Twenty-five years ago, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks wrote a novel that brought to life a dazzling world that would become one of the most popular fantasy epics of all time, beloved by millions of fans around the world. Ten more Shannara books would follow. Now, for the first time in one elegant collector's edition hardcover, and featuring an introduction by the author, here are the first three novels of that classic series. The Sword of Shannara, The Elfsong of Shannara, and The Wishsong of Shannara - the beginning of a phenomenal epic of good and evil.

Long ago, the wards of the ancient Evil ruined the world. In peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knows little of such troubles. But the supposedly dead Warlock Lord is plotting to destroy everything in his wake. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness is the Sword of Shannara, which can be used only by a true heir of Shannara. On Shea, last of the bloodline, rests the hope of all the races.

The magical Ellcrys tree is dying, loosening the spell that bars the Demons from enacting vengeance upon the land. Now Wil Ohmsford must guard the Elven girl Amberle on a perilous quest as she carries one of the Ellcrys' seeds to a mysterious place where it can be quickened into a powerful new force. But dark on their trail comes the Reaper, most fearson of all Demons, aiming to crush their mission at any cost.

An ancient Evil is stirring to new life, sending its ghastly Mord Wraiths to destroy Mankind. To win through the vile growth that protects this dark force the Druid Allanon needs Brin Ohmsford - for she alone holds the magic power of the wishsong. Reluctantly, Brin joins the Druid on his dangerous journey. But a prophecy foretells doom, as Evil nurses its plans to trap the unsuspecting Brin into a fate far more horrible than death.

After New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks completed The Sword of Shannara trilogy, millions of fans around the world clamored to immerse themselves again in his dazzling world. Brooks answered with a quartet of beloved novels - The Heritage of Shannara. Now, for the first time in on handsome collector's edition hardcover, here are: The Scions of Shannara, The Druid of Shannara, The Elf Queen of Shannara, and The Talismans of Shannara - the thrilling continuation of the saga that has become one of the most enduring fantasy epics of all time.

Since the death of the Druid Allanon, magic has been strictly forbidden in the Four Lands. Yet Par still has limited use of the Wishsong. Then a dire message from Allanon sends Par and his brother Coll on an impossible task: to recover the long-lost Sword of Shannara - or all life in the Four Lands will be destroyed.

Evil forces remain in control of the Four Lands. To restore the Keep of the Druid Allanon, Walker Boh sets out on a journey to find the black Elfstone. He must venture into perilous, unknown lands with a strange band of fellow travelers - one of whom is hatching his own sinister plot.

Ordered by the Druid Allanon to find the Elves and return them to the world of Men, Wren is carried away to an island where Elves might still exist. Even if by some miracle she locates the Elves, can she convince them to follow her back through a demon-haunted jungle to the safety of the shore?

The Shadowen still swarm over the Four Lands, poisoning everything with their dark magic. Their leader is determined to destroy all of the Scions of Shannara. With traps cleverly laid, the charges are doomed to failure - unless Par can discover a way to harness the power of the Sword of Shannara.

The Second War of the Races

Horrified by the misuse of Magic they had witnessed during the First War of the Races, the Druids at Paranor devoted themselves to the study of the old sciences. Only Bremen and a few trusted associates still studied the arcane arts. And for his persistence, Bremen found himself outcast, avoided by all but the few freethinkers among the Druids.

But his removal from Paranor was not altogether a terrible thing for, during his travels, Bremen learned that dark forces were on the move from the Northlands. And at the heart of the evil tide was an archmage and former Druid named Brona.

Using the special skills he had acquired through his own study of Magic, Bremen was able to penetrate the huge camp of the Troll army and learn many of its secrets. And he immediately understood that if the people of the Four Lands were to escape eternal subjugation, they would need to unite. But, even united, they would need a weapon, something so powerful that the evil Magic of Brona, the Warlock Lord, would fail before its might...

In 1997, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks reinvented the fantasy genre again, publishing the contemporary fantasy masterpiece RUNNING WITH THE DEMON, the first book in a trilogy of novels that would become known as the Word/Void series.

But in 1991, six years before RUNNING WITH THE DEMON, Terry Brooks began testing the mythos found in Word/Void and wrote a tale titled IMAGINARY FRIENDS, a short story published in the Lester del Rey anthology ONCE UPON A TIME!

Jack McCall is ten days shy of his thirteenth birthday, a happy kid with wonderful parents, a great best friend, and a bright future. But after a series of headaches forces him to visit the family doctor, Jack discovers a dark secret about himself, one that threatens to destroy him.

All is not lost though. In mysterious Sinnissippi Park where he is banned to tread, Jack discovers unexpected help from the most unlikely of friends and begins a quest to locate the most potent of magics -- one he needs if he is to survive.

Here, for the first time in two decades, Terry Brooks fans can read the 8500-word short story IMAGINARY FRIENDS, featuring Sinnissippi Park and the first appearance of the elven creature Pick and his trusty owl Daniel!

John Ross is a Knight of the Word - a modern-day paladin in search of the demonic agents of the Void. Each night he dreams of hellish futures that will come to pass unless he prevents them in the present. Crippled in body and soul by the searing magic he wields and the horrors he dreams, Ross travels across America, sustained only by his belief in the goodness of the Word. Now he has come to the sleepy steel-mill town of Hopewell, Illinois, prepared to battle for a girl's soul. Aided by the sylvan Pick and the ghost-wolf Wraith, Nest Freemark is heir to five generations of magic - and is the target of the demons' corruption. If Ross and her magical allies can't save her, she will become the implement of apocalypse.

When his magic could not prevent an unspeakable act of violence, John Ross renounced his mission as a Knight of the Word and settled in Seatle to build a normal life. But a fallen Knight makes a tempting prize for the Void, and merciless demons track him down. Nest, now a college student who wields an extraordinary magic, is his only hope. Five years earlier, Ross had aided her when demons clamored for her soul. Now she must return the favour, or Ross and Nest will pay with their lives.

Ten years later, Ross returns to Hopewell. Christmas is drawing near, but neither Ross nor Nest feels merry, for they face one of the oldest and most ruthless demons of the Void. Plagued by nightmares, Ross must capture and protect a creature whose evanescent magic will decide the ages-old war between Word and Void - all before Christmas, when the creature will vanish...and with it, the Word's last hope.

The first-ever graphic novel set in the world of Shannara!

Possessing an awesome power he is only beginning to understand, young Jair Ohmford must summon the devastating yet darkly seductive magic of the wishsong on a fateful missiong to save his friends...and protect the future from the forces of evil.

If you've never ventured into the wondrous world of Shannara, consider this an ideal opportunity. Prepare to enter the breathtaking realm of the Four Lands, where beings both noble and sinister have quested and clashed, crossed swords in the names of darkness and light, and engaged in adventures rich with mystery and majesty.

The first-ever graphic novel set in the world of Shannara!

When the mutilated body of a half drowned els if found floating in the seas of the Blue Divide, and old mystery resurfaces. Thirty years ago, the elven prince Kael Elessedil - brother to the current king - led an expedition in search of a legendary magic said to be more ancient, more powerful, than any in the world. Of all those who set out on that ill-fated voyage, not one ever returned...

Until now. For the rescued elf carries a map covered with mysterious symbols only one man has the skill to decipher. That man is Walker Boh, the last of the Druids. But someone else understands the map's significance, someone dark and ruthless: the Ilse Witch, a beautiful but twisted young woman who wields a magic as potent as his own. She will stop at nothing to possess the map - and the magic it leads to. To stop her, Walker must find the magic first.

So begins the voyage of the Jerle Shannara. Abord the sleek, swift airship are an elven prince; a Rover girl; a monstrous creature part man, part enigma; and a young man named Bek Rowe, who may unknowingly hold the key to the success of the mission - or to its cataclysmic failure. Now, as old secrets come to light, sowing seeds of the mistrust and suspicion among the crew, the Jerle Shannara flies into the face of unknown terrors while the Ilse Witch and her dark allies follow, waiting to strike...

A new novel by Terry Brooks is always a cause for celebration. For more than twenty years, the New York Times bestselling author of the classic Shannara epic has proven himself one of the modern masters of fantasy, winning the hearts and minds of devoted readers around the world. In his last acclaimed novel, Ilse Witch , a brave company of explorers led by the last Druid, Walker Boh, traveled across unknown seas in search of an elusive magic. Yet perhaps Boh and his team were lured there for sinister, unforeseen purposes . . .

Now in Antrax , as the crew aboard the airship Jerle Shannara is attacked by evil forces, the Druid’s protégé Bek Rowe and his companions are pursued by the mysterious Ilse Witch. Meanwhile, Boh is alone, caught in a dark maze beneath the ruined city of Castledown, stalked by a hungry, unseen enemy.

For there is something alive in Castledown. Something not human. Something old beyond reckoning that covets the magic of Druids, elves, even the Ilse Witch. Something that hunts men for its own Antrax. It is a spirit that commands ancient technologies and mechanical monsters, feeds off enchantment, and traps the souls of men.

With the Jerle Shannara under siege and Antrax threatening the bold and unwary, the Ilse Witch finds herself face-to-face with a boy who claims to be the brother she last saw as an infant. Now a young man, Bek wields the magic of the wishsong and carries the Sword of Shannara upon his back. Unsure whether to trust Bek or to slay him, the Ilse Witch takes him prisoner. One has come pursuing truth, the other revenge. Yet both seek Walker Boh–with the fate of the Four Lands hanging in the balance.

Return to the world of beloved novelist Terry Brooks, where creatures drift up from the earth like mist, a hypnotic song can kill, a sword can cut through a veil of lies–and one man, the true heir of an ancient magic, must choose between betrayal and redemption.

New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks became the master of epic fantasy with the publication of his legendary debut, The Sword of Shannara . Since then, each new novel in the Shannara saga has brilliantly built upon and deepened the world of breathtaking magic, adventure, and intrigue he created. In The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara—his third enchanting series—he literally took his legions of loyal readers soaring to new heights as a colorful contingent of characters took to the skies aboard a magnificent airship on a quest fraught with wonder and danger.

Now in Morgawr , the quest at last draws to its climactic conclusion, as the forces of good and evil vying against each other to possess an ancient magic race towards an explosive clash—and whatever fate awaits the victor . . . and the vanquished. Harrowing confrontations with the merciless Ilse Witch and the monstrous Antrax have already taken their toll on the intrepid heroes of the Four Lands. But their darkest adversary now snaps at their heels, in the form of the Morgawr—master of the Ilse Witch, feeder upon the souls of his enemies, and centuries-old sorcerer of unimaginable might.

With a fleet of airships and a crew of walking dead men at his command, the Morgawr is in relentless pursuit of the Jerle Shannara and the crew that mans her. For the Morgawr, the goal is two to find and control the fabled ancient books of magic, and to destroy the dark disciple who betrayed him—the Ilse Witch. But the Ilse Witch is already a prisoner . . . of herself. Exposed to the awesome power of the Sword of Shannara, and forced to confront the truth of her horrifying deeds, she has fled deep into her own mind. Now at the mercy of those who seek vengeance against her, her only protector is her long-lost brother, Bek Ohmsford, who is determined to redeem his beloved sister . . . and deliver her to the destiny predicted for her by the Druid Walker Boh.

Once again, Terry Brooks weaves together high adventure, vividly wrought characters, and a spellbinding world into an irresistible story of heroism and sacrifice, love and honor. In Morgawr , fans of the Shannara mythos will find both a satisfying finale and the promise of new wonders yet to come.

Twenty years have passed since the events told in The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy. Grianne Ohmsford, rescued from oblivion by her brother Bek, has renounced her former life as the evil Ilse Witch, and now serves as the head of a new Druid Council. Her purpose is to defend the Four Lands from anarchy and warfare. Such was the destiny foretold for her by the Druid, Walker Boh.

But there are those who cannot easily forgive her past actions, and are loathe to follow her leadership. When Grianne's enemies cause her to disappear, only a few loyal friends can help her. The dward Tagwen; Grianne's nephew Pen Ohmsford; and the Elf Prince, Ahren Elessedil, begin a desperate journey to find Grianne and return her to the Druid's keep at Paranor. Their quest is urgent, their way uncertain and perilous, for the darkest of magics have been used to spirit Giranne away.

Pen Ohmsford is descended from the lnie of Jerle Shannara, the first of the Elven Kings, but his own magic seems small and inadequate when measured again that of his aunt's enemies, who will stop at nothing to thwart Pen's efforts to rescue his aunt and restore the nascent Druid Council. And there is another threat. An ancient and deadly power has found its way out into the world. If things are not put to rights, the danger to the Four Kingdoms will be immeasurable.

Events that began in "Jarka Ruus," Book One of High Druid of Shannara, come swiftly to a head in this second thrilling volume. Alliances are made, trusts are betrayed, and prices are paid. Through it all, Terry Brooks orchestrates the action with the flawless hand of a master mythmaker - fashioning another exquisite link in his chain of bestselling epics.

Loyal to none but herself and lethal even to those closest to her, Shadea a'Ru now holds sway as High Druid of Paranor - her ascension to power all but unchallenged in the wake of Grianne Ohmsford's sudden, mysterious vanishing. Only Shadea and her catspaw - the treacherous Prime Minister Sen Dunsidan - know the secret fate of the true Ard Rhys...for it was they who engineered it, by means of dark magic. And now Grianne languishes in the fearsome and inescapable netherworld called the Forbidding.

Their bloodless coup a success, the corrupt pair, and their confederates within the Druid Council, seeks to make their dominion over the Four Lands absolute - with the aid of a devastating new weapon. But it could all be undone if Grianne's young nephew, Penderrin, succeeds in his frantic quest to rescue her. Shadea's airship-borne minions and the relentless assassin under her command continue their fierce pursuit of Pen and his comrades.

Eluding death is only half the battle for Pen. To breach the Forbidding and bring Grianne back to the natural world means finding the fabled Tanequil...and the talisman it alone can provide. That means journeying into the Inkrim - a dreaded region thick with shadows and haunted by harrowing legends. It also means striking a bargain more dire than Pen could ever imagine. But there can be no turning back. For in her unearthly prison, the Ard Rhys faces a demonic plight too hideous to countenance.

Young Penderrin Ohmsford is charged with the daunting task of rescuing his aunt Grianne, Ard Rhys of the Druid order, from her forced exile in the terrifying dimension of the Forbidding. Though Pen enlists the support of the noble dwarf Tagwen and the elven princess Khyber Elessidil, the mission will not be without risk...or sacrifice. For the ruthless Druid Shadea a'Ru has sent her agents and assassins in relentless pursuit of Pen and his comrades. If Pen fails, Shadea's domination of the Four Lands will be assured. The task grows even more dire when Pen's parents fall into Shadea's hands. Yet all challenges pale in comparison to the horrors that wait inside the Forbidding - horrors poised to break free upon the Four Lands.

In our world's near future, civilization has fallen into terrifying chaos. Navigating the scarred landscape that once was America and guided by a powerful talisman, Logan Tom has sworn an oath to seek out a remarkable being born of magic and destined to lead the final fight against darkness. In time, Logan's path will cross with others: Angel Perez, herself a survivor of death-dealing forces, and a makeshift family of refugees forced to survive among street gangs, mutants and marauders. Common purpose will draw Logan and his allies together. Their courage and convictions will be tested and their fates will be decided, as their singular crusade begins: to take back, or lose forever, the ony world they have.

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.

Terry Brooks won instant acclaim with his phenomenal New York Times bestseller The Sword of Shannara. Its sequels earned Brooks legendary status. Then his darkly enthralling The Word and the Void trilogy revealed new depths and vistas to his mastery of epic fantasy. Armageddon’s Children and The Elves of Cintra took Brooks’s remarkable mythos to a breathtaking new level by delving deep into the history of Shannara. And now, The Gypsy Morph rounds out–with an adventure of unforgettably imaginative scope–the first phase of a new chapter in this classic series.

Eighty years into the future, the United States is a no-man’s-land: its landscape blighted by chemical warfare, pollution, and plague; its government collapsed; its citizens adrift, desperate, fighting to stay alive. In fortified compounds, survivors hold the line against wandering predators, rogue militias, and hideous mutations spawned from the toxic environment, while against them all stands an enemy neither mortal nor merciful: demons and their minions bent on slaughtering and subjugating the last of humankind.

But from around the country, allies of good unite to challenge the rampaging evil. Logan Tom, wielding the magic staff of a Knight of the Word, has a promise to keep–protecting the world’ s only hope of salvation–and a score to settle with the demon that massacred his family. Angel Perez, Logan’s fellow Knight, has risked her life to aid the elvish race, whose peaceful, hidden realm is marked for extermination by the forces of the Void. Kirisin Belloruus, a young elf entrusted with an ancient magic, must deliver his entire civilization from a monstrous army. And Hawk, the rootless boy who is nothing less than destiny’s instrument, must lead the last of humanity to a latter-day promised land before the final darkness falls.

The Gypsy Morph is an epic saga of a world in flux as the mortal realm yields to a magical one; as the champions of the Word and the Void clash for the last time to decide what will be and what must cease; and as, from the remnants of a doomed age, something altogether extraordinary rises.

For more than three decades, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks has ruled the epic fantasy realm with his legendary Shannara series. With each new novel the mythos has deepened, ever more fascinating characters have arisen, and increasingly breathtaking vistas of magical adventure have emerged. Now the evolution of one of imaginative fiction's most beloved worlds continues in the first book of the new series Legends of Shannara: Bearers of the Black Staff.

Five hundred years have passed since the devastating demon-led war that tore apart the United States, leaving nothing but scorched and poisoned ruins, and nearly exterminating humankind. Those who escaped the carnage and blight were led to sanctuary by the boy savior knows as the Hawk - then gypsy morph. In an idyllic valley, its borders warded by powerful magic against the horros beyond, humans, Elves and mutants alike found a place they believed would be their home forever.

But after five centuries, the unimaginable has come to pass: The cocoon of protective magic surrounding the valley has 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 Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, expert Trackers from the human village of Glensk Wood, find two of their own gruesomely killed, there can be no doubt: The once safe haven of generations has been laid bare and made vulnerable to whatever still lurks in the wasteland of the outside world.

Together, Ament, the two young Trackers, and a daring Elf princess race to spread the word of the encroaching danger - and spearhead plans to defend their ancestral home. But suspicion and hostility among their countrymen threaten to doom their efforts from within - while beyond the breached borders, a ruthless Troll army masses for invasion. And in the thick of it all, the last wielder of the black staff and its awesome magic must find a successor to carry on the fight aginst the cresting new wave of evil.

After more than three decades of captivating epic fantasy readers, the storytelling magic of New York Times bestselling author Terry Brook's Shannara saga continues to enthrall. Now the fasinating chronicle of Shannara's prehistory reaches a thrilling new peak in the sequel to Bearers of the Black Staff.

For five hundred years, the survivors of the Great Wars lived peacefully in a valley sanctuary shielded by powerful magic from the blighted and dangerous outside world. But the enchanted barriers have crumbled, the borders have been breached by predators, and the threat of annihilation looms large once more. Sider Ament, bearer of the last black staff and its profound power, devoted his life to protecting the valley and its inhanbitants - and in his final moments, gave stewardship of the black staff to the young Tracker Panterra Qu. Now the newly annointed Knight of the Word must take up the battle against evil wherever it threatens: from without, where an army of bloodthirsty Trolls is massing for invasion; and from within, where the Elf king of Arborlon has been murdered, his daughter, Princess Phryne Amarantyne, stands accused, and a heinous conspiracy is poised to subjugate the kingdom. But even these will pale beside the most harrowing menace Panterra is destined to confront - a nameless, merciless figure who wanders the devastated land on a relentless mission: to claim the last black staff...and the life of he who wields it.

The legendary hero Allanon takes center stage in the first of three gripping new stand-alone eBook short stories set in the world of the fantasy-fiction phenomenon that is Shannara—by beloved New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks.

The history is thus: The once-Druid Brona, seduced by his pursuit of dark magic, was forever transformed into the Warlock Lord—whose evil would be the downfall of the Four Lands and the death of the Races. Against him, the Elven King Jerle Shannara wielded the fabled sword that bore his surname and triumphed. Or so it was believed. But though the Dark Lord was driven out . . . he was not destroyed.

The Druid Allanon knows only too well the prophecy passed down to him by his late master: that eventually the Warlock Lord will return. Now, after hundreds of years, that day seems imminent. And the time is at hand for the Sword of Shannara to once more be brought forth from its sanctuary to serve its ancient purpose. All that remains is for a blood descendent of the Elven house of Shannara to carry the blade into battle.

With ever more portents of doom on the horizon, Allanon must seek out the last remaining Shannara heir, who alone will bear the burden of defending the Four Lands’ destiny. But with agents of darkness closing in from behind, unexpected enemies lying in wait ahead, and treachery encroaching on every side, there can be no certainty of success. Nor any assurance that this desperate quest will not be the Druid’s last.

A city besieged by a powerful warlock seeks salvation from a fabled warrior in the second of three gripping new stand-alone eBook short stories set in the world of the fantasy-fiction phenomenon that is Shannara—by beloved New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks.

His extraordinary—and deadly—skills have earned Garet Jax renown and infamy as the man called the Weapons Master. Rootless, solitary, and endlessly sought after, he roams the Four Lands, loyal to none but himself . . . and whomever can afford his services as warrior, assassin, and avenger for hire. But Lyriana is unlike any who have come to him before: as beautiful as she is bold, as enigmatic as the distant city she is desperate to save, and possessed of an intangible, irresistible allure that entices even the hardened Garet Jax more than any amount of gold or silver ever could.

But the challenge she comes bearing may give even the celebrated Weapons Master pause. The remote city of Tajarin, Lyriana’s home, is being laid to waste by an immensely powerful and boundlessly evil warlock of the deadliest order. With the populace enslaved and no champion to stand against the invader, Tajarin will soon be wiped from the map—perhaps only the first city to fall. Whatever hope exists rests in the deft hands, lethal blades, and unerring instincts of Garet Jax. With righteous fury in his blood, and feelings he has never before known in his heart, he will face the most dire of enemies, and dare the blackest of fates, for the mysterious woman at his side—whose deepest secrets have yet to be revealed.

An old friend urges Shea Ohmsford to take a dangerous risk in the concluding story of this gripping Shannara eBook series by New York Times bestselling fantasy master Terry Brooks.

Shea Ohmsford has had quite enough of quests. A year after surviving a harrowing odyssey, he is still plagued by troubling memories and dreams. A mysterious trafficker in spells and potions provides a restorative nostrum for the stricken Shea . . . along with a warning: Shea will break his vow to never again leave Shady Vale. And then the potion-maker’s prophecy comes to pass.

A thief, adventurer, and notoriously charismatic rogue, Panamon Creel unexpectedly appears in the Vale with a request for his long-time friend, Shea—journey into the untamed Northland, infiltrate the stronghold of a sinister dealer in stolen goods, and capture a precious artifact: the sacred Black Irix. Creel wishes to return this treasure to its rightful owners. Shea cannot refuse such a just cause. But what lies behind the black castle walls they must breach? And will this quest truly be their last?

In 1997, Terry Brooks reinvented the fantasy genre with Running with the Demon, a dark contemporary urban fantasy. Now he returns to that Word and Void mythos with a novella sure to delight his readers and a story as powerful as that previous trilogy.

Sinnissippi Park, in Hopewell, Illinois, has long been a place of magic.

Jack McCall learned this at a young age when confronted with a deadly childhood disease. He overcame that threat with aid from the unlikeliest of companions -- the woodland creature Pick and his trusted owl Daniel -- and the magic that existed within his own heart.

Now grown, Jack has graduated from college, leaving behind that terrible time and having never witnessed magic again. That is about to change. Lacking direction in life, he is summoned by the Lady, who recruits men and women to the service of the Word. For she is in dire need of Jack's unique history to help preserve the world's future -- a service that will be needed only once but on which all things hinge.

Escape to worlds full of adventure and magic in the first-ever Terry Brooks short-story collection, featuring both new and fan-favorite stories from all three of his major literary Shannara, Magic Kingdom, and The Word and the Void.

Here are heroes fighting new battles and struggling to conquer the ghosts of the past. Here are quests both small and far reaching; heroism both intimate and vast. Here we learn of Garet Jax’s childhood, see how Allanon first located Shea Ohmsford, and follow an old wing-rider at the end of his life. Here we see Knights of the Word fighting demons within and without, and witness Ben Holiday and his daughter each trying to overcome the unique challenges that Landover offers.

This collection of eleven tales is a must-have addition to the Terry Brooks canon—a delightful way to spend time with favorite characters, and a wonderful reminder of what makes a Brooks story such a timeless classic.

Seven years after the conclusion of the High Druid of Shannara trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks at last revists one of the most popular eras in the legendary epic fantasy series that has spellbound readers for more than three decades.

When the world was young, the power of magic ruled - and the Elfstones warded the race of Elves and their lands, keeping evil at bay. But when an Elven girl fell hopelessly in love with a Darkling boy of the Void, he carried away more than her heart.

Thousands of years later, tumultuous times are upon the world now known as the Four Lands. Users of magic are in conflict with proponents of science. Elves have distanced their society from the other races. The dwindling Druid order and its teachinges are threatened with extinction. A sinister politician has used treachery and murder to rise as prime minister of the mighty Federation. Meanwhile, poring through a long-forgotten diary, the young Druid Aphenglow Elessedil has stumbled upon the secret account of an Elven girl's heartbreak and the shocking truth about the vanished Elfstones. But never has a little knowledge been so very dangerous - as Aphenglow quickly learns when she's set upon by assassins.

Yet there can be no turning back from the road to which fate has steered her. Whoever captures the Elfstones and their untold powers will surely hold the advantage in the devastating clash to come. But when the Druids mount an expedition to locate the missing stones, they quickly discover there may be even more at stake than they ever expected.

The adveture that started in Wards of Faerie takes a thrilling new turn, in the second novel of New York Times bestselling author Terry Brook's brand-new trilogy - The Dark Legacy of Shannara.

The quest for the long-lost Elfstones has drawn the leader of the Druid order and her followers into the hellish dimension known as the Forbidding, where the most dangerous creatures banished from the Four Lands are imprisoned. Now the hunt for the powerful talismans that can save their world has become a series of great challenges: a desperate search for unspeakable predators, and a grim race to escape the Forbidding alive. But though freedom is closer than they know, it may come at a terrifying price.

Back in the village of Arborlon, the mystical sentient tree that maintains the barrier between the Four Lands and the Forbidding is dying. And with each passing day, the breach between the two worlds grows larger, the threat of the evil eager to spill forth and wreak havoc grows more dire. The only hope lies with a young Druid, faced with a staggering choice: cling to the life she cherishes or combat an army of darkness by making the ultimate sacrifice.

For centuries the Four Lands enjoyed freedom from its demon-haunted past, protected by magic-enhanced borders from the dark dimension known as the Forbidding and the profound evil imprisoned there. But now the unthinkable is happening: The ancient wards securing the barrier between order and mayhem have begun to erode—and generations of bloodthirsty, monstrous creatures, fueled by a rage thousands of years in the making, are poised to spill forth, seeking revenge for what was done to them.

Young Elf Arling Elessedil possesses the enchanted means to close the breach and once more seal the denizens of the Forbidding in their prison. But when she falls into the hands of the powerful Federation’s diabolical Prime Minister, her efforts may be doomed. Only her determined sister, Aphen, who bears the Elfstones and commands their magic, has any hope of saving Arling from the hideous fate her captor has in store.

Meanwhile, Railing Ohmsford—desperate to save his imprisoned brother—seeks to discover if his famed but ill-fated ancestor Grianne is still alive and willing to help him save the world . . . no matter the odds or the consequences.

Legend has it that Paxon Leah is descended from the royals and warriors who once ruled the Highlands and waged war with magical weapons. But those kings, queens, and heroes are long gone, and there is nothing enchanted about the antique sword that hangs above Paxon’s fireplace. Running his family’s modest shipping business, Paxon leads a quiet life—until extraordinary circumstances overturn his simple world . . . and rewrite his destiny.

When his brash young sister is abducted by a menacing stranger, Paxon races to her rescue with the only weapon he can find. And in a harrowing duel, he is stunned to discover powerful magic unleashed within him—and within his ancestors’ ancient blade. But his formidable new ability is dangerous in untrained hands, and Paxon must master it quickly because his nearly fatal clash with the dark sorcerer Arcannen won’t be his last. Leaving behind home and hearth, he journeys to the keep of the fabled Druid order to learn the secrets of magic and earn the right to become their sworn protector.

But treachery is afoot deep in the Druids’ ranks. And the blackest of sorcery is twisting a helpless innocent into a murderous agent of evil. To halt an insidious plot that threatens not only the Druid order but all the Four Lands, Paxon Leah must summon the profound magic in his blood and the legendary mettle of his elders in the battle fate has chosen him to fight.

After taking up his enchanted sword against the dark sorcerer Arcannen, Paxon Leah has become the sworn protector of the Druid order. Now a critical hour is at hand, as a beloved High Druid nears the end of her reign and prepares to pass from the mortal world to the one beyond. There is little time for Paxon to mourn his friend and benefactor before duty summons him. For in a distant corner of the Four Lands, the magic of the wishsong has been detected. Paxon must accompany a Druid emissary to find its source—and ensure the formidable power is not wielded by the wrong hands.

But danger is already afoot in the village of Portlow. Gentle traveling minstrel Reyn Frosch possesses the uncanny gift, and curse, of the wishsong. And now his coveted abilities have captured the malevolent interest of none other than Arcannen—whose quest for power is exceeded only by his thirst for vengeance. The lone survivor of a brutal assault on a notorious pirate city, the sorcerer is determined to retaliate against the Federation’s elite military guard—and use the devastating power of the wishsong as his ultimate weapon.

Blood and magic will collide...

Leofur is the daughter of Arcannen, a power-hungry sorcerer. Yet she is also devoted to Arcannen's nemesis, Paxon Leah, sworn protector of the Druids whoe defend the Four Lands against evil.

When the Druids are framed for a murderous rampage which leaves many dead, Paxon knows that Arcannen is behind it. As the Druids seek sanctuary, Leofur must set out on a perilous quest to thwart her father's desires to destroy them all...

Across the Four Lands, peace has reigned for generations. But now, in the far north, an unknown enemy is massing. More troubling than the carnage is the strange and wondrous power wielded by the attackers - a breed of magic unfamiliar even to the Druid order. Fearing the worst, the High Druid dispatches a diplomatic party under the protection of the order's sworn guardian, Dar Leah, to confront the mysterious, encroaching force and discover its purpose.

But another crucial journey is being undertaken. Exiled onetime High Druid Drisker Arc has been living in quiet seclusion, far from the politics and power struggles of his former life, until two brutal attacks by would-be assassins force him to seek out an infamous murder-for-hire guild - and find the hidden enemy who has marked him for death. At his side is Tasha Kaynin, a young woman gifted with the wishsong and eager to be schooled in its formidable power by a master. She, too, is pursuing a mission to locate her wayward brother, whose own magic has driven him to deadly madness and kindled his rage for vengeance...against his sister.

In their darkest hours, facing dangerous adversities, the lives and quests of Dar Leah, Drisker Arc, and Tarsha Kaynin will be inextricably drawn together. And the challenges each confronts will have resounding consequences for the future of the Four Lands.

The Four Lands are under siege. Wielding a magical ability virtually impossible to combat, mysterious invaders defeat the most fearsome Troll armies, then focus their savagery on the Druid order - and all hope seems lost.

Eventually the invaders reveal a more human face, but understanding their motives in no way mitigates the brutality of their actions. Dar Leah, once the High Druid's Blade, has crossed parths - and swords - with their ruthless leader before. So he knows that if any hope exists, it rests in the hands of the Druid Drisker Arc, now trapped inside vanished Paranor.

As Drisker races to find the ancient knowledge that could free him, Dar goes in search of Tarsha Kaynin, the young woman blessed with the powerful gift of the wishsong, whose magic could draw Drisker back into the world of the living. But little do they know that what appeared to be a formidable invading force may only be the forerunner of a much larger army - one intent on nothing less than total conquest.

After The Black Elfstone and The Skaar Invasion comes the next chapter in the Fall of Shannara, a saga more than four decades in the making.

The Skaar have arrived in the Four Lands, determined to stop at nothing less than all-out conquest. They badly need a new home, but peaceful coexistence is not a concept they have ever understood. An advance force under the command of the lovely princess Ajin has already established a foothold, but now the full Skaar army is on the march--and woe betide any who stands in its way.

But perhaps the Skaar victory is not quite as much of a foregone conclusion as they all assume. The Druid Drisker Arc has freed both himself and Paranor from their involuntary exile. Drisker's student, Tarsha Kaynin, has been reunited with Dar, chief defender of what is left of the Druid order, and is learning to control her powerful Wishsong magic. If they can only survive Tarsha's brother and the Druid who betrayed Drisker Arc, they might stand a chance of defeating the Skaar. But that is a very big if...as Tarsha's brother now carries the Stiehl--one of the most powerful weapons in all the Four Lands, and is determined to take his revenge on everyone he feels has wronged him.

Hope blooms anew for the Four Lands in this riveting conclusion not only to the Fall of Shannara series but to the entire Shannara saga - a truly landmark event over forty years in the making!

Since he first began the Shannara saga in 1977, Terry Brooks has had a clear idea of how the series should end, and now that moment is at hand.

As the Four Lands reels under the Skaar invasion - spearheaded by a warlike people determined to make this land their own - our heroes must decide what they will risk to save the integrity of their home. Even as one group remains to defend the Four Lands, another is undertaking a perilous journey across the sea to the Skaar homeland, carrying with them a new piece of technology that could change the face of the world forever. And yet a third is trapped in a deadly realm from which there may be no escape.

Filled with twists and turns and epic feats of derring-do - not untouched by tragedy - this is vintage Terry Brooks, and a fitting end to a saga that has gathered generations of readers into its fold.

The beloved Shannara series by New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks has been acclaimed as a towering achievement, an unquestioned masterpiece in fantasy literature. Now all the wonders of Shannara have been gathered into one indispensable volume in which Brooks shares candid views on his creation.

This completely updated edition includes new entries on the High Druid of Shannara and Genesis of Shannara series, as well as the thrilling connection between Shannara and the Word and the Void trilogy. Illustrated throughout with full-color paintings and black-and-white drawings by award-winning artists David Cherry and Rob Alexander, this comprehensive guide ventures behind the scenes to explore the history, the people, the places, the major events, and, of course, the magic of one of the world's greatest fantasy epics.

What sets Terry Brooks apart? Is it a knack for creating unforgettable characters like Allanon the Druid, Shea Ohmsford, Tom Logan, and Angel Perez - men and women, gnomes and wizards, who come alive on the page? Is it the haunting and utterly believable evil of his darker creations: the foul Dagda Mor, the murderous Jachyra, the enigmatic Ilse Witch, the ruthless Druid Shadea a'Ru? Whatever the secret of Brooks's storytelling magic, generations of readers have fallen under its spell.

Sure to tantalize faithful fans and newcomers alike, The World of Shannara is the ultimate gateway into the fantasy realm of Terry Brooks-and the perfect companion to take along on the journey of a lifetime.

First, it was called the "Fall of Shannara" so you'd think, well maybe something would happen to the Four Lands. It would be depressing if it ended by the being invaded and then wiped out by the Skaar, so I kind of figured that couldn't be it. But what about the reverse? In this quartet we find that Europe and Africa are still out there (the Word and the Void books confirm that the rest of the Shannara books take place in what's left of North America). So maybe the Four Lands can end by becoming the Thousand Lands, with their airships they can now explore the rest of the world and reunite with the other peoples. I felt it was strange to bring this up for the first time in this final set of books, and then not have it play a role in how everything wrapped up.

Second, the Ohmsford bloodline is still out there. Maybe the "Fall of Shannara" could have referred to the last of the Ohmsfords finally dying out, so there could be no more stories of teenage boys and girls being asked to save the world based just on their ancestry. But that's not the case here, in fact the story ends with not one, but two Ohmsfords deciding what should be done with Paranor, as if that fortress was the only important thing in the entire Lands (I love that one is called Shea though, nice loop to the first book there).

Third, alright science has been growing in status, so maybe the "Fall" could be the magic going out of the land. The first Shannara book was essentially Lord of the Rings with the names changed, and a sword instead of a ring. What if he picked up a cue from LotR and had magic vanish from the land at the very end? That would be another way to indicate to the reader why there would be no more Shannara books. But I agree with the characters, who were discussing exactly this, that the elves wouldn't give it up, and just because there aren't Druids, you'd still get magical creatures, and people like the Ohmsfords popping up with powers whether you tried to ignore them or not. So there would have had to have been a really good reason for the magic to go. Considering the elves are just humans with pointy ears (I know they are true faerie creatures but are never portrayed as any different from the rest of the races, plus all the inbreeding over the centuries and millenia) I could see the magic just simply fading away.

But in the end, only one thing really happened and that is the Sword of Leah may leave the Four Lands since Darcon Leah does ultimately go off with his Skaar princess, and oddly that one bit bothered me, the sword should remain with the Leahs and not go to the Skaar (even though his kids would still technically be Leahs I suppose).

And all the rest is the status quo, the elves and the Federation still don't like each other, the dwarves are still subjugated by the Federation (didn't they get free of them a couple trilogies back???), the gnomes are now totally non-existent, in the last 7 books I don't think they were even mentioned, which is a shame, an opportunity lost to dig into a culture barely touched upon. And the trolls are back to being big dumb warriors when we were shown they were some of the most skilled military around.

How is Weka Dart still alive, wasn't he already dead in Dark Legacy when his niece became the main Ulk Bog character? And there is so much randomness in how long it takes to travel from one place to another, of course it depends on the ship you have and how often you stop, but still, it seemed to depend more on plot than geography. Am I wrong about the inconsistencies or am I noticing them more because of how I read all the books in a single year?

I had such high hopes but all I really got was yet another installment, that felt a little messy to boot.