The Elves of Cintra

Starred review from June 25, 2007
Extinction or survival? Brooks keeps readers hanging with the hair-raising second installment (after 2006's Armageddon's Children
) of a trilogy blending his bestselling Shannara and Void series. A plague-ridden future Earth faces annihilation from Void demons, once-men and other monstrous creatures. What chance do innocent children have? A pretty good chance when Logan Tom and Angel Perez, the last Knights of the Word, have pledged to defend them. Hawk, a child suffused with unpredictable magic, also helps the Seattle street kids called the Ghosts, but when he's whisked away to the magical Gardens of Life to learn of his heroic destiny, the kids come to depend on Logan and Cat, a part-lizard girl. Playing another important role is Kirisin, a Cintra elf hiding in the Oregon woods, who finds the blue Elfstones that can lead him to the powerful, myth-shrouded Loden Stone. Celebrating his 30th year as a professional writer, Brooks provides another fascinating group of characters tackling harrowing and inspiring life and death issues.

July 1, 2007
In the near future, Earth lies in chaos as armies of monsters prey upon humans barricaded in fortresses and governments cease to exist. A few individuals attempt to fight against overwhelming odds. Logan Tom and Angel Perez, Knights of the Word, lead separate groups of refugees into the relative safety of forest and wilderness, where Angel's group meets the Elves of Cintra. In a separate journey, fugitives Hawk and Tessa encounter the King of the Silver River and the hope of rescue. Brooks's sequel to "Armageddon's Children" ties the many stories of the Shannara series together with the world of modern Earth, bringing together two popular story cycles in a surprising and ingenious fashion. Libraries should expect demand for the latest in a best-selling series that appeals to fantasy readers of all ages.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2007
Ina sequel as riveting as its postapocalyptic predecessor, Brooks meticulously draws out the threadsrunning through Armageddons Children (2006). Demonkind seems to be winning the war againsthumans and elves. The principal characters on the side of good are back in action, and when Hawk disappears in a flash of light after being thrown off the wall of one of the compounds, Knight of the Word Logan Tom finds himself caring for the group of street kids that Hawk had led as theyfled south from a devastated Seattle. Unbeknownst to them, Hawk has been rescued by the King of the Silver River, who informs the boy that he is the Gypsy Morph, destined to lead thousands of children to the Promised Land. Meanwhile, stalked by a demon that wants to kill her, Knight of the Word Angel Perez teams with the young elf Kirisin and his warrior sister on a treacherous trek through the wilds in search of the long-lost, almost forgotten blue Elfstones needed for the desperate battle with Demonkind. Each of the youngsters matures and grows in power, making this a coming-of-age story as well as a thrilling adventure. As before, the third-person narrative shifts seamlessly from one group to the other as all make their way to the shores of the Columbia River.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)