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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
RATING: 3.5 stars-ish.
It's not that I didn't like it, but something feels off to me in these books. The elves suddenly being there and all the random mutations for one. The once-men (how are they different from regular men, except that they don't seem to have morals at all?). The wars that destroyed civilization. I wanted more background I guess.
Not to mention the characters are mostly generic. Very much fantasy type heroes in an apocalyptic world. Just doesn't seem to make sense. Also some characters seem to remember "the old days", but weren't the old days more than 100 years ago or something? The world-building in this is just... lazy.
It's not that I didn't like it, but something feels off to me in these books. The elves suddenly being there and all the random mutations for one. The once-men (how are they different from regular men, except that they don't seem to have morals at all?). The wars that destroyed civilization. I wanted more background I guess.
Not to mention the characters are mostly generic. Very much fantasy type heroes in an apocalyptic world. Just doesn't seem to make sense. Also some characters seem to remember "the old days", but weren't the old days more than 100 years ago or something? The world-building in this is just... lazy.
This was an ok read for me. Didn't grip me like previous novels. It did set the stage for a good finale in the 3rd book so I am looking forward to that. It probably didn't help that I started this in audio book format and then decided to finish it in print. I just don't get the kind of retention or enjoyment out of listening to someone else read the book to me. I did start reading it in print a good ways back from where I was in the audio book. This novel just didn't inspire me to keep going like so many other Brooks novels do.
Better than the first in the series, perhaps because more of it takes place in Elven settings. I'm not sure why I like those better. Maybe it's because the Shannara stories tend to be more like "good fights evil and eventually wins in the end" and these are more like "good fights evil and wins the battle, but it doesn't matter because evil will win the war." (Right now, I seem to prefer the former.)
One thing that seems to happen in this series is that in confrontations, the good characters seem to have these hidden powers that make them much more powerful than their opponents. I guess it's the same outcome as in the all-fantasy books, but it feels different in these, almost as if Brooks couldn't figure out a way to bring those powers into play during the normal course of the story. It's OK, but it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. (Why doesn't Character X figure out that she can do Y when Z happened?)
One thing that seems to happen in this series is that in confrontations, the good characters seem to have these hidden powers that make them much more powerful than their opponents. I guess it's the same outcome as in the all-fantasy books, but it feels different in these, almost as if Brooks couldn't figure out a way to bring those powers into play during the normal course of the story. It's OK, but it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. (Why doesn't Character X figure out that she can do Y when Z happened?)
Spoiler
One thing that occurred to me during this book is that it isn't necessarily clear that these stories happen before the Shannara stories. The title of the trilogy seems to indicate such, but there's nothing that says that all this came first yet. Maybe this is what happened after the last Shannara series: Elves gradually gave up on their magic, and as they did, Men took over more and more of the world (think Tolkien as well). Maybe it just reminds me of [b:A Canticle for Leibowitz|164154|A Canticle for Leibowitz|Walter M. Miller Jr.|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172331601s/164154.jpg|250975].
Three and a half to four stars. A little predictable in places and I got a bit annoyed at some of the characters's flip-flopping personalities and thoughts, but apart from that I really enjoyed the story and am excited to get to the final book in the trilogy!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wow wow wow! This trilogy is perfect as a halfway through Shannara listen (aka publication order).
Terry Brooks really did an amazing job with this one. Im excited to jump into the 3rd book of this trilogy, because the tension! The stress! The real stakes!
I love the stakes. This is one of the few Shannara books with like.... MAJOR stakes and I'm excited for the third and final entry in The Genesis of Shannara.
Terry Brooks really did an amazing job with this one. Im excited to jump into the 3rd book of this trilogy, because the tension! The stress! The real stakes!
I love the stakes. This is one of the few Shannara books with like.... MAJOR stakes and I'm excited for the third and final entry in The Genesis of Shannara.
I'm sorry, dear mommy, but I just can't like these books. The characters and plot are interesting but the author just fills up space by saying the same thing over and over again. Each character has the same exact thoughts. "Can I do it? Can I fulfill my destiny? I am weak. I can't do it. I know I did it before. I felt the power. I have the power. I can do it! I'm strong! yay! Wait, I don't think I can do it." Arrrrgh! All 4 main characters have these thoughts every 5 seconds as they travel, travel, travel. Through the barren land. The land was barren. It was dead and dusty. And barren. Also, the author doesn't seem to keep track of what he is saying from one sentence to the next. For instance, one character is hurt badly and is covered up with only her face and hands showing. And yet, in the next sentence, another character notices that her clothes have been changed. What? How? And last but worst of all, one elven character calls her brother a nickname. Little K. LITTLE K!!! They are elves! Should they be reminding me of a diet breakfast cereal?!? Every two seconds?!? Do people really say each other's names with every sentence while they are talking? Sadly, I have an obsessive personality and will have to read the third book to see what happens. I like the parts where people are actually doing something but it is just so rare what with all the thinking and traveling.