More Elf Queen of Shannara: The Platypus Reads Part CLXXVIII

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Today's post will cover chapters 4 and 5 of Terry Brooks' The Elf Queen of Shannara.


*Spoiler Stuff*


Five chapters in, and I think I know what genre Brooks is channeling this time.  From the odd blend of High Fantasy and Science Fiction that is The Druid of Shannara, we've now landed in the world of Turn-of-the-Century Pulp.  Wren is the dazzling young heiress with her mysterious legacy, Garth her taciturn and faithful retainer, and Tyger Ty (I do have to confess that the name makes me wince whenever I read it) the gruff old flying ace who gets them there.  I'm seeing shades of H.R. Haggard all over this stuff.  We've even got the mysterious jungle island where prior adventurers have disappeared.  Now that I've got a better feel for what Brooks is doing, I hope I can get more into sympathy with the work.  We've also made it to the beach of Morrowindl now, so the main plot ought to start picking up.  Maybe the next fifty pages will be a bit more engaging.

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