Jarka Ruus
High Druid of Shannara, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Scott Brick
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Written by:
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Terry Brooks
About this listen
More than a quarter of a century after The Sword of Shannara carved out its place in the pantheon of great epic fantasy, the magic of Terry Brooks’s New York Times best-selling saga burns as brightly as ever. Three complete series have chronicled the ever-unfolding history of Shannara. But more stories are still to be told - and new adventures have yet to be undertaken.
Book One of High Druid of Shannara invites both the faithful longtime listener and the curious newcomer to take the first step on the next extraordinary quest.
Twenty years have passed since Grianne Ohmsford denounced her former life as the dreaded Ilse Witch - saved by the love of her brother, the magic of the Sword of Shannara, and the destruction of her evil mentor, the Morgawr. Now, fulfilling the destiny predicted for her, she has established the Third Druid Council, and dedicated herself to its goals of peace, harmony among the races, and defense of the Four Lands. But the political intrigue, secret treachery, and sinister deeds that have haunted Druid history for generations continue to thrive. And despite her devotion to the greater good as Ard Rhys - the High Druid of Paranor, Grianne still has bitter enemies.
Among the highest ranks of the Council she leads lurk those who cannot forget her reign of terror as the Ilse Witch, who covet her seat of power, and who will stop at nothing to see her deposed...or destroyed. Even Grianne’s few allies - chief among them her trusted servant Tagwen - know of the plots against her. But they could never anticipate the sudden, ominous disappearance of the Ard Rhys, in the dead of night and without a trace.
Now, barely a step ahead of the dark forces bent on stopping him, Tagwen joins Grianne’s brave young nephew, Pen Ohmsford, and the wise, powerful elf Ahren Elessedil on a desperate and dangerous mission of search and rescue - to deliver the High Druid of Shannara from an unspeakable fate.
Expect no end of wonders, no shortage of adventure, exhilaration, suspense, and enchantment, as Terry Brooks demonstrates, once again, that there is no end to his magic of invention and mastery of storytelling.
©2003 Terry Brooks (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc.You may also enjoy...
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When a half-drowned elf is found floating in the seas of the Blue Divide, an old mystery resurfaces. Thirty years ago, an elven prince led an expedition in search of a legendary magic said to be more powerful than any in the world. Of all those who set out on that ill-fated voyage, not one has ever returned. Until now. The rescued elf carries a map covered with mysterious symbols - and Walker Boh, the last of the Druids, has the skill to decipher them.
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In this prequel to The Sword of Shannara, in which many details of the Four Lands' history are revealed, Druids, horrified by the misuse of magic, have eschewed it in favor of science. But Bremen the Druid studies magic, and becomes an outcast on its account. Bremen discovers that an invincible army of trolls are fast conquering all that lay to their south. Before them come the Nazgul-like Skull Bearers, disfigured and transformed Druids who have fallen prey to the dark arts.
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The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Antrax
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- Written by: Terry Brooks
- Narrated by: Raphael Corkhill
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brave explorers led by the last Druid, Walker Boh, traveled across unknown seas in search of an elusive magic. But now it seems that Walker and his team were lured there for sinister, unforeseen purposes. As the crew aboard the airship Jerle Shannara is being attacked by evil forces, the Druid’s protégé, Bek Rowe, and his companions are being pursued by the mysterious Ilse Witch. Meanwhile, Walker is alone, caught in a dark maze beneath the ruined city of Castledown.
-
-
This trilogy is one Shannara’s best
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Written by: Terry Brooks
-
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Morgawr
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- Written by: Terry Brooks
- Narrated by: Raphael Corkhill
- Length: 15 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
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Story
Harrowing confrontations with the merciless Ilse Witch and the monstrous Antrax have taken their toll on the intrepid heroes aboard the airship Jerle Shannara. But their darkest adversary now snaps at their heels, in the form of the Morgawr - feeder upon the souls of his enemies and centuries-old sorcerer of unimaginable might with a fleet of airships and a crew of walking dead men at his command. The Morgawr’s goal is twofold: Find and control the fabled ancient books of magic, and destroy the dark disciple who betrayed him - the Ilse Witch.
-
-
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Armageddon's Children
- Pre-Shannara: Genesis of Shannara, Book 1
- Written by: Terry Brooks
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
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Story
Logan Tom is doomed to remember the past and determined to rescue the future. Far behind him lies a boyhood cut violently short by his family’s slaughter, when the forces of madness and hate swept our world after decadent excesses led to civilization’s downfall. Somewhere ahead of him rests the only chance to beat back the minions of evil that are systematically killing and enslaving the last remnants of humanity.
Written by: Terry Brooks
-
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch
- The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, Book 1
- Written by: Terry Brooks
- Narrated by: Raphael Corkhill
- Length: 17 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When a half-drowned elf is found floating in the seas of the Blue Divide, an old mystery resurfaces. Thirty years ago, an elven prince led an expedition in search of a legendary magic said to be more powerful than any in the world. Of all those who set out on that ill-fated voyage, not one has ever returned. Until now. The rescued elf carries a map covered with mysterious symbols - and Walker Boh, the last of the Druids, has the skill to decipher them.
-
-
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- By Yoshio on 2023-08-26
Written by: Terry Brooks
-
Wards of Faerie
- The Dark Legacy of Shannara
- Written by: Terry Brooks
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
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Story
When the world was young, and its name was Faerie, the power of magic ruled - and the Elfstones warded the race of Elves and their lands, keeping evil at bay. But when an Elven girl fell hopelessly in love with a Darkling boy of the Void, he carried away more than her heart. Thousands of years later, tumultuous times are upon the world now known as the Four Lands. Users of magic are in conflict with proponents of science. Elves have distanced their society from the other races. The Druid order is threatened.
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Overall
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Since the death of the Druid Allanon, the Four Lands have changed profoundly, with magic strictly forbidden in the Southland, now under totalitarian rule. Yet Par still has some power of the Wishsong. A message from Allanon arrives: venture to the dread Hadeshorn, along with the other Scions of Shannara. For in the future, all life in the Four Lands will be destroyed. To prevent this terrible fate, Allanon commands Par to recover the long-lost Sword of Shannara, a task that is next to impossible.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Legend has it that Paxon Leah is descended from the royals and warriors who once ruled the Highlands and waged war with magical weapons. But those kings, queens, and heroes are long gone, and there is nothing enchanted about the antique sword that hangs above Paxon’s fireplace. Running his family’s modest shipping business, Paxon leads a quiet life - until extraordinary circumstances overturn his simple world…and rewrite his destiny.
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Enjoyable
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Overall
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Performance
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Across the Four Lands, peace has reigned for generations. But now, in the far north, an unknown enemy is massing. More troubling than the carnage is the strange and wondrous power wielded by the attackers—a breed of magic unfamiliar even to the Druid order. Fearing the worst, the High Druid dispatches a diplomatic party under the protection of the order’s sworn guardian, Dar Leah, to confront the mysterious, encroaching force and discover its purpose.
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great
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Running with the Demon
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Sinnissippi Park, in Hopewell, Illinois, has long hidden a mysterious evil, locked away from humankind by powers greater than most could even imagine. But now the malevolent creatures that normally skulk in the shadows of the park grow bolder, and old secrets hint at a violent explosion. The brewing conflict draws John Ross to Hopewell. A Knight of the Word, Ross is plagued by nightmares that tell him someone evil is coming to unleash an ancient horror upon the world.
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Great concept
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Jarka Ruus
- High Druid of Shannara, Book 1
- Written by: Terry Brooks
- Narrated by: Charles Keating
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Abridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Despite denouncing her former life as the dreaded Ilse Witch, Grianne Ohmsford still has bitter enemies within the Third Druid Council. Among the highest ranks lurk those who cannot forget her reign of terror, who covet her seat of power, and who will stop at nothing to see her deposed - or destroyed. Even Grianne's few allies know of the lots against her. But they could never anticipate her sudden, ominous disappearance in the dead of the night without a trace.
Written by: Terry Brooks
What the critics say
"A sure winner." (Booklist)
What listeners say about Jarka Ruus
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Doug Stacey
- 2020-07-07
A Terry Brooks veteran of many years.
Good story but a little slow to start. Not one of Terry's best works but I attribute that to the fact that it was my first audio book. I have read at least a dozen of Terry's previous works. The narrator wasn't bad, although I think the attempt at accents was amateurish and took away from the believability of the characters.
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