Book Review: "The Darkling Child" by Terry Brooks

From New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks comes a thrilling stand-alone novel in his legendary Shannara series—the perfect place for new readers to begin.

After taking up his enchanted sword against the dark sorcerer Arcannen, Paxon Leah has become the sworn protector of the Druid order. Now a critical hour is at hand, as a beloved High Druid nears the end of her reign and prepares to pass from the mortal world to the one beyond. There is little time for Paxon to mourn his friend and benefactor before duty summons him. For in a distant corner of the Four Lands, the magic of the wishsong has been detected. Paxon must accompany a Druid emissary to find its source—and ensure the formidable power is not wielded by the wrong hands.

But danger is already afoot in the village of Portlow. Gentle traveling minstrel Reyn Frosch possesses the uncanny gift, and curse, of the wishsong. And now his coveted abilities have captured the malevolent interest of none other than Arcannen—whose quest for power is exceeded only by his thirst for vengeance. The lone survivor of a brutal assault on a notorious pirate city, the sorcerer is determined to retaliate against the Federation's elite military guard—and use the devastating power of the wishsong as his ultimate weapon. - from Netgalley.com

This is the second book in The Defenders of Shannara series by Terry Brooks, and continues the story of Paxon Leah as he works with the Druid Order to help locate magic in the land. Also, to find a way to help his sister learn to control/use the power of the wishsong. There isn't much more to add that the above narrative doesn't capture, without giving away spoilers.

Having grown up reading Brooks' Shannara series (all of them) each time he comes up with another story from that universe, I get a little crazy. I find it awesome how he is able to share these stories, and they are intermixed in a large timeline in Shannara, but are all inter-connected. Brooks' writing style, as always, is easy to read for adults and young readers, with little or no extra narrative needed to explain concepts. I really like the book cover art, too.

As most books, this ARC was given to me from the publisher, Random  House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra, in exchange for a review through Netgalley.com.