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2013 is going to be a busy year for Terry! And just as busy for me!
Wards of Faerie published in August 2012. It is the first book of The Dark Legacy of Shannara trilogy, a story that takes place after the events of High Druid but is strongly tied to The Elfstones of Shannara. Terry and Del Rey Books decided that the books of the trilogy would be released much closer in time than usual, a gift for Terry’s fans who always wait so patiently for his new books.
The result is Bloodfire Quest being published six months after Wards on March 12, 2013 and Witch Wraith publishing even sooner on July 16, 2013!
I’m reading Witch Wraith right now—my continuity edit on the book— and I’m just awed at how awesome it is. I can’t even explain it. Nor will I. I am sworn to secrecy by Terry but I will say there have been several scenes in this book that made my head spin from their magnitude!
While I feel the trilogy is one of Terry’s best stories yet, there are other things to love about this series. For example, having artist Todd Lockwood painting interior pieces for all three books. The art in Wards of Faerie is nice but the art you will be getting in Bloodfire Quest is unbelievable! And given what scene Todd will be painting for Witch Wraith, I think fans are incredibly lucky to have this kind of talent on one series!
Then you have the covers! I love all three of these covers. They are different. Terry has had some great cover art over the years and it changes from time to time. This time, Del Rey Books got it right and went iconic.
My poll question today is about the covers: Which one is your favorite? And why!?
Happy weekend!
29 responses to “Poll: Which Dark Legacy Cover Is Your Favorite?”
I love all three covers, but I like the Witch Wraith cover the best. My eye instantly gravitated towards it.
I have been a fan evefr since his first book. I have bought the Wards Faerie. And I was fortunate to purchase a first edition signed by Mr Brooks I am so looking forward to Bloodfire Quest I hope to get another first edition and signed by Mr Brooks so I can hand them down to my children. Thank you Mr. Brooks for writings such amazing trilogys.
I think stand alone, they all look okay. However, as a set, they look great. That being set… hurry up and finish the set 🙂 looking forward to the next 2 books.
I like Witch Wraith’s the best. It best exemplifies the ‘Dark Legacy’ by being itself dark and ominous. I love it.
MOVIE MOVIE MOVIE.. …. … …… …. Come on …. When is it going to happen???
You need to read the MOVIE section of the website for the most current information.
You should post the UK covers to choose from as well. For the record I love the US version of Witch Wraith.
The UK cover for book 1 was the worst cover for a book I’ve ever come across. Probably as I was so disappointed as it’s a book I’d spent money on, looking forward to some interior artwork from, which was totally missing and then found the cover image had nothing to do with the story at all! I was left thinking whether the artist for that cover had nothing to go on so had just placed a generic image on it. If I’d known that was the case I’d probably have waited for a US version but that’d be hard as I was so excited about the story too.
It is disappointing that the UK publisher saw fit not to include the artwork. I was not suggesting that the UK cover was better or worse than the US artwork – purely that it was different and I have heard reports of US citizens actually preferring the UK version as being more bold. I have to say I loved Steve Stone’s covers – whatever happened to him? Going slightly off topic here, I bought the Annotated Sword of Shannara from Amazon.com due to the UK publisher not publishing it. I have to say I really like the Deckle Edge. There is nothing wrong with the UK’s straight edges, but they gave the book a really nice feel.
I love Wards of Faerie’s cover ^^
I have to agree with some of the comments above. Individually the covers are all great, but as a set they look amazing. I like continuity, it makes me happy! I really like the way the spine looks when sitting on the bookshelf on “Wards”… It’s an interesting design and I’m glad to see the other two will match!
I love them all….But Witch Wraith draws in the Hearth, Mind, and Soul!!!!!
I can’t believe I’m so outvoted! I love the split coin cover but apparently I’m in the minority. I prefer the color combination, and the concept, of the split coin cover over the other two. My second choice would have been the ring, but everyone else seemed to like the third choice. I guess I’m the oddball 🙂
I picked witch wraith but I like all three covers. You should have included an “all of the above” choice.
I don’t like this art, it’s generic and cheap (but the split coin I do like).
The best cover art was by Keith Parkinson (Druid of Shannara).
JRJR
Covers look great but they look alot like the Game of Thrones covers. Keep pumping out great books Terry!
I love how the covers of the set matches in the sort of symbolic way. Not a portrait or a piece from the book, but a bold symbol right in the middle! Personally though I like the cover of Witch Wraith the most. I’m really looking forward to reading it!
This will sound evasive, but I need to read the books first. To see which best set the mood for the book and all. If its visual only… Witch Wraith has strongest suggestion “feeling” of something ominous.
As as stand alone image I have to go with the coin splitting on Wards of Faerie, but I voted for Witch Wraith, because I think putting Elfstones of a different color on the cover is an amazing tease for fan of the books.
Not a fan of this style of cover art. I miss the days when Darrell K. Sweet was doing Terry’s covers.
Honestly, when the cover used to have a character on the front acting something out it is the best you can give a reader! It gives us just a tiny view into what the author see’s. Not saying that terry doesn’t make it easy for us to visualize his work, because he does!
Never judge a book by the cover.
That being said, they are flashy which helps to get the attention of the people in the bookstore. The number one thing a publisher wants.
To Chris, the poster above me.. The covers could be completely blank, and I’d still buy the books. I own the whole series. Heck, I own MOST of the books Terry has written. I don’t have an E-Reader, and not really into Hook (Peter Pan) or Star Wars (as Terry wrote Phantom Menace).
I even have Sometimes the Magic Works. Excellent read for anyone.
Went to visit a couple of my High School Teachers and a College Prof I had, and showed them the book. They all emailed me within a month of the visit, and said they’ll work on getting the book cleared, as required reading for their classes.
Time to get another generation of Terry Brooks addicts!
To Jason R, I totally agree! I’ve been a huge fan for decades and for me, other books in this genre are just knock offs. What a treat it would be for the students to have Terry Brooks as required reading 🙂
It is too bad that you did NOT give us the option to love them all. That would be my actual choice. I did choose the “Witch Wraith” though. I am having a most difficult time waiting for the last two books of this series. I refuse to read “Wards of Faerie” until I receive my signed copies of the second and third of the series. Keep up the excellent works Terry and you as well Shawn. Thank you.
Although all are nice, Bloodfire Quest’s cover is best. Bloodfire’s cover just screams of things old & long forgotten with a ring or bracelet made of twisted gold & silver wire. From a time before it was known how to purify the metals to make a solid ring. With a stone sparkling with power that acts as if it stays attached by it’s own will & not by the hand of any jewler. The witches that lived near the Bloodfire in the Elfstones of Shannara gave the impression that they were from before the fall of man, maybe even from the time of Faerie. This looks like something they could’ve made or saved through the ages.
I love them all! However, the Witch’s Wraith just pops out at me. The brilliant color of the wall, and those three jems just reaching out to you from some portal to take you back into the story is amazing.
I like the Bloodfire cover the best, yes even though I complained about the plot and it’s familiarity to Elfstones. But truth be told, I really miss the Hildebrandt Brothers work on The Sword and The Elfstone and Darrell K. Sweet beautiful illustration of the Burning of Paranor on The Wishsong. But The DarkLegacy covers are abstart to tradional fantasy art covers, which might make them stand-out on the bookshelves. But really makes me rememinance about Shannara Older Books and the great work by other artist like Larry Elmore and Easly.
I like the Witch Wraith one the best because of the dark reds and burgundies and maroon colors all meshed in there to the cover. It is very striking and beautiful.
I have read the first 2 trilogies and really love them a lot and am glad that the Annotated 35th Anniversary Edition is coming out soon because that would be a great collectors’ item to have along with re-telling the novel that started it all: The Swords of Shannara.
A friend of mine got me to read these books, and I have loved them ever since he told me a year ago. Thanks Terry! These books are wonderful! I also read the novel of The Phantom Menace for the prequel trilogy movies of Star Wars, and that is right on the mark of what George Lucas had in mind for the young “Darth Vader”…Anakin Skywalker. You really brought that out in full form and the movie was very good.
As far as the Shannara series goes, the book Blood Quest will be a good book to read when it comes out this year.
Thanks again Terry for your books and novels. They are a great read and fun to step into the fantasy word of druids and faeries for a change. 🙂