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

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The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara #2)

by Terry Brooks (Goodreads Author)

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 5,811 ratings · 217 reviews

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 sto...more 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.

From the Hardcover edition.(less)

Hardcover, 379 pages

Published August 28th 2007 by Del Rey/Ballantine

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Feb 07, 2013 Al added it · review of another edition

SUMMARY:
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 forw...more SUMMARY:
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.From the Hardcover edition.(less)

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Jun 21, 2012 Tandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-fantasy-series

Terry Brooks has been one of my favorite authors since the sixth grade, when I was first given a copy of "The Sword of Shannara" for Christmas. I've always enjoyed his books and been drawn in by his deep themes, dynamic characters, and unique way of looking at things. The Elves of Cintra was no different.

This is a continuation of Armageddon's Children, Brooks's post-apocalyptic story of a world destroyed by mankind's greed and inaction. But what makes it unique isn't the dystopian aspect, but th...more

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Apr 30, 2011 David Fox rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, reviewed, owned-books

Elves & Demons & Faeries & Goblins & Ghosts, Oh My

Prior to reading "Armageddon's Children" a few year's back I had neither read anything by Terry Brooks nor for that fact, had I ever heard about him. Also, for the most part, except for reading books like "The Road" or "The Stand" , I've had little experience with post apocalyptic, fantasy based literature. To my sincerest delight I do believe I've discovered a genre that I know will provide me with hours of blissful contentment....more

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Dec 12, 2010 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

After what my wife was saying was a fairly bad review of "Armageddon's Children", I can safely say that Terry Brooks more than made up for the slow start with the second of the trilogy, "Elves of Cintra". This is probably one of the best examples of a solid "2nd" in a trilogy, when so many trilogies tend to tank in the middle.

The merging storylines, action, and mix of fantasy/post-apocalyptic fiction were done artfully. Sure, there were predictable events and interactions, but Brooks kept the wr...more

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Nov 05, 2010 Patrick D'Orazio rated it 4 of 5 stars

As is the case with so many titles that are the middle stretch in a trilogy, this book suffers from being highly anticipated with a sense of trepidation at the fact that even before reading it you already have a good sense of the outcome, at least in broad general terms. An author who writes knowing, essentially in advance, that they are producing a trilogy must accept that certain plot points cannot be resolved by the end of book two though some others must be drawn further out.
With that said,...more As is the case with so many titles that are the middle stretch in a trilogy, this book suffers from being highly anticipated with a sense of trepidation at the fact that even before reading it you already have a good sense of the outcome, at least in broad general terms. An author who writes knowing, essentially in advance, that they are producing a trilogy must accept that certain plot points cannot be resolved by the end of book two though some others must be drawn further out.
With that said, I am not diminishing this book at all. Terry Brooks does a solid job in carrying the story that bridges the gap between his trilogy about the Word and the Void and the huge sweeping epic which is the Shannara realm. We get to see the story started with Armageddon's Children carried forward, with a great deal more involvement from the elves. As a reader of this entire mythology, the links start to take shape with this book--how we get from the world in which we human beings live in to the world that is the basis for the many Shannara stories that Brooks has told us over the past thirty years.
But alas, it is the middle book. Sometimes the middle story is the best but usually it just does not have the same magic as the beginning or the end.
I still hesitate in trying to imagine the breadth that the final book will have to have to really meld the two different universes together. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, the questions that come to mind have to do with those creatures that have not shown their faces yet...in partcular dwarves, trolls, druids...etc. Now I am sure that it will all be sorted out (and perhaps Terry has in mind yet another trilogy that will slide in between the first Shannara books and this set to give us even further detail) but I hope that the last book is not crammed to the rafters with a lot of unsubtle "glue" to bind it all together. Another way of putting that would be this: he completes the story of Hawk, Kirisin, Angel, Logan, and all the others, and then spends thirty pages spilling out the next one hundred years...how the dwarves boil up from the earth, how new magic was formed, etc. in such a way that it is just crammed in there. I have faith that Terry Brooks will avoid something like that, but you never know.
The trilogy still has, in my mind, a lot of promise, but I also have high expectations for the third book and hope that it will do justice to the idea of bringing these two different worlds together as one. Until I have the chance to read that book in another year I honestly cannot judge this series effectively. As it stands, as a single novel, this book is solid. It moves the story along, keeps you interested in the characters, and you can start to see how everything is going to start coming together in the end.
I liked the book, despite the "middle" book issues that I already mentioned. It has certainly whetted my apetite for the final chapter in this trilogy.(less)

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Jun 29, 2010 Mason Hall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 24, 2013 Aaron Mills rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you have not read Armageddon's Children, the first book in this trilogy, you need to read that first. This book is an amazing sequel to the first and focuses primarily on the elves of Cintra. In the first book the elves were a much smaller part, however in this book they take center stage and we watch as they attempt to save their race from the destruction of the demons.

Just like the first book Brooks develops a few characters a bit more by doing some flashbacks, but what I liked is he did it...more

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Oct 20, 2010 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Wendy by: Mommy

I'm sorry, dear mommy, but I just can't like these books. The characters and plot are interesting but the author just fills up space by saying the same thing over and over again. Each character has the same exact thoughts. "Can I do it? Can I fulfill my destiny? I am weak. I can't do it. I know I did it before. I felt the power. I have the power. I can do it! I'm strong! yay! Wait, I don't think I can do it." Arrrrgh! All 4 main characters have these thoughts every 5 seconds as they travel, trav...more

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Oct 22, 2010 Al Gritten rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Elves..." continues the trilogy that links the "Word and Void" novels and the Shannara novels. From the beginning of the first of the Shannara novels it was obvious that the world built by Brooks was a post-apocalyptic world in which magic reigned anew. In the Word and Void trilogy, Brooks begins to explore the fall of the world that leads us to Shannara. In this trilogy he has moved us farther along that decline as humanity's pollution and disregard for nature creates a world peopled with demo...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Carole rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 27, 2012 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fast paced book two in the trilogy. Elf, Kirisin and his cousin Erisha must find the blue elf stones and the Loden stone in order to save the Elcries and the entire elf race prior to the end of the world. They are joined by a Knight of the Word, Angel Diaz, and a faerie creature, Alilie, who tells them the elves have been infiltrated by a dangerous demon, who tries to stop their success. Meanwhile, the Seattle street children, The Ghosts, along with Knight of the Word, Logan Tom set out to the C...more

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Nov 13, 2009 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Genesis of Shannara series is dark and depressing. Humans continue to fight each other as well as the demons and once men and the humans are clearly losing the battle. The elves have internal political workings that could cost them their chance at survival as well. It seems the fate of both the humans and elves lie in the hands of two Knights of the Word and the children they protect. One magical creature, disguised as a human teenager, must gather the survivors and lead them into their next...more

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Jun 24, 2010 Christine rated it 2 of 5 stars

I haven't finished this but I am almost done and can't wait. This book mainly concentrates on the elves. I don't find them interesting, and very believable. Terry tries to bring Elves into our world and not very convincingly. I can believe there is magic, I can believe there are demons running around, I can believe there are mutants and children with strange talents but on top of all that he tosses elves into the picture and he pushes the lines. I feel like I'm reading 2 books, a fantasy book ab...more

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Dec 17, 2008 Winchee added it

I'm enjoying this series by Terry Brooks - the Genesis of Shannara. I've enjoyed how he weaves together the fantasy world of elves, demons, and magic with a "normal" human society and thus putting together the post-apocolyptic world. Can't wait for the last book in the series (the gypsy morph) to arrive at the library. One thing that I'm still not sure I buy is the whole concept of the gypsy morph. I find it....lame. It doesn't wow me in anyway. I like the heroes to have fought hard, learned muc...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Dave rated it 4 of 5 stars

Better than the first in the series, perhaps because more of it takes place in Elven settings. I'm not sure why I like those better. Maybe it's because the Shannara stories tend to be more like "good fights evil and eventually wins in the end" and these are more like "good fights evil and wins the battle, but it doesn't matter because evil will win the war." (Right now, I seem to prefer the former.)

One thing that seems to happen in this series is that in confrontations, the good characters seem...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-read-in-adulthood, guilt-free-brain-candy, on-loan, recommended

it's been quite a while - probably two or three years since i read armageddon's children. however, i was able to catch up very quickly. this is classic brooks, and i don't mean that in a bad way. i think sometimes that i prefer this type to the later shannara books, merely because of a personal bias against technology and faerie. not many can pull it off, and brooks comes close, i will give him that.

i was a little thrown off by sentences including elves and flashlights, but again, he handles it...more

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Apr 12, 2009 Tom rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm such a sucker for Terry Brook's formula. It's the same in all of his books... fate of the world rests on a hero/heroine finding some hidden inner strength at a pivotal moment - his/her confrontation against some unspeakably evil villain.

It's much the same here. This is the 2nd book in the "Genesis" series. All the characters move toward the end of our world (the real world) and the beginning of the "Shanarra" world. Each of the major characters (Tom Logan, Angel Perez, Hawk and Kirrisin the...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Jason Hamilton rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you've read Armageddon's Children you probably couldn't wait until you got your hands on the sequel. This is due primarily to the excruciating cliffhanger left at the end of the first book.

Logan Tom has finally found the Gypsy Morph, the boy named Hawk, but he lost him when the boy was thrown from a building and disappeared in a flash of light. Now Logan Tom must guide the street kids who had allied themselves to Hawk to a place south that Logan has only seen in his dreams.

The Elves of Cintra ...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars

The action and conflict really picks up in part two of The Genesis of Shannara. However, I don't think that Mr. Brooks properly handled the Angel Perez's and Logan Tom's internal struggles. Their personal fears and doubts weren't strongly developed enough before they encountered their dilemmas so I don't feel like their reactions to their situations feel natural. Though their final battles did serve to help them overcome those internal struggles and tighten their resolve to do their duties. I al...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Ryan Pitt rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first in this series, Armageddon's Children, started off very slow. After not having read anything by Brooks for some time now, and then jumping into that one, I was a bit disappointed. However, the ending of that one really picks up and launches into The Elves of Cintra--which was an excellent read. I remembered why I like Brooks and why I've read almost all the books he's published. Lots of different story lines going on, full of action, magic, mystery, and suspense. And all without anythi...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

A true masterpiece of fantasy fiction. I've always liked Terry Brooks' work, because he creates such rounded, lifelike characters, and his stories aren't bogged down by endless pages of detail and explanations. The story is always moving, and something exciting and unexpected is always happening. I read the original Shannara books years ago, and so I found this prequel very interesting. Recommended to not only Terry Brooks and fantasy fans, but to anyone who wants to read an interesting, intelli...more

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May 11, 2013 Wendy B rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, series

This is the second book in the Genesis of Shannara series so expect spoilers if you have not read the first, Armageddon's Children, which I reviewed here. The second thing to note is that I am not a previous fan of the Shannara series. When I first attempted to read it, I gave up due to boredom. My brother told me this series was really good, so I'm working my way through with an eye on possibly attempting the original Shannara books again.

The Elves of Cintra jumps right in where Armageddon's Ch...more This is the second book in the Genesis of Shannara series so expect spoilers if you have not read the first, Armageddon's Children, which I reviewed here. The second thing to note is that I am not a previous fan of the Shannara series. When I first attempted to read it, I gave up due to boredom. My brother told me this series was really good, so I'm working my way through with an eye on possibly attempting the original Shannara books again.

The Elves of Cintra jumps right in where Armageddon's Children left off, with the various groups all coming together and separating in new and interesting ways to pursue their now clear-ish quests. Logan Tom, now with the Ghosts, is searching for Hawk, with the once-men hot on their trail. Meanwhile, Hawk awakens in the presence of a magical being who cryptically explains his new status as the gypsy morph and his destiny to save everyone by taking them to the promised land. The elves Kirisin and Erisha, now joined by Kirisin's sister Simralin, are still seeking the elfstones and trying to convince Erisha's father, the king of the importance of their mission to move the Ellcrys to a safe location. They are aided by an old historian elf named Culph and they are joined by Angel Perez and her fae conscience, Ailie. Angel is still pursued by the demon Delloreen, now fully transformed into a wolf-lizard creature.

The previous book spent a lot of time introducing the characters and giving them all backstories that made it clear that every human had suffered horrible childhoods that have led them to their currently place in this dystopian world of mutation and violence. They are all survivors in their own way. At the end of the last book, everyone has been set on the quests mentioned above so now, we are reading about how they survive the various pitfalls they meet along the way. Despite the efforts made to define the characters, I have not yet come to care about many of them. The ones that died in this book were not overly memorable and I can't say a I felt like their friends' reactions to their deaths were well written enough for me to feel their loss.

A new character was introduced, Catalya, and she alone is the bright spark in the series. A survivor just like the others, she actually doesn't get one of the melodramatic backstories. Her actions and personality in the face of danger and contempt make up for that loss and easily make her a favourite. When she teams up with one of the Ghosts on a rescue mission, things perked up a bit, but that part of the story continues in the sequel.

But what about the elves? The title implies that this is their story and their quest to find the elfstones and the Loden certainly seems important. But Erisha, Kirisin and Simralen are so unmemorable. Some of the elves they deal with on their journey are quite interesting, but they are not around nearly long enough.

I previously listened to the audiobook, but chose to read the hardcover to see if it affected my judgment. I can conclude that listening to an audiobook would definitely have made the tedium more tolerable, however, it's much easier to skim over pages when actually reading. The Elves of Cintra did not impress me enough to care about the future of Shannara, but I'm still just interested enough to at least find out how this trilogy ends. Eventually.(less)

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Aug 29, 2011 Derrick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2007, fantasy, owned-in-hc

Very enjoyable. Logan takes the Ghosts under his wing, Hawk/Morph is rescued by the River Master and told his destiny. Angel meets the elves and goes off with one of the Chosen and a tracker to find the Lodenstone. They find it and 2 demons are destroyed. This story just continues to show how humanity completely fell apart. Because of the spiritual aspect of it, I can really relate. It is the worst of humanities nightmares brought forth without the hope of Jesus. Thank God there is a God and not...more

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Dec 27, 2009 Jason (FNORDinc) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, reviewed-on-fnordinc, part-of-a-series

I have long been told that Terry Brooks was a writer i would enjoy, but i really had no strong desire to start reading his mammoth Shannara series. 19 books is quite a commitment to a single author, as such, i just never got around to reading any of them.

About six months ago, i ran across a copy of Armageddon's Children on the cheap. I read the inside cover and it was pretty clear that this was a standalone book, and a nice introduction into Brooks, with out having to commit myself to a mass rea...more I have long been told that Terry Brooks was a writer i would enjoy, but i really had no strong desire to start reading his mammoth Shannara series. 19 books is quite a commitment to a single author, as such, i just never got around to reading any of them.

About six months ago, i ran across a copy of Armageddon's Children on the cheap. I read the inside cover and it was pretty clear that this was a standalone book, and a nice introduction into Brooks, with out having to commit myself to a mass reading project. i picked up the book and read it, enjoying the whole plot. Unfortunately, the book ended up not being a standalone. Instead, it was the first book in a standalone TRILOGY. the prequels to the Shannara series... damn you publishing house.. damn you. The other two books are "The Elves of Cintra" and "They Gypsy Morph"

I searched out and found matching hardback copies of the rest of the trilogy and got sucked into the story with absolutely no effort.

The series is pretty solid. it details the journey of a band of children living in the pac nw after the world has essentially ended. radiation has created waves of mutation in humans. healthy people are holing up in fortresses for safety, often times made out of the largest populace centers available, stadiums.

One band of children, led by a boy named Hawk, live in the pioneer square area of seattle. they are fending for themselves and eking out a moderate existence as a surrogate family.

Hawk has a dream that he will lead the children to a safe world where they can thrive in safety. the children follow him almost like a father figure.

From an alternate location, Logan Tom, is a Knight of the Word. he hunts demons that roam the planet, seeking to destroy all that exists, seeking dominance over the world. Logan Tom is sent by the essence of existence, the "Word" to find Hawk and help him achieve his goals. He must do this before the world in engulfed in a flaming apocalypse which will destroy everything.

There are a lot of sub plots and a large number of characters i do not make mention of. I would highly suggest this series. even if you have no desire to read the whole Shannara series, this prequel set is a solid read and is written in a way that you are never forced to moe on. Shannara is not even mentioned by name.

funny, i finally get why people spout off at the mouth about Terry Brooks. Perhaps i will pick up his novelizations of Hook and The Phantom Menace and read those soon.

- FNORDinc.com
http://www.fnordinc.com/2009/12-27/re...(less)

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Jun 08, 2012 Pam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: brooks-terry

This story picks up where Armageddon's Children left off. Logan Tom has reached Seattle in his search for Hawk, a street child he believes to be the Gypsy Morph. However, although he finds the "Ghosts," the band of children living with Hawk, Hawk himself is not there. He has gone after Tessa, a compound girl, that he loves. Both Hawk and Tessa have been imprisoned in the lowest basements of the compound after being found guilty of the compound's highest law...thievery. The punishment...death! Th...more This story picks up where Armageddon's Children left off. Logan Tom has reached Seattle in his search for Hawk, a street child he believes to be the Gypsy Morph. However, although he finds the "Ghosts," the band of children living with Hawk, Hawk himself is not there. He has gone after Tessa, a compound girl, that he loves. Both Hawk and Tessa have been imprisoned in the lowest basements of the compound after being found guilty of the compound's highest law...thievery. The punishment...death! They are to be thrown from the top of the compound walls at sunset! Logan and one of the Ghosts, Panther, try to sneak in through the tunnels underneath the compound only to find that Hawk and Tessa are gone from their cells. They have been taken to the walls for their punishment. In the meantime, Panther becomes separated from Logan. Then, at sunset, there is a blinding flash of light that can be seen for miles. What does this mean? Can Logan reach Hawk and Tessa in time? If not, will the death of the Morph and Tessa mean the end of the world?

Meanwhile the other Ghosts encounter an army of demons and "once-men" arriving by boat to attack the compound. Logan has already told them to gather at his vehicle and wait for his return but two of the Ghosts become separated from the rest. They run for their lives and meet up with the Lizards, the Croaks, the Spiders and the other mutants who are also running from the demons. They get pushed to and fro, getting slashed and injured but eventually making it to Logan's vehicle. Logan soon returns without Hawk and Tessa. He doesn't know what has happened to them but he feels that he needs to protect these children so they start their journey south to the Columbia River to meet with the band of children being lead north from California. Reluctantly, he takes on the role of protector of the Ghosts but he still feels the pull of his quest to find the Gypsy Morph. The Ghosts are also reluctant to accept Logan's leadership in Hawk's absence. Will this tenuous alliance last? Will they reach the Columbia River, as Candle, one of the Ghosts, has foreseen? Will Hawk and Tessa somehow find them?

To the south, Angel Perez carries on with her quest to find the Elves, accompanied by the tatterdemalion, Ailie. The demon that nearly defeated her in the ruins of Anaheim trails them, mutating into something more monstrous on a daily basis. It is no longer anything resembling a human but it is bent on destroying Angel and Ailie. Nevertheless, Angel and Ailie forge on through the wilderness, heading north as instructed by O'olish Amaneh and the Lady. Soon they reach a living forest with clean water and wildflowers, something Angel has never seen in her entire life. Angel asks Ailie what has happened here. Ailie's simple answer? Elves have happened. Ailie instructs Angel to walk through the forest and the Elves will find them. Soon an Elven tracker patrol, led by the elf Simralin, finds them. It is a tense situation since the Elves have isolated themselves from humans for centuries due to the humans' self-destructive tendencies and the humans' total irresponsibility as caretakers of the world in which they live but Simralin senses something in Angel and the tatterdemalion that tells her they are to be trusted. But what about the demon? Will it catch up with Angel and Ailie? Will the magic of Angel's black staff and the aid of the Elves be able to destroy the demon...or will the Elves vanish from the face of the earth?

In another part of the Elven territory, Simalin's brother, Kirisin, one of the Chosen to serve the Ellcrys, and his cousin, Erisha, have tried and tried to make the Elven king and High Council see that the Ellcrys has given them the task of finding the blue "seeking" Elfstones, as well as the Loden Elfstone, in order to save the Elves from the coming destruction of the entire world. No one wants to believe that the end is coming. How could it be? The destruction lying outside the Elven kingdom is the doing of the humans, not the Elves. Why should the Elves be worried? And both Kirisin and Erisha are so young...what could they possibly know of the end of the world? Despite this, Kirisin and Erisha set off on a quest to find the missing Elfstones, aided by Culph, the old librarian and caretaker of the Elven histories. Will Kirisin and Erisha find the Elfstones? If so, can they find the Loden and save the Elven kingdom? What of Angel, Ailie, and Simralin? What are their roles to play in saving the Elves? Will Logan Tom and the Ghosts be able to find Hawk and Tessa and be able to save the remaining humans from the coming destruction?

The story goes on from this point with its many subplots weaving themselves in and out of the story. It is a typical Terry Brooks book and I was spellbound from the moment I started it. Of course, since this is the second book in a trilogy, the end of the book leaves you hanging and waiting to start the next book. In my opinion, Terry Brooks is the master of this type of fantasy. I've never read anything by anyone else that even comes close. I highly recommend all of his books without reservation!!(less)

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Jan 01, 2009 Crowinator rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy, 2008-reads, faeries-elves-goblins, other-monsters, island-of-misfit-teams, adult

Posted to my Livejournal in March 2008, saved here for posterity:

This series bridges his Word and the Void series and his Shannara series, and in a pretty clever way, too. In this one, Hawk, who is a street kid trying to survive in a (pre? post?) apocalyptic Seattle, turns out to be the Gypsy Morph, a magical being who is supposed to lead his chosen people to a safe haven where they can wait out the war happening between humans and demons. (Ya got that?) He has Logan, a world-weary Knight of the...more Posted to my Livejournal in March 2008, saved here for posterity:

This series bridges his Word and the Void series and his Shannara series, and in a pretty clever way, too. In this one, Hawk, who is a street kid trying to survive in a (pre? post?) apocalyptic Seattle, turns out to be the Gypsy Morph, a magical being who is supposed to lead his chosen people to a safe haven where they can wait out the war happening between humans and demons. (Ya got that?) He has Logan, a world-weary Knight of the Word to help him and Hawk's street family to safety. Meanwhile (you knew there was a meanwhile, right?), the elves are starting to notice that the world around them is going to hell, because the Ellcrys has told young elf Kirisin that she needs to be moved to safety. For that, they need the blue elfstones, which are essential to find the Loden Stone that can move the Ellcrys. And they have Angel Perez, another Knight of the Word. And there are demons on all their trails.

Okay, that's all plot, and overly simplified, at that. I think that this series takes place before the Shannara books and chronicles the beginning of the cataclysmic war that remakes the Earth that they mention in The Sword of Shannara. (I might be wrong though, so if anyone knows, clue me in.) This book moves fast, very fast, and has a great deal of action: lots of fights, near death experiences, chase scenes, and betrayals. Characterization is also fast but strong, so that all of the major players are distinctive, if not totally original in terms of fantasy conventions. Also, I love it when disparate plot lines come together in a big, grandiose plan, and that's what this is promising. I'm looking forward to the third book. (Sadly, I attempted to reread The Sword of Shannara, a book I'd loved as a child, and all I can say is, it does not wear well with time. I could not slog through the pages of wordy scenic descriptions and the long-winded character expositions, and the "here's an elf!", "here's a dwarf!", "here's magic sword!", element, though I know that back in 1977, this stuff was not a cliche. Mostly, though, it was the poor writing: the story I loved was still there, but buried under tortured prose. I guess you can't always go back to your childhood, huh?)(less)

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Feb 04, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

The Elves of Cintra is the second book in the Genesis of Shannara series by Terry Brooks. I've been a Brooks fan since I first read Sword of Shannara back in Junior High School. While I haven't absolutely loved all of his books, I've really enjoyed most of them. Over time, he's had two series that take place more or less in "our world." The first was the Landover series which was generally more light-hearted fun with some tongue-in-cheek elements (not as farcical as say the Xanth series, but als...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really loved this book, although the last was my favorite of all of his books. In this one you hear more from the magical creatures that Terry Brooks writes so well. He does an amazing job of making them seem acceptable and common place. The feeling of urgency in this book is easily felt by the author. My heart raced the whole time I read about the children and other humans, yet when the scene switched to the elves, there was this amazing serenity and slow pace. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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Nov 07, 2011 Bethany C rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was a little hesitant to read The Genesis books because I love the world of Shannara but I'm not really into post-apocalyptic lit. And I did enjoy the parts that were centered around the elves and their 'quest' a little more, at least for the first half of the book. But Brooks is such a great author that he had me emotionally invested in all the characters, including and especially the 'Ghosts.' I was a little lost initially because it had been so long since I read the first of the Genesis boo...more

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Apr 05, 2010 Stefan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Best of the trilogy, with some truly memorable scenes of awesomeness and demons. If only the sequel had been half as good. I'm torn between giving it three or four stars, since Kirisin, the main character, was a bit of a dweeb. Note to everyone who makes Frodo rip-off protagonists--contrary to the way he may have seemed in the movie, in the books he was not a naive, useless buffoon. He was smart, savvy, and sometimes badass. Please keep that in mind.

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About Terry Brooks

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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Books by Terry Brooks

The Elfstones Of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy, #2)

The Sword of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy #1)

The Talismans Of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara #4)

The Wishsong of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy #3)

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The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara #2)

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