Running with the Demon

Terry Brooks

May 2007 · Pre-Shannara: Word and Void Book 1 · Sold by Del Rey

About this ebook

In Running with the Demon, Terry Brooks does nothing less than revitalize fantasy fiction, inventing the complex and powerful new mythos of the Word and the Void, good versus evil still, but played out in the theater-in-the-round of the “real world” of our present.

On the hottest Fourth of July weekend in decades, two men have come to Hopewell, Illinois, site of a lengthy, bitter steel strike. One is a demon, dark servant of the Void, who will use the anger and frustration of the community to attain a terrible secret goal. The other is John Ross, a Knight of the Word, a man who, while he sleeps, lives in the hell the world will become if he fails to change its course on waking. Ross has been given the ability to see the future. But does he have the power to change it?

At stake is the soul of a fourteen-year-old girl mysteriously linked to both men. And the lives of the people of Hopewell. And the future of the country. This Fourth of July, while friends and families picnic in Sinnissippi Park and fireworks explode in celebration of freedom and independence, the fate of Humanity will be decided . . .

A novel that weaves together family drama, fading innocence, cataclysm, and enlightenment, Running with the Demon will forever change the way you think about the fantasy novel. As believable as it is imaginative, as wondrous as it is frightening, it is a rich, exquisitely-written tale to be savored long after the last page is turned.

Ratings and reviews

An entertaining and captivating read, once you hit the middle section. I found the characters interesting with their quirks (Gran's smokes and booze, Jared's catatonic fits), but they were also overused at times (I really only need to be told Gran drinks vodka and orange juice for breakfast a maximum of twice). Brooks is fantastic with narrative descriptions, making you feel as if you're walking in the footsteps of the characters. He can get a little wordy and delve into minutiae, which detracts from such wonderful plot and action. I would have enjoyed the novel more had a lot of the repetition been cut. There is a fantastic plot and Brooks has a masterful ability to skip through the heads of characters without breaking the reader's stride, not an easy task. You get a real sense for each point of view character and you grow attached to even the smallest characters. The only parts I disliked are when Brooks switched from past tense to present tense dream sequences. I found it jarring and unnecessary. I wished he would have worked the explanation of the dreams into the current plot rather than flashbacks that change tense and disturb the reading process. All in all, a good read that keeps you turning pages. 3.5 stars for the reasons listed above. I will continue reading this series as, like I said, once I hit the middle of the book I couldn't put it down.

Meh. I was bored the entire time it's infuriating to see such a low quality book get a 4 star rating

The only problem I had with the book is that the plot is really slow. Good thing is Brooks replaces plot movement with character development.

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.