For me, an Terry Brooks book is something to savor. Brooks, the author who breathed life back into the genre with the publication of The Sword of Shannara in 1977 (?), once took the time at a book signing, after learning I had derived 4 hours to be there, to sign EVERY book I owned. (This was every book he had published to date.) I have to admit that that act swayed every review I will ever give one of his books. However, a bad review is never even possible when it comes to Shannara. This book, the concluding book in the current trilogy, is no different. It is a little bit darker than other books and some heroes will not survive to the end - but if you already love Shannara you will love this book too!