HIGH DRUID OF SHANNARA Tanequil

This is the middle novel in the High Druid of Shannara trilogy by Terry Brooks, the author who opened the post-Tolkien epic fantasy gates in 1977 with THE SWORD OF SHANNARA. Though this is also a Shannara book, Brooks has distanced himself a bit from strict Tolkien-esque fantasy. Dwarves and elves still play a large role in the story, as does magic (both good and evil), but so do elements like airships, which don't have that Tolkien feel. The pace is quick in this satisfying abridgment, and Charles Keating does a fine job with the narration, performing sinister demons, nervous inventors, and Ohmsford progeny with equal mastery. S.D.D. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]