Review: Dark Legacy of Shannara: Bloodfire Quest – Terry Brooks

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Del Rey; Har/Pstr edition (March 12, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345523504
ISBN-13: 978-0345523501
Order book here:

amazon

Order E-book here:
amazon

Characters:

Arlingant Elessedil – Elf Chosen, picked by the Ellcrys to carry her seed.
Aphenglow Elessedil – Elf Druid.
Redden Ohmsford – One half of a set of twins with the power of the Wishsong.
Railing Ohmsford – The other twin.

Synopsis:

The quests set up in the previous novel Wards of Faeries are continued as Arlington Elessedil must make a fateful decision on whether or not to follow through on her commitment to the Ellcrys and carry it’s seed, then becoming the new Ellcrys. In the Forbidden, the Ard Rhys and Redden Ohmsford are still out to find their way out. Aphenglow is continuing the search for the missing Elfstones.

Review

In the previous novel, Wards of Faerie, I was a bit disappointed that Mr. Brooks was rehashing what seemed like previous storylines. I was completely off base. While the stories are similar, I can see that he’s showing the repetition of history, and in this one, the Chosen one struggles with that responsibility which provides a fresh perspective on it.

We see some familiar areas from the previous novels, and Witness the fates of some of the major characters. Overall, as a huge fan of Terry Brooks, I found this book totally fulfilling and satisfying, and eagerly anticipate it’s followup Witch Wraith due out July 16th.

The characters were beautifully written and I found truly caring for them, and about what they were going through. The thing that really draws me into these books is after 30 years of reading them, each time I pick one up, it feels a little like going home again.

I’d recommend it for any fantasy fans but you might want to read Wards of Faeries first, or even The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series to bring you up to date. For age appropriateness, I’d say teens and young adults due to violent and sometimes dark situations. It’s highly recommended though, and if you decide to read it, be sure to drop back by and let us know what you thought.

About the Author

Terry Brooks is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books, including the Dark Legacy of Shannara adventure Wards of Faerie; the Legends of Shannara novels Bearers of the Black Staff and The Measure of the Magic; the Genesis of Shannara trilogy: Armageddon’s Children, The Elves of Cintra, and The Gypsy Morph; 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.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Richard at Random House for a review copy of this audiobook. It in no way influenced my review. You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

Reply