The Darkling Child
core novel 2015 Shannara
Record
| First published | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.95 (4,815 ratings, collected 2026-09-12) |
| First-edition ISBN | 978-0-345-54079-9 |
| First-edition date | 2015-06-09 |
| Internal chronology | 27 |
Synopsis
The second novel of the Defenders of Shannara series follows Paxon Leah, now the sworn protector of the Druid order at Paranor, as he is sent to a distant village to investigate the source of a newly detected wishsong, a rare magical gift not seen in years outside the Ohmsford line. The sorcerer Arcannen, Paxon's old adversary, is also pursuing the gentle minstrel who wields the ability, intent on turning the discovery to his own advantage, which sets Paxon on a collision course with his enemy in unfamiliar territory far from Paranor's protection. As Paxon works to reach the wishsong's bearer before Arcannen can corrupt or exploit the gift, he must contend with treacherous terrain and local politics unfamiliar to a Druid emissary, all while the shadow of Arcannen's schemes grows over the isolated village.
Where it sits
- Universe: Shannara
- Series: Defenders of Shannara core; position 2 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Terry Brooks
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series Defenders of Shannara: position 2 of 3: previous The High Druid's Blade (2014) · next The Sorcerer's Daughter (2016)
- Internal chronology, within Shannara: position 27 of 32: previous The High Druid's Blade (2014) · next The Sorcerer's Daughter (2016)
Sources
- Terry Brooks official site
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannara
- https://www.isfdb.org
- https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/222295/the-darkling-child-by-terry-brooks/
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