It will come as no surprise to Shannara fans to learn that Brooks again uses his characters like chess pieces, manoeuvring them carefully into their positions. Everyone has a place and there's a place for everyone. What the plot lacks in originality, it more than makes up for with a combination of skillful interpretation and expert pacing. No doubt to the delight of his publisher, Brooks again delivers a satisfying dollop of straightforward, uncomplicated, fantasy. All of those who began the journey are present and accounted for by the end, mostly in ways that make perfect sense. Several times, what is to happen is telegraphed, but that doesn't seem to matter so much. The central plank of Brooks's technique is to make the characters more important than any plot device. Six threads are woven together; Pen's careering rescue mission, Shadea a'Ru's murky politicking, Grianne Ohmsford's flight from the Forbidding, tomboy elf girl Khyber Elessedil's infiltration of Paranor, the inevitable escape from Druid captivity of Pen's parents, and the weary conflict between the Free-Born and the Federation. Last time around, what happened in the Forbidding; a kind of twilight zone for evil faerie folk, was markedly dark and at times bordered on sadism. But for Straken, this element seems to have been toned right down. Mention is made of Grianne Ohmsford's demonic tormentor, but he's never seen. Similarly, the laser weapon introduced in Tanequil is reduced to a brooding threat, perhaps indicating a mid-series rethink by the author.

On the one hand, I found this book to be a fast paced fun read, with a personable cast and masterfully imagineered locations. On the other, I felt that the author was working on economy cycle. Armed with an array of very readable characters, some of whom had real depth, and two enticing new territories within his world, I'd expected more. The remote area known as the Inkrim, where the Tanequil lives, remained largely unexploited, and the deep evil that is surely present in the Forbidding stayed hidden. Ultimately, none of the characters ever deviated from what I'd envisaged, and a lot of potential was, not so much wasted, as restrained. Clearly it was by design of the author. Having said that, it's only a personal perspective, and no one who already enjoys Brooks's work would regret buying Straken. Indeed, it may be that the familiarity and certainties he offers his readers is a major part of what keep them coming back for more.

In summary, I'll draw a parallel with an advert for a wood sealant product in the UK, which features the catchphrase 'It does exactly what it says on the tin.' The same thing is true of Straken, and every other Terry Brooks fantasy novel. The consummate WYSIWYG author, he delivers time and again, just so much and no more.