The third and penultimate entry of author Terry Brooks’ Heritage of Shannara tetralogy opens with the eponymous character (who is not the protagonist), Ellenroh Elessedil, the Queen of the Elves, watching the active volcano Killeshan appear ominous. Wren Ohmsford serves as the chief heroine of the story, meeting the Addershag and learning that the caves of the Rocs hold the answer to whether Elves still exist in Shannara. She and her companion Garth eventually see of the legendary avians, during which lupine Shadowen that had been pursuing them attack. They quickly meet the Wing Rider Tiger Ty, who joins the two travelers.
Their next destination is the island Morrowindl, with another companion, the Splinterscat Stresa, soon accompanying them, and leading them through the jungle In Ju. Yet another companion joins their party, a Tree Squeak ultimately named Faun, and the Elf Aurin Striate, or Owl, escorts them to the Elven city of Arborlon, where they meet the Queen. Demons eventually attack, the Eleven High Council is convened, and Wren receives the mission of transporting the city back to the Westland via a method known as the Loden. The other characters previously introduced in the tetralogy, don’t receive chapters until late into the novel, with Coil Ohmsford, for instance, still incarcerated by Rimmer Dall.
A conflict with the spider-like Wisteron concludes the third installment, which is generally enjoyable, with plenty of action and mythos to go around, and generally being a straightforward fantasy novel, although as usual, some may find Brooks’ name choices for the characters, and occasionally the places, to be odd. That the series occurs in our world in a distant post-doomsday future is also generally an afterthought, with little reference given to this backstory. Regardless, those who appreciated the prior two entries of the tetralogy will most likely enjoy the third, and I very much look forward to reading the concluding story.
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