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Viridian Deep #1
Child of Light
At nineteen, Auris Afton Grieg has led an . . . unusual life. Since the age of fifteen, she has been trapped in a sinister prison. Why? She does not know. She has no memories of her past beyond the vaguest of impressions. All she knows is that she is about to age out of the children’s prison, and rumors say that the adult version is far, far worse. So she and some friends stage a desperate escape into the surrounding wastelands. And it is here that Auris’s journey of discovery begins, for she is rescued by a handsome yet alien stranger. Harrow claims to be Fae—a member of a magical race that Auris had thought to be no more than legend. Odder still, he seems to think that she is one as well, although the two look nothing alike. But strangest of all, when he brings her to his wondrous homeland, she begins to suspect that he is right. Yet how could a woman who looks entirely human be a magical being herself?
Told with a fresh, energetic voice, this fantasy puzzle box is perfect for fans of Terry Brooks and new readers alike, as one young woman slowly unlocks truths about herself and her world—and, in doing so, begins to heal both.
Told with a fresh, energetic voice, this fantasy puzzle box is perfect for fans of Terry Brooks and new readers alike, as one young woman slowly unlocks truths about herself and her world—and, in doing so, begins to heal both.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published October 19, 2021
675 people are currently reading
14261 people want to read
About the author
Terry Brooks
417 books77.8k followersTerry 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 his graduate degree from the School of Law at Washington & Lee University.
A writer since high school, he wrote many stories within the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction, until one semester early in his college years he was given The Lord of the Rings to read. That moment changed Terry's life forever, because in Tolkien's great work he found all the elements needed to fully explore his writing combined in one genre.
He then wrote The Sword of Shannara, the seven year grand result retaining sanity while studying at Washington & Lee University and practicing law. It became the first work of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months.
A writer since high school, he wrote many stories within the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction, until one semester early in his college years he was given The Lord of the Rings to read. That moment changed Terry's life forever, because in Tolkien's great work he found all the elements needed to fully explore his writing combined in one genre.
He then wrote The Sword of Shannara, the seven year grand result retaining sanity while studying at Washington & Lee University and practicing law. It became the first work of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 855 reviews
June 2, 2021
I was given a ARC from Netgalley and I can only hope this is a draft that has yet to see an editor.
I had never read a Terry Brooks book before Child of Light and I'm not sure I will read another one after this.
There is a confusing lack of descriptions of anything in this fantasy world, for instance early on in the novel the main character notes that she warms herself by a "strange heater" and that is the entirety of what is said. This is least spoiler-y of examples but certainly not the last. A good fantasy story should suck you into it's world, make you fall in love with the setting as the character does. The most we get in this book is the author via his first person narrator telling us how in love she is with the place. Because she loves it so should we. Which seems to be a reoccurring theme of the entirety of the plot. Auris hates thing A so that's all we need to know about it. Auris thinks thing B is a certain way and nothing else is needed.
Auris is a dull caricature of what the author thinks a nineteen year old girl is like. He had a base for a very compelling character which he then smothered in an infantile Love Interest Obsession to the point where it felt as if the reader was reading Auris's diary where she was writing out her instant love interest's name with hearts surrounding it page after page. For as big of a part of the narrative Mr. Brooks wanted the love story to be it falls flat as neither of these characters have anything but the basest of character traits or interests. They are interested in each other and that is about the lot of it.
The same can be said for any of the characters in the book really, they are not given anything but the bare minimum of the trope they are meant to fill. Any hardships or obstacles Auris is meant to overcome are either dealt with easily or deemed not important enough to address. (Goblins tried to kidnap you from your house in this stronghold? Well someone must really hate you... moving on-) And amid it all we are reminded that women (Fae or otherwise) should eat salad for dinner, that other women are rivals in love until proven otherwise, and that being imprisoned for years and the trauma of losing everyone you know within the first ten pages is easily healed by meeting A Man.
Redundant prose and the near constant regurgitation of Auris's shallow thoughts (not to mention the baffling amount of repetitive word use) made reading this a completely tedious and predictable slog.
I had never read a Terry Brooks book before Child of Light and I'm not sure I will read another one after this.
There is a confusing lack of descriptions of anything in this fantasy world, for instance early on in the novel the main character notes that she warms herself by a "strange heater" and that is the entirety of what is said. This is least spoiler-y of examples but certainly not the last. A good fantasy story should suck you into it's world, make you fall in love with the setting as the character does. The most we get in this book is the author via his first person narrator telling us how in love she is with the place. Because she loves it so should we. Which seems to be a reoccurring theme of the entirety of the plot. Auris hates thing A so that's all we need to know about it. Auris thinks thing B is a certain way and nothing else is needed.
Auris is a dull caricature of what the author thinks a nineteen year old girl is like. He had a base for a very compelling character which he then smothered in an infantile Love Interest Obsession to the point where it felt as if the reader was reading Auris's diary where she was writing out her instant love interest's name with hearts surrounding it page after page. For as big of a part of the narrative Mr. Brooks wanted the love story to be it falls flat as neither of these characters have anything but the basest of character traits or interests. They are interested in each other and that is about the lot of it.
The same can be said for any of the characters in the book really, they are not given anything but the bare minimum of the trope they are meant to fill. Any hardships or obstacles Auris is meant to overcome are either dealt with easily or deemed not important enough to address. (Goblins tried to kidnap you from your house in this stronghold? Well someone must really hate you... moving on-) And amid it all we are reminded that women (Fae or otherwise) should eat salad for dinner, that other women are rivals in love until proven otherwise, and that being imprisoned for years and the trauma of losing everyone you know within the first ten pages is easily healed by meeting A Man.
Redundant prose and the near constant regurgitation of Auris's shallow thoughts (not to mention the baffling amount of repetitive word use) made reading this a completely tedious and predictable slog.
May 31, 2021
"Then I know. Just like that, I know."
This perfectly sums up the book. Auris, our main character, "just knows" everything. Information and skills manifest as she needs them. Magic has no bounds. Anything you might suspect about her heritage is true.
There are no descriptions. There is no sense of what anything actually looks like. People eat food. There are plants. We have no idea what kind of food or plants, what they look or taste like, no sensory information is given about anything, ever.
The work "quixotic" is used. This word wouldn’t exist without Don Quixote. Does this take place on Earth?
Auris calls herself a “hot mess". Other modern American terminology is used. It's weird.
Auris mostly talks about Is this what you think is on the minds of traumatized teenage girls, Terry Brooks?
The narration repeats itself over and over again. Even within the same sentence. Auris just thinks about the same things, chapter after chapter. It's mostly her just thinking repetitive, cyclic thoughts.
At one point she sits on a bench and waits for something to happen to her.
Auris's favorite thing to do is sit and visit. Like an old person. We are not privvy to what happens during these visits, we are just told she hangs out with some people.
At 68% she suddenly wonders what she should do with her life. 68%.
Pretend this is being read by text to voice software. That is how I got through it.
'
Bottom line, it reads like exactly what it is: an old man trying to write in the voice of a 19 year old girl. It doesn't work. The story is trite, boring, and extremely boring.
I got an ARC from NetGalley and I regret it.
This perfectly sums up the book. Auris, our main character, "just knows" everything. Information and skills manifest as she needs them. Magic has no bounds. Anything you might suspect about her heritage is true.
There are no descriptions. There is no sense of what anything actually looks like. People eat food. There are plants. We have no idea what kind of food or plants, what they look or taste like, no sensory information is given about anything, ever.
The work "quixotic" is used. This word wouldn’t exist without Don Quixote. Does this take place on Earth?
Auris calls herself a “hot mess". Other modern American terminology is used. It's weird.
Auris mostly talks about Is this what you think is on the minds of traumatized teenage girls, Terry Brooks?
The narration repeats itself over and over again. Even within the same sentence. Auris just thinks about the same things, chapter after chapter. It's mostly her just thinking repetitive, cyclic thoughts.
At one point she sits on a bench and waits for something to happen to her.
Auris's favorite thing to do is sit and visit. Like an old person. We are not privvy to what happens during these visits, we are just told she hangs out with some people.
At 68% she suddenly wonders what she should do with her life. 68%.
Pretend this is being read by text to voice software. That is how I got through it.
'
Bottom line, it reads like exactly what it is: an old man trying to write in the voice of a 19 year old girl. It doesn't work. The story is trite, boring, and extremely boring.
I got an ARC from NetGalley and I regret it.
February 13, 2021
CHILD OF LIGHT is the first post-Shannara novel for author Terry Brooks, who concluded his bestselling series last year with The Last Druid.
That conclusion came at the right time. Because CHILD OF LIGHT is an amazing and welcome new fantasy novel unrelated to anything else Brooks has written. It is a stand alone but will be the first book of at least two. And with it, magic has returned for Brooks. It is clear he has been wanting to stretch his creativity for some time now — and every word of CHILD OF LIGHT is infused with the same wonder found in his best works (The Elfstones of Shannara, Armageddon’s Children, Running with the Demon, and The Tangle Box).
I mention those previous books because they are my favorite works from Brooks. And the keen observer can see I pulled from his Shannara, Landover, and Word/Void series. That is intentional. CHILD OF LIGHT features the strengths from all of those fantasy settings in an all-new story that is wholly original. I savored every chapter I finished. And I believe that any Brooks fan will love CHILD OF LIGHT! Wish I could go into more detail but those details are coming when Del Rey unveils more about the book.
But it doesn’t end there. Anyone who loved Katherine Arden’s Winternight trilogy or Naomi Novik’s A Deadly Education will also love CHILD OF LIGHT. So get ready, Brooks readers. You are going to love this new fantasy!
That conclusion came at the right time. Because CHILD OF LIGHT is an amazing and welcome new fantasy novel unrelated to anything else Brooks has written. It is a stand alone but will be the first book of at least two. And with it, magic has returned for Brooks. It is clear he has been wanting to stretch his creativity for some time now — and every word of CHILD OF LIGHT is infused with the same wonder found in his best works (The Elfstones of Shannara, Armageddon’s Children, Running with the Demon, and The Tangle Box).
I mention those previous books because they are my favorite works from Brooks. And the keen observer can see I pulled from his Shannara, Landover, and Word/Void series. That is intentional. CHILD OF LIGHT features the strengths from all of those fantasy settings in an all-new story that is wholly original. I savored every chapter I finished. And I believe that any Brooks fan will love CHILD OF LIGHT! Wish I could go into more detail but those details are coming when Del Rey unveils more about the book.
But it doesn’t end there. Anyone who loved Katherine Arden’s Winternight trilogy or Naomi Novik’s A Deadly Education will also love CHILD OF LIGHT. So get ready, Brooks readers. You are going to love this new fantasy!
October 31, 2021
Ah Shades! I wanted to love this book. I tried to love it. After a lifetime of loving Terry Brooks works, over the last few years I have enjoyed them less and less and personally felt let down by what he allowed MTV to do to some of my most favorite of his books. But Brooks will always be a hero to me for his original trilogy so I wanted this to be his comeback. I wanted him to feel reinvigorated outside of the bounds of Shannara. I wanted this to be the beginning of something new and special.
It was just okay though.
It started with promise. It felt like it could be something. But I saw just about everything coming. There are "twists and turns" in this book but they all felt obvious to me. Nothing surprised me. There were no red herrings or attempts to keep a reader guessing. There was only straightforward plotting as if it was set on a train track and there was never any doubt about where it would go next.
Escaped from the chains of Shannara, Brooks decides to change things up and write this one in the first person but his voice of a 19 year old girl never feels especially authentic, especially not a 19 year old girl who had survived the trauma that this one did. Like many of Brooks' female characters, this one is sweet and innocent and falls hopelessly in love immediately upon meeting someone. It's annoying that even though she has no training that she can remember, she is immediately able to use all kinds of weapons at an expert level. When her lost memories come back to her, there is no history that helps explain that fact. Her magic, called innish in this book, consists of her concentrating really hard, failing, then all of the sudden getting it--at which point she is able to do just about anything a more-skilled innish-user can automatically.
Another thing that annoyed me about this book is how much it borrowed from Shannara. The final Shannara series revolved around a kind of magic called "revealers." This book has a magic called The Reveal. Both Shannara and Knights of the Word characters carry black staffs with runes on them. So do innish users. There were probably 3-4 other things that were brought over from his other works and it felt odd. He had the chance to paint on a new canvass and still chose to give readers the same old-same old.
The biggest disappointment for me was the world-building in this book. It's basically non-existent. When the protagonist gets to the Land of the Fae she just keeps saying that it's beautiful over and over again. We have to take her word for it because other than it being an Ewok-like village in the trees, we don't learn much at all. Time and again Brooks has the opportunity to show the difference between the world we know and the world of the Fae but all we get is repetitive mentions that it is very beautiful and there are a lot of cool alcoholic drinks there.
The plot is slow. The ending is rushed--and obvious. None of the characters stood out in any way. Use of First Person Narrative is poorly executed and the overall plot of this book isn't really revealed until the last hundred pages or so. Before that there's some action/adventure, there's some love/romance. It meanders aimlessly and then all the sudden, on what seems a silly pretext, the heroine undertakes a foolish and dangerous mission of self-discovery that reveals the upcoming war which takes place over less than 30 pages.
It's not terrible. It's just okay. It's certainly not good or great and anyone who tries to compare this to Brooks' best books is clearly doing so because they have a horse in the race. Ignore the praise of the sycophantical brown-nosers. This isn't Brooks reborn. It's just the continued decline of a writer that once did it better than anyone and now just phones it in.
I have a hard time recommending this one. I'm pretty solid on it being 3 stars. It's okay. Just don't go into it with high expectations.
It was just okay though.
It started with promise. It felt like it could be something. But I saw just about everything coming. There are "twists and turns" in this book but they all felt obvious to me. Nothing surprised me. There were no red herrings or attempts to keep a reader guessing. There was only straightforward plotting as if it was set on a train track and there was never any doubt about where it would go next.
Escaped from the chains of Shannara, Brooks decides to change things up and write this one in the first person but his voice of a 19 year old girl never feels especially authentic, especially not a 19 year old girl who had survived the trauma that this one did. Like many of Brooks' female characters, this one is sweet and innocent and falls hopelessly in love immediately upon meeting someone. It's annoying that even though she has no training that she can remember, she is immediately able to use all kinds of weapons at an expert level. When her lost memories come back to her, there is no history that helps explain that fact. Her magic, called innish in this book, consists of her concentrating really hard, failing, then all of the sudden getting it--at which point she is able to do just about anything a more-skilled innish-user can automatically.
Another thing that annoyed me about this book is how much it borrowed from Shannara. The final Shannara series revolved around a kind of magic called "revealers." This book has a magic called The Reveal. Both Shannara and Knights of the Word characters carry black staffs with runes on them. So do innish users. There were probably 3-4 other things that were brought over from his other works and it felt odd. He had the chance to paint on a new canvass and still chose to give readers the same old-same old.
The biggest disappointment for me was the world-building in this book. It's basically non-existent. When the protagonist gets to the Land of the Fae she just keeps saying that it's beautiful over and over again. We have to take her word for it because other than it being an Ewok-like village in the trees, we don't learn much at all. Time and again Brooks has the opportunity to show the difference between the world we know and the world of the Fae but all we get is repetitive mentions that it is very beautiful and there are a lot of cool alcoholic drinks there.
The plot is slow. The ending is rushed--and obvious. None of the characters stood out in any way. Use of First Person Narrative is poorly executed and the overall plot of this book isn't really revealed until the last hundred pages or so. Before that there's some action/adventure, there's some love/romance. It meanders aimlessly and then all the sudden, on what seems a silly pretext, the heroine undertakes a foolish and dangerous mission of self-discovery that reveals the upcoming war which takes place over less than 30 pages.
It's not terrible. It's just okay. It's certainly not good or great and anyone who tries to compare this to Brooks' best books is clearly doing so because they have a horse in the race. Ignore the praise of the sycophantical brown-nosers. This isn't Brooks reborn. It's just the continued decline of a writer that once did it better than anyone and now just phones it in.
I have a hard time recommending this one. I'm pretty solid on it being 3 stars. It's okay. Just don't go into it with high expectations.
January 8, 2022
Excuse me, but what was that?! I’ve heard the name Terry Brooks as a fantasy author, but I’ve never read anything by him until this awful one. Are all of his books like this?
Setting: At first the setting of the book seemed promising: a prison run by goblins in a place called the wasteland. A huge lake with unpredictable tides and terrible things lurking beneath the surface. A beautiful Fae city hidden within the trees and protected by magic. But none of it is fully realized. I don’t understand the purpose of the prison and everything else is barely described leading to the fact that this story could take place anywhere, in any world, and it wouldn’t matter.
Characters: The characters are bland and unbelievable. They lack depth, especially the main character, Auris, who should have so many layers to her character after being imprisoned, losing friends, not remembering her past, and discovering herself, but she doesn’t. Everything with her is just so flat and emotionless. The only thing she seems to feel is attraction and it’s all just obnoxious to read. The rest of the characters are basic with no personality.
Plot: There’s barely a plot to this story. It’s just a bunch of meandering about with sudden bursts of something that should be exciting but turns out to be entirely too easy. The most exciting part happens within the first few pages and then it just goes downhill from there. The timing for things doesn’t always make sense or is unrealistic.
Writing: Honestly, the writing style as a whole is completely lacking. Everything feels choppy and disjointed. Half of the book feels redundant with certain things being repeated several times, sometimes within pages of itself. The dialogue is just bad. Auris says things that someone who spent her teenage years alone with only other teenagers and children just wouldn’t say. And since the story is told from Auris’ point of view, it’s all just not good.
I had high hopes for this book, but the entirety was a struggle for me to get through. I wanted to give up halfway through and the second half didn’t get any better. If anything it was more eye roll worthy than the first half. Only one star for this one.
Thanks to goodreads and Del Rey Publishing for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Setting: At first the setting of the book seemed promising: a prison run by goblins in a place called the wasteland. A huge lake with unpredictable tides and terrible things lurking beneath the surface. A beautiful Fae city hidden within the trees and protected by magic. But none of it is fully realized. I don’t understand the purpose of the prison and everything else is barely described leading to the fact that this story could take place anywhere, in any world, and it wouldn’t matter.
Characters: The characters are bland and unbelievable. They lack depth, especially the main character, Auris, who should have so many layers to her character after being imprisoned, losing friends, not remembering her past, and discovering herself, but she doesn’t. Everything with her is just so flat and emotionless. The only thing she seems to feel is attraction and it’s all just obnoxious to read. The rest of the characters are basic with no personality.
Plot: There’s barely a plot to this story. It’s just a bunch of meandering about with sudden bursts of something that should be exciting but turns out to be entirely too easy. The most exciting part happens within the first few pages and then it just goes downhill from there. The timing for things doesn’t always make sense or is unrealistic.
Writing: Honestly, the writing style as a whole is completely lacking. Everything feels choppy and disjointed. Half of the book feels redundant with certain things being repeated several times, sometimes within pages of itself. The dialogue is just bad. Auris says things that someone who spent her teenage years alone with only other teenagers and children just wouldn’t say. And since the story is told from Auris’ point of view, it’s all just not good.
I had high hopes for this book, but the entirety was a struggle for me to get through. I wanted to give up halfway through and the second half didn’t get any better. If anything it was more eye roll worthy than the first half. Only one star for this one.
Thanks to goodreads and Del Rey Publishing for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 23, 2021
First things first: this was MY first Terry Brooks novel. I know he has lots of fans for his other fantasy novels. This is the first in a new YA fantasy series from him.
The book started out strong for me, giving me The Maze Runner vibes. The main character 19-year old Auris escapes from a prison where goblins keep human children as workers AND a food source. So, Auris doesn't remember anything about her past, all she remembers is her time at the prison. During her escape, all of her fellow escapees are captured or killed. Auris finds her way to the shore of a lake where a handsome Fae named Harrow saves her from a patrol of goblins. Harrow brings Auris to his Fae homeland because he feels like she must be at least part fae. Auris develops a serious crush on him. And somewhere around here, the book lost me. It just became Auris yearning for Harrow and some other stuff happening. I felt like the world building and character development wasn't as strong as I would've liked. The plot felt like blurry background noise going on to play foil to Auris' feelings for Harrow.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.
The book started out strong for me, giving me The Maze Runner vibes. The main character 19-year old Auris escapes from a prison where goblins keep human children as workers AND a food source. So, Auris doesn't remember anything about her past, all she remembers is her time at the prison. During her escape, all of her fellow escapees are captured or killed. Auris finds her way to the shore of a lake where a handsome Fae named Harrow saves her from a patrol of goblins. Harrow brings Auris to his Fae homeland because he feels like she must be at least part fae. Auris develops a serious crush on him. And somewhere around here, the book lost me. It just became Auris yearning for Harrow and some other stuff happening. I felt like the world building and character development wasn't as strong as I would've liked. The plot felt like blurry background noise going on to play foil to Auris' feelings for Harrow.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.
ehhhh
September 28, 2021Do I actually want to read this or is it going to break me like The Sword of Shannara did?!
October 20, 2021
A dangerous new world!
A young woman escapes from a prison with fourteen others. A prison in the middle of a desert area where humans are enslaved by beings termed goblins. A place where humans can be killed and eaten by the guards, or sent to baby farms for forced reproduction, ensuring a continuing population for the goblins use. All totally grotesque. And that’s only the beginning. I’m not a big fan of storylines with humans being eaten so that part grossed me out big time.
Nineteen years old Auris Acton Grieg manages to survive the escape and is rescued by a being Harrow, a Fae Watcher. Transported across the water to the magical fae stronghold, Viridian Deep, in the middle of a lush mountainous jungle. These surroundings bring to mind the lushness of areas met in the Voyage of Jerle Shannara. The first fae city is a place of wonderment but not all fae are as welcoming as Harrow. His mother Ancrow is of that ilk.
Auris begins a quest to reclaim her memory, to find out who she is. She cannot remember anything except for a vagueness around her parents, prior to when she was taken at fifteen. Harrow is convinced she’s half fae. Auris however decides she “ must live as best [she]can with the knowledge that everything is ephemeral and subject to change.” To my way of thinking this will become her mantra.
There are real questions. Dark in nature. What are the connections between the goblins and humans? What is the significance of this for all races?
Then there’s Auris’ interest in Harrow. Way too sudden! A by product of being rescued or something more? As Auris reflects, “ Yes, he rescued me, but that hardly seems reason enough for the sort of attachment I find myself yearning for.” Auris seems to berate herself for being self-delusional.
There’s much to ponder on various levels. I’m fascinated to see where all this might lead.
A Random House - Ballantine ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
A young woman escapes from a prison with fourteen others. A prison in the middle of a desert area where humans are enslaved by beings termed goblins. A place where humans can be killed and eaten by the guards, or sent to baby farms for forced reproduction, ensuring a continuing population for the goblins use. All totally grotesque. And that’s only the beginning. I’m not a big fan of storylines with humans being eaten so that part grossed me out big time.
Nineteen years old Auris Acton Grieg manages to survive the escape and is rescued by a being Harrow, a Fae Watcher. Transported across the water to the magical fae stronghold, Viridian Deep, in the middle of a lush mountainous jungle. These surroundings bring to mind the lushness of areas met in the Voyage of Jerle Shannara. The first fae city is a place of wonderment but not all fae are as welcoming as Harrow. His mother Ancrow is of that ilk.
Auris begins a quest to reclaim her memory, to find out who she is. She cannot remember anything except for a vagueness around her parents, prior to when she was taken at fifteen. Harrow is convinced she’s half fae. Auris however decides she “ must live as best [she]can with the knowledge that everything is ephemeral and subject to change.” To my way of thinking this will become her mantra.
There are real questions. Dark in nature. What are the connections between the goblins and humans? What is the significance of this for all races?
Then there’s Auris’ interest in Harrow. Way too sudden! A by product of being rescued or something more? As Auris reflects, “ Yes, he rescued me, but that hardly seems reason enough for the sort of attachment I find myself yearning for.” Auris seems to berate herself for being self-delusional.
There’s much to ponder on various levels. I’m fascinated to see where all this might lead.
A Random House - Ballantine ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
September 30, 2021
A coming of age fantasy with our heroine seeking the roots of her origin. I felt this book read too much like a tale for children. Impossible scenarios for our heroine to escape evil and contradictions within the set of circumstances. How does a Fae, trained in magic, bows, arrows, knives, etc., suddenly bring forth a "flash bang grenade" to elude danger?
The book's concept is good. No depth.
The book's concept is good. No depth.
December 16, 2021
3.5 stars. The first third of this book was a 5 star read. I was engrossed in this ‘different’ story and thoroughly enjoying it. But then the story took a turn. I’d loved finding out about Veridian but the main thrust of the plot direction was not one I liked and actually found quite boring.
November 2, 2021
If you know anything about my tastes in fantasy, you know that I've been a fan of Terry Brooks since I was a pre-teen, when my mom and aunt introduced me to The Sword of Shannara. I've read almost every single one of his books since then (his novelization of Hook is the only one I haven't), as well as his works of short fiction. And, while I was sad to bid farewell to Shannara with last year's The Last Druid, I was excited to see what he would bring to bear in Child of Light, a new novel set in an entirely different cosmos than any we've seen from him before.
As the novel begins, a young woman is trapped in a dreadful prison run by Goblins. After she manages to escape, she makes her way to the land of the elusive and enigmatic Fae, where she becomes especially close to a Fae Watcher named Harrow, who takes her to his homeland, Viridian Deep. There, Auris is forced to confront the reality that, contrary to her human appearance, she might actually be part Fae herself. The rest of the novel is occupied with her search for the truth of her identity, the full scope of which almost proves too much to accept.
From the beginning, Child of Light is an adventure story like only Terry Brooks could write. Though the opening portion of the book is short, it packs a punch. It shows the truly grisly conditions in which Auris and her friends are forced to exist, and the fact that we don't know why this place exists makes it all the more terrifying. Their escape from the Goblins is as fraught with peril as one might expect, and it's deeply tragic that Auris is one of the few to survive.
As is always the case with Brooks, he manages to deftly weave together a pulse-pounding story with deeper, more philosophical issues. Obviously, the most important of these revolves around issues of identity, and the extent to which any of us bear the burden of our ancestry. This is of particular importance for Auris, who struggles throughout the book both to know where she came from and, once she discovers that, how to make sense of earth-shattering revelations. It's impossible not to feel for her as she repeatedly has everything she thought she knew about herself reshaped and sometimes downright destroyed by new revelations.
Perusing some of the early reader reviews on Goodreads, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Brooks doesn't include a great deal of description this book. It is true that we don't get a zoomed-out look at this world, but Brooks maintains his ability to capture the feel of a world, and I particularly relished his descriptions of the exquisite Viridian Deep. There are shades here of Arborlon, the capital of the Elves in the Shannara world, but this place still has its own unique character. There are times when you feel like you are actually there, and you wish, along with Auris, that she can find the home there that she has been denied for so long.
Some have also criticized the book for having "insta-love," in that Auris almost immediately falls in love with Harrow after meeting him. However, I think that this actually works in the context of the narrative. After all, this is a young woman, still in her teens, who has just endured years of imprisonment before attaining unexpected freedom. Put in her place, who wouldn't fall in love with the first person to show them a bit of kindness and understanding? More to the point, there are actually people in the real world (myself included) who are notorious for falling in love at the drop of a hat, so I actually appreciated Brooks' ability to show that process.
Obviously, Child of Light has a different feel than much of Brooks' earlier work. For one thing, it's narrated in first-person present, which gives it an immediacy and a breathlessness that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you wonder just what's going to happen next to this brave young woman as she attempts to both survive and find out more about herself. At the same time, there's still a lot here for Brooks' legions of existing fans to enjoy. In some ways, it seems to me that Child of Light is the culmination of all of the work that he's done so far, and one can see strains of his earlier work running through the entire book, with the darkness of the Word and the Void, the light touch of Magic Kingdom of Landover, and the epic scale of Shannara.
It probably goes without saying that Humans don't come out particularly well in this book and that, too, is very much in keeping with Brooks' prior work. Anyone who has read the Shannara books knows that he has a healthy dose of pessimism when it comes to humanity's ability to destroy itself or anyone who it perceives as different. The world of Shannara was born out of nuclear war, and for centuries afterward humans waged war against the other races, often to their own detriment. Here, the Humans yearn for the power that the Fae possess, and they are willing to perpetrate horrific acts of violence and violation to attain what they want. Fortunately, Brooks doesn't pruriently dwell on that cruelty, but he makes it clear - particularly through the story arc of Ancrow, the leader of the Fae - just how far they are willing to go in their pursuit of power.
I suppose it comes as no surprise that I loved Child of Light as much as I thought I would. Terry Brooks has a well-deserved reputation for crafting stories that cast a spell like almost no one else working in fantasy. Though this book is self-contained, Brooks leaves us just enough mysteries and questions to make a sequel inevitable. I'm very much looking forward to seeing just how he continues to develop this new world and its fascinating (and enigmatic) characters.
As the novel begins, a young woman is trapped in a dreadful prison run by Goblins. After she manages to escape, she makes her way to the land of the elusive and enigmatic Fae, where she becomes especially close to a Fae Watcher named Harrow, who takes her to his homeland, Viridian Deep. There, Auris is forced to confront the reality that, contrary to her human appearance, she might actually be part Fae herself. The rest of the novel is occupied with her search for the truth of her identity, the full scope of which almost proves too much to accept.
From the beginning, Child of Light is an adventure story like only Terry Brooks could write. Though the opening portion of the book is short, it packs a punch. It shows the truly grisly conditions in which Auris and her friends are forced to exist, and the fact that we don't know why this place exists makes it all the more terrifying. Their escape from the Goblins is as fraught with peril as one might expect, and it's deeply tragic that Auris is one of the few to survive.
As is always the case with Brooks, he manages to deftly weave together a pulse-pounding story with deeper, more philosophical issues. Obviously, the most important of these revolves around issues of identity, and the extent to which any of us bear the burden of our ancestry. This is of particular importance for Auris, who struggles throughout the book both to know where she came from and, once she discovers that, how to make sense of earth-shattering revelations. It's impossible not to feel for her as she repeatedly has everything she thought she knew about herself reshaped and sometimes downright destroyed by new revelations.
Perusing some of the early reader reviews on Goodreads, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Brooks doesn't include a great deal of description this book. It is true that we don't get a zoomed-out look at this world, but Brooks maintains his ability to capture the feel of a world, and I particularly relished his descriptions of the exquisite Viridian Deep. There are shades here of Arborlon, the capital of the Elves in the Shannara world, but this place still has its own unique character. There are times when you feel like you are actually there, and you wish, along with Auris, that she can find the home there that she has been denied for so long.
Some have also criticized the book for having "insta-love," in that Auris almost immediately falls in love with Harrow after meeting him. However, I think that this actually works in the context of the narrative. After all, this is a young woman, still in her teens, who has just endured years of imprisonment before attaining unexpected freedom. Put in her place, who wouldn't fall in love with the first person to show them a bit of kindness and understanding? More to the point, there are actually people in the real world (myself included) who are notorious for falling in love at the drop of a hat, so I actually appreciated Brooks' ability to show that process.
Obviously, Child of Light has a different feel than much of Brooks' earlier work. For one thing, it's narrated in first-person present, which gives it an immediacy and a breathlessness that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you wonder just what's going to happen next to this brave young woman as she attempts to both survive and find out more about herself. At the same time, there's still a lot here for Brooks' legions of existing fans to enjoy. In some ways, it seems to me that Child of Light is the culmination of all of the work that he's done so far, and one can see strains of his earlier work running through the entire book, with the darkness of the Word and the Void, the light touch of Magic Kingdom of Landover, and the epic scale of Shannara.
It probably goes without saying that Humans don't come out particularly well in this book and that, too, is very much in keeping with Brooks' prior work. Anyone who has read the Shannara books knows that he has a healthy dose of pessimism when it comes to humanity's ability to destroy itself or anyone who it perceives as different. The world of Shannara was born out of nuclear war, and for centuries afterward humans waged war against the other races, often to their own detriment. Here, the Humans yearn for the power that the Fae possess, and they are willing to perpetrate horrific acts of violence and violation to attain what they want. Fortunately, Brooks doesn't pruriently dwell on that cruelty, but he makes it clear - particularly through the story arc of Ancrow, the leader of the Fae - just how far they are willing to go in their pursuit of power.
I suppose it comes as no surprise that I loved Child of Light as much as I thought I would. Terry Brooks has a well-deserved reputation for crafting stories that cast a spell like almost no one else working in fantasy. Though this book is self-contained, Brooks leaves us just enough mysteries and questions to make a sequel inevitable. I'm very much looking forward to seeing just how he continues to develop this new world and its fascinating (and enigmatic) characters.
January 16, 2023
Bellissimo nuovo libro di Terry Brooks, che si può leggere sia come stand alone sia come primo libro di una nuova saga (come in effetti è, visto che è già stato pubblicato Daughter of Darkness, ambientato solo pochi anni dopo gli eventi di Child of light). Punto di forza di Brooks, secondo me, sono sempre stati i personaggi: non che le sue trame siano pessime o scontate, anzi, sono molto coinvolgenti e interessanti, ma i suoi personaggi, il modo in cui vengono presentati, come evolvono durante la lettura erano una meraviglia in Shannara e sono una meraviglia in Child of light; sono tutti ben definiti, hanno una personalità completa, a tutto tondo, non sono ripetitivi, ognuno vive di vita propria. L'unica pecca...che la Mondadori (vergogna!) – casa editrice italiana di Brooks – non si sia ancora decisa a pubblicarlo nella nostra lingua, impedendo a chi non può leggerlo in lingua originale di godersi un ottimo libro.
***
Beautiful new book by Terry Brooks, which can be read both as a stand alone book and as the first book of a new saga (as indeed it is, given that Daughter of Darkness has already been published, set only a few years after the events of Child of light ). Brooks' strong point, in my opinion, has always been the characters: not that his plots are bad or obvious, on the contrary, they are very engaging and interesting, but his characters, the way they are presented and how they evolve while you read, were a marvel in Shannara's saga and they are a marvel in Child of light: they are all well defined, they have a complete, well rounded personality, they are not repetitive, each one has a life of its own. The only flaw...that Mondadori (shame!) – Brooks' Italian publishing house – has not yet decided to publish it in our language, preventing those who cannot read it in the original language from enjoying an excellent book.
***
Beautiful new book by Terry Brooks, which can be read both as a stand alone book and as the first book of a new saga (as indeed it is, given that Daughter of Darkness has already been published, set only a few years after the events of Child of light ). Brooks' strong point, in my opinion, has always been the characters: not that his plots are bad or obvious, on the contrary, they are very engaging and interesting, but his characters, the way they are presented and how they evolve while you read, were a marvel in Shannara's saga and they are a marvel in Child of light: they are all well defined, they have a complete, well rounded personality, they are not repetitive, each one has a life of its own. The only flaw...that Mondadori (shame!) – Brooks' Italian publishing house – has not yet decided to publish it in our language, preventing those who cannot read it in the original language from enjoying an excellent book.
December 22, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Child of Light started off great. It was dark, creepy, and we were in a goblin prison. We didn't know much but we knew that kids were trying to escape. In it, you will meet Auris. No one in her group really knows why they are in this prison. They just have a similar goal: Escape.
Things don't really go as planned, but then again, they never do. She winds up barely surviving and runs into Harrow. Now he's a Fae and she's something interesting. From their first hello, their lives changed forever.
Remember how I said we didn't know much about this prison. Well, we definitely don't know much about Auris's past. Until we start to get little clues as to who and what she potentially is. At times, I liked her journey to figure out who she truly is. I just wished that things didn't come so easily. For example, the magic.
Other than that, I didn't really know who to trust. Things just felt off at times and I would just sit back and think they were suspicious. Towards the end, we got some more action and betrayal to spice things up. Some of it was a little predictable but I did end up enjoying it all.
In the end, it was an interesting book that had potential to be better in my eyes. I think I would have liked it staying on the dark route instead of the family one. Still happy that I got the chance to jump into this.
Child of Light started off great. It was dark, creepy, and we were in a goblin prison. We didn't know much but we knew that kids were trying to escape. In it, you will meet Auris. No one in her group really knows why they are in this prison. They just have a similar goal: Escape.
Things don't really go as planned, but then again, they never do. She winds up barely surviving and runs into Harrow. Now he's a Fae and she's something interesting. From their first hello, their lives changed forever.
Remember how I said we didn't know much about this prison. Well, we definitely don't know much about Auris's past. Until we start to get little clues as to who and what she potentially is. At times, I liked her journey to figure out who she truly is. I just wished that things didn't come so easily. For example, the magic.
Other than that, I didn't really know who to trust. Things just felt off at times and I would just sit back and think they were suspicious. Towards the end, we got some more action and betrayal to spice things up. Some of it was a little predictable but I did end up enjoying it all.
In the end, it was an interesting book that had potential to be better in my eyes. I think I would have liked it staying on the dark route instead of the family one. Still happy that I got the chance to jump into this.
July 12, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the ARC!
I have to admit that this was the first book I think I’ve ever DNF’d. And I hate that. I’ve adored so many of his stories in the past, and just couldn’t get into this one.
I really wanted to finish, but picking it up was starting to feel like a chore and not fun. Which is almost exclusively why I read.
I give it two stars instead of one though, since I did like the very beginning, and the story genuinely was interesting. The writing style itself was most of my problem.
It didn’t feel like I being immersed in a new fantasy world or a cool new story, it felt like I was being told every little thing that was going on, even in the dialogue.
I was really looking forward to this one. Sorry Terry Brooks!
I have to admit that this was the first book I think I’ve ever DNF’d. And I hate that. I’ve adored so many of his stories in the past, and just couldn’t get into this one.
I really wanted to finish, but picking it up was starting to feel like a chore and not fun. Which is almost exclusively why I read.
I give it two stars instead of one though, since I did like the very beginning, and the story genuinely was interesting. The writing style itself was most of my problem.
It didn’t feel like I being immersed in a new fantasy world or a cool new story, it felt like I was being told every little thing that was going on, even in the dialogue.
I was really looking forward to this one. Sorry Terry Brooks!
March 11, 2024
4.5* ... I found myself unable to put this book down. I think I knocked it out in just a couple days. Terry Brooks created a world with Fae and Humans, good and evil, peace and war. It begins with a prison break from gun-toting Goblins who imprison, eat, enslave and breed Human children. So this is an interesting blend of high and urban fantasy with big dystopian vibes, which I loved! Maybe the story bogs down a bit when the romance starts, but it doesn't take too much away from the overall world-building. I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment of this trilogy.
June 22, 2021
Child of Light by Terry Brooks
Child of Light is a fantasy novel by Terry Brooks with hints of science fiction, dystopia and portal magic.
Child of Light opens with a prison break by a group of teenagers desperate to leave a goblin managed prison in the middle of nowhere. The reason they are imprisoned is a total mystery as most of them don’t remember their pasts. What they do know is that there has never been a successful break and that the punishment if they are caught will be dismemberment or to be eaten by the goblins. By the end of their escape Auris will be the sole survivor and will wander the wasteland until rescued by a mysterious fae man named Harrow. While recovering in the land of the Fae called Veridian Deep Auris will discover the truth behind the unholy alliance between the goblins and humans along with her own origin story.
On almost every level this is not a great book. It is barely an ok book. I’m not sure why it is marketed as adult because the character and plot could easily pass as a middle-grade. The stakes are impossibly low and every conflict or moment of tension is resolved almost immediately. Auris survives a car crash that kills almost everyone, wanders the desert with no food or water for days and barely has any ill effect. She fits into the Veridian Deep and the fae people incredibly well and no one asks her to provide for herself. She just eats their food and lives in their cottage and surprise (!) she has easily attained skills and powers. All attacks and attempts to hold her are quickly escaped and if she needs help everyone jumps in to assist. Her personality is completely bland and she acts like a tween with a crush more than a nineteen year old that’s been held hostage by hungry goblins for five years. Of course, all the humans are war-mongering monsters polluting the earth and the fae are beautiful and perfect and live in flawless harmony.
Sadly, I did not enjoy this book and cannot recommend it to anyone over 13. I honestly think with a little tweaking and illustrations it *might* make a decent middle-grade book but there isn’t anything here for more seasoned fantasy readers to enjoy.
2 stars ⭐️⭐️
Child of Light is a fantasy novel by Terry Brooks with hints of science fiction, dystopia and portal magic.
Child of Light opens with a prison break by a group of teenagers desperate to leave a goblin managed prison in the middle of nowhere. The reason they are imprisoned is a total mystery as most of them don’t remember their pasts. What they do know is that there has never been a successful break and that the punishment if they are caught will be dismemberment or to be eaten by the goblins. By the end of their escape Auris will be the sole survivor and will wander the wasteland until rescued by a mysterious fae man named Harrow. While recovering in the land of the Fae called Veridian Deep Auris will discover the truth behind the unholy alliance between the goblins and humans along with her own origin story.
On almost every level this is not a great book. It is barely an ok book. I’m not sure why it is marketed as adult because the character and plot could easily pass as a middle-grade. The stakes are impossibly low and every conflict or moment of tension is resolved almost immediately. Auris survives a car crash that kills almost everyone, wanders the desert with no food or water for days and barely has any ill effect. She fits into the Veridian Deep and the fae people incredibly well and no one asks her to provide for herself. She just eats their food and lives in their cottage and surprise (!) she has easily attained skills and powers. All attacks and attempts to hold her are quickly escaped and if she needs help everyone jumps in to assist. Her personality is completely bland and she acts like a tween with a crush more than a nineteen year old that’s been held hostage by hungry goblins for five years. Of course, all the humans are war-mongering monsters polluting the earth and the fae are beautiful and perfect and live in flawless harmony.
Sadly, I did not enjoy this book and cannot recommend it to anyone over 13. I honestly think with a little tweaking and illustrations it *might* make a decent middle-grade book but there isn’t anything here for more seasoned fantasy readers to enjoy.
2 stars ⭐️⭐️
May 27, 2022
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC. This is my honest review.
Child of Light is a fast-paced YA fantasy adventure that winds its way through a number of interesting locals in a world that I'm excited to continue to learn more about. The Fey home of Viridian Deep is the kind of place you wish you could really visit, the villains and their mysterious alliances are endlessly intriguing. For me, the world and its lore are the strongest part of Child of Light, and that makes sense for an established fantasy author like Terry Brooks.
The story follows Auris, a 19-year-old girl who escapes a goblin prison and finds her way to the world of the Fey. The book has a central amnesia plot line, so to say much more would spoil a lot of deliberately paced reveals, but the narrative never flags and bounces pleasantly between daring escapes and daily (magical) life.
However, for all the strength of the world presented here, the characters that inhabit it are the weakest part of the book. The main character's motivation seems to be largely rooted in moving the plot of the novel forward, rather than the other way around. She's never content, even when it feels like she should be. At times, the book explains this away with her being led by her mysterious Inish.
Auris also begins to develop feelings for Harrow, the Fey boy who rescues her in her initial escape, so quickly that it at the beginning it feels very forced. The first internal comments about these feelings happen when she is still in the throws of surviving the horrible ordeal of her escape and at the same time being introduced to the fantastical world of the Fey people. I think the central romance would have played much better if it had happened more gradually.
In the end, Child of Light is an easy read that transports the reader into a magical and intriguing fantasy world. It's held back a bit by some two-dimensional character motivations and a romance that starts too soon, but it's still a fun, breezy adventure in a world that I want to know more about, and I will absolutely be back for the sequel.
3.5/5
Child of Light is a fast-paced YA fantasy adventure that winds its way through a number of interesting locals in a world that I'm excited to continue to learn more about. The Fey home of Viridian Deep is the kind of place you wish you could really visit, the villains and their mysterious alliances are endlessly intriguing. For me, the world and its lore are the strongest part of Child of Light, and that makes sense for an established fantasy author like Terry Brooks.
The story follows Auris, a 19-year-old girl who escapes a goblin prison and finds her way to the world of the Fey. The book has a central amnesia plot line, so to say much more would spoil a lot of deliberately paced reveals, but the narrative never flags and bounces pleasantly between daring escapes and daily (magical) life.
However, for all the strength of the world presented here, the characters that inhabit it are the weakest part of the book. The main character's motivation seems to be largely rooted in moving the plot of the novel forward, rather than the other way around. She's never content, even when it feels like she should be. At times, the book explains this away with her being led by her mysterious Inish.
Auris also begins to develop feelings for Harrow, the Fey boy who rescues her in her initial escape, so quickly that it at the beginning it feels very forced. The first internal comments about these feelings happen when she is still in the throws of surviving the horrible ordeal of her escape and at the same time being introduced to the fantastical world of the Fey people. I think the central romance would have played much better if it had happened more gradually.
In the end, Child of Light is an easy read that transports the reader into a magical and intriguing fantasy world. It's held back a bit by some two-dimensional character motivations and a romance that starts too soon, but it's still a fun, breezy adventure in a world that I want to know more about, and I will absolutely be back for the sequel.
3.5/5
April 12, 2022
I've read Terry Brooks novels since I was a child. When you've read 30+ Shannara novels, and 6 books in the underrated Landover series, you think you know how someone writes.
This is not a Terry Brooks novel.
I don't know if he's just stretching his legs, trying something different? Is this actually a ghostwriter his publisher wanted to test out before giving book credits? Nothing about this speaks of the power he has with words, imagery, or concepts.
I felt like I was reading a novel by a brand new YA fantasy-romance author. It was disconcerting, to say the least; amateurish, to say the worst.
That others I respect for their writing skills (Robin Hobb, Shawn Speakman) reviewed with 5 stars lends some credence to this being a publisher-forced manuscript.
I skimmed the last 20%; in that skimming, still felt I couldn't finish it fast enough. I hold out hope that Brooks' next book conjures back his immense skill in worldbuilding and concepts.
This is not a Terry Brooks novel.
I don't know if he's just stretching his legs, trying something different? Is this actually a ghostwriter his publisher wanted to test out before giving book credits? Nothing about this speaks of the power he has with words, imagery, or concepts.
I felt like I was reading a novel by a brand new YA fantasy-romance author. It was disconcerting, to say the least; amateurish, to say the worst.
That others I respect for their writing skills (Robin Hobb, Shawn Speakman) reviewed with 5 stars lends some credence to this being a publisher-forced manuscript.
I skimmed the last 20%; in that skimming, still felt I couldn't finish it fast enough. I hold out hope that Brooks' next book conjures back his immense skill in worldbuilding and concepts.
November 14, 2021
Ended up being much of what I said earlier at greater length. You kind of get what you think will.
November 4, 2024
Gave up and returned to the library....
August 16, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the ARC.
I tried so hard with this book, but it was a DNF for me. This was my first Terry Brooks book and I was so disappointed.
It started out so promising, but after the first couple chapters, it just went down hill. Once I put it down (about 40% in) I never picked it back up.
Auris escapes a child prison (slave camp) right away and it is high energy from the first paragraph. My attention was grabbed. But all the sudden the pace starts to change and then this teenage girl needs to lust for a boy. Alert, we don't always need someone in our lives. Sometimes we just need to work through the crap going on and that we just went through (friends dying, etc). Also, I felt like things were repeated over and over. At one point I actually said out loud that a section was deja vu..
I tried to finish and just couldn't. Maybe someday I will try a different book and series, as I know he has a strong following.
I tried so hard with this book, but it was a DNF for me. This was my first Terry Brooks book and I was so disappointed.
It started out so promising, but after the first couple chapters, it just went down hill. Once I put it down (about 40% in) I never picked it back up.
Auris escapes a child prison (slave camp) right away and it is high energy from the first paragraph. My attention was grabbed. But all the sudden the pace starts to change and then this teenage girl needs to lust for a boy. Alert, we don't always need someone in our lives. Sometimes we just need to work through the crap going on and that we just went through (friends dying, etc). Also, I felt like things were repeated over and over. At one point I actually said out loud that a section was deja vu..
I tried to finish and just couldn't. Maybe someday I will try a different book and series, as I know he has a strong following.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2024
Yeah it was bad
November 10, 2021
Many of you who were hooked on fantasy by
The Lord of the Rings
can probably understand my relationship with the writings of Terry Brooks. His original Sword of Shannara was a very direct riff on The Lord of the Rings, and it can be argued served to reassure a generation of fantasy readers that there were books worth reading after The Return of the King. Shannara has had its ups and downs over the years, with original entries in the perpetual series, and less compelling ones. Running with the Demon provided the genesis for the running joke that Brooks is unable to write anything but Shannara anymore, after what started as a fresh, new, and interesting trilogy became a massive Shannara prologue.
When I read that Brooks was done with Shannara after his Fall of Shannara series, and was working on something new and non-Shannara, I was therefore skeptical, but intrigued. Perhaps the only notable non-Shannara works he has published are The Magic Kingdom of Landover series, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was my hope that Child of Light would tap into whatever had enabled Landover. Unfortunately, my hopes were misplaced, and Child of Light proved to be anything but fresh.
Oh, it’s not officially a Shannara story, at least not yet, but it might as well be. It has the same themes, the same world-building elements, the same kinds of characters. I don’t just mean in the sense that it follows a story archetype, like the hero’s journey – I mean granular level, world-building and character details. The Sylvans are pretty much the elves; they are fae creatures hiding from the human world and convinced that anything industrial is evil, but magic that accomplishes the exact same things is perfectly acceptable (flame throwers bad, magic staffs that allow you to throw blue fire good). A dystopian human society has allied with the conniving goblins in an undeclared war with the other fae creatures, who have hidden themselves away behind magic wards and barriers.
Even had those elements all been new and original, though, Child of Light would have been difficult to enjoy. Its protagonist, to whom we are subjected in first person present tense, comes across as inconsistent, which is a fatal flaw in character creation. She is by turns emotionally scattered, immature, hyper-focused, forgiving, vengeful...and my dislike for her is not helped by the odd viewpoint. Every author, I suspect, goes through a phase where he or she thinks “hey, let me experiment with writing something in the first person present tense, because it will totally help make the story more compelling and draw my readers in.” I’ve had this thought, and even tried writing that way, but there are very good reasons why very few books get published that way. It’s hard to read and hard to follow. I don’t blame Brooks for trying this experiment, but I do blame him for actually publishing a story written in such a way.
In the interest of fairness, and because I really don’t enjoy writing negative reviews, it’s not like this book was bad. It wasn’t the sort of thing that made me want to stop reading it. Perhaps the best descriptor would be innocuous. As an author, it was interesting how many times I found myself hoping that the story would go in a very interesting direction, and then it didn’t, choosing the more banal option every time. It hummed along, with a seasoning of action sequences, a dash of character scenes, and a sprinkling of world-building, but there was no compelling climax, no satisfying resolution, no stand up and cheer moments for the characters. Each mystery was resolved in the most obvious way, with no twists or turns that I didn’t foresee. Maybe it’s just that I’ve read too many Brooks books. It makes me wonder if, had this been billed as a new Shannara book set in a different era, I might have actually enjoyed it more. Or, alternatively, if someone who was not as familiar with the rest of Terry Brooks' works might find it more interesting.
I have long considered myself a faithful Brooks reader. I think I have read every Shannara book he’s pushed out, all of the Landover books, even his surprisingly good adaptation of The Phantom Menace. There is a sequel projected for Child of Light: it might be the first Terry Brooks book that I choose not to read. The only real question for the sequel is: how will it end up tied into the rest of Shannara?
October 26, 2021
Loved this book! What a wonderful ride through the heat he and triumph of a young woman trying to escape her captors and find out where she belongs. The author has a way of explaining the scenery so well that you can visualize it in your mind as the story unravels. This journey is filled with heardache, love, loss and finding one's self. Take the ride. Read the book!
April 28, 2023
I was hoping for something casually fantastic along the lines of his *magic Kingdom for sale... sold!* series. Nothing epic... iknew it wasn't going to be lord of the rings, you know? But i had to DNF halfway through. You know how we've all been reading Terry Brooks for ages, and he's given us so many things to love about fantasy? Well, this is not that. I'm almost thinking to myself, Is there another person named Terry Brooks that I didn't know about? Another author ghost writing under his name, perhaps?
Imagine a 23 year old girl who recently graduated from college with a B.A. in English literature. She's smart, she's good at writing, but not yet seasoned... no real concept of her unique voice... nothing published anywhere other than wattpad and some expressive tweets. Now imagine she's putting herself into a fairy-tale romance.... it's another one of those "she's- not- like- other- girls" things. You know, because we haven't had one of those in a while... She's suddenly capable of more than she's ever known! And the mysteriously handsome prince- like fairy dude is obviously in love with her blah, blah, blah.....
Does that sound like Terry Brooks to you? NO! What is going on here? Who are you and where have you hidden Terry?! If this is the new Misery we promise we'll give you anything you want, just bring him back to us unharmed, Kathy!
Seriously though... blink twice if you're not okay.
Imagine a 23 year old girl who recently graduated from college with a B.A. in English literature. She's smart, she's good at writing, but not yet seasoned... no real concept of her unique voice... nothing published anywhere other than wattpad and some expressive tweets. Now imagine she's putting herself into a fairy-tale romance.... it's another one of those "she's- not- like- other- girls" things. You know, because we haven't had one of those in a while... She's suddenly capable of more than she's ever known! And the mysteriously handsome prince- like fairy dude is obviously in love with her blah, blah, blah.....
Does that sound like Terry Brooks to you? NO! What is going on here? Who are you and where have you hidden Terry?! If this is the new Misery we promise we'll give you anything you want, just bring him back to us unharmed, Kathy!
Seriously though... blink twice if you're not okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2021
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book started off incredibly strong. There are elements of Brooks’ previous storytelling styles, with a new fresh world. I enjoyed the over arching concept of the plot, and the world that was created here. However, also in very Brooks’ fashion, characters who die in the first 25% are all given first names. Everyone is given a name, and that can get a bit overwhelming, over time.
Overall, this was your standard run of the mill fantasy. I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t feel it really brought anything new to the table. At times, the writing did fall on the lazier side, and I think the plot suffered for it.
Full review October 15th, 2021.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book started off incredibly strong. There are elements of Brooks’ previous storytelling styles, with a new fresh world. I enjoyed the over arching concept of the plot, and the world that was created here. However, also in very Brooks’ fashion, characters who die in the first 25% are all given first names. Everyone is given a name, and that can get a bit overwhelming, over time.
Overall, this was your standard run of the mill fantasy. I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t feel it really brought anything new to the table. At times, the writing did fall on the lazier side, and I think the plot suffered for it.
Full review October 15th, 2021.
May 2, 2024
This was almost a DNF for me. The only reason I kept reading was because it was a Terry Brooks book. This story had an identity crisis and was a confusing mash up of Avatar, Mad Max, and some angsty teen drama.
I really wanted to enjoy this but alas it was not good.
I really wanted to enjoy this but alas it was not good.
October 24, 2021
Am I obsessed? Yes. Could I not put it down? Yes. Am I ready for the next one? Yes please. 😍
October 4, 2022
Like many other die-hard fantasy fans, I have been reading Terry Brooks “Shannara” and “Landover” series for many, many enjoyable years. Now, after thirty plus years of writing, Brooks has brought his beloved Shannara series to an end and he is exploring new worlds, characters, and races. Don’t be worried though, he is not venturing far from what made him successful. He’s staying within his comfort zone of fantasy genre.
His new adventure - “The Child of Light” - begins with a deadly prison break and turns into a journey of self-discovery and family relationships.
It is the story of Auris Afton Grieg, a nineteen-year-old human girl who has spent her past five years in a Goblin prison for children and will soon be transferred to an even worse adult prison. To make things worse, she has no memories of her life before entering the prison other than a few vague images. With nothing left to lose but her life, Auris and her friends plan an escape that will take them into nearby wastelands and hopefully, their freedom.
However, things go wrong and Auris is left alone to try and survive in the wastelands. Near death she is found by a mysterious stranger named Harrow, who is not human. He is member of a magical race hidden for centuries from humans call the Fae. Harrow sees something in her. Something special that he won’t explain and decides to bring her to his wonderful and magical homeland.
I won’t share any more of the plotline because I think that not knowing is the best way to approach and enjoy this new direction and world that Terry Brooks is pulling us into.
I must say that my first thought when I started reading this new book, was that it had a definite James Dasher “Maze Runner” feel to it with a main character trying to escape from a prison type situation while trying to get their lost memories back. Then I saw the definite influence of his “Shannara” books, especially those of from his race of elves, as well as his other special creatures from his “Magic kingdom” series. Inspiration from those three sources all play key roles in influencing this third new world that Brooks has created called “Veridian Deep” and that it is a very good thing.
I have mostly good things to report after reading “Child of Light”. One of the strengths of this novel is how well Brooks uses his artistic canvas to explore new characters and a different kind of worldbuilding. I found most of the characters interesting. Auris, Harrow, and his sister Ronden were compelling, strong, and yet naturally flawed in ways that drew on my empathy. I especially enjoyed the three Seer sisters – Bennith, Dreena, and Maven – which reminded me a bit of Shakespeare’s Macbeth witches. Brooks has a way of breathing depth into his characters and giving them a three-dimensional life of their own.
What made this even more fun reading was getting to explore a new world. As much as I love Shannara, I now recognize that there were certain patterns that provided a certain level of consistency and expectation, but also built-in certain limitations and repetition in storytelling. Just like when Brooks created his “Magic Kingdom” series, “Veridian Deep” is new and different enough that everything seems fresh, including the magic system and its rules. Every chapter brought something new and unexpected to the storylines and character development.
However, let’s be honest. Brooks didn’t very far from his fantasy roots and structured storytelling style. He is easy to read, follow along with the storylines, and find yourself carried away in escapist fantasy heaven. In my opinion, he has been one of the most consistent writers of any genre, bringing writers lunchbox to work every day and publishing at least one book a year for over thirty years strong. Not many can claim that same level of consistent delivery to his or her fandom.
There were still a few things that bugged me during the reading, but most of them are nitpicks except for the cliffhanger comments. Why didn’t Auris prepare better for the Goblin attacks, especially after they happened repeatedly. Also, Brooks dipped his toes into his characters romance more than in his previous books. Sometimes it worked and a few times it felt awkward. But then again so is young love. In addition, as with most Brooks series, the onion was not fully peeled, and there will be more to reveal about the missing memories of Auris. But I take that as another good thing and am GREATLY APPRECIATIVE that Brooks did not leave us with an outright cliff hanger which he tends to do. Thank you, Terry, for showing restraint!
Overall, this was a strong first entry in Brooks new “Veridian Deep” series. I watched an interview last week with him and he mentioned he was 6-7 chapters from finishing the third novel in this series and planned on a fourth book. Based on my reading of the first one, I take that as good news. I am happy and revitalized in immersing myself in Terry’s new world and look forward to reading the second book “The Daughter of Darkness” this week…
His new adventure - “The Child of Light” - begins with a deadly prison break and turns into a journey of self-discovery and family relationships.
It is the story of Auris Afton Grieg, a nineteen-year-old human girl who has spent her past five years in a Goblin prison for children and will soon be transferred to an even worse adult prison. To make things worse, she has no memories of her life before entering the prison other than a few vague images. With nothing left to lose but her life, Auris and her friends plan an escape that will take them into nearby wastelands and hopefully, their freedom.
However, things go wrong and Auris is left alone to try and survive in the wastelands. Near death she is found by a mysterious stranger named Harrow, who is not human. He is member of a magical race hidden for centuries from humans call the Fae. Harrow sees something in her. Something special that he won’t explain and decides to bring her to his wonderful and magical homeland.
I won’t share any more of the plotline because I think that not knowing is the best way to approach and enjoy this new direction and world that Terry Brooks is pulling us into.
I must say that my first thought when I started reading this new book, was that it had a definite James Dasher “Maze Runner” feel to it with a main character trying to escape from a prison type situation while trying to get their lost memories back. Then I saw the definite influence of his “Shannara” books, especially those of from his race of elves, as well as his other special creatures from his “Magic kingdom” series. Inspiration from those three sources all play key roles in influencing this third new world that Brooks has created called “Veridian Deep” and that it is a very good thing.
I have mostly good things to report after reading “Child of Light”. One of the strengths of this novel is how well Brooks uses his artistic canvas to explore new characters and a different kind of worldbuilding. I found most of the characters interesting. Auris, Harrow, and his sister Ronden were compelling, strong, and yet naturally flawed in ways that drew on my empathy. I especially enjoyed the three Seer sisters – Bennith, Dreena, and Maven – which reminded me a bit of Shakespeare’s Macbeth witches. Brooks has a way of breathing depth into his characters and giving them a three-dimensional life of their own.
What made this even more fun reading was getting to explore a new world. As much as I love Shannara, I now recognize that there were certain patterns that provided a certain level of consistency and expectation, but also built-in certain limitations and repetition in storytelling. Just like when Brooks created his “Magic Kingdom” series, “Veridian Deep” is new and different enough that everything seems fresh, including the magic system and its rules. Every chapter brought something new and unexpected to the storylines and character development.
However, let’s be honest. Brooks didn’t very far from his fantasy roots and structured storytelling style. He is easy to read, follow along with the storylines, and find yourself carried away in escapist fantasy heaven. In my opinion, he has been one of the most consistent writers of any genre, bringing writers lunchbox to work every day and publishing at least one book a year for over thirty years strong. Not many can claim that same level of consistent delivery to his or her fandom.
There were still a few things that bugged me during the reading, but most of them are nitpicks except for the cliffhanger comments. Why didn’t Auris prepare better for the Goblin attacks, especially after they happened repeatedly. Also, Brooks dipped his toes into his characters romance more than in his previous books. Sometimes it worked and a few times it felt awkward. But then again so is young love. In addition, as with most Brooks series, the onion was not fully peeled, and there will be more to reveal about the missing memories of Auris. But I take that as another good thing and am GREATLY APPRECIATIVE that Brooks did not leave us with an outright cliff hanger which he tends to do. Thank you, Terry, for showing restraint!
Overall, this was a strong first entry in Brooks new “Veridian Deep” series. I watched an interview last week with him and he mentioned he was 6-7 chapters from finishing the third novel in this series and planned on a fourth book. Based on my reading of the first one, I take that as good news. I am happy and revitalized in immersing myself in Terry’s new world and look forward to reading the second book “The Daughter of Darkness” this week…
June 7, 2022
Child of light is the first book in a new series by Terry Brooks. I am a huge fan of Terry Brooks and as far as I know, I have read everything that he has published. That being said I was somewhat disappointed in this book. I thought that the main character, Auris, was shallow and entirely too full of angst. The plot line was also fairly predictable. Because of Mr. Brooks' previous books have been so good I will read the next book in this series, Daughter of Darkness, hoping for the story to improve.
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