Bearers of the Black Staff: Legends of Shannara

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Bearers of the Black Staff: Legends of Shannara (Legends of Shannara #1)

by Terry Brooks (Goodreads Author)

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 3,528 ratings · 288 reviews

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Five hundred years have passed since the devastating demon-led war tore apart the United States and nearly exterminated humankind. Those who escaped the carnage were led to sanctuary in an idyllic valley, its borders warded by powerful magic against the horrors beyond. But the cocoon of protective magic surrounding the valley has now vanished. When...more

Mass Market Paperback, 423 pages

Published August 2011 by Del Rey (first published August 24th 2010)

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Jan 07, 2012 Anne Toronto1 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Bearers of the Black Staff" (Shanarra x) guard the races of man, elf, lizard-troll, and spider (?) in a valley warded by magic 500 years before, when an apocalyptic Great War decimated the Earth. The protection has fallen. Sider's magic saves trackers: girl Prue 13 and boy Pan 15 from escaped monsters. But nobody wants to believe their warning. A power-hungry Sect leader and elf queen ally and send assassins. Vast Troll armies want their land. Betrayal, sacrifice, invasion, cliff-hanger.
I pref...more

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

SUMMARY: Five hundred years have passed since the devastating demon-led war that almost exterminated humankind. Those who escaped the carnage were led to sanctuary by the boy saviour known as Hawk: the gypsy morph. But now, the unimaginable has come to pass: the cocoon of protective magic surrounding the valley has vanished. When Sider Ament, last surviving Knight of the Word, detects unknown predators stalking the valley, and Trackers from the human village of Glensk Wood, find two of their own

...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Carl Alves rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Prior to reading Bearers of the Black Staff, I had not realized that his Shannara and Knight of the Word series were interconnected. One of the things that I especially liked about this novel is the way that Brooks presented the backstory that linked the stories following the time that Hawk, the Gypsy Morph delivered his people into the valley that had been protected by magical barriers, which are now down. The valley for the first time in five hundred years, exposed to the people and creatures...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Ely rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Unlike other users 'Bearers of the Black Staff' was my first Terry Brooks book. I picked this up as a gift and I read the summary on the other side of the book and I found it to my liking. I wouldn't have read the book had I known that it wasn't the first book in the Shannara series. I did ask the clerk but my question wasn't well thought out and vague. 'Is this the first book?' which it was: The first book in 'Legends of Shannara'. But I digress.

The Bearers of the Black Staff is a very well wri...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Alan rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Longtime fans... only

Recommended to Alan by: My mother-in-law, who meant well, bless her heart

I first encountered Shannara during the Golden Age of SF—my golden age, that is. The Sword of Shannara was published in 1977, when I was just fourteen years old. Close enough. At the time, its shameless post-apocalyptic pastiche of Tolkien seemed new, and I happily picked up several more books in the series. Sure, it's the kind of thing EFP (Extruded Fantasy Product) was named for, but sometimes that's exactly what you want.

More than thirty years and twenty volumes later, though... well, Brooks...more I first encountered Shannara during the Golden Age of SF—my golden age, that is. The Sword of Shannara was published in 1977, when I was just fourteen years old. Close enough. At the time, its shameless post-apocalyptic pastiche of Tolkien seemed new, and I happily picked up several more books in the series. Sure, it's the kind of thing EFP (Extruded Fantasy Product) was named for, but sometimes that's exactly what you want.

More than thirty years and twenty volumes later, though... well, Brooks has learned a thing or two about writing in the decades since. The prose here flows smoothly enough for the most part, apart from clunky names that seem to hover on the edge of meaningfulness (Panterra Qu, I'm looking at you), and the occasional solecism such as "a broad, wide passage" (p.166) or the part where a character does something "Without a word" (p.173) but then immediately utters several sentences. And then there's the mercenary who takes on a suicidal task without even a discussion of payment...

But anyway... that's not the worst thing. I can forgive plot holes, odd names and bad phrasing in the service of an enthusiastic story. With this novel, though, I realized about a third of the way in that I was just plodding through. I even put it down for awhile to read other things, then picked it back up... but still found myself reluctant to turn the pages.

It's just another story, you know? It's likeable enough, if you like this sort of thing—it's by no means the worst thing I've ever read—but... there doesn't seem to be anything deeper here, just Brooks filling in the backstory in a long-running series.

The novel also suffers from a disappointing lack of resolution—I suppose I should have guessed that this would not end well, but Bearers of the Black Staff is really only half a book, and aside from the implication hidden by that colon in the title, there's no indication on the cover that this is so. I don't like that kind of publisher's trick even when the author's someone of Connie Willis' stature, and I like it less from Brooks. I know, I know—my son tells me that this sounds like the old restaurant joke: "the food is terrible, and the portions are so small!" But really the only reason why I finished reading this book is because I thought it might actually have an ending.

The conclusion of this book is in a volume called The Measure of the Magic, should you care to pick it up. I won't be doing so.(less)

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Apr 08, 2012 Ryan Lawler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bearers of the Black Staff is the first book in Terry Brooks' Legends of Shannara series, published by Del Rey in August 2010. This book follows on from the Genesis of Shannara series and continues to explore the post-apocalyptic evolution of our world, connecting the events from the Word/Void series with the fantasy world of Shannara. While this book can be read and enjoyed without any prior knowledge of Word/Void and Shannara, this is the 22nd novel to explore this universe and as such, avid r...more Bearers of the Black Staff is the first book in Terry Brooks' Legends of Shannara series, published by Del Rey in August 2010. This book follows on from the Genesis of Shannara series and continues to explore the post-apocalyptic evolution of our world, connecting the events from the Word/Void series with the fantasy world of Shannara. While this book can be read and enjoyed without any prior knowledge of Word/Void and Shannara, this is the 22nd novel to explore this universe and as such, avid readers will find and be enriched by the many references and connections to previous books.

At the end of the Genesis of Shannara series the young boy Hawk lead the remnants of Humans, Elves, Lizards and Spiders into an isolated valley, casting over them the protective magic of the Gypsy Morph while the rest of the world was devastated by the launch of all nuclear weapons. Bearers of the Black Staff picks up the story 500 years later, inside the valley where the people have developed their own culture full of political and religious intrigue, based on the belief that their valley will be protected forever.

The story follows Sider Ament, the last remaining Knight of the Word, who is tracking two demonic creatures that have breached the boundary. Two young trackers, Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, stumble upon these creatures while investigating the brutal killing of two of their colleagues and with the help of Ament they are able to escape. After confirming that the boundary has come down, it falls upon the two young trackers to spread the word among the rest of the valley while Sider Ament explores the outside world in an attempt to determine the sorts of dangers that may be lurking nearby.

I really enjoyed this book, much more than I thought I would. While the basic characters, setting, and plot all seem very familiar, as is usually the case with a Shannara novel, what makes this book more than just another Shannara novel is all the moving parts working in operation outside of the main storyline. Some quick examples; there is Panterra and Prue trying to convince people that the boundary has come down invalidating the religous beliefs of the majority of valley inhabitants which has unpredictable and far reaching ramifications, there are religious and governing organisations who are more concerned with trying to make the most of the situation in a play for power and control, and there is still the fracticious relationship between all the races that has a large influence over the decisions made by those in power.

This is a well written novel designed to be easy to read and hard to put down. Being easy to read means that there is not a lot of complexity in the writing and this did have a slightly detrimental affect when exploring the complex nature of the religous and political scenarios mentioned above. There are some pacing issues early on and you do get the feeling that you are reading a lot of pages and learning a lot about the world without much actually happening to progress the story. These are relatively small issues and they do not take anything away from what is the strongest piece of work produced by Terry Brooks in some time.(less)

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Mar 10, 2012 Bart Breen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Terry Brooks and Shannara have been around since the 1970s. I remember stumbling across Brooks after reading all of Tolkien's works and wondering if there was anyone else out there who could write and create a world like Tolkien. I didn't realize at the time, how tall an order that was. I read a lot of imitators and wannabes and was about to give up, but thanks to Brooks and a few others I was pleasantly surprised that there was some fantasy literature out there worth reading.

Over time though, I...more Terry Brooks and Shannara have been around since the 1970s. I remember stumbling across Brooks after reading all of Tolkien's works and wondering if there was anyone else out there who could write and create a world like Tolkien. I didn't realize at the time, how tall an order that was. I read a lot of imitators and wannabes and was about to give up, but thanks to Brooks and a few others I was pleasantly surprised that there was some fantasy literature out there worth reading.

Over time though, I began to feel that Terry was dragging things out just a little and some of the plots and stories were wearing a little thin. It was with this background and sense of wonder as to where Terry would go with a Shannara related book so many years later, that I picked this book out and I have to say, I wasn't disappointed.

It's been a long time since I read the original Shannara books and I wondered if I was going to be able to come back so many years later and remember enough for the book to make sense. As it turned out, there was no reason to worry. This book stands well by itself and while it certainly has some ties to previous works, I didn't find myself confused or needing to recall characters or plots from the past to make sense of what was going on here.

Brooks' writes smoothly (as I remember well) and strikes a good balance between character development, plot progression with surprises along the way that keep the reader from getting too comfortable. Tied into this series as well is a good tie to our good old "mundane" world with some speculation as to what things might be in the aftermath of, oh I don't know .... how about a nuclear holocaust? It does it however without the tempting social commentary that another writer might have indulged in.

The characters presented develop well although by the time the book comes to a conclusion (preparing for the next in the series) you may want a scorecard to keep track of all the little subplots and relationships taking place.

Overall, I enjoyed returning to Brooks and reading this side foray into Shannara reminded me of why he was one of the few who could capture for me that "feeling" that I was introduced to in middle-earth and have so much difficulty finding outside of it. Brooks is a voice of his own creation and not an echo, so it's not necessarily fair to hold him or anyone up to that standard, but then again, Brooks for me measures up about as well as any other author I've found in this genre and it was nice to revisit and remember why that is so.

4 stars.

bart breen(less)

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Feb 27, 2011 Kurtbg rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Terry Brooks still keeps churning them out. In his last series he united his "knights of the word" and the "Shannara" worlds together, and destroyed the modern world. Where can you go after that?

A small group that separated itself from the burning world is forced to join back up with it after
a couple hundred years. What's the new world like? How will they survive? How has the power and how
can you be protected?

Terry Brooks starts this new trilogy (of course) by setting up the classic tale of the...more

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Sep 29, 2010 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I adore Terry Brooks. That said, this wasn't my favorite of his offerings, and largely because I felt it was too short and not fleshed out as well as it could have been. I realize it is 1 of 2, but based on what he's written before, it seemed to me as I was reading that this could easily have been all fit into one book, instead of broken into two, a year apart. That seems rather calculated to me, but hey, a guy's gotta make a living, I guess...

It's a good story, an informative telling of the eve...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Lighthearted rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, post-apocalyptic

Roughly 500 years have passed since Hawk led his ragged group of survivors to the valley and a shield of magic was put in place to protect them from the waves of destruction outside. Over the centuries, the humans, elves, and mutants living in this safe haven have apparently forgotten the shared struggle of their ancestors as they choose to live separated from one another, with little contact.

Sider Ament, the last Knight of the Word, is the first to discover that the barriers are dissolving. Tra...more Roughly 500 years have passed since Hawk led his ragged group of survivors to the valley and a shield of magic was put in place to protect them from the waves of destruction outside. Over the centuries, the humans, elves, and mutants living in this safe haven have apparently forgotten the shared struggle of their ancestors as they choose to live separated from one another, with little contact.

Sider Ament, the last Knight of the Word, is the first to discover that the barriers are dissolving. Trackers Panterra Qu and Prue Liss are the next. Unfortunately, few want to believe them: the weakening of the barriers goes against everything they’ve been taught, Sider has long been a recluse, and the trackers are teenagers. The three have some idea of what will eventually find its way inside the valley though, so, with the help of two Elven trackers (Tasha and Tenerife) and one Elven princess (Phryne) they venture into the dangerous land beyond the barrier to gather proof.

The basic storyline is solid but, diehard Terry Brooks fan that I am, I have a few criticisms. Phryne was just too scattered for me—I actually had trouble believing her as a character. She hates her stepmother, she thinks maybe she’s misjudged her stepmother, she never visits her grandmother, she loves her grandmother, etc. I know she’s a teenager but many of her actions simply did not seem to agree with her intelligence or temperament. Another detail that jarred me out of the story was the scene in which Phryne convinces her father to let her accompany the trackers—I have a difficult time believing he would agree. Even if he truly didn’t believe there was any danger, her stated interest in Pan seems like something that would have raised concerns.

Now on to the aspects of the story that make this a recommended read! Deladion Inch is an intriguing character and, considering his situation, I really hope we discover how he came to be the man we meet. I do question the equipment he’s managed to restore to working condition, despite the fact that the technology is over 500 years old. I was able to suspend my disbelief a bit though, simply because he is such an engaging character.

I love Sider and Aislinne. I can’t say that I love Arik but he’s certainly noteworthy. I’m curious to learn more of Bonnasaint.

Criticisms aside, I like meeting the new characters that Brooks creates and I love his descriptive writing style. I do miss the old days when each book was a complete adventure (as opposed to a part of the adventure) but c’est la vie. As a bridge between the various series, Bearers of the Black Staff provides enough backstory that newcomers won’t be lost, but not so much that the story is bogged down. Looking forward to The Measure of Magic!!!(less)

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May 23, 2010 Shawn Speakman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bearers of the Black Staff is, quite simply, one of Terry's best books. The first part of a two-book set, Black Staff is set 500 years after the events in The Gypsy Morph, where the the descendants of civilization's demise re-emerge from their protected valley into a world greatly changed and far more dangerous.

But not all dangers are in the world without. Some have been festering in the valley for centuries.

Terry has done a great job developing his characters in this first book. I guarantee Ter...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Jed L rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a typical Terry Brooks book. It didn't disappoint, nor did if overly wow me. Brooks has a very consistent style. His characters are safe at home, something forces them to wander outside, they meet a strange man, they team up with some Elves, eventually get kidnapped, face a threat that will potentially alter their very existence or destroy them, use magic and wind up happily ever after.

All of these themes were applied except for the happily ever after part, which I assume will come in th...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer-If you read the review and feel there is a spoiler in it, please let me know and I will remove that section. Also, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Thank you.

Bearers of the Black Staff is the first book in the Legends of Shannara dualogy. The Measure of the Magic is due out later this month. This is the first book I have read by Terry Brooks and not having read any of the others in the Shannara series there were times where I am sure I missed some things due to refere...more

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Dec 13, 2011 Nick Johnson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Though Terry Brooks through the years has been one of my favorite authors, and the Shannara series was my first introduction to amazing fantasy writing years ago, I was fairly disappointed with this work. While the story had a lot of great possibilities, and the characters were great, the overall story left a lot to be desired. This book had the feel of a half-finished idea, rushed through in order to sell books, rather than to expand upon the world of Shannara. I didn't feel it added anything t...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Mirjam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Bearers of the Black Staff is the first book in the Legends of Shannara series, which takes place five hundred years after the sanctuary created by magic was founded. Now the border wards protecting the four peoples of Shannara against the horrors beyond have fallen. When Sider Ament, the only remaining Knight of the Word, discovers unknown predators stalking the valley, he knows the wards are down and the valley is in danger. Together with the two young Trackers Panterra and Prue, who followed...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Chris Matney rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have been a fan of Shannara since first reading the Sword of Shannara back in 1977. Terry Brooks has also written a few of my favorite books - Running with the Demon being his best.

Mr. Brooks' writing is solid - descriptive and yet transparent to the story he is telling. He has a great sense of pacing, and his background fantasy world is very deep and alluring.

It is annoying that most of his later stories are multi-volume affairs misleadingly marketed as stand-alone books. Bearers of the Black...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Kai Mundwiler rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Laid out across the large canvas that's needed to hold all of the great books that Terry Brooks has written over the years, some books tend to be more support compared to some of the others that shine on the outside, the books that everyone remembers.

I'd put this book in that former category. It's a good book and it serves a good function in the canon of the Shannara world. It just doesn't jump out as one of the best. That may change when I read the sequel (Measure of the Magic). It seemed like...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Mike Ogilvie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

The Shannara series by Terry Brooks holds a special place on my reading shelf. The Sword of Shannara is the first book in the original trilogy and was the first book I ever picked up to read of my own volition. Bearers of the Black Staff is the first in a trilogy of prequels to the whole series and has been released in only the last year or two. It serves as a stepping stone between the legendary "Great Wars" that wreaked havoc on the world (presumably Earth) that eventually led to the tradition...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While I enjoyed the book and am happy to see Brooks closing the gap from post apocalyptic to the First King, I'm disappointed that instead of giving me answers to questions I've had for years I've just been given more questions. Tie up the loose ends Brooks, I want to know how Paranora was built, what happened to create Hadeshorn, is the Word God, if so does that make the King of the Silver River an Angel, why're the elves so dumb, every 50-500 years a tragedy happens that they could help advert...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Jason Hamilton rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Being a Terry Brooks fan, I of course had to pick up Bearers of the Black Staff to read. I'm afraid to say that I was disappointed. It lacked a lot of material, not because it was a cliffhanger but because it just didn't have any exciting content at all.

Sider Ament is the last remaining Knight of the Word who carries his badge of office, the black staff. He has spent much of his life patrolling the protective barriers that conceal the last civilization of Men, and Elves. Now however, the barrier...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this to be a good story by Brooks. I read The Sword of Shannara back when it first came out and have read a few other of Brooks series back in the day but hadn't read anything by him in quite a while until just recently. This story takes place as the mists are clearing in the safehold that was established some 500 years ago after the destruction of the world by nuclear and chemical wars. As the mists clear these refugees, who have been living a safe life in this safehold, will have to de...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Terry Brooks is just a whiz at making this stuff up! He has now picked up at 500 years AFTER the destruction of the world "as we know it" where the followers of the Hawk and Kierson the elf were brought into a safe haven (in Oregon, of course! :D) protected by binding spells to keep it shielded from the outside world where demons and mutated creatures of wicked intent reside. Once again, I am pulled into the story by the endearing characters and descriptions of the settings. The "bearers of the...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This story is a very well received (by me) continuation of the Shannara World. It takes place 500 years following the events of the Genesis of Shannara Trilogy. The protective barrier Hawk raised to protect his "children" is failing and now the two very different worlds are rapidly colliding.
I think the reason I've been a little harsh with Mr. Brooks in my previous reviews is that I've read all the books before so the novelty and excitement was lost on me. I just wanted the action to move forwa...more

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Sep 10, 2010 Bea rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, reviews, epic-fantasy, read-in-2010, arc, bea-s-book-nook

BOOK BLURB:

Five hundred years have passed since the devastating demon-led war that almost exterminated humankind. Those who escaped the carnage were led to sanctuary by the boy saviour known as Hawk: the gypsy morph. But now, the unimaginable has come to pass: the cocoon of protective magic surrounding the valley has vanished. When Sider Ament, last surviving Knight of the Word, detects unknown predators stalking the valley, and Trackers from the human village of Glensk Wood, find two of their o...more BOOK BLURB:

Five hundred years have passed since the devastating demon-led war that almost exterminated humankind. Those who escaped the carnage were led to sanctuary by the boy saviour known as Hawk: the gypsy morph. But now, the unimaginable has come to pass: the cocoon of protective magic surrounding the valley has vanished. When Sider Ament, last surviving Knight of the Word, detects unknown predators stalking the valley, and 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. Together, the young Trackers, the aging Knight, and a daring Elf princess race to spread word of the encroaching danger. 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. Standing firm between the two, the last wielder of the black staff and its awesome magic must find a successor to carry on the fight against the cresting new wave of evil.

REVIEW:

This book occurrs before, well before, the events of the first published Shannara book, The Sword of Shannara. Our world, the Earth, has been devastated and there were only a few survivors. Some of those survivors live in a valley separated from the rest of the world by barriers made of magic. Outside of the valley are other survivors, who have mutated over the years. There’s been no contact between the two groups and many of the human survivors in the valley are unwilling to believe that there even coudl be survivors. The human man who led the survivors to the valley five hundred years ago has been transformed over time into a messiah and a religious figure. Naturally, it’s conservative group and a core belief is that Hawk, the man who, in their opinion, saved the human race, will return. One of the main characters, Aislinne, sums it up well: “Child, child. I mean five centuries of traditions and beliefs that have become a bedrock of faith for far too many of our people. You cannot challenge something so deeply ingrained without arousing strong sentiment. Look now. How much do you know of the history of the Children of the Hawk?”

You might think that Brooks looks at religion and cults and how both grow and change and affect the culture they spring from. Fantasy allows an author the chance to explore, question and reflect issues that can be difficult to do in mainstream fiction. Using epic fantasy to do so while telling an engaging story would have been a worthwhile. effort. Sadly, Brooks chooses to stay with his tried and true formula. While the religion does play a part in the storyline, it drives certain actions, it’s not a key part of the story. The characters - Sider Ament ( the titular bearer of the Black Staff), Panterra Qu, Prue Liss, Aislinne - are moderately interesting but could be any character from any Shannara novel, just with a different name.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. I enjoyed the first Shannara trilogy and most of the following books. I never read the Genesis trilogy nor the Word and Void series, both of which are set in time prior to this book. Still, I expected to enjoy it. Instead, it felt like a re-tread. We’ve seen all the characters before - in The Sword of Shannara, in The Driud of Shannara, in The Lord of the Rings, in any of the Pern novels by Anne McCffrey. If you have read any of those, you have read this one. What should have been an interesting glimpse into Shannara’s history and the development of it’s magical culture is instead a moderately interesting rewrite of earlier Shannara books.

Unless you are a hardcore Brooks or Shannara fan, don’t bother with this book.

This review is also up at www.thefalcatatimes.com, http://falcatatimes.blogspot.com/2010...(less)

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Sep 19, 2010 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorite-author

Another very strong book by Terry Brooks. I believe by going back to the time period between The Word and the Void series and The Sword of Shannara, Terry has been a bit revitalized. The past 4 or 5 Shannara books have been fresh, with very interesting plots and story lines.

I can say that I loved the original Shannara series, but didn't care as much for the Heritage, Voyage and High Druid series, as I felt they were too dark and depressing. This book is more upbeat and interesting, as all of hi...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Pam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: brooks-terry

Bearers of the Black Staff begins the duology of the Legends of Shannara (something new for Mr. Brooks as he usually writes his Shannara stories in trilogies). This first book begins 500 years after the end of The Gypsy Morph. The humans, Elves, Lizards, Spiders, and various other mutants that followed Hawk, Logan Tom, Angel Perez, and Simralin and Kirisin Bellarus into the valley that was warded by Hawk's magic and walled off from the outside world have settled in and made comfortable lives for...more Bearers of the Black Staff begins the duology of the Legends of Shannara (something new for Mr. Brooks as he usually writes his Shannara stories in trilogies). This first book begins 500 years after the end of The Gypsy Morph. The humans, Elves, Lizards, Spiders, and various other mutants that followed Hawk, Logan Tom, Angel Perez, and Simralin and Kirisin Bellarus into the valley that was warded by Hawk's magic and walled off from the outside world have settled in and made comfortable lives for themselves. In the intervening 500 years, things have changed and almost gone back to the way they were before the destruction of the outside world. The races once again separate themselves from each other and do nothing to fulfill the magical potential left behind by Hawk, the Knights of the Word, and Simralin and Kirisin Bellarus.

The majority of the humans belong to a cult-like group called the Children of the Hawk, led by a Seraphic named Skeal Eile. There is a governing body, a Ruling Council, as well but Skeal Eile wields the real power among the majority of the humans in the valley and most especially in the village of Glensk Woods. It is said that Hawk will return to lead the Children of the Hawk from the valley when the time is right, and the Seraphic binds his followers to him with this prophecy.

In the forest above Glensk Woods, two young human trackers, Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, are out covering their territory in the forests when they come across the bodies of two of their friends and fellow trackers. But the manner of the killing is like nothing they have ever seen before. They begin tracking whatever it is that has killed their friends...slowly and carefully putting all their tracking skills to the test. Then, suddenly, they find two huge, monstrous creatures...creatures that have never been seen in the valley before. Armed with only their bows and arrows and long knives, they are little match for these monsters. All at once, a blue light flashes out of the darkness towards the monsters, wounding one and throwing the other yards away. Out of the darkness strides the one called The Gray Man, Sider Ament, the Bearer of the Black Staff. Using his staff's magic, Sider manages to kill one beast but the other runs off toward the summit of the valley. Sider has a chilling story to tell Pan and Prue. The wards of faerie set by Hawk some 500 years ago have come down and have done so all at once. The two monsters they just encountered came from the world outside their valley, and soon many more, and perhaps worse, things will follow. He sends them to warn Glensk Wood and the other human communities, as well as the Elves, while he goes after the other beast that escaped.

Pan and Prue set off for Glensk Woods and request an audience before the Ruling Council. But once they deliver the news given to them by Sider Ament, they are met with ridicule, derision, and scorn, particularly by Skeal Eile. Since the humans won't listen, Pan and Prue decide to set out to warn the Elves but before they can do so, they are set upon by assassins. Will they survive the assassination attempt? Can they reach the Elves and warn them? And will the Elves listen any more than the humans did?

In the Elven capital city of Arborlon, Phryne, the king's only daughter, and her cousins have heard rumors of the failing of the wards of the valley. Phryne cajoles her father into letting her go with her cousins to see if the rumors are true. During their trip, hostages are taken by the Lizards living outside the valley (who now call themselves Trolls). Can the Elves save themselves from the formidable army of the Trolls? Can the hostages be rescued...and if so, how?

Meanwhile, Sider Ament travels outside the valley, the first to have done so for over 500 years. He finds a friend but also a great number of enemies, all of whom are bent on conquering the sheltered little valley. He knows that he alone cannot protect the valley, even with the magic of his black staff (the black staff of one of the Knights of the Word that went into the valley 500 years ago). He must find a way to protect the valley...and he must find someone willing to take up the black staff in the very likely event that he is killed while trying to protect the valley. And what of the Elfstones that helped save all the races over 500 years ago? Where have they gone? No one seems to know but their magic is powerful! Someone must know something!

As usual, I gave this book 5 stars. It's no secret to anyone who has read my reviews of Mr. Brooks' works that I think he is one of the best writers out there today. Maybe I use the word "master" too often when describing his works but I genuinely feel that he is one. I know of very few other authors whose works are so complex yet so compelling at the same time. I've read other fantasy authors who try to do the same thing that Terry Brooks does and who fail miserably. Terry Brooks always has four or five balls in the air, juggling them all skillfully at the same time, never dropping one, until, at the very end, they all end up in his hands with a skillful and satisfying conclusion.(less)

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Feb 07, 2011 George rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For those of you familiar with Brooks works, there is much that will be familiar here, but little terribly original or new as in the Gypsy Morph saga. The plot carries on some 500 years after the setting of the last novel and while it makes for interesting reading, there's little particularly riviting unlike some of his more recent works. It all feels rushed, like there were timelines to meet and bills to pay, and none of the new characters are especially well drawn or unique. It makes for a qui...more

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Oct 05, 2010 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An excellent run through of the Terry Brooks formula - anti-social mysterious stranger protects community who don't appreciate him; under-estimated teens aren't believed when they tell community that their way of life is in total danger - as a result, they are outcast. The outcasts then team up with the stranger to save the unappreciative community and/or the world.

So that's why I'm deducting a star... because of the adherence to the formula of just about every Terry Brooks novel. But giving it...more

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Oct 26, 2010 Marshall Pickens rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Terry Brooks is, unfortunately, getting a bit predictable. I've been reading his books since I was in Jr. High and he is still one of my all time favorites, but lately I haven't been rushing out to get his new books. One of the things to note about him and this book is that the man is a writing machine. He puts out a new book at exactly the same time each year and this is the new book for this year. Surprisingly it isn't part of a trilogy, but a duology (two books, if that is even a word). It is...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Dan Rheingans rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A continuation of the Genesis of Shannara series, Bearers of the Black Staff picks up the history of the world 500 years in the future of that series' conclusion. Brooks' writing is enjoyable to read and puts you back into the world with ease. I enjoyed the reading the book and returning to the world of pre-shannara. My only gripe about the book is Brook's penchant for cliff-hanger endings. Not the cliffhanger where "Boy I can't wait to see what happens next" (yes, it has that kind too...but...)...more

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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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“We are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past, and no amount of education gleaned from our propensity for self-destruction and misguided thinking ever teaches us anything. Not anything that we remember for more than a generation or two.

I think maybe we learn a few things each time that we don't forget. A few things that stick with us. It's just hard to pass those things on to those who come after us because if they didn't live through it, they don't view it the same way we do. If you don't experience something firsthand, it's a lot harder to accept. Terry Brooks, Bearers of the Black Staff, p 89” — 8 people liked it

“And yet it had come to this: a cult that followed a dogmatic hard line of exclusion and repression, believed its teachings alone were the way that others must follow, and claimed special knowledge of something that had happened more than five centuries ago. It did nothing to soften its rigid stance, nothing to heal wounds that it had helped to create by deliberately shunning people of other Races, and nothing to explore the possibility of other beliefs. It held its ground even in the face of hard evidence that perhaps it had misjudged and refused to consider that it was courting a danger that might destroy everyone. p96” — 6 people liked it

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Bearers of the Black Staff: Legends of Shannara (Legends of Shannara #1)

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