Elves Books

I read Elftones over 25 years ago at the age of eleven. I can honestly say that this is the book that made reading and writing a major part of my life. I even remember walking into the local newstand with my mom and seeing the original cover. Something about Wil holding those elfstones intrigued me and I begged my mom for next week's allowance. For an eleven year old, it was a tough read:) But I have since then developed my reading skills thanks to Terry. I've even recently re-read the entire Shannara/Word&Void series.

I have read other fantasy books, but none has compared for me personally to Brooks' writing style and story line. Elfstones, as with all the Shannara books, keeps you excited, thrilled and on the edge of your seat. If you are a fan of other writers such as Tolkien and haven't read any Brooks, you are really missing out.

Although Elfstones actually plays out as an individual storyline by itself, you might want to jump back and start either with Sword or First King of Shannara to get a little feel for the history.

Love all of Brooks' books and cannot wait for the release of Gypsy Morph.

The Elfstones of Shannara is Terry Brooks' second major novel, and his first major step at becoming a talented author. In this novel, Brooks blends his ability to develop emotionally conflicting situations, while keeping the reader in the dark, and his ability to develop insignificant characters into heroes over the course of a quest. This to me is his strength, and this particular novel puts this talent on center stage, mesmerizing the reader with his potency. It is a stunning read.

The Holistic aspect of this novel, which makes it a bit different than the Sword of Shannara, is the fact that the Elfstones draw their strength from the body, mind and spirit of the user, and the protagonist must find his own strength to power them. This continues Brooks' tradition of characters who develop through a greater understanding of who they are, as a person.

The rights to this particular novel have been bought by a major studio (which they passed on the Sword of Shannara) and it is easy to see why when you read this book. This book contains a number of "scenes" that could very easily be visualized in movie form. The action is dramatic, and would be a wonderful challenge for the CGI guys. Sometimes the novel switches gears from 3rd gear to first and staying there a while, offering a bit too much emotional depth for some, but the overall pacing seems to glide along quite smoothly. People who have a tendency to skim the touchy feely stuff can easily get by these parts.

Overall the basic story was quite good in terms of scope, character involvement, and development but with some rather pointed plot weaknesses, or flaws.

1. The death of the Ellcrys was prolonged enough to allow demon hordes to completely penetrate the world, nearly destroy the Elves, and allow the main quest to be completed, rather than just dying on the spot.

2. The Ellcrys was so unaware of her pending death, (or perhaps so incompetant in her task so as to scare away Amberle and not tell anyone else anything) that she was not able to give sufficient advanced warning to have the seed germinated BEFORE any damage occured to the Forbidding.

3. The demon hordes chose to band together to form an army and attempt a direct frontal assault, instead of their natural chaotic individualism, where the could wreak havoc individually in all parts of the world, unhindered, and destroyed everyone bit by bit. I mention this because I realized that the demons had a better success rate BEFORE the army arrived, when they hid in the woods and slaughtered as they pleased. Sure the demons HATED the Elves, and sure they had a leader in the Dagda Mor, but was he really a strong enough character to motivate and unite all the demons into a direct frontal assault? Surely there were others in the whole Forbidding with leadership qualities that would want to do their own thing?

4. Why is a single main antagonist even necessary, why not just have the threat the demon horde with no real leader, or multiple small groups? I mean, the Dagda Mor is such a weak character, his dialogue is limited to the first few chapters. You never see him verbally leading all the demons, you never really understand the signficance of his staff other than the fact that he seems to have no power of his own to attack with besides the staff. What power does he have other than his scary appearance?

5. The Forbidding was broken BEFORE the Ellcrys died, and there was a great time span AFTER this event in which the Forbidding could be reformed with no additional magic which was required the first time the Ellcrys was formed, but was no longer available.

6. The chief antagonist (the Dagda Mor) rode a giant bat so as to better mirror Allanon riding a Roc. Giant bats never being heard of before or after this event, thank goodness. How do giant bats survive? Giant fruits, or giant insects? Oh, and perhaps this gives us an excuse as to why the Dagda Mor is absent for the majority of the book. Brooks' fails to include Mr. Mor's quest for an evil flying mount with which to sufficiently contrast our hero Allanon (can't come to an epic battle without both sides sufficiently equipped for a one on one equally matched showdown)...and the best he could come up with is a children's Halloween decoration come to life.

7. The Harpies must have gone off to roost, because we just didn't hear that much from the bad guys early arial advantage.

8. While there were upteen jillion different kinds of "demons" they don't use them differntly, (no scouts, no rock chuckers, etc.) they just come in some huge struggling mass. The tactics they used to fight could apply to any infantry army, not specific techniques for fighting specific types of demons, like how they took down the "big" demons, or how they dealt with different types.

9. The Ellcrys should have exploded when the Forbidding collapsed, and demons should have poured from the stump, instead of at Hoare Flats (which also gave our protagonists more time to finish their quest).

Most of these faults are trivial, and don't affect the enjoyment of the read, as far as I am concerned. This book brings up some new types of bad guys, some new types of good guys, and some emotional poignant passages. This book makes heroes out of ordinary guys, and legends out of heroes. It really does shine as one of the jewels in any collection of Terry Brooks works, and is an absolute must have for understanding what Terry Brooks was trying to create when he created this world. You get an understanding of the history, and the depth of this world, and you can really fall in love with it. A great book for any collection.

Elfstones is where I feel you can really start to sink your teeth into Brooks. Sword of Shannara was an experiment and homage to Tolkien, so the story often lacks, especially in originality.

Not so with Elfstones. This story starts with Wil Ohmsford, the grandson of Shea, who is studying to be a Healer. In what will turn out to be a running theme, Allanon shows up unannounced and whisks Wil and the Elfstones in his power, away on an adventure to accompany a young elf girl, Amberle, on a quest to save the Four Races from an ancient evil.

The book has everything a high-fantasy should have: fast-paced action, lots of traveling and battles, terrifying evil, humorous quirky characters, lots of history, etc. The story is believable and gripping and you genuinely care about the main characters. There are two romances in the novel (won't spoil), one which I found incredibly well-done and the other kind of shoddy. Sometimes I felt the battle scenes went on way too long, but I'm also a chick so maybe they just don't appeal to me the way they would the usual male fantasy-genre audience.

Brooks brings everything to this book that you could want in a high-fantasy novel, and I'd recommend it to any fan of the genre.

The Elfstones of Shannara is the greatest book ever. If you are into this kind of thing, you will be turning pages faster than you thought possible. A friend told me this was an amazing book, and most books dont live up to the hype. But this one went right over the top! You NEED to read this!

One of the best books I've ever read this book stands the test of time and is just as good now as it was when I was a teenager. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll keep this short. As part of the first Shannara trilogy it continues the tales of the heirs of the house of Shannara, the second generation, but is just as good as a stand alone novel. It was actually the first of this series I read and had no trouble jumping right in. I recommend this to any fan of fantasy, action, or just a good good story.

Aching sets out to find her younger brother. But she is not alone. Accompanying her is a band of pictsies, the Nac Mac Feegle, little blue men who love to drink, steal and fight. Together, they will travel to Fairyland to confront the Queen and rescue both Tiffany's brother and the son of the local Baron. Along the way Tiffany discovers that she has special insights, and comes to understand her destiny, filling the shoes of her late Granny Aching.

A fun fantasy, with a smattering of silly and amusing scenes, this book also provides a bit of social commentary, but is mostly just good entertainment.

In terms of this particular Discworld-derivative idea, I haven't been overly fanatical about Terry's decision to "youthanize." Please don't read anything overtly negative into that little pun: The Aching books are superb.

However, I always felt that Terry's Discworld is such an excellent and timeless literary creation that it never needed to be cross-marketed or tailored for any one set of readers over another. Discworld is always so well-delineated and conceived that it's capable of bringing youthful devotees up-to-speed and jaded old poops like myself into a purely giddy, almost childlike state of devilish euphoria, at the same time.

Basically, Discworld has always been versatile *just* as it's been written. Deliberately making a kiddie-version of that world seemed (to me) redundant, but then again...I am no longer a kid! I write this review mainly for those adult fans of Pratchett who may expect to enjoy the Aching books as much as they enjoy the adult Discworld novels. After all, grown-ups can and do get very excited about Young Adult books from time to time--look at the Rowling phenomenon as it continues to play-out among some adults (a particular enthusiasm I have never shared or thought remotely convincing).

Adult fans can unquestionably enjoy these YA books by Pratchett, just don't expect them to be the same as his adult novels. Apples and oranges, as they say. That's my point.

In any case, Terry certainly can write for the young adult crowd; there's no doubt. best of all, Terry's narrative voice does not "talk down" to young adults, as others sometimes do, in the sense that he sacrifices the delicious wisdom that is part-and-parcel of the overarching Pratchett craftsmanship.

Though I believe Terry Pratchett (as a writer) is always light-years more stocked in the Talent Department than someone like J.K. Rowling, for example, I don't think 'Wee Free Men' is quite as good as 'Hat Full of Stars' or 'Wintersmith'. The plotting of 'Wee Free Men' seemed a tad aimless and lazy when compared with the other two Tiffany Aching books, even with my "kid head" screwed-on. Young adults can pick-up on these things, but it's a minor quibble, I assure you.

Pratchett could fall out of bed and still be better than 90 percent of the people writing similar Young Adult material these days. If you're a parent looking to interest your 11-16 year-old in superb material and get a kid ready for the joyful wealth of "adult" Discworld in the future, Tiffany Aching is your girl.

Another delightful adventure in the discworld of Terry Pratchett. I absolutely love the Nac Mac Feegles. There are times that I start laughing so hard that I can't continue reading.

Finally a book with just the right mix of heart, action, fantasy, humanity and wacky unpredictability! This was my first voyage into Pratchett land and what a journey. I'd heard about his Discworld books but never got round to actually cracking the spine of one. Honestly, I have no idea if Wee Free takes place on Discworld or not. But no matter where the story takes place, Tiffany is a great, active heroine and the Wee Free Men are an absolute riot! That said, for our own wee ones, some of the under 10 or 11 set may have trouble figuring out just what the Nac Mac Feegle are saying as Pratchett has them chatting with their Scottish brogues fully intact. Things like, "...Crivens, we dinna want tae answer..." and "The Quin'll get tired o' the wee lad after a coupla months, mebbe." After a few pages of the Free Men's dialogue, though, it does get easier to understand and by your third page of it, those crazy little blue guys in kilts will have you rolling of the floor.

Keep 'em coming Terry, you crazy old coot.

Pratchett really shines in his young readers stories of Tiffany Aching. Tiffany is a 9 year old girl born and raised on the chalk, where her family tends sheep. While she tries to cope with her sorrow over the death of her grandmother (a witch who never said as much), it becomes clear that she has inherited her granny's talent for witching. This is the first book in the Tiffany Aching series, which delves into the world of the tiny Mac Nac Feegle, tattooed blue sprites with flaming red hair and tempers to match. Here the MNFeegles help Tiffany with the general business of witching, and the specific business of rescuing her sticky little brother Wentworth from the Queen of Faerie.

Like all of Pratchett's books, The Wee Free Men is laugh-out-loud funny (almost too clever for young readers), and a joyous romp through the crazy Discworld that Pratchett has created.

- C.A.Wulff author of Born Without a Tail

Not really sure what to say about this book. I found it so tedious to read. It is extremely mundane. The author describes every little thing and has tons of internal dialect before getting to the point. I will read the second book, only because the world Rob has built is interesting. Not that she actually had the brothers doing anything interesting though. There was so much more she could've done. I mean one of the main characters is half demon. He was kidnapped and brought back to the demon world and remained there for two "demon" years (two days in Earth years) later he remembers nothing! Nothing? That alone was a great opportunity to create a good story and instead she let it slip by.

When I saw this book I thought it would be a great book. I mean, we read fantasy books set in medieval-esque lands, but why not a fantasy book set in modern day times? I love this idea so I try and read as many of these types of books as possible. Thurman fit the bill with Nightlife, so I gave her a go. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed and was amazed to see that I differed so greatly from the majority of the reviewers thus far.

Thurman seems to be trying too hard to be witty and funny, sarcastic and hip, so much so that it takes away from the story. At first it was cute, it was cool, but then it got old and it seemed every scene was Cal and Niko, not to mention the numerous characters, always trying to have some sarcastic comeback. Ultimately, it slowed the story and hid the storyline. Additionally, Thurman seemed to want to make it a true urban fantasy so she made sure that the reader got to follow Niko and Cal as they interacted with one of each of the monsters: a seer, boggle, vampire, troll, fairy, elf (Auphe), Ghul and Werewolves (with the werewolves being the only "monster" to have more than one of the species present, other than the Auphe's of course). You name it and Cal and Niko met them at least once. Did she think this enhanced the story, that by giving a glimpse of each "monster" it made it more interesting? It of course didn't. It somehow cheapened the world they lived in and made it even more just like another bad fantasy.

This saddened me because I expected a lot. In fact if Thurman took her writing a bit more serious and actually used the fantasy elements that she was trying to inject more, made it more of a prevalent aspect, than her book would have been a good read. As is, it left me shaking my head at the failed possibility.

Naturally the story picked up some towards the end when the book began climaxing, when Alice and Cal met. But even the climactic sequence of the book wasn't enough resuscitate this book. I would not recommend this author nor this book. This is her first book and mayhap her writing improves, but I doubt it.

2 stars.

I found the story tedious and lacking in substance on this point. There was a two year period where our hero is taken through to another dimension. He is returned. Remembers nothing. He is followed by the creatures from this dimension because he is sired by one of them.
His brother and him are always running away from these creatures who want him. After a while I found it tedious. Perhaps he could have remembered something of his two years in another dimension to add interest.
It was tiresome to read about that he didn't remember. Even when he would see these creatures.
There was even a sentence that said he killed his father but didn't remember.
C'mon. It's a book. We need some details. I needed for him to remember something. To have some hidden power other than a keen sense of smell.
It was good writing, but not enough story for me.

I have to admit, it was the Jared Padalecki-lookalike on the cover (same model whom artist Chris McGrath uses for his "Dresden Files" covers) that caught my attention when I first spotted the second book of this series, Moonshine (Cal Leandros, Book 2), in a local Borders. I was in between Dresden Files books, so I picked it up to tide me over. I've seen it compared to the Dresden Files (there is a passing cosmetic resemblance: two half-brothers who work as preternatural detectives in a large American city, one of them is in fact a preternatural being, but that's where the similarities end), but I'd say it's more like a cross between Supernatural and White Wolf's World of Darkness RPGs.

Now, it was a bit of a rocky start when I read the second book (couldn't find the first till I did a little digging): Cal Leandros, the main character, is to say the least, an acidicly snarky, self-loathing, at times almost emo fellow. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked him or not, but now that I've read the first book, I've got a much better understanding of how he got that way. Having an abusive childhood, getting kidnapped by dark elf-like beings and spending two years of their time in their realm while two days go by in the human world, then finding out your father was one of those very creatures is *not* going to make you a happy camper. Especially when every preternatural thing that crosses your path can smell that you're not as human as you look and isn't above rubbing your face in this fact. And you're really going to get your pysche put through the wringer when a male banshee hijacks your mind and body to use you as a cats-paw for a race of dark elves bent on taking over the world.

I have a minor carp with some urban fantasy, or rather, it's something I need a break from once in a while, and that is the tendency of many authors to make their supernatural beings ultimately vulnerable and human. But Rob Thurman steps back from this trend and isn't afraid to make her monsters nightmarish and gruesome. But ultimately, she is also unafraid to show that sometimes, the worst monsters come from within, and it's oddly refreshing to see someone explore that dark side of the psyche.

The series follows two brothers, one half human, on their adventures to help others and stay alive from those that wish them harm. Great series, lots of action and very dry humor. With lots of interesting characters from vampires, to trolls, to a puck, and even some aliens thrown in for good measure.

Exile is a superb sequel that follows the story of Drizzt Do'Urden, the most non-typical drow who meets friends where he least expects them and encounters enemies he thought long gone. Normally, I wouldn't think that a sequel could be equally good as its predecessor, but RA Salvatore, the author who inspired me to write my first book - The Final Crusade, proved me wrong. Our hero escapes from Menzoberranzan from his unforgiving kinsmen, preferring to live in solitude rather than enmesh himself in the trap of his evil society. Drizzt uses stoicism to heal away his pains but later realizes that leading a life of survival ultimately leads to an empty existence and makes him bottled-up emotionally.

Thus, when I read the book, I ask: "What is the purpose of life when one has nothing to hold on?" Reading further, I answered that question. The answer was to find someone you love and hold on to them dearly. Drizzt redeems himself by making friends with enemies his people hated most (the svirfneblin gnomes) and discovers communal strength he had never saw. Hence, this novel had taught me to never follow the prejudice someone placed on a particular society. By holding on to his values and showing mercy, he defeats his deadliest enemy - solitude.

Salvatore's novels again succeed to inspire people in a different way. Homeland focuses on the society but Exile concentrates on the individual. There are a lot of in-depth characters along the quest in this action-packed masterpiece, each with different personalities that are all likeable in some way. Fantasy readers can ask themselves which character they should emulate when they face a certain dilemma. Exile had brought tremendous learning values for me and shaped me to be stronger emotionally.

The first book was the best with all the intrigue and dirty dealings in the dark elf city and I quickly went through books 2 and 3. Great series.

Now on the spider queen and the first book is as good as the first book in the dark elf trilory. (Maybe even better).

The book picks up where Homeland finished. Drizzt Do'Urden has fled his birth city of Menzoberranzan, home to many drow elves in the Underdark, hoping to escape the clutches of his wrathful mother, Matron Malice.

For ten years, Drizzt survives the dangerous wilds of the Underdark, with only Guenhwyvar (a magical black panther) as his companion. However, as he is constantly on edge, and has no social interaction, his sense of self, of identity, slowly regresses into "the hunter" - a primitive being who, while deadly, reacts out of survival instincts only. Recognizing the dangers to his sanity, Drizzt seeks out some svirneblin (deep gnomes) and throws himself at their mercy, in the hopes of finding sanctuary within their city. It is here that his attempts at releasing a deep gnome from a drow patrol many years ago will hopefully pay dividends.

In the meantime, his mother Malice, ruling matron of his house/family, seeks the dark Spider Queen Lloth's aid in granting a powerful spell, called zincarla. The spell animates a corpse, and is wholly controlled by the priestess who casts it. For this, Matron Malice animates the corpse of Zaknafein, Drizzt's father, and former Weapon Master of House Do'Urden, probably the only one with the skill to defeat Drizzt.

So begins the game of cat and mouse, as Drizzt sets out from the svirneblin city of Blingdenstone with Belwar, a deep gnome, in an effort to draw away the attention of the dark elves from the svirneblin city.

Their journey brings them to encounters with a range of Underdark creatures, from hook horrors, to flying birdmen, to the powerful illithids, as the undead Zaknafein is urged closer by magical tracking spells.

I admire the job Salvatore has done in bringing many Underdark denizens to life, helping us to understand better the environment and the trials Drizzt faces. The only frustrating part is that the book does almost a complete circle, ending almost where it began. However, the book is less about the physical journey, and more about the spiritual/emotional journey that Drizzt takes. This is NOT a boring book dealing with long-winded questions of existentialism - quite the opposite, in fact. There is much action to keep the reader hooked throughout. Yet nevertheless, we find ourselves pulled irresistably along with Drizzt, and come to question the substance of a creature's spirit/soul.

Of importance is the development of Jarlaxle, the leader of a renegade drow mercenary band. He is one of my favourite characters, and will feature in quite a few books to come!

I highly recommend this book.

This is part of a great series written by RA Salvatore. Drizzt a drow elf, exiles himself from his people because he doesnt agree with their evil ways. He must survive in the underdark, and fight enemies at every corner and fight the hunter in himself. The hunter would have consumed his life bent on survival if not for a couple of friends and their journey.

What more to say than, GET THIS BOOK, IT'S ONE OF THE BEST SALVATORE BOOKS OUT THERE!! LOVE IT, LOVE IT, AND LOVE IT!!

Druid takes off directly where the last one leaves off, only this book focuses mainly on Walker and his quest. Not being a fan of the Druids, or how, in particular, Allanon manipulated his ancestors in the first trilogy's quest, Walker has been reluctant, so far, to take up his charge. But, enticed by information left to him by the long-lived Cogline, Walker had gone in search of the Black Elfstone, which is needed to restore Paranor, at the end of Scions...only to find himself poisoned by a creature called the Asphinx, left in the place the Grimpond told Walker the Elfstone would be. He is slowly turning to stone, and Cogline is unable to cure him. Walker is bedridden and Cogline at a loss for what to do when Rimmer Dal, head of the Seekers, shows up, ostensibly killing Cogline and burning down Walker's home. All seems lost until the daughter of the King of the Silver River, named Quickening, discovers him, buried in the ashes of his destroyed home. She has already picked up Morgan Leah and the unsettling assassin Pe Ell, and after healing Walker, explains to him that they must travel to the far, far north, outside of the known world, to a city now ruled by The Stone King, an ancestor just like the King of The Silver River. The Stone King has gone mad, hoping to turn the entire world to stone. He created a child, much like Quickening, but his child is a giant monster-worm who is slowly infecting the world with stone. The Stone King ventured to the Four Lands and stole the Black Elfstone to protect himself from his own child, who had grown so strong he was threatening his own father. The four must travel to his land and steal back the Elfstone so that Walker can restore Paranor.
Other than a small chunk of the book when the quad is wandering around Eldwist, the Stone King's northern city, which I found to get a bit boring, I think this might be my favorite book of the series. The four characters have an interesting dynamic working, plus the landscape is very creative. It was also interesting to have an "enemy" who really isn't out to destroy, necessarily, our protagonists; in fact, for the most part, he doesn't even notice they're in his kingdom. Yet the four are still in constant mortal danger. Plus this is the first book where Brooks' hint to the connection to the past becomes unavoidably obvious. Definitely a successful second in a series!

I have read about a dozen books for the Kindle - all purchased from Amazon. This is by far, the worst e-book I have read. The scan used to create the books is fully of typos - often more than one per "page", including errors with main character names and letter combinations that are not even words. I found the problems very disturbing and annoying. E-books are cheaper for a reason - they should not lack the basic proof-reading that you would expect from a 7th grader.

I'm glad I'm reading the Heritage series long after all the books are completed so I don't have to wait for the next two or three years for the next one in the series to be completed.

This book is highly entertaining although a little slow in places but Terry Brooks does a great job moving the story along. This book takes Walker Boh, Quickening, Pel El, Homer Dees and the latest edition of the Leah family, Morgan on a quest to retrieve the black elfstone from the stone king Uhl Belk. (excuse some of the spelling)

This book is not nearly as fast paced as some of his other books (SofS series and First King of Shannara) but it is a lot more detailed and every bit as entertaining. The characater development is great. He creates a wide variet of interesting characters and the plot and action is developed a good speed. There is even a little bit of romance here. It also has an interesting ending that ties all the questions together from the first book.

I took forward to reading the third book, Elf Queen of Shannara.

Overall not my favorite Shannara book but a great book nontheless worthy of a five star rating.

By far the best book in the Heritage Series, Brooks paints a completely new story with none of the recurring threads of his others (except perhaps the ending, *ahem*). Although this book is a part of a series, it is written in such a way that it is not really necessary to read the others to enjoy this one. They add little to its plot anyway.

(+) A great new adventure, the characters are all new and fully 3D. Brooks paints great images of his landscapes, which does loads to draw the reader into the story. Walker's stuggle to understand his destiny, and his futile efforts to change it are great.

=Spoilers=
(-) Somewhat lengthy dialogues and descriptions. Time in Eldwist drags on, but this kinda adds to the feel of the story anyhow, cause thats what the characters think too. Giant rats is a rather stupid idea, and the character of Carisman, though a novel touch, is rather pointless. (except to get rid of the stupid rats!)

(=) Brooks really outdid himself on this one, and the other Heritage books don't have the same flare that this did. That's what makes this the best.

Walker Boh was given an impossible quest. A quest he swore never to even attempt. But his curiousity got the better of him and an ancient trap has left him battered and broken. Now he has accepted the quest whole hearted, for the sake of revenge, if nothing else. His companions are Morgan Leah, whose magic sword is now usless, Quickening the elemental, whose power cannot help him, and Pe Ell, the assasin who is just waiting for an opportunity to strike.

I have been a fan of Terry Brooks since I was 15 and consider this to be his greatest book. It is the second part of an excellent series, but if you are not the sort who reads series you can easily catch on to what has happened in the first novel and skip the chapters that do not directly affect the main plot (there are only three or four of them if memory serves), I have read this book over many times in that fashion. If you are a fan of fantasy this book is not to be missed.

Addictive. Not as as epic as some of his earlier work. But for long time fans it is both comfortable and novel.

Great follow up book. Now eagerly anticipating book no:3.

I only discovered Terry Brooks as an author this year, but feel a little like when I first read The Lord of The Rings way back in the late 60's. Fortunately he seems to have written a great many more books so lot's of treats in store.

I had to spend the whole day reading it!

From start to finish, "The Elves of Cintra" will captivate you, take you on a whirlwind literary ride of immense proportions, and leave you hungry for the final instalment! I couldn't put this book down and had to restrain myself from devouring it in one sitting. I purposefully took my time to read it in order to extend the pleasure I was gaining from it. Mr. Terry Brooks is a true Master Storyteller!

Although Hawk features very little in the novel, as the last one will be focused mostly on him , the revelations regarding him are surprising, to say the least. In fact, they are downright stupendous!

The gripping storyline though is that of Angel's journey to and experience with the Elves. I like Logan Tom's storyline, too, but I couldn't wait to get back to what was happening with Angel, Kirisin, Eirisha and the Ellcrys. Be warned though: the surprises and unexpected twists, once they start coming, will pummel you with relentless force!

I suggest you buy "The Gypsy Morph" long before you come to the end of "The Elves of Cintra", for the minute you have finished the book, you will want to read the next one. Guaranteed!

Armageddeon's Children was my first Terry Brooks novel and I was hooked on this trilogy once it was finished. This book, the 2nd in the trilogy, did not fail to earn my love. It picks up exactly where the 1st book left off. As the title suggests, most of this book is about the elves. Hawk isn't left out but there isn't a lot of his story in here. Angel is much more likable than the first book and Logan Tom is, in my opinion, the best Knight of the Word. It does have alot to say about the Ghosts and their losses were heartfelt. Panather and Sparrow are clearly the warriors of the group. The mystery of the demon in hiding (don't want to say too much) was not openly obovious to me until he was revealed who he's been masqarding as. This is a page turner and I can't wait to read the final book in this trilogy. I enjoyed it and Armageddon's Children so much I need to read the 1st trilogy as well (Running with the Demon, etc.) If you are looking for a great book for all ages, this is it.

This is an excellent book. I can't wait to receive the third book in series.

This is an interesting work by a scientist who is interested in exotic psychedelics, Proust, Einstein, Surrealism and other singularly offbeat subjects.

The title of this review is of course facetious. It's not about everything, but it is about everything that ultimately matters: human beings and the ways they imagine the world and create it; and re-imagine the world and re-create it.
In this book, Clifford Pickover in a stream of consciousness and easy to read style gives the reader the tools to better understand the human condition and allow us to rise above it; or as the title suggests, to "transcend" the human condition through knowledge, perspective and understanding.
By giving us "tools" I don't mean to suggest that this book is work or tedious. To the contrary, I've never had such fun reading a book before. The ideas come fast and furious and just when you follow a certain path, Clifford Pickover takes you down another. But none of them are blind alleys. The paths run parallel, though they will all meet up one day (although I might add, probably in a parallel dimension). For instance, in one Chapter alone ("From Holiday Inn to the Head of Christ") Mr. Pickover leads us down paths that show us his memories of celery flavored soda; the concept behind the Holiday Inn chain; the psychology of television laugh tracks; Thomas Jefferson's remarkably humane version of the Bible; DMT elves; living forever in the Pi matrix; and the kinds of maths that Jesus would have known. I was naturally buzzed after reading that Chapter. (And all this time I thought Holiday Inn was just a hotel chain. It never occurred to me that the Holiday Inn really changed behavior on a large scale by making it easy for most Americans to take long distance vacations. Think about it!)
This book really is for everybody as my review title suggests. Except, of course its probably not for those who have no interest in the world around them and no interest in understanding and making the world and themselves a little better through knowledge and insight. Unfortunately, those are the exact people who need this book the most. The rest of us will simply want to read this amazing book like we want to breathe the air. Free your mind, and the rest will follow.

This is a great book, which touches on a number of subjects, but is directed to the concept that our language dictates our concept of our "reality". You just have to read it, as there are way too many references to everything from Sushi, to Machine Elves..... A great read if you have a good sense of humor. I would recommend this book to anyone who isn't an idiot. Well, even some idiots.... Eric Melendy, Memphis Tennessee. 4/1/08 April Fools!

This book isn't the most cohesive look at psychedelia's possible link to alternate realities though it produces some good arguments and questions about it. This book is a lot of things but primarily Dr. Pickovers own ideas into the evolution of language and its inherent limitations that keep us from experiencing things like alternate universes. The idea that language shapes our realities isn't new but that there might be possible ways to escape the vortex of our current reality via mind altering substances was entertaining to me. I would have given this book 5 stars if it weren't for the lecture on creative writing found in chapter 6 or 7. I would have cherished something that was more binding of the previous chapters to the later ones. None the less his stories, insights, and questions provide for a trip into Pickovers mind about where the state of reality really lies. I don't know if there was a purpose to writing this book but I found a nice and intriguing way to pass the time on the bus. Give it a try you just might like it.

The book in question is basically a mingle-mangle of different ideas floating through Mr.Pickovers mind while he's walking around his neighbourhood. From linguistic theory, to seducing woman. From psychedelics to Jeffersons Bible. Jefferson tried to extract the teachings of jesus Christ by cutting out all religious , supernatural aspects, in case you didn't know.

In the same way, I'd love to see a Version of this book minus Mr.Pickovers constant self appraisal and self-advertising. He can't stop talking about how he is the most prolific writer, that his obscure SF Novels are awesome, that he prolific writer..oh did I mention? He's a prolific writer! Short: Mr.Pickover is full of himself.

Nevertheless, his collection of ideas is certainly entertaining and stimulating to the mind and I've enjoyed them. He's not quite the deep thinker, prophet and philosoph he paints himself. But his work was enjoyable despite his annoying antics.

Well..."you shouldn't care about it, as long as the book is good itself, right?" Wrong. It just annoys me. He paints his book as some sort of "reality carnival" but "ego carneval" would be more suitable.

The "talking" reaches it's climax as he confesses to never have taken DMT, yet he talks about the importance of establishing a center for DMT elve reasearch. But here's the real kicker: He says the reason for never taking the substance is because he is so "psychedelic himself" just like dali. To undermine his opinion, he lets his readers know, that his Artwork is featured at erowid alongside other psychedelic artists - go figure!

And just as you think it couldn't get any more ridiciolous he carrys on to talk about proust (he never stops to talk about him during the course of this book, he should be in the title!) and how Proust is so much better than a psychedelic trip (he's never taken, because he's psychedelic himself, remember!)....

Well, but still a nice collection of colorful ideas and I don't regret buying it. What I regret is, reading all his self praise, but that's hard to cut out. Jefferson had an easier job with his version of the bible - he used a razor.

Siege Of Darkness picks up from where Starless Night left off. Drizzt Do'Urden, the renegade drow, and Catti-brie, the human adopted daughter of Bruenor Battlehammer the dwarven king of Mithril Hall, together with the unlikely aid of the ruthless assassin Artemis Entreri, dealt a heavy blow to the evil dark elves in Menzoberanzan, deep in the Underdark, as they escaped the clutches of first Matron Baenre.

Yet despite the damage caused, Baenre is still determined to conquer Mithril Hall, ostensibly for the purpose of sacrificing the renegade Drizzt to the evil drow deity Lloth. However, unknown to most, Baenre also possesses an amulet with the spirit of Gandalug Battlehammer, first king of Mithril Hall. While Baenre hopes the capture of Mithril Hall will garner her more power, and the odds appear overwhelmingly in her favour, the dwarves of Mithril Hall, and the allies they call to aid them, will not give up without a fight.

The book spans the Time Of Troubles, a period in the Forgotten Realms in which magic goes haywire and the avatars of the deitys walk among the mortals. For the most part, the period does little to further the plot, although it is fun to watch how the unpredictable magic affects such a heavily magic dependent race as dark elves, fuelling their paranoia and unravelling the fabric of their society.

The real story is, of course, the attack on Mithril Hall. One of Salvatore's main strengths as an author is describing vivid, exciting battle scenes, and this book certainly does not disappoint, keeping the reader hopping from one battle to the next, while layering intrigue aplenty as the drow naturally distrust each other.

On a higher level, the book deals with the very nature of society, and how a harmonious group working together for the collective good usually fares better than a society which is selfish and narcissistic. It is also fun to see Salvatore bring in a range of characters from past books - from dwarven battleragers to svirneblin!

I highly recommend this book.

As a Salvatore fan I was just picking up the Legend re-release but I love these books Salvatore's description is stellar as usual!

Siege of Darkness is an incredible book with author R.A. Salvatore at what I believe is the top of his game. The majority of this novel deals with House Baenre (and therefore Menzoberranzan) planning to wage war on Mithral Hall in a quest for greater domination. Salvatores way of handling character interaction in this novel is especially good, as is his superior ability to illustrate the evil of the drow city Menzoberranzan.

I am a big fan of Salvatore's handling of the underdark, and this book makes a triumphant return to it in great form. Siege jumps right back into the drow's penchant for power in their quest to conquer Mithral Hall and bring House Baenre toward a greater legacy. The plot is full of exciting twists and events that provide intrigue and suspense. I highly recommnend this book to Salvatore fans, fans of the underdark setting and fantasy/fiction fans as a whole. Although I would definitely recommend reading other Drizzt books leading up to this, for familiarity with the characters and setting etc.

Siege of Darkness is the third book in the Legacy of the Drow, and my personal favorite out of the entire Drizzt Series. We finally get to see a full scale war and Mithril Hall's denfenses. All our favorite chracter's are back. Even the Harpells come to help Mithril Hall! This is a great book and, in my opinion, the best of all the Drizzt books. After reading the book you will definetly want to pick up the next one, Passage to Dawn.

Siege of Darkness, book 9 chronologically in the Drizzt series, finally gives what the last few books have been leading up to: the epic battle as the underground drow attack Mithril Hall, home of King Bruenor Battlehammer and his clan of dwarves. The battle turns epic when the forces of the barbarians, the Riders from Silverymoon and Nesme, and even the svirfnebli join forces with the dwarves against overwhelming odds.

The first part of the book cleans up the mess left in Menzoberranzan, home of the drow, after Drizzt and co.'s escape and destruction of House Baenre's temple. A side story includes the temporary halt of all magic through some battle of the gods, which lets us see more of Lolth the Spider Queen and the Monster Errtu (whom Drizzt and Wulfgar defeated in an earlier book), and this so-called "Time of Troubles" is a useful device in several plots...they have little to do with the epic battle, but they either continue previous story lines or assumingly lay ground for the next book.

Writing battle scenes is one of Bob Salvatore's greatest skills, and the battles in the caves and out in the valley are some of the best written in this series.

There is also a plot line involving Berkthgar, the barbarian who takes over as king for the fallen Wulfgar. He initially believe he needs Aegis-fang, the weapon King Bruenor crafted specifically for Wulfgar, and Catti-brie and Drizzt convince him otherwise, that he needs to build his own name in battle and not rely on Wulfgars. In the battle scenes, he certainly does that. He becomes an interesting character, hopefully there will be more from him.

Lots of groundwork laid for the next book, including the mysterious prisoner the Lolth gives to Errtu to help him get back to the Material Plan and go after Drizzt. I assume this will be the focus of the next book.

The conclusion to the four-book series wraps up the quests of all three main characters and their quests. Par has the Sword of Shannara...only he can't use it. Wren, now Queen of the Elves, has returned the Elves to Westland...only Arborlon is about to be attacked by a Federation and Seeker army ten times its size. And Walker Boh has transformed into a Druid and restored Paranor. The quests Allanon set for them have been fulfilled. Only problem? The Federation is still in power, the Shadowen are still killing people and the land is still dying. The charges have been met, but none of the characters actually know what fulfilling them was supposed to do to help. And now they have new sets of problems to deal with. Rimmer Dall, nonplussed about the fact that the trio completed their charges, has decided to send all three a special gift. For Walker, he releases the Four Horsemen (War, Pestilence, Famine and Death--VERY cool monsters!) who trap him in his castle at Paranor. For Wren, who lost her best friend Garth, he sends a Shadowen guised as a new "friend." And for Par he sends, let's just say, a sort of mental manipulation basically intended to drive the poor boy nuts. So all three not only have to overcome these obstacles, but at the same time also figure out what, exactly, their talismans are supposed to do to stop the Shadowen. And even worse, none of the three knows if the other has even completed their quest, as they've been separated this entire time.
As the final book in the series, this is definitely a good one. Now that we're back to covering all the different characters again, the pace is generally fast. Characters are captured and recaptured within pages of each other. Battles are fought, lost, refought and won in relatively short span. It gives less time for characters to brood and whine and overthink and spends a lot more time with the action.
All in all, I have to say, I do like Brooks work. He's definitely not my favorite fantasy writer, and I do need a break now after reading seven in a row, but I'm very excited to get started on his "modern" books and see how those are. I think any lover of fantasy should give Brooks a try if you haven't already, and I don't think you could be disappointed. I'd be curious as to why he'd be anyone's favorite, but certainly not why he'd be amongst the collection of authors you'd, at the very least, read and recommend.

I thought the "stolen magic" was a little stupid and the shadowen we not explained as well as i would have liked. The battle with the Elves and the Federation was rushed, i did not feel i got all the answers but it was still a great book.

I overall enjoyed this series (I did prefer SofS triology a lot better though). However, I felt it went on a little long; by the time you're done with this book you'll be more than ready.

Brooks does a wonderful job tying everything together. The characters, plot etc. was interesting enough and the book and series are entertaining. I did think the ending was a little weak (with how they destroyed Rimmer Dahl and the Shadohaven) and I think the series would have been better if he cut a few things out and condenced it to three books.

The book and the series overall are pretty clean although there is lot of disturbing talk in this book and especially the Druid of Shannara (with Pel El) about murdering people and the joy or pain they get from doing it that could be disturbing for some people.

Overall, a good book, a good series.... one I will probably read again in a few years.

The forth and final installment in "The Heritage of Shannara" quartet, preceded by the "Scions", "Druid" and "Elf Queen" of Shannara. The premise is that the Four Lands are dying under both the totalitarian Federation and the sinister Shadowen, and the shade of the Druid of Allanon has called together three scions who can put an end to the entropy. Par is sent in search of the Sword of Shannara, Walker to bring back the Druid Keep of Paranor, and Wren to discover the missing race of Elves and restore them to the Four Lands. As the story starts, all these tasks have been completed, though with a heavy toll. Walker is trapped in Paranor by four Shadowen assuming the shape of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; Wren is now the untested Queen of the Elves, facing an approaching army; and Par still believes he is responsible for the death of his brother, unaware that Coll is alive and well, but under the control of the Federation-leader and Shadowen Rimmer Dall.

Now our heroes are gradually reunited (sometimes in rather ingenious ways, such as Morgan and Wren's serendipitous meeting ) in order to join forces against the Shadowen once and for all. There is a strange power growing in the undergrounds of the Federation Tower that may be the key to their undoing. Slowly the pieces of the puzzle fit together as the Four Lands gradually unite under the Scions.

The problem is, there is a lot of exposition and action leading up to this main event. The characters have to be re-established and to meet up with each other and in this regard Brooks is in danger of running out of ideas. This volume in particular suffers from an excess of main characters getting captured by the bad guys and the need for elaborate escape plans to be drawn up by those who've managed to escape the authorites: there's five examples of this throughout the book (count `em: Damson, Par, Coll, Padishar and Wren all managed to get kidnapped throughout the course of the book). Apart from getting repetitive, it also holds off the climatic ending, causing it to seem somewhat rushed by comparison.

There is one other major problem, that in hindsight, stretches over the entire series: the nature and purpose of the Shadowen. In my opinion, they make for weak antagonists. Admittedly, some are genuinely scary. Others, not so much. None of them - not even Rimmer Dall - become three-dimensional characters. Their origins (explained in "Elf Queen" and elaborated on here) are not particularly original, interesting or properly explained. Although there is a half-hearted attempt to explain why there are so many different types of Shadowen, it ultimately rings false. The weirdest example of this is when Walker is held captive in Paranor by four Shadowen who take on the form of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Read carefully; they are not the Biblical Horsemen, but simply Shadowen taking on their form. If this is the case, then why only send four? Why not a whole army? Why don't all Shadowen take this form and by doing so imbue themselves with the power of the Four Horsemen?

My point is that the Shadowen come across as too arbitrary, too random. Brooks gives himself the power to make them whatever he wants them to be, whether humanoid, animalistic, or mythological and they only as powerful as they need to be to defeat/be defeated by the protagonists - whatever the story calls for at that particular moment. Furthermore, the origins of the Shadowen is painfully plagiaristic of Tolkien (something I had hoped the Heritage series was drawing away from) as well as reminiscent of his own work in the original Shannara trilogy.

But for all of this, "Talismans" is a satisfying end to the story that was started way back in "Scions". All the major plot threads are wrapped up and all the questions answered (though some better than others). By now the characters are established enough for their personalities and actions to really shine, and the reader is fully invested in their fate. Par, Coll, Walker, Wren, Damson, and newcomer Matty are nice, normal people who do extraordinary things, a concept that never fails to entertain.

Teery brooks is a genius, this book that end the heritage series is an explendid book, it conlcudes everything that happened in the first 3 books of the heritage series and it leaves you with your mouth open wishing for more.

Very rich and ancient, the Elven world of Toril unfolds within these pages that are easily readable, thanks to this author. She is the best this publisher has to offer. Her stunning debut in 1991 was Elfshadow. This gives the reader a thorough background filled with the magic that one comes to expect from Elaine C!

Using her "magical sight", Elaine gives the reader a rare glimpse of King Zaor and his grand kingdom. In her voice, it seems she is an eyewitness. The story is a little dry at times. These elves live thousands of years, so its not action packed. When the action does pick up, it does so dramatically. There is a sinister plot that started several novels ago.

This grand tale says much about this fantasy world, that it carries over into our world as well. Social idealism, racial bigotry, internal terroism. Yes, Elven towers get destroyed by evil terrorist factions. Remember, this novel was first published in 1998. Food for thought!

I'm not a fan of Elaine Cunningham's novels, apart from Counselors and Kings Trilogy, which was very good. I always find her main characters more or less annoying (Danilo Thann and Liriel Baenre, in that order), and that usually takes her traditionally excellent plots and style out of the spotlight. This book has no such characters and it is plain brilliant, speaking in FR terms, of course.
The book itself is rather different from other FR novels, since it follows the island kingdom of Evermeet from its very creation to the present time (Faerun's present time, that is). It touches not only every major event in the history of Evermeet, but also in the history of Faerun's elves as a race. (Crown Wars, Moonblades...).
The book hasn't got a single main character, but instead it follows a number of important characters through Evermeet's history. Motivations differ greatly from character to character, but all of the "main" characters had an impact on the island kingdom.
The book covers a HUGE span of time, and the writer uses that in an excellent way, so you understand the importance of some events considered minor only later on in the book. For example, the way certain items pop up time after time over a 15000 year span.
I'm trying to think of something I didn't like in this book, but really nothing is coming into my mind. Really.
Whoever liked Tolkien's "Silmarilion" is going to like this book as well. It's not as complex, or to put it more plainly - confusing as J.R.R.'s book, so those who didn't like "Silmarilion" for that reason should give this book a shot. Wizards (or TSR as they were known back then when this book was published) put the writing of this book in real hands.
A must-read for every FR fan, and a sincere recommendation to every fantasy reader.

When reading this book, the format of it reading more like a history than a fantasy left me not wanting to read more of it. I found myself skipping entire sections of text just to move further into the book and get it done with. Perhaps if I had read more books in this particular series, I would not have been so confused and otherwise uninterested.

I have read other books by this same author and found those titles very interesting, which was the primary reason I decided to read this one.

After Reading through Daughter of the Drow I dove head first into this book to find out more to boost my knowledge of the Realms Elves and their deep history.
I must admit there where times when the story jumped and I found myself flitting back through pages to work out what was happening (though I am pretty new to the Realms books so maybe that's just me)
But just like Elaine's other book I mentioned I found myself thrown into the story and after a short while found myself enjoying the who's related to whom and how side of the book.
The story itself is wonderful if you can keep up with its speed. The characters are a bit of a mixed bag but most are well very written and wish there was more story written of them.
If you were interested in looking into the history of the elves of the Forgotten Realms, I'd say you need not look anywhere else.

Along the lines of JRR Tolkien's classic, the Silmarillion, and with a slight touch of Spelljammer and Planescape, comes Elaine Cunningham's Forgotten Realms novel, Evermeet: Island of Elves.
It deals with the Elves and their long journey through the eons up until the present (as far as the Forgotten Realms world is concerned).
It does bring to mind Ed Greenwood's and Jeff Grubb's Cormyr, and one could easily claim that Evermeet deals with the Elves in a similar way that Cormyr presents the history of the Cormyreans, or Cormytes as is more common within the Kingdom.
The book is so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to another universe and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. Elaine Cunnigham has truly outdone herself once again and has presented us with a masterpiece of literature the likes of which we have seen only in JRR Tolkien's work, RA Salvatore's The Dark Elf and Icewind Dale trilogies and in authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends trilogies.
She has done a FANTASTIC job of both acquiring vast knowledge relevant to the People as well as presenting this material relating to the customs, the religion and the history of the Elves, efficiently and successfully! Her solid grasp of factual detail makes her very capable of providing the necessary background needed to carry out the difficult task of writing Forgotten Realms novels, especially one as complex as this, which is something often missing from the work of many Fantasy authors. Do keep in mind though, that Evermeet is not a book for the light-hearted, instead it is more tuned to the needs/taste of the Forgotten Realms die-hards (like myself...)
Gods, Elves, Dragons, Magic, Honor, Love and swordfights are all about. Elaine Cunningham's Elfshadow, Elfsong, and Silver Shadows make up for a great trilogy and are a "must read" together with Evermeet, especially for all those who have a soft spot for everything Elven!