The Darkling Child, Terry Brooks
The Darkling Child, Terry Brooks
10 Rating(s)
List: $25.00 | Sale: $17.50
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The Darkling Child
The Defenders of Shannara

Author: Terry Brooks

Narrator: Simon Vance

Unabridged: 10 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/09/2015


Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks comes a thrilling stand-alone novel in his legendary Shannara series—the perfect place for new readers to begin.

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.

Praise for The Darkling Child
 
“Brimming with magic . . . a bubbling cauldron of fantasy and intrigue. This novel shines best through a full-bodied embrace of its most wildly imaginative magic and artifice, which is careful not to overshadow the story’s greater half, fueled by a complex but well-constructed manifold of motives. The intrigue, grounded in a world that strays just enough from a traditional fantasy universe to elicit delighted curiosity, guarantees a solid fantasy read, especially for those already drawn into Brooks’s vast world of Shannara.”—Booklist
 
“Brooks’s fans and those who prefer their fantasy on a smaller scale will appreciate the more personal but still high-stakes turn in this famous world.”—Publishers Weekly
 
Praise for Terry Brooks
 
“The Sword of Shannara is an unforgettable and wildly entertaining epic, animated by Terry Brooks’s cosmically generative imagination and storytelling joy.”—Karen Russell, New York Times bestselling author of Swamplandia!
 
“If Tolkien is the grandfather of modern fantasy, Terry Brooks is its favorite uncle.”—Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author of The Desert Spear
 
“I can’t even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks’s books I’ve read (and reread) over the years. From Shannara to Landover, his work was a huge part of my childhood.”—Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind
 
“Terry Brooks is a master of the craft and a trailblazer who established fantasy as a viable genre. He is required reading.”—Brent Weeks, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Angel Trilogy
 
“The Shannara books were among the first to really capture my imagination. My daydreams and therefore my stories will always owe a debt to Terry Brooks.”—Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Beyonders and Fablehaven series

About The Author

Terry Brooks has thrilled readers for decades with his powers of imagination and storytelling. He is the author of more than thirty books, most of which have been New York Times bestsellers. He lives with his wife, Judine, in the Pacific Northwest.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sean Barrs on December 28, 2015

Reyn is a wanted man. He is the possessor of some very deadly magic that many wish to wield. The Druids wish to help him understand his power, and to protect those around him form it, whereas the silver tongued wizard Arcannen wishes to exploit it for his own machinations. Both are looking for Reyn,......more

Goodreads review by Bookwraiths on July 10, 2015

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews The Darkling Child is another solid installment in Terry Brooks long-running Shannara series. No, it doesn’t vary far from its predecessors in scope or tone, but if you enjoy classic fantasy with a young adult feel, then this novel will definitely satisfy yo......more

Goodreads review by Lloyd on March 31, 2024

Jumping back into these books after reading so many various authors over the years has made me realise just how basic these books are. The plot line, the relationships and characterisations, the world building… it’s all weak. Character progression is wholly irrelevant, interpersonal relationships are......more

Goodreads review by Shelleyrae on June 11, 2015

High Fantasy is not a genre I read often but I have fond memories of Terry Brooks' original Shannara trilogy, read when I was a teen, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming television series adaption. Though it can be read as a standalone, The Darkling Child is the second novel in The Defenders of......more

Goodreads review by Jonathan on March 19, 2023

While Terry does have some great ideas and some great sequences here, I was unimpressed with the book as a whole. It felt too boring, too disconnected with the first book, and too slow. This would have been a better novella I believe...or should have been significantly reworked. Rather than follow Pa......more


Quotes

Praise for The Darkling Child
 
“Brimming with magic . . . a bubbling cauldron of fantasy and intrigue. This novel shines best through a full-bodied embrace of its most wildly imaginative magic and artifice, which is careful not to overshadow the story’s greater half, fueled by a complex but well-constructed manifold of motives. The intrigue, grounded in a world that strays just enough from a traditional fantasy universe to elicit delighted curiosity, guarantees a solid fantasy read, especially for those already drawn into [Terry] Brooks’s vast world of Shannara.”Booklist
 
“Brooks’s fans and those who prefer their fantasy on a smaller scale will appreciate the more personal but still high-stakes turn in this famous world.”Publishers Weekly

Praise for Terry Brooks

 
The Sword of Shannara is an unforgettable and wildly entertaining epic, animated by Terry Brooks’s cosmically generative imagination and storytelling joy.”—Karen Russell, New York Times bestselling author of Swamplandia!
 
“If Tolkien is the grandfather of modern fantasy, Terry Brooks is its favorite uncle.”—Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author of The Desert Spear
 
“I can’t even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks’s books I’ve read (and reread) over the years. From Shannara to Landover, his work was a huge part of my childhood.”—Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind
 
“Terry Brooks is a master of the craft and a trailblazer who established fantasy as a viable genre. He is required reading.”—Brent Weeks, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Angel Trilogy
 
“The Shannara books were among the first to really capture my imagination. My daydreams and therefore my stories will always owe a debt to Terry Brooks.”—Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Beyonders and Fablehaven series