Five years have passed for John Ross, Knight of the Word. Five years since he aided Nest Freemark in her fight against the Demon. Five years can change a man...

For Ross, it has been five years of dreams of the future. A future where the Void has brought terrible suffering on the world and the demons have slain thousands. But, these dreams are part of what it means to be A Knight of the Word. The dreams lead a Knight on his quest against the Void. They are the burden that a Knight bears in return for the powers the Word grants its champions. For Ross, the burden becomes too great and he turns his back on the Word and tosses aside his mantle of champion against the evils of the Void.

A Knight of the Word, Terry Brooks' latest novel and sequel to the bestselling Running With the Demon, takes the idea of a fallen Knight and engrosses the reader in over 300 pages of raw emotion and terror. John Ross is now a tempting target for the Void. The Word knows this and turns to Nest Freemark to make a final attempt to redeem Ross. Nest has become a university student and a world class runner. She is reluctantly drawn back into the world of demons and the terror that breeds.

One of Brooks' great strengths has always been his characterization. This time out, it's no different. It is that depth of character that draws the reader in and plays havoc with emotions. Ross's plight and his loss of faith is well-conceived and chillingly real. So too is Nest's reluctance to get involved in something she would really rather simply choose to ignore.

A Knight of the Word also makes some bold statements on the general state of today's society. Brooks draws on many of today's more contentious issues in the area of social programs to build a backdrop that makes the novel much more potent and the characters much more vivid.

A Knight of the Word is a sure bet and, in all probability, will be his 15th straight bestseller.

Wayne MacLaurin is a regular SF Site reviewer. More of his opinions are available on our Book Reviews pages.