The Gypsy Morph by Terry Brooks

Title:  The Gypsy Morph
Author: Terry Brooks
Publisher:  Del Rey
Publication Date:  July 2009
Format:  Paperback, 480 pages
Age Group:  Adult
Series:  The Genesis of Shannara (Book 3)

The Gypsy Morph is the final book in The Genesis of Shannara trilogy, finishing the story began in Armageddon's Children and continued in The Elves of Cintra.  Will the boy, Hawk, lead the children to safety?  Will the elves survive their journey in the Loden?  Will the Knights of the Word survive at all?  How does the world end?

Brooks again masterfully weaves together the separate tales that he has created for each main group of characters, finally connecting them so the reader can gain a different perspective of the whole picture.  Although, in a way, we know the outcome of this story, Brooks now fills in the details along the way.  Each character is carefully crafted and has a unique personality that fits the role they must play.  Brooks builds his world with so much detail that it is almost another character in the story, impacting the choices the other characters must make.  Emotions run high in this book with fear and doubt only slightly tempered by hope.

The Gypsy Morph is a a satisfying conclusion to The Genesis of Shannara trilogy.  It contains much darkness but finally begins the journey into the light.  The Genesis of Shannara books do a great job at bridging the gap between The Word and The Void series and the rest of the Shannara story.

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links and I do earn a small percentage for each item purchased through those links. Any other referral or associate links will be noted within the post.

The Elves of Cintra by Terry Brooks

Title: The Elves of Cintra
Author: Terry Brooks
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: August 2007
Format: Hardcover, 379 pages
Age Group: Adult
Series: The Genesis of Shannara (Book 2)

Spoiler Alert: The Elves of Cintra picks up immediately where Armageddon's Children ends. If you have not read that book, please do not continue with this review. I reviewed Armageddon's Children in October.

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Terry Brooks continues the story of the end of the world, started in Armageddon's Children, in The Elves of Cintra. Hawk and Tessa have been separated from the Ghosts and Logan Tom, neither group knowing if the other survived the attack on Seattle. Angel Perez found the elves, along with more demon trouble. The Elves must recover lost knowledge of their history and magic in order to survive the chaos but they are being guided in their quest by an enemy.

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

Although the action slowed a bit in The Elves of Cintra, Brooks keeps the stakes high as each group must fight for their own survival and to accomplish the task they have been sent to do. Doubts creep in for many and the way is nearly lost yet somehow most keep going.

Anyone who has read the Shannara books already knows where the Genesis of Shannara story must end but Brooks has captured my attention in taking us there. The only reason the second book took me so much longer to complete than the first was simply a lack of reading time and an increase in interruptions. I am eager to read the final installment in the trilogy, The Gypsy Morph, but unfortunately I have a few other books that need reading before I will be able to get back to Shannara.

Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks

Title: Armageddon's Children
Author: Terry Brooks
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: January 1, 2006
Format: Hardcover, 371 pages
Age Group: Adult
Series: The Genesis of Shannara (Book 1)

I have so many books in my personal library to read and it seems that I will never get enough time to finish them all. I cannot believe Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks has been sitting on the shelf for so long and I just got to read it for the first time!

The first books of Terry Brooks that I ever read were the Kingdom of Landover books and from there I moved to the Shannara books. I have really enjoyed reading the various series set in Shannara over the years. Reading those stories, it was very easy to forget that Shannara takes place in the future after some catastrophic event nearly wipes out humans and technology. In the Word and the Void series and the Genesis of Shannara series, Brooks returns to the beginning of the Shannara story. When I first heard about the Word and the Void series I was actually not interested in reading it because it sounded so different from the Shannara books and I didn't realize that it was a related series. The Genesis of Shannara series bridges the gap between the Word and the Void series and the rest of the Shannara books.

Armageddon's Children is full of action from the very first sentence. Every main character is in danger and has a battle to fight just to survive much less accomplish the task they are destined to carry out. The demons and once-men control much of the world and take joy in slaughtering and enslaving humans. Much of the human population has taken refuge in compounds, although a few have taken their chances on the streets. Some have been permanently altered from exposure to unnatural toxins and radiation.

It is in this ruined world that two remaining Knights of the Word continue to fight against the Void in a futile effort to save mankind. A street kid named Hawk tries to keep his chosen family safe from the dangers that lurk around every corner even as he dreams of the day he can lead them to safety. Hidden away from the humans, the elves watch the destruction of the world and argue among themselves whether or not to even become involved in the battle.

Although it is not necessary to have read the Word and the Void series before reading Armageddon's Children, I believe it would be helpful. The events in that series lay the groundwork for the Genesis of Shannara trilogy and characters and events from that series are mentioned in this one.

Terry Brooks keeps the story moving at a fast pace and conveys the various emotions of each character strongly. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, I'm eager to start on the next book in the series, The Elves of Cintra

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge