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fantasy
Series · epic fantasy
The Fall of Shannara
The Fall of Shannara series by Terry Brooks has 4 known books (4 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The Black Elfstone (2017).
- Books
- 4 known books (4 novels)
- Published
- 4
- First published
- 2017
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Last checked
Start here: The Black Elfstone (2017) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Black Elfstone
The Black Elfstone (2017) opens Fall of Shannara -- written and marketed as the conclusion to Terry Brooks's forty-year Shannara saga -- as the invading Skaar force the Druids to send Paranor into protective limbo, trapping former High Druid Drisker Arc inside.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Black Elfstone - Book 2:
The Skaar Invasion
The Skaar Invasion followed a year later, in 2018, running 369 pages as Tarsha Kaynin seeks training in the Wishsong magic that has driven her brother Tavo murderously unstable.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Skaar Invasion - Book 3:
The Stiehl Assassin
The Stiehl Assassin (2019) continued Terry Brooks's annual release pace at 335 pages, the shortest of the four books, escalating the Skaar's assault and Tavo's unraveling as the tetralogy pushes toward the conclusion of the entire forty-year Shannara saga.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Stiehl Assassin - Book 4:
The Last Druid
At 544 pages, The Last Druid (2020) is by far the longest entry, closing out both Fall of Shannara and the four-decade Shannara saga it was written to conclude.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Last Druid
About The Fall of Shannara
Terry Brooks's Fall of Shannara tetralogy was written and marketed as the conclusion to the entire forty-year Shannara saga, bringing every thread of magic, Druid history, and the Four Lands' post-apocalyptic origins to a close. The Black Elfstone opens as a mysterious invading army -- the Skaar, wielding magic that can make soldiers vanish and reappear -- overwhelms the Trolls and moves against Paranor itself, forcing the Druids to use the Black Elfstone to send their fortress into protective limbo, trapping former High Druid Drisker Arc inside. Meanwhile Tarsha Kaynin, a young Wishsong wielder seeking Drisker's training, must contend with her own brother Tavo, driven murderously unstable by an uncontrolled, destructive form of the same magic, while Dar Leah, the Druid order's exiled military commander, tries to warn a Four Lands that refuses to believe the invasion is real. The Skaar Invasion, The Stiehl Assassin, and The Last Druid escalate the Skaar's assault, Tavo's unraveling, and the fight to free Drisker and Paranor into the saga's final, largest-scale conflict.
As the concluding tetralogy, Fall of Shannara resolves plotlines and character lines stretching back through Defenders of Shannara, Dark Legacy of Shannara, and ultimately to the Original Shannara Trilogy itself, closing the story Brooks began telling in 1977.
Frequently asked questions
What order should I read the Fall of Shannara tetralogy in?
Publication order: The Black Elfstone, The Skaar Invasion, The Stiehl Assassin, The Last Druid — one continuous story across all four books.
Is Fall of Shannara really the end of the whole Shannara saga?
Yes — it was written and marketed as the conclusion to the entire nearly forty-year saga that began with The Sword of Shannara in 1977.
Do I need to read other Shannara sub-series before this one?
Yes, ideally most of them — Fall of Shannara resolves plotlines going back through Defenders of Shannara, Dark Legacy of Shannara, and further, and works best as the culmination of the wider saga rather than a starting point.
Who are the main characters of Fall of Shannara?
Drisker Arc, a former High Druid trapped in limbo with Paranor; Tarsha Kaynin, a young Wishsong wielder; her dangerously unstable brother Tavo; and Dar Leah, the Druid order's exiled military commander.
What is the Skaar invasion?
A mysterious invading army wielding magic that lets soldiers vanish and reappear, which overwhelms the Trolls and moves against the Druids' fortress of Paranor, setting the tetralogy's central conflict in motion.
How many books are in the The Fall of Shannara series?
4: The Black Elfstone (2017), The Skaar Invasion (2018), The Stiehl Assassin (2019), and The Last Druid (2020).
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Reading order last verified .