One of the most iconic structures in the Four Lands is Paranor, the fortress home of the Druid Order. Legend holds that it was erected by an Elven leader known as Galaphile Joss. But who was this Galaphile, and how and why did he choose to establish this center of magic and learning?
Within this book we meet the real Galaphile, following him from a friendless teenage orphan stranded in the Human world to a powerful adult and master mage, studying under the infamous recluse, Cogline. We learn of the forces that shaped him-those he loved, and those he lost; those who aided him, and those who stood against him. Throughout it all, Galaphile’s goal is a noble one: to bring order to a chaotic world, and to make life better for those trying to survive it.
To this end, he commences building the citadel which will one day be known as Paranor with the aid of the King of the Silver River. But there is one other who seeks dominion over the Four Lands-and for far less virtuous ends.
For this foe has been corrupted by an ancient evil-one that will not only reach out and touch Galaphile’s nearest and dearest, but also echo down through the centuries, sowing the seeds for some of the darkest times the Four Lands will ever face.
Terry Brooks returns to his beloved Shannara series with Galaphile: The First Druids of Shannara, a book that delves into the story of the first Druid, Galaphile, and the origins of the Druid order. This book is a great introduction for new readers and a story that die-hard Shannara fans have long awaited. After the conclusion of the Shannara series in 2020, Brooks made it clear he wouldn’t expand the storyline further but didn’t rule out penning new stories to fill in gaps. To the delight of longtime fans, this book explores the founding of the Druids, the building of the legendary fortress Paranor, and it fills in storyline gaps between the inception of The Four Lands and the era of the Druid Bremen. The novel chronicles the journey of Galaphile Joss, an orphan elf who is recruited into an elite camp of sages and warriors. The Four Lands are ravaged by lawlessness and conflict, yet Galaphile has a visionary mission to bring peace and prosperity to them. His path is guided by a powerful fairy creature known as The King Of The Silver River and is fraught with intense battles, heartbreaking loss, and the threat of a powerful dark enemy.
Just as the fantasy genre has dramatically evolved since the first Shannara novel in 1977, so too has Terry’s writing. This book has a different structure than the average Shannara novel as it’s faster paced and includes several timeline jumps. Brooks’s doesn’t delve into great detail where he may have in the past-for instance Galaphile’s warrior and magic training in this book is neatly written but leaves much to the imagination of the reader, especially Galaphile’s four year extensive mage training with the enigmatic Cogline. Instead, Brooks spends more time moving the story forward, introducing a wide array of key characters and developing foundational relationships that will likely serve readers in the next book. Also different from other Shannara novels is the use of a single POV (Galaphile) for the lion-share of the story, with only small interludes where the POV switches to Narriane and the dark villain. Consequently this book really lives up to its title of “Galaphile” as it documents his life and transformation in his early years.
Galaphile Joss is a remarkable and likable protagonist-he’s highly intelligent, extremely loyal, and stands by his words. Once he decides his path as peacemaker for the Four Lands, he is fully committed, and his warrior and magic skills evolve quickly. His character arc from small-town peasant boy to a formidable warrior/mage is very pronounced and has a cinematic feel to it! Brooks has a way of developing characters whose outcomes readers really care about, and this book is no exception. Readers will be rooting for Galaphile, Narianne, and many of the rich side characters, especially through the epic battle scenes later in the book! The villain in this story, “The Spectral Tell,” is well developed, and his story gives longtime fans insight into how he came into possession of the dark magic book known as the Illdatch. Just like Galaphile, the villain has a difficult youth, but his motivations for dominance and power allow him to be easily subverted by the book’s dark power. Just like Galaphile, he too builds a fortress he calls The Skull Kingdom-another landmark that longtime readers will appreciate the backstory of!
The first part of the story depicts Galaphile as an early teen, but the story soon jumps to his late teens and early twenties, picking up the pace and becoming increasingly compelling. After Galaphile makes contact with The King Of The Silver River, in some very vivid fantasy scenes, the story really takes off and remains fast-paced until the end. Some readers have noted that the story lags briefly when the POV shifts to Narianne, late in the book, when she is dealing with inner turmoil linked to the effects of dark magic. While some of her inner monologues may be repetitive and the pacing slower in this section, there is great character development and more intimate dialogue that earlier chapters lack. The conclusion of this story doesn’t yet see Galaphile reaching his ascension as first Druid or officially setting up a Druid Council, but let’s hope this is explored in the next book in the series!
In summary, Galaphile is a fast-paced epic fantasy novel and a significant addition to the Shannara series. For new Brooks readers, it’s a great entrance into the Shannara-verse and provides longtime valuable backstory and context to the origins of the Druids, further enriching the larger Shannara narrative. If you’re looking for your next epic fantasy adventure with rich characters, magic, and Terry Brooks’ signature world-building, look no further than Galaphile: The First Druids of Shannara!
It’s an epic adventure that you won’t soon forget!
