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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I had set aside the Shannara series. The newer novels, with the exception of the Genesis series, didn't interest me anymore. I also have some pretty severe criticisms for Terry Brooks' recent writing. I've read his books for decades now and there have been some huge changes between earlier and present works. In my opinion, the changes have not been for the better. The lushness of his world building that was so prevalent and enjoyable in the earliest books, has started to disappear. Granted, it's a highly familiar world and perhaps older readers don't need as much description, but gone are the days of the specific imagery of Walker Boh, the hideouts that you can envision hidden in the side of mountains, and picturesque valleys hiding dangerous secrets. It also feels in his later books, the trilogy aspect has stifled his writing, choosing plot, fluff, and shorter books over actual writing. This might be an issue with the overall industry, I'm not sure.
The plot is familiar to anyone who has read Brooks' before. Two siblings, unbeknownst to them, have great power at their fingertips. The Druids intervene in their lives, to train them and use this power to save the world. This particular story line follows the same timeline of the most recent Shannara books.
The interesting point is that it's focused on the Leah family, rather than the Druids or the Ohmsfords. It's a breath of fresh air, quite frankly. The focus on the Leah siblings, Paxon and Chrysallin, and their journey to discover their burgeoning powers, reminds me of the first stand alone books of Shannara and the Scion series. Since the Leah family members have usually served as important side characters, there isn't a huge mythology behind them. Rather it's just enough to be interesting to the familiar reader, but not too much for the new reader to pick up on.
The book still suffers from the criticisms I listed above about Brooks' recent work and follows a very familiar plot line for Brooks. However, the story about the siblings, their relationship, and their journey is interesting enough to keep me for at least one more book.
The plot is familiar to anyone who has read Brooks' before. Two siblings, unbeknownst to them, have great power at their fingertips. The Druids intervene in their lives, to train them and use this power to save the world. This particular story line follows the same timeline of the most recent Shannara books.
The interesting point is that it's focused on the Leah family, rather than the Druids or the Ohmsfords. It's a breath of fresh air, quite frankly. The focus on the Leah siblings, Paxon and Chrysallin, and their journey to discover their burgeoning powers, reminds me of the first stand alone books of Shannara and the Scion series. Since the Leah family members have usually served as important side characters, there isn't a huge mythology behind them. Rather it's just enough to be interesting to the familiar reader, but not too much for the new reader to pick up on.
The book still suffers from the criticisms I listed above about Brooks' recent work and follows a very familiar plot line for Brooks. However, the story about the siblings, their relationship, and their journey is interesting enough to keep me for at least one more book.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Actually relieved that this book was a stand-alone (wrapped up a story line)... it's hard to read the longer trilogies which T. Brooks more often does.
Nice to have something a little bit different from Brooks. No "form a party and go on a quest for an ancient artifact."
Still kind of pedestrian writing, but engaging. Also nice that while it's the first book of a series, it's fairly self-contained.
More of this please, Mr. Brooks.
Still kind of pedestrian writing, but engaging. Also nice that while it's the first book of a series, it's fairly self-contained.
More of this please, Mr. Brooks.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious