She pulled her cloak closer about her, aware suddenly of how cold she was. It was his presence, the nearness of his evil. Even in death, it was there, in the spray off the lake, in the currents of the air, in the darkness pressing down on her. Death, come alive in the form of his shade, gave power to what he was.The dreams of Allanon and Walker Boh have finally come true, and a new power is rising in the world of the Four Lands for the first time since before the forging of the Sword of Shannara. Grianne Ohmsford, Ard Rhys of the Third Druid Council and High Druid of Paranor, has brought back the Druid order in its entirety. Men and women of all races have come to Paranor once more in pursuit of knowledge and magic. But everything is not as glorious as it seems.In the darkest hallways and the deepest catacombs of the ancient fortress, numerous conspiracies are brewing. Every single member of the order appears to have dark secrets and hidden ambitions, and some of the most powerful sorcerers among them are already starting to act. The only thing they all have in common is a strong hatred for Grianne. Just as Sen Dunsidan, now Prime Minister of the Federation, arrives at Paranor for diplomatic talks, the High Druid disappears completely. While the Druid order is thrown into complete disarray, its members bickering over positions and politics, it falls to Penderrin Ohmsford, youngest scion of Shannara, to find and attempt to rescue its lost leader.While Pen goes on his quest, Grianne awakens in the world to which she has been sent by those tho wished her out of the way. When she starts exploring and encounters dragons, ogres and furies, she realises where she is. She has been sent to the world of the Jarka Ruus, the banished peoples. The world inside the Forbidding.This book restored my belief in Terry Brooks after the previous trilogy left me a bit disappointed (a bit tired, even). The old greatness of the world of Shannara is mixed with a darker setting in which intrigue and treachery play important parts. The combination results in a brilliant and complex story.The tale is mostly told from three perspectives. One is Pen Ohmsford. He's the generic Ohmsford hero and in most ways appears to be a reincarnation of Shea, Wil, Par and Bek. His storyline is still good, but it's the other two that made this so enjoyable: Grianne Ohmsford and her desperate journeys through the lands of the Forbidding, and the treacherous Druids who sent her there, struggling to control Paranor while they themselves also are being manipulated by forces unknown.Jarka Ruus kicks off the High Druid of Shannara trilogy with a bang. It feels like a while since I've given five stars to a book, but this one truly deserves it. It is basically the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara without almost all the downsides, and I would say it's the best Shannara book since the Wishsong.Also, it includes perhaps the best scene in the entire series (which I quoted from in the top of the review), when (view spoiler)[Grianne Ohmsford walks down to the alternative Hadeshorn that lies inside the Forbidding, and tries to summon the spirits of Walker and Allanon to ask their advice, but accidentally summons the spirit of someone else instead... (hide spoiler)]
SUMMARY:With Jarka Ruus Terry Brooks embarks on yet another journey with the legendary Ohmsford family. Beginning 20 years after the conclusion of the The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, the High Druid of Paranor Grianne Ohmsford finds herself struggling to unite the druids amid political morass risen from her prior history as the dreaded Ilse Witch. Her enemies' schemes come to fruition quickly and she is banished behind the wall of the Forbidding, the anti-demon security feature that collapsed so spectacularly in the magnificent Elfstones of Shannara. Her fate falls in the lap of the youngest Ohmsford, Penderrin, who unlike his Aunt Grianne and his parents is without the gift of magic. Pen along with Khyber and her uncle, the Elven Prince Ahren Elessedil, learn they must jump through the usual Brooks' hoops to unlock the door of the Forbidding and free Grianne. Brooks is right at home in this formulaic addition to the Shannara franchise. All the furniture is here: the Druid Keep of Paranor, dark creatures in pursuit of reluctant young heroes and, of course, the Elfstones. The good news is that Brooks remains a master of description and the book hums along with comfortable ease. Devout Shannara fans will find their favorite magical realm exactly as they left it and no doubt anticipate this cliffhanger's sequel. --Jeremy Pugh
What do You think about Jarka Ruus (2005)?
Brooks is a great fantasy storyteller. Notice I said storyteller, not writer. Some things about his style drive me nuts - like his incurable compulsion to explain EVERYTHING over and over and over, from every possible angle until you just want to scream, "Get on with it!" His writing style *tells* too much, and doesn't *show* enough. So why did I give this four stars? Because I couldn't give it three and a half. He's got a vivid imagination and a great knack for a compelling yarn. Still, I don't think many non-fantasy readers would enjoy his books the way any reader could enjoy Tolkien. I listened to this book on CD in the car, and despite its length, I rarely got bored... except when Brooks was on one of his over-explaining sprees.
—Bruce
Terry Brooks never fails to get me back into the world of Shannara right away. I have always enjoyed his books, and I was not let down with Jarka Ruus. I have read all of the Shannara books from 'The Sword of Shannara' to Jarka Ruus, and found myself wondering why I had waited so long to pick up this first book of the 'High Druid' saga. The great thing about Terry brooks is he makes it possible to pick up any of these novels without ever having read one of the preceding books of the series, though I have to admit that I suggest reading from the beginning of the series to fully appreciate the world he's created for us. The story starts twenty years after the druid Walker Boh took a crew of Ohmsfords, Leahs, Ellessedils, Bohs, and a collection of all sorts of interesting characters across the Blue Divide on the airship 'The Jerle Shannara' in search of an awesome, ancient power. Grianne Ohmsford has restored the druid order, and she is doing her best to make amends with the world for her dark past as the Ilse Witch. But other druids are plotting against her, and succeed in their plan to make her disappear while arresting control of the druid order. But something more sinister is pulling the strings from somewhere unknown.... I don't want to ruin it for you, so just go read it yourself.
—Lucas
I always enjoy Mr. Brooks' books from the Shannara world. The legendary Ohmsford family always seems to get caught up in important, world impacting events. Jarka Ruus had one thing missing though, no member of the Leah family has showed up and I really miss that. The Leah's are always my favorite characters. One thing that I don't like about the Shannara world is that the magic system is vague and undefined, there are no rules governing what can and can't be done or how the magic works, or if they are, Mr. Brooks doesn't bother to spell them out. You just have to take for granted what goes on and what the character's limitations regarding magic are. I do really like how the Wishsong manifests itself differently for different Ohmsfords, though.
—Dan
