From Publishers Weekly
This last installment of the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy, which chronicles the exploits of the remaining adventurers who set out in Ilse Witch (2000) and staggered through the tribulations of Antrax (2001), may not be up to the standard of bestseller Brooks's early work (Sword of Shannara, etc.), but it proves once again that he puts out books that sell because of their quality, not just because of his name on the cover. As newfound mage Bek Ohmsford and his cousin Quentin Leah rejoin the Free Rover crew of the Jerle Shannara after destroying Antrax, tensions mount, for the Ilse Witch the Rovers' mortal enemy has been revealed to be Bek's sister, Grianne, and is now under his protection as she struggles to break out of the catatonic state induced by her encounter with the Sword of Shannara. Worse, the Druid Walker Boh has died, leaving behind only cryptic instructions to those who followed him into Parkasia, and the Morgawr, who trained the Ilse Witch and now seeks her destruction, has captured elven prince Ahren Elessedil and Ryer Ord Star and is using Ryer's talents as a seer to track the Jerle Shannara and those who ride it. As usual, Brooks leaves at least as many loose ends as he ties up and drops in several surprises. Some references won't mean much to someone unfamiliar with this trilogy or the larger Shannara time line, but otherwise the book's neat and subtle exposition makes it quite accessible to new readers without alienating current fans. Neither groundbreaking nor recycled, this book is simply a good read.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
In this conclusion to the Jerle Shannara trilogy, the voyage begun by the Druids in Ilse Witch comes to a surprising end. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
This installment in the series that began with THE SWORD OF SHANNARA is full of pursuit and battles, magic and brute strength, intrigue and old secrets. Although it is an abridgment, the plot is full, the characters complete, and Charles Keating is a storyteller worthy of the tale. He narrates with an intensity that focuses attention on the core relationships between the central characters. Using adjustments in pace as an effective tool, he smoothly shifts mood as he moves between segments of the plot. His narration has the air of a historian taking care to stay true to the events he has witnessed. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Brooks concludes the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, the trilogy begun in Ilse Witch (2000) and continued in Antrax (2001), with a ripsnorter that leaves the door ajar for the next trilogy he has planned. The evil Morgawr, who created the Ilse Witch, commands a fleet of airships, crewed by walking dead men, on a journey to destroy the witch before she betrays him. Of the group that the druid Walker led on the voyage to Castledown, those still alive--some of them sorely wounded--are scattered across the land, and the warship Jerle Shannara is undergoing needed repairs when the Morgawr's fleet approaches. Thereafter the action is fast and furious, and the focus alternates among the various survivors and their harrowing experiences trying to escape the vicious predators unleashed by the Morgawr. The dying Walker enjoins Bek and the shape-changer Truls Rohk to protect the Isle Witch, who has been catatonic since the Sword of Shannara forced her to confront what she had done and become. According to Walker, she, not their original target, is the real reason for the Jerle Shannara's voyage. Eventually, a few survivors come together to outwit the Morgawr temporarily and flee aboard the Jerle Shannara. The damaged warship makes it only as far as a mysterious island guarded by a sleeping power. There the climactic battle between the Morgawr and the Isle Witch, conscious again and contrite, takes place. In all aspects, a fitting conclusion to one trilogy and a promising taking-off point for another. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Terry Brooks -- whose first novel, The Sword of Shannara, became an instant bestseller upon its release in the late 1970s -- is the author of scads of popular fantasy novels. While the author's ongoing appeal is due to his quick-flowing prose, action-packed sequences, and colorful characters, he owes much of his success to his strict concordance with the "epic quest" model established by J.R.R. Tolkien 40 years earlier.

But give the man some credit -- Brooks writes a killer yarn. (He has millions of diehard fans to prove it.) And while his stories rely heavily on Tolkien-esque elements (such as arduous journeys, magic-wielding wizards, young protagonists who are always more than they appear, and, of course, the obligatory dark evil force), Brooks has a charm all his own, and he consistently keeps his readers guessing and wildly flipping the pages.

Brooks fans are certainly in for a treat with The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Antrax, the follow-up to the series kickoff, Voyage of Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch. If you're unfamiliar with this particular story line, stop reading now and pick up Ilse Witch first -- it's a great deal of fun, even for those unfamiliar with Brooks's previous works. Antrax begins exactly where Ilse Witch lets off.

Some background: Ilse Witch tells of a potentially devastating magic that the forces of good and evil both desperately want to control. The good guys set off on an airship in an effort to find this magic; the bad guys are hot on their trail. At the conclusion of Ilse Witch, the young Bek Rowe learns that he is really Bek Ohmsford, a direct descendant to the fabled Elf King, Jerle Shannara. Because of his lineage, Bek possesses the powerful gift of the Wishsong and the sole ability to use the mythical Sword of Shannara. As if this weren't enough for the lad to digest, he also discovers that his team's deadly adversary, the Ilse Witch, is his sister.

In Antrax, the race continues as Bek, the Druid Walker Boh, Bek's cousin Quentin, a few talented Rover flyers, the seer Ryd Ord Star, a score of Elf hunters, and the thoroughly intriguing shape-shifter Truls Rohk battle not only the Ilse Witch but also a relentless army of technological monsters. Brooks devotees will be happy (although not surprised) to hear that Antrax provides a punch of pure adrenaline. It's high-quality, rapid-paced entertainment. (Andrew LeCount)

ANNOTATION

Something not human. Something old beyond reckoning that covets the magic of Druids, elves, even the Ilse Witch. Something that hunts men for its own designs: Antrax. It is a spirit that commands ancient technologies and mechanical monsters, feeds off enchantment, and traps the souls of men.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Harrowing confrontations with the merciless Ilse Witch and the monstrous Antrax have already taken their toil on the intrepid heroes of the Four Lands. But their darkest adversary now snaps at their heels, in the form of the Morgawr - master of the Ilse Witch, feeder upon the souls of his enemies, and centuries-old sorcerer of unimaginable might." With a fleet of airships and a crew of walking dead men at his command, the Morgawr is in relentless pursuit of the Jerle Shannara and the crew that mans her. For the Morgawr, the goal is twofold: to find and control the fabled ancient books of magic and to destroy the dark disciple who betrayed him - the Ilse Witch. But the Ilse Witch is already a prisoner...of herself. Exposed to the awesome power of the Sword of Shannara, and forced to confront the truth of her horrifying deeds, she has fled deep into her own mind. Now at the mercy of those who seek vengeance against her, her only protector is her long-lost brother, Bek Ohmsford, who is determined to redeem his beloved sister...and deliver her to the destiny predicted for her by the Druid Walker Boh.

SYNOPSIS

In The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Antrax, we follow the adventures of Walker Boh -- the last of the Druids -- as he and his companions continue their journey deep into the land of the unknown in search of forbidden magic. But what awaits them at the end -- an enigmatic prsence known as "Antrax" -- may prove too powerful even for the Druid.

FROM THE CRITICS

Dallas Morning News

Even readers who haven't read a Terry Brooks title since his classic Sword of Shannara will welcome The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch . . . The action and creatures come fast and furious. . . . This latest volume finds Mr. Brooks' power ascending.

Rocky Mountain News

"If Harry Potter has given you a thirst for fantasy and you have not discovered the magic of Terry Brooks, you are in for a treat.

Santa Cruz Sentinel

If you were delighted and entranced by Michael Ende's The Never Ending Story, you will definitely want to sample one of more of Terry Brooks's books.

Publishers Weekly

Continuing the saga begun in The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch (2000), bestseller Brooks opens this slick, lightweight fantasy with our band of heroes (Druids, elves, shape-shifters, Rovers, etc.) trapped on an island ruled by the evil artificial intelligence Antrax. Antrax has lured this disparate crew to its underground lair in order to use their assorted magics to expand its influence across the world of Shannara. The expedition's leader, the Druid Walker, wants to steal Antrax's ancient technology, but to gain it, he must engage in deadly combat with the machine. The treacherous seer, Ryer Ord Star, and the young, frightened elven prince, Ahren Elessedil, join the fight. Meanwhile, Bek Ohmsford, a prot?g? of Walker's who's been left mostly in the dark about his own magical potential, must try to convince his sister, the dangerous Ilse Witch, that his version of their shared past is true, as he struggles to keep her from killing him or his friends. Also complicating the plot are the battles of the Rovers to reclaim the group's airship the only means for the adventurers to return home. Some emotionally painful encounters occur with former friends who have been enslaved by Antrax, turned into cyborgs and forced to do the nasty AI's bidding. Brooks's fans are sure to be pleased with this action-packed yarn, which neatly weaves the many plots and characters into a coherent whole. Those readers looking for more depth or less predictability are unlikely to have started on this series in the first place. 12-city author tour. (Sept. 21) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly