Jarka Ruus

June 30, 2003
Bestseller Brooks's first book in a new trilogy treads complacently along the well-worn path of its predecessors. Set 20 years after the conclusion (in 2002's Morgawr) of the three-volume Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, it introduces the next generation of Ohmsfords and Elessedils: Penderrin, airship-flying nephew of former Ilse Witch and now High Druid (or Ard Rhys) Grianne Ohmsford; and Khyber, the Elven Prince Ahren Elessedil's headstrong niece. Teenaged protagonists can be annoyingly clumsy, and these two are no exception. As they set out to rescue Grianne from her politically motivated imprisonment in a bleak parallel plane known only as the Forbidding, they manage to repeatedly draw the attention of their pursuers, fall inopportunely in love and even kill a member of their own party. That neither Pen nor Khyber has the mitigating talents or charm of earlier Shannara heroes leads to the inevitable question of why exactly Fate has decreed that they should be the ones to take on this quest in the first place; a hope of learning the answer, ironically, may be the most compelling reason to anticipate the sequels. While Pen's fear that his family's magic is "thinning out" may parallel real-world criticisms of the most recent Shannara tales, Brooks does know a lot about the proper care and feeding of golden geese. Jaded readers are likely to seek their thrills elsewhere, but fans of formula fantasy will be quite content with the smooth prose, vivid descriptions and comfortable pacing.

July 1, 2003
Twenty years after renouncing her life as the feared Ilse Witch, Grainne Ohmsford, now leader of the Druid Council of the Four Lands, finds herself surrounded by enemies-fellow Druids who do not trust her or who lust for her power. When Grainne mysteriously vanishes, only her nephew, Pen Ohmsford, and a few trusted individuals dare to set out in search of her, regardless of the perils they may face. The latest entry in Brooks's popular "Shannara" series features a new generation of heroes, whose devotion and courage set them on a collision course with destiny. His fans will demand this well-written series opener; most libraries may want to consider multiple copies.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2003
Set 20 years after the events of " Morgawr" [BKL Jl 02], the conclusion of the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy, " Jarka Ruus" opens the High Druid of Shannara series. At the dying Druid Walker's command, Grianne Ohmsford, the former Ilse Witch, has taken on the task of rebuilding the legacy of the Druids as knowledge givers, but there are many in her ranks who fear and mistrust her and would not mind seeing her gone or dead. That being the case, her mysterious disappearance from her well-guarded bedroom puts several things in motion, among them a new quest, the search for Grianne; a new young hero, Grianne's nephew Penderrin Ohmsford, whose father, Bek, was Pen's age when he sailed aboard the " Jerle Shannara"; and a new set of companions. A familiar power, that of the Elfstones, is also on hand, now wielded by the niece of the elf Ahren Elessedil. As expected, the quest is fraught with danger, hardship, and death. As throughout the massive Shannara saga to date, Brooks proves himself a master at reworking and enriching the conventions of fantasy while maintaining the integrity of the characteristics of elves, dwarves, humans, and the other peoples of the saga that he set up at its very beginning. A sure winner.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)