The Gypsy Morph (Genesis of Shannara, Book 3)

Terrorism, war, environmental irresponsibility, and strange diseases are bringing Earth to its end. The elves, in their mountain cities, watch helpless as humans destroy the earth and mutate into bestial, or demonic forms. One young man, the so-called Gypsy Morph, is given responsibility to bring a band of children and their caregivers into the Rocky Mountains where, somehow and impossibly, a new world will be created--or found. The elves are supposed to join him, but they have their own issues and their level of trust is low--especially as demons have infiltrated their city. Two Knights of the Word, Angel and Logan Tom have been given the responsibility of protecting both the Morph and the elvish city. Two knights, a few elvish scouts, and a band of frightened children seem like helpless prey to the army of demons and not-men stalking them. Especially as both knights have been injured and are emotionally damaged. And the band of children, like the Israelites being led out of Egypt, have their own conflicts and concerns as they flee from what seemed like relative safety into ever-increasing danger, led by a boy who doesn't understand where he's leading them and can act only on faith. Author Terry Brooks continues his GENESIS OF SHANNARA series with a fast-paced adventure. Logan Tom finally comes face-to-face with the demon who destroyed his family, Hawk, the Gypsy Morph, learns his girlfriend's secret, and struggles with the responsibilities he's been given--and with the limits of his own power. And Earth itself, brutalized by humanity's abuse of the environment, suffers one last horrible blow. Still, with the entire planet disrupted, what hope can the band of children have? Brooks focusses on three primary characters--the two Knights and the Morph, but occasionally takes time out to look into more minor characters--such as the always complaining but somehow likable Panther, as well as the elf-boy Kirisin, wielder of the elfstones. A preface, with a lone soldier deep beneath the mountains in a nuclear launch site, adds to the atmosphere of current doom accompanied by future hope. Fans of Brooks's SHANNARA stories will definitely want to learn how SHANNARA evolved out of earth. GENESIS OF SHANNARA, of which THE GYPSY MORPH forms the concluding chapter, is a major work of synthesis between SF and fantasy.

There are few authors working today who can boast the sustained success that Terry Brooks has managed since 1977 with virtually zero breaks in between. I would have to say, with few exceptions, his novels stack up well in the Fantasy Realm as a whole against almost any other author currently working and/or who has ever written and been published. Is that to say he is the all-time best there has ever been? That's a personal question that will vary from reader to reader...and I refuse to attempt to make my opinion the only one that matters. Opinions vary--and for those who are long-time, or even new fans of Brooks will most likely agree that 'The Gypsy Morph' is yet another top-notch addition to his fantastic-and growing collection of works. I have had the fortune of interviewing Mr. Brooks several times (once in person) and I assure you, he was asked literally THOUSANDS of times whether or not the Word & Void series was, or would be connected in ANY way to Shannara...I was one of those asking. When 'Armageddon's Children' came out, I guess that question was finally put to rest. And I must say, he put that to bed in absolutely the best style imaginable! Again, opinion's vary, but I honestly feel that just being able to come up with a plausible storyline to bridge the two was amazing. But the end rusult? Utterly fantastic. There are critics of both the Word & Void as well as Shannara and seeing as how both series are now forever connected, I am interested to see how all the blogs will continue. I was initially quite skeptical that Terry would be able to successfully mate these two dramatically different storylines together in ANY way that could satisfy his demanding fans, but once again, even though it seems as though I am sounding like a broken record, but WOW, what a great job. The contemporary Fantasy theme of Word & Void, and the full-on Fantasy genre tied together via this Genesis was not only creative, and offered some genuine surprises and plot twists, but--at least to this reviewer--provided a sense of absolute satisfaction at how that connection was made and how it followed through. So whats next for Brooks? I have it on good authority a new Magic Kingdom novel is in the works, and while that was never my favorite series in the genre, I still enjoyed it and look forward to diving head-first back into that realm as well. Honestly, for long time fans of Terry Brooks, how can you possibly be anything BUT impressed with 'The Gypsy Morph'? Sure, there will be those who will disagree with my thoughts, and that's ok...but chances are if you liked the 1st two books in this series, you will be more than fine with how it all goes together in this one. And again, remember, opinions vary.

As with every single Terry Brooks novel I've read, I enjoyed "The Gypsy Morph" immensely. My work schedule only allows me to catch up with my reading in the evening, and since starting this book a few days ago, I've become an insomniac! Reading well into the night until the words are all but blurred and swimming on the pages. Even now, it's past one o'clock in the morning, and having just finished the book, I'm still thinking about it and can't get it out of my head!. "The Gypsy Morph" brings you through a wide range of emotions: joy, fear, anger, and sadness. At one point in the story, I found my self grinning from ear to ear, while in another, on the verge of tears. Only a handful of masterful writers can involve you in the characters so deeply, that you experience their emotions right along with them. And Terry Brooks is certainly a master of his craft. Without fail, for every one of Terry's books I've read, I've always been disappointed to turn the last page and find that there's no more. He has this uncanny ability to wrap up his stories without closing them completely. He gives you just enough to get his point across and leaves the rest of the story open for the reader to come to his/her own conclusions. Although I admire this, it can also be very frustrating! But that aside, it was a wonderful, exciting trilogy. And Gypsy was a fantastic end. I can't wait to visit Landover again next year! It's about time!

Two years ago, Terry Brooks set out on epic undertaking to merge his wildly famous Shannara Series with his urban fantasy Word and the Void Trilogy. The result is the exciting and breathtaking Genesis of Shannara Trilogy which now comes to a powerful conclusion. The boy named Hawk has fully embraced his role as The Gypsy Morph, a human created from wild magic who is destined to save a remnant of mankind from the coming apocalypse. Joined by Logan Tom and Angel Perez, the last two Knights of the Word, Hawk will now lead this group to their new home, all the while fighting off the army of demons and once-men who are out to stop them. Meanwhile, Kirisin Belloruus, one of the mysterious Elven people, is charged with saving the Elves from the imminent destruction. He must place the Elves and their ancient city of Arborlorn within the magical Loden Elf stone, and then protect them until he can meet up with Hawk and the others. Unseen dangers and death lie around every corner and an entire race of people depend on his survival. For years Terry Brooks has been considered one of the most important fantasy authors of our time and The Gypsy Morph reminds us why. No one mixes fantasy, suspense, mystery, and intrigue like Brooks and all of these elements are on full display here. Merging two series that were never intended to be merged is quite a feat, and Brooks not only succeeds but does so in brilliant fashion. As always, Brooks gives us memorable and engaging heroes that stir our hearts as they face insurmountable odds and death defying challenges. The villains are everything we've come to expect: ruthless, evil, and utterly frightening. Terry Brooks also proves once again that no character is untouchable and he refuses to sacrifice good storytelling for the sake of the characters. Unlike many other contemporary fantasy writers, Brooks reminds us that good storytelling doesn't have to be saturated with profane language, sex, and unnecessary gore. The Gypsy Morph gives us just the right amount of closure for this trilogy. However, fans will be pleased to know that the story is not over. Terry Brooks has stated that there are at least five or six more novels to come as he continues to tell the story of Shannara's early history. We'll have to wait a while longer though for the next Shannara book. Next summer Terry Brooks will treat us with a long overdue Landover novel that is sure to please his die hard fans. If you are looking for epic fantasy done right then look no further.

I have been reading Terry Brooks books for years and would tend to recommend his fiction just based on past performance. 'Sword of Shannara' and the related books are on just about any fantasy fan's top ten list. I first read 'Running With the Demon' (Book one of The Word and the Void trilogy) back in 1998. I was fascinated by the concept and the writing was superb. I eagerly read the next two books and was just as impressed. I assumed that Brooks was going into a genre of writing similar to Charles De Lint (urban fantasy). What I did "not" get from any of those books at the time, was the tie-in to Shannara. As the next trilogy (The Genesis of Shannara) unfolded, I had to smack myself in the forehead for not realizing that these two trilogies were prequels to the original Shannara series. Imagine that a writer can take a lion's portion of his works and tie them all together in such a neat package three decades down the road. It boggles my mind!! Not much need for me to repeat the story line - others have outlined that in far more detail then I really care for. What I would like to add is that while you do not need to read all of the various Shanarra books to get into this one, you would be doing yourself a disservice by not starting back at 'Running With the Demon' and working through all ive previous books beore starting 'The Gypsy Morph'. I strongly believe it to be worth the effort!! Brooks does a marvelous job of wrapping up the major story lines (he admits at lectures and on-line that he leaves a few small threads open just to allow readers some leeway) If you decide to read - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! All the best, Jay