I've loved Terry Brooks since 1979 when I first read The Sword of Shannara. Was it essentially the same plot outline as Lord of the Rings? Yes. But I was 11, and had just finished reading LOTR for the first time. Shannara worked well for me, and I was quickly hooked.
As I've gotten older and (hopefully) matured, the series has matured as well. We've learned the costs of the magic weilded by the characters. We've learned that those with great power aren't always the happiest, and are often quite troubled. We've learned that heroism comes with a price.
High Druid of Shannara promises to be a series about redemption. 20 years after the return of the Jerle Shannara expedition, Grianne Ohmsford, the Ilse Witch, has taken her place as the High Druid at Paranor. But there are many who cannot forgive her, who won't forget her past life, and want her dead. And there are others who seek the power of the Druid Council for their own purposes.
Grianne disappears, and it falls to another Ohmsford to rescue her — her nephew. Pendarrin Ohmsford is not the unwilling hero that his ancestors were — at least not at first. He is so ready for adventure and excitement that it's clear he isn't a full-blooded Ohmsford; the Rover blood is deep in him, and at times he acts like a prince of Leah rather than an Ohmsford. He quickly learns that adventures are far more frightening than anyone has ever told him. Especially when he is told that he is the only one who can save his aunt, buy finding a legendary tree, the Tanequil, and obtaining a talisman that only he can get.
It has been enjoyable watching Brooks' writing mature. His works have gone from a formulaic fantasy quest book to a deeper exploration of human emotion and failings. His characters tend to be slightly stock, but they're his stock of characters. I often find myself wondering what previous character each newcomer is related to, or what mold they have been cast from. Fortunately, Brooks most often combines qualities of several characters when creating a new one, so they seem fresh.
I devoured this book. I had planned on reading this at the beach this year on vacation — it didn't last long enough for me to even take with me. The books are addictive.
But it's a good addiction. Really.
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