Ilse Witch

2000 novel by Terry Brooks
0-345-39654-5OCLC43798457
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 21LC ClassPS3552.R6596 I84 2000Preceded byThe Talismans of Shannara Followed byAntrax 

Ilse Witch is a fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks, the first book in The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara fantasy trilogy. First published in 2000, it was the first novel in which Brooks described the use of futuristic technology, including airships as well as robots and lasers from the Old World. A conversation between the Druid Walker Boh and the Shade of Allanon that was edited from Ilse Witch was published as part of Unfettered, a collection of fantasy short stories.

Plot summary

Set 130 years after the events of the Heritage of Shannara series, the Free-born and the Federation are still at war. The story follows a quest organized by Walker Boh, the last surviving Shannara Druid. Thirty years before the story begins, the Elven prince Kael Elessedil led an expedition in search of a legendary magic which was said to be the most ancient and powerful in the world.

At the beginning of the narrative, Kael is found floating in the sea of the Blue Divide; a map is found with him, covered with mysterious symbols. Walker is the only man who can read them.

But there is another: the Ilse Witch, a beautiful but twisted young woman who is as practiced in magic as Walker himself. She will stop at nothing to possess the map and the magic it leads to. To stop her, Walker must find the magic first.

Thus begins the voyage of the sleek, swift airship, the Jerle Shannara. The company chosen by Walker must fly into the face of unknown terrors while the Ilse Witch and her dark allies pursue.

Main characters

The main characters are:

  • Bek Ohmsford
  • Ilse Witch (Grianne Ohmsford)
  • Quentin Leah
  • Walker Boh
  • Ahren Elessedil
  • Panax
  • Cree Bega
  • Ryer Ord Star
  • Morgawr
  • Redden Alt Mer
  • Rue Meridian
  • Hunter Predd
  • Truls Rohk

External links

  • Del Rey Online | The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch by Terry Brooks – official webpage for mass market paperback edition.
  • v
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Works by Terry Brooks
Shannara
Novels
Word & Void
The Genesis of Shannara
Legends of Shannara
Prequel
Original Shannara Trilogy
Heritage of Shannara
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara
  • Ilse Witch (2000)
  • Antrax (2001)
  • Morgawr (2002)
High Druid of Shannara
The Dark Legacy of Shannara
The Defenders of Shannara
  • The High Druid's Blade (2014)
  • The Darkling Child (2015)
  • The Sorcerer's Daughter (2016)
The Fall of Shannara
  • The Black Elfstone (2017)
  • The Skaar Invasion (2018)
  • The Stiehl Assassin (2019)
  • The Last Druid (2020)
Standalone
Other
Short
stories
Magic Kingdom
of Landover
Other works
  • Hook (1991 novelization)
  • Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999 novelization)
  • Sometimes the Magic Works (2003)
  • Why I Write About Elves (2005)