The Wishsong of Shannara

Published in 1985, The Wishsong of Shannara is the third and last in the Shannara Trilogy. A little more than twenty years have passed since Wil Ohmsford accompanied Amberle Elessedil on the quest for the Bloodfire. He now has two children, a son and a daughter. Their names are Jair and Brin, and they have inherited Elven magic from their father. When Wil Ohmsford used the power of the Elfstones, the Elven magic had changed him. He didn't know how he was changed until the birth of his children. Their magic was named the Wishsong by Brin, and it could be used to change the behavior of living things and also change their physical characteristics. For Brin, the Wishsong worked in fact, but for Jair it was only an illusion. Wil had seen his children misuse their magic and so had hidden the Elfstones of Shannara so their magic wouldn't be used by anyone ever again. Jair had discovered the hiding place, however, so the Elfstones were destined for use once again. This time it was against the Ildatch.

The Ildatch was a book of dark magic that had survived since the Old Times. It had been found by a Druid called Brona <the Warlock Lord> . He became the Warlock Lord when the evil of the Ildatch subverted him. Now a new group of evil beings called Mord Wraiths was gaining power through the Ildatch. Their stronghold, Graymark,was deep in the Eastland and the Ildatch was hidden in a deep valley near to it. The Mord Wraiths had grown a swamp forest in the valley to protect the book. It was a swamp forest made from evil magic and therefore would repel any attempt to breach it by ordinary means. Allanon had tried to breach it and had failed. Therefore he came to Brin Ohmsford and told her he needed use of her wishsong to reach the Ildatch and destroy it. Her wishsong magic could subvert the evil magic and allow passage through the swamp forest. And so begins the third book in the Shannara Trilogy...

This book introduces Garet Jax, the Weapons Master, another of my favorite characters.