Jarka Ruus
First book in the High Druid of Shannara trilogy.
Twenty years after the events of *The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara*, Grianne Ohmsford, once the evil Ilse Witch, now serves as the High Druid (Ard Rhys) of a new Druid Council—a position many distrust due to her past. A faction of Druids, led by Shadea a'Ru, uses a forbidden magic called "liquid night" to banish Grianne from the Four Lands into the Forbidding, a realm overrun by Demons. Her loyal Dwarf aide, Tagwen, seeks help from her brother Bek Ohmsford, but finds Bek and his wife Rue Meridian unavailable. Instead, Tagwen joins forces with their son Pen, who possesses a supernatural ability to commune with nature. Guided by the King of the Silver River, they set out to find the legendary Tanequil tree, which supposedly offers a way to reach Grianne. They are accompanied by the elf Ahren Elessedil (a member of the Druid Council, not a Druid himself), his niece Khyber (heir to the Elfstones), and the empathic Rover girl Cinnaminson, for whom Pen develops strong feelings. Traitorous Druid minions and their spider-like assassin, Aphasia Wye, stalk the group. The party destroys one pursuing Druid airship, but Ahren is killed and Cinnaminson is captured.
Meanwhile, Grianne discovers the Forbidding is a dark reflection of the Four Lands. Exploring this horrific demon world, called Jarka Ruus, she meets an enigmatic, annoying creature named Weka Dart. After defeating a dragon-like beast and knocking Weka Dart from a tree, she has a terrifying encounter with the shade of Brona, the Four Lands' most legendary evil, and is captured by a band of Demons.
- Author
- Terry Brooks
- Nationality
- American
- Field
- Fantasy literature
- Published
- 2003
- Series
- High Druid of Shannara trilogy
- Preceded by
- The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara (chronologically)
Lore & Background
The novel follows Grianne Ohmsford, who has become High Druid (Ard Rhys) of the new Druid Council, twenty years after the events of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara. Many Druids distrust her due to her former life as the evil Ilse Witch. A group of Druids led by Shadea a'Ru use a magic called 'liquid night' to banish Grianne into the Forbidding, a demon-infested world. Her loyal Dwarf aid Tagwen seeks help from her brother Bek Ohmsford, but instead joins forces with Bek's son Pen, who has a supernatural ability to commune with nature. Advised by the King of the Silver River, they search for the legendary Tanequil tree to reach Grianne. They are joined by the elf Ahren Elessedil (a member of the Druid Council, not a Druid), his niece Khyber (heir to the Elfstones), and the empathic Rover girl Cinnaminson. They are pursued by traitorous Druid minions and the spider-like assassin Aphasia Wye. They defeat one Druid airship but lose Ahren's life and Cinnaminson is captured.
Reader's Guide
Meanwhile, Grianne explores the Forbidding, a dark mirror of the Four Lands known locally as Jarka Ruus. She encounters a creature called Weka Dart, defeats a dragon-like creature, and has a frightening encounter with the shade of Brona, the most legendary evil from the Four Lands. She is then captured by a party of Demons. The novel sets up the central conflict of the trilogy: the struggle to rescue Grianne from the Forbidding and restore her to the Druid Council. It introduces key characters and magical elements that drive the subsequent books. The book's significance lies in its continuation of the Shannara series, exploring themes of redemption, power, and the consequences of past evil. It also expands the mythology of the Forbidding and the Druid order.
Did You Know?
- Grianne Ohmsford was formerly known as the evil Ilse Witch.
- The magic used to banish Grianne is called 'liquid night'.
- Jarka Ruus is the name of the demon world, not a local name for the Forbidding.
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