| Title | : | Small Magic: Short Fiction, 1977-2020 |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0525619968 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780525619963 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 464 |
| Publication | : | First published March 2, 2021 |
Here are heroes fighting new battles and struggling to conquer the ghosts of the past. Here are quests both small and far reaching; heroism both intimate and vast. Here we learn of Garet Jax's childhood, see how Allanon first located Shea Ohmsford, and follow an old wing-rider at the end of his life. Here we see Knights of the Word fighting demons within and without, and witness Ben Holiday and his daughter each trying to overcome the unique challenges that Landover offers.
This collection of eleven tales is a must-have addition to the Terry Brooks canon--a delightful way to spend time with favorite characters, and a wonderful reminder of what makes a Brooks story such a timeless classic.
Small Magic: Short Fiction, 1977-2020 Reviews
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Review originally published March 26, 2021
There is a well-known (in certain circles) quote from Eduardo Galeano's Soccer in Sun and Shadow:
"Years have gone by and I've finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good soccer. I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: 'A pretty move, for the love of God.' And when good soccer happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don't give a damn which team or country performs it."
It is with a similar mindset that I tend to approach reading, particularly when it comes to a collection of short stories/novellas.
Terry Brooks claims to hate writing short fiction, which is why it has taken more than four decades into his writing career, with dozens of bestselling novels, to release Small Magic, a collection of shorter works. I've been reading Brooks for several of those decades and seen mention of some of the previously released (in anthologies or only available electronically) stories collected here, but never before had a chance to read any of them.
This collection is fairly representative of Brooks' writing thus far--more than half of the eleven stories are set in his "Shannara" world, a couple each in "Magic Kingdom" and "Word & Void," and one 'other.' Each story is accompanied by a brief introduction--in most cases probably too brief to illuminate very much about the story.
It is also representative in terms of the unevenness of the quality of the writing. Brooks, at his best, is capable of creating characters of unexpected depth who reveal something about the human condition. This is exemplified here in the stories "Indomitable" and "Last Ride." Other times though, his writing feels flat, almost reading more like mediocre fan fiction.
As a long-time fan of the fantasy worlds Brooks has created, I enjoyed enough of the stories to a sufficient degree that I feel comfortable saying "I liked it," while a handful of Galeano's moments elevate my overall rating to four stars, even though "really liked it" feels like a bit of a stretch. I would not, however, recommend it as an entry point for anybody who has not read Brooks at all.
For Shannara, I think Elfstones or Wishsong would serve that purpose nicely (I've no doubt some will have comments regarding the relative value of beginning with Sword); while Magic Kingdom for Sale...Sold and Running With the Demon are each excellent kick-off points to their respective series.
Find this book and other titles within
our catalog. -
Small Magic offers fans of Terry Brooks' fantasy universes another chance to revisit favorite characters and find out what else happened to them or could happen to them. But, someone who has barely set foot in their worlds might find it a little more difficult to journey through.
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I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
This was an interesting assortment of stories, some really good and others average. It's more a 3-star output, but I'm giving another as it is a good way to have compiled all of Brooks' short stories in one place.
Another caveat is that I wouldn't really recommend this to readers that aren't already fans of Brooks' work. Most of the material brings up series and characters already well-established and while they might be enjoyable on their own, someone with a familiarity with his work will get much more out of it. -
Anyone who is even vaguely familiar with my writings on fantasy literature knows that I am a huge fan of Terry Brooks. In my personal canon, he is second only to Tolkien in terms of how he has shaped both my reading and writing of the fantastic. I devour every new novel that he writes, and I’ve yet to be disappointed. I was thus delighted to see that he was set to release a book of his short fiction, with stories set in all three of his major worlds (Shannara, Word & Void, and Magic Kingdom of Landover). The minute I sat down to start reading, I was hooked.
There’s so much to love in this collection that it’s hard to know where to start. There are, of course, some truly great entries in the Shannara canon. In “Allanon’s Quest” we get to see the great Druid’s attempts to find the last living Shannara heir, all while also contending with the forces of the Warlock Lord. As a longtime fan of Allanon, I found it a pleasure to see him again. Likewise, it was nice to see dear old Shea and Panamon (and grouchy Flick) in “The Black Irix.” And who could forgot Jair, as he goes to destroy a dangerous remnant of the nefarious Ildatch, a sentient book responsible for the rise of the Warlock Lord and the Mord Wraiths. Each of these stories has the same pleasures as their longer counterparts: characters you can cheer for, breathlessly-paced plots, and a universe in which you can lose yourself.
Fans of Landover will also be pleased to see not one but two short stories set in that universe. In one, Ben Holiday has to contend with a dangerous creature that manages to reproduce, and in the other his daughter Mistaya finds herself recruited by the very humorous (and very intimidating) dragon Strabo and finds herself face-to-face with her old foe, the witch Nightshade. As is the case with the series, Brooks handles these characters with a light touch. If you’re like me, you might even find yourself chuckling at the antics of the G’home Gnomes and of the (tragically inept) wizard Questor Thews, to say nothing of the scribe Abernathy (still trapped in the form of a Wheaten Terrier (still one of the most amusing aspects of the whole series, in my opinion).
And of course there is a series set in Brooks’s most mature series, Word & Void. This time, the story focuses on Jack McCall, who first explored Sinnissippi Park in another story in the collection (“Imaginary Friends”) during a childhood bout with cancer. He is, of course, drawn into the service of the Lady as a Knight of the Word, and he eventually has to contend with a demon. I’ve always thought that the Word & Void stories were some of the best that Brooks ever wrote (and he seems to agree), and this novella is no exception. From the first word to the last you’re on the edge of your seat. Though Brooks is infamous for killing off a main character or two in the Shannara books, that’s even more true in Word & Void, and I was afraid that we’d see either the end of Jack or one of his family. I won’t give anything away, but suffice it to say that this story is a true triumph, and I’m very glad that Brooks decided to return to this world.
It’s rather funny. Brooks insists, over and over, that he’s not a fan of writing in the form of the short story, but this collection shows that, his protests notwithstanding, he’s actually very good at it. He manages to create stories that are connected to the wider universes that he’s established while also standing on their own. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that a Brooks neophyte should start with this collection, but even someone who hasn’t read any of his other work would still find much here to enjoy.
I particularly relished seeing characters that we’ve encountered before, even if some of the stories are sad. “Last Ride” for example, allows us to see whatever happened to Tiger Ty, who was essential to Wren’s attempt to save the Elves from their self-imposed exile on the demon-haunted island of Morrowindl. We learn that has a family, but that his grandson doesn’t want to pursue being a Wing Rider. Together, however, they set out to save Tiger’s son from a band of pirates, a journey that will end in both heartache and triumph. It was also lovely getting to see the Weapons Master Garet Jax again, in not one but two stories, the second of which, “The Weapons Master’s Choice,” shows us just how much of a toll his life has taken on him as he sets out to save a young woman’s people from a vicious warlock.
It takes a special talent to find new ways of exploring the narrative form of the epic quest, but Terry Brooks is without a doubt one of those talents. There is a reason, after all, that he rears head and shoulders above so many other fantasy writers. He knows how to tell a good story with just the right amount of detail to invest in his characters and his world, without getting bogged down. Whats more, he knows how to explore the interiority of his characters, allowing us to se how they struggle to come to terms with the destiny that’s been laid out for them. Every one of them, from Mistaya to Jack McCall, Jair to Garett, must contend with the fact that their choices are circumscribed by their circumstances, and they must all discover their inner strength in order to succeed.
Whether you’ve been a fan of Brooks since the beginning, whether you got caught up with him in the 1990s (as I did), or whether you’re just now joining the fold of his fans, there’s something in Small Magic for you. Happy reading! -
Once again Terry Brooks has enthralled me with another masterpiece. It is a collection of short stories ranging from Landover to Shannara and back to our own world. Well worth the read!
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This is a short story collection from Terry Brooks that combines short stories hes written over the years into one place. The majority of these stories are from the Shannara universe, but not all. I recommend this for people who've already read the Shannara books, as the short stories contain spoilers.
1. The Fey of Cloudmoor - This is the only short story in the collection that doesn't take place in any of Brook's established universes. Its just a one off about fairies kidnapping children. It was pretty interesting
2. Aftermath - This book takes place between the Wishsong of Shannara and the Elfstones of Shannara and features two supporting characters from those books. Stee Jans and Garet Jax. It reads like a bootcamp. It was okay.
3. Imaginary Frieds - This is the short story that inspired the Word and the Void series. Its interesting to see how the actual books changed from the short story. I like the changes.
4. The Weapons Master's Choice - This is another Garet Jax story (there are 3 of them I think Brooks really likes this character and didnt get to do enough with him in the Wishsong). I liked this one a lot even though I felt the romance was extremely rushed.
5. An Unfortunate Influx of Fillipians - I hated this story and it reinforced that the Magic Kingdom Universe is not for me.
6. Allanon's Quest - Interesting story from Allanon's prospective. It shows that the wise old druid character isn't as perfect and infallible as everyone thinks he is/should be.
7. Indomitable - This story happens after Wishsong and features the main character from Wishsong, Jair. He goes on an adventure Kimber Boh and Cogline. Also another Garet Jax story.
8. Don't Tell Dad - I skipped this story. I really don't like the Magic Kingdom series.
9. The Black Irix - This follows Shea and Flix from the Sword of Shannara on another adventure they don't want to go on. This features Panamon Creel to give it some spice. I wasn't a huge fan.
10. Last Ride - This was the only story I wasn't super familiar with the characters as it takes place in later books that I haven't read recently (over 20 years). It was a sweet story of a grandfather bonding with his grandson when both have extreme differences in opinions.
11. Warrior - This story follows the main character from the short story Imaginary Friends many years later. He's now a Knight of the World but different than John Ross, he only has one mission as a knight. The motivations and plot of this story doesn't make any sense to me so I didn't care for it.
Over all this is a good short story collection if you're really into Terry Brooks writing or want some additional stories featuring your favorite characters. I'm not really either one of these demographics. -
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Small Magic: Short Fiction 1977-2020 will be available on March second.
Terry Brooks is a giant among fantasy authors. Even if you haven’t read any of his works, chances are you recognize the name. He’s most well known for his Shannara books, although I personally like Magic Kingdom for Sale–Sold! the best. When I was given the opportunity to check out his short fiction collection, I jumped at the chance.
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it’s Terry Brooks! Some of these stories add a new level to already established worlds and characters. His writing skill is on full display and is fantastic, as usual. It’s been quite a while since I’ve read any of his works, and it was fun to catch up.
On the other hand, some of the story additions were just odd. For example, the very first story was written for an anthology by Poul Anderson called Multiverse. It did not really make a lot of sense to make that the very first story, seeing as it was written for someone else’s anthology collection, and it alienated me a bit. If it was going to be in Small Magic, I personally would have preferred to see it pop up later on, after there had been some short stories that took place in worlds created by Terry Brooks.
My favorite story of the collection featured a cantankerous dragon. While I definitely felt that some stories were much better than others, I feel that most Terry Brooks fans will enjoy the collection, even if only for the sense of nostalgia it provides.
I personally didn’t love it as much as I was expecting, but it wasn’t awful. While Small Magic is worth checking out, I strongly suggest reading some of Terry Brooks’ full length fiction first.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom... -
I started this last year and it took me months to finish. Not necessarily because of the book. There were some great stories, great lines, fantastic adventures. That last one seemed to just go on forever. It became a little aggravating.
I was happy for a new Landover story even though it focused on the princess and not Ben. But it was good to ready nevertheless.
there were Shannara stories and new stand alone adventures with new characters. Certainly worth a read if you're a Terry Brooks fan. -
Darlings what can I say? It took me 11 years to read the whole of the 40+ books within the Shannara universe, and reading this compendium now brings me great relief. The feeling of having lost a part of myself when I finished The Last Druid has been with me since 2020, but being able to revisit some worlds and the characters belonging to them in short-story form felt like the final good-bye I needed as someone who had grown so attached to the stories Terry Brooks has weaved over the course of the past decades.
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Good read but not a lot of new stuff
Really enjoyed this but I already owned most of it, still enjoyed it. Makes you want to go back and read all the books again. -
Small Magic is full of beloved characters set in well-known worlds, comprising stories that range from satisfying to remarkably bittersweet.
I loved the introductions before each story. Brooks’ gave me a peek into his creative world with these anecdotes as to why each story came to be. I always find this type of background information as fascinating as the stories themselves, and I was not disappointed. The rare glimpse behind the curtain utterly enthralled me.
Overall, I enjoyed the range of action and emotions brought out and new stories discovered. The world-building and characters are as well-developed as I have ever found in the novels, and the fact that it is done in just a few pages is commendable and enjoyable to read. I particularly enjoyed the stories from Shannara, but that is only because these are the characters I know and love. It is also helpful that each story provided just enough back story to help the reader remember which series it is from without weighing down the story with too much exposition.
My favorite Shannara-based story is hands down, Last Ride. It is about Tiger Ty of the Wing Rider Elves, who initially transported Wren Ohmsford through part of her heroic adventure (Heritage of Shannara). Even if you do not know the original tale he first appeared in, this short story will still resonate as it is a story about the universals of aging, family, traditions, and passions. It is the only story – and it is next to last – that brought a tear to my eye as I could empathize with Ty, his son, his grandson, and even his Roc, Spirit, as they took one last journey to save Ty’s son who had gone missing.
I also particularly enjoyed Aftermath and Allanon’s Quest, which features characters I know and remember well. I’ve always been a massive fan of Allanon, so I was happy to read the story about how he came to find Shea Ohmsford before the beginning of the original tale. As I would have expected, it was quite a complex tale, and it kept me captivated from beginning to end. Aftermath featured two other beloved characters – Garet Jax and Stee Jans – and answers the fan question, is there a connection between the two characters, and if so, what is it? It puts all the rumors to rest and explains it so that even though it was not part of any of the original novels felt as if he could be.
With a collection as full as this, how can any fantasy fan not pick it up and enjoy just a bit more of the stories that have now been laid to rest? I know that I couldn’t! -
Rating: 3.5 stars
Fans of Terry Brooks' Shannara and Magic Kingdom of Landover novels will undoubtedly love this collection of short stories that fills in some of the gaps of those novels. There is one story that has nothing to do with his novels and another 2 stories dealing with his Word and the Void trilogy. I found the last novella about a Knight of the Word and the short story about the Wing Riders to be the most enjoyable. The rest would probably have appealed to me more if I could remember more about all those Shannara novels I had read as a kid. Entertaining and enjoyable but mostly for Terry Brooks fans with better memories than me. -
The Summary:
I really liked this book. It adds to the worlds of Mr. Brooks that I've been a fan of for a long time. While this book has a lot of Shannara-based stories, you don't really have to have read the Shannara series to enjoy this book, but it will help. Out of the 11 stories, 3 stories are not Shannara-based, so if you're hoping for a lot of Landover stories, sorry.
Quick aside, thanks NetGalley for letting me read this! You can also read this review on my
blog, but it is almost exactly the same as the review here.
The Review:
As I said in the summary, this book adds depth to worlds of Mr. Brooks, that I've been a fan of since I was even shorter (you can read that as younger if you'd like) than I am today. Specifically, Mr. Brooks adds to the Shannara and Magic Kingdom of Landover worlds, plus a story unrelated to those worlds. You might say to me, "Wait, I thought I saw The Word and the Void stories in there too," and you'd be right, but let's be honest here, the Word and Void books really are part of Shannara. Mr. Brooks even incorporated them into his "Shannara - Terry's Suggested Order for New Readers Series" goodreads
list. I will still call out the stories that specifically are Word & Void, just because it's pretty easy and I can.
The table of contents shows:
The Fey of Cloudmoor (set in Poul Anderson's world from The Queen of Air and Darkness)
Aftermath (Shannara)
Imaginary Friends (Word & Void)
The Weapons Master's Choice (Shannara)
An Unfortunate Influx of Fillipians (Landover)
Allanon's Quest (Shannara)
Indomitable (Shannara)
Don't Tell Dad (Landover)
The Black Irix (Shannara)
Last Ride (Shannara)
Warrior (Word & Void)
For me, honestly, The Fey of Cloudmoor was the most difficult read. The reason why is very simple - I haven't read The Queen of Air and Darkness by Poul Anderson. I had no grounding in the world Mr. Brooks was playing in. So, that's now on my tbr list. Even with that lack of understanding, I still liked the story, it was just difficult to wrap my head around, to understand what was going on, to even really get the risks and basis of the issues. It's not like I'm unaware of the Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness of Fairy, Queen of the Unseelie Court, potential goddess and all around probably not the easiest person/being to spend time around, from various other sources of literature (cough *Dresden Files* cough). That framework still wasn't quite enough to hang this story onto, so thankfully I read this before diving back into worlds that I had a much better grounding in. I think the best thing I can say about this short story though is that it made me want to read The Queen of Air and Darkness by Poul Anderson so I could have that grounding and then come back to this story and really judge it based on that source material.
The other stories:
For my sanity and yours, the rest of my review will be broken into the worlds the stories are about. The only caveat I have is that while I read all of the Landover books and almost all of the Shannara books I could get my greedy hands on, it's been a while since I've revisited. That caveat made, reading these stories was the emotional equivilant of wrapping myself up in a warm blanket, with a cup of hot coco, with an animal curled up nearby. Since it has been so long since I was in Landover and Shannara, I'm not going to be your best source of "Did these break any hopes?" or "Were these in all ways aligned with the source stories?" Sorry. That also means that while I could identify most, if not all of the characters and vaguely remember their stories, I didn't have a lot of background data to tie to those stories anymore.
Magic Kingdom of Landover stories:
An Unfortunate Influx of Fillipians
Don't Tell Dad
The forward for "An Unfortunate Influx of Fillipians" has ties it to one of my favorite Star Trek episodes, so, it shouldn't be a big surprise that I enjoyed it.
I also enjoyed "Don't Tell Dad" and I think it came with a good kernel of a life lesson (even if it was handled a bit heavy-handedly) about telling the truth, even when you don't think it'll get you what you want. Remember, telling the truth saves you from having to remember what you told to who and what you said happened vs what did happen, which honestly, can be so time-consuming. Be energy efficient, tell the truth!
Shannara stories:
Aftermath (Shannara)
Imaginary Friends (Word & Void)
The Weapons Master's Choice (Shannara)
Allanon's Quest (Shannara)
Indomitable (Shannara)
The Black Irix (Shannara)
Last Ride (Shannara)
Warrior (Word & Void)
Ahhh Shannara. Can you tell that this world has made up a very large part of Mr. Brook's writing? Of course it has! With a lot of good reasons. These stories, more than the rest of the book combined, are what mentally soothed me, even as I struggled to remember the plots, character backgrounds, and ties between them all. Don't be surprised if you see these books return to my "currently reading" activity.
It's difficult for me to break these all into neat little reviews, as they kind of all flow together in the river of Shannara for me. I liked them. I liked the Word & Void stories, even though I've not read that whole subseries. I liked getting more into the stories of Allanon, Garet Jax, Jair, Panamon Creel, Tiger Ty, Kimber Boh. I wish Whisper had been around, because, duh. I wish I had already reread the Shannara books before reading these stories.
I guess that's the crux of my review for this group of short stories: if you like the Shannara stories and want to read more about the characters, this is a great book for you. However, if it's been a while since you read the Shannara books, maybe do yourself a favor and reread at least the original Shannara trilogy first. It wouldn't hurt, for "Last Ride," to have refreshed your memory from The Heritage of Shannara either. -
A good collection of stories. I enjoyed this book. The stories were not too long and I could read one or two and come back later. Some of the stories grabbed me a bit more than others but I liked the variety. *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*
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It's hard to say nice things about a collection of short stories when the author, in the introduction to most of those stories, tells you how much he hates writing short fiction. These are stories that have been previously published in other places except for the one Brooks' publisher insisted he write after he approached them about doing a collection of all his short stories.
As you'll see in his own words below, Brooks only writes short fiction when he has to or is forced to do it. Apparently that doesn't stop him from wanting his publisher to put them all together in a money grab on work that's already been done.
In his own words:
Terry Brooks regarding the story Aftermath: "It was also difficult for me to persuade myself it needed doing, given the harsh fact of my dislike of writing short fiction."
Terry Brooks regarding the story Imaginary Friends: "I wasn't looking to write a short story for reasons set forth the introduction to "Aftermath" which presumably you have just finished. But once I realized I was signed up, like it or not, I decided I would write something different."
Terry Brooks regarding An Unfortunate Influx of Fillipians: "Without getting into particulars of how he managed to convince me I had time to write this short story (suffice it to say it included equal measures of guilt, praise, and threats, coupled with my own realization that it was time to throw myself back into the short-fiction fray), I will simply tell you I agreed. Reluctantly."
Terry Brooks regarding Last Ride: "Anyway, when the stars align on a new story, it is always exciting--even if it involves throwing myself off a cliff in writing another short story."
The stories themselves are good without ever venturing into great. The best of them are Allanon's Quest, Indomitable and Don't Tell Dad. Honorable mentions go to Aftermath and The Weapons Master's Choice. There aren't any clunkers in the collection. There also aren't any stories I would consider great.
Most of these stories read exactly as you'd expect based on Brooks' reluctance to write them. He's a talented writer, so they don't suck. His heart isn't in them so they aren't great. So, I'm going with a 3-star rating because all of these stories are between 3 to 3.5 stars for me.
The Last Ride and Warrior were new stories for me, with Warrior being the one that was written as the centerpiece for this collection. Like the rest it was okay. It had a lot of potential but the showdown was fairly lame and anti-climactic. The culmination of events led to something of a Sword of Shannara-lite finish where the main character finds the power of his talisman after doubting his ability to use it against a great foe and by discovering his courage and love, vanquishes the bad guy.
I can't recommend this collection though. If you're a Brooks fan, you've probably read most of these already and nothing new here is worth the outlay of cash. Wait until it comes to the library. -
To be honest, I'm thrilled to be writing a (mostly) positive review for a Brooks book, as it feels it's been ages since I really liked one with few complaints. Okay, it's only been about five books, but you get my point.
That said, SMALL MAGIC does get off to a bumpy start, even for the Brooks faithful, which I still count myself amongst. Beginning the collection with an oddball contribution to a Poul Anderson anthology in THE FEY OF CLOUDMOOR left me trying to figure out what was going on, and then wishing the story was over so I could get into more familiar territory.
Full disclosure, Shannara and The Word and the Void are where my interest lies with Brooks for the most part. Magic Kingdom has yet to grab me. So when it comes to Word/Void, the two offerings here are both pretty good--not to the level of his Nest Freemark trilogy, but I didn't really expect it to. IMAGINARY FRIENDS worked best as a sort of window into how the Word/Void world came to be, while WARRIOR wrapped up lead character Jack McCall's story nicely enough, and I like how he took the time to keep Jack's wife from being your typical damsel in distress.
With the two Magic Kingdom stories, AN UNFORTUNATE INFLUX OF FILIPPIANS and DON'T TELL DAD, both were decent stories that I enjoyed (FILIPPIANS in particular was pretty fun, actually), but still didn't compel me to give the series another try.
Now, when it comes to the Shannara stories, which represent the bulk of the collection, that's where I was pleasantly surprised. Hate to say it, but characters, by and large, never seemed to me Terry's strongest suit when it comes to Shannara. Now, however, it seems to me that it's the large cast in those Shannara tomes that seem to have led Terry into doing a disservice to the characters. These smaller stories with equally small casts allowed him to work a bit more magic on his cast than is the norm, and I found them more interesting and engaging than usual.
The stories in here don't have world-shattering stakes like his novels tend to hold, and I don't really expect them to in smaller works like this. But with one exception, I enjoyed all the stories here to one extent or another. Granted, it's all geared toward readers who know his worlds and characters, so it would make a terrible first book to start with, but to those of us who have been with him for quite a while, I very much recommend it. -
Magical
I read the Shannara chronicles when I was in high school, dating myself quite a bit. I loved them. High adventure and fantasy, it was the perfect mix. With twenty books in the series, though, I’ve found it difficult to keep up with the rest of the books. I’ve read some but not all the books. So when I saw this anthology of short stories was coming out, I truly wanted to read the book just to have the opportunity to read shorter fiction set in the world I loved from when I was young. What I discovered were magical stories set in all of Terry Brooks’ various worlds, from Shannara to the Magic Kingdom and The Word and the Void. And each story offers snapshots of those series, wondrous windows giving insight into the worlds of Terry Brooks.
Each story is offered with an introduction from Terry Brooks, providing us with some idea of the timeline of the story as set against the broader series but each one also stands alone. Even though some knowledge of the books provides a broader understanding, Mr. Brooks gives enough information in his foreword and in each story itself to keep the reader engaged and understand the events detailed in the tale. The stories add depth for those who’ve read the series and a rich introduction if you’ve not read anything.
The anthology is a broad mixture. The stories from Magic Kingdom introduce the most important characters in the series along with new scenarios. The Shannara stories give us new insight into familiar characters or characters readers have always wanted to know more about. The keystone to the book is the final fiction, a longer story about a new character within The Word and the Void series. Each story is well written, engaging, and exciting. And if you want a chance to learn more about Terry Brooks and his novels, this is the perfect way to join in.
If you love fantasy, Terry Brooks’ stories are incredibly engaging and this anthology is a wonderful way to learn more before you jump into the main series. If you’re a long time fan, you will definitely want to pick up the book as it elaborates on familiar characters or lesser known characters within the various series. It is a must buy for anyone who loves Terry Brooks. -
Originally posted on my blog:
Nonstop Reader.
Small Magic is a collection of short fiction by
Terry Brooks from 1977 to 2020. Due out 2nd March 2021 from Penguin Random House on their
Del Rey imprint, it's 464 pages (print edition) and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
Despite having said himself that he prefers the longer forms and generally finds short fiction more challenging, Terry Brooks writes very very well no matter what he's writing. He's a titan of the speculative fiction genre, and the stories included in this collection are all top-shelf selections and provided me hours of enjoyment.
There are 11 stories included in this collection and they run the gamut - many providing background story for existing characters from his other longer works. The lead story (oddly, to me) was written for an anthology for Poul Anderson's Multiverse anthology, and ties in with Anderson's own iconic "Queen of Air and Darkness" (which is one of my favorite stories of all time and which won the 1972 Hugo). They're all good and varied. The author himself provides introductory notes for each story which are always a lot of fun to read.
Four and a half stars. I would recommend this collection to fans of Terry Brooks and/or fans of classic speculative fiction and fantasy. Four stars. There are several standout stories here and will enthrall fans of the genre.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. -
I received a free ebook ARC through Netgalley.com for exchange of a review.
I have been an avid fan of Brooks' Shannara and The Word and the Void series for many years, so having this become available through Netgalley.com was a very happy moment for me! Unfortunately, those series have come to an end (per the author) and Brooks has moved on to another story to share with readers. But that will be talked about another time...
Small Magic is a collection of short stories written 'through the years' by the author, and as the description says, encompasses the worlds of his popular series. As I read through these snippets of time in-between the books themselves, I had realized there were at least a couple I knew I had read before, but it was still a pleasure to return to that time and place as well. Brooks has placed a short introduction to each story, giving the reader a chance to understand where in the series time-line it would fall, and sometimes includes snippets of what he was thinking when writing them. Most did not interfere with any of the storyline in the books, but would help add some background character development, or interaction, and some more world-building.
I found it to be very entertaining, as well as in the same writing style Brooks has shared with his tales. Some I found to be a tad long, but I believe mostly because it related to a story, or series, that I was not familiar with, such as the The Magic Kingdom series, and I believe the first story, written early in his years, based off of a Poul Anderson story. A tad disappointed I read through them so quickly, but am excited to have had a chance to enjoy the stories! -
I am not sure why this book is getting 5 stars on here. The only reason I did not give it 1 star was because of the Knight of the Word novella that was part of the book. I found the rest of the short stories to be beneath the quality of work that Terry Brooks usually puts out. This book just continues my extreme disappointment that started with the last book he published - The Last Druid, Book #4 in the Fall of Shannara. Terry Books is one of the few authors where I can say I have read everything he has ever published and I have been a fan for over 40 years but...most of the short stories in this collection were hardly even mediocre. The one short story that would have been awesome in regards to Stee Jans training Garet Jax was ruined because the author told you the ending in his little blurb that he gave before the story of why he wrote it. WHY???? If you are a fan of the Word and Void series then just read the novella that is in this collection. It was fun to read something from that series for the first time in 20 years but the ending of it could have been better. Spoiler alert: He could have told us who the Two Bears gave the black staff to next. Could have tied it into Armageddon's Children. Just saying.
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Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and author for kindly providing an advanced reviewer copy of this book.
"Small Magic" is a collection of 11 epic fantasy stories by the 23-time New York Times best selling author Terry Brooks. Besides being very entertaining, these stories fill in details about characters and events in the various fantasy worlds that Brooks created with his many novels. Each story is prefaced with an author's forward that nicely explains the background and context of the tale along with anecdotes that provide a personal touch. Most of the tales are related to Brook's Shannara series which are very enjoyable to those who enjoy epic fantasy of the Middle-Earth variety. These well told stories are filled with adventuresome heroes, heroines, skilled warriors and magic-wielders typically engaged in some kind of quest, often in competition with fiends, daemons, and various rogues.
This book was my first experience reading Terry Brooks. He is certainly an excellent story teller. This compilation was quite enjoyable, and I look forward to reading more novels from his Shannara and Landover worlds. -
Small Magic provides readers with the ability to spend more time with some of their favorite characters and possibly some new ones if you haven't read all of Terry Brook's work. I have read many of the Shannara short stories included over the years when they were digitally published so rereading them was a nice refresher into some of the stories I had forgotten about.
I enjoyed that Small Magic included stories from his Landover series, which I have never read. These stories provided a nice sampling into a series that I have debated starting for years and their inclusion may interest other Shannara readers as well.
The reason I rated Small Magic 4 out of 5 stars is due to the very first story in the book that added onto Poul Anderson's "The Queen of Air and Darkness". In short it's a fanfiction ending to a book I have never read or heard of, included in a book of the author's original stories. It not only didn't make much sense why it was there but it was a distracting opening to the rest of the book when you were trying to follow along with something you were not prepared for.
I received an eARC from NetGalley for an honest review. -
Small Magic is a delightful collection of short stories in several of Terry Good’s worlds. I enjoyed learning more about Garet Jax, he has always fascinated me, and here we have two stories about him, and another where memories of him play an important part. Another favorite was the crotchety old dragon from Magic Kingdom of Landover. But all the stories were fun trips back to the different series, and the new stories added to the enjoyment of those series. Terry Brooks has the ability to draw the reader into the story; the characters are well defined and the world building so detailed I could see it in my mind.
I read most of Shannara years ago plus a few books from the other series. Although I hadn’t read the Magic Kingdom of Landover series, the short stories with the dragon were some of my favorite.
I received an ebook ARC of Small Magic through Netgalley.com and this is my honest review. -
An excellent collection of shorter works from an author who freely admits he doesn't like writing short stories. As a long time Brooks lover, I had read most of the stories in this collection, including the novellas (Indomitable and Warrior) the three Shannara shorts previously only available digitally, and Imaginary Friends. While all excellent stories, it was the ones I hadn't read that made this read special.
I may have enjoyed the Fey of Cloudmoor more if I was at all familiar with the Poul Anderson story it sprang from, but the Shannara stories return to some of my favorite minor characters - Stee Jans from Elfstones, Garet Jax from Wishsong, and unexpectedly Tiger Ty from Elf Queen. The pair of Landover stories are just as lovely - I especially enjoyed An Unfortunate Influx of Filipians.
Ultimately this is 11 stories set in a fantasy master's long living worlds - and if you are fan of Brooks' worlds this is well worth a read. -
Escape to worlds full of adventure and magic in the first-ever Terry Brooks short-story collection, featuring both new and fan-favorite stories from all three of his major literary worlds: Shannara, Magic Kingdom, and The Word and the Void.
This collection of eleven tales is a must-have addition to the Terry Brooks canon--a delightful way to spend time with favorite characters, and a wonderful reminder of what makes a Brooks story such a timeless classic.
I have not read any of Terry's books and I did watch a few epsodes of the Shannara Chronicles. Being new to his work I would recommend reading this book of short stories to get to know the worlds and see what attracts you to his books and go from there.
Out of all 11 short stores , 3 of them were my favorites.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for ARC to review. -
This book is a 3.5 for me. Terry Brooks admits that he hates writing short stories and some of these were written years ago but never published published. Short stories are difficult to write as a lot has to be encapsulated in fewer words. They can be a complete story or left open-ended, to allow you to complete them in your own way. The plot and characters have to be developed carefully, to be believable and yet capture you. It was fun to go back and revisit characters from the worlds of both Shannara and the Void. While some of the stories were a 4.0, enough felt tossed together so that I have to give the lower rating. This is not a book that would be easily read without a knowledge of his other series, as so many of them rely on the dynamics and knowledge of the novels. Fans of Terry Brooks will enjoy most of these but probably not all of them. No details so as to avoid spoilers.
