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Available
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Series
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Collection
Publication
Brilliance Audio (2010)
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. Thriller. HTML: BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Terry Brooks's The Measure of the Magic. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Five hundred years have passed since the devastating demon-led war tore apart the United States and nearly exterminated humankind. Those who escaped the carnage were led to sanctuary in an idyllic valley, its borders warded by powerful magic against the horrors beyond. But the cocoon of protective magic surrounding the valley has now vanished. When Sider Ament, the only surviving descendant of the Knights of the Word, detects unknown predators stalking the valley, he fears the worst. And when expert Trackers find two of their own gruesomely killed, there can be no doubt: The once safe haven has been made vulnerable to whatever still lurks in the outside wasteland. Together, Ament, the two young Trackers, and a daring Elf princess spearhead plans to defend their ancestral home. And in the thick of it all, the last wielder of the black....… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member SonicQuack
The first third of Bearers of the Staff seems like a rerun of the power-struggle described in Genesis of Shannara as the Elves once more have built a society, rotten from the inside by those seeking power for their own ends. This first part of a two part Shannara story takes place some time after
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the events of Genesis and some considerable time before any of the original Shannara tales. This allows Brooks artistic license to carve another new world between the two eras, with a strange and enticing blend of fantasy and science. This gives a fresh edge a Shannara story as well as new options for the actions of the protagonist. As the heroes and villains emerge the power of Brooks' narrative begins to eclipse that familiarity that the start of this novel offered, with the new characters taking shape, their plight becoming tangible and their hopelessness drawing the reader in. By he final third you'll be attached to these pioneers and desperate to see how this engaging fantasy tale ends. Two books? That just can't be enough for the potential that Legends of Shannara offers. Show Less
LibraryThing member phoenixcomet
It's been 20 years since I've read a Shannara novel and I quite enjoyed this one. Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, trackers discover at the same time that Black Staff bearer Sider Ament does that the protective veil surrounding the valley for the past 500 years has failed. Pan and Prue get captured by
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the Trolls from the outer world, a world of total devestation, but Pan is able to secure his release to warn the residents of the valley. Of course, no one really listens, except for the elves. All sorts of subterfuge occurs as Sider returns to attempt to free Prue, the Princess of the Elves, Phryne is caught in a nefarious plot, and the Seraphic Head of the Children of the Hawk plots to take over mankind. Show Less
LibraryThing member kmaziarz
The story opens 500 years after the close of Brooks’ 2008 novel 'The Gypsy Morph.' The rag-tag band of survivors lead by Hawk into an isolated valley to shelter against the end of the Old World has blossomed into a thriving, though small, civilization. Safely protected by Hawk’s magic—magic
The only ones willing to fight the invasion force—or, in truth, willing to shake off complacency enough believe it’s even there—are the last Knight of the Word, Sider Ament; two young human Trackers; two of their elven counterparts; and the headstrong Princess of the Elves. But they must fight more than the Troll army; a more insidious and subtle, though no less dangerous, foe threatens them from within.
While the social commentary, especially that directed at the flaws of organized religion, is heavy-handed at times, the fast-moving plot and mixed bag of characters are vintage Shannara. Should appeal most to old fans of the series, but will hold the interest of any new to the Shannara mythos
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that did not allow anyone or anything into or out of the valley—the small enclaves of humans, elves, and the once-human mutant Lizards and Spiders have grown content and comfortable in their routines, assured of their continued safely. The powerful human religious cult of the Children of the Hawk preaches that their isolation will only end when Hawk returns to lead them out of the valley to a new, and perhaps better, home. However, these complacent people are about to receive a rude awakening: the mists that once sheltered their valley have dissipated, and the outside world is already finding its way in. First come a pair of mutant carnivores, then a dragon is spotted, and soon, an entire army of bloodthirsty Trolls is camped outside the valley, searching for the few passes inside to the fat, peaceful, and vulnerable land within.The only ones willing to fight the invasion force—or, in truth, willing to shake off complacency enough believe it’s even there—are the last Knight of the Word, Sider Ament; two young human Trackers; two of their elven counterparts; and the headstrong Princess of the Elves. But they must fight more than the Troll army; a more insidious and subtle, though no less dangerous, foe threatens them from within.
While the social commentary, especially that directed at the flaws of organized religion, is heavy-handed at times, the fast-moving plot and mixed bag of characters are vintage Shannara. Should appeal most to old fans of the series, but will hold the interest of any new to the Shannara mythos
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LibraryThing member wkelly42
It's been 33 years since Terry Brooks introduced us to the world of Shannara. We've seen the sword wielded and the Elfstones found, then lost, then found and lost again. We've seen the power of the Wishsong. We've met the First King, we've seen the founding of the order of Druids and it's apparent
Then, in the Genesis of Shannara series, Brooks admitted to something that many fans had thought -- the world of Shannara is our own world, or at least our own world as seen in Brooks' Knights of the Word series. And suddenly, Shannara fans who never read the Word books and Word fans who had ignored Shannara had to play catch-up.
Bearers of the Black Staff is the first of two books in the Legends of the Void series that starts bridging the gaps between the Genesis of Shannara and the stories that hooked so many Brooks fans back in 1977. And after that many years, there is still a lot we don't know (yet) about that world.
The magics that have been keeping the remnants of the Old World out of the valley are breaking down. Sider Amnet, the bearer of the Black Staff, the heir to the last Knight of the Word, knows it's happening; he has been attacked by creatures from outside. Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, human Trackers, know it because those same creatures have killed some of their fellow Trackers.
They travel beyond the barrier to see what awaits them in the outside world. Prue is captured by a Troll army, and now they know that the barrier is falling. And they're on their way to conquer the valley.
There are elements to Bearers of the Black Staff that will be familiar to Shannara fans; the Elfstones are missing (sort of), and once found the chosen Bearer doesn't really want the job. Sider Amnet plays the Druid role -- the mysterious, almost legendary figure who provides leadership and magic to the cause. One thing, though, is missing that is always in a Shannara book.
There's no real quest. There is no "We need to go there to find this and bring it back/destroy it/figure out how to use it" anywhere in the book. This isn't a bad thing; it just means that, however many familiar elements there are in the book, Bearers of the Black Staff is not a formula book. It was a little disconcerting at first, because there IS a journey in the book -- it just isn't that long, and is over well before the end of the book. There is the obligatory treachery, the love triangle, the allusions to the past -- the elements of a Shannara book are all there, but they aren't presented in the typical fantasy epic formula. The ARE presented in a very compelling way, and I often found myself reading long after I should have been asleep.
It's not a thick book, which is another way it differs from the typical Shannara epic; it almost seems like this was meant to be a single book, but became too long for one volume and not quite enough for two. The characters are compelling, and don't always fit the traditional Shannara character types. There isn't a lot of growth in this book, but I see room for growth in future books.
I hadn't planned on reading the Knights of the Word series. I actually haven't read all of the Genesis of Shannara series yet. But now, I find myself really wanting to learn more about the pre-disaster world of Shannara, so I will be doing some serious catching up this year.
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demise. And throughout it all, there has been something familiar about this world.Then, in the Genesis of Shannara series, Brooks admitted to something that many fans had thought -- the world of Shannara is our own world, or at least our own world as seen in Brooks' Knights of the Word series. And suddenly, Shannara fans who never read the Word books and Word fans who had ignored Shannara had to play catch-up.
Bearers of the Black Staff is the first of two books in the Legends of the Void series that starts bridging the gaps between the Genesis of Shannara and the stories that hooked so many Brooks fans back in 1977. And after that many years, there is still a lot we don't know (yet) about that world.
The magics that have been keeping the remnants of the Old World out of the valley are breaking down. Sider Amnet, the bearer of the Black Staff, the heir to the last Knight of the Word, knows it's happening; he has been attacked by creatures from outside. Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, human Trackers, know it because those same creatures have killed some of their fellow Trackers.
They travel beyond the barrier to see what awaits them in the outside world. Prue is captured by a Troll army, and now they know that the barrier is falling. And they're on their way to conquer the valley.
There are elements to Bearers of the Black Staff that will be familiar to Shannara fans; the Elfstones are missing (sort of), and once found the chosen Bearer doesn't really want the job. Sider Amnet plays the Druid role -- the mysterious, almost legendary figure who provides leadership and magic to the cause. One thing, though, is missing that is always in a Shannara book.
There's no real quest. There is no "We need to go there to find this and bring it back/destroy it/figure out how to use it" anywhere in the book. This isn't a bad thing; it just means that, however many familiar elements there are in the book, Bearers of the Black Staff is not a formula book. It was a little disconcerting at first, because there IS a journey in the book -- it just isn't that long, and is over well before the end of the book. There is the obligatory treachery, the love triangle, the allusions to the past -- the elements of a Shannara book are all there, but they aren't presented in the typical fantasy epic formula. The ARE presented in a very compelling way, and I often found myself reading long after I should have been asleep.
It's not a thick book, which is another way it differs from the typical Shannara epic; it almost seems like this was meant to be a single book, but became too long for one volume and not quite enough for two. The characters are compelling, and don't always fit the traditional Shannara character types. There isn't a lot of growth in this book, but I see room for growth in future books.
I hadn't planned on reading the Knights of the Word series. I actually haven't read all of the Genesis of Shannara series yet. But now, I find myself really wanting to learn more about the pre-disaster world of Shannara, so I will be doing some serious catching up this year.
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LibraryThing member Nikkles
Just not up to the original series. But still enjoyable.
LibraryThing member Carl_Alves
Prior to reading Bearers of the Black Staff, I had not realized that his Shannara and Knight of the Word series were interconnected. One of the things that I especially liked about this novel is the way that Brooks presented the backstory that linked the stories following the time that Hawk, the
Sider Ament, the last of the Knights of the Word, protects the valley with his magical staff. He is the first to realize that the protective barriers are down. He encounters two young trackers, Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, who are attacked by a couple of the creatures from the outside world. Sider Ament is there to protect them. Together they must warn the people of the valley. A common theme in Brooks' novels, the people they are trying to warn don't readily heed their advice. Absorbed in self-interest, greed and their own personal agenda, even those within the groups they are trying to protect thwart Sider, Panterra and Prue.
Reading Bearers of the Black Staff reminds me of why Terry Brooks is my favorite fantasy author. Reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series gives me a greater appreciation of Brooks. His story telling skills are top notch. His pace is excellent. Whereas Jordan is bloated and long-winded, Brooks doesn't waste time and words. Everything he writes adds to the plot, develops characters, or provides valuable backstory information that the reader needs. A very well written start to the Legends of Shannara series, and a book well worth reading.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
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Gypsy Morph delivered his people into the valley that had been protected by magical barriers, which are now down. The valley for the first time in five hundred years, exposed to the people and creatures that have survived the Great Wars. To make matters worse a troll army learns about them and is planning on invading.Sider Ament, the last of the Knights of the Word, protects the valley with his magical staff. He is the first to realize that the protective barriers are down. He encounters two young trackers, Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, who are attacked by a couple of the creatures from the outside world. Sider Ament is there to protect them. Together they must warn the people of the valley. A common theme in Brooks' novels, the people they are trying to warn don't readily heed their advice. Absorbed in self-interest, greed and their own personal agenda, even those within the groups they are trying to protect thwart Sider, Panterra and Prue.
Reading Bearers of the Black Staff reminds me of why Terry Brooks is my favorite fantasy author. Reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series gives me a greater appreciation of Brooks. His story telling skills are top notch. His pace is excellent. Whereas Jordan is bloated and long-winded, Brooks doesn't waste time and words. Everything he writes adds to the plot, develops characters, or provides valuable backstory information that the reader needs. A very well written start to the Legends of Shannara series, and a book well worth reading.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
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LibraryThing member theokester
With Bearers of the Black Staff, Terry Brooks continues bridging "our" modern age of science and technology with the magical world of Shannara. This book takes place after the global apocalypse at the end of the Genesis of Shannara series. The heroes from that series have spent the last 500 years
As of right now, this book is the first in a duology. I've heard rumors that there will be a third book, but as of right now there doesn't seem to be any evidence confirming those rumors, so I suspect that the second book will finish up this storyline and thus also finalize the trajectory that moves us wholly into the mystical world of druids, elves, trolls, men and magic.
The people of the valley are obviously unprepared to deal with whatever dangers lurk outside. Furthermore, many of them are entrenched in their ways and are very reluctant to even entertain the possibility that the magical barrier is coming down. There is a religious sect with beliefs based on "the Hawk"…the Gypsy Morph boy who led the people into the valley in the first place. In exploring this sect, Brooks (through Sider) makes small commentary on the concept of religion especially in the face of changes in the world. The commentary wasn't especially critical in one way or another, but it was an interesting aside.
Like Brooks's other books, in Bearers we are introduced to a variety of characters, most of which are young or otherwise inexperienced in wielding magic or even mundane weapons of any kind. Our central characters include the current Knight of the Word, Sider Ament, a pair of human trackers he encounters, Panterra and Prue. As the story progresses, we meet other characters who become important in this book and will have obvious importance in the subsequent novel. Aside from Sider, the 3 primary characters (Panterra, Prue and the elven princess Phryne) are very young and impetuous. This is sort of standard operating procedure for Brooks but what felt odd to me was that even though these three characters were obviously going to be of extreme importance (especially knowing Brooks's formula), I was surprised at the level of involvement we got from these three. They were certainly involved in the adventure, but they seemed hesitant and nervous and weren't ever really pushed into the position of action that I kept hoping for.
In fact, even though the story development was interesting, part of me felt like this book was really stalling. I was very compelled by the idea of an isolated culture suddenly being confronted by new horrific dangers. I was excited by the thrilling adventure early on when we get a small glimpse of the kind of creatures and threats from outside the valley. I was satisfied with the intensive treatment to character and social development of the community inside the valley. But overall I was a little let down by the lack of much forward momentum. While the details were great, I felt like we got bogged down with a lot of details to fill the pages and stretch the story out into multiple novels. I found the writing and the development interesting, but I would have much rather had a bit less description and smaller degree of character/psychological development in lieu of a steadier progression towards the actual climactic confrontation between those in the valley and those outside.
While there were a few nice surprise revelations in the story, I felt like large chunks of the story were moderately predictable and formulaic. Each time a new character was introduced, it seemed like the story arc had to slow down and expand accordingly in order to create additional scenes to show individual character history and development rather than allowing for rapid character development through shared scenes where we get to know the traits and behaviors or many characters at once.
Overall, I still enjoyed this story. Part of that is certainly due to my nostalgic love for all things Terry Brooks and my joy in having more material that expands and explains his world. The story, characters and plot are intriguing and compelling. I just personally felt like we were being strung along in order to turn this overall story into two ~300 page books rather than (perhaps) a single book of ~450-500 pages. I feel like the story could have been tightened up and become significantly more compelling and interesting without losing much in terms of content or development.
If you haven't been following the series (particularly Genesis of Shannara), you might need a little synopsis catch up to get your feet, but Brooks usually does a pretty good job of reminding or educating readers the basics of what's come before. Die hard Shannara fans should have a good time and I'm sure it will hold general appeal to the fantasy readers as a whole. I was let down that this book didn't get farther along before running out of pages, but that just leaves me more interested to find out what happens in the next book.
***
2.5 out of 5 stars
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protected and trapped inside a valley deep in the mountains. An ancient faerie magic has kept them safely isolated from the dangers of the world outside. And now, the magic barrier is coming down and the people of the valley must somehow transform into the people of the Four Lands we've come to know from other Shannara books.As of right now, this book is the first in a duology. I've heard rumors that there will be a third book, but as of right now there doesn't seem to be any evidence confirming those rumors, so I suspect that the second book will finish up this storyline and thus also finalize the trajectory that moves us wholly into the mystical world of druids, elves, trolls, men and magic.
The people of the valley are obviously unprepared to deal with whatever dangers lurk outside. Furthermore, many of them are entrenched in their ways and are very reluctant to even entertain the possibility that the magical barrier is coming down. There is a religious sect with beliefs based on "the Hawk"…the Gypsy Morph boy who led the people into the valley in the first place. In exploring this sect, Brooks (through Sider) makes small commentary on the concept of religion especially in the face of changes in the world. The commentary wasn't especially critical in one way or another, but it was an interesting aside.
Like Brooks's other books, in Bearers we are introduced to a variety of characters, most of which are young or otherwise inexperienced in wielding magic or even mundane weapons of any kind. Our central characters include the current Knight of the Word, Sider Ament, a pair of human trackers he encounters, Panterra and Prue. As the story progresses, we meet other characters who become important in this book and will have obvious importance in the subsequent novel. Aside from Sider, the 3 primary characters (Panterra, Prue and the elven princess Phryne) are very young and impetuous. This is sort of standard operating procedure for Brooks but what felt odd to me was that even though these three characters were obviously going to be of extreme importance (especially knowing Brooks's formula), I was surprised at the level of involvement we got from these three. They were certainly involved in the adventure, but they seemed hesitant and nervous and weren't ever really pushed into the position of action that I kept hoping for.
In fact, even though the story development was interesting, part of me felt like this book was really stalling. I was very compelled by the idea of an isolated culture suddenly being confronted by new horrific dangers. I was excited by the thrilling adventure early on when we get a small glimpse of the kind of creatures and threats from outside the valley. I was satisfied with the intensive treatment to character and social development of the community inside the valley. But overall I was a little let down by the lack of much forward momentum. While the details were great, I felt like we got bogged down with a lot of details to fill the pages and stretch the story out into multiple novels. I found the writing and the development interesting, but I would have much rather had a bit less description and smaller degree of character/psychological development in lieu of a steadier progression towards the actual climactic confrontation between those in the valley and those outside.
While there were a few nice surprise revelations in the story, I felt like large chunks of the story were moderately predictable and formulaic. Each time a new character was introduced, it seemed like the story arc had to slow down and expand accordingly in order to create additional scenes to show individual character history and development rather than allowing for rapid character development through shared scenes where we get to know the traits and behaviors or many characters at once.
Overall, I still enjoyed this story. Part of that is certainly due to my nostalgic love for all things Terry Brooks and my joy in having more material that expands and explains his world. The story, characters and plot are intriguing and compelling. I just personally felt like we were being strung along in order to turn this overall story into two ~300 page books rather than (perhaps) a single book of ~450-500 pages. I feel like the story could have been tightened up and become significantly more compelling and interesting without losing much in terms of content or development.
If you haven't been following the series (particularly Genesis of Shannara), you might need a little synopsis catch up to get your feet, but Brooks usually does a pretty good job of reminding or educating readers the basics of what's come before. Die hard Shannara fans should have a good time and I'm sure it will hold general appeal to the fantasy readers as a whole. I was let down that this book didn't get farther along before running out of pages, but that just leaves me more interested to find out what happens in the next book.
***
2.5 out of 5 stars
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LibraryThing member Karlstar
This is part of a 2 book 'bridge' series, meant to continue the story that started with the Genesis of Shannara series, and lead up to the history of the Four Lands in the original Shannara series. It picks up 500 years after the previous books, as the survivors realize that they have to re-enter
For me, this book did not fulfill its premise. This book fits very well into the world created by the Genesis of Shannara trilogy, but has nothing to do with the later Four Lands books. In addition, everything in this book felt temporary, which is logical considering the setting and plot, but doesn't really make for a good book. While this is a post-apocalyptic setting, this isn't a good post-apoc book, it doesn't have any of the feel of that genre and the inhabitants seem to have skipped the post apocalypse phase and gone right to the middle ages, forgetting absolutely everything about technology. There's a total lack of books, science and technology, but no explanation why. The inhabitants aren't anti-technology, its just a completely ignored fact of life. This may just be a characteristic of Brook's books, in general, the details of ordinary life are left out. However, in this time and setting, its a strange omission.
I like Brook's books in general, but this isn't his best.
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the wider world.For me, this book did not fulfill its premise. This book fits very well into the world created by the Genesis of Shannara trilogy, but has nothing to do with the later Four Lands books. In addition, everything in this book felt temporary, which is logical considering the setting and plot, but doesn't really make for a good book. While this is a post-apocalyptic setting, this isn't a good post-apoc book, it doesn't have any of the feel of that genre and the inhabitants seem to have skipped the post apocalypse phase and gone right to the middle ages, forgetting absolutely everything about technology. There's a total lack of books, science and technology, but no explanation why. The inhabitants aren't anti-technology, its just a completely ignored fact of life. This may just be a characteristic of Brook's books, in general, the details of ordinary life are left out. However, in this time and setting, its a strange omission.
I like Brook's books in general, but this isn't his best.
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LibraryThing member GlennBell
The book is a first of a series of the Legends of Shannara. The story has many reminders of Tolkien's books. The story is adventurous and entertaining. The story ends with much to be completed. I enjoyed the story and hope to read the rest of the series. I recommend the book for anyone interested
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in fantasy novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member decaturmamaof2
I really enjoy Brooks' series - especially this one. So many of the characters are very interesting. I am eager to read the next one in this series, to find out what happens.
LibraryThing member TheJediLibrarian
I didn’t dislike the book, but like some of Terry Brook’s other recent works, I thought I read through 400 pages and nothing much happened. The parallel lines of Phryne and Panterra accepting responsibility for the magic of their respective races was interesting. And the look into troll society
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was also neat. Still… It read a bit more like a dramatized history than a novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member TokenGingerKid
I've been struggling between two and three stars, as it doesn't look like I can give two and a half.
Overall, I'd probably read the next book if I found it in a charity shop, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to find it. It's not amazing, it's not terrible.
It was fun to read and plot was
The book follows a few main characters (Three humans, some elves) as they discover the mists surrounding the valley they've lived in for the past 500 years have degraded. Now they are opento attack from the outside world. There is magic in this univers, not widely used and it doesn't seem to have huge rules inplace as to how it's used. There are a few rules, but they're kinda vague and wishywashy. This is the first book of the Legends of Shannara series, so I would hope the magic gets more fleshed out as the series progresses. I also understand this series is related to the other Shannara books the author has written, so maybe there's more information there, but I sorta kinda resent having to read one series to understand something that's labelled as 'book one of the legends of..' series.
I did really enjoy the atmosphere the author created, and the way he spent a great deal of energy describing the scenery and the history. This made the world feel real and lived in, which I really appreciated.I thought the plot moved at a good strong pace, which kept me reading.
I liked the inclusions of the smaller subplots, as I thought they helped bring the characters involved more to life. It also helped show there was more going on than just what the main characters were seeing and doing.
I did have a couple problems here and there. For example, when the two humans and some elves are rpesented with the outside world for the first time, we see " 'Because now we are seeting out across country we know nothing about,' Tasha pointed out. ' That makes exploring a whote lot more dangerous'. Then, when the humans do go out into the valley and are captured by The Bad Guys and the elves are having a pity party for one of them: " Tasha glanced over. 'This isn't your fault. We all agreed to let them go. None of us thought there was that much danger to it."
It may seem like a small thing, but the inconsistancy bugged me.
I do wonder what makes the Trackers so different from the Grey Man. He has a magical staff, is that it? Becuase the Trackers spend much time going through the forest.. doing stuff? I'm not really sure what the point of them is. Like, all the people in the valley just kinda assume the barrier is strong and will always be strong, so what do the Trackers actually accomplish? It doesn't at all look like they're hunting for everyone's sake because it seems like everyone can hunt or knows of someone who specialises in that. Maybe I missed something there.
I'm also really bored of girls who are super talented at doing The Thing, and are super good at it, but they're not quite as good as the guy. The girl who is fiercely determined and resilient but she's the emotional, irrational one - versus the guy who is the intelligent, rational leader type. She's super tough and people are always surprised at 'this little slip of a girl'. She has to be protected and rescued.
Overall, I'd probably read the next book if I found it in a charity shop, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to find it. It's not amazing, it's not terrible.
It was fun to read and plot was
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simple enough to follow without feeling totally predictable. The book follows a few main characters (Three humans, some elves) as they discover the mists surrounding the valley they've lived in for the past 500 years have degraded. Now they are opento attack from the outside world. There is magic in this univers, not widely used and it doesn't seem to have huge rules inplace as to how it's used. There are a few rules, but they're kinda vague and wishywashy. This is the first book of the Legends of Shannara series, so I would hope the magic gets more fleshed out as the series progresses. I also understand this series is related to the other Shannara books the author has written, so maybe there's more information there, but I sorta kinda resent having to read one series to understand something that's labelled as 'book one of the legends of..' series.
I did really enjoy the atmosphere the author created, and the way he spent a great deal of energy describing the scenery and the history. This made the world feel real and lived in, which I really appreciated.I thought the plot moved at a good strong pace, which kept me reading.
I liked the inclusions of the smaller subplots, as I thought they helped bring the characters involved more to life. It also helped show there was more going on than just what the main characters were seeing and doing.
I did have a couple problems here and there. For example, when the two humans and some elves are rpesented with the outside world for the first time, we see " 'Because now we are seeting out across country we know nothing about,' Tasha pointed out. ' That makes exploring a whote lot more dangerous'. Then, when the humans do go out into the valley and are captured by The Bad Guys and the elves are having a pity party for one of them: " Tasha glanced over. 'This isn't your fault. We all agreed to let them go. None of us thought there was that much danger to it."
It may seem like a small thing, but the inconsistancy bugged me.
I do wonder what makes the Trackers so different from the Grey Man. He has a magical staff, is that it? Becuase the Trackers spend much time going through the forest.. doing stuff? I'm not really sure what the point of them is. Like, all the people in the valley just kinda assume the barrier is strong and will always be strong, so what do the Trackers actually accomplish? It doesn't at all look like they're hunting for everyone's sake because it seems like everyone can hunt or knows of someone who specialises in that. Maybe I missed something there.
I'm also really bored of girls who are super talented at doing The Thing, and are super good at it, but they're not quite as good as the guy. The girl who is fiercely determined and resilient but she's the emotional, irrational one - versus the guy who is the intelligent, rational leader type. She's super tough and people are always surprised at 'this little slip of a girl'. She has to be protected and rescued.
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LibraryThing member Linyarai
A great read by one of my favorite authors.
Awards
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Science Fiction and Fantasy — 2010)
Original language
English
Original publication date
2010-08