Synopses & Reviews
For more than three decades,
New York Times-bestselling author Terry Brooks has ruled the epic fantasy realm with his legendary Shannara series. With each new novel the mythos has deepened, ever more fascinating characters have arisen, and increasingly breathtaking vistas of magical adventure have emerged. Now the evolution of one of imaginative fiction's most beloved worlds continues in the first book of the new series Legends of Shannara:
Bearers of the Black Staff.
Five hundred years have passed since the devastating demon-led war that tore apart the United States, leaving nothing but scorched and poisoned ruins, and nearly exterminating humankind. Those who escaped the carnage and blight were led to sanctuary by the boy savior known as the Hawk — the gypsy morph. In an idyllic valley, its borders warded by powerful magic against the horrors beyond, humans, elves, and mutants alike found a place they believed would be their home forever.
But after five centuries, the unimaginable has come to pass: The cocoon of protective magic surrounding the valley has vanished. When Sider Ament, the only surviving descendant of the Knights of the Word, detects unknown predators stalking the valley, he fears the worst. And when Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, expert Trackers from the human village of Glensk Wood, find two of their own gruesomely killed, there can be no doubt: The once-safe haven of generations has been laid bare and made vulnerable to whatever still lurks in the wasteland of the outside world.
Together, Ament, the two young Trackers, and a daring Elf princess race to spread word of the encroaching danger — and spearhead plans to defend their ancestral home. But suspicion and hostility among their countrymen threaten to doom their efforts from within — while beyond the breached borders, a ruthless Troll army masses for invasion. And in the thick of it all, the last wielder of the black staff and its awesome magic must find a successor to carry on the fight against the cresting new wave of evil.
Review
"[The story] moves along nicely, the battle scenes are expertly handled and the ending will make readers look forward to the second book in the series....A highly approachable continuation of the Shannara saga." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The author's success needs no measuring anymore — it is enormous, thanks to a growing gift for characterization, pacing, and world building, not to mention magic that may not be supremely original in conception but manages to be increasingly enthralling to literally millions of readers over what is approaching two generations." Booklist
Review
"A skilled storyteller and character builder, Brooks demonstrates an ability to bring together ancient magic and postmodern characters in a new look at his fantasy universe....The author's fans should relish the coming together of two series into one dynamic whole." Library Journal
Review
"Terry Brooks displays the sure hand of a master. Bearers of the Black Staff is filled with iconic characters and heroes not diminished but made human by their flaws. A finely-wrought tale of sacrifice, adventure, betrayal, magic, loss, and a world on the precipice." Brent Weeks, author of The Way of Shadows
Synopsis
The survivors of the Great Wars that devastated the world must now face unimaginable challenges in this first of two novels by New York Times-bestselling author Brooks, set in the prehistory of Shannara.
About the Author
Terry Brooks is the New York Times-bestselling author of more than 25 books, including the Genesis of Shannara novels, Armageddon's Children and The Elves of Cintra; The Sword of Shannara; the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy: Ilse Witch, Antrax, and Morgawr; the High Druid of Shannara trilogy: Jarka Ruus, Tanequil, and Straken; the nonfiction book Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life; and the novel based upon the screenplay and story by George Lucas, Star Wars®: Episode I The Phantom Menace. His novels Running with the Demon and A Knight of the Word were selected by the Rocky Mountain News as two of the best science fiction/fantasy novels of the twentieth century. The author was a practicing attorney for many years but now writes full-time. He lives with his wife, Judine, in the Pacific Northwest.