This second book in the Jerle Shannara trilogy is a darker tale than the first. It has the ambiance of a Science Fiction and Fantasy mix by introducing machines and computers like the first book but more so in this second novel. There were certainly surprising twists that leaves the reader dumbfounded but eager to read on. The team travels to the island that holds this mysterious magic while being pursued by the Ilse Witch in her goal to seek revenge on Walker Boh and to take possession of this powerful magic. When they get to the island, the Great Druid Walker realizes that they were led there for more than the magic. They were led into a trap by the very thing that guards the treasure that he seeks. The group becomes scattered by a turn of events and Walker Boh is left in a dark maze to battle this thing on his own. Meanwhile, the Ilse Witch is never ending in her search for Walker and his companions. Antrax was the name given to the unseen enemy that traps souls and feeds off magic that anyone possesses. Walker has to obtain the magic that Antrax is guarding before it traps him forever in the underground prison which Antrax calls his home. The others in his party have their own battles to handle when they are separated. For some, the journey was meant to be an adventure but it turned out to be an absolute nightmare for all. It was hard to put this book down. Even though it was well into the night, I still couldn't tear myself away from it because I really needed to know what was going to happen next and I couldn't wait 24 hours more to find out. I was surprised by some of the things that happened to the heroes in the book and I can't imagine what is going to happen in the last book. The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara - Antrax is definitely more involved with the characters and what they discover on their journey than the first book. A lot is revealed to the reader about the fears, the challenges and hidden truths that you find out about your favorite characters.
Heb je een hekel aan open eindes? Lees dan vooral dit boek niet. Houd je van een goed boek? Lees dan dit boek vooral wel. De vijand blijkt een hele andere te zijn dan we dachten in het eerste boek. En het is afkomstig uit de Oude Wereld van voor de Grote Oorlogen. De manier waarop het jaagt op prooi om zijn voortbestaan te garanderen is gruwelijk en de reden waarom het dat doet is wrang. Het tempo zit er goed in en we hoeven niet te wachten op onthullingen, deze komen op regelmatige goedgekozen momenten vanzelf. De overdosis aan karakters van het eerste boek krijgen nu vorm (zij die nog leven) en een hoop dingen vallen op zijn plaats. Brooks is goed op dreef. Net als bij deel 1 wil je meteen met het volgende boek beginnen. Ik geef vier sterren ipv vijf, omdat hij vaak net iets te langdradig is in het beschrijven van de gebeurtenissen. De sfeer schetsen kan hij treffend en grimmig, maar op een bepaald moment is die sfeer ons wel duidelijk en mag hij toch wat meer opschieten wat mij betreft.
Across fathomless seas, beyond the far horizon, the voyagers aboard the Jerle Shannara face the deadliest - and darkest - challenge of their lives.The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy takes a new direction with its second book. Whereas Ilse Witch was an epic tale of adventure, Antrax is a story of a band of lost voyagers trapped on a mysterious peninsula where countless horrors await. This is where the new world of Shannara faces what is left of the old. Magic meets science while the crew of the Jerle Shannara struggles desperately for survival.I liked Antrax. But out of so many good novels in the Shannara series, this is simply not one of the best in my opinion. It felt quite stretched, and when I finished the last page I realised that not much had happened since the first chapter. The ending was unsatisfactory because there was no ending, and the nature and identity of the book's main antagonist was revealed way too early. But to be fair, the good elements are more numerous than the bad, and the fact that I gave this book three stars does not mean that I did not enjoy reading it. In the end, it only paves the way for an amazing conclusion to the trilogy.
—Markus
This is by far the best book of the Shannara series (so far). This being number two of a three part Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series it starts you right back in the action and it doesn't seem to stop. I read this book in a few days, I just couldn't put it down. The mixture of fantasy with a science fiction twist is great and with Brooks telling the story it makes it even better. I've never read a story so creative and unique. Once again Terry Brooks shows he is a master of fantasy and has an incredible imagination and ingenuity in his stories.
—Clinton
This was such an unexpected gem. The first book started out formulaic but by the end Brooks had pulled it all together to make it a 4 star read. Typically 2nd books in trilogies are just setup books and as a result are the worst of the set. Well that does not apply to Antrax. This book started out ok and in no time at all it kicked into a higher gear than I've seen since Elfstones of Shannara. There was so much character development I had doubts this was a Shannara book at all. Brooks' books are a lot of fun but not exactly deep in character dev. Then add so many twists and turns that completely blindsided me and an end I still can't get over. Add in a strong dose of apocalyptic technology and some truly horrifying scenes, well all I can say is "Holy cow!" Well done Mr. Brooks. Very well done indeed. Yeah this one goes 5-Stars. Now I'm really scared ... How can the next book ever hope to pick up where this left off?
—Rick Piatt
