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138th out of 962 books
—
4,839 voters
Running with the Demon (Word & Void #1)
by
Terry Brooks (Goodreads Author)
On the hottest Fourth of July weekend in decades, two men have come to Hopewell, Illinois, site of a lengthy, bitter steel strike. One is a demon, dark servant of the Void, who will use the anger and frustration of the community to attain a terrible secret goal. The other is John Ross, a Knight of the Word, a man who, while he sleeps, lives in the hell the world will becom...more
Hardcover, 350 pages
Published
January 2nd 1999
by Del Rey Books
(first published 1997)
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The Word and Void trilogy is the worst I've read from Brooks, and I've read most his work. I mainly pushed through just so I wouldn't miss any background necessary for the books that come after - and I kept hoping that something exciting / meaningful / magical would actually happen in this series. It was boring, there were no goals that I could determine (a defined quest might have helped), and little hope.
The setting is a big problem for me. We find ourselves in modern-day Washington State. The...more
The setting is a big problem for me. We find ourselves in modern-day Washington State. The...more
Now that was just what I needed. After reading a pretentious spewing of literary "greatness", I needed something that I could actually enjoy. And enjoy it I did, more than I expected to.
I've been reading Brooks for years. When I was ten years old, I read his only book at the time, The Sword of Shannara. I remember liking it a lot and being really annoyed that he didn't have anymore books out. When Elfstones of Shannara came out a few years later, I was enthralled; it was even better.
I got side-t...more
I've been reading Brooks for years. When I was ten years old, I read his only book at the time, The Sword of Shannara. I remember liking it a lot and being really annoyed that he didn't have anymore books out. When Elfstones of Shannara came out a few years later, I was enthralled; it was even better.
I got side-t...more
A very entertaining contemporary fantasy, with horror elements. There are demonic creatures that populate the world, called feeders. They multiply in the presence of people's bad emotions. John Ross is a Knight of the Word; he hunts demons, who cause large and small disasters that stir people up and cause the feeder population to grow. His dreams take him to Hopewell, where he needs to stop an event that will destroy the future of civilization and throw the balance of people and feeders complete...more
Terry Brooks writes a suspenseful and mysterious fantasy novel that has you sitting on the edge of your seat. I was glad to see that the book wasn't very thick because I couldn't put it down. I practically had to read it from cover to cover since I was absorbed by the writing on each page.
This story is centered on a young girl named Nest Freemark who has the ability to see forces in the dark. These dark, shadowy forms are called Feeders and they have the ability to change the minds of humans an...more
This story is centered on a young girl named Nest Freemark who has the ability to see forces in the dark. These dark, shadowy forms are called Feeders and they have the ability to change the minds of humans an...more
I've read a lot of Terry Brooks' books, including all of the Shannara books, and unfortunately, I was a little disappointed in this book, Running with the Demon. Here, Mr. Brooks departs from his usual pure fantasy genre to tell a story that mixes present day life with fantasy elements. The story is about a girl with magical powers, a demon who has arrived in her town to plot a cataclysmic event and a Knight of the Word (i.e., a man who tracks demons) whose mission is to stop the demon. I didnt...more
SUMMARY:
Twenty years ago, Terry Brooks turned fantasy fiction on its head with The Sword of Shannara, the first fantasy novel to make the mainstream bestseller lists, and the first in an unbroken string of thirteen bestselling books. Now, in Running with the Demon, Brooks does nothing less than revitalize fantasy fiction again, inventing the complex and powerful new mythos of the Word and the Void, good versus evil still, but played out in the theater-in-the-round of the "real world" of our pres...more
Twenty years ago, Terry Brooks turned fantasy fiction on its head with The Sword of Shannara, the first fantasy novel to make the mainstream bestseller lists, and the first in an unbroken string of thirteen bestselling books. Now, in Running with the Demon, Brooks does nothing less than revitalize fantasy fiction again, inventing the complex and powerful new mythos of the Word and the Void, good versus evil still, but played out in the theater-in-the-round of the "real world" of our pres...more
I would give this book a 4 (out of 5) because while there are many reasons I like this book there were a few things I found less enjoyable. I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys fantasy novels or is just looking for a good book to read.
The author uses a great deal of imagery in the story, to almost let you experience the story. He excites all 5 senses with his vivid use of imagery. However, in certain parts of the book he takes too long to get to the point. This could cause the rea...more
The author uses a great deal of imagery in the story, to almost let you experience the story. He excites all 5 senses with his vivid use of imagery. However, in certain parts of the book he takes too long to get to the point. This could cause the rea...more
This is my first Terry Brooks book and it certainly won’t be my last. Running With The Demon blew me away. I loved it!
The cast of characters that Terry Brooks created was fantastic. I liked them all (Yes, even the demon). Nest Freemark was a great character. I can understand her frustration with her grandparents, Pick and John Ross because I also hate it when people keep secrets from me. I admire her for being able to stand up to her fears. John Ross also a really interesting character. His rol...more
The cast of characters that Terry Brooks created was fantastic. I liked them all (Yes, even the demon). Nest Freemark was a great character. I can understand her frustration with her grandparents, Pick and John Ross because I also hate it when people keep secrets from me. I admire her for being able to stand up to her fears. John Ross also a really interesting character. His rol...more
Sto leggendo in ordine cronologico tutta l'opera omnia dello scrittore fantasy americano e devo ammettere che questa trilogia, pur esulando dal classico territorio fantasy, si è rivelata discretamente interessante. Abbandonati elfi, nani e compagnia guerreggiante, Brooks delinea un mondo attuale composto da demoni perversi e ben integrati tra di noi, ed bistratti eroi (del Verbo) a contrastarli. In questo primo libro, si fa' la conoscenza della piccola Nest e del brontoloso piccolo silvano Pick,...more
Terry Brooks is once again at his best in this Urban Fantasy, Running with the Demon. As a fan of Terry Brooks this was a refreshing change from his other books, particularly the Shannara series. I was also pleased to discover that the book is a prequel to the Shannara series. However, this only enhances the story of Running with the Demon, which can hold its own without the aid of Terry Brooks' bestselling fantasy series.
Nest Freemark is a magically gifted 14-year-old girl living in the town of...more
Nest Freemark is a magically gifted 14-year-old girl living in the town of...more
Con questo libro Terry Brooks si diede al fantasy contemporaneo... e fece bene! Dopo essere rimasta folgorata da I figli di Armageddon (atmosfera straordinaria), ho scoperto che la Trilogia del Demone (conosciuta anche come Trilogia del Verbo e del Vuoto) ne costituiva una specie di prequel, e così (non appena ne ho trovato in libreria un'esemplare che non fosse impolverato/strappato/stropicciato) ho acquistato questo primo capitolo.
Molti fan di Brooks sono di parere contrario, ma personalmente...more
Molti fan di Brooks sono di parere contrario, ma personalmente...more
This book gets 2 stars only if you're expecting a YA read & not much else. Actually, it's kind of a neat idea, but the execution was horribly flawed. Reading it, I was able to skim & ignore much of the stupid & repetitive writing. Listening to it was pretty torturous, though.
The idea of the 'Word & Void', opposites, good & evil is obvious & overdone, but it looked as if Brooks had opened up some possibilities. Overall, there are some good messages. I like the idea that Th...more
The idea of the 'Word & Void', opposites, good & evil is obvious & overdone, but it looked as if Brooks had opened up some possibilities. Overall, there are some good messages. I like the idea that Th...more
This was a fun read that had a lot of unique elements. If I could give half stars I would give it 3.5. One of the things I liked most about it was also one of the things that made it very slightly less enjoyable to read. Which is the sense or feeling of impending, apocalyptic doom awaiting just around the corner. It is a new sort of perspective which I find intriguing. I find I like to have a feeling or sense that everything will work out. I'm curious if I could find motivation approaching life...more
What do a fourteen year old girl, a wanderer with a wicked limp, and a calculating demon have in common? The answer is three-fold.
Hopewell, Indiana is your typical small town where everyone knows everyone else, it's economy reliant on a single industry - in this case it's the now quiet steel mill as the strike grinds into it's third month. It is also the home of Nest Freemark, growing up under the watchful eyes of her grandparents, a sylvan, a magical dog, and the knowledge that she has a powerf...more
Hopewell, Indiana is your typical small town where everyone knows everyone else, it's economy reliant on a single industry - in this case it's the now quiet steel mill as the strike grinds into it's third month. It is also the home of Nest Freemark, growing up under the watchful eyes of her grandparents, a sylvan, a magical dog, and the knowledge that she has a powerf...more
I decided to read this series because it is technically a prequel to Terry Brooks' other large series. I wasn't quite ready to delve into that monstrous series, and I'm usually a fan of urban fantasy, so this seemed like a great place to start. Unfortunately, Running With the Demon is more like a Stephen King novel then an urban fantasy. The magic is at a minimum and the suspense and action is practically non existent. The plot is very simple, if an angel type character doesn't stop a demon from...more
It was a good read, but honestly, my biggest problems with the book was that there were no characters that jumped out at me, and the heavy pseudo-Christian overtones that were prevalent throughout the novel.
With the characters, none of them were endearing, none of them really incited that spark in me, whether to get me rooting for them, feeling sympathetic, or downright hatred for them. This was actually pretty suprising, since Brooks usually gets me, and I've always found the protagonists and...more
With the characters, none of them were endearing, none of them really incited that spark in me, whether to get me rooting for them, feeling sympathetic, or downright hatred for them. This was actually pretty suprising, since Brooks usually gets me, and I've always found the protagonists and...more
An entertaining and captivating read, once you hit the middle section. I found the characters interesting with their quirks (Gran's smokes and booze, Jared's catatonic fits), but they were also overused at times (I really only need to be told Gran drinks vodka and orange juice for breakfast a maximum of twice).
Brooks is fantastic with narrative descriptions, making you feel as if you're walking in the footsteps of the characters. He can get a little wordy and delve into minutiae, which detracts...more
Brooks is fantastic with narrative descriptions, making you feel as if you're walking in the footsteps of the characters. He can get a little wordy and delve into minutiae, which detracts...more
Let me start by saying I have been a Terry Brooks fan since reading Sword of Shannara in high school. However that was a problem while reading Running with the Demon. I keep looking for Shannara in the book. It's not there. Next I guess I was looking for the Magic Kingdom sale. It's not there either. But that's ok, Brooks didn't intend for them to be there. This read more like a King or Koontz book, which maybe is what Brooks intended. But Koontz and King have spent years in their model while Br...more
This review is for the trilogy.
The integration of the "real" world and fantasy elements is always difficult to work, and while Brooks gets it done alright, I'm just not convinced it was all that interesting.
The premise of these books is that demons from the "Void" are battling against agents or knights of the "Word." (You can think of a Christian Devil and God, if you want, and I can't say you'd really be far off the mark, though there are no overt religious allusions.) The main good guy, John,...more
The integration of the "real" world and fantasy elements is always difficult to work, and while Brooks gets it done alright, I'm just not convinced it was all that interesting.
The premise of these books is that demons from the "Void" are battling against agents or knights of the "Word." (You can think of a Christian Devil and God, if you want, and I can't say you'd really be far off the mark, though there are no overt religious allusions.) The main good guy, John,...more
Terry Brooks has long been one of my favorite fantasy authors. Even though I’ve actually yet to get into his Shanarra series, which is apparently one of the ultimate fantasy series after the works of Tolkien, his work in the Word and Void series is amazing alone.
Moving across the period of some decades, the three part series begins with Running with the Demon. The reimaging of the concept of magic in this series is one of its biggest charms. Weaving a subtle, almost unseeable magic into a modern...more
Moving across the period of some decades, the three part series begins with Running with the Demon. The reimaging of the concept of magic in this series is one of its biggest charms. Weaving a subtle, almost unseeable magic into a modern...more
Running with the Demon is a very interesting book. Part post-apocalyptic nightmare, but only in the dreams of John Ross, Knight of the Word, who has nightly visions of the world after events which he relentlessly tries to prevent. Part teen romance on the part of Nest Freemark, but only briefly and as a backdrop to a deeper plot. Part epic fantasy, but without the endless trekking from place to place, though John Ross does this, the events of the book are just one stop on his many journeys. Part...more
Having read a lot of the Shannara books before picking this up I was dubious about whether or not I would enjoy such a different type of fantasy setting but I've read it about 3 times since then and I still like it. I don't love it however, the characters of Nest and John Ross are well written and I have always liked the relationship between them because it's quite unconventional but quite a few of the other characters come across as irritating once you know the position they've put Nest in. I l...more
Originally reviewed on "http://bloodcrossed.blogspot.com"... Bloody Words.
This review applies to all three books in "The Word & The Void" trilogy.
Brooks has what I would call a "formulaic" method of constructing his stories. I'll try to explain what I mean.
They are nearly as suspenseful as the best chase novels, with intense fight scenes and magical imagery. All three books are written in third person limited, but not always from the two main characters. In the second and third books, i...more
This review applies to all three books in "The Word & The Void" trilogy.
Brooks has what I would call a "formulaic" method of constructing his stories. I'll try to explain what I mean.
They are nearly as suspenseful as the best chase novels, with intense fight scenes and magical imagery. All three books are written in third person limited, but not always from the two main characters. In the second and third books, i...more
This is only the second book I've read by Terry Brooks (First being the Star Wars novelization he did. Review: Well, it was better than the movie.) I've tried Sword of Shannara a few times, and that didn't really work out well for me.
Running with the Demon is a solid read. It's about a teen girl in Hopewell, Illinois, a town described as being in the "Heart of Reagan Country" more than once. Nest, the absurdly-named girl in question, has powers and some degree of responsibility to the sprawling...more
Running with the Demon is a solid read. It's about a teen girl in Hopewell, Illinois, a town described as being in the "Heart of Reagan Country" more than once. Nest, the absurdly-named girl in question, has powers and some degree of responsibility to the sprawling...more
This is not the first Terry Brooks novel that I ever read, and this review is really for the entire series of Shannara. This isn't the first book he wrote, either, but this is the beginning of the story as far as he as written. This three book series is the preamble to what creates a post-apocolyptic future of earth known as Shannara, which is a land of magic and fantasy. How he tied all this in is wonderful, and well done. I had read the shannara series first, then found the word and void trilo...more
This is the first book of the Word and Void Trilogy. This book is set in our current world rather than a true fantasy world. Nest Freemark is almost an average teenager, but with a secret that she can’t share with anyone outside the family. She has magic and insight into a world within our world that noone else sees. Nest works with Pick in keeping the balance of good and evil within the park by her house. Nest doesn’t realize her life is about to change a lot and a family secret will come out i...more
Terry Brooks' Running with Demon is the prototypical urban fantasy novel. Published in 1997, it is one of the earliest novels to approach the genre and gain widespread readership.
Running with the Demon introduces Brooks' world of the Word and the Void, opposing forces of chaos and order that set the stage for a well-developed unique moral relativity that serves as the bedrock of a unique narrative.
The book features excellent characters, a unique and interesting approach to its world of magic, a...more
Running with the Demon introduces Brooks' world of the Word and the Void, opposing forces of chaos and order that set the stage for a well-developed unique moral relativity that serves as the bedrock of a unique narrative.
The book features excellent characters, a unique and interesting approach to its world of magic, a...more
I was a bit disappointed in this book from Mr. Brooks. I loved his Sword of Shannara series, so I was hoping to enjoy this one equally as well. Unfortunately, this was not the case. It was okay, but not awesome.
At first, I had the impression I was reading a Stephen King novel rather than a fantasy. The book was set in the modern world where the magical elements were only visible and acknowledged by a few--Nest, Gran and John Ross. The action was a little slow and plodding in some places, and the...more
At first, I had the impression I was reading a Stephen King novel rather than a fantasy. The book was set in the modern world where the magical elements were only visible and acknowledged by a few--Nest, Gran and John Ross. The action was a little slow and plodding in some places, and the...more
Apr 22, 2012
Branwen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of urban fantasy, Terry Brooks fans
Shelves:
fantasy-science-fiction
I've been slowly but surely making my way through all of Terry Brooks' novels, and I have to say that this is my favorite, thus far. I love his Shannara and Landover series, but for some reason this delightful urban fantasy really captured my interest hard! I loved all the chracters, the setting was beautiful and described in detail (I've visited my cousin in the Midwest before so it was really great to read about it) and the twists and turns in the storyline really kept me guessing until the ve...more
A fourteen year old girl, blessed with a runner's body,is by all appearances a normal teenager; although appearances can be deceiving. Nest Freeman has know since she was a small child that she was different from her fiends. She has learned to combat the evil in her home town of Hopewell, Illinois, and the evil is gathering more and more. The evil conflict brings John Ross, a knight of the Word, a mysterious Indian named O'olish Amaneh,to Nest to help her fight the evil. Nest learns that good an...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Is this the best place to start the series? | 10 | 54 | Jan 19, 2013 07:37pm | |
| opinions.... | 6 | 40 | Jul 22, 2012 05:38pm |
Terry Brooks was born in Illinois in 1944, where he spent a great deal of his childhood and early adulthood dreaming up stories in and around Sinnissippi Park, the very same park that would eventually become the setting for his bestselling Word & Void trilogy. He went to college and received his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College, where he majored in English Literature, and he received...more
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“Fear is a fire to temper courage and resolve. Use it so.”
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Apr 19, 2013 07:00am