Having just read Elves of Cintas I can only wonder how Terry Brooks
really makes a living. Same story line, just different characters, same
endless descriptions of bad weather journeys etc. If you cut the needless fill from his books you would have one good book for each of his trilogies.

The plot of the story starts with magic already in the world. I was expecting the story to go over the evolution/birth of the magic not to just jump in with it already as an established part of the environment. The characters seemed to be just following a script with little personalization on their parts.

I actually read book 2 first and was glad to read book 1 to fill in the holes that I had. Very enjoyable.

I just finished reading this trilogy and just finished writing a review for book 3, "The Gypsy Morph".

"Armageddon's Children" was the best of the 3 books because the other 2 were bogged down with too much character introspection and flashbacks to events from this book and book 2.

I got these books from the library and recommend others to as well.

As others have mentioned, this book ends with a cliff hanger, but if you are getting the book and it's sequels from the library, this isn't a big deal.

Having read this series, and having read others comment that the series before this was Brooks best (The Word and the Void series), I am inclined to read that series and maybe read "The First King of Shannara" as well as reread "The Sword of Shannara".

As a reader of Terry Brooks since the original Shannara Trilogy, I was eager to read this series about the earliest origins of the Four Lands. I was a little startled when I opened the book and foun myself at the dawn of the 22nd century in a post apocolyptic Indiana! It was an enjoyable book with a compelling story. Brooks has always told a good story. For the nitpickers out there, Brooks has never really become a good writer, just a good story teller. The characters tend to be flat and the writing cliched, but the story is always compelling. I enjoyed it, as I have always enjoyed his novels.

OK, I know that the cover of the book said that this is a Shannara story and that if nothing else, Terry Brooks loves his little elves. However, I really got sucked into this story over the first few hundred pages when Brooks pretty much had no mention of elves whatsoever. At its best, this book was a bleak end of days story that really traveled pretty well. It reminded me of a better Stephen King 'Last Stand' or a simplified 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy. The more that this story started to delve into the fantasy, for me, the more this book got all hoaky and was hard to read.

I guess that you can take my review with a grain of salt. I have never much enjoyed the Shanara series. However, this story really had some good moments and could have been something spectacular along the lines of the old Mad Max movies if Brooks had bothered to take a few risks. I think that most people who pick this story up will be looking for more of those elves and magic, but that is really secondary to my reading of this story.

As a first time reader of Terry Brooks, I was incredibly impressed. And even though the book was a cliff-hanger, something I was not privy to beforehand, I was taken enough to want to wait for the conclusion of the series; so much so, in fact, that I reread Armageddon's Children twice-over in anticipation of the next novel.

Armageddon's Children (2006) is the beginning to Brooks' newest series that is supposed to bridge the gap between two of his previous series (Word and Void). In this edition, there are initially four distinct sub-plots whose stories eventually intertwine.

A tribe of children called the Ghosts, who "haunt the ruins" of their parents' post-apocalyptic world, are managing to stay alive in a dangerous, wicked world. The leader of their pseudo-family is Hawk, who has had visions about leading his "family" to a better place - visions that parallel stories told by another member of his tribe, Owl, presumably from her memories of Biblical stories she learned when younger. Unfortunately for Hawk, however, before he can lead his people, he must wait for the girl he loves, Tessa, to leave her compound, her family, and her securities.

Another central character is Logan Tom, a Knight of the Word (defenders of humans, freedom, life, and given a mystical, rune-carved, magical staff with which to defend oneself) who was tormented at a much younger age while living at a compound similar to Tessa's. His entire family was killed while attempting to escape from an onslaught, a siege of demons and Once-men. Luckily for Logan, he was found by Michael Poole, a strong-willed leader, fighter, and defender of humans. It is with Michael that Logan eventually learned to fight, to defend himself, and about the atrocities of which the demons were capable. Years later Logan finds his calling in life when he is summoned by the Lady, where Logan is recruited to lay war on slave camps run by demons.

Another Knight of the Word, Angel Perez, grew up similarly to Logan. The lack of parents early on led her to a man named Juan Gonzalez, who, like Michael Poole, teaches Angel how to fight, how to survive. When she is recruited by an Indian named Two Bears, and consequently approaced by the Lady, she learns that her task will be almost the opposite of Logan's; Angel will be a defender. It will be Angel's mission to protect and save children about to die within compounds under siege.

Eventually, both Knights learn of a new mission. Logan Tom is to find and protect a gypsy morph, a magical creature instrumental to the survival of humanity. Unfortunately for Logan, a demon named Findo Gask is also searching for the morph in order to kill it. And Angel Perez is called upon by a tatterdemalion to help elves in search of the Loden stone. Much like Logan, a demon seeks to not only hinder Angel, but to also kill her and stop the mission.

The final subplot revolves around the elves. A young, male elf named Kirisin is one of the Chosen, a group of younger elves who are selected by the Ellcrys, a magical tree used to lock away evil beings. If the Ellcrys dies, the evil is set free. The Ellcrys never speaks, but one day it tells Kirisin that she is in danger. It then becomes a struggle to find other Chosen, or other elves, to believe his story and help save the Ellcrys. To much chagrin, Kirisin finds out that the King is not that receptive to his pleas, and wishes.

It's a race to find out if Logan will find the gypsy morph, if Hawk will lead his famliy from the dangerous environment of toxically-affected creatures, if Angel will get to the elves to help them, and if the elves will be able to save the Ellcrys.

Armageddon's Children is a wonderfully fascinating read, with vivid imagery, and a very easy storyline to follow. It's nearly impossible not to root for certain characters, or at least side and associate with their struggles. I highly recommend this book, and will definitely read the remainder of the series.

This is a great beginning for the Shannara Series. This prequel steps into our not too distant future in a way that is totally plausible, even taking some of the names of people we might know and placing them in a past rife with destruction and chaos. The characters are well put together, and as true to Brook's fashion, the scene is set for the next installment.

Sometimes a good book will make your whole body scream, "No, we can't stop now!", even though you have to go to work in the morning. Other times a book will make you think, "No! That can't happen."
As usual this Terry Brooks' book make you think and feel both. An incredible cast of characters. A tie in I didn't think was possible. Impressed? Beyond impressed. I have loved the original Shannara books for years. I have come lately to love the Word and the Void series. That this beloved author has been able to tie the two together is nothing short of phemoninal. The only thing more I can say is, read it to believe it. No plot anyalisis, no outline....you are here for a reason, and it's the right one...buy the book, wait for more, with Terry there is always more. And as faithful readers we will always wait.

I am a real fan of Terry Brooks' books, and this one lives up to my expections!

For anyone who's read Brooks before, you won't be disappointed. The characters are rich, the plot is engaging and the writing is well developed. This book is the beginning of a series that merges the world of Shannara with Brooks' The Word and The Void series. If you haven't read Brooks before you'll still enjoy this book, but I'd suggest you start with some of his earlier writing. Like I said, this new series is a bridge.

I read this book because it was described as a good starting point for people who haven't read Terry Brooks' previous novels. Mr. Brooks has, in my opinion, only writen half a book, but dragged that half out by constant repetition and characters that are plain and one-dimensional. His writing is just not for me.

Terry Brooks has done it again. He draws you in with fantasy on the edge of reality. Who can read this without thinking that it could actually be happening in the not so distant future. I wonder what the elves will be like...

This book was well written with active interesting characters, and had a great premise, but suffered from some serious flaws, especially in the pacing. My last review was deleted for being too long or perhaps giving spoilers, so this one will be brief and lack plot points:

1. The premise is wildly unrealistic for several reasons, but chiefly the idea that the Bible is a completely forgotten tome within just a couple generations of apocalypse is ludicrous considering everything else that is remembered (such as baseball, solar-cell technology, etc.).

2. The over political/religious commentary of the author, somehow blaming Dick Cheney, of all people, for sowing the seeds of destruction of the world, is not realistic, offensive to some, and sophomoric at best.

3. Worst, though, the pacing is horrible. There are four storylines, only two of which intersect and then only near the end. There are enormous jumps in the plot at a couple points that leave the reader confused and which lose the connection with the otherwise compelling characters.

4. The "revelation" once again in a Terry Brooks book is not revelatory at all. The twist not only is easy to see coming but it's totally uninteresting. And I'll just say that I can't stand the name "gypsy morph" which is clearly a play on the words "gypsy moth" which is, like naming a growling dog "Cheney," churlish and unimaginative.

I hope the next couple books are better. I really liked some of Brooks' other writings, but I'll wait to hear how the whole series ends before buying books 2 or 3.

i read the sword of shannara years ago, and was not too much taken with it at the time. i picked up this book at the library a few months ago and really enjoyed reading it. it's well-written with a great story line and mostly well-drawn characters, whether the reader likes them or not. i bought this because i wanted to read it again, and bought the others as well. may even go back to sword of shannara...

I abslolutely loved, Running with the Demon and the other 2. This book brings me back ina good way. I always wanted to know what happened with the gypsy morph,Nest Freemark, and although there is lots missing,i throughly enjoyed it. I'm just now ordering the Elves of Cintra and have fingers and toes crossed :},that the next one is not far off!

Getting very tired of volumes that bog down in the middle with battle scenes that go on and on. The beginning and first few chapters were excellent, but then it was if the author ran out of steam. Sorry. It just didn't keep my interest.

I wanted to read a fantasy book, not have someone attempt to indoctrinate the evils of our modern civilization. According to this author, we'd all be better off living in tribes, worshiping nature. Meanwhile, people like Al Gore and this guy are among the earths heaviest consumers.

This was certainly Terry Brooks at his best -- great reading - went on to the 2nd in the trilogy and can't wait for the 3rd.

Loved this book. It is the first book I have read written by Terry Brooks, I have already purchased the next book. It is inventive and original. Kept me spellbound from beginning to end.

Terry Brooks has become one of my favorite authors. The first book I read of his was Knight of the Word. I loved the book and quickly read "Running with the Demon" and "Angel Fire East". I have been waiting for this sequel for a long time and I was not disappointed. I'm looking forward to the remaining two books to complete this trilogy.

While reading this book I was struck with the notion that Terry had a deadline. There were a few loose ends that might have been made better with a review through some writer's group or editor. The biggest one was the logistical problem of feeding and watering the world's lingering inhabitants using bottled water and canned goods. Lots of end-world writers like to think so, but it just ain't gonna happen. In places the author seems to know this, hinting at purification and growing food in stadiums, which is far more believable and interesting, but conflicting with some of his own assertions within the book.



The other trial is getting the believe-button in your head to swallow all of the differing mutants. A simpler story and a simpler array of difficulties, (the difficulty of growing food in a hostile world, for example), would have left us with some interesting characters set in an already interesting world. The problems are enough without certain starvation.



A few beefy heros tackle it all, which I like. That's what's working; characters we care about, (though with so many, it was hard for him to get us to love some of the better ones), and that are bigger than life, as is appropraite for this genre. In fact, his ability to drive us forward with good plot points is so well done that I am overlooking the shortfalls of a writer's hand on the logistics and going right to the five star rating.



I'll not give away the ending, but simply say, buy both of the first books. Personally, I prefer books that are more self contained and thus lead us to the next one by choice. A little cheated there.



'The Stand' and 'Swan Song' are the closest books compared to this one, both of which are classics.

While reading this book I was struck with the notion that Terry had a deadline. There were a few loose ends that might have been made better with a review through some writer's group or editor. The biggest one was the logistical problem of feeding and watering the world's lingering inhabitants using bottled water and canned goods. Lots of end-world writers like to think so, but it just ain't gonna happen. In places the author seems to know this, hinting at purification and growing food in stadiums, which is far more believable and interesting, but conflicting with some of his own assertions within the book.

The other trial is getting the believe-button in your head to swallow all of the differing mutants. A simpler story and a simpler array of difficulties, (the difficulty of growing food in a hostile world, for example), would have left us with some interesting characters set in an already interesting world. The problems are enough without certain starvation.

A few beefy heros tackle it all, which I like. That's what's working; characters we care about, (though with so many, it was hard for him to get us to love some of the better ones), and that are bigger than life, as is appropraite for this genre. In fact, his ability to drive us forward with good plot points is so well done that I am overlooking the shortfalls of a writer's hand on the logistics and going right to the five star rating.

I'll not give away the ending, but simply say, buy both of the first books. Personally, I prefer books that are more self contained and thus lead us to the next one by choice. A little cheated there.

'The Stand' and 'Swan Song' are the closest books compared to this one, both of which are classics.

To be absolutely honest about this book, I have not read it as of this date. Terry Brooks has been and remains one of my favorite authors ever since I read his Sword of Shannara and Elfstones of Shannara books. I am anticipating feeling the same about Armageddon's Children as I feel about the two books I mentioned. From my particular standpoint, I will read just about anything that Terry Brooks writes.

I first read the original 'Sword of Shannara' by Brooks when I was a kid, followed a couple of the follow-on tales. It has been years (if not decades) since I have read anything by Brooks and this story was a real treat. What I enjoyed most was that it pulls history from several of his prior stories (Word and Void), but does not require the reader to have read them.

If you want to start over with the fun and adventure of Shanarra, this is a great place to do it. I just purchased the next book in this series yesterday "The Elves of Cintra".

Without a doubt Terry Brooks is the best in the fantasy field today. The storyline is gripping and the future world he creates is real. Living in Seattle, I can picture all of his descriptions of the destruction and survival down into the details.

He is a good as ever in the beginning of his next trilogy.

Armageddon's Children is the first book of a trilogy dealing with the cataclysmic events that created the world of Shannara. The story takes place in our near future, a bleak and dismal future where war and pollution have destroyed the environment creating a world that is not longer hospitable to men. On top of that there are demons scouring the world, looking to exterminate the human race. The remnants of civilization have taken residents within sports arenas, where they think the high walls will shut out the dangers plaguing the rest of the world. Children survive on the streets in gangs, calling themselves tribes. Fighting the demons and trying to save the rest of humanity are the Knights of the Word. Magic wielders who have made the survival of the human race their primary objective. Armageddon's Children is a true pleasure to read from the first page to the last. The characters are captivating, the action is non-stop, and the story itself flows in a way that makes it hard to put down. I would recommend Armageddon's Children to anyone who enjoys a good story, but especially those who have a penchant for fantasy tales and apocalyptic stories.

Nest Freemark is dead, and some considerable time has passed. John Ross' visions have come true, and lone stray compunds of humans try and hold off the demons and once-men, and fail.

Few Knights of the Word yet live, but two are in this book, both chosen by Two Bears, who is still around, as is the demon Findo Gask.

Logan Tom is one, and Angel Perez is another. The Lady has tasked Logan to protect the gypsy moth, who, it seems, is now a boy again and the leader of a ragtag band of kids in Seattle called the Ghosts. The Lady sends a Tatterdemalion to Angel to give her another task.

"There are Elves in the world, Angel Perez. There have always been Elves in the world, even before there were humans."

Angel is tasked to find an Elfstone.

In two interludes in the book, Elves actually appear, a band of Chosen, protectors of a magic tree, also need to find an Elfstone to save the tree and its heritage. There are mentions of humans and demons in this interlude, so quite possibly this is going on at the same time.

Tom finds Hawk, the boy who is the gypsy moth, but he is going to be executed for stealing medical supplies. The boy realises he is something strange after healing his mortally wounded guard dog, and Tom showing him the bones of his mother Nest's hands.

Quite similar to the earlier trilogy, but postapocalyptic with Elves. If you can call that similar, but similar in tone, and maybe a bit more interesting.

Ends in a cliffhanger as Hawk and his girlfriend are thrown off a sports stadium wall, the favored execution method for the people that desperately defend this sports stadium.

I don't normally read fantasy, but the first 3/4 of this book was a nice surprise. I thought it was an entertaining read

The cliff-hanger ending was infuriating. The book practically cuts off in mid-sentence. I'll probably return it, and I've never done that before. There is no indication that the book is part of a series and, in fact, the book jacket recommends it as "the perfect opportunity for readers unfamiliar with Brooks's previous work to experience an author at the height of his considerable storytelling powers." If they are going to explicitly market the book to readers unfamiliar with the author they should clearly disclose that the book is part of a series and in no way a stand-alone novel.