The story takes places in the Four Lands; a world where races, theologies, societies, and cultures collide and must learn to coexist. The Ohmsfords are family within this world whose bloodline has in one way or another, the control of magic and must set on journeys to stop evil from gaining control of the Four Lands. The most recent incarnation of magic in the Ohmsford family is the power of which allows a user to control his or her surroundings to their desires by singing out his desires.  The wishsong isn’t a talisman but is more like a instinctive power that can only found in certain Ohsmford family members such Pen and Bek Ohmsford.

Brooks did a very fine job of creating a very good picture of how the world of Shannara looks; so far to give you very little to imagine. By writing the book from the views from numerous characters throughout the novel he gives the reader a thorough understanding of whata character is felling, doing and overall what is going on. His method of hwen to switch his point of views is his best way of captivating the reader and forcing him to keep on reading.

Another new thing about this book in itself that plays more on the darker emotions of characters such as mistrust, hatred, greed, anger, and fear while showing that the heroes are resilient to these emotions making them seem truly as a light in the dark.

Bek Ohmsford  who in Brook’s previous series  The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, which took place forty years before this one, was the main character and while reading that series you only saw him as a hero who could not hate and had no dark emotions. Surprisingly when Bek wasn’t the main characters such as the present novel you get a better look at his character. In this book you see that Bek hates his family bloodline and see how most of his darker emotions have coerced him.

Pen on other hand, Bek’s son, serves as the perfect foil for his father. He is lighthearted, young, resilient, and only cares about getting the job done, not caring about the consequences. This overall characteristic difference between the two is the reason that Pen was chosen by the Faerie to restore order to the Druids because he believed in the Druids and magic, when everyone despised them; he had the courage to rise to the occasion and lead his friends to safety when all else failed. This vast difference between father and son’s beliefs helps keeps the reader interested for wanting to know more. It also indirectly helps build suspense within the story.

A minor drawback in this novel was the fact it has a sort of flimsy ending by leaving the future of a few important characters unknown.

Overall I rate this book as one Brooks best works by far giving it a rating of A.