The Darkling Child by Terry Brooks

Terry Brooks’ next novel, The High Druid’s Blade, isn’t even out yet, but the cover for the follow-up novel, The Darkling Child, is already loosed on the world. (See what I did there? It’s like a demon from the Forbidding.) And, it’s just as pretty as the previous cover. I really like the rough, impressionistic quality of the painting they’ve used.

The Darkling Child is the second in The Defenders of Shannara, a loose trilogy of standalone Shannara novels that follow the events of Witch Wraith, Brooks’ most recently published novel. The High Druid’s Blade and The Darkling Child will be released in 2014.

Discussion
  • Doug M. October 21, 2013 at 9:11 am

    So the stand-alone novel (that was initially going to be “linked by a handful of common characters to two more stand-alones that will immediately follow”) became part of a loose trilogy (complete with series title) and is now part of a loose duology? Is the loose duology loosely linked to a third stand-alone novel or is that third one all but toast now? ;)

  • Aidan Moher October 21, 2013 at 9:13 am

    Outside of Del Rey’s marketing department, who want to label everything as a nicely defined series (complete with title and matching cover art!), I think the two novels are more-or-less separate stories that take place within a similar timeframe to one another. No wool being pulled over anyone’s eyes.

    ;)

  • Doug M. October 21, 2013 at 9:23 am

    Oh, no worries about deception, really. Just wondering when three became two?

  • Aidan Moher October 21, 2013 at 9:25 am

    Just wondering when three became two?

    When my memory started failing me….

  • Doug M. October 21, 2013 at 9:40 am

    Oh heck, is that all?
    I thought I missed out some news somewhere. ;)

  • […] the Terry Brooks cover revealed yesterday, I quite like the stylistic choice to use a rough, textured illustration reminiscent of more […]

  • Brad Beaulieu October 26, 2013 at 2:59 pm

    I’m rather impressed by this cover. I’d much rather see a slightly impressionistic piece of art, or a nice “filtered” piece, a la Chris McGrath, than the overly detailed photo-op pieces that seem to plague things like urban fantasy.