The Last Druid

The Fall of Shannara, Book 4

By: Terry Brooks

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller

Hope blooms anew for the Four Lands in this riveting conclusion, not only to the Fall of Shannara series but to the entire Shannara saga - a truly landmark event more than 40 years in the making!

Since he first began the Shannara saga in 1977, Terry Brooks has had a clear idea of how the series should end, and now that moment is at hand.

As the Four Lands reels under the Skaar invasion - spearheaded by a warlike people determined to make this land their own - our heroes must decide what they will risk to save the integrity of their home. Even as one group remains to defend the Four Lands, another is undertaking a perilous journey across the sea to the Skaar homeland, carrying with them a new piece of technology that could change the face of the world forever. And yet a third is trapped in a deadly realm from which there may be no escape.

Filled with twists and turns and epic feats of derring-do - not untouched by tragedy - this is vintage Terry Brooks and a fitting end to a saga that has gathered generations of readers into its fold.

©2020 Terry Brooks (P)2020 Random House Audio

Great conclusion

Really enjoyed this conclusion to the Shannara series. All 32 books have been interesting and great to listen to / read. Thanks Terry Brooks for the stories and the adventures

Astounding

Awesome read. I hoped for a different ending. Maybe Terry Brooks will surprise us again.

Resolutions galore

First, I read this book prior to listening the the previous three. The story can stand on its own if you don't mind a few "who is that"s. The various threads are relatively independent, and straight-forward quests. The style is action-with-obstacles. I never felt lost or lost interest in the story.
[Having written the above, I have now read the previous three novels and reread this one. Only The Last Druid seems worthy of a reread, and I am very glad I followed this pattern.]

However, what I want in stories is a clever presentation that drops hints, causes me to ponder tropes and their twist), makes me curious about links to older literature. Such things are not Brooks style. I want to feel that the story teller is packaging a story already knowing the end and teasing me to figure it out (Brooks says this is the ending he wants). So as much as I enjoy the story and feel drawn to or away from certain characters, there is just a bit more that I would want to give 5 stars.

Having now listened to the first 3 books I have not found what I wanted so I stay with a 4 star rating. The story still seems like a 4 book recitation of what happened rather than what I wished for above (maybe I need to use the WishSong).

As for the marketing, 4 books for the YA audience might be the right and profitable call, but in reality this could have easily been two books. Each book is just a chapter, not a story.

Terry leaves the story open.

A few open threads have been tied up but several remain lose for perhaps each to write their own conclusions.

Spellbinding Ending to Series

Spent much time in the four lands over the last three plus decades. Always intreging stories to whisk your mind to fantastic adventures. One stuck above all others: Running With the Demon. Enjoyed every book From The Sword of Shanarra till The Last Druid. Never realized how many books I've read.
Mr. Brooks keep up the good work. Better job you have now than being a lawyer on Wacker Drive.

The last of my Shannara

Wow I can’t believe this is the last of the Shannara ! I love my Shannara series of books from the sword and the first Druid to the Last Druid! From my high school to my retirement I have read Terry Brooks Shannara and will read them over and over. Always in my heart and I will always suggest for children all the way to adults to seniors❣️

Shannara...

Loved it as I have loved all the Shannara books...wonderful story, characters, and hopefully not ending...

Sad it is over

Another era of Druids. I started reading these books when I was 12. They have never disappointed. These works have actually inspired me to write my own books and the first one will be published in 2021. Thank you Terry Brooks for providing me years of entertainment and being an inspiration to me.

Epic Ending of a Grand Saga.

What can you say when one of your favorite stories since childhood is finally coming to a close. This book was everything that it needed to be to end the Shannara Saga, and more. It still leaves the future of the 4 lands and now the Skar to a hopeful, yet unknown future. Let's you know the families who's histories we've followed through thousands of years of history are still around, still guiding and protecting the people of the world. I loved it from page one to the final word. I am saddened by the fact that I will get no new stories of the Four Lands and her people, but everything must come to an end I suppose. Mr. Brooks, if you read these, just know you have a life long fan. Your stories got me through some of my darkest times in my childhood, and I still thoroughly enjoy your writings as an adult. I almost got to meet you when you attended Norwescon a few years back. Unfortunately it was not meant to be that year. Maybe some other time, in the future.

A GODLY conclusion...and I want more!

A GODLY conclusion to my ALL-TIME favorite fantasy series! I hope Terry Brooks allows a protégé to help him continue on this series someday...he ended it so well that if possible, could continue for another 32 books!

With the introduction of the Skaar, entire new continents with races and peoples outside of the Four Lands could be introduced into the series. Earth would be a planet full of different surviving ancestral and unique species lines from The Great Wars. New books could tell connecting stories from multiple continental perspectives, which Terry Brooks has already mastered. 🤔

It would be fascinating to see other continent's perspectives on the occurrences in the Four Lands - what if the entire world felt the Forbidding break each time it happened? Maybe different continents also recorded those events as historically significant, as the Four Lands considers the Great Wars...this could all be easily tied into the ending of this series!

I'd like to hear the story of how other types of magic from the ancient war between the Word & the Void has been affecting the balance of power on the planet. It would be amazimg to see that Knights of the Word, while unknown to the Druids, were well-known to other continents ever since the events of the Genesis of Shannara, 500 years after the end of the Great Wars. Their existence, and how much their order has grown, would be an Earth-shattering revelation shared upon their shocking arrival at Paranor - along with their request for help.

For the past 1500 years, these Knights would've been diligently eradicating any remaining demons on Earth.

They would've been deeply aware of the Four Lands and its magic, but forbidden by the Lady to intervene or do anything other than observe Destiny take place - until now.

What if they show up to Paranor at the behest of the Lady, to warn the Druids against an ancient, evil race of faerie that had somehow evaded being sealed in the Forbidding. This race of faerie would've been the first and amongst the most powerful beings created by the evil of the Void. The Knights would reveal that the dark magic that has plagued the Four Lands has always come from the Void, and most of that magic has been directed intentionally towards Paranor and the Four Lands by these evil faerie beings.

Because of Paranor's history, the destinies of those tied to it, and its prophecies about world-altering events, this race of faerie creatures, and living ancestors of the evil demons of the Old world, have now emerged as a direct threat to the Four Lands. The Knights of the Word would share that they recently found out that an entire nation of these evil faerie populate an entire small continent (essentially whatever Austrailia became after the Great Wars), and number in the millions!

We could see Druids, Knights of the Word, Shannara, Skaar/Leah royal scions, and Wishsong descendants along with their friends seek out new allies in other continents. They would be charged with eventually defending the Four Lands against this ancient, dark magic threat and the demons escaping from the Forbidding.

The Knights would share that the faerie are responsible for manipulating or instigating every single major event the Shannara line has had to endure. This evil races' primal fear of the Shannara (Elven), Ohmsford, Leah, and Druid lines could be what the Knights of the Word have been asked to convey...because the ancient demons are coming to the Four Lands, numbering in the millions....

These savages are intelligent, have their own version of airships, flown and operated by dark magic, and are following a dark prophecy that says if the Shannara line is eliminated once and for all, they will win the war against the Word. This would obviously show how important the Four Lands is to world history. Knights of the Word are many, and have become a true force to be reckoned with outside of the Four Lands - until this old race emerged.

Now they've decided they need help, specifically the legendary Four Lands' scions, to join forces against this global threat that is mobilizing to eliminate all magic in the Four Lands.

These evil entities are planning to kill every Knight of the Word before the Prophecy of Light comes true: An army of the Word is needed to protect the entire world in the final battle. They must be led by the Shannara(Elven)/Ohmsford/Skaar/Leigh and Druid scions, protected by an army of Knights of the Word.

From there, they could ship to far off continents to raise an army of millions to help protect the Four Lands from an evil invasion - and even worse, the Forbidding has sprung a leak, but the Ellcrys seems fine...to fight this upcoming battle, ALL of the Elfstones will be needed. All 5 sets.

So, it's off to new continents in new, magic-infused flying vessels and other gadgets, leaving behind a Four Lands in harmony with Druid-taught, magic-infused science. On the journey, the Knights of the Word and the Druids/Scions/Skaar Royalty (some being all) will seek out new magic and allies to help defend the Four Lands from an invasion on two fronts that cannot be managed without significant outside help.

Some will find new and similar magics/technologies, have shared visions of both the King of the Silver River and the Lady. They'll find and practice with ALL sets of the Elfstones by traversing the dangerous and mysterious secret opening in the Forbidding. These will be prophesied as necessary tools and weapons needed to win the coming war with the Void. The Ulk Bog might be an important connection there too - amd may know where the rest of the Elfstones are stashed.


There will be many new strong friends and foes, some with very powerful magics and others with different special abilities. They'll encounter some surprises, and find out the massively huge world they've lived in is much smaller than previously known.

Anyways, that's my setup for the next 12 books, lol. I hope you enjoyed this finale as much as I did!

Now that I've quickly completed the entire storyline, chronologically, through every single Shannara audiobook, including the newly linked Word and the Void series, it's time to revisit the Magic Kingdom of Landover next!