The Darkling Child

The Defenders of Shannara

By: Terry Brooks

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

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

©2015 Terry Brooks (P)2015 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Brimming with magic . . . a bubbling cauldron of fantasy and intrigue. This novel shines best through a full-bodied embrace of its most wildly imaginative magic and artifice, which is careful not to overshadow the story’s greater half, fueled by a complex but well-constructed manifold of motives. The intrigue, grounded in a world that strays just enough from a traditional fantasy universe to elicit delighted curiosity, guarantees a solid fantasy read, especially for those already drawn into [Terry] Brooks’s vast world of Shannara.”—Booklist

“Brooks’s fans and those who prefer their fantasy on a smaller scale will appreciate the more personal but still high-stakes turn in this famous world.”—Publishers Weekly

Inherited Magic

A young man becomes aware of the magical qualities he inherited from his bloodline. Several forces want to pervert his ability but he eventually escapes them and puts his magic to good use.

what can I say.....

what can I say I read them all and this one's right up there with the best of them.

can't wait to see what Paxon Leah decodes to do !

loved the book, can't wait til the next one. can't wait to see what Paxon Leah will be doing with his life. Wish it would've turned out the way I wanted but what kind of trilogy would it be if it ended that way?

Love Terry Brooks!

I have been reading him since, well for a very long time. He's great always

My hope

I hope that this journey continues. I have always loved these books. In paper and audible.

Poor use of character names

Would you listen to another book narrated by Simon Vance?

I would but he needs to try and continue with the names of characters as in other series. i.e. Leah is not pronounced Lee but Le-ah.

One of his better

Simon Vance is great as usual. The story itself is was really good, piggybacking off the last book and giving more depth to Paxon Leah. However, there is one glaring issue with the ending. I am not the one for spoilers, but dang it who wouldn't have explained that they're family?? Hopefully it gets cleared up in the next one.

excellent narration!

very enjoyable. Simon Vance brought the story to life with a variety of voices. very well done

Very good

Starts out a little slow but then it's a compelling interesting love story with magic saucers good guys

A great read is always....

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were moments that keep you on the edge of your seat and the ending was very satisfying. Really looking forward to the next,& last, book in this series.