the Word & the Void
by Terry Brooks
Our Price: $15.29
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Terry BrooksEdition: Hardcover
Published: 2006-01-01
ISBN: 0739475479
Publisher: SFBC Fantasy
Book Reviews of the Word & the Void
Book Review: A nice departure from elves and orcs
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this novel on the recommendation of a website I trust. However, I had no idea it was fantasy set in the modern world. This is not the typical type of novel I read and I have no interest in the lycans and vampires that seem to dominate such novels. If you want typical fantasy, this is not your novel. If you are looking for something different, this will broaden the palate.
On one hand, the plot of this novel seems to have lots of Christian themes. The good guy is a knight of the Word. The good is the Word and the bad is the Void, harkening to the first chapter of Genesis. The main bad guys are demons. There are demons working behind the visible scene to create evil in the world. These themes harken back to Frank Parettis books like This Present Darkness. However, these novels are by no means Christian allegory. In fact, the struggle between the good and evil is more yin and yang, with neither able to get the upper hand. The Word is not omnipotent or omnipotent. It is an interesting application of Christian themes, using them to place a fantasy novel into the modern world, and blending those themes with more Eastern ideals.
The first novel in this omnibus is by far the best. It is the best because it is the richest in its characterization. While the two main protagonists are the same throughout the three novels, this first novels contains two fantastic characters in grandpa and grandma. They have secrets. They are loving. They are dysfunctional. A huge portion of the first novel is spent on these two characters and the story is made because of it. The other wonderful strength of this novel is its depiction of small town America. The depiction rings spot on and was fantastic.
Unfortunately, grandpa and grandma are gone for books 2 and 3. In this, these two novels suffer. Whereas the 1st book is rich and deep and primarily a character driven novel, books 2 and 3 read more like a summer blockbuster movie: lots of action but little substance. So if I had bought these as the three separate novels as written, book 1 would have been 4 or 5 stars, and the latter books only 3 stars.
Science Fiction & Fantasy Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in KTTers and some of their favorite books.
The Word & the Void: Running with the Demon; a Knight of the Word; Angel Fire Eastby Terry Brooks
SFBC Fantasy; Published: 2006; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.00
Shadow of the Ghost: Book 1: The Lord of Chaos Trilogyby Tanner Artesz
IUniverse; Published: 2008-10-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $16.36
Price in other shops:
Faith of the Fallen (Sword of Truth, Book 6)by Terry Goodkind
Tor Books; Published: 2001-11-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.09
Price in other shops:
Naked Empire (Sword of Truth, Book 8)by Terry Goodkind
Tor Fantasy; Published: 2004-06; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.14
Price in other shops:
Mighty Hammer Down (Volume 1)by David J. Guyton
CreateSpace; Published: 2008-12-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.99
Half Magicby Edward Eager
Sandpiper; Published: 1999-03-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.56
Price in other shops:
The Stormholderby Tricia Boone, Melissa Thomas
Cold Tree Press; Published: 2007-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.49
Price in other shops:
Ombria in Shadowby Patricia A. McKillip
Ace Trade; Published: 2003-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
The Phoenix in Flight (Exordium, Book 1)by Sherwood Smith, Dave Trowbridge
Tom Doherty Assoc Llc; Published: 1993-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $63.19
The Bad Placeby Dean Koontz
Berkley; Published: 2004-07-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops:
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Jarka Ruus (High Druid of Shannara, Book 1)by Terry Brooks
Del Rey; Published: 2005-07-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.43
Price in other shops:
Tanequil (High Druid of Shannara)by Terry Brooks
Del Rey; Published: 2007-08-28; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.38
Price in other shops:
The Gypsy Morph (Genesis of Shannara, Book 3)by Terry Brooks
Del Rey; Published: 2009-07-28; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.43
Price in other shops:
High Druid of Shannara: Strakenby Terry Brooks
Del Rey; Published: 2007-08-28; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.47
Price in other shops:
The Heritage of Shannaraby Terry Brooks
Del Rey; Published: 2003-08-26; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.91
Price in other shops:
First King of Shannara (Shannara Trilogy, Prequel)by Terry Brooks
Del Rey; Published: 1997-01-29; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.19
Price in other shops:
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara Trilogyby Terry Brooks
Del Rey; Published: 2006-11-14; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $18.24
Price in other shops:
The Sword of Shannara Trilogyby Terry Brooks
Del Rey; Published: 2002-08-27; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $11.09
Price in other shops:
Armageddon's Children (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 1)by Terry Brooks
Del Rey; Published: 2007-07-31; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops:
The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara, Book 2)by Terry Brooks
Del Rey; Published: 2008-07-29; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.27
Price in other shops: