My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“The Stiehl Assasin” is the second to last entry in the Fall of Shannara quartet. In this segment, Druid Drisker Arc has managed to free both himself and the Druid keep Paranor from the exile imposed by rogue Druid Clizia Porse. Reunited with his student (and possessor of the Ohmsford family legacy Wishsong magic) Tarsha Kaynin and the druid’s protector Dar Leah, he sets out to thwart Clizia’s plans to install herself as leader of a new Druid order and aid the invading Skaar nation in conquering all of the Four Lands. Complicating things are Tarsha’s troubled brother, also in possession of Wishsong magic and now, the Stiehl, a powerful weapon that he intends to use to destroy all those he feels have wronged him. Starting with his sister.
Okay, yes, we all know the formula here. It is a typical Brooks Shannara story. Heroes on a quest, villians out to thwart them at every turn, and the fate of the entire world (as they know it) hanging in the balance. Many of the character types are familiar because they have occurred in all the stories across the almost 40 book series. But, also in typical Brooks fashion, there are surprises along the way, continuing worldbuilding, and plenty of action. The Skaar are a formidable enemy who seem almost invincible, so there is still tension to be had here. The book does end on a cliffhanger, but is still satisfying. With one more to go in this ending to the Shannara saga, this sets that end up very well.
Note: Brooks has announced that he will be writing more in the Shannara world, but only to fill in gaps in the past, not moving forward.
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My latest book is a collection of very short stories, half science fiction and half fantasy, called “Crossed Wires and Other Very Short Stories”. I have also written a few other short pieces, another collection, two novels, and an urban fantasy series. You can find most of them at Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold. A few are also available from Amazon in paperback. My novel, “Circle Unbroken” is also on Kindle Unlimited, if that’s your reading preference. You can find out about all of them here.
There are also some stories you can read here on my site, mostly the yearly Halloween short I write, but there are a few others. You can read them from here
And So On... 