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bloomsburybaker's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
weaselweader's review against another edition
5.0
The breathtaking second instalment in "The Genesis of Shannara" trilogy,
In a horrifying blend of post-apocalyptic terror and new age urban fantasy, The Elves of Cintra continues the story of a world ravaged by nuclear war, plague, pestilence, famine, mindless zombie-like creatures, demons and terrifying creatures born out of devastating mutations. Deaths have numbered in the billions and humanity teeters on the very brink of extinction. Most of those few humans who have survived have reverted to a dark age in which they remain walled up in fortified compounds brutally scavenging from one another and scratching out a mean subsistence life in much the same fashion as tribes would have done during the earliest periods of mankind's existence.
Long, long ago, the Elves conquered the demon hordes wandering Earth and sealed them away in a bleak existence called "the Forbidding". But current events on the earth - the wars, the nuclear radiation, the burgeoning evil that mankind is both experiencing and causing - are weakening the walls between Earth and the Forbidding. As evil's grip on the earth tightens, its defence has been reduced to the last two remaining Knights of the Word - Angel Perez and Logan Tom - two warriors carefully chosen by the Word for their indomitable spirit who have been given a magical staff and special powers to be used in the fight against demons and "The Void".
In The Elves of Cintra, Brooks has woven an impossibly compelling magical spell, tightly drawing together the widely disparate story threads begun in Armageddon's Children.
Hawk, one of the Seattle street child gangs who call themselves "The Ghosts" magically re-appears at the side of the King of the Silver River after his near execution. He learns of his role as the Gypsy Morph whose destiny is to lead thousands of the remaining children of humankind to a nebulous and as yet undefined promised land. Knight of the Word Angel Perez teams up with the young elf Kirisin to help him, his warrior sister and their blue Elfstones in an all-important search for the Loden Elfstone. This stone is as critical to the survival of the Elven nation as the Gypsy Morph is to the humans. Although far from certain of their ultimate destination and fate, Logan Tom continues to lead the remainder of The Ghosts in their flight from a devastated Seattle. The blood-thirsty, driven demons and other minions of The Void remain pledged to the annihilation of every living thing on earth and plague the children, the Knights of the Word and the Elves with their foul attacks at every turn.
Armageddon's Children and The Elves of Cintra tell a powerful epic tale. Far more than a simple story of the unending and timeless conflict between good and evil, they spin a positively magnetic saga of love, commitment, honour, dedication, trust and so much more. For example, the tale of orphaned children attempting to raise themselves in a bleak, nuclear-blasted world without reference to parental guidance, while astonishingly reminiscent of Golding's Lord of the Flies, is fresh, exciting, heart-wrenching and most definitely not derivative in any way. The excruciating cataloguing of our human weaknesses and failings - selfishness, greed, despair, racism, lust and covetousness, to name only a few - serve as a bleak reminder of the problems which might ultimately be the foundation for humanity's eventual demise. Brooks' descriptions of a troubled world are graphic and breathtaking. His character building is deep, complex and utterly convincing.
If I can find even a single criticism, it is that the story ends on an excruciating cliff-hanger. To be sure, it constitutes a natural end of the book and a sensible break point but I'm still going to be holding my breath until I can find a copy of The Gypsy Morph. What a fabulous story, Mr Brooks. I continue to be one of your biggest fans!
Paul Weiss
In a horrifying blend of post-apocalyptic terror and new age urban fantasy, The Elves of Cintra continues the story of a world ravaged by nuclear war, plague, pestilence, famine, mindless zombie-like creatures, demons and terrifying creatures born out of devastating mutations. Deaths have numbered in the billions and humanity teeters on the very brink of extinction. Most of those few humans who have survived have reverted to a dark age in which they remain walled up in fortified compounds brutally scavenging from one another and scratching out a mean subsistence life in much the same fashion as tribes would have done during the earliest periods of mankind's existence.
Long, long ago, the Elves conquered the demon hordes wandering Earth and sealed them away in a bleak existence called "the Forbidding". But current events on the earth - the wars, the nuclear radiation, the burgeoning evil that mankind is both experiencing and causing - are weakening the walls between Earth and the Forbidding. As evil's grip on the earth tightens, its defence has been reduced to the last two remaining Knights of the Word - Angel Perez and Logan Tom - two warriors carefully chosen by the Word for their indomitable spirit who have been given a magical staff and special powers to be used in the fight against demons and "The Void".
In The Elves of Cintra, Brooks has woven an impossibly compelling magical spell, tightly drawing together the widely disparate story threads begun in Armageddon's Children.
Hawk, one of the Seattle street child gangs who call themselves "The Ghosts" magically re-appears at the side of the King of the Silver River after his near execution. He learns of his role as the Gypsy Morph whose destiny is to lead thousands of the remaining children of humankind to a nebulous and as yet undefined promised land. Knight of the Word Angel Perez teams up with the young elf Kirisin to help him, his warrior sister and their blue Elfstones in an all-important search for the Loden Elfstone. This stone is as critical to the survival of the Elven nation as the Gypsy Morph is to the humans. Although far from certain of their ultimate destination and fate, Logan Tom continues to lead the remainder of The Ghosts in their flight from a devastated Seattle. The blood-thirsty, driven demons and other minions of The Void remain pledged to the annihilation of every living thing on earth and plague the children, the Knights of the Word and the Elves with their foul attacks at every turn.
Armageddon's Children and The Elves of Cintra tell a powerful epic tale. Far more than a simple story of the unending and timeless conflict between good and evil, they spin a positively magnetic saga of love, commitment, honour, dedication, trust and so much more. For example, the tale of orphaned children attempting to raise themselves in a bleak, nuclear-blasted world without reference to parental guidance, while astonishingly reminiscent of Golding's Lord of the Flies, is fresh, exciting, heart-wrenching and most definitely not derivative in any way. The excruciating cataloguing of our human weaknesses and failings - selfishness, greed, despair, racism, lust and covetousness, to name only a few - serve as a bleak reminder of the problems which might ultimately be the foundation for humanity's eventual demise. Brooks' descriptions of a troubled world are graphic and breathtaking. His character building is deep, complex and utterly convincing.
If I can find even a single criticism, it is that the story ends on an excruciating cliff-hanger. To be sure, it constitutes a natural end of the book and a sensible break point but I'm still going to be holding my breath until I can find a copy of The Gypsy Morph. What a fabulous story, Mr Brooks. I continue to be one of your biggest fans!
Paul Weiss
jasmyn9's review against another edition
5.0
Elves really do exist. They've remained hidden away in their forest while the world falls apart around them. But when the Lady directs Angel Perez to go find them, she sets out on a journey where she discovers things she once thought as fairy tales are actually real. The elves aren't all that happy to be found either - but Angel has a mission she must complete.
The elves were great! They seem to be the race the least changed by the events in their attitudes from book to book. We begin to hear rumors of the amazing Elf Stones and see how they became a part of the elves' lives again.
Meanwhile, the Ghosts are on the move and Logan Tom tries to free their leader, a fairy creature himself, from one of the compounds humans have set up to try and defend themselves from the demon hordes taking over the land.
The world is rushing towards destruction and only a handful stand in its way. Trying to save what they can before the demons overrun it all. Readers of past Shannara series will find places that seem familiar, and it was very exciting to see places from past books that were in ruins come to life on the pages. I don't know how Terry Brooks keeps it all straight, but he does such an amazing job.
The elves were great! They seem to be the race the least changed by the events in their attitudes from book to book. We begin to hear rumors of the amazing Elf Stones and see how they became a part of the elves' lives again.
Meanwhile, the Ghosts are on the move and Logan Tom tries to free their leader, a fairy creature himself, from one of the compounds humans have set up to try and defend themselves from the demon hordes taking over the land.
The world is rushing towards destruction and only a handful stand in its way. Trying to save what they can before the demons overrun it all. Readers of past Shannara series will find places that seem familiar, and it was very exciting to see places from past books that were in ruins come to life on the pages. I don't know how Terry Brooks keeps it all straight, but he does such an amazing job.
lonewolfbefree's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
srreid's review against another edition
3.0
I have to admit despite the title it's the elves who i feel are the weakest part of this story. Loving all the stuff with the knights of the word and the street kids though, looking forward to part 3 to see how it all ends
rouver's review against another edition
3.0
If you already enjoy Terry Brooks, then go ahead & read it. I sadly didn't review this immediately after reading, and not much stuck with me. I think I remember thinking that the elves were a bunch of whiny bitches...but that's kind of it.
tarana's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this. Lots of action. Different characters, while short lived, add a lot of dimension to the story.
nedjem's review against another edition
4.0
3,5 stars.
I expected more from this one. It wasn't that it was actually bad - well except for Tessa. She annoys me to no end! Talking about a good example of a "flat" character in a book. She wasn't a big part of this book though, and even if there were Bible references, they weren't as prominent as in part one. In conclusion, this book didn't annoy me as much as part one, but part one had more really great parts.
I expected more from this one. It wasn't that it was actually bad - well except for Tessa. She annoys me to no end! Talking about a good example of a "flat" character in a book. She wasn't a big part of this book though, and even if there were Bible references, they weren't as prominent as in part one. In conclusion, this book didn't annoy me as much as part one, but part one had more really great parts.