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Liked It “If you've ever wondered about the great war that is alluded to in most of Brooks' other Shannara books then look no further. Epic wars don't happen over night, rather they slowly build force over many hundreds of years and this is part of that struggle. Fantasy meets the modern world in a...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “The Word and Void trilogy is the worst I've read from Brooks, and I've read most his work. I mainly pushed through just so I wouldn't miss any background necessary for the books that come after - and I kept hoping that something exciting / meaningful / magical would actually happen in this...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“If you've ever wondered about the great war that is alluded to in most of Brooks' other Shannara books then look no further. Epic wars don't happen over night, rather they slowly build force over many hundreds of years and this is part of that struggle. Fantasy meets the modern world in a wonderful way.”
Ian wrote this review Sunday, April 14, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The Word and Void trilogy is the worst I've read from Brooks, and I've read most his work. I mainly pushed through just so I wouldn't miss any background necessary for the books that come after - and I kept hoping that something exciting / meaningful / magical would actually happen in this series. It was boring, there were no goals that I could determine (a defined quest might have helped), and little hope.
Allison wrote this review Sunday, October 14, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The setting is a big problem for me. We find ourselves in modern-day Washington State. There's very little magic. No elves. Nothing to rouse a trace of nostalgia for the Shannara series that you think you're supposed to be reading. There's just an apocalyptic war between good and evil going on that almost no one is aware of, and evil is winning. The servants of good have no hope and never seem to get a break. This is simply too far away from the world of Shannara for me. It was like a bleak history lesson that I just had to get through, and I couldn't even find the connection.
The next trilogy (Genesis of Shannara) is a little better. Things start to move away from the world as we know it, and by the end of it, we're starting to get back into truer fantasy territory. I imagine you'd only slog through that many books to get back to Shannara if you're truly hopeful in spirit, but I am generally an optimist.”
“This is a good read, though not Brooks' best. The plot is somewhat predictable, but I still liked the book.”
Hazysaffron wrote this review Saturday, September 15, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I read this trilogy a while back. It's dark, urban fantasy, and I loved this book enough to read all three. And each of them was brooding and thrilling. I commiserated with Nest and John Ross, and my heart went out to them page after page. Excellent writing and story telling as always from Terry Brooks. I enjoyed this trilogy very, very much.”
LA Miller - Quests of Shadowind wrote this review Tuesday, July 10, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is my first Terry Brooks book and it certainly won’t be my last. Running With The Demon blew me away. I loved it!
Maythavee wrote this review Wednesday, November 30, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The cast of characters that Terry Brooks created was fantastic. I liked them all (Yes, even the demon). Nest Freemark was a great character. I can understand her frustration with her grandparents, Pick and John Ross because I also hate it when people keep secrets from me. I admire her for being able to stand up to her fears. John Ross also a really interesting character. His role as a Knight of the Word was fascinating to read about. I really feel for him because as a Knight he would have to be alone locked in the war between the Void. The flashbacks and his dreams of the future was a great addition to his role. Old Bob was another character that I should mention. His part may seem insignificant but it was very interesting to read about. Old Bob may not believe in magic but he was still a great character. His love for his wife and his granddaughter was just touching.
The supporting characters were great as well. I really liked Pick, Daniel, Nest’s friends, Evelyn etc. Even the feeders and the demon were wonderfully written. Terry Brooks expressed the hatred and the dark feelings that the characters were feeling very well. It gave me chills while reading it.
The plot was fascinating. It may have started out slow but it built up nicely with suspense and tension. I loved how the tone of the book became darker and darker towards the climax. All the stuff about magic, the Word, the Void, feeders, demons, the Knight of the Word etc were fantastic! I cannot put this book down for one second! Terry Brooks’s writing style was easy to follow so I was swept away into the story quite quickly.
Overall, Running The With Demon was a fantastic read! I cannot wait to start the second book in the trilogy. I’ll definitely read more of Terry Brooks’s work! ”
“not my favorite terry brooks book....but it was exciting and all, no complaints”
Melissa F wrote this review Sunday, July 24, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Sara W said: 4 Stars
Author, Author Shelf wrote this review Friday, May 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
What do a fourteen year old girl, a wanderer with a wicked limp, and a calculating demon have in common? The answer is three-fold.
Hopewell, Indiana is your typical small town where everyone knows everyone else, it's economy reliant on a single industry - in this case it's the now quiet steel mill as the strike grinds into it's third month. It is also the home of Nest Freemark, growing up under the watchful eyes of her grandparents, a sylvan, a magical dog, and the knowledge that she has a powerful magic. Stranger John Ross drifts into town on a Greyhound bus, and insinuates himself into the life of the Freemark family, claiming that he knew Nest's mother, Caitlin, back in college, before she killed herself. And then there is the demon, focused and determined to destroy not just our way of life, but life itself. They are bound by Hopewell. They are bound by deep secrets. They are bound by magic.
Terry Brooks is one of my favorite fantasy authors, but I'll admit it, I had not plan to read this or any of the other books in The Word and The Void series. Urban fantasy just didn't appeal to me, despite how popular these books became. But then he had to go and link this series to Shannara, my gateway drug into the realm of fantasy. If I didn't read these books, I would never be able to fully understand the foundations of those books. I added them to my stack of books to be read, but still I hesitated, putting book after book in front of them. I shouldn't have. Running with the Demon is a dark and complex story of the battle between good and evil. This is not Lord of the Rings or even Shannara. It is something completely different and it hooked me right from the start. If you think you know fantasy, if you think it's all wizards and swords, you're wrong.
What I want to do is go right out and read all of the other books in this series and then jump headfirst into the Genesis of Shannara. Terry Brooks has a way of making me feel like that. He has since the first time I picked up The Sword of Shannara. But I will be patient, I will savor these books. I will allow myself to fully enjoy them and I will say to anyone who has debated reading them because they aren't Shannara, to quit debating and start reading today.”
“sara w said: 4 stars
Play Book Tag Shelf wrote this review Tuesday, March 8, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
What do a fourteen year old girl, a wanderer with a wicked limp, and a calculating demon have in common? The answer is three-fold.
Hopewell, Indiana is your typical small town where everyone knows everyone else, it's economy reliant on a single industry - in this case it's the now quiet steel mill as the strike grinds into it's third month. It is also the home of Nest Freemark, growing up under the watchful eyes of her grandparents, a sylvan, a magical dog, and the knowledge that she has a powerful magic. Stranger John Ross drifts into town on a Greyhound bus, and insinuates himself into the life of the Freemark family, claiming that he knew Nest's mother, Caitlin, back in college, before she killed herself. And then there is the demon, focused and determined to destroy not just our way of life, but life itself. They are bound by Hopewell. They are bound by deep secrets. They are bound by magic.
Terry Brooks is one of my favorite fantasy authors, but I'll admit it, I had not plan to read this or any of the other books in The Word and The Void series. Urban fantasy just didn't appeal to me, despite how popular these books became. But then he had to go and link this series to Shannara, my gateway drug into the realm of fantasy. If I didn't read these books, I would never be able to fully understand the foundations of those books. I added them to my stack of books to be read, but still I hesitated, putting book after book in front of them. I shouldn't have. Running with the Demon is a dark and complex story of the battle between good and evil. This is not Lord of the Rings or even Shannara. It is something completely different and it hooked me right from the start. If you think you know fantasy, if you think it's all wizards and swords, you're wrong.
What I want to do is go right out and read all of the other books in this series and then jump headfirst into the Genesis of Shannara. Terry Brooks has a way of making me feel like that. He has since the first time I picked up The Sword of Shannara. But I will be patient, I will savor these books. I will allow myself to fully enjoy them and I will say to anyone who has debated reading them because they aren't Shannara, to quit debating and start reading today.”
“What do a fourteen year old girl, a wanderer with a wicked limp, and a calculating demon have in common? The answer is three-fold.
Sara W wrote this review Thursday, March 3, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Hopewell, Indiana is your typical small town where everyone knows everyone else, it's economy reliant on a single industry - in this case it's the now quiet steel mill as the strike grinds into it's third month. It is also the home of Nest Freemark, growing up under the watchful eyes of her grandparents, a sylvan, a magical dog, and the knowledge that she has a powerful magic. Stranger John Ross drifts into town on a Greyhound bus, and insinuates himself into the life of the Freemark family, claiming that he knew Nest's mother, Caitlin, back in college, before she killed herself. And then there is the demon, focused and determined to destroy not just our way of life, but life itself. They are bound by Hopewell. They are bound by deep secrets. They are bound by magic.
Terry Brooks is one of my favorite fantasy authors, but I'll admit it, I had not plan to read this or any of the other books in The Word and The Void series. Urban fantasy just didn't appeal to me, despite how popular these books became. But then he had to go and link this series to Shannara, my gateway drug into the realm of fantasy. If I didn't read these books, I would never be able to fully understand the foundations of those books. I added them to my stack of books to be read, but still I hesitated, putting book after book in front of them. I shouldn't have. Running with the Demon is a dark and complex story of the battle between good and evil. This is not Lord of the Rings or even Shannara. It is something completely different and it hooked me right from the start. If you think you know fantasy, if you think it's all wizards and swords, you're wrong.
What I want to do is go right out and read all of the other books in this series and then jump headfirst into the Genesis of Shannara. Terry Brooks has a way of making me feel like that. He has since the first time I picked up The Sword of Shannara. But I will be patient, I will savor these books. I will allow myself to fully enjoy them and I will say to anyone who has debated reading them because they aren't Shannara, to quit debating and start reading today.”
