Small Magic: Short Fiction, 1977-2020 

by Terry Brooks

Escape to worlds full of adventure and magic in the first-ever Terry Brooks short-story collection, featuring both new and fan-favorite stories from all three of his major literary worlds: Shannara, Magic Kingdom, and The Word and the Void.

Here are heroes fighting new battles and struggling to conquer the ghosts of the past. Here are quests both small and far reaching; heroism both intimate and vast. Here we learn of Garet Jax’s childhood, see how Allanon first located Shea Ohmsford, and follow an old wing-rider at the end of his life. Here we see Knights of the Word fighting demons within and without, and witness Ben Holiday and his daughter each trying to overcome the unique challenges that Landover offers.

This collection of eleven tales is a must-have addition to the Terry Brooks canon—a delightful way to spend time with favorite characters, and a wonderful reminder of what makes a Brooks story such a timeless classic.

• ISBN10: 0525619968
• ISBN13: 9780525619963
• Publish Date: 2 March 2021 (first published 1 October 2020)
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Out of Print: 16 January 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Del Rey Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 464
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780525619963

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Small Magic is a collection of short fiction by Terry Brooks from 1977 to 2020. Due out 2nd March 2021 from Penguin Random House on their Del Rey imprint, it's 464 pages (print edition) and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

Despite having said himself that he prefers the longer forms and generally finds short fiction more challenging, Terry Brooks writes very very well no matter what he's writing. He's a titan of the speculative fiction genre, and the stories included in this collection are all top-shelf selections and provided me hours of enjoyment.

There are 11 stories included in this collection and they run the gamut - many providing background story for existing characters from his other longer works. The lead story (oddly, to me) was written for an anthology for Poul Anderson's Multiverse anthology, and ties in with Anderson's own iconic "Queen of Air and Darkness" (which is one of my favorite stories of all time and which won the 1972 Hugo). They're all good and varied. The author himself provides introductory notes for each story which are always a lot of fun to read.

Four and a half stars. I would recommend this collection to fans of Terry Brooks and/or fans of classic speculative fiction and fantasy. Four stars. There are several standout stories here and will enthrall fans of the genre.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Small Magic: Short Fiction 1977-2020 will be available on March second.

Terry Brooks is a giant among fantasy authors. Even if you haven’t read any of his works, chances are you recognize the name. He’s most well known for his Shannara books, although I personally like Magic Kingdom for Sale–Sold! the best. When I was given the opportunity to check out his short fiction collection, I jumped at the chance.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it’s Terry Brooks! Some of these stories add a new level to already established worlds and characters. His writing skill is on full display and is fantastic, as usual. It’s been quite a while since I’ve read any of his works, and it was fun to catch up.

On the other hand, some of the story additions were just odd. For example, the very first story was written for an anthology by Poul Anderson called Multiverse. It did not really make a lot of sense to make that the very first story, seeing as it was written for someone else’s anthology collection, and it alienated me a bit. If it was going to be in Small Magic, I personally would have preferred to see it pop up later on, after there had been some short stories that took place in worlds created by Terry Brooks.

My favorite story of the collection featured a cantankerous dragon. While I definitely felt that some stories were much better than others, I feel that most Terry Brooks fans will enjoy the collection, even if only for the sense of nostalgia it provides.

I personally didn’t love it as much as I was expecting, but it wasn’t awful. While Small Magic is worth checking out, I strongly suggest reading some of Terry Brooks’ full length fiction first.

https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2021/02/04/small-magic-short-fiction-1977-2020-by-terry-brooks/