I’ve been a fan of Terry for almost 30 years, ever since I stumbled on his early works in my high school library. In my opinion, this final Shannara book was the end of him “phoning it in” to capitalize on his fan base. I’ve not enjoyed this last series much and this last book was no exception. To be honest, it was painful to even finish. With more recycled plot lines and redundant characters, this book seemed to just be a re-hash of previous stories. Side plots went no where and had no bearing the the overall story itself and moments that were meant to be dramatic and provide some shock value fell completely flat. Brooks started out with some neat ideas and developed a world that, in the end, he squandered.

How do you end a series that has been going strong for over 40 years? The Fall of Shannara: The Last Druid by Terry Brooks does just that and to the utmost perfection. What I Loved I will start with the end. To put it simply, I loved the ending. It stayed true to the entire series, and I could write this whole review about it. But that would be the most prominent spoiler of all, so I won't, but out of all the different ways it could have ended, the path chosen was just sublime. I loved that the series started and ended with Shea Ohmsford. Two different Shea's, but still, there is a sense of coming full circle that is satisfying. There are also more characters related to the originals. The group that leads this concluding story contains two Ohmsfords, one Leah, one prince (Ellesedil), and a druid. They bring back fond memories of their predecessors and are a joy to read about in their own right. They are all intricately layered and have excellent heroic qualities that will cause you to love them all equally. There are three interrelated storylines in this book, and each is full of action, peril, and magic that keeps the pages rapidly turning as I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. Each story could easily be a book on its own but to have them in one book is just that much more impactful. Lastly, the world-building in the whole Shannara series is detailed, surprising, and pulls you right into the page. With its mass of truly horrid creatures and delightful characters, revolutionary machines, magic, and DRAGONS, it's this fantasy-lovers dream. There is a bittersweetness to having a beloved series end, especially one that has been around for so long, but if it's got to end, this story is the best way to do it.