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Series · epic fantasy

High Druid of Shannara

by Terry Brooks

The High Druid of Shannara series by Terry Brooks has 3 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Jarka Ruus (2003).

Books
3 books
First published
2003
Status
completed
Last checked

Start here: Jarka Ruus (2003) — then read straight through in publication order.

Cover of Jarka Ruus, the first book in High Druid of Shannara

Reading order

The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.

  1. Jarka Ruus

    Novel

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  2. Tanequil

    Novel

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  3. Straken

    Novel

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About the High Druid of Shannara series

Terry Brooks's High Druid of Shannara trilogy picks up two decades after the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, with Grianne Ohmsford -- the former Ilse Witch -- now serving as Ard Rhys, head of the restored Druid order, still shadowed by suspicion over her past. Jarka Ruus opens as rival Druids led by Shadea a'Ru use forbidden magic to banish Grianne into the Forbidding, a demon-infested alternate realm, forcing her great-nephew Pen Ohmsford -- son of Bek Ohmsford and Rue Meridian, gifted with an uncanny ability to commune with nature -- to lead a rescue mission built around the legendary Tanequil tree, said to be the only way to reach her. Tanequil and Straken follow Pen's quest party, including the Elven Druid Ahren Elessedil, his niece Khyber (heir to the Elfstones), and the Rover girl Cinnaminson, as they're hunted across the Four Lands by the traitor Druids and their assassin, the spider-like Aphasia Wye, while Grianne herself endures escalating horrors within the Forbidding, including an encounter with the shade of the ancient evil Brona.

The trilogy pays off plot threads seeded across the two previous cycles -- Grianne's redemption arc from the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara and the Druid order Walker Boh rebuilt in Heritage of Shannara -- while introducing Pen and Khyber as the next generation set to carry the saga's central bloodlines forward into Brooks's later Shannara books.

How to read this series

Read in publication order -- Jarka Ruus (2003), Tanequil (2004), Straken (2005) -- a single continuous rescue mission told across all three books. Read the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy first: this trilogy is set twenty years after those events and assumes you already know Grianne Ohmsford's history as the Ilse Witch and her position as Ard Rhys, head of the Druid order. Heritage of Shannara's earlier reconstruction of the Druids is also useful background, though less directly essential than the Voyage trilogy. This is a tightly serialized three-book story rather than three standalone quests, so it reads best without long gaps between volumes.

Frequently asked questions

What order should I read the High Druid of Shannara trilogy in?

Publication order: Jarka Ruus, Tanequil, Straken — one continuous rescue mission across all three books.

Do I need to read the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy first?

Yes — this trilogy is set twenty years later and assumes you know Grianne Ohmsford's history as the Ilse Witch and her role as Ard Rhys, head of the Druid order.

Who is Pen Ohmsford?

The son of Bek Ohmsford and Rue Meridian, gifted with a rare ability to commune with nature; he leads the mission to rescue his great-aunt Grianne from the Forbidding.

What is the Forbidding?

A demon-infested alternate realm that rival Druids banish Grianne Ohmsford into using forbidden magic, setting the trilogy's rescue plot in motion.

Is this trilogy a complete story on its own?

Yes, though its characters — particularly Pen and Khyber — continue into Brooks's later Shannara sub-series.

Reading order last verified .