Wednesday, November 30, 2016

The Ilse Witch by Terry Brooks ~ Review


Title: The Ilse Witch (Voyage of the Jerle Shannara #1)
Author: Terry Brooks
Genre: Adult, Fantasy
Length: 456 Pages
Publisher: Del Ray
Release Date: August 2001
Source: Library
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

When a half-drowned elf is found floating in the seas of the Blue Divide, an old mystery resurfaces. Thirty years ago, an elven prince led an expedition in search of a legendary magic said to be more powerful than any in the world. Of all those who set out on that ill-fated voyage, not one has ever returned. Until now. The rescued elf carries a map covered with mysterious symbols–and Walker Boh, the last of the Druids, has the skill to decipher them. But someone else understands the map’s significance: the Ilse Witch, a ruthless young woman who wields a magic as potent as his own. She will stop at nothing to possess the map–and the magic it leads to.

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This one got off to a bit of a slow start for me. Terry Brooks has always had a great way of writing about the journey, the preparation, the traveling, the planning. But I don't think he quite hit that mark in this one. There are some fairly unique characters and a couple big surprises along the way to prepare for the journey, but it just wasn't enough to really pull me through that section of the story. 

Once we were underway, things got a little better. The aura of danger and being chased was amazing, but the highlights of their stops seemed to be rushed sometimes. I wanted to know more about each stop, see more of the islands, and more of the adventure.

But, true to form, Terry Brooks still dragged me into the story and by the end of the book the characters had taken over and I needed to finish the story. Left with a bit of a cliffhanger, I'll be requesting book two soon!


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