An army is approaching from the north and they have the ability to magically shift from one place to another in an instant. Two tribes of Trolls, seasoned warriors, are annihilated by this army. Who are they? What do they want? Why are they intent on destroying everyone in their path? Under the leadership of a paranoid, self-serving Ard Rhys, Paranor is a shadow of its former self. Still, the Druids attempt what no one else has -- they send a delegation to learn what they can about the invaders from the north.
In the small town of Backing Fell, the magic of the wishsong appears in siblings Tarsha and Tavo Kaynin. Although younger, the magic appears in Tarsha first and it seems a gentle thing, readily responding to her wishes. Tavo has suffered from black moods for years when the magic emerges in him -- and when it does, it's violent, destructive, and uncontrollable.
There's a lot of drama in this first installment of the projected four-part conclusion to the Shannara series. The Tarsha/Tavo storyline is classic Shannara and represents what I feel is the heart of the series: a sheltered youth whose actions will determine the fates of many. Tavo presents a new exploration of this theme: is he volatile because the magic within him is volatile, or is the magic destructive because he is destructive? That said, I think there's another question to be considered as well: Has there been an outside force exerting its influence on Tavo from a young age?
Back in the Ilse Witch days, Grianne Ohmsford was groomed by the Morgawr, and committed horrible acts before being turned around by the efforts of her brother, Bek Ohmsford, and the Druid, Walker Boh. So, there's precedent for suspecting that Tavo has been deliberately molded by a malevolent being, for its own purposes. Tavo is an unreliable narrator, so it's hard to know what can be taken at face value, but he remembers that he wasn't always like he is now. Things seemed to drastically change around his fifteenth birthday. He became subject to sudden rages and feelings of hostility towards everyone, most of the time without reason. And years later, leaving carnage in his wake, Tavo mentions his only true friend, Fluken. No one else can see this individual. It's possible that Fluken is just a figment of a deranged imagination but I suspect he's real. Tavo remembers Tarsha looking at him oddly, from time to time -- did she sense something shadowing her brother? The world of Shannara is filled with beings who show themselves only to those they choose.
To help her brother, Tarsha seeks out Drisker Arc, former Ard Rhys, now reclusive exiled Druid. Drisker is impressed with her initiative and her skill; he agrees. However, when two separate groups of assassins come for him, their agreement is interrupted. A journey to Varfleet reveals that someone within Paranor ordered the contract. It also introduces Drisker to a resourceful young orphan named Shea Ohmsford.
It wouldn't be a Shannara story without a Leah. Dar Leah is the High Druid's Blade. He is part of the delegation sent to investigate the invading army. There is way too much drama between him and his former lover, a Druid named Zia. I get that working with an ex you still have feelings for is awkward, but this storyline felt overwritten. I think it would have had more impact if Brooks had focused more on a glance here, a terse comment there, rather than paragraphs of introspection and endless arguments. It felt like I was being told repeatedly that these two characters still had feelings for one another -- but I never actually felt their turmoil. Brooks writes romance best when it's a plot complication rather than a storyline (Amberle and Wil in The Elfstones of Shannara).
As there are three books yet to come, several questions remain unanswered. Three of the biggest questions I'm most intrigued by are: What is the leader of the invading army's interest in Dar Leah? Is Fluken real or imaginary? And who is Kassen Drue, truly??? Separate characters, each of whom we can trust to be attentive to detail, describe him differently. Some see him as smooth-faced, unusually pale, and quite blond -- and at least one describes his face as showing some weathering and much exposure to the outdoors. Two of these different perceptions occurred on the same day -- why so different? And does it have anything to do with the statement, "Like I do the life within me" (in response to the question of whether he loves a girl -- just before he kills her). What is he???
Up next: The Skaar Invasion
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