Antrax

In this middle volume of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara story arc to the bestselling Shannara series, Terry Brooks pits the survivors of the first encounter with an unknown opponent against multiple foes. The unknown opponent is revealed to be a supercomputer from the 21st century that survived the destruction of the world centuries before. It has lured those that have the use of magical powers to its domain so it can overcome them and feed off those magical abilities as a source of power it must have in order to continue to exist. The survivors also battle the computer Antraxs creations, as well as their own frailties and weaknesses. At the same time, the Ilse Witch stalks those same survivors seeking to destroy the Druid, Walker Boh, who has vanished into the underground complex of Antrax. At the conclusion of the first volume in the story arc, her Mwellrets had captured and imprisoned the crew of the Jerle Shannara. The Rovers seek to recapture the vessel and rescue the survivors of the expedition. At the same time, Bek Ohmsford seeks to redeem the Ilse Witch who he has discovered to be his sister, long thought dead. The survivors are joined by a tribe of people who live in the area, the Rindge, and together they must overcome their foes or perish. In some cases, death would be welcome because Antrax has found a way to use his victims as living mechanical constructs that serve him involuntarily. This book is interesting in that Brooks really uses a lot of different character points of view to tell the story. Each of the books in the series is somewhat self-contained, but when read together they form a very different trilogy than his other works. Most of the story is set away from the Four Lands. Character development, always a strong point in every novel Brooks has ever written, is in full bloom in this book. In fact, this book focuses on character development and the changes those characters undergo far more than the other two books in the story arc combined. I really liked the concept behind the story arc. At first this particular volume didnt please me, but rereading it revealed that I had missed a lot of the plot which seems to suggest I was distracted reading this book the first time around. I will say this trilogy is very different when compared to The Heritage of Shannara story arc and maybe that colored my perceptions. In any event, I can now say that this second book in the Jerle Shannara story arc is a strong and good read. I recommend it and think that it is easily a good Shannara book. It has held up well under time. The second book does an excellent job of setting up the third and concluding volume in the story arc as well. Brooks has plots going within plots in this trilogy. The pace of the action in this book is pretty steady as well. Even when the characters are not in action, the chapters are moving them to the next set of actions as well as bringing them together so that they can make their stand against an enemy who may have been even more deadly than Antrax. That is the plot that drives the third book. Antrax ends with the survivors finding out they face a new and powerful enemy who may very well be the last enemy they ever face.

If you thought that Isle Witch left you hanging, wait until you read the ending of Antrax, you\’ll be tearing out your hair until September of 2002. Yet again characters are split into different groups, each one left hanging in some comprimising situation where someone isn\’t going to make it out in one piece, but you\’ll have to wait a whole year to see who comes out alive. I was a little wary of a fantasy novel that deals with science and technology, the flying ships really disappointed me in Isle Witch, but I got used to them, and focused on a great story. After a while it didn\’t even bother me that there was a 2500 year old computer still in working condition… If I could get a computer to last that long. If anyone can pull off mixing technology and magic, it\’s Terry Brooks. Brooks has already shown us a world in where a little bit of magic can exist in a modern world (Word and the Void), now it is time to show the reverse. A little bit of science in a world of magic. Well, it isn\’t the first time we\’ve seen technology in the Shannara series, remember the creeper in The Sword of Shannara? Oh yeah, and if you pay real close attention, you find out the origin of the creepers, and how they managed to survive the 2000 years or so since the Great Wars. It took me a while to remember who everyone was from Isle Witch. There are so many characters, and it has been a year since I had read the first book. But I eventually figured it all out. Now that a lot of the minor characters have been weeded out, and there is some sembelence of groups again, maybe the next book won\’t be so trying on my memory.

I know it was pre-owned, but this book was a little more beat up than expected. Tears on the cover that required a few strips of tape, a few edges frayed and chunks of corners missing, but not affecting the text. Story is great as usual, but I\’ve already read it and it was more to complete my library. Lesson learned.

With this book Brooks does something unique in the world of epic fantasy quests. He has written an entire novel centered in one city! Sounds boring huh But oh what a city. Sure the book is a little short but it is highly engaging from cover to cover. Brooks also delves a little into the sci-fi world but not too much. So if you are a die hard fantasy fan like me who doesn\’t really love science fiction don\’t worry, This is definitely a fanasty in true Brookian style. I especially love the villians in this series. Antrax who guards the old world treasure and my favorite the Isle Witch who is also oh all things an Ohmsford. I was also suprised by the number of deaths in this book (there is alomost noone left to die in the next book). All in all the typical great writing Shannara fans have come to expect from Brooks.

Your browser does not support HTML5 video. What in the world was he thinking this time? I found this book to be very different and below par from his others. It was as if he went into the world of more science fiction when he started dealing with the technology and machines of the old world. I understand he hinted at this in other books, but I never thought he would create a murdering library for heavens sakes. Not for my taste among his magic and myth point of view that his other writings attain to.

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