Paxon Leah comes from a long line of kings and warriors, but his family now lives quietly, the only relic of their past a black sword that hangs above the fire. When an evil sorcerer named Arcannen kidnaps Paxon's headstrong young sister, Chrys, Paxon runs to the rescue, taking only the family sword. To his surprise, the sword is enchanted, which allows Paxon to hold off Arcannen's forces long enough for the two to escape. Thinking his sister now safe, Paxon seeks help from the Druids to learn how to use his magic blade, but Arcannen is not done with the Leah siblings. VERDICT High adventure, lots of action, and appealing (if stock) characters make this a comfortable traditional fantasy that will appeal to the many fans of Brooks's Shannara books. The added bonus is that this is a good place for new readers to jump into the author's world, as it includes plenty of nods to earlier books while remaining a stand-alone story.

Hundreds of years after the war against demonkind in the Dark Legacy of Shannara series, Paxon Leah and his sister, Chrysallin, are the last living descendants of the magical Ohmsford family, and they apparently possess no magic themselves. This lack doesn't stop the sorcerer Arcannen from kidnapping Chrys. When Paxon, wielding the ancient Sword of Leah, accidentally manifests powerful magic while rescuing her, he attracts the attention of the High Druid, the aged Aphenglow Elessedil, who offers him a place as a knight-errant serving the Druids. After vast world-spanning epics filled with quests and armies, Brooks tries his hand at a more personal story, first with Paxon's training and then his rushing off when the ambitious Arcannen takes Chrys a second time. The intriguing premise veers into old and familiar patterns, though, such as Arcannen's desire to conquer or destroy the Druid order, and includes a thin mystery about the disappearance of Druid artifacts. Brooks fans will find this an especially diluted series opener after the powerful Dark Legacy trilogy. (Mar.)