Rating: 
Summary: Antrax - A winner on many levels.
Review: Let me begin to say that if you like fantasy, you will probably like this. There are no gurantee's, there is the off chance you will hate it, but it is just that, an off chance. To the vast majority of you, who have probably read Terry Brooks' novels in the past, you will enjoy this thoroughly. It is darker than his prior novel's, yet still holds that special something which keeps everyone loving the Shannara series so very much.For those of you who might read this review and have yet to read Terry Brooks and are worried if reading this will ruin other stories for you, you are right and wrong all at the same time. The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara can be read as a stand alone series, but to understand the series you *must* start with Ilse Witch. This can still be found in hardcover editions (very nicely done might i add) at your local bookstore. It too is an excellent novel. Simply put, this novel was not good, it was excellent. It stands as an example to why i read fantasy.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantasy meets Science-Fiction
Review: In "Antrax," Brooks brings back the characters of the Rovers, Truls Rohk, Ryer Ord Star, Walker Boh, the Ilse Witch, Quentin Leah, Ahren Elessedil, and Bek Ohmsford in their journey to Casteldown to retrieve the magic books. In the last book, the city of Castledown attacks their party and splits them up. Now we see the group of magical warriors fight against technology from a civilization which destroyed itself long ago. The mixture of science fiction and fantasy works well I think. There is the occasional error where a warrior from the land of magic knows what something is called here; for example, Quentin Leah looks at an opening and calls it a ventilation duct. Do they have ducts in the realm of Shannara? For the most part, the world of science is referred to more general terms to show you that the warriors are not familiar with what they see. The book, as are most of Terry Brooks' books, is like reading a serial movie from the first half of the 1900s. You will find yourself reading continuously so that you can find out what happens next to the different parties as they struggle to find each other. I am looking forward to the next book to find resolution between the Druid, Walker Boh, and the Ilse Witch. Since this is a part of a series, you have the ending which hints of even grander things to come. If you are not a Terry Brooks fan, you will find yourself lost in this book. You will need to be familiar with the Shannara series to understand this.
Rating: 
Summary: Lightweight and overstretched
Review: Terry Brooks hit his stride a long time ago and has been limping along ever since. The early Shannara books were just plain awful Tolkien ripoffs, though the middle parts of the saga, notably Elfstones of Shannara, were actually quite good. But this post period is pathetic. Admittedly, Brooks has moved away a little from stolen elves and dwarves and into new types of characters, but his writing is still very stilted and not all that engaging. There is an oily sheen to his work, a career made out of capitalizing on other people's ideas and pathfinding and movie tie-ins. This particular book is not hard to read, but I found it hard to like.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book & Series
Review: This is a great book! I currently own the entire Shannara series and can say that it is easily the best series I have ever read. Terry Brooks does a great job at giving details of the lives of each and every main character in his stories. He always creates twists and turns in his stories. Some you, may be able to figure out before they happen, but there are others that you couldn't guess in a million years. It's a great book that I would reccommend to anybody.
Rating:
Summary: Sci-fi annulled fantasy in Antrax
Review: Ironically, what a way to destroy the generations of fantasy realms created in the world of Shannara. Although Terry Brooks writing talent is as compelling as ever, Brooks' emphasis on too much science fiction, like the introduction of artificial intelligence, supercomputers, laser-wielding robots and so on in "Antrax", has nulled my hopes that what Brooks is trying to bring to us in the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy is any fantastic fantasy concepts or elements. Shannara series is engrained in my mind as pure realms of fantasy and because of what Brooks did with "Antrax," my sentimental attachment to the Shannara realms has been shattered and turned upside down. With "Antrax", Brooks has destroyed that pure fantasy world of Shannara which I had loved so dearly. Needless to say, I won't be looking forward to the third installment "Morgawr." If I want to read science fiction, I'm sure I can find a host of other books to choose from.
Rating:
Summary: Another incredible Shannara novel
Review: Terry Brooks has outdone himself with this book. I absolutely loved it. I couldn't put it down, literally. Ilse Witch had a few slow parts, but Antrax more than makes up for that. You get a real feel for each of the characters. Ahren Elessedil became one of my favorite characters, I could simpathize with him and his struggles, and I just love how he comes out in the end. I definitely recommend this book, especially if you're a shannara fan.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome book!
Review: I read the first 180 pages the first day I had it, and I bought it late in the afternoon. Terry Brooks keeps up the suspense, and it's hard not to get caught up in the action. I can't wait for the sequel!
Rating:
Summary: Much Better Than Ilse Witch
Review: This book was much less predictable than Ilse Witch. Although the map managed to give away a few key plot points I wasn't able to predict how it would end, and I was surprised many times. In Ilse Witch I was able to guess much of the plot after randomly leafing through and reading about 2 sentences near the end. Brooks manages to keep several coherent story lines running, and he brings them together quite well. Although it still has the requisite moments of angst that are trademarks of Brooks post-Wishsong they were much less frequent than in previous books. Also, without saying how it ends, this cliffhanger ending is a true cliffhanger. The beginning of Antrax was quite predictable given how Ilse Witch ended. This time I truly have no clue what will happen next with Walker, Grianne, and some other key characters. I have no clue what the Sword of Shannara is doing. I have no clue about the surprise visitors at the end of the book (it doesn't give much away to say that the Jerle Shannara encounters surprise visitors, since surprise encounters are the standard fare of fantasy). Finally, post-apocalyptic sci-fi is all over this book. He's gone to the theme that he always hinted at but never developed in previous novels. I was not let down this time. Hopefully Morgawr will not be anti-climactic.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT SERIES
Review: These series are the best in the entire world! I have read everybook of the shannara series and I just can't seem to put the books down. I ave found myself reading util 1 in the morning and not wanting to go to bed because of how great the book is. I give this book and the series a 10+
Rating: 
Summary: Fantasy by Numbers
Review: First of all, this installment from Terry Brooks does have a few unique features, such as a sentient city-sized computer built by a lost civilization, horrifying half-human cyborg killing machines, and somewhat intriguing themes on technology and knowledge. But otherwise, you have to wonder if Brooks keeps cranking out new volumes simply by following a manual called "How to Write a Fantasy Novel." He may have even written that manual himself, as he's deservedly a popular and famous master of the genre. But once again there is little new or unexpected here. Consider the following rules of thumb from the typical fantasy writer's manual. Build the story around a journey or quest to find some enchanted items like magic stones. Speaking of magic, throw that word around often but don't worry about describing it in too much detail. Add some other magic items, such as swords, that give power to those who know how to use them, but peril to others without that special inner strength. Give the people and places vaguely Celtic or Gothic names like Quentin Leah or Ryer Ord Star or Castledown. Add a bunch of elves and dwarves, and maybe a druid for good measure. Have the characters converse copiously about honor and courage and loyalty, preferably right in the middle of dangerous chases or battles. Show the good guys wracked with fear and indecision, only to dramatically realize their potential heroism in inspirational ways. Make your bad guys unquestionably evil monsters of alien races. And finally, write in the trilogy format, so instead of one large but focused book, you can crank out three inconclusive medium-sized books. Sound familiar? Fantasy writers have done all this a gazillion times. So has Terry Brooks, and he does it again here without deviating from expectations. [~doomsdayer520~]
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