Although some of the goals to keep Shannara safe had been met, the work of Walker Boh, Wren, and Par was not yet done. For The Shadowmen still swarmed over the Four Lands, poisoning all with their dark magic. Each Shannaran had a special death waiting for him- at the hands of The Shadowmen-unless Par could find a way to free them all with the Sword of Shannara. From the Paperback edition. Having fulfilled the quests imposed upon them by the shade of the druid Allanon, the children of Shannara must now attempt to use their newfound powers and allies to defeat the Shadowen who are ravaging the Four Lands. Drawing together the threads of the three previous series titles, Brooks orchestrates an exciting, though predictable, conclusion to his second Shannara series. Brooks's appeal lies in his fidelity to tried-and-true quest fantasy and his ability to create engaging protagonists. Most libraries will want this title to satisfy patron demand. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/92. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. Concluding the second series of Shannara yarns (The Elf Queen of Shannara, etc.) as the scions of Shannara--namely, the newly made Druid, Walker Boh, the Elf Queen Wren Elessedil, and the magical Ohmsford brothers, Par and Coll--somehow must unite their efforts in order to bring a final end to the evil Shadowen and their leader, Rimmer Dall. The latter, of course, has other ideas: he will send the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse against Walker Boh; he will confuse Wren with a seeming friend who will betray her; Coll--even if he escapes the magic Shadowen cloak that is corrupting him--will seize the Sword of Shannara, to the consternation of Par, who thought the Sword intended for him; and Par, his magic wishsong growing ever more uncontrollable, will be seduced into believing that his true destiny is to become Shadowen himself.... Flabby and predictable work, not helped by the whole increasingly threadbare Shannara concept, now clearly past its sell-by date. Still, fans of the series won't be dissuaded. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. "If Harry Potter has given you a thirst for fantasy and you have not discovered the magic of Terry Brooks, you are in for a treat." --Rocky Mountain News "If you were delighted and entranced by Michael Ende's The Never Ending Story , you will definitely want to sample one of more of Terry Brooks's books." --Santa Cruz Sentinel From the Paperback edition. e of the goals to keep Shannara safe had been met, the work of Walker Boh, Wren, and Par was not yet done. For The Shadowmen still swarmed over the Four Lands, poisoning all with their dark magic. Each Shannaran had a special death waiting for him- at the hands of The Shadowmen-unless Par could find a way to free them all with the Sword of Shannara. From the Paperback edition. A writer since high school, Terry Brooks published his first novel, The Sword of Shannara , in 1977. It was a New York Times bestseller for more than five months. He has published seventeen consecutive bestsellers since, including The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch 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 each selected by the Rocky Mountain News as one 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 and Hawaii. Visit us online at www.shannara.com. From the Paperback edition. Dusk settled down about the Four Lands, a slow graying of light, a gradual lengthening of shadows. The swelter of the late summer’s day began to fade as the sun’s red fireball sank into the west and the hot, stale air cooled. The hush that comes with day’s end stilled the earth, and leaves and grass shivered with expectation at the coming of night. At the mouth of the Mermidon where it emptied into the Rainbow Lake, Southwatch rose blackly, impenetrable and voiceless. The wind brushed the waters of the lake and river, yet did not approach the obelisk, as if anxious to hurry on to some place more inviting. The air shimmered about the dark tower, heat radiating from its stone in waves, forming spectral images that darted and flew. A solitary hunter at the water’s edge glanced up apprehensively as he passed and continued swiftly on. Within, the Shadowen went about their tasks in ghostly silence, cowled and faceless and filled with purpose. Rimmer Dall stood at a window looking out on the darkening countryside, watching the color fade from the earth as the night crept stealthily out of the east to gather in its own. The night, our mother, our comfort. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, rigid within his dark robes, cowl pulled back from his rawboned, red-bearded face. He looked hard and