Paladins of Shannara: The Weapon Master's Choice (short story)

Terry Brooks

Jun 2013 · Hachette UK

About this ebook

A city besieged by a powerful warlock seeks salvation from a fabled warrior in the second of three gripping new stand-alone eBook short stories set in the world of the fantasy-fiction phenomenon that is Shannara - by beloved New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks.

His extraordinary - and deadly - skills have earned Garet Jax renown and infamy as the man called the Weapons Master. Rootless, solitary, and endlessly sought after, he roams the Four Lands, loyal to none but himself . . . and whomever can afford his services as warrior, assassin, and avenger for hire. But Lyriana is unlike any who have come to him before: as beautiful as she is bold, as enigmatic as the distant city she is desperate to save, and possessed of an intangible, irresistible allure that entices even the hardened Garet Jax more than any amount of gold or silver ever could.

But the challenge she comes bearing may give even the celebrated Weapons Master pause. The remote city of Tajarin, Lyriana's home, is being laid to waste by an immensely powerful and boundlessly evil warlock of the deadliest order. With the populace enslaved and no champion to stand against the invader, Tajarin will soon be wiped from the map - perhaps only the first city to fall. Whatever hope exists rests in the deft hands, lethal blades, and unerring instincts of Garet Jax. With righteous fury in his blood, and feelings he has never before known in his heart, he will face the most dire of enemies, and dare the blackest of fates, for the mysterious woman at his side - whose deepest secrets have yet to be revealed.

PRAISE FOR TERRY BROOKS

'A great storyteller, Terry Brooks creates rich epics filled with mystery, magic, and memorable characters. If you haven't read Terry Brooks, you haven't read fantasy' - Christopher Paolini, bestselling author of ERAGON and BRISINGR

'Terry Brooks is a master of the craft and a trailblazer . . . Required reading' - Brent Weeks, bestselling author of the Night Angel trilogy

'I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years' - Patrick Rothfuss, bestselling author of THE NAME OF THE WIND

'Terry's place is at the head of the fantasy world' - Philip Pullman, author of NORTHERN LIGHTS

About the author

Terry Brooks is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books, including the Dark Legacy of Shannara adventures Wards of Faerie, Bloodfire Quest and Witch Wraith; the Legends of Shannara novels Bearers of the Black Staff and The Measure of the Magic; the Genesis of Shannara trilogy: Armageddon's Children, The Elves of Cintra, and The Gypsy Morph; and The Sword of Shannara. The author was a practising attorney for many years but now writes full-time. He lives with his wife, Judine, in the Pacific Northwest.