Product Description

Second book in the new five-book SHANNARA series. The fellowship of elves, dwarves and men led by Walker Boh has reached the mysterious city of Castledown on their search for the ancient magic whose existence Walker has deciphered from the map held in the hand of a dead Elf Prince. The airship Jerle Shannara carried the company from the Four Lands across islands where magical terrors lay in wait. Now, they face their greatest challenge. Walker's nemesis, the Ilse Witch, has troubles of her own - she knows that she is a member of the famed Ohmsford family, possessors of the Elfstones and Witchsong, but discovers that her younger brother, Bek, is not dead, as she thought. Twisted by the wiles and whispered poison of the Morgawr, her tutor, she refuses to believe the truth about Bek or Walker. Both their lives are in her hands...Within the mechanical mazes of Castledown, Walker discovers great secrets...which may cost him more than his life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #211277 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Terry Brooks stretches the formula of his Shannara stories in Antrax, the second volume of "The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara", travelling far further than usual into morally grey areas. Brooks' villainess, the Ilse Witch, is driven by a ruthless desire to seek revenge for the brother she wrongly believes to be dead. Her brother Bek tries to convince her of his identity but she cannot let herself listen--she has too much invested in revenge, hatred and her own past crimes. Meanwhile, the other members of Bek's party stumble into the grip of an ancient evil--Antrax, the computer guardian of lost science, which has learned to survive in this age of magic by draining those who seek it out. The Druid Walker, the cowardly Elvenprince Ahren and the flawed young seeker Ryer find themselves in serious jeopardy.

Brooks' writing is at its most suspenseful here as his characters confront their demons and find their hidden resources. The dark woods and steel corridors in which they find themselves trapped are both powerfully evoked and precise, if standard, metaphors for mental states.

Like its predecessor, Ilse Witch, this is a far darker and in some ways more interesting take on the world Brooks has assembled. --Roz Kaveney

About the Author
Terry Brooks first novel, THE SWORD OF SHANNARA, began the post-Tolkien huge boom in epic fantasy in 1977. It was a NEW YORK TIMES bestseller for five months. Since then he has written seven more SHANNARA novels, five MAGIC KINGDOM light fantasies and three dark fantasies set on Earth. Terry Brooks lives in Seattle and Hawaii with his wife, Judine.

Customer Reviews

A strong new addition to the Shannara series
This books carries on from the cliffhanger ending of The Isle Witch with more background on the Isle Witch herself. This book tends to be a bit darker, a bit more focused than most of the previous Shannara books - in style I found it closer to the Word and Void series. There is more introspective commentary from the characters which fleshes them out, giving us a better understanding of why they do things, which is nice.

This book also expands on the history of the world of Shannara by showing us things from the far past and introducing technology for the first time. Thankfully the technological side of things is not explained in too much detail - enough so we can see whats happening but not to much to drown the story in technobable.

We find out much more about most of the characters in this book, the pasts of the Isle Witch, Ryer Ord Star and Truls Rohk coming to full light. The characters develop as we find out about the secret that is Antrax and the treasure it guards, all coming to a number of climaxes which lead to a number of new surprises which bring up interesting questions for the next book.

All in all a great read, pleanty of action and surprises along the way. The only problem I have is having to wait a year for the next one.

Not putdownable!
Well, after having kept me waiting for what feels like a lifetime for his next instalment, Terry Brooks has not disappointed me! In true Brooks style, at the end of each chapter you are left wanting to start the next one, even if you really haven't got the time to be reading, mainly due to the fact that he splits his characters up and switches from "groups" to "individuals" constantly. Focusing on their quest in Castledown after the long journey to the island, it is now Walker's mission to gain access to this "magic of immense worth" and it is where he comes "face to face" with Antrax. Bek is still trying to come to terms with the news about his past and his true family and as he confronts the Isle Witch at last, you can be sure that she is not going to take that news very well!!! Again, you are left wondering what is going to happen in the next and final episode and you find youself wondering which characters are really who they say they are, if they are truly friend or foe and if they'll ever make it back home alive with what they set out for. Fantastic Terry. Just don't keep me waiting too long for the next bit!

Not bad, Not bad.....
I was pretty impressed with the first part of this series, with brooks introducing us well to the new characters and the way the world was at the time. This being well written i had high hopes for the second installment.

I am not sure what i was expecting from this second installment, but i *think* i got it. I did like the way that the Old world technology was mixed in the Fantasy writing (somthing i rarely see, and very rarely see done well) - he did pull it off though and hence the plot was respectable. the charcters did lose the depth they had built up in the first book though, and there were some scenes that i think should have moved me more... However the merciless Antrax was very well written and got me thinking for days after i finished the book (which i appreciate) - and so overall a pretty good book. I would hope for the last installment to again return to the deep charcters and more consistent plot, and hopefully a well rouneded ending.... and perhaps more books to follow?