Jarka Ruus (High Druid of Shannara)

by Terry Brooks

Hardcover, 2003

Status

Available

Call number

813

Series

High Druid of Shannara (1)

Shannara - Publication order (15)

Shannara Universe: Chronological (20 (High Druid of Shannara 1))

Genres

Fantasy

All Topics

Fiction

Publication

Earthlight (2003), Hardcover, 464 pages

Description

Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. Thriller. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � Expect no end of wonders and suspense, no shortage of adventure and enchantment, as Terry Brooks begins the next extraordinary quest in the magical world of Shannara. . . . Twenty years have passed since Grianne Ohmsford denounced her former life as the dreaded Ilse Witch. Fulfilling the destiny predicted for her, she has established the Third Druid Council and dedicated herself to its goals of peace, harmony among the races, and defense of the Four Lands. But despite her devotion to the greater good as Ard Rhys, the High Druid of Paranor, Grianne still has bitter enemies. Even her few allies�chief among them her trusted servant Tagwen�know of the plots against her. But they could never anticipate the sudden, ominous disappearance of the Ard Rhys, in the dead of night and without a trace. Now Tagwen joins Grianne�s brave young nephew, Pen Ohmsford, and the wise, powerful elf Ahren Elessedil on a desperate and dangerous mission of search and rescue�to deliver the High Druid of Shannara from an unspeakable fate. BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Terry Brooks's The Measure of the Magic. �Terry Brooks is off on another Shannara adventure . . . and the ride, as always, is pleasurable.��Contra Costa Times �A sure winner . . . Brooks proves himselfa master at reworking and enriching theconventions of fantasy.��Booklist.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Darla

This is the 12th Shannara book, and the first in the High Druid of Shannara trilogy. I've been reading them since The Sword of Shannara came out in paperback, so about 30 years. Unbelievable.

It starts 20 years after the end of the last trilogy--the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara. Grianne Ohmsford is

now the Ard Rhys (head druid) of the newly restored Druid Council, but she's encountering resistance, as there are those who don't trust her based on her history as the Ilse Witch, and those who want power for themselves. And there are those who would use that dissatisfaction for their own ends.

When Grianne Ohmsford is abducted, it falls to her young kinsman, Penderrin, whose only magic is the ability to communicate with animals, and Khyber, the niece of the Elven Prince, to rescue her.

There's the mystery of who abducted her and who's behind it, and the coming-of-age adventure of the two young heroes, complete with magic, spirits, creatures, and treachery. And the flying ships, which my 12-year-old is quite excited about.

Jarka Ruus is pretty much standard fantasy--or maybe it just seems that way, because this world has been part of my fantasy reading for so long. It was a fun, interesting story, with likeable characters, and if it didn't have anything I didn't expect, it also didn't lack anything I did expect.

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LibraryThing member Karlstar

This book features the return of a recurring character, the former opponent of the Druids and Ohmsfords, the Ilse Witch. Without giving too much away (spoiler warning for those who haven't read the previous series) she has reformed and rejoined her family and is now working for good, not evil.
This

book also features the return of the creatures beyond the Forbidding, the demons who were pushed back there in Elfstones of Shannara. The combination of the Ilse Witch and the demons gives this a bit of a different twist, and makes it an excellent book for Shannara fans.

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LibraryThing member DCavin

Decent. Didn't feel like a stand-alone book but more like a book written for a trilogy. I know this is part of a trilogy, but most books in a multi-part series feel like a stand-alone book that has a somewhat conclusive ending. This did not.

LibraryThing member alcarinqa

I’ve been wanting to get back to the Shannara world after completing The Voyage of Jerle Shannara series a few years ago, but to be honest, I was disappointed in that trilogy and always found an excuse not to start Jarka Ruus. Which, as it turns out, was a huge mistake.

Brooks hasn’t given his

Druids a large voice before – preferring to keep their thoughts and motives a secret. In previous books saw more of Walker than Alannon, who Brooks kept aloof from the reader. We peeked into Walker’s life – how he worked, his responsibilities as a Druid, and how his magic worked – but never enough, because the stories have always been about the Ohmsfords and Elessdils, with some guidance from the Druids. In Jarka Ruus we finally see the Four Kingdoms from a Druid’s perspective, and we get a glimpse into the ancient and mysterious order. We see the politics that rule them, the pressure that Grianne, as their leader, endures, and emerge better equipped to understand her predecessors. The difference in Grianne is marked – no longer the dreaded Ilse Witch, she has become more thoughtful, pragmatic, and selfless.

Another refreshing change is that while Pen Ohmsford conforms to the role of reluctant hero, he isn’t like his father Bek, or even Shea, the original Ohmsford hero. Pen never loses sight of his goal to rescue his aunt. He isn’t as incredulous or unbelieving as his ancestors were. I found his daring admirable and his romantic exploits cute. Another awesome addition to the cast is Arhen Elessdil, who was one of my favourite characters in The Voyage of Jerle Shannara series. His niece Khyber is also great – a brave, headstrong girl who quickly learns that there are many types of courage and actions mean much more than words. On the other hand, the fourth member of the team – Tagwen – is like none of the Dawrvish characters before him: although he is trustworthy and kindly, he lacks courage and foresight and his constant second-guessing set my teeth on edge.

All the familiar aspects of Terry Brook’s writing make an appearance – amazing world building, the presence of the Elf-stones, a chase half way across the world with shadowy figures at the party’s heels, and a force of darkness manipulating events to suit itself. It’s easy to see why Brook’s is considered a master of Fantasy writing, and I was glad to have enjoyed Jarka Ruus so much after being disappointed in the preceding trilogy.

Fans of the Shannara series shouldn’t miss this book, which kicks off an amazing new series by taking the story into uncharted territory. As Brooks pushes the magical, geographical and historical boundaries of the world he created so long ago, he displays a maturing of writing style and character arc development which is wonderful to see. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy soon!

You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

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