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High Druid of Shannara: Straken (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.01) - 5,058 listener ratings
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The High Druid of Shannara trilogy draws to a thrilling close as a young hero nears completion of his trial by fire, a banished ruler fights for her life in a wilderness of dread, and forces of darkness and light square off in a battle unto death for the right to absolute rule. Prepare to be spellbound by the masterly hand of bestselling legend weaver Terry Brooks, conjuring at the peak of his skills. For reasons known only to himself, the King of the Silver River has charged young Penderrin Ohmsford, barely more than a boy, with the daunting task of rescuing his aunt, Grianne, Ard Rhys of the Druid order, from her forced exile in the terrifying dimension of all things damned: the Forbidding. With the noble dwarf Tagwen and the prodigal elven princess Khyber Elessedil by his side–and with the outcome of the bloody war between the Federation and the Free-born at stake–Pen has accepted his mission without question. But not without risk . . . or sacrifice. Because Shadea a’Ru, the ruthless Druid responsible for imprisoning the true Ard Rhys and usurping leadership at Paranor, has sent her agents and assassins in relentless pursuit of Pen and his comrades. And in securing the talisman he needs to breach the Forbidding, Pen has paid a devastating price. Now if the Free-born forces–already decimated by the Federation’s death-dealing new weapon–should fall, Shadea’s domination of the Four Lands will be assured. Nothing short of Pen’s success can turn the tide. But Pen’s challenge grows greater when he learns that his parents, Bek Ohmsford and Rue Meridian, have fallen into Shadea’s hands. He must try to help them–but once within the walls of Druid’s Keep, where Shadea’s minions and dark magic lurk at every turn, Pen’s survival is far from assured. Yet it will all pale in comparison to the horrors that wait inside the Forbidding–horrors poised to break free upon the Four Lands when the time is right. . . .
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"I've always enjoyed visiting Shannara, and this is no exception. This trilogy, The High Druid of Shannara, could be read without reading any of the preceding Shannara books, but Brooks has nicely tied the entire Shannara series together and it's like visiting with old friends while meeting new ones."
— Lawrence (4 out of 5 stars)
High Druid of Shannara: Straken Listener Reviews
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" The conclusion of a trilogy set in the world of Shannara. The first two books must be read to understand what is going on in this book. This trilogy wasn't his best trilogy although I did like the conclusion of it. I believe that these three books could have been one epic book and would have been more enjoyable. I think the problem was that there were some storylines I enjoyed but they seem to be touched upon instead of thoroughly explored. If you enjoy the author's work, I would say go on and read this. If you are just starting out, I would strongly recommend to start at a different starting point in this realm. "
— Jim, 2/10/2014 -
" Best book in the series. couldn't put it down!! "
— Lori, 2/1/2014 -
" Good ending for the High Druid of Shannara series and it was definitely left open for another series. "
— Yvonne, 2/1/2014 -
" Fun, but typical Brooks. His later "Shannara" works tend to be very formulaic. "
— Patrick, 1/29/2014 -
" This book made me swear off Terry Brooks forever. A shame, because he was one of my favorite authors growing up. But tired old tropes and completely non-sensical plot twists, not to mention insipid characters... ugh. I'm not gonna waste my time describing this. "
— Ryan, 1/29/2014 -
" I had higher expectations for this book, and overall I think this was disappointing ending to the Shannara series. Though, is there really ever an ending to the Shannara series as long as Terry Brooks is still alive and writing? "
— Michael, 1/29/2014 -
" This was a great finale to the series. It was well written and closed all the necessary threads in the story. I read it in just a few days, it really captured me. "
— Boyd, 1/27/2014 -
" Great reading! A fun and satisfying finish to the series. "
— Brett, 1/12/2014 -
" Pulled from a bookshelf in guest house in Indonesia. Brain candy. "
— Nina, 11/15/2013 -
" Would not want to be in the ard rhys shoes right now, but I enjoyed reading this one. "
— Maritza, 7/5/2013 -
" A note on this particular trilogy of Shannara books: really really good. Magic, intrigue, danger. All that stuff. "
— Billy, 5/7/2013 -
" whole series made recovering from my op much easier. "
— Helen, 3/30/2013 -
" Overall a good series, often times unexpected things happened. "
— Andrew, 2/25/2013 -
" I really loved this book it was action packed and a fitting end for the Isle witch ;D Could have used a bit more magic, but excellent all around. "
— Kate, 2/2/2013 -
" The Shannara series keeps getting better and better with each book! I love this series! I was kept enthralled and was on the edge of my seat the whole time! If you enjoy epic fantasies, I highly recommend these books! "
— Branwen, 12/10/2012 -
" Excellent trilogy! Loved it! "
— Mia, 11/29/2012 -
" It's a really good ending to a really good trilogy. I kinda saw that last bit coming, but it's nice that Grianne will finally be at peace. "
— John, 10/18/2012 -
" The characterization, character naming and overall descriptions are amazing. Terry Brooks draws the reader into his magical world and allows you to experience every detail of it. "
— M.L., 7/25/2012 -
" I like Terry Brooks. I was moved by the conclusion. "
— James, 1/8/2012 -
" See my review for Jarka Ruus (High Druid of Shannara, Book 1). "
— Collin, 10/16/2011 -
" if not try him one of the best for fantasy "
— Thomas, 10/7/2011 -
" This book didn't seem like it was going to end. "
— Elven, 7/17/2011 -
" Sacrifice has always touched readers. and this books gives no exception. "
— Jeffrey, 6/23/2011 -
" not finished with this one yet but so far so good "
— Mom, 5/16/2011 -
" whole series made recovering from my op much easier. "
— Helen, 2/13/2011 -
" An outstanding conclusion to the trilogy; I was fortunate enough to have the time to read through it in two days. As was the case with earlier trilogies in the series, many threads were woven together well, some with ends and some left open. <br/> <br/>[spoilers removed] "
— Dave, 12/27/2010 -
" Sacrifice has always touched readers. and this books gives no exception. "
— Jeffrey, 3/10/2010 -
" I did not like the ending to this series. For a while it seemed like something cool was building up, then the ending was a letdown. "
— Chris, 1/13/2010 -
" The characterization, character naming and overall descriptions are amazing. Terry Brooks draws the reader into his magical world and allows you to experience every detail of it. "
— Mel, 8/25/2009 -
" Great reading! A fun and satisfying finish to the series. "
— Brett, 6/3/2009 -
" Pulled from a bookshelf in guest house in Indonesia. Brain candy. "
— Nina, 5/23/2009 -
" A note on this particular trilogy of Shannara books: really really good. Magic, intrigue, danger. All that stuff. "
— Billy, 5/13/2009
About Terry Brooks
Terry Brooks has thrilled readers for decades with his powers of imagination and storytelling. He is the author of more than thirty books, most of which have been New York Times bestsellers. He is a recipient of the 2017 World Fantasy Association’s Life Achievement Award. His novels Running with the Demon and A Knight of the Word were chosen by the Rocky Mountain News as two of the best fantasy novels of the twentieth century.
About Charles Keating
Charles Keating has won three AudioFile Earphones awards for his audiobook narrations. His credits include works by P.D. James, Mark Haddon, Charmian Hussey, and Terry Brooks. He is British actor of stage, screen and television in addition to being an audiobook narrator. He has acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company, played Rex in ITV’s celebrated Brideshead Revisited miniseries, and had roles in television shows including Sex and the City, Another World, All My Children and As the World Turns. In 2001, he played the role of Carney/Oscar Wilde in the Lincoln Center Theater Performance of A Man of No Importance, and in 2007, he played the role of Clement O’Donnell in the Guthrie Theater production of The Home Place.