Dear Readers and Members of the Shannara Community,
As many of you may have heard by now, the release of The Last Druid has been postponed. The decision was made by Del Rey Books, but in all fairness I had lobbied hard over the past two weeks to see it happen. It makes no sense to me to release a book that will conclude more than forty years of writing all the previous books in the series when it would land in a vacuum. No bookstores open, no venues available, cancellations of Writers Fests and Cons all over the place and my own tour almost certainly would not have been allowed by either the publisher or my family.
The Last Druid will now publish on October 27, 2020, the original date for my short story collection, Small Magic. Small Magic will now publish March 2, 2021. So we await the rescheduling of appearances and tour, and a better time for the country. I regret I cannot get you the book to read while we are all in quarantine in whatever form that is taking wherever you are, because it would have been nice to know you had something new of mine to read when so many other entertainment options are in limbo. Judine and I have taken to the scrabble board, embraced a dedicated time for reading and started watching certain TV shows we have been putting off forever. It marks a slowdown of life that is more welcome than I would have thought. I haven’t had this much free time in years. Yes, I am writing and editing and all the rest. But I love the work, and there is still so much other time to just kick back.
While the postponement of The Last Druid is disappointing and irritating, it all pales beside the realization that COVID-19 is doing immense harm to our country and people – not to mention all the other countries and populations around the globe. We are put on notice and we should pay attention. Do your best to stay safe, follow the health guidelines the doctors are issuing, and be smart about how you expose yourselves. This is a not a test; this is the real thing. Do what you know you should, and we’ll see each other in a few months.
All Good Magic, Terry
6 responses to “BrooksBlog: The Last Druid Postponed Until October”
No worries Terry! We totally understand. Thanks for all the years of giving us stories and glad you have found some welcomed slower-pace-of-life. Stay safe and looking forward to The Last Druid down the road.
Thanks for the update, Mr. Brooks. Just gives me a little more time to get caught up on your work.
Obviously, as an avid reader of your work, I am very disappointed about the delay, but understand and very much support your/publishers decision. Thank you for all your wonderful books, which have personally enriched my reading experience. Keep safe. All the best. Paul
We’re watching more shows on HBO and calling more friends and family.
Completely understandable and I support your decision. I look forward to reading it when it arrived. Stay safe!
Thank you very much for the detailed and thoughtful explanation for the delayed release of the next book. I initially thought(and hoped) there would actually be an early release but this makes perfect sense and after reading your take I agree with the decision! Looking forward to October….