Rating: 
Summary: Awesome.
Review: Books like this are why Terry Brooks is my favorite fantasy author. It's another adventure in the Four Lands with the same sort action, suspense, and colorful characters featured in Sword of Shannara and Heritage of Shannara. The only thing I found a little odd is the way Brooks likes to use the same characters in all his Shannara adventures: e.g, all three shannara series featured a Leah, Quentin Leah in this series, Morgan Leah in the last one, and another Leah (forget his name) in the first Shannara series. They're each a little different - but not by much. But whatever, it's a great book and The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara looks like it will be a great series.
Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable romp through Brooksland
Review: Hail Shannara! I normally hate the sword-and-sorcery epics that go on and on, but I love Brooks' writing style. Plus, let me just say that ever since Tolkien's Legolas, I've had a weakness for elves. (In addition, the cover for this one is simply gorgeous). Okay, so the storyline of the misfits on a ship has been done a million times, the Jerle Shannara manages to be very refreshing in its treatment of them.
A mutilated elf, found on the sea, is discovered to be an elf prince named Kael Ellessidil who vanished years and years ago on a quest. So, Our Heroes must go off on a journey on an airship, on an expedition to find an ancient, immensely-powerful magic that the elf prince once sought.
Supposedly the only one capable of reading the map to this magic is Walker Boh, the last Druid - but the heroes have competition, in the form of the beautiful but deadly Ilse Witch. The Ilse Witch is backed up by creepy lizard-creatures, and her shadowy ally the Morgawr-!-and they have every intention of posessing the magic that Walker and his friends are seeking.
There are new and old characters in this story, and they're all better defined than the average lame-o S&S heroes, as well as being somewhat less cliched. They never quite fall into the trap of "Ship of Misfits" which is so easy to do under these circumstances.
Those of you who don't like Mr. Brooks' writing won't like this either, but his style is refreshing steady throughout the Shannara series and he doesn't falter here. A fair amount of description, with excellent pace that some serieses like, say "Wheel of Time" lack (forever and ever and EVER and nothing happens!). His additions to his own mythos are well-placed and well-thought out.
The only problem is waiting for the next one, "Antrax," may it come out soon...
Rating: 
Summary: This novel is almost as good as the original series
Review: After an uncertain start the book returns to the quality of writing seen in Elfstones or Wishsong. Things had gone downhill with monotonous writing and uninteresting plots in Druid, Elf Queen, and First King, but this book makes up for those previous volumes.
At first I wasn't sure where it would head. The notion of needing 3 keys to unlock a castle with a great magic in it sounded like a canned video game plotline. But the web of intrigue around the Ilse Witch, the Elven politics, and the interesting (although not terribly deep) characters made up for it. It took a little while to get the journey underway, but once Bek's mystery was revealed near the end I had high hopes for the sequel.
Basically, the book deals with some unknown menace from before the nuclear holocaust of the Great Wars. He really returns to post-apocalyptic themes and makes it quite clear that the Old World machines won't be mere relics from Eldwist or the one freak animal/machine from Sword of Shannara. The guardians of the three keys are indeed dull, unthinking monsters, but it turns out that rather than being a trite video-game-style device they are pawns of something that is in fact cunning, interesting, and original (although I suspect Mr. Brooks has read a novel involving a certain Blaine the Mono, but this suspicion will be confirmed or disproven in the next 2 books). Also, the Ohmsford family takes a most interesting twist in this novel, bringing them full-circle to Shea and the Brin that might have been........
Anyway, if you want something new from the Shannara series then read this. Realize that it starts off seeming quite routine but by the end you'll see that something entirely different is hiding behind the seemingly mundane fantasy monsters. I think that the sequel will take the Shannara novels in a whole new direction, and the third (still untitled) book in the series will have series ramifications for the world that Terry Brooks has created.
Rating:
Summary: Best Book of Terry Brooks
Review: this book is the best book of Mr Brooks
Rating: 
Summary: Pros -- and Cons
Review: Brooks' Shannara stories fall into two distinct categories:1) Characters must face and defeat "elemental evil" ("Sword", "Wishsong", "Talismans", "First King") 2) Characters must quest for some hidden, magical thing ("Elfstones", "Druid", "Elf Queen") "Ilse Witch" falls squarely into the second category -- ancient and powerful magic must be retrieved from a part of the Shannara world that hasn't appeared on previous book jacket maps. The story reads like a murder mystery. Brooks creates 15 new characters with interesting and unique "powers," puts them all on a flying boat heading to a dangerous place, and lets the reader watch the characters interact and develop. Some live, some die, some are betrayed, some are redeemed, all have secrets that are eventually revealed, etc. etc. You get the idea. It makes for fun characterization, if unsurprising plotting. I found two aspects of Ilse Witch particularly rewarding. First, Brooks begins to fill in a bit of the historical back story of the Shannara universe. Ilse Witch introduces "science fiction-like" technology, and makes interesting references to the mystical/magical framework of his "Running with the Demon," books. Second, Brooks shares Walker's feelings, opinions, and "special druidic knowledge" with the reader. This means that the reader actually knows just as much about what is going on "behind the scenes" as Walker does, which was a refreshing change from the way Brooks used Allanon to hide information. As other reviewers have noted, Ilse Witch "sets up" the series. With the characters introduced, I expect the next books to finally get to the dramatics Brooks does so well.
Rating:
Summary: been there, done that
Review: Its actually 3.5 stars Much as I love this genre and enjoy Brooks' expository, soul-searching style, it takes a lot of faith to go on reading his books when they all begin sounding the same. A mysterious, reclusive druid covers distance in amazingly short time to recruit reluctant members to go on an equally mysterious and vague quest to recover/destroy ancient and powerful magic items that this world is seemingly brimful of. The questors will be the resident Ohmsford, his best friend/sibling, a Dwarf, an Elf, a Borderman, the Druid, and possibly a bunch of Elven Hunters to provide fodder for the various denizens since Brooks cannot afford to sacrifice the main characters, even if they are useless. I liked this in sword of shannara but brooks has worn this strategy a bit thin. The characters are cardboard cutouts that appear comical even in grave situations. Its only the Ohmsford and the Druid that are developed and interesting because their characters have a direct impact on the plot. This is the essence of Brooks' problem. Most of his characters contribute nothing to the plot. For example, take Panax the dwarf. He does NOTHING! He doesn't even get off the airship until Castledown. Mostly you can't even remember he's there. Yet he was handpicked by Walker to go on the quest. And does anybody find it funny how the Elven Hunters are named and described moments before they are ripped mercilessly apart by a sudden explosion that miraculouly does not affect anybody else. And somehow the Hunter's companions are always helpless to prevent it. It is the quest itself that holds the reader to the story. The airship is an interesting and innovative touch. The adventure is suspenseful and there is sufficiently enough going on to keep the reader's attention at all times. There are hints that the world before the Great Wars was close to ours and its interesting to see our technology from Walker's viewpoint. That said, I found it annoying that everytime the narrative shifted to Walker's point of view, Brooks would again painstakingly explore Walker's resentment at being secretive, and how he doesn't want it to be that way. Honestly, he could have saved a lot of paper by not repeating how angry everyone is with Walker for keeping secrets and how angry he is at himeself at having to keep those secrets. For those who have read Brooks before, you can probably enjoy the finer points of his writing, so it is worthwile to read this. For those new to the writer or genre, start with the Landover series that is refreshing and at least different everytime.
Rating:
Summary: His most readable Shannara novel yet
Review: I've been a fan of Terry Brooks' Shannara novels since the first one ("The Sword of Shannara"). Unfortunately, the more recent books in the series have basically been clones of each other. After several years, Brooks has come out with a new Shannara novel - and a new generation of Ohmsfords - and his storytelling abilities have demonstrably improved. There are little blurbs of "history" throughout the book - enough so that if this is your first Shannara book, you'll have some idea of what's happened in the books you haven't read. The Ilse Witch is a fully realized, completely evil character, as is the Druid Walker. He was really only a cardboard cutout in Brooks' previous novels, but in this book Brooks has fleshed him out, made him a more complex being with many conflicting feelings and emotions. I do think that Brooks could have made a better choice for the Ilse Witch's spy aboard the Jerle Shannara. Without revealing the identity of said spy, I will say that this is the weakest, most pathetic character in the story - but Brooks may surprise us in the sequel and show us a completely different side of the spy's character. Let's hope the sequel comes out soon. I'd like to know what the treasure everybody's after really is.
Rating:
Summary: Does Terry Broosk have Ghost Writers? Proof with page#
Review: Galring inconsistentcy in Antrax compared to Ilse witch
p439 Isle Witch
p62 Antrax
Why does Rue Meridian remember Hawk using his dagger to pick lock when she did it with a pick from her boot in real time action in Ilse Witch?
If he wrote both Brooks would remember this yes?
He must use a Ghost Writer!!!
G Schuette 2/25/2005
Rating:
Summary: Review of Books 1-3
Review: I bought Book 1, The Isle Witch at B&N on clearance for $4.99 and I'm glad I did. My interest in scifi fantasy has been perked by the Harry Potter series and Eragon (Paolini) and I wanted more! The Isle Witch gets started a little slow, but finishes great! After finishing this book I went out and bought Book 2-Antrax and Book 3-Morgawr, and read them both in a weeks time. I will be the first to admit that I am not scifi fanatic by any means, but the wonderful imagination of Terry Brooks has me hooked! Imagin a story that combines a little bit of Star Wars, a little bit of Indiana Jones, a little bit of Authurian Legend and some mean little robots and you have the Voyage Of the Jerle Shannara Trilogy. Fast paced, great caracters and wonderful plot twists make this series tons of fun! Thanks Terry, I'll be back for more!
Rating:
Summary: "Three Dark Holes in Time and Place have I Seen..."
Review: The description at the back of the book is naturally misleading - it trills that "Brooks set the new standard for the genre with his astounding first novel" and that now "he embarks on what promises to be his masterpiece." Gimme a break! This is a lightweight fantasy book, not high epic literature. Thankfully, this book is probably the first book that doesn't bear such an obvious similarity to "Lord of the Rings", though there are echoes galore from Tolkien's master-work. His world of the Four Lands has been the setting for his previous books, and now a range of characters sets off over the Blue Divide (the ocean) on a quest that isn't solely about destroying evil - the reasons for it are more personal and political.
"The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara" is the first of a trilogy, and this particular volume is called "Ilse Witch" (each book is named after a villain). It is set about one hundred and fifty years after the events of the quartet "Heritage of Shannara", and its last remaining character Walker remains in the Druid Keep of Paranor, nursing his dream of creating an independent Druid Council to exist and interact in the Four Lands. This dream is about to be stirred up once more with the discovery of an Elf floating in the ocean by a Wing Rider named Hunter Predd. He is wearing a bracelet and carries a map - a map that shows the way to an island where a great power is said to reside.
Walker is determined to set out and fetch this great treasure regardless of the risks, and goes about bringing together a crew. This takes up nearly half of the book, and is the most dull and sluggish part of the story, especially since all his characters bear uncanny resemblances to past characters in his books. Bek Rowe (like Shea and Par Ohmsford before him) is your standard `Luke Skywalker' figure, who remains utterly dull throughout the book. As usual, someone from the Leah family is present - in this case Bek's cousin Quentin, whose presence is so minimal it doesn't warrant his inclusion in the story. Throw in some Rovers - brother and sister team Redder Alt Mer and Rue Meridian - who are given a lengthy introduction and then ignored completely, and a `shadow' character - Truls Rokh, a mysterious being that hides behind a dense cloak. Someone from the Elessedil family is always necessary - in this case Ahren Elessedil, the younger brother of the new king who is seeking to prove himself, and a seer named Ryer Ord Star who helps out by making cryptic prophesies. Finally, there is the dwarf Panax, another character who has no visible purpose, three Wing Riders including Hunter Predd. and Walker himself to lead the voyage.
Once the airship "Jerle Shannara" sets off, Walker explains what the map implies - that to reach the island of Ice Henge and the city of Castledown they must first visit three islands in order to get three keys that will unlock their way. This in itself is a rather dull idea - the ship formulaically reaches the three islands, the crew looses unnamed (and therefore unimportant) personnel that Brooks uses as cannon-fodder, and Walker gains the key. This particular element of killing off various members of elf-security just to show the reader how dangerous the situation is especially annoying. Take also for example the three Wing Riders - they listed as Hunter Predd, Po Kelles and Gill. Guess which one dies. That's right, the one that's not important enough to have a last name. On the topic of names, another thing annoys me - even toward the end of the book he's still calling his characters by their full names. That is, instead of simply `Rue', he continually writes `Rue Meridian'. Instead of just `Ryer' it's always 'Ryer Ord Star'. Why he insists on doing this is beyond me, but it's very irritating.
Behind the ship continually lurks the sinister Ilse Witch, who despises Walker and seeks to sabotage the mission, kill Walker and claim the prize that awaits. But she has a connection to one of the people on board the "Jerle Shannara", someone who has been brought in the hope that she can be persuaded back to her former life. In turn, she is being watched by her mentor the Morgawr, and all parties are heading towards yet another evil - the being that awaits them in Castledown.
There is a touch more science-fiction in this installment, which doesn't really impinge on the fantasy elements of the story, but also don't really need to be in the story at all. Why do we need airships - great vessels that fly in the air? What's wrong with average ships, especially since most of the action takes place at sea? Brooks has mentioned in previous books the distant past that is hinted at being technologically advanced, and here explores this idea a bit more fully. The characters are rather one-dimensional, but the quest itself (despite its slow-going) has a tantalising mystery to it that warrants your attention.
As you may have expected, it ends on a cliff-hanger, which means you'll need the second part "Antrax" on hand to find out what happens. As far as `Shannara' novels go, this one is adequate. Although very slow to start, and then stuck with your standard `reach island, avoid dangers, get the key' plot device, the ideas, intrigue and suspense does keep you interested enough to push on with reading it.
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