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Legends of Shannara #2
The Measure of the Magic
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Fantasy (2011)NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
For five hundred years, the survivors of the Great Wars lived peacefully in a valley sanctuary shielded by powerful magic from the dangerous outside world. But the enchanted barriers have crumbled, and the threat of annihilation looms large once more. As he lay dying, Sider Ament, bearer of the last black staff and protector of the valley, gave stewardship of the powerful talisman to the young Tracker Panterra Qu. Now the newly anointed Knight of the Word must take up the battle against evil wherever it threatens: from without, where an army of bloodthirsty Trolls is massing for invasion; and from within, where the Elf king of Arborlon has been murdered, his daughter stands accused, and a heinous conspiracy is poised to subjugate the kingdom. But even these affairs will pale beside the most harrowing menace Panterra is destined to confront—a nameless, merciless agent of darkness on a relentless mission: to claim the last black staff . . . and the life of whoever wields it.
BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Terry Brooks's The Wards of Faerie.
For five hundred years, the survivors of the Great Wars lived peacefully in a valley sanctuary shielded by powerful magic from the dangerous outside world. But the enchanted barriers have crumbled, and the threat of annihilation looms large once more. As he lay dying, Sider Ament, bearer of the last black staff and protector of the valley, gave stewardship of the powerful talisman to the young Tracker Panterra Qu. Now the newly anointed Knight of the Word must take up the battle against evil wherever it threatens: from without, where an army of bloodthirsty Trolls is massing for invasion; and from within, where the Elf king of Arborlon has been murdered, his daughter stands accused, and a heinous conspiracy is poised to subjugate the kingdom. But even these affairs will pale beside the most harrowing menace Panterra is destined to confront—a nameless, merciless agent of darkness on a relentless mission: to claim the last black staff . . . and the life of whoever wields it.
BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Terry Brooks's The Wards of Faerie.
383 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
Terry Brooks
410 books77.6k followersTerry Brooks was born in Illinois in 1944, where he spent a great deal of his childhood and early adulthood dreaming up stories in and around Sinnissippi Park, the very same park that would eventually become the setting for his bestselling Word & Void trilogy. He went to college and received his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College, where he majored in English Literature, and he received his graduate degree from the School of Law at Washington & Lee University.
A writer since high school, he wrote many stories within the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction, until one semester early in his college years he was given The Lord of the Rings to read. That moment changed Terry's life forever, because in Tolkien's great work he found all the elements needed to fully explore his writing combined in one genre.
He then wrote The Sword of Shannara, the seven year grand result retaining sanity while studying at Washington & Lee University and practicing law. It became the first work of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months.
A writer since high school, he wrote many stories within the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction, until one semester early in his college years he was given The Lord of the Rings to read. That moment changed Terry's life forever, because in Tolkien's great work he found all the elements needed to fully explore his writing combined in one genre.
He then wrote The Sword of Shannara, the seven year grand result retaining sanity while studying at Washington & Lee University and practicing law. It became the first work of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 417 reviews
September 9, 2016
I have always been a big fan of Terry Brooks. The Shannara novels were amongst the first fantasy books that I read, and I have always turned up to the book store every August to purchase the latest offering from Brooks. There has been plenty of reason for optimism over the past 5 years – the new Landover novel and the Genesis of Shannara novels have been some of Brooks’ best work, and my expectations for concluding novel in The Legends of Shannara series were very high. Unfortunately The Measure of Magic was a massive let down, a boring and uninspired conclusion to a series that failed to cash in on the superb foundations that had been laid previously.
Sider Ament has been killed. The magical veil protecting the valley has fallen, trolls have amassed outside the valley waiting for a chance to strike, and the responsibility for leading the inhabitants of the valley back into the wider world has fallen to young tracker, and newly appointed Knight of the Word, Panterra Qu. While this premise has the makings of a very exciting story, we were promised by Brooks that this series would clearly define the transition from the world of the Word/Void to the world of Shannara. It was a very bold promise that was not adequately fulfilled, and having invested so much of my time into these five transitional Shannara books, I feel like the series was cheated out of the ending it deserved.
Not only did we not get the story we wanted but the story we did get was well below par, something made more apparent given the quality Brooks has produced over the past five years. To put it a bit more bluntly I became very bored reading The Measure of Magic, which is quite concerning as I don’t think I have ever been bored reading a Brooks story. We get a generic coming of age story as Panterra Qu accepts the Knight of the Word mantle. We get a generic coming of age story as Prue Liss is called upon to make a personal sacrifice for the greater good. We get a generic coming of age story as Phryne Amarantyne accepts responsibility for the Elfstones. We get a generic coming of age story as Xac Wen strives to prove himself to his peers and his heroes. After playing with some heavy and controversial themes in the previous book, to see this book populated by such generic character arcs is a massive let down. The one redeeming feature of this book is it’s villain, the Ragpicker. He is a cold, calculating and vile demon who hunts down Knights of the Word just for fun. His scenes are by far the most interesting in the book – he exudes an air made up of equal parts malevolence, power, and competence, and it is fascinating to watch how easily he can manipulate entire villages just by playing on their hopes and fears. In just one book Brooks established the Ragpicker as one of the most capable villains in the Shannara universe and it would have been nice to see how he would have developed over the course of an entire series rather than just the one book.
The writing here is pretty good, a style that has become well refined after twenty five years of Shannara. The world building is as strong as ever and the action scenes continue to be both vivid and exciting. The pacing is good, the story is easy to read, but it feels like there is far too much unnecessary prose here. This is a book that is twice as long as needed to be, which is a shame because there were so many sub-plots from the first book that were left untouched, and many more from this book that were left unresolved.
The Measure of Magic an uncharacteristically mediocre attempt at a novel by Terry Brooks. While there are some great scenes with some epic action sequences, they are interspersed by boring character development and relationships that refuse to evolve. It’s not a bad read by any stretch of the imagination, and I have read much worse, but I expected more from Brooks on this outing. If you are looking for resolution of the various plot threads established over the past five years, you will end up feeling disappointed. However, if you can go into this story without expecting the overall genesis of Shannara to be resolved then I think you can glean quite a bit of enjoyment out of this book.
Sider Ament has been killed. The magical veil protecting the valley has fallen, trolls have amassed outside the valley waiting for a chance to strike, and the responsibility for leading the inhabitants of the valley back into the wider world has fallen to young tracker, and newly appointed Knight of the Word, Panterra Qu. While this premise has the makings of a very exciting story, we were promised by Brooks that this series would clearly define the transition from the world of the Word/Void to the world of Shannara. It was a very bold promise that was not adequately fulfilled, and having invested so much of my time into these five transitional Shannara books, I feel like the series was cheated out of the ending it deserved.
Not only did we not get the story we wanted but the story we did get was well below par, something made more apparent given the quality Brooks has produced over the past five years. To put it a bit more bluntly I became very bored reading The Measure of Magic, which is quite concerning as I don’t think I have ever been bored reading a Brooks story. We get a generic coming of age story as Panterra Qu accepts the Knight of the Word mantle. We get a generic coming of age story as Prue Liss is called upon to make a personal sacrifice for the greater good. We get a generic coming of age story as Phryne Amarantyne accepts responsibility for the Elfstones. We get a generic coming of age story as Xac Wen strives to prove himself to his peers and his heroes. After playing with some heavy and controversial themes in the previous book, to see this book populated by such generic character arcs is a massive let down. The one redeeming feature of this book is it’s villain, the Ragpicker. He is a cold, calculating and vile demon who hunts down Knights of the Word just for fun. His scenes are by far the most interesting in the book – he exudes an air made up of equal parts malevolence, power, and competence, and it is fascinating to watch how easily he can manipulate entire villages just by playing on their hopes and fears. In just one book Brooks established the Ragpicker as one of the most capable villains in the Shannara universe and it would have been nice to see how he would have developed over the course of an entire series rather than just the one book.
The writing here is pretty good, a style that has become well refined after twenty five years of Shannara. The world building is as strong as ever and the action scenes continue to be both vivid and exciting. The pacing is good, the story is easy to read, but it feels like there is far too much unnecessary prose here. This is a book that is twice as long as needed to be, which is a shame because there were so many sub-plots from the first book that were left untouched, and many more from this book that were left unresolved.
The Measure of Magic an uncharacteristically mediocre attempt at a novel by Terry Brooks. While there are some great scenes with some epic action sequences, they are interspersed by boring character development and relationships that refuse to evolve. It’s not a bad read by any stretch of the imagination, and I have read much worse, but I expected more from Brooks on this outing. If you are looking for resolution of the various plot threads established over the past five years, you will end up feeling disappointed. However, if you can go into this story without expecting the overall genesis of Shannara to be resolved then I think you can glean quite a bit of enjoyment out of this book.
August 21, 2021
As with the previous book (Bearers Of The Black Staff) it's a beautifully written book and is a great finale to the first book. Again I totally loved it!
November 29, 2011
I usually don't bother writing reviews for books. Normally I check reviews on books before I read them before I decide if I want to invest any time into them. That is, unless it's an author I have been reading for a long time. I've read pretty much every book Terry Brooks has written (and own most of them). This is the first time I've been disappointed, and was compelled to write about it.
For some reason this book felt like a YA novel to me (I have nothing against YA novels, I read them from time to time, but this just isn't what I was expecting). It's been at least a year since I read Bearers of the Black Staff, but I recall it being a lot more interesting. I've also read a lot of dark fantasy since Bearers, so maybe that's why the book felt like it was directed at younger readers.
It almost seemed like he rushed to finish it, as though he was bored writing about these characters and just wanted to move onto his next book. It felt like this book and Bearers could have been one book because the ending was just...blah. All of the 'final confrontations' were incredibly boring, and lasted maybe a paragraph. It actually would have been better if it had spanned to a third book instead of the ending we got. According to Brooks' website this is the final book in a duology, so I'm not sure where people are getting this third book thing from.
Maybe I was a little hard on this book...because I really do like Terry Brooks. I guess my expectations were just high after reading his books for the last twelve years, or maybe I am just outgrowing them. I still have every intention of buying his new books in the future just because I've been reading them for so long.
For some reason this book felt like a YA novel to me (I have nothing against YA novels, I read them from time to time, but this just isn't what I was expecting). It's been at least a year since I read Bearers of the Black Staff, but I recall it being a lot more interesting. I've also read a lot of dark fantasy since Bearers, so maybe that's why the book felt like it was directed at younger readers.
It almost seemed like he rushed to finish it, as though he was bored writing about these characters and just wanted to move onto his next book. It felt like this book and Bearers could have been one book because the ending was just...blah. All of the 'final confrontations' were incredibly boring, and lasted maybe a paragraph. It actually would have been better if it had spanned to a third book instead of the ending we got. According to Brooks' website this is the final book in a duology, so I'm not sure where people are getting this third book thing from.
Maybe I was a little hard on this book...because I really do like Terry Brooks. I guess my expectations were just high after reading his books for the last twelve years, or maybe I am just outgrowing them. I still have every intention of buying his new books in the future just because I've been reading them for so long.
September 14, 2011
With the death of Sider Ament, Panterra Qu becomes the new Bearer of the Black Staff. Pan doesn’t know what power the Staff holds or how to call upon its magic but he has to trust that he will know what to do when the time comes. He has to because he must rescue Prue from the Trolls, he must protect the valley from invasion, and he must help Phryne . . . .
While Pan searches for her, Prue Liss searches for him. She strikes a deal which will enhance her innate ability to sense danger but the cost is steep. Meanwhile Phryne Amarantyne searches for the legendary Elfstones, a cunning demon leads the villagers of Glensk Wood astray, and invading armies march towards both Aphalion Pass and Declan Reach.
Solid Shannara, if a bit slower-paced and maybe a tad simpler. There’s less development of the Shannara world; there’s more emphasis on character introspection and this tends to slow things down a bit. For the most part this was okay, but I felt it took the adrenaline away from some of the action scenes, particularly the scene with Pan and the demon. I also felt that the escape scenes in this volume were a bit easier than in previous Shannara titles but I may be misremembering.
I loved the Sider Ament/Aislinne Kray/Pogue storyline and I loved the relationship between Pan & Prue. Arik Siq, Bonnaisant, Skeale Eile, and the Ragpicker are wonderfully creepy villains. I never warmed to Phryne’s character so the relationship between Phryne and Pan didn’t have nearly the impact on me that Sider and Aislinne’s did but that’s okay.
If there are future Legends of Shannara books (and I hope there are!), I hope that we’re introduced to the beginning of the Druidic Order and the building of Paranor. And a Moor Cat companion!
While Pan searches for her, Prue Liss searches for him. She strikes a deal which will enhance her innate ability to sense danger but the cost is steep. Meanwhile Phryne Amarantyne searches for the legendary Elfstones, a cunning demon leads the villagers of Glensk Wood astray, and invading armies march towards both Aphalion Pass and Declan Reach.
Solid Shannara, if a bit slower-paced and maybe a tad simpler. There’s less development of the Shannara world; there’s more emphasis on character introspection and this tends to slow things down a bit. For the most part this was okay, but I felt it took the adrenaline away from some of the action scenes, particularly the scene with Pan and the demon. I also felt that the escape scenes in this volume were a bit easier than in previous Shannara titles but I may be misremembering.
I loved the Sider Ament/Aislinne Kray/Pogue storyline and I loved the relationship between Pan & Prue. Arik Siq, Bonnaisant, Skeale Eile, and the Ragpicker are wonderfully creepy villains. I never warmed to Phryne’s character so the relationship between Phryne and Pan didn’t have nearly the impact on me that Sider and Aislinne’s did but that’s okay.
If there are future Legends of Shannara books (and I hope there are!), I hope that we’re introduced to the beginning of the Druidic Order and the building of Paranor. And a Moor Cat companion!
July 10, 2016
#8/29 in my Epic Shannara Quest.
The final volume in Brooks Legends of Shannara series is a meatier story than the previous book. While not as complex as the previous two pre-Shannara series (Word and the Void and Genesis of Shannara), it takes the fantasy tropes Brooks has lapsed into (his ripoffs of his own works were out of the picture for the most part) and tweaks them just enough while adding layers to established characterizations. All of this added up to a four-star experience for me.
Until I hit Chapter Twenty Nine.
The unexpected nature of the action and exuberance of Brooks' writing in this chapter won me over completely and turned a good reading experience into a great one. And with these sort of books, it's all about the experience and this one (I got to chapter 29 during halftime of the Superbowl--Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé? Wake me up when they reunite Molly Hatchet for a halftime show) was a real winner in the end.
The final volume in Brooks Legends of Shannara series is a meatier story than the previous book. While not as complex as the previous two pre-Shannara series (Word and the Void and Genesis of Shannara), it takes the fantasy tropes Brooks has lapsed into (his ripoffs of his own works were out of the picture for the most part) and tweaks them just enough while adding layers to established characterizations. All of this added up to a four-star experience for me.
Until I hit Chapter Twenty Nine.
The unexpected nature of the action and exuberance of Brooks' writing in this chapter won me over completely and turned a good reading experience into a great one. And with these sort of books, it's all about the experience and this one (I got to chapter 29 during halftime of the Superbowl--Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé? Wake me up when they reunite Molly Hatchet for a halftime show) was a real winner in the end.
November 5, 2020
When you reach pass the edge of the charted known map, there be monsters. In this book the remnants of civilization as they thought of are forced to cross pass the veil into the unknown. Though I have my reservations and some recurring themes, some of the subtext about humanity compensated. Will the journey bring success or a slow demise into another extinction?
September 6, 2020
Fantastic book!
May 15, 2015
The Measure of the Magic begins exactly where Bearers of the Black Staff ended, which is basically where everything fell to pieces. The last descendant of the Knights of the Word lies dead, fallen to the poison of a treacherous troll. Phryne Amarantyne has been imprisoned in Arborlon, framed for the murder of her own father. And the Drouj army stands on the doorstep of the valley, threatening to invade and conquer it all.
As it that was not enough, the first few chapters of the second book add a whole new set of factors to the excitement. The dragon returns, hunting for magic. Prue Liss suddenly disappears in a flash of light. And most important of all, an mysterious old man collecting rags appears outside the valley, seeking to enter.
All in all, this was another good Brooks novel. At some points it might feel a bit boring, but mostly it's a real pageturner. I think the Legends duology really stands out in the Shannara universe, as none of the earlier additions have been so fast-paced nor so filled with intrigue and deception as these two. That does not necessarily add to the quality, and I still haven't read anything from Brooks that surpasses the original Shannara trilogy, but it does contribute to making this book all the more interesting and exciting.
Also, it has a beautiful Elven princess and her magical stones riding the last of the dragons into battle. That alone made it worth reading.
As it that was not enough, the first few chapters of the second book add a whole new set of factors to the excitement. The dragon returns, hunting for magic. Prue Liss suddenly disappears in a flash of light. And most important of all, an mysterious old man collecting rags appears outside the valley, seeking to enter.
All in all, this was another good Brooks novel. At some points it might feel a bit boring, but mostly it's a real pageturner. I think the Legends duology really stands out in the Shannara universe, as none of the earlier additions have been so fast-paced nor so filled with intrigue and deception as these two. That does not necessarily add to the quality, and I still haven't read anything from Brooks that surpasses the original Shannara trilogy, but it does contribute to making this book all the more interesting and exciting.
Also, it has a beautiful Elven princess and her magical stones riding the last of the dragons into battle. That alone made it worth reading.
April 15, 2020
The Measure of the Magic is book 5 chronologically in the Shannara series. 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
This one wasn’t as good as I remembered but it was still a very solid and exciting story. We get the King of the Silver River, and even a dragon 🐉 in this story! To my knowledge, I don’t think a dragon makes another appearance in the rest of the series. Maybe they all got shoved off in the Forbidding? 🤔.
Anyway, this was an enjoyable read. The Blue Elfstones are given to a character we don’t expect, and as a reader, I wonder what was done with them because they definitely pop up later in the series.
One quick related note, last Saturday, Ivana Baquero, who played Eretria in the Shannara Chronicles, hosted an IG live on Saturday reminiscing about the show. I watched and it kind of gave me some more motivation on my re-read of the Shannara book series. If you’re interested, here is a link to her YouTube: https://youtu.be/VJWkfFPkluQ . The show flopped for many reasons, but the actors definitely had a passion for what they were doing on the show, and that shined through on this IG reunion.
On to The First King of Shannara...
This one wasn’t as good as I remembered but it was still a very solid and exciting story. We get the King of the Silver River, and even a dragon 🐉 in this story! To my knowledge, I don’t think a dragon makes another appearance in the rest of the series. Maybe they all got shoved off in the Forbidding? 🤔.
Anyway, this was an enjoyable read. The Blue Elfstones are given to a character we don’t expect, and as a reader, I wonder what was done with them because they definitely pop up later in the series.
One quick related note, last Saturday, Ivana Baquero, who played Eretria in the Shannara Chronicles, hosted an IG live on Saturday reminiscing about the show. I watched and it kind of gave me some more motivation on my re-read of the Shannara book series. If you’re interested, here is a link to her YouTube: https://youtu.be/VJWkfFPkluQ . The show flopped for many reasons, but the actors definitely had a passion for what they were doing on the show, and that shined through on this IG reunion.
On to The First King of Shannara...
October 5, 2011
It took me a month to get through this book! I fell in love with Terry Brooks in his urban fantasy books (The Word & Void novels and Genesis of Shannara), but the books that followed return to his more classic fantasy roots. In "The Measure of the Magic" there was entirely too much inner dialogue by characters either reiterating events that just happened or pining of their feelings. I'm amazed anyone in the book survived to the end as much time as they spent examining their feelings instead of fighting foes. The relationships presenting in this novel fell flat for me, and the only interesting relationship that seemed to bud was given two sentences. That said, there were a few cool moments in the book that were totally awesome and kept the pages turning. Unfortunately they were after the 300-page mark. I persevered to the end just to add this stupid book to my Reading Challenge for the year. Not sure if I'll read the next book of the series until a friend has read it and deemed it interesting.
December 20, 2012
Shannara is franchise fiction from Terry Brooks. Shannara readers go to that world for a familiar set of powers, beings, elements, etc. You are not reading this for literary value, you are reading it for fun.
This book was not fun. 75% of what I read before I gave up, was internal monologue by characters stating obvious things. There is a really bad use of the deus ex machina with the King of the Silver River that is 100% a corner being written out of (same reason I stopped reading Hunger Games book 1 btw).
The characters, act stupidly, and are thus hard to empathize with.
I thought Brooks made a mistake trying to merge his worlds of the "Demon" series and "Shannara" together as both would be diminished. Hopefully he is done writing through this mix of faerie and judeo-christianesque "knight of the word" hybrid crapulence.
This book was not fun. 75% of what I read before I gave up, was internal monologue by characters stating obvious things. There is a really bad use of the deus ex machina with the King of the Silver River that is 100% a corner being written out of (same reason I stopped reading Hunger Games book 1 btw).
The characters, act stupidly, and are thus hard to empathize with.
I thought Brooks made a mistake trying to merge his worlds of the "Demon" series and "Shannara" together as both would be diminished. Hopefully he is done writing through this mix of faerie and judeo-christianesque "knight of the word" hybrid crapulence.
September 30, 2015
It kills me to give this only two stars, but I can only give it that many because I managed to finish it. I heart Terry Brooks, but this book. This book.
Pale characters that border on generic. Confrontations that had massive lead ups last less than a paragraph. And Phryne. .
I love Terry Brooks. I love his world, but I'm going to have to step back from it for a minute.
Two stars, barely. :(
Pale characters that border on generic. Confrontations that had massive lead ups last less than a paragraph. And Phryne. .
I love Terry Brooks. I love his world, but I'm going to have to step back from it for a minute.
Two stars, barely. :(
October 15, 2018
Part two, and possibly the conclusion, of the Legends of Shannara series, The Measure of the Magic tells the tale of Panterra (I keep thinking of the 90's band), the new bearer of the Black Staff, and the forerunner of what would eventually be the Druids in the later books. The story also reveals the fates of Prue Liss, Pan's partner and fellow Tracker, Elven Princess Phayne, Aislinne, and the nameless demon called the ragpicker.
This sort of serves as a bridge between Brooks' Knight of the Word series and the later-set Shannara books, showing how Man and some Elves survived the apocalypse that almost ended the world and how they set out to tame what was left. There's combat, magic, excitement, and loss. From his first hit book, The Sword of Shannara, Brooks has been hard on his cast (long before Game of Thrones), and many supporting characters, and at least one major one, don't make it through the book.
I don't know if there's a third book coming for the series. It could easily end here, or he could add another showing Pan's further adventures. Brooks was one of the first big names in fantasy after Tolkien and CS Lewis, and his Shannara world has been chronicled in many different eras. This is a good addition to that list.
This sort of serves as a bridge between Brooks' Knight of the Word series and the later-set Shannara books, showing how Man and some Elves survived the apocalypse that almost ended the world and how they set out to tame what was left. There's combat, magic, excitement, and loss. From his first hit book, The Sword of Shannara, Brooks has been hard on his cast (long before Game of Thrones), and many supporting characters, and at least one major one, don't make it through the book.
I don't know if there's a third book coming for the series. It could easily end here, or he could add another showing Pan's further adventures. Brooks was one of the first big names in fantasy after Tolkien and CS Lewis, and his Shannara world has been chronicled in many different eras. This is a good addition to that list.
September 17, 2023
3.5/5
I really enjoyed the story and when the story ended I was left wanting more which is a good thing. The only real downside was that the main POVs we followed were those of characters that were not my favorites.
I really enjoyed the story and when the story ended I was left wanting more which is a good thing. The only real downside was that the main POVs we followed were those of characters that were not my favorites.
March 28, 2024
Deboluccio, in qualche punto persino un po' ingenuo e in generale un tantino troppo young adult (parere personale), forse si poteva congenare una finale meno sbrigativo. In complesso quella delle "Leggende di Shannara" è una mini saga (2 volumi) leggibile e scorrevole, ma senz'anima e priva di vero pathos. Troppo comodo poi risolvere i problemi con i deus ex machina, puoi farlo una volta, se lo piazzi bene, ma due o tre fanno perdere credibilità alla storia. Non un libro da buttare, ma nemmeno una lettura particolarmente coinvolgente. Volevo un (altro) fantasy da ombrellone e l'ho trovato.
March 7, 2018
Loved this book. The series just seems to get better and better. Legends of Shannara consists of two books which is a bit sad because I loved the characters and I doubt we'll hear anymore from them in future series. This last book was action packed and held a few surprises. If you only want a taste of Terry Brooks Shannara series then pick this one.
December 11, 2012
Il secondo volume della minisaga Le leggende di Shannara, Il potere della magia, prende le mosse esattamente da dove L’ultimo cavaliere si era interrotto: Panterra è chino sul cadavere di Sider Ament, chiedendosi se può e deve accettare l’eredità magica che lui gli ha offerto, il bastone nero. Un demone molto potente, celato nei panni di un vecchio Stracciaiolo, è intanto sulle sue tracce intenzionato a nutrirsi della sua magia. Prue è assediata dai troll da cui è riuscita a sfuggire grazie all’aiuto suicida di Deladion Inch. I fratelli Orullian presidiano uno dei valichi di accesso alla Valle, attendendo l’attacco dei troll. Phryne è accusata dell’omicidio del padre, in realtà ordito dalla matrigna Isoeld per salire al trono a suo discapito e perpetrato da Bonnasaint, sicario al servizio di Skeal Eile. Quest’ultimo trama ancora per diventare leader politico (oltre che spirituale) dei Figli del Falco, che ancora attendono il prescelto che li condurrà fuori dalla Valle verso una terra promessa.
Mi spiace dirlo, ma questo libro risulta persino peggiore del precedente. Se anche la trama desta un qualche interesse e riesce a non essere scontata, ci sono trovate che definire imbarazzanti è poco: il libro pullula di personaggi potenti e scaltri che si dimostrano oltremodo idioti. Abbiamo un potente demone che potrebbe eliminare un normale essere umano schioccando le dita e che invece si diverte ad addormentarne uno pizzicandogli i nervi del collo per poi trascinarlo sulla scena di un omicidio per far sì che venga accusato. Abbiamo l’ex protagonista, mago capace, che alla fine del precedente libro si è fatto uccidere da un semplice dardo di cerbottana avvelenato. Un altro personaggio, scaltro e forte, che si è lasciato esplodere per salvare una ragazzina mai vista. Un’intrigante regina che invece di eliminare la figliastra che ha fatto imputare di omicidio la fa chiudere per giorni in una stanza sorvegliata da una sola guardia (aspettandosi che nessuno possa essere dalla sua parte e possa liberarla). Abbiamo dei troll feroci e astuti di nome, e in grado di perdersi in un bicchier d’acqua di fatto. Abbiamo il re del Fiume Argento che si dimostra in grado di intervenire attivamente nella storia dalla parte dei protagonisti, ma che – non viene spiegato il motivo – non risolve tutta la situazione a loro vantaggio con un semplice battito di ciglia. Poi abbiamo un killer spietato, presentato come letalissimo, che fallisce due volte su due (facendosi peraltro catturare) e che spiffera tutto ciò che sa due righe dopo aver detto che non parlerà mai. A tal proposito, abbiamo anche una ragazza che commoventemente offre qualsiasi cosa per ottenere un potenziamento della sua magia al fine di aiutare il migliore amico, e che due pagine dopo si dispera oltre misura per aver perso la facoltà di vedere i colori chiedendosi inoltre con preoccupazione se la gente possa trovarla brutta per il modo in cui appaiono ora i suoi occhi.
Io, a questo punto, caricherei tutti i personaggi su un pullmino e li porterei con cappellini e palloncini a far visita allo zoo. Perché questo libro non è una parodia, né fa ridere come una parodia, ma i suoi personaggi si comportano da parodie, da fantocci vestiti da protagonisti fantasy che tentano di sembrare autorevoli e profondi. Si salva veramente poco: certamente non la relazione tra l’elfa Phryne e il protagonista Pan (che in realtà protagonista lo è ben poco), nel precedente romanzo prontamente definita ‘amore’ nonostante i due personaggi si siano visti parlare una o due volte, e portata avanti in modo piatto e insensato solo perché ormai era iniziata. Descrizioni ridotte all’osso, psicologia zero: chi ama Brooks può ormai solo rileggersi i primi, classici cicli di Shannara, magari più aderenti allo schema del Signore degli Anelli ma senza dubbio ricchi di situazioni e personaggi di spicco.
Non parliamo poi dell’edizione, terribile come al solito: refusi su refusi (‘gli’ al posto di ‘loro’, ‘gli’ al posto di ‘le’ o viceversa, punti a fine frase mancanti, parole scomparse nel nulla), di cui tutti noi lettori più attenti continuiamo a lamentarci da anni senza che la Mondadori faccia qualcosa a riguardo, come assumere una manciata di correttori di bozze che si assicurino che ogni cosa sia al suo posto prima di mandare in stampa un testo. Dopotutto, non si tratta di un piccolo editore a gestione familiare in cui il padre si occupa della stampa, la madre della grafica, e la figlia della distribuzione, ma di una delle maggiori case editrici italiane, che peraltro i suoi testi se li fa pagare profumatamente dai lettori. Parole gettate al vento, come sempre.
Mi spiace dirlo, ma questo libro risulta persino peggiore del precedente. Se anche la trama desta un qualche interesse e riesce a non essere scontata, ci sono trovate che definire imbarazzanti è poco: il libro pullula di personaggi potenti e scaltri che si dimostrano oltremodo idioti. Abbiamo un potente demone che potrebbe eliminare un normale essere umano schioccando le dita e che invece si diverte ad addormentarne uno pizzicandogli i nervi del collo per poi trascinarlo sulla scena di un omicidio per far sì che venga accusato. Abbiamo l’ex protagonista, mago capace, che alla fine del precedente libro si è fatto uccidere da un semplice dardo di cerbottana avvelenato. Un altro personaggio, scaltro e forte, che si è lasciato esplodere per salvare una ragazzina mai vista. Un’intrigante regina che invece di eliminare la figliastra che ha fatto imputare di omicidio la fa chiudere per giorni in una stanza sorvegliata da una sola guardia (aspettandosi che nessuno possa essere dalla sua parte e possa liberarla). Abbiamo dei troll feroci e astuti di nome, e in grado di perdersi in un bicchier d’acqua di fatto. Abbiamo il re del Fiume Argento che si dimostra in grado di intervenire attivamente nella storia dalla parte dei protagonisti, ma che – non viene spiegato il motivo – non risolve tutta la situazione a loro vantaggio con un semplice battito di ciglia. Poi abbiamo un killer spietato, presentato come letalissimo, che fallisce due volte su due (facendosi peraltro catturare) e che spiffera tutto ciò che sa due righe dopo aver detto che non parlerà mai. A tal proposito, abbiamo anche una ragazza che commoventemente offre qualsiasi cosa per ottenere un potenziamento della sua magia al fine di aiutare il migliore amico, e che due pagine dopo si dispera oltre misura per aver perso la facoltà di vedere i colori chiedendosi inoltre con preoccupazione se la gente possa trovarla brutta per il modo in cui appaiono ora i suoi occhi.
Io, a questo punto, caricherei tutti i personaggi su un pullmino e li porterei con cappellini e palloncini a far visita allo zoo. Perché questo libro non è una parodia, né fa ridere come una parodia, ma i suoi personaggi si comportano da parodie, da fantocci vestiti da protagonisti fantasy che tentano di sembrare autorevoli e profondi. Si salva veramente poco: certamente non la relazione tra l’elfa Phryne e il protagonista Pan (che in realtà protagonista lo è ben poco), nel precedente romanzo prontamente definita ‘amore’ nonostante i due personaggi si siano visti parlare una o due volte, e portata avanti in modo piatto e insensato solo perché ormai era iniziata. Descrizioni ridotte all’osso, psicologia zero: chi ama Brooks può ormai solo rileggersi i primi, classici cicli di Shannara, magari più aderenti allo schema del Signore degli Anelli ma senza dubbio ricchi di situazioni e personaggi di spicco.
Non parliamo poi dell’edizione, terribile come al solito: refusi su refusi (‘gli’ al posto di ‘loro’, ‘gli’ al posto di ‘le’ o viceversa, punti a fine frase mancanti, parole scomparse nel nulla), di cui tutti noi lettori più attenti continuiamo a lamentarci da anni senza che la Mondadori faccia qualcosa a riguardo, come assumere una manciata di correttori di bozze che si assicurino che ogni cosa sia al suo posto prima di mandare in stampa un testo. Dopotutto, non si tratta di un piccolo editore a gestione familiare in cui il padre si occupa della stampa, la madre della grafica, e la figlia della distribuzione, ma di una delle maggiori case editrici italiane, che peraltro i suoi testi se li fa pagare profumatamente dai lettori. Parole gettate al vento, come sempre.
September 6, 2011
Well, things make a little more sense now, since discoverying this is the 2nd of 3 books. I was under the impression this was a two-book set-up, so as I'm running out of pages and wondering how this is going to get all neatly resolved in a short amount of time, I did a little recon and found out there's still one more book to go. Which is good.
I flew through this pretty quickly, as I'd wanted to do over the long weekend. One of the things Terry does well that I really appreciate is write strong female characters. None of this running through a dark forest in 4 inch heels running from The Bad hoping to be rescued. His female characters Kick Keister. They are strong and vulnerable, never weak. It's nice to follow heroines that take charge, but not at the cost of what makes them who they are. No doormats here!
It's a good middle book story, tho I did think it got a little angsty at a few points. Then again, considering the main characters are in their mid to late teens, I guess that is acceptable, as angst is a chunky part of that age. Or at least, it was when I was there!
Looking forward to the resolve of the final installment.
Terry remains my fave fantasy author for consistently top notch writing - strong characters, solid story development and good flow that keeps the pages flying.
I flew through this pretty quickly, as I'd wanted to do over the long weekend. One of the things Terry does well that I really appreciate is write strong female characters. None of this running through a dark forest in 4 inch heels running from The Bad hoping to be rescued. His female characters Kick Keister. They are strong and vulnerable, never weak. It's nice to follow heroines that take charge, but not at the cost of what makes them who they are. No doormats here!
It's a good middle book story, tho I did think it got a little angsty at a few points. Then again, considering the main characters are in their mid to late teens, I guess that is acceptable, as angst is a chunky part of that age. Or at least, it was when I was there!
Looking forward to the resolve of the final installment.
Terry remains my fave fantasy author for consistently top notch writing - strong characters, solid story development and good flow that keeps the pages flying.
August 6, 2019
A pretty disappointing book in all honesty. As the last book ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger we start this one immediately after. I was hoping for something more original as the last book had a few nice touches but this was almost a copy of Genesis of Shannara books again. Demons are back. A chosen one to lead the people to safety. Sound familiar?
We had a few new POV's in this book in addition to the ones from the last book. We have Prue, Panterra's friend and Aislinne from the last book. Prue is almost a copy of Panterra and both are unmemorable. Aislinne just seemed shoehorned in to get a perspective from the town. We also have a decent portion of the book from the demon's perspective and his is the most interesting. At first it seemed Brooks might take him to a new direction but then unfortunately he reverted to a total evil typecast.
There were a few good scenes but overall it was fairly boring and that is just too much of a flaw in any medium that's telling a story. The main reason for reading these is seeing how our world becomes the world of Shannara. I was expecting these books to move it much further on but apart a few things this did not happen at all and things aren't much different than at the end of the Genesis books. Overall I would not recommend these books apart from the most diehard of Shannara fans.
We had a few new POV's in this book in addition to the ones from the last book. We have Prue, Panterra's friend and Aislinne from the last book. Prue is almost a copy of Panterra and both are unmemorable. Aislinne just seemed shoehorned in to get a perspective from the town. We also have a decent portion of the book from the demon's perspective and his is the most interesting. At first it seemed Brooks might take him to a new direction but then unfortunately he reverted to a total evil typecast.
There were a few good scenes but overall it was fairly boring and that is just too much of a flaw in any medium that's telling a story. The main reason for reading these is seeing how our world becomes the world of Shannara. I was expecting these books to move it much further on but apart a few things this did not happen at all and things aren't much different than at the end of the Genesis books. Overall I would not recommend these books apart from the most diehard of Shannara fans.
July 16, 2020
Sorry, been away from Goodreads for a little bit. :)
3.5 stars.
I finished this some time ago, and, though definitely readable, I found that the "Legends of Shannara" series just didn't do it for me overall. (I found the "Word and Void" series, and the "Genesis of Shannara" series kept me entertained enough to keep page-turning late into the evenings. But this duology didn't grab me in quite the same way, though learning about the "Pre-History" of Shannara saves this from being a total drag.)
3.5 stars.
I finished this some time ago, and, though definitely readable, I found that the "Legends of Shannara" series just didn't do it for me overall. (I found the "Word and Void" series, and the "Genesis of Shannara" series kept me entertained enough to keep page-turning late into the evenings. But this duology didn't grab me in quite the same way, though learning about the "Pre-History" of Shannara saves this from being a total drag.)
November 21, 2019
I can't really give an objective review for a Terry Brooks book. Since I have read all the books, enjoyed almost all of them, I am obviously a fan. I love to submerge myself in mr. Brooks's world so this did not disappoint.
This is a little more Young Adult than some of the books in the series though, so if you're not into that you could skip the Legends of Shannara. But since you're here, reading my review, you've probably already read quite a few by Terry Brooks and know by now that you will not skip this one.
This is a little more Young Adult than some of the books in the series though, so if you're not into that you could skip the Legends of Shannara. But since you're here, reading my review, you've probably already read quite a few by Terry Brooks and know by now that you will not skip this one.
November 29, 2023
Note: This is not the edition I read. The one I read had over 500 pages. I can't find that edition on here, so I'm making do with this one.
I should also mention that I haven't read the first book in this series. There are plenty of references in this book relating to what happened in the first book, so I was able to pick up the thread of the story fairly easily.
The main characters, Pan and Prue, have an odd relationship. They claim to be like brother and sister, but at times they're more like a couple. Maybe they can't make up their minds. Pan develops a crush on the Elven Princess, although he admits on many occasions that they can't be together. There's a vague hint of some sort of attraction between Prue and an elf named Tenerife, but nothing ever came of it.
Prue's odd and erratic instinct for detecting danger doesn't really work for me. Her great sacrifice to supposedly make her gift more reliable doesn't gain her anything except frustration and sorrow.
They and some of the supporting characters go through a series of easily escapable and supposedly dangerous situations. All the conflicts get resolved far too easily. Even what is meant to be the epic struggle near the end seems rushed and anti-climatic.
The demon starts out being an intriguing character but the fact that his only motivation appears to be gaining power seems like a cop-out. There's never any reason given for him wanting power.
An enjoyable enough tale. I've read better and I've also read far worse.
I should also mention that I haven't read the first book in this series. There are plenty of references in this book relating to what happened in the first book, so I was able to pick up the thread of the story fairly easily.
The main characters, Pan and Prue, have an odd relationship. They claim to be like brother and sister, but at times they're more like a couple. Maybe they can't make up their minds. Pan develops a crush on the Elven Princess, although he admits on many occasions that they can't be together. There's a vague hint of some sort of attraction between Prue and an elf named Tenerife, but nothing ever came of it.
Prue's odd and erratic instinct for detecting danger doesn't really work for me. Her great sacrifice to supposedly make her gift more reliable doesn't gain her anything except frustration and sorrow.
They and some of the supporting characters go through a series of easily escapable and supposedly dangerous situations. All the conflicts get resolved far too easily. Even what is meant to be the epic struggle near the end seems rushed and anti-climatic.
The demon starts out being an intriguing character but the fact that his only motivation appears to be gaining power seems like a cop-out. There's never any reason given for him wanting power.
An enjoyable enough tale. I've read better and I've also read far worse.
February 4, 2018
An excellent two book story. A lot of action, twists and turns. The ending left room for a hopefully sequel book. Picking up the characters where this book ended.
Sadly I appear to have reached the end of the Shannara series. I've read over 30 of the books and have not found anything new I haven't read yet. It was a fun journey.
Time to search for a new series of science fiction/fantasy. A new world to explore.
Sadly I appear to have reached the end of the Shannara series. I've read over 30 of the books and have not found anything new I haven't read yet. It was a fun journey.
Time to search for a new series of science fiction/fantasy. A new world to explore.
December 16, 2023
3.5 Stars
January 28, 2020
SPOILERS AHEAD:
OK I actually bought and read this book after really disliking the first one because Terry Brooks has been very good in the past. The experience of reading this book was overshadowed by how much I hated Phryne Amarantyne. She continues to make stupid decisions that hurt her friends and herself and is then framed as a hero that we should feel sorry for. First, she refuses to accept the eflstones because her father "deserves" to have them while at the same time she makes it very clear that she doesn't respect her father at all because he only makes decisions based on his penis. Not accepting the elfstones, which she has no reason for, gets her Grandmother killed. She then has to recover them from her Grandmother's grave which destroys her Grandmother's spirit in the process. Keep in mind, she had no real reason not to just accept them in the first place. Somehow, through her stupid decisions and power hungry nature she has manipulated Panterra into falling in love with her. I honestly think the only reason we're supposed to buy into this love story is just that Phryne is attractive. This isn't explicitly stated but it's hinted at and it's the only thing that makes any sense which makes the whole thing feel even more shallow. Panterra is a likeable character so you're constantly hoping that he will come to his senses and see Phryne as the villain she is. Alas, she figures out how to manipulate him into sleeping with her, which honestly feels a bit like rape, just before she flies off on a dragon. Her motivation for forcing sex onto Panterra seems to be that she was curious and didn't want to die a virgin. At no point do you believe that she's in love with him only that he's a convenient male specimen that can sate her intrigue. These things all inexplicably come together for her to go save the day by forcing the dragon to roast a bunch of trolls which she didn't earn or deserve to be able to do. She is then thankfully killed in the action which is the only part of the book I actually enjoyed.
I think there are some fun moments in the book but they're so completely overshadowed by the loathing I had the entire time for Phryne, that I don't really remember anything else. I need a break from Terry Brooks at this point and I may never come back.
OK I actually bought and read this book after really disliking the first one because Terry Brooks has been very good in the past. The experience of reading this book was overshadowed by how much I hated Phryne Amarantyne. She continues to make stupid decisions that hurt her friends and herself and is then framed as a hero that we should feel sorry for. First, she refuses to accept the eflstones because her father "deserves" to have them while at the same time she makes it very clear that she doesn't respect her father at all because he only makes decisions based on his penis. Not accepting the elfstones, which she has no reason for, gets her Grandmother killed. She then has to recover them from her Grandmother's grave which destroys her Grandmother's spirit in the process. Keep in mind, she had no real reason not to just accept them in the first place. Somehow, through her stupid decisions and power hungry nature she has manipulated Panterra into falling in love with her. I honestly think the only reason we're supposed to buy into this love story is just that Phryne is attractive. This isn't explicitly stated but it's hinted at and it's the only thing that makes any sense which makes the whole thing feel even more shallow. Panterra is a likeable character so you're constantly hoping that he will come to his senses and see Phryne as the villain she is. Alas, she figures out how to manipulate him into sleeping with her, which honestly feels a bit like rape, just before she flies off on a dragon. Her motivation for forcing sex onto Panterra seems to be that she was curious and didn't want to die a virgin. At no point do you believe that she's in love with him only that he's a convenient male specimen that can sate her intrigue. These things all inexplicably come together for her to go save the day by forcing the dragon to roast a bunch of trolls which she didn't earn or deserve to be able to do. She is then thankfully killed in the action which is the only part of the book I actually enjoyed.
I think there are some fun moments in the book but they're so completely overshadowed by the loathing I had the entire time for Phryne, that I don't really remember anything else. I need a break from Terry Brooks at this point and I may never come back.
February 7, 2021
There is a reason duologies are rare in literature, and that is beause they are incredibly difficult to pull off. There are a few exceptions....and this series is NOT one of them.
A lot of the problems I had with the first book, including the relationships and the plotting, were in this book, only amplified. Brooks promised so much in the first book that just doesn't happen and delivers things in this book that weren't earned.
First of all, the first book made it seem that there are many magical creatures are waiting just outside the bubble to eradicate the Elves and Humans and Trolls inside. Rather than include that, Brooks leaves it out, completely, and makes the conflict an internal trolls vs humans/elves. This would have been fine if this were the middle book of a trilogy, and the final book had the epic battle with the forces outside...but there is no final book. THIS is the final book, so that plotline is gone.
A big problem I have with this book is it's pacing and POVs. Rather than jump back and forth like most epic fantasy authors, Brooks stays with one character for 50 pages then jumps to another for 50 and back again, and it feels disjointed and, quite honestly, boring.
Brooks made it seem like the humans and elves would have to abandon the bubble and find a place outside, but that never happens. Brooks simply decides to make this book a close copy of Elfstones. Phryne is Amberle, Panterra is Wil, and Prue is Eritria. Except here, none of it feels earned, and I don't have sympathy, because Phryne starts acting very selfish. I completely disagree with the worldview Brooks was pushing here, and I've never felt this disappointed in his writing.
Also, where did the Dragon come from? From all of the previous Shannara novels, there are no dragons and Brooks only uses them in his "Magic Kingdom" series. It feels like a cop-out and a poor one at that.
I will throw in one good thing about this book was the inclusion of the King of the Silver River. His cameos are always great and I always enjoy reading portions of books where he is present.
Overall, I am very frustrated at this book. THIS is why you don't write duologies. They just don't work. Ugh. Rant over. I still love Brooks and his writing style, but this book is by far his weakest one and I'm very disappointed. 3.5 out of 10.
A lot of the problems I had with the first book, including the relationships and the plotting, were in this book, only amplified. Brooks promised so much in the first book that just doesn't happen and delivers things in this book that weren't earned.
First of all, the first book made it seem that there are many magical creatures are waiting just outside the bubble to eradicate the Elves and Humans and Trolls inside. Rather than include that, Brooks leaves it out, completely, and makes the conflict an internal trolls vs humans/elves. This would have been fine if this were the middle book of a trilogy, and the final book had the epic battle with the forces outside...but there is no final book. THIS is the final book, so that plotline is gone.
A big problem I have with this book is it's pacing and POVs. Rather than jump back and forth like most epic fantasy authors, Brooks stays with one character for 50 pages then jumps to another for 50 and back again, and it feels disjointed and, quite honestly, boring.
Brooks made it seem like the humans and elves would have to abandon the bubble and find a place outside, but that never happens. Brooks simply decides to make this book a close copy of Elfstones. Phryne is Amberle, Panterra is Wil, and Prue is Eritria. Except here, none of it feels earned, and I don't have sympathy, because Phryne starts acting very selfish. I completely disagree with the worldview Brooks was pushing here, and I've never felt this disappointed in his writing.
Also, where did the Dragon come from? From all of the previous Shannara novels, there are no dragons and Brooks only uses them in his "Magic Kingdom" series. It feels like a cop-out and a poor one at that.
I will throw in one good thing about this book was the inclusion of the King of the Silver River. His cameos are always great and I always enjoy reading portions of books where he is present.
Overall, I am very frustrated at this book. THIS is why you don't write duologies. They just don't work. Ugh. Rant over. I still love Brooks and his writing style, but this book is by far his weakest one and I'm very disappointed. 3.5 out of 10.
September 8, 2011
If you’ve read any of Terry Brooks’ books then you know what to expect. Great characters. Great adventures. There will be some humans, some elves. Elfstones or a Bearer of the Black Staff. And mainly that is my problem with the series at this point. It feels like there is very little fresh to discover. This book had a dragon in it, which I believe is a first for Brooks. How that dragon plays into the story is fascinating but otherwise I felt like I knew what to expect. Despite the some of the violence in this book it never felt over the top or graphic, which is good for young readers. The book’s lone love scene was a single paragraph where nothing more than a hand touching bare skin was revealed. Compared to some of the books I’m used to reading these days it feels like I’m reading a Young Adult book as opposed to an adult piece of fantasy.
And really my issue is just that it all feels a little stale. At this point I’d like to discover a new elven magic, or a forgotten race, something. It just feels like no effort is put into developing twists. And despite the fact that there is a lot of death in this book, none of it has any impact. I never cared enough for any character to be punched in the gut by their loss. Most of the characters felt paper thin and unexplored. I never felt like I was invested in the story. In fact toward the end I found myself going thread A will be resolved like this, thread B will be resolved like this, and then the last few paragraphs will probably amount to this. And unfortunately I was right.
Another thing worth mention is this is book two in a duology. It continues where Bearers of the Black Staff left off. And I mean it picks right up. No reminders of what’s going on. No reminders of who’s who. It just picks up like you closed book one and picked up book two. I would prefer a “Previously in Bearers of the Black Staff” introduction.
All of my griping aside, it isn’t a bad book. It’s just that I’ve read everything Shannara related that Brooks has to offer and I feel like I’m getting the same meal fed to me. It’s not a bad meal. It’s satisfying. It just doesn’t wow me like it used to. If you’re a fan of Shannara then you’ll likely enjoy this book too but I don’t think he’s going to win any new hearts with it.
And really my issue is just that it all feels a little stale. At this point I’d like to discover a new elven magic, or a forgotten race, something. It just feels like no effort is put into developing twists. And despite the fact that there is a lot of death in this book, none of it has any impact. I never cared enough for any character to be punched in the gut by their loss. Most of the characters felt paper thin and unexplored. I never felt like I was invested in the story. In fact toward the end I found myself going thread A will be resolved like this, thread B will be resolved like this, and then the last few paragraphs will probably amount to this. And unfortunately I was right.
Another thing worth mention is this is book two in a duology. It continues where Bearers of the Black Staff left off. And I mean it picks right up. No reminders of what’s going on. No reminders of who’s who. It just picks up like you closed book one and picked up book two. I would prefer a “Previously in Bearers of the Black Staff” introduction.
All of my griping aside, it isn’t a bad book. It’s just that I’ve read everything Shannara related that Brooks has to offer and I feel like I’m getting the same meal fed to me. It’s not a bad meal. It’s satisfying. It just doesn’t wow me like it used to. If you’re a fan of Shannara then you’ll likely enjoy this book too but I don’t think he’s going to win any new hearts with it.
February 16, 2018
The Measure of the Magic concludes Terry Brooks' two-volume tale of what happened to those spared from the Great Wars' catastrophes by the magic of Hawk in The Gypsy Morph. In the five hundred years since the Great War, the humans, elves and others living in the valley shielded by Hawk's magic have flourished, but they are not ready when that shield finally comes down and the outside world begins to work its way into their peaceful lives. Far from the empty wasteland they believed it to be, that world has its own people, who have their own ambitions. And it has a demon, whose goal is to kill the bearer of the Black Staff of magic.
That bearer is Panterra Qu, a former tracker and friend to tracker Prue Liss as well as Elven princess Phryne Amarantyne. They oppose the power-hungry religious leader Skeal Eile and the usurper of the Elven throne, Phryne's stepmother Isoeld. As well as the nameless demon, who begins to manipulate behind the scenes for his own ends.
Because his Shannara books have generally been cut from the same cloth, and because his "Jerle Shannara" trilogy was one long chase scene strung over three books, Brooks has often been accused of lazy storytelling. It may or may not be true in other places, but it's beyond evident in Measure. The plotting is sloppy, the characterizations messy and the continuity difficult to follow.
Passages that display evidence of time and work ride next to stretches that scream "I'm fresh out of the word processor without benefit of any editing beyond spellcheck!" One character -- in a pre-industrial society half a millennium removed from the technology involved -- refers to adhesive tape as casually as would you or I. Phryne seems like a different character every time we meet her, and several characters have the same "I just killed someone and I can't handle it" response almost down to the dialogue. Brooks seems to set up potential sequels with Measure's end, but unless he tries a whole lot harder to convince readers there's a story there I can't see the point.
Original available here.
That bearer is Panterra Qu, a former tracker and friend to tracker Prue Liss as well as Elven princess Phryne Amarantyne. They oppose the power-hungry religious leader Skeal Eile and the usurper of the Elven throne, Phryne's stepmother Isoeld. As well as the nameless demon, who begins to manipulate behind the scenes for his own ends.
Because his Shannara books have generally been cut from the same cloth, and because his "Jerle Shannara" trilogy was one long chase scene strung over three books, Brooks has often been accused of lazy storytelling. It may or may not be true in other places, but it's beyond evident in Measure. The plotting is sloppy, the characterizations messy and the continuity difficult to follow.
Passages that display evidence of time and work ride next to stretches that scream "I'm fresh out of the word processor without benefit of any editing beyond spellcheck!" One character -- in a pre-industrial society half a millennium removed from the technology involved -- refers to adhesive tape as casually as would you or I. Phryne seems like a different character every time we meet her, and several characters have the same "I just killed someone and I can't handle it" response almost down to the dialogue. Brooks seems to set up potential sequels with Measure's end, but unless he tries a whole lot harder to convince readers there's a story there I can't see the point.
Original available here.
December 18, 2022
I have stayed up entirely too late desperately trying to finish this book. Normally if I stay up late to read it’s because I find a book fascinating and can’t put it down, this time it was because I did not want to have this atrocity looming before me in the morning.
This was well and truly awful.
Reading it was a complete waste of my life and time. I’m going to have to take a break from Brooks for a couple of books because I officially used up all of my endurance. There is none left. I cannot wade through anymore shallow characters, utterly predictable action, and inexplicable developments. You would think that it would be impossible to be both predictable and inexplicable…you would be wrong, this book manages it. The most obvious path forward is happens, even when there is no reason for it to happen that way. There is no coherent structure or pacing in this book. The characters are utterly unbelievable. Their choices and actions make no sense and are inconsistent.
I think the author was sick and tired of this world and these characters as well since he shoved more action into the last five chapters than the entire rest of the book combined. He just wanted it over. I don’t blame him, I feel like my eyes were bleeding by the end. I could only laugh incredulously at the wooden dialogue and the frenetic pace. Gah.
I was going to give these books to a fellow English teacher when I finished them, that is no longer an option, I like her too much to inflict them upon her. My one and only consolation is that, unlike the others so far up to this point, I have only read this once. I think if I had read this one earlier, I would never have tried to finish all the prequels, because oh my, it well and truly sucked.
This was well and truly awful.
Reading it was a complete waste of my life and time. I’m going to have to take a break from Brooks for a couple of books because I officially used up all of my endurance. There is none left. I cannot wade through anymore shallow characters, utterly predictable action, and inexplicable developments. You would think that it would be impossible to be both predictable and inexplicable…you would be wrong, this book manages it. The most obvious path forward is happens, even when there is no reason for it to happen that way. There is no coherent structure or pacing in this book. The characters are utterly unbelievable. Their choices and actions make no sense and are inconsistent.
I think the author was sick and tired of this world and these characters as well since he shoved more action into the last five chapters than the entire rest of the book combined. He just wanted it over. I don’t blame him, I feel like my eyes were bleeding by the end. I could only laugh incredulously at the wooden dialogue and the frenetic pace. Gah.
I was going to give these books to a fellow English teacher when I finished them, that is no longer an option, I like her too much to inflict them upon her. My one and only consolation is that, unlike the others so far up to this point, I have only read this once. I think if I had read this one earlier, I would never have tried to finish all the prequels, because oh my, it well and truly sucked.
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