A Knight of the Word

Terry Brooks

Jan 2001 · Pre-Shannara: Word and Void Book 2 · Sold by Ballantine Books

About this ebook

“Superior to anything being written in the genre . . . Terry Brooks is one of a handful of fantasy writers whose work consistently meets the highest literary standards.”—Rocky Mountain News

Eight centuries ago the first Knight of the Word was commissioned to combat the demonic evil of the Void. Now that daunting legacy has passed to John Ross—along with powerful magic and the knowledge that his actions are all that stand between a living hell and humanity's future.

Then, after decades of service to the Word, an unspeakable act of violence shatters John Ross's weary faith. Haunted by guilt, he turns his back on his dread gift, settling down to build a normal life, untroubled by demons and nightmares.

But a fallen Knight makes a tempting prize for the Void, which could bend the Knight's magic to its own evil ends. And once the demons on Ross's trail track him to Seattle, neither he nor anyone close to him will be safe. His only hope is Nest Freemark, a college student who wields an extraordinary magic all her own. Five years earlier, Ross had aided Nest when the future of humanity rested upon her choice between Word and Void. Now Nest must return the favor. She must restore Ross's faith, or his life—and hers—will be forfeit . . .

“[An] urban dark fantasy . . . Sharp and satisfying.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Ratings and reviews

I'm surprised at how much I liked this book. I read Brooks for action, and while there is a good amount of it, that's not why I liked it (can't believe I wrote that). He did a really good job developing the dark-side of the protagonists' personalities, particularly Ross. I thought the conversation leading up to the final confrontation was rad and went in a totally different direction than the usual Terry approach. I wish I could say more, but explaining what I liked in detail would constitute a spoiler so I won't. Can't see anyone not liking this one if you liked the first one, unless focusing on Ross as opposed to Nest bothers you. As for the action, nothing beats the Maentwrog battle, but there is a little more and it is a little darker than Book 1, which pleased me. I have to agree with some other reviews in that the pace is slow, especially at first. It was real easy to spot the bad-guy too, but it didn't seem like Brooks was even trying to hide it and I didn't feel like it detracted from the story. You have to like the characters in this series or else it will get boring fast because he expends a lot of words developing them. Normally don't prefer that from Brooks (Landover anyone?) but give the man credit here.

I live in the area in the book and it is great to see the sights described in the story. I just wish they would get Angel Fire East for download

Another great read by Mr. Brooks. All the more interesting as backstory is beginning to fill onto what will lead into the original Shannara series.

About the author

Terry Brooks has thrilled readers for decades with his powers of imagination and storytelling. He is the author of more than thirty books, most of which have been New York Times bestsellers. He lives with his wife, Judine, in the Pacific Northwest.