Product Description

With his groundbreaking New York Times bestseller The Sword of Shannara and its acclaimed sequels, Terry Brooks brought a new audience to epic fantasy. Then he gave the genre a darkly compelling contemporary twist in his trilogy of the Word and the Void. Last year, in Armageddon’s Children, Brooks undertook the stunning chronicle that united two unique worlds. Now that story of clashing forces of darkness and light, of Shannara’s beginnings and the human race’s possible end, marches forward into an unforgettable second volume full of mystery, magic, and momentous events.

Across the ruined landscape that is America–hopelessly poisoned, plague-ridden, burned, and besieged by demon armies bent on exterminating all mortal life–two pilgrims have been summoned to serve the embattled cause of good. Logan Tom has journeyed to desolate Seattle to protect a ragged band of street urchins and the being known as “the gypsy morph,” who is both mortal and magical, and destined to save mankind unless he is destroyed. Likewise, Angel Perez has her own quest, one that will take her from the wreckage of Los Angeles to a distant, secret place untouched by the horrors of the nationwide blight–a place where the race of Elves has dwelled since before man existed. But close behind these lone Knights of the Word swarm the ravening forces of the Void.

As the menacing thunder of war drums heralds the arrival of the demons and their brutal minions in Seattle, the young survivors who call themselves the Ghosts are forced to brave the dangerous world of gangs, mutants, and worse to escape the invasion. And Logan Tom must infiltrate a refugee compound to rescue Hawk, the leader of the street urchins, who has yet to learn the truth about who and what he is. Meanwhile, Angel Perez has joined an equally urgent mission: to find the Ellcrys, a fabled talisman crucial to protecting the Elven realm against an influx of unspeakable evil from the dread dimension known as the Forbidding. But Angel and her Elf allies must beware–for a demon spy, with a monstrous creature at its command, walks among them.

As the legions of darkness draw the noose tighter, and the time of confrontation draws near, those chosen to defend the soul of the world must draw their battle lines and prepare to fight with, and for, their lives. If they fail, humanity falls.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28638 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-28
• Released on: 2007-08-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Extinction or survival? Brooks keeps readers hanging with the hair-raising second installment (after 2006's Armageddon's Children) of a trilogy blending his bestselling Shannara and Void series. A plague-ridden future Earth faces annihilation from Void demons, once-men and other monstrous creatures. What chance do innocent children have? A pretty good chance when Logan Tom and Angel Perez, the last Knights of the Word, have pledged to defend them. Hawk, a child suffused with unpredictable magic, also helps the Seattle street kids called the Ghosts, but when he's whisked away to the magical Gardens of Life to learn of his heroic destiny, the kids come to depend on Logan and Cat, a part-lizard girl. Playing another important role is Kirisin, a Cintra elf hiding in the Oregon woods, who finds the blue Elfstones that can lead him to the powerful, myth-shrouded Loden Stone. Celebrating his 30th year as a professional writer, Brooks provides another fascinating group of characters tackling harrowing and inspiring life and death issues. (Aug.)
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From AudioFile
As the last two Knights of the Word rush off in different directions to carry out the same goal, the Earth continues to fall prey to the demons of the Void. Logan Tom leads the ragtag gang known as the Ghosts out of Los Angeles while, at the same time, fighting his own inner turmoil. Meanwhile, Angel Perez discovers the elves of Cintra and must help lead them to safety before the demons take over. Phil Gigante's depiction of this fantasy is not particularly compelling. The biggest problem is his poor projection of female voices. Further, regular listeners of Brooks's works will find the success of his delivery does not match that of previous narrators. His voice lacks the resonance that fits well with Brooks's tales. L.E. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
In a sequel as riveting as its postapocalyptic predecessor, Brooks meticulously draws out the threads running through Armageddon's Children (2006). Demonkind seems to be winning the war against humans and elves. The principal characters on the side of good are back in action, and when Hawk disappears in a flash of light after being thrown off the wall of one of the compounds, Knight of the Word Logan Tom finds himself caring for the group of street kids that Hawk had led as they fled south from a devastated Seattle. Unbeknownst to them, Hawk has been rescued by the King of the Silver River, who informs the boy that he is the Gypsy Morph, destined to lead thousands of children to the Promised Land. Meanwhile, stalked by a demon that wants to kill her, Knight of the Word Angel Perez teams with the young elf Kirisin and his warrior sister on a treacherous trek through the wilds in search of the long-lost, almost forgotten blue Elfstones needed for the desperate battle with Demonkind. Each of the youngsters matures and grows in power, making this a coming-of-age story as well as a thrilling adventure. As before, the third-person narrative shifts seamlessly from one group to the other as all make their way to the shores of the Columbia River. Estes, Sally

Customer Reviews

Entertaining reading despite predictable plot, messy writing
The Elves of Cintra makes for good, light, quick entertainment. The plot arcs of the previous installment (Armageddon's Children) are steadily advanced towards what seems like a mostly-predictable conclusion (that is, beyond whatever can be predicted from the existence of the rest of the Shannara series). This book focuses mostly on the Elven fetch quest, though the stories of the other characters outside of Elfland are tended to as well. Complaints of middle-book-syndrome are, I feel, inappropriate, as the book is just as self-contained and story-advancing as the first one (which is to say, "not very" and "fairly so," respectively).

The book's primary flaw, to my eyes, is the consistently uninteresting and often (for me) off-putting writing style. Brooks writes to keep you engaged, but it is simply the fact that you just want to know what happens -- rather than how he tells the story -- that gives any incentive to continue. I will also admit that I am a fan of consistent POV throughout a section, and the fact that Brooks shifts POV within sections (i.e., within a span of text that is not blocked off by a few line breaks or three asterisks) is distracting. It (1) prevents getting emotionally involved with the focal character, and (2) sometimes results in very unnatural language (like people referring to "the Elves" rather than "you" or "you Elves" when addressing Elven folk). I'm not even sure if he knows he's doing it, but whoever edits him should tell him to get a clue (either that, or I'm just too picky).

Good novel. But far from great.
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.

Brooks always delivers!
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!