Terry Brooks seems to thrive in a post-apocalyptic setting. Either that, or his change of venue for the Shannara series has re-energized him a bit. Whatever the case, The Elves of Cintra, the second book in the “Genesis of Shannara” series (now re-subtitled to indicate that it is indeed a Shannara book) continues the strong qualities of Armageddon’s Children. It also revisits the faults of that book, along with being a bit slower and less interesting. Still, it’s a pretty good book, and leaves the reader waiting intently for the final volume.

In an Earth that has been devastated by environmental collapse and horrible wars, humans have retreated to enclaves and allowed the monsters and demons to roam. But the possibility of magic still exists, centered on the Elven race which has hidden away in the mountains for thousands of years. A Knight of the Word (the force of Good in the world, as opposed to the Void) named Angel Perez has been tasked with aiding the Elves in finding the mystical Elfstones, lost for those same thousands of years, in an attempt to save the Elven nation by moving it away from this desolation. Meanwhile, Logan Tom, another Knight, has to escort a band of children known as the Ghosts to follow the destiny of their leader (Hawk), who has a much more mystical past than he ever knew about. Destiny looms large in this story, and the various characters must overcome great obstacles and evil to make sure their destiny comes to pass.

You can tell that this is a Terry Brooks book because his style never seems to change. His characters brood a lot, and Brooks regales us with numerous internal monologues as the characters try and decide what to do. Sometimes that decision is taken out of their hands (perhaps because they spent too much time brooding?) and circumstances force them to take an action that they didn’t necessarily want to take. Thankfully, Brooks has created a cast of characters that is actually fairly interesting, at least for the most part. That’s the main saving grace of the novel, as otherwise the book would be quite oppressive.

Headlining the cast is Logan, and his interaction with the children is well done, though I could have done without his constant “should I abandon them or should I stay with them?” agonizing. I had a lot of fun picturing this ragtag group of children (of all ages) walking behind this extremely slow-moving vehicle as they walk down what remains of the I-5 around Seattle. Even better was the confrontation with the rogue Knight and how he’s forced to do something he doesn’t want to do in order to survive. Yes, coming to that decision becomes exceedingly annoying, but once he gets there, the writing shines.

As for the rest of the cast, probably the best I can say is that they’re better than Brooks’ story people usually are. I liked the interaction between Angel and the Elves, and while the identity of the Elven traitor is obvious from miles away, it’s still told in an interesting fashion. Brooks also provides us with flashbacks for those Ghosts whose story he didn’t tell in Armageddon’s Children, but since there are fewer, they don’t get as irritating. Also, they are quite varied and interesting, with some details regarding how the children became who they are. Two missteps, however, mar the otherwise good characterization. First, Panther is too much the stereotypical hothead, though it’s nice that he’s beginning to learn something as the book goes on. Secondly, Hawk’s girlfriend, Tessa, is little more than a cheerleader, somebody who seems to be there only to encourage Hawk to do what must be done. I hope Brooks builds up her character in the third book, or she could become exasperating.

Once again, Brooks is the master of the action scene. There are a few more fights than in the first book, and Brooks writes them in a riveting fashion. He also manages to capture the tense atmosphere when one of the characters is sneaking around. It’s enjoyable to have much of the action take place in a desolate Seattle and its environs, and Brooks does a good enough job of description that it’s easy for somebody who has lived there to picture the action. This adds to the reader’s immersion, though admittedly it only helps a small portion of his readership.

There are a couple of irritating things in The Elves of Cintra, in addition to the introspection. First, I have trouble believing that the Elves could have an entire city hidden in the dense forests of the Rocky Mountains in Oregon. There’s probably a magical solution to this, but Brooks makes a big deal of the fact that the Elves don’t have much, if any, magic left. The Ellcrys, the tree that keeps the demons of old locked up in the Forbidding, may shelter the city, but Brooks never says (or if he does, it’s in such a passing manner that I missed it). That much of a heat source would have been picked up long before the environment destroyed everything. Secondly, the pace of the book plods at times. It’s not too bad, but it’s enough that I started to lose interest a couple of times. I’m not an action junkie, but Brooks’ rendition of the slower scenes didn’t always keep me entranced.

Still, I have to give Brooks credit. The Elves of Cintra is almost as strong as the first book in the series, and it’s definitely good enough to warrant finding the third book when it comes out. He also avoids heavy-handedness with the environmental message, letting the world speak for itself and only occasionally actually mentioning the calamities that created the current world. That’s another thing in the book’s favor, and I heartily recommend it for any Brooks fan. Even the non-Brooks fan may find something of interest here; it’s just a lot less certain.