by Terry Brooks
Del Rey, 2025. 319 pages. Fantasy.
One of the most iconic structures in the Four Lands is
Paranor, the fortress home of the Druid Order, which legend tells was built by
the Elven leader Galaphile Joss. But who was this Galaphile, and how and why
did he choose to establish this center of magic and learning? Within these
pages we meet the real Galaphile, following him from a friendless teenage
orphan stranded in the Human world to a powerful adult and master mage. We
learn of the forces that shaped him--those he loved, and those he lost; those
who aided him, and those who stood against him. As he begins construction of
the citadel that will one day be known as Paranor, another being, corrupted by
evil, seeks dominion over the Four Lands, laying the groundwork for some of the
darkest times the realm will ever face…
I am a relative newcomer to the writings of Terry Brooks
(having only previously read The Tangle
Box and his novelization of Star Wars Episode I), and I was curious as to
whether this novel, a prequel to the long-running Shannara series, would be a good starting point for me?
As it turns out, no, but that was really my own fault for
having unrealistic expectations. I shouldn’t have expected a 319-page novel
(and a Book 1, at that) to serve as a comprehensive primer for a vast literary world that’s been around since before I was born! Galaphile is really a love letter to long-time Shannara
readers, filling in the gaps in the rich history of the Four Lands;
as a first-time reader with no understanding of the Druids or their legacy, I felt like
I was always one step behind. (To put it another way, I feel like a first-time Brandon Sanderson reader who started on the Cosmere with The Sunlit Man.) Galaphile
Joss is a compelling and noble hero, and his story is only getting started, but
I feel that my time would be better spent going back to the original trilogy
and getting a better understanding of his world and legacy before Book 2
arrives.
If you like Galaphile, you may also like:
Orbit, 2020. 788 pages. Fantasy.
A shadow has fallen over the Tressian Republic. Ruling
families--once protectors of justice and democracy--now plot against one another,
heedless of the threat posed by the invading armies of the Hadari Empire. Yet
as Tressia falls, heroes rise. Viktor Akadra is the Republic's champion. A
warrior without equal, he hides a secret that would see him burned as a
heretic. Josiri Trelan is Viktor's sworn enemy. A political prisoner, he dreams
of reigniting his mother's failed rebellion. And yet Calenne, Josiri's sister,
seeks only to break free of their tarnished legacy; to escape the expectation
and prejudice that haunts the Trelan name. As war spreads across the Republic,
these three must set aside their differences in order to save their homeland.
by Django Wexler
Orbit, 2020. 582 pages. Fantasy.
Long ago, a magical war destroyed an empire, and a new one
was built in its ashes. But still the old grudges simmer. Gyre hasn't seen his
beloved sister since their parents sold her to the mysterious Twilight Order.
Now, twelve years after her disappearance, Gyre's sole focus is revenge, and
he's willing to risk anything and anyone to claim enough power to destroy the
Order. Chasing rumors of a fabled city protecting a powerful artifact, Gyre
comes face-to-face with his lost sister. But she isn't who she once was.
Trained to be a warrior by the Twilight Order, Mara wields magic for their
cause. Standing on opposite sides of a looming civil war, the two siblings will
learn that not even the ties of blood will keep them from splitting the world
in two.
by Kameron Hurley
Angry Robot, 2014. 608 pages (eBook). Fantasy.
On the eve of a recurring catastrophic event known to
extinguish nations and reshape continents, a troubled orphan evades death and
slavery to uncover her own bloody past . . . while a world goes to war with
itself. In the frozen kingdom of Saiduan, invaders from another realm are
decimating whole cities, leaving behind nothing but ash and ruin. At the heart
of this war lie the pacifistic Dhai people, once enslaved by the Saiduan and
now courted by their former masters to provide aid against the encroaching
enemy. As the dark star of the cataclysm rises, an illegitimate ruler is
tasked with holding together a country fractured by civil war; a precocious
young fighter is asked to betray his family to save his skin; and a half-Dhai
general must choose between the eradication of her father's people or loyalty
to her alien Empress.
-LAH
No comments:
Post a Comment