that one of his “brothers” (fellow spirits created by the Word) is abusing his trust. Not only that, but this rogue god holds the Black Elfstone – that talisman which is needed to safely bring back lost Paranor – and Walker must recover that stone if he is to successfully bring back the Druid's Keep and restore the order. So the King of the Silver River creates a child, a “daughter” and sends her forth to heal Walker Boh, defeat this wayward fairy brother, and recapture the Black Elfstone of fairie.
Along the way, the young “elemental” girl, Quickening, meets and recruits Ohmsford ally and friend, Morgan Leah, and an assassin Pe Ell, who – known only to Quickening and one other – is in the employ of the sinister Shadowen against whom the heirs of Shannara fight. Quickening, Pe Ell, Morgan, and Walker, along with Tracker Horner Dees – who can take them to the destination they seek – can and will succeed in their quest, for the King of the Silver River, who has some ability to discern the future, has foreseen it. But it will come at a terrible price, and will not be at all what they (especially Pe Ell, thankfully) are quite expecting.
This was very much not an action-oriented book. It was very much of a “questing” book. Sort of like the literary equivalent of the quests and sidequests in some RPG games. That is not to say that it is bad. Indeed, it was better than the first book of the series, The Scions of Shannara, in my opinion. Nonetheless, potential readers ought to know what they are in for with this story. It's not like most fantasy. It's more like Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings with even more walking, less action, and almost none of the vividly descriptive terms and imagery that he did put into it. That would be what Druid would be like. Still, all that considered, it did have good points to it as well.
Despite not having a very good grasp of vivid prose in general (which is often needed for what I'll call a “travelogue” type of story), author Terry Brooks does do a very good job of communicating his vision via world-building. He may not put it forth as well or vividly as some other authors could, but he did a masterful job of designing his fictional future of our world.
The descriptions he gave of the ruined city of Eldwist, transformed into stone by the “Stone King”, the wicked fairy brother earlier mentioned, bring across a sense of helplessness and sadness at such devastation in the ruins of what was a modern city millennia before the story. The city seems to be either New York City or Toronto. Also, the jumbled and disoriented thoughts of the characters as they look upon this “Old World” (the term for all things before the “Great Wars” ruined most of the world in a nuclear holocaust) city really shapes the narrative.
There wasn't the same sense of “true companions” that there was in the previous book. But then again, these aren't “true companions” at all. No one likes or trusts Pe Ell, and Walker and Morgan are injured in their hearts and trying to heal. Thus, there is very little kindness shown to each other. But, of course, this camaraderie is established by the survivors of the party at the end of the book.
While Druid isn't nearly as “action-oriented” as the other Shannara books that I've read, it is very much an engrossing, enjoyable yarn.
Anyways, this spirit can sense that the Shannara children are in jeopardy, but can succeed in their quests. But one of the “children” (they are all adults, but are the heirs of the Elven House of Shannara, and are also considered “children” by this immortal being), Walker Boh, is in grave peril. The King of the Silver River also senses that one of his “brothers” (fellow spirits created by the Word) is abusing his trust. Not only that, but this rogue god holds the Black Elfstone – that talisman which is needed to safely bring back lost Paranor – and Walker must recover that stone if he is to successfully bring back the Druid's Keep and restore the order. So the King of the Silver River creates a child, a “daughter” and sends her forth to heal Walker Boh, defeat this wayward fairy brother, and recapture the Black Elfstone of fairie.
Along the way, the young “elemental” girl, Quickening, meets and recruits Ohmsford ally and friend, Morgan Leah, and an assassin Pe Ell, who – known only to Quickening and one other – is in the employ of the sinister Shadowen against whom the heirs of Shannara fight. Quickening, Pe Ell, Morgan, and Walker, along with Tracker Horner Dees – who can take them to the destination they seek – can and will succeed in their quest, for the King of the Silver River, who has some ability to discern the future, has foreseen it. But it will come at a terrible price, and will not be at all what they (especially Pe Ell, thankfully) are quite expecting.
This was very much not an action-oriented book. It was very much of a “questing” book. Sort of like the literary equivalent of the quests and sidequests in some RPG games. That is not to say that it is bad. Indeed, it was better than the first book of the series, The Scions of Shannara, in my opinion. Nonetheless, potential readers ought to know what they are in for with this story. It's not like most fantasy. It's more like Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings with even more walking, less action, and almost none of the vividly descriptive terms and imagery that he did put into it. That would be what Druid would be like. Still, all that considered, it did have good points to it as well.
Despite not having a very good grasp of vivid prose in general (which is often needed for what I'll call a “travelogue” type of story), author Terry Brooks does do a very good job of communicating his vision via world-building. He may not put it forth as well or vividly as some other authors could, but he did a masterful job of designing his fictional future of our world.
The descriptions he gave of the ruined city of Eldwist, transformed into stone by the “Stone King”, the wicked fairy brother earlier mentioned, bring across a sense of helplessness and sadness at such devastation in the ruins of what was a modern city millennia before the story. The city seems to be either New York City or Toronto. Also, the jumbled and disoriented thoughts of the characters as they look upon this “Old World” (the term for all things before the “Great Wars” ruined most of the world in a nuclear holocaust) city really shapes the narrative.
There wasn't the same sense of “true companions” that there was in the previous book. But then again, these aren't “true companions” at all. No one likes or trusts Pe Ell, and Walker and Morgan are injured in their hearts and trying to heal. Thus, there is very little kindness shown to each other. But, of course, this camaraderie is established by the survivors of the party at the end of the book.
While Druid isn't nearly as “action-oriented” as the other Shannara books that I've read, it is very much an engrossing, enjoyable yarn.
February 22, 2025
E ho terminato anche il secondo volume della quadrilogia degli Eredi.
Dunque, non so se è perché su questo volume avevo aspettative altissime, oppure perché davvero rispetto al primo ci sono differenze, ma a questo libro non riesco a dare più di quattro stelle. Il primo volume è stato a dir poco perfetto, non ho trovato un singolo tempo morto, nemmeno per sbaglio. In questo, soprattutto quando i protagonisti sono giunti a Eldwist, ho faticato un pochino sia coi punti di vista di Pe Ell, sia con quelli, ahimè, di Walker. E mi dispiace, perché ero pronta a dare cinque stelle a occhi chiusi, ma non sarebbe giusto nei confronti del primo libro.
Ho amato tutta la parte iniziale riguardante Walker, la sua perdita del braccio, la perdita di Cogline e Bisbiglio, l'incontro con Viridiana che lo salva dal veleno, e tutta la parte finale, dalla battaglia contro Uhl Belk fino alla ricomparsa di Paranor. Ma non ho apprezzato tutte le pare mentali che lui si fa nell'accettare quel destino (diventare un Druido e fare quanto richiesto da Allanon) che lui tanto rifuggiva. O meglio, posso accettarle una volta, due volte, ma se continuano cento volte senza alcun cambiamento o sviluppo, allora mi cadono le braccia (e stiamo parlando del mio personaggio preferito della saga, il che mi fa ancora più male 😭).
Apprezzatissimo Morgan Leah, che in questo volume evolve tanto e diventa un vero e proprio Cavaliere. Lo abbiamo visto nel primo volume, terrorizzato dopo aver perso la spada di Leah, lo ritroviamo capace non solo di amare e proteggere Viridiana, ma di combattere anche senza la magia, di impegnarsi a salvare i propri compagni (uno su tutti Horner Dees), di andare avanti nonostante la paura paralizzante. La spada di Leah è tornata, Viridiana è persa, eppure lui, dopo lo smarrimento iniziale, riesce a riprendersi, è pronto a proteggere nuovamente Par e Coll. Sempre più simile al suo antenato Menion. 💖
Carino come personaggio anche Horner Dees, la guida già sfuggita una volta a Uhl Belk e convinta da Viridiana ad aiutarli; il suo modo a volte un pò burbero cela un passato particolare, a cui non avrei mai pensato la prima volta che lo si incontra durante la lettura.
La stessa Viridiana non mi è dispiaciuta, mi ha fatto male comprendere il suo destino, sul finale, come mi ha fatto male l'ultimo capitolo dedicato, come il primo, al Re del Fiume Argento che, nonostante sapesse sin da subito il motivo della creazione della figlia, sembra quasi soffrire della sua perdita (un padre resta sempre un padre, anche in un caso limite come questo).
Non ho invece apprezzato né tutta la parte di Carismano e degli Urda, né Pe Ell, nonostante di quest'ultimo ne comprenda appieno il significato all'interno del libro.
Ancora una volta il signor Terry Brooks chiude il libro nella maniera peggiore possibile, lasciandoci con un cliffhanger non da poco, che mi spinge a iniziare subito il terzo volume per capire che diamine sta succedendo (non si fa così!!).
Piccola nota: finalmente sapremo di più su Wren, perché in due volumi è apparsa si e no in tre capitoli, ora sono davvero curiosa!
Dunque, non so se è perché su questo volume avevo aspettative altissime, oppure perché davvero rispetto al primo ci sono differenze, ma a questo libro non riesco a dare più di quattro stelle. Il primo volume è stato a dir poco perfetto, non ho trovato un singolo tempo morto, nemmeno per sbaglio. In questo, soprattutto quando i protagonisti sono giunti a Eldwist, ho faticato un pochino sia coi punti di vista di Pe Ell, sia con quelli, ahimè, di Walker. E mi dispiace, perché ero pronta a dare cinque stelle a occhi chiusi, ma non sarebbe giusto nei confronti del primo libro.
Ho amato tutta la parte iniziale riguardante Walker, la sua perdita del braccio, la perdita di Cogline e Bisbiglio, l'incontro con Viridiana che lo salva dal veleno, e tutta la parte finale, dalla battaglia contro Uhl Belk fino alla ricomparsa di Paranor. Ma non ho apprezzato tutte le pare mentali che lui si fa nell'accettare quel destino (diventare un Druido e fare quanto richiesto da Allanon) che lui tanto rifuggiva. O meglio, posso accettarle una volta, due volte, ma se continuano cento volte senza alcun cambiamento o sviluppo, allora mi cadono le braccia (e stiamo parlando del mio personaggio preferito della saga, il che mi fa ancora più male 😭).
Apprezzatissimo Morgan Leah, che in questo volume evolve tanto e diventa un vero e proprio Cavaliere. Lo abbiamo visto nel primo volume, terrorizzato dopo aver perso la spada di Leah, lo ritroviamo capace non solo di amare e proteggere Viridiana, ma di combattere anche senza la magia, di impegnarsi a salvare i propri compagni (uno su tutti Horner Dees), di andare avanti nonostante la paura paralizzante. La spada di Leah è tornata, Viridiana è persa, eppure lui, dopo lo smarrimento iniziale, riesce a riprendersi, è pronto a proteggere nuovamente Par e Coll. Sempre più simile al suo antenato Menion. 💖
Carino come personaggio anche Horner Dees, la guida già sfuggita una volta a Uhl Belk e convinta da Viridiana ad aiutarli; il suo modo a volte un pò burbero cela un passato particolare, a cui non avrei mai pensato la prima volta che lo si incontra durante la lettura.
La stessa Viridiana non mi è dispiaciuta, mi ha fatto male comprendere il suo destino, sul finale, come mi ha fatto male l'ultimo capitolo dedicato, come il primo, al Re del Fiume Argento che, nonostante sapesse sin da subito il motivo della creazione della figlia, sembra quasi soffrire della sua perdita (un padre resta sempre un padre, anche in un caso limite come questo).
Non ho invece apprezzato né tutta la parte di Carismano e degli Urda, né Pe Ell, nonostante di quest'ultimo ne comprenda appieno il significato all'interno del libro.
Ancora una volta il signor Terry Brooks chiude il libro nella maniera peggiore possibile, lasciandoci con un cliffhanger non da poco, che mi spinge a iniziare subito il terzo volume per capire che diamine sta succedendo (non si fa così!!).
Piccola nota: finalmente sapremo di più su Wren, perché in due volumi è apparsa si e no in tre capitoli, ora sono davvero curiosa!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2020
2020 reread: Funny how I experience the books way different than the first time I read them. That's why I love Goodreads, so I can read my previous thoughts! I still think this is a great book, I wouldn't say now that this is one of my favourites but that's probably because I've read all 35(36?) now. It's pretty action packed actually. Loved the introduction of the characters Quickening and Horner Dees. Pe Ell was a little annoying to me, lol.
2016 read: One of my favourites in the series! It's really an adventuring story, and a little less action packed than the others.
2016 read: One of my favourites in the series! It's really an adventuring story, and a little less action packed than the others.
October 23, 2015
One of the best Shannara books for sure. A true adventure fantasy. I was already losing hope that Brooks has just degenerated into generic fantasy, but this book really stands out on it's own. A little bit of doubt, soul searching, interesting characters and the big picture coming together. Still "young adult" friendly, but not as naive.
March 20, 2016
Maybe I'm just getting a little burnt-out on the Shannara books, 'cause I've been reading so many of them now that the show's come out (and I'm still praying that MTV renews it for a second season, 'cause it's a hell of about time they have something worth watching other than Teen Wolf.) But I feel like every Shannara book I read now ends up being a bit more of the same. Case in point with this book, which repeats a storytelling tactic that showed up in one of the earlier Shannara books - not exactly in the same way, but the circumstances were pretty similar. Not to mention similarly tragic. It didn't have quite the same impact on me as did the previous major tragedy, though, for some reason. I can't quite put my finger on it...
But what I can put my finger on is the fact that, let's face it, this book just got ridiculous with the names for some of its characters. Pe Ell, for instance, is bad enough (it sounds like "Peele" in my head, so why not just call him that? After all, unlike most Tolkien-esque high fantasies, this series at least sticks to names that are A) pronounced pretty much the way they look, and B) look normal enough that they could possibly pass muster in the real world in some cases). But then you get a character who shares her name with the subtitle of one of the Highlander movies, unless I miss my guess (I think it was the one that made the fans cry, "There should've been only one!"), and every time Quickening's name is invoked, it's just instant Narm for me.
For all its flaws, though, Druids still serves up enough of the classic Shannara elements (Creeper horror, strange magic, and Elfstones, Elfstones, Elfstones) to keep me interested even through the less magical parts of the book.
Let's face it, I'm not much of a high fantasy reader. I barely managed to get through LOTR the first time around (it took me a second read to appreciate it more.) I'll keep reading these books, but I'm not sure how much longer I can last with these. At least I've now officially stuck to it longer than I did with the Emberverse, so that's saying something...
But what I can put my finger on is the fact that, let's face it, this book just got ridiculous with the names for some of its characters. Pe Ell, for instance, is bad enough (it sounds like "Peele" in my head, so why not just call him that? After all, unlike most Tolkien-esque high fantasies, this series at least sticks to names that are A) pronounced pretty much the way they look, and B) look normal enough that they could possibly pass muster in the real world in some cases). But then you get a character who shares her name with the subtitle of one of the Highlander movies, unless I miss my guess (I think it was the one that made the fans cry, "There should've been only one!"), and every time Quickening's name is invoked, it's just instant Narm for me.
For all its flaws, though, Druids still serves up enough of the classic Shannara elements (Creeper horror, strange magic, and Elfstones, Elfstones, Elfstones) to keep me interested even through the less magical parts of the book.
Let's face it, I'm not much of a high fantasy reader. I barely managed to get through LOTR the first time around (it took me a second read to appreciate it more.) I'll keep reading these books, but I'm not sure how much longer I can last with these. At least I've now officially stuck to it longer than I did with the Emberverse, so that's saying something...
July 10, 2016
Book #15/29 in my Epic Shannara Quest.
A unique and very well-written entry into the Shannara legend.
This one chronicles the quest of Walker Boh to restore Paranor and the Druids to the Four Lands. Great characters and exciting action make for a splendid read. The character of Carisman the tunesmith did not make sense to me, but he was entertaining. The interludes of the trials of the other children of Shannara are thankfully few, but the overall stucture of this saga is quite effective.
Brooks hits a high note narratively with this book. I hope he can keep it going with the next one.
A unique and very well-written entry into the Shannara legend.
This one chronicles the quest of Walker Boh to restore Paranor and the Druids to the Four Lands. Great characters and exciting action make for a splendid read. The character of Carisman the tunesmith did not make sense to me, but he was entertaining. The interludes of the trials of the other children of Shannara are thankfully few, but the overall stucture of this saga is quite effective.
Brooks hits a high note narratively with this book. I hope he can keep it going with the next one.
November 24, 2015
The Druid of Shannara focuses on Walker Boh this time. We didn't really get to know him very well in the first book in this series and I wasn't sure I wanted to read an entire novel that centered around him as the main character. Then when he lost his arm, I wasn't sure how this story was all going to turn it or if I was going to end up like Walked Boh any more than I did at the beginning of the tale. How can he be a druid with only one arm? But, in the end, I found that I did enjoy reading about him and getting to know him better.
As for the assassin Pe Ell, at first I couldn't stand him. After all, he's an assassin, right? You're not supposed to like him. As the story progresses, you do warm up to him a little bit, but not much. After all, are you really going to like someone that is determined to kill everyone in Walker Boh's party, especially the beautiful Quickening? I think not! Then there is Quickening. I really liked her but found that she didn't quite grow in the direction I thought she would. The other main character is the old man, Dees. I really liked him. He's an awesome character.
Terry Brooks does a wonderful job bringing us another fantasy tale in the world of Shannara. I'm sure that he has always regretting killing off Allanon in The Sword of Shannara, the first book he ever wrote in this world. I always thought it was a mistake. After all, the author uses the druid's shade all the time on other books. I liked that this story involve the resurrection of Paranor, the Druid's Keep. I have always been excited about the prospect of having new druids in Shannara. So, I was rooting for Walker Boh to be successful in his quest.
As for the story itself, it is another exciting quest that kept me wanting more. The Stone King, although not evil, is misguided. He is a great opponent for Walker Boh and I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure of crossing the Charnal Mountains and entering the stony land beyond.
Overall, The Druid of Shannara is a great fantasy tale and a wonderful addition to the ever-growing Shannara series. Terry Brooks is my favorite author and I always enjoy being swept back into the world of Shannara. I recommend this book if you are a lover of fantasy, but really do recommend starting from the beginning of the series.
I rated this book an 8 out of 10.
As for the assassin Pe Ell, at first I couldn't stand him. After all, he's an assassin, right? You're not supposed to like him. As the story progresses, you do warm up to him a little bit, but not much. After all, are you really going to like someone that is determined to kill everyone in Walker Boh's party, especially the beautiful Quickening? I think not! Then there is Quickening. I really liked her but found that she didn't quite grow in the direction I thought she would. The other main character is the old man, Dees. I really liked him. He's an awesome character.
Terry Brooks does a wonderful job bringing us another fantasy tale in the world of Shannara. I'm sure that he has always regretting killing off Allanon in The Sword of Shannara, the first book he ever wrote in this world. I always thought it was a mistake. After all, the author uses the druid's shade all the time on other books. I liked that this story involve the resurrection of Paranor, the Druid's Keep. I have always been excited about the prospect of having new druids in Shannara. So, I was rooting for Walker Boh to be successful in his quest.
As for the story itself, it is another exciting quest that kept me wanting more. The Stone King, although not evil, is misguided. He is a great opponent for Walker Boh and I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure of crossing the Charnal Mountains and entering the stony land beyond.
Overall, The Druid of Shannara is a great fantasy tale and a wonderful addition to the ever-growing Shannara series. Terry Brooks is my favorite author and I always enjoy being swept back into the world of Shannara. I recommend this book if you are a lover of fantasy, but really do recommend starting from the beginning of the series.
I rated this book an 8 out of 10.
January 19, 2020
My first re-read of this book since I first read it the week it was released 25-30 years ago.
It essentially a quest book where we have Walker Boh (along with Morgan Leah, Quickening, Pe Ell and a few more adventurers) searching for the Black Elfstone in order to restore Paranor and the Druids to the Four Lands.
It's got some decent characters and I did enjoy the book but found the pacing a little hard to deal with.
It essentially a quest book where we have Walker Boh (along with Morgan Leah, Quickening, Pe Ell and a few more adventurers) searching for the Black Elfstone in order to restore Paranor and the Druids to the Four Lands.
It's got some decent characters and I did enjoy the book but found the pacing a little hard to deal with.
January 28, 2018
Verso la Città di Pietra
Come da prassi, Brooks calibra piuttosto male il ritmo narrativo e quello che rimane al lettore è una storia asfittica e poco armoniosa nelle unità che la compongono.
Viridiana e l'idea della desolante Città di Pietra riscattano in parte il volume e tengono deste un interesse che oramai procede con la forza dell'inerzia.
Come da prassi, Brooks calibra piuttosto male il ritmo narrativo e quello che rimane al lettore è una storia asfittica e poco armoniosa nelle unità che la compongono.
Viridiana e l'idea della desolante Città di Pietra riscattano in parte il volume e tengono deste un interesse che oramai procede con la forza dell'inerzia.
June 28, 2022
4,5 sterren- Nederlandse hardcover
Maar anders dan mijn vader hield uhl Bell zich niet aan het woord had gegeven. Door zijn overlevingsstrijd zag hij dat niet meer en meende eenvoudig te blijven bestaan. Tot elke prijs, alles was wat er toe deed.
Opwekking de dochter van de koning van de zilverrivier, gaat op queste met Loper Boh, of te wel duistere oom, Morgen Leah, Hornet Dees, Woudenberg en Pe-ell, beroepsmoordenaar en spion. Maar dat laatste weten de andere niet. Behalve Opwekking want zij had het al gezien en hD hem nodig.
Weer een echte Terry Brooks. Personages met goede en slechte kanten, onmogelijke keuzes en hoop, hoop op betere tijden.
Geweldige re-read. Op naar deel drie.
Maar anders dan mijn vader hield uhl Bell zich niet aan het woord had gegeven. Door zijn overlevingsstrijd zag hij dat niet meer en meende eenvoudig te blijven bestaan. Tot elke prijs, alles was wat er toe deed.
Opwekking de dochter van de koning van de zilverrivier, gaat op queste met Loper Boh, of te wel duistere oom, Morgen Leah, Hornet Dees, Woudenberg en Pe-ell, beroepsmoordenaar en spion. Maar dat laatste weten de andere niet. Behalve Opwekking want zij had het al gezien en hD hem nodig.
Weer een echte Terry Brooks. Personages met goede en slechte kanten, onmogelijke keuzes en hoop, hoop op betere tijden.
Geweldige re-read. Op naar deel drie.
October 30, 2021
A bit weaker than the previous book, but still as good as Terry Brooks can get it. Really like his language. Smooth, easily read and very vivid.
April 11, 2022
Short summary: A miserable and boring experience.
More words: I've always been fascinated with how Terry Brooks approaches Shannara. In my opinion, what he did with the first three was quite clever. Having stories that were separate though loosely intertwined let him avoid having a dud trilogy, as each book could stand on its own.
This is the first time he's written a direct sequel to a Shannara book and it was an absolutely miserable slog. The previous book, Scions, had a fun setup with lots of neat little callbacks that served the story well.
The idea of having an overarching story where everyone gets their own moment in the sun while fulfilling the Shade of the Dark Lord of Endless Babble Allanon's charge is a great setup. I believe that Brooks worked out after the wonky Sword of Shannara that he works better with smaller groups, as was evidenced by how that one picked up toward the end when it got to focus on Shea, Keltset and Panamon rather than having to juggle 10 blank archetypes at once.
He would carry this forward somewhat in his Magic Kingdom for Sale! series, where the first and third were far better with a more narrow focus. This tactic also helped ensure that Wishsong of Shannara was at least palatable thanks to Jair's side of the story which included a fantastic dynamic between him and Slanter. The idea that he would carry this over, though to novelised form rather than within the same story was an idea worth pursuing. Unfortunately, the Druid of Shannara had the best and worst of Brooks rolled in to one.
The first issue is the general mood and setting. It rains. A lot. That mood carries over to the characters who are miserable, petulant and insufferable throughout the text. That pessimistic viewpoint wouldn't be so bad if there was something worth saying or a point that needed to be brought up. However, it seems only to be utilised in order to give a final triumph or 'aha!' moment. A needless grind that served no real purpose other than to remind you over a very long feeling 400+ pages.
The characters themselves are well realised for the most part, particularly Pe Ell. Brooks has refined his craft to give each character their own voice, even if some voices need to be silenced (I'm looking at you, Morgan Leah).
[A slight tangent: Truly, Morgan Leah's arc to this point has been the worst. I understand the idea of PTSD that Brooks has tried to feed in from the previous book. Bringing the character down from a jubilant, easygoing adventure-seeker to someone who is now tarnished by experience and life is a worthwhile endeavour...however, it has felt that we've gone from a capable man-child to a petulant baby in record time. I don't know which person in Brooks' life is an insert of the various Leahs, but each has been terrible in their own right]
Reflecting back on the book, it felt like endless descriptions of traversal that brought back Brooks' worst traits from Sword of Shannara. We get it. The city of stone is cold and desolate. The grass has faded. The rivers are flowing. Okay. Fine. Move on and do something with this scenery!
I could go on, but truly, there isn't too much to say. The reason is that ultimately this is a book that probably could have been an 80-100 page subplot in another novel that was stretched out in to its own thing for over 400 pages that had very little to say or do other than to indulge in each character's mopey nothingness.
I hope the Elf Queen bounces back a little, because this was a very disappointing follow-up.
More words: I've always been fascinated with how Terry Brooks approaches Shannara. In my opinion, what he did with the first three was quite clever. Having stories that were separate though loosely intertwined let him avoid having a dud trilogy, as each book could stand on its own.
This is the first time he's written a direct sequel to a Shannara book and it was an absolutely miserable slog. The previous book, Scions, had a fun setup with lots of neat little callbacks that served the story well.
The idea of having an overarching story where everyone gets their own moment in the sun while fulfilling the Shade of the Dark Lord of Endless Babble Allanon's charge is a great setup. I believe that Brooks worked out after the wonky Sword of Shannara that he works better with smaller groups, as was evidenced by how that one picked up toward the end when it got to focus on Shea, Keltset and Panamon rather than having to juggle 10 blank archetypes at once.
He would carry this forward somewhat in his Magic Kingdom for Sale! series, where the first and third were far better with a more narrow focus. This tactic also helped ensure that Wishsong of Shannara was at least palatable thanks to Jair's side of the story which included a fantastic dynamic between him and Slanter. The idea that he would carry this over, though to novelised form rather than within the same story was an idea worth pursuing. Unfortunately, the Druid of Shannara had the best and worst of Brooks rolled in to one.
The first issue is the general mood and setting. It rains. A lot. That mood carries over to the characters who are miserable, petulant and insufferable throughout the text. That pessimistic viewpoint wouldn't be so bad if there was something worth saying or a point that needed to be brought up. However, it seems only to be utilised in order to give a final triumph or 'aha!' moment. A needless grind that served no real purpose other than to remind you over a very long feeling 400+ pages.
The characters themselves are well realised for the most part, particularly Pe Ell. Brooks has refined his craft to give each character their own voice, even if some voices need to be silenced (I'm looking at you, Morgan Leah).
[A slight tangent: Truly, Morgan Leah's arc to this point has been the worst. I understand the idea of PTSD that Brooks has tried to feed in from the previous book. Bringing the character down from a jubilant, easygoing adventure-seeker to someone who is now tarnished by experience and life is a worthwhile endeavour...however, it has felt that we've gone from a capable man-child to a petulant baby in record time. I don't know which person in Brooks' life is an insert of the various Leahs, but each has been terrible in their own right]
Reflecting back on the book, it felt like endless descriptions of traversal that brought back Brooks' worst traits from Sword of Shannara. We get it. The city of stone is cold and desolate. The grass has faded. The rivers are flowing. Okay. Fine. Move on and do something with this scenery!
I could go on, but truly, there isn't too much to say. The reason is that ultimately this is a book that probably could have been an 80-100 page subplot in another novel that was stretched out in to its own thing for over 400 pages that had very little to say or do other than to indulge in each character's mopey nothingness.
I hope the Elf Queen bounces back a little, because this was a very disappointing follow-up.
May 4, 2013
The Druid of Shannara by Terry Brooks is the second book of the Heritage of Shannara series set in the Shannara universe. This book deals with four characters journey to deal with the threat posed to the world by Uhl Belk a stone spirit who wants to change the whole world to stone. The first of the character is Quickening who is a the elemental daughter of the king of the silver river. As such she has great magic but was created fully formed for a purpose. The second of the four main characters is Morgan Leah who eventually falls in love with Quickening. I feel a deep empathy for this character even if he is not the focus of the book as I also often wonder if anyone I love can truly love me back. The third main character is Pe Ell who is a federation assassin who plans to eventually kill them all as soon as he gets what he can from them. This character is by far and away the most complicated character that Brooks has put into the Shannara series up to the point that the book was written as he is a villain but yet their are a few things about him that make him slightly sympathetic. The last and in many way main character is Walker Boh the man who does not want to fulfill Allanon's mission for him. The story more than anything is one of self discovery for him as he realizes that he must be honest with who and what he will become in order to fulfill his goal. In the end we must all look at ourselves and discover how we are trying to deceive ourselves in order than we might better be prepared to go out and do good in the world. Overall a good book much better than any of the first three Shannara books.
February 27, 2021
Better than expected! The messiah figure is fascinating because she has the power to compel people to do things and heal things, but at the same time she is human or at least has an intriguing relationship to her humanness. I was completely taken with how complex the assassin character is, and I like the allusions to the ancient ruins that seem like New York City.
One big question I have: what's the point of Carisman? He was magical, but it wasn't really explained how or what his magic was, and then *spoiler alert* he gets killed almost randomly and very few of the characters seem to care at all. His purpose in the book was very obscure. Does he come up again in the later books of the series?
One big question I have: what's the point of Carisman? He was magical, but it wasn't really explained how or what his magic was, and then *spoiler alert* he gets killed almost randomly and very few of the characters seem to care at all. His purpose in the book was very obscure. Does he come up again in the later books of the series?
February 11, 2025
High Fantasy book The Druid of Shannara is the second amazing book in the Heritage of Shannara series and it is a great addition to this series. Expect the unexpected from Terry and you are set.
It is an Epic fantasy tale in this magical series. Terry is a master at what he does and he is one of my all-time authors.
I read this many, many years ago and fell in love with Terry's Shannara world and the amazing characters. I could not put it down. I am only sorry that it has taken so many years to get back to it. The pages are yellow and the smell of print brought it all back to when I first read it.
You can never go wrong reading his book and expecting a great read.
April 13, 2020
Enjoyed the book, but I can see the elements of his characters worrying about each other too much and not enough action blooming in this book. These are heavily present in his later books and bother me alot.
Also, this book is way more dragged out than it needed to be and compared to the earlier books in the series. The same points are made over and over, and there is alot of time with the characters talking to each other without much content instead of moving forward on their adventure.
Also, this book is way more dragged out than it needed to be and compared to the earlier books in the series. The same points are made over and over, and there is alot of time with the characters talking to each other without much content instead of moving forward on their adventure.
August 27, 2025
This one was a little rough. It took me 5-ever to read but honestly I don’t know how much was the book and how much was just me. I almost rated the book at 4 stars because of this but I really did love it. Walker Boh and his character growth is one of my all time favorites. Even when he made me want to bang my head against the wall because he kept dragging on, I still loved him and the authenticity to his character. The Maw Grint storyline wasn’t my favorite because I struggled to relate to it but it was interesting. I really liked Uhl Beck and I’m hoping we see him later on. A character made of stone is SO cool!!!! I also was really really hoping that Pe Ell had a redemption ark because I really loved his character and his sly-ness :( BUT his going mad before being killed was SO fun and I gobbled those pages up like a madman!!!!! Morgan Leah had a really cool story line and growth as well and im sad that he lost the love of his life BUT his additude about it also made me really happy and emotional. ALSO ending that Walker got turned into a Wraith?!? WHAT?!? And the King of the Silver River being sad about losing Quickening also made me really sad. I love his character and I love that we’ve gotten to see him throughout the ages and books. Also Cogline dying!!!! NO NO NO! But being back with the moor cat (sp?) at the end made me fist pump. So much happened that I don’t even remember where Par and Coll are hardly and I don’t even remember the cousin’s name OOPS but I’m on to the next!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2018
Dieses Buch hat mich nun doch sehr lange begleitet und ich hatte erneut große Freude mit den Erben von Shannara. Das Abenteuer von Walker Boh hat mir sehr viel Spaß gemacht, denn der "Dunkle Onkel" ist ein Charakter, der in sich völlig zerrissen ist. Er hat so viele Zweifel und Ängste in sich, dass er sich selbst so oft im Weg steht. Auf seiner Suche nach dem schwarzen Elfenstein wird ihm so vieles über sich selbst klar und das hat mir unfassbar gut gefallen.
Es war schade, dass nur wenig über Par, Coll und Wren aufgetaucht ist. Ich hätte gerne etwas abwechslungsreicher gelesen, allerdings kann ich sehr gut verstehen, wieso Brooks es so gelöst hat. Eine ausführlichere Rezension gibt's auf dem Blog: https://liveyourlifewithbooks.wordpre...
Es war schade, dass nur wenig über Par, Coll und Wren aufgetaucht ist. Ich hätte gerne etwas abwechslungsreicher gelesen, allerdings kann ich sehr gut verstehen, wieso Brooks es so gelöst hat. Eine ausführlichere Rezension gibt's auf dem Blog: https://liveyourlifewithbooks.wordpre...
June 7, 2022
5 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover
The story: Walker Boh, who had denied his order to restore the druids, was setting out to do just that. with a misfit crew of strangers as his companions, he sets out to find the find component to complete his task. fate has the upper hand and she will play the cards as she chooses; someone may lose.
It was an excellent choice to break off one character and to follow him. It did allow me the reader to see the character in-depth and to meet his companions without confusion.
The story: Walker Boh, who had denied his order to restore the druids, was setting out to do just that. with a misfit crew of strangers as his companions, he sets out to find the find component to complete his task. fate has the upper hand and she will play the cards as she chooses; someone may lose.
It was an excellent choice to break off one character and to follow him. It did allow me the reader to see the character in-depth and to meet his companions without confusion.
July 23, 2020
2 stars? 3 stars? 2.5?
I dont know man, these books have such a terrible problem of "telling" instead of "showing" and it gets so frustrating to read sometimes. The first third or so was good enough to hook me and keep me for a while but then the quest adventure starts and its like blah blah blah...
End was good, though. And the characterization / development of Walker Boh is what really carries the stars for me.
I dont know man, these books have such a terrible problem of "telling" instead of "showing" and it gets so frustrating to read sometimes. The first third or so was good enough to hook me and keep me for a while but then the quest adventure starts and its like blah blah blah...
End was good, though. And the characterization / development of Walker Boh is what really carries the stars for me.
January 14, 2018
The offspring of Shannara have been tasked by Allanon with four quests that will aid in restoring the Four Lands. Walker Boh and Morgan Leah are tasked with recovering the Black Elfstone. With the aid of a beautiful elemental they will seek out to Stone King to recover it. Another outstanding and gripping tale by Brooks.
May 23, 2024
Ça y'est, je l'ai enfin fini haha. C'est le tome que j'ai le moins aimé pour le moment, même si j'étais contente de retrouver les personnages du tome 1. J'ai ressenti pas mal de longueurs qui m'ont fait lâcher parfois. Néanmoins, je continuerais ma lecture avec le tome 3, parce que malgré tout, je veux savoir comment ça va continuer...
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September 3, 2024I really enjoyed this novel. It focuses mainly on the story of Walker Boh (and Morgan Leah), with only brief updates on what Wren, Par, and Coll from the previous volume were doing. Brooks does a great job in slowing the story down to allow characters to focus on their own thoughts, so the reader can understand what the characters are grappling with internally not just externally. This doesn't harm the story at all, but instead enriches it.
January 31, 2021
Awe. Some. Book.
The character progression is so captivating and perfect.
This is was book 16 for me (I'm reading chronologically) and it may be my favourite book so far. I'm so glad the story continues for two more books!
The character progression is so captivating and perfect.
This is was book 16 for me (I'm reading chronologically) and it may be my favourite book so far. I'm so glad the story continues for two more books!
December 8, 2020
Další díl Shannary, děj kupodivu přímo navazuje na ten předchozí díl a více se soustředí na "vedlejší" postavy. Moc pěkné, stále mě to nepřestalo bavit.
September 22, 2023
Druid kelimesi evrensel bir şey mi acaba? Yüzüklerin Efendisi’ nde de var.
April 9, 2025
Probably my favourite Shannara book so far.
October 10, 2021
The first half just seemed all build-up while the second half seemed to rush along.
March 17, 2019
7/10. Sirve el comentario del primero de la saga. Básicamente Fantasía tolkeniana que se lee agradablemente. Se monta un mundo con trolls, elfos, enanos y todo eso y ¡hale!, batallitas entre todos ellos.
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