Wards of Faerie is the first book in the The Dark Legacy of Shannara trilogy. It was published on August 21, 2012. Wards of Faerie takes place around a hundred years after Straken. The book focuses on a chance mention of where the long-lost Elfstones may be, and a dangerous expedition to go and retrieve them.
Plot Summary
The Druid Council under Khyber Elessedil as Ard Rhys has been working hard with very few members but a lot of distrust from everywhere else in the Four Lands. At the beginning of the story, there were only five other druids besides the Ard Rhys: the female dwarf Seersha, the male humans Carrick and Bombax, and the female elves Aphenglow Elessedil and Pleysia Ariana. Paranor was also home to Trolls who served as guards and Woostra, personal secretary and keeper of Druid records. Rendellin, another Druid, had been missing for two years.
While the Ard Rhys was in Druid sleep, Aphenglow was on a mission to research the archives of Elven history in Arborlon for clues to any Magic that had been lost. She stumbled across a diary written thousands of years before by the elven girl Aleia Omarosian, who turned out to be daughter of the then Elven rulers Meresch and Pathke Omarosian.
In the diary, Aphen read that not only did Aleia violate a taboo by falling in love with a Darkling boy who was assigned to spy on Arborlon, she also revealed the existence of the Elfstones to him. At that time, the Elves and the Darklings had been at war with each other for centuries. The Darkling boy stole the Elfstones except for the Blue Elfstones, which he left behind to get her to seek him. The diary ended with Aleia writing she found a way to redeem her mistakes.
Aphen managed to smuggle the diary out of Arborlon back to Paranor despite being attacked by unknown assailants. The Druid Council convened and Khyber decided to visit the shades of the departed Druids for advice. Allanon appeared and warned her of the danger and disappointment that would come. He was also adamant that the quest by include an Ohmsford.
A decision was reached for Aphen to return to Paranor to seek the use of the Blue Elfstones to seek out the location of the other Elfstones. The other Druids were to seek other people with other skills who can contribute to the quest.
The Elven king Emperowen Elessedil got around the anticipated opposition from other Elves by agreeing to allow Aphen to use the Elfstones only within Arborlon.
Main Characters
- Aphenglow Elessedil
- Arlingfant Elessedil
- Bombax
- Cymrian
- Drust Chazhul
- Khyber Elessedil
- Railing Ohmsford
- Redden Ohmsford
- Stoon
Minor Characters
- Afrengill Elessedil
- Allanon
- Aleia Omarosian
- Carrick
- Charis
- Cinla
- Crace Coram
- Deek Trink
- Edinja Orle
- Ellich Elessedil
- Emperowen Elessedil
- Farshaun Req
- Garroneck
- Jera Elessedil
- Krolling
- Oriantha
- Phaedon Elessedil
- Pleysia Ariana
- Sarys Ohmsford
- Seersha
- Skint
- Speakman
- Woostra