The Elves of Cintra (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 2)

It's been 20 years since I last visited the world of Terry Brooks. As with almost all other Brooks readers, I was introduced to his writing in junior high school when I discovered the Sword of Shannara. That story enraptured me, and filled my 13 year old head with dreams of high adventure, swords and sorcery, and **you get the picture**. I read the Elfstones at age 15, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I read the Wishsong at 17 ... good but didn't quite meet my expectations. Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold was a stake through my heart. Total garbage from someone I worshipped.

I didn't get back to Brooks' writing until I was 20 and in college ... I read the first two novels of the Heritage series, and was absolutely disappointed. Those were the last Terry Brooks novels I had read since then. A multitude of other Brooks novels came and went, and I ignored every one of them ... not wanting to feel that sense of disappointment again.

I came across Armegeddon's Children at the public library last week. It looked interesting ... a story set in a post apocalyptic society. I figured I'd give Brooks another chance. Unfortunately, I didn't realize it was a trilogy ... and the hardcover library cover made no mention of Shannara. I finished the first book rather quickly. It was a light read ... almost like a children's book.

I figured I'd read book 2 since I started. The Elves of Cintra isn't a bad book, but it doesn't do anything to recapture that Sword of Shannara magic. Maybe elves, demons, magic stones, powerful staffs, solar powered vehicles with rockets and laser guns, good and evil (and nothing in between) are better suited for the 13 year old junior high school kid.

I think too much time has passed by since I was that young boy engulfed in the pages of the Sword of Shannara. Supposedly, Terry Brooks' writing has improved since then. But to me, the magic is gone. Age, life, and time have whittled away my imagination.

I have been a Brooks fan since the age of 11. I have just went back through the entire series including all shannara books and the Night of the Word series. I love how he has tied the Shannara and Word&Void together. I have about eighty pages left in Elves of Cintra...then I am going to be craving for his upcoming Gypsy Morph. If you are a Shannara fan and haven't read the Word & Void series yet, I SERIOUSLY suggest that you do, then move on to the Genesis of Shannara series. It is brilliant how he has tied the two worlds together. This book delivers and leaves you hanging. I love it!

I have always loved Terry Brooks. The Shannara series is one of my all-time favorites. I really enjoyed the Word and the Void series and to see how he has masterfully spun that series into a prequel to Shannara is fantastic. This book is up there with everything else he has done.

First the positives:
1)It's definitely a worthy follow up to Armageddon's Children, and frankly it moved even faster.
2)The story was never boring, and was actually incredibly engaging.
3) Upon finishing, I have to say I'm looking forward to the last installment this August.
Downside:
1) Overall this feels like a book that adults enjoy but is really intended for young people. Some might say that's a plus, and I wouldn't argue that. I guess what I'm saying is the story and characters are very simplistic, some feeling like devices to propel the plot, with two pages of back story to explain who they are.None of this makes for a bad book by any means, and again I really enjoyed it. Having never read terry Brooks before these novels, it just comes across slightly sophomoric.

First of all I need to say that I was once a huge fan of Terry Brooks in fact I have read every book he has every published beginning with the Sword of Shannara( a blatant plagerism of Lord of the Rings) And I really loved his books. But that was back in seventh grade now I realize they are complete crap.
His novels have stupid simplistic plots and this one is no exception. But I think the main thing is Terry's complete lack of skill as a writer. His characters are boring and there really is no character development also this story is only a few hundred pages long and lacks any depth whatsoever. This is the last Terry Brooks book I will ever read I really dont care what happens with the rest of the story. The whole idea to tie the Word and Void to the Shannara books was an idiotic idea only terry brooks could have thought of.