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katethepodtherapyartist's review
This was a reread - my first time reading was ~20 years ago and I think it’s best that this remain a fond memory in my heart. The dialogue is awkward, the characters feel flat, and who needs a woman of substance? Not this series. I love that it helped spark my love of fantasy, but so many years later and I need to be honest with myself that forcing a reread isn’t good and be okay with stopping.
pizzamyheart's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. The ending was enjoyable, but the rest of the story was long, drawn out and felt like a replica of the last book. Definitely the weakest yet.
adalyse's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mnyberg's review against another edition
5.0
The series continues with another fast paced adventure. Very much enjoy the dialog and characters.
perilous1's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 Stars
As my first taste of Terry Brooks… I have to admit this was probably a mistake. But once I realized it was the third book in the Landover series, it felt too late to simply stop. I thought perhaps it would be able to hold up on its own if I just hung in there long enough. On the whole though… I feel I missed out. And I remain unconvinced that reading the first two would make me any more invested in the fates of the characters or in the kingdom of Landover.
The story is definitely fantasy, and at turns, urban fantasy. (As we are shuttled back and forth between worlds due to the placement—or rather, misplacement—of the scribe character Abernathy.) But it was fantasy they never took itself too seriously. I would be tempted to compare the attempt to the clever whimsy of Terry Pratchett… but on the whole, less amusing and featuring characters I was less concerned over.
The wizard, Quester, was particularly frustrating. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why anyone would rely on him for ANYTHING—his level of incompetence is so astonishingly vast. He literally causes the entire conflict the plot centers around. And yet, he is not only allowed to continue on in his role as court wizard, but is actually put in charge of Landover while King Ben Holiday jumps dimensions to personally make an attempt to rescue Abernathy.
Though I can’t say it was predictable, exactly, nothing about the plot came as a surprise. A lot of it struck me as contrived. The pacing dragged often, but not so much because of the writing itself. (Please don’t misunderstand my lack of enjoyment as a railing against Brook’s writing—it is not.) I think the biggest detriment to the pace and flow was the fact that I was never truly convinced of the stakes. Not only did I keep forgetting that a world hung in the balance, but this didn’t strike me as the kind of book in which I need worry that any main character might actually die.
Just not quite my cup of drawn-out tea. But while I am not interested in any more of Landover, I am still excited to finally get my hand on anything in the Shannara series. Brooks can definitely write. I’d just prefer to read something with a very different tone and intent.
As my first taste of Terry Brooks… I have to admit this was probably a mistake. But once I realized it was the third book in the Landover series, it felt too late to simply stop. I thought perhaps it would be able to hold up on its own if I just hung in there long enough. On the whole though… I feel I missed out. And I remain unconvinced that reading the first two would make me any more invested in the fates of the characters or in the kingdom of Landover.
The story is definitely fantasy, and at turns, urban fantasy. (As we are shuttled back and forth between worlds due to the placement—or rather, misplacement—of the scribe character Abernathy.) But it was fantasy they never took itself too seriously. I would be tempted to compare the attempt to the clever whimsy of Terry Pratchett… but on the whole, less amusing and featuring characters I was less concerned over.
The wizard, Quester, was particularly frustrating. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why anyone would rely on him for ANYTHING—his level of incompetence is so astonishingly vast. He literally causes the entire conflict the plot centers around. And yet, he is not only allowed to continue on in his role as court wizard, but is actually put in charge of Landover while King Ben Holiday jumps dimensions to personally make an attempt to rescue Abernathy.
Though I can’t say it was predictable, exactly, nothing about the plot came as a surprise. A lot of it struck me as contrived. The pacing dragged often, but not so much because of the writing itself. (Please don’t misunderstand my lack of enjoyment as a railing against Brook’s writing—it is not.) I think the biggest detriment to the pace and flow was the fact that I was never truly convinced of the stakes. Not only did I keep forgetting that a world hung in the balance, but this didn’t strike me as the kind of book in which I need worry that any main character might actually die.
Just not quite my cup of drawn-out tea. But while I am not interested in any more of Landover, I am still excited to finally get my hand on anything in the Shannara series. Brooks can definitely write. I’d just prefer to read something with a very different tone and intent.
cieralegue's review against another edition
4.0
this book was quite good i liked it while it took me a while to read that wasnt because this book was boring or uninteresting. The different storylines within the book was quite great really wish the storylines were in separte chapters to make it a bit easier to understand when switching storylines quite suddenly, the ending i loved but i wanted more answers than questions as it left more questions when answering the questions from earlier. i believe this should have been the secoond book leaving the actual second book the last unicorn as a couple of chapters at the beginning of this book would have been a much better plan.
kellieb71's review against another edition
4.0
Third in the three book compilation - and a quick read - a little different than the first two because it involves a trip back to the 'real world' but entertaining none the less.
punkcupcakes's review against another edition
4.0
embarrassing how long it took me to finish this...it was good though! a bit different than the first two which was nice