Brooks wasn't the first writer, and won't be the last, to make a career out of a single idea that captured the fantasy audiences's attention (his Magic Kingdom yarns notwithstanding). So, for those who simply can't get enough of Shannara books, here's a very large prequel, chronologically set 500 years before the original The Sword of Shannara (1977), in which readers may discover how the last Druid, Bremen—last until young Allanon, hero of the later installments, shows up—battles the evil Warlock Lord and his Skull Bearers, and how his ally, King of the Elves, Jerle Shannara, wields the Sword of Shannara against the bad guys. And so forth. For those who care.
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-345-39652-9
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
Readers susceptible to Abercrombie's undoubted charms will become rapidly immersed.
First entry in a new trilogy set in the world of, and as a direct if long-awaited sequel to, the First Law trilogy (Last Argument of Kings, 2008, etc.).
There's nothing distinctive about the backdrop, being a fantasy-standard medieval Europe with magic and a developing industrial revolution. Nor the plot, which proves elusive and possibly unfathomable. The Northmen are invading the Union. (Again. It's what they do.) The Union may or may not be imperiled: Abercrombie spurns maps, so it's never clear which territories are part of it or where they lie in relation to one another. What matters are the details. Every scene features one or more memorably well-developed, convincingly lifelike characters. A desperate fugitive from pursuing Northmen, Rikke may have the second sight; tough hillwoman Isern is determined to help her survive long enough to find out. Battling the Northmen is reckless fighter Leo dan Brock. His mortal enemy is Stour Nightfall, whose father engages surly, insubordinate ex-warrior Jonas Clover to teach Stour how not be a total jerk. It's a thankless task. Savine dan Glokta, daughter of the feared chief inquisitor, nurtures a ruthless ambition to control large chunks of industry. Dissolute philanderer Prince Orso, Savine's secret lover, experiences vague urges to reform and do something useful while his father, High King Jezal, shows no interest in the looming conflict. Despite summary executions, the Breakers, an angry, Luddite-like group of dissidents and union organizers, are a growing force. Various mages may or may not be meddlesome. Some familiar faces return along with assorted offspring. It's a sprawling, often jarringly inchoate yarn with what seems like hundreds of moving parts, crafted by an author evidently keeping plenty of cards up his sleeve, so even fans of the previous trilogy will need their wits and memories intact.
Readers susceptible to Abercrombie's undoubted charms will become rapidly immersed.Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-316-18716-9
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Orbit
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
Third entry in Jordan's monumental Wheel of Time series (The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt). Here, the various factions head toward the city Tear, where, in the Heart of the Stone, hangs the magical sword Callendor that none but the Dragon Reborn may wield. Young Rand, the only man able to use the One Power, already half convinced that he is the Dragon Reborn, strikes out alone. Rand's friend Perrin the blacksmith—he's accompanied by Moiraine, the Power-wielding Aes Sedai, and warrior Lan—suspects that he's turning into a wolf. The junior Aes Sedai, Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve take Mat to Tar Valon to be healed of his evil-magic wound; here, they are given the dangerous new task of flushing out the evil Black Ajah in their midst while evading the latter's deadly traps. Eventually, all will converge at Heart of the Stone, where Rand will seize Callendor and destroy their current evil opponent. Some good plotting here and there, and a rousing finale, but most of the rest is merely embroidered heroic travelogue. Not too bad—if you like monuments.
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-312-85248-7
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1991
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