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Long ago, the wars of the ancient Evil had ruined the world and forced mankind to compete with many other races--gnomes, trolls, dwarfs, and elves. But in peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knew little of such troubles. Then came the giant, forbidding Allanon, possessed of strange Druidic powers, to reveal that the Warlock Lord was plotting to destroy the world.
--Andrew LeCount
The most rewarding aspect to writing for Brooks is “when someone who never read a book reads [one of mine] and says that the experience changed everything and got them reading.” Because of his very engaging, quick-flowing writing style, countless numbers of young people have been introduced to the wonderful world of reading through Brooks’s adventures. The miraculous thing, however, is that these same fans – whether they’re now 20, 30, or 40 years old – still devour each new release like a starving man would a steak dinner. Credit Brooks’s boundless imagination, endearing characters, fresh storylines and underlying complexities for keeping his older, more discerning audience hooked.
Brooks began writing when he was just ten years old, but he did not discover fantasy until much later. As a high school student he jumped from writing science fiction to westerns to adventure to nonfiction, unable to settle on one form. That changed when, at the age of 21, Brooks was introduced to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien provided Brooks with a forum “that would allow him to release onto paper his own ideas about life, love, and the wonder that fills his world," according to his web site.
In 1977, after six trying years, Brooks published novel his first novel, The Sword of Shannara. And quickly it gave him – and his publisher (the newly created Ballantine imprint, Del Rey) – quite a thrill; the fantasy adventure featuring the young Halfling, Shea Ohmsford; the mysterious wizard Allanon; Flick, the trusty companion; and the demonic Warlock Lord, was not only well received -- it was a smash, spending over five months on The New York Times bestseller list. In 1982 Brooks released the follow-up, The Elfstones of Shannara (which Brooks says may be his favorite), to equal success. He closed out the initial trilogy in 1985 with The Wishsong of Shannara, and has since completed two more Shannara sets, The Heritage of Shannara books and the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara books.
As fans of Brooks know, the man doesn’t like to stay put. “I lived in Illinois for the first 42 years of my life, and I told myself when I left in 1986 that I would never live any one place again,” Brooks said. He now spends his time between his homes in Seattle and Hawaii; he and his wife also spend a great deal of time on the road each year connecting with the fans. These same nomadic tendencies are also apparent in his writing. Instead of staying comfortably within his proven, bestselling Shannara series, Terry frequently takes chances, steps outside, and tries something new. His marvelous Landover and Word & Void series are the results. While both are vastly different from Shannara, they are equally compelling. Word & Void – a contemporary, dark urban fantasy series set in a fantasy-touched Illinois – is quite possibly Brooks’s most acclaimed series. The Rocky Mountain News called the series’ first two books (Running with the Demon and The Knight of the Word “two of the finest science fiction/fantasy novels of the 20th century.”
The Sword of Shannara was also the first work of fiction to ever hit The New York Times trade paperback bestseller list. Thanks to a faithful and growing fan base, the books continue to reach the list.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was not Terry's first novelization. He also novelized Steven Spielberg's 1991 movie, Hook.
Brooks’s The Phantom Menace novelization is also not his only connection to George Lucas. Both The Sword of Shannara and the original Star Wars novel, A New Hope, were edited by Judy Lynn del Rey and published in the same year (1977) to blockbuster success.
The Sword of Shannara was initially turned down by DAW Books. Instead, DAW sent Terry to Lester del Rey, who recognized Terry’s blockbuster potential and bought it. And the rest, they say, is history.
Brooks’s influences include: J.R.R. Tolkien, Alexander Dumas, James Fenimore Cooper, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Mallory's Morte d'Arthur.
ONE
"Junk, nothing but junk!" roared Panamon Creel in frustration, kicking once more the pile of worthless metal blades and jewelry that lay on the ground before him. "How could I have been such a fool? I should have seen it right away!"
Shea walked silently to the north end of the clearing, his eyes staring at the faint trail in the forest earth that the crafty Orl Fane had left in his flight northward. He had been so close. He had held the precious Sword in his own hands-only to lose it through an unforgivable failure to recognize the truth. The massive form of Keltset loomed silently beside him, the great bulk bending close to the damp, leaf-strewn ground, the inscrutable face almost next to his own as the strangely gentle eyes studied and searched. Shea turned quietly back to the raging Panamon.
"It wasn't your fault-you had no reason to suspect the truth," he muttered dejectedly. "I should have listened to his raving with a little more wisdom and a little less . . . whatever. I knew the signs to look for and I forgot to keep my eyes open when it counted."
Panamon nodded and shrugged, stroking the carefully trimmed mustache with the point of his piked hand. With a last kick at the discarded implements, he called once to Keltset, and without further discussion the two began quickly to break camp, strapping together the gear and weapons that had been deposited for the night. Shea watched them for a moment, still unable to accept his failure to gain possession of the Sword. Panamon called gruffly to him to lend a hand, and he silently obeyed. He could not face the inevitable aftermath of this most recent setback. Panamon Creel had obviously been pushed as far as he would stand it, chaperoning a foolish and amazingly stupid little Valeman around in the dangerous borderlands of Paranor, searching for some people who might very well turn out to be enemies and for a Sword that only Shea knew anything about, but couldn't recognize when he had it in his own hands. The scarlet highwayman and his giant companion had nearly lost their lives once already over this mysterious Sword and undoubtedly once was more than enough. The Valeman had no choice now except to try to locate his friends. But when he did find them, he would have to confront Allanon and tell him how he had failed-failed them all. He shuddered at the prospect of facing the grim Druid, of feeling those remorseless eyes peer into his most carefully hidden thoughts for the whole truth. It was not going to be pleasant.
He recalled suddenly the strange prophecy related to them in the Valley of Shale on that dark, misted dawn over a week ago. It was the Shade of Bremen who had forewarned of the danger in the forbidding Dragon's Teeth-how one would not see Paranor, how one would not reach the other side of the mountain, yet would be first to lay hands on the Sword of Shannara. It had all been foretold, but Shea had forgotten it in the stress and excitement of the past few days.
The weary Valeman closed his eyes against the world for a few moments and wondered how on earth he could possibly be a part of this incredible puzzle that centered around a war of power with the spirit world and a legendary Sword. He felt so small and helpless that it seemed that the easiest path for him to choose now was to bury himself and pray for a quick end to life. So much depended on him, if Allanon were to be believed, and from the beginning he had been completely inadequate to the task. He had been unable to do anything for himself, depending on the strength of other men to get him this far. How much had they all sacrificed for him so that he might lay hands on the magic Sword. Yet when he had it in his grasp . . .
"I've decided. We're going after him."
Panamon Creel's deep voice cut through the quiet of the little clearing like the sharp crack of an iron blade through dry wood. Shea stared at the broad, unsmiling face in astonishment.
"You mean . . . into the Northland?"
The scarlet thief shot him one of those angry looks that dismissed the Valeman as an idiot incapable of understanding sane men.
"He made a fool out of me. I'd rather cut my own throat than let the little rat get away from me now. When I get my hands on him this time, I'll leave him for the worms to chew on."
The handsome face was emotionless, but there was undisguisable hatred in the menacing tone of voice that cut through to the bone. This was the other side of Panamon-the cold professional who had ruthlessly destroyed an entire encampment of Gnomes and later stood in battle against the incomparable power of the Skull Bearer. He wasn't doing this for Shea or even to gain possession of the Sword of Shannara. This was strictly a matter of his injured pride and desire for revenge on the unfortunate creature who had dared to bruise it. Shea glanced quickly at the motionless Keltset, but the giant Rock Troll gave no indication of either approval or disapproval; the barklike face was blank, the deep-set eyes expressionless. Panamon laughed sharply, taking a few quick strides toward the hesitant Valeman.
"Think on this, Shea. Our Gnome friend has made matters so much more simple by revealing the exact location of the Sword you have been searching so long to find. Now you don't have to search for it-we know where it is."
Shea nodded in silent agreement, still wary of the adventurer's true motives. "Do we have a chance of catching up with him?"
"That's more like it-that's the spirit we need." Panamon grinned at him, his face a mask of confidence. "Of course we can catch up with him-it's merely a matter of time. The difficulty will be if someone else catches up with him first. Keltset knows the Northland as well as anyone alive. The Gnome will not be able to hide from us. He will have to run, run, and keep running, because he has no one to turn to, not even his own people. It's impossible to know exactly how he stumbled onto the Sword, or even how he surmised its value, but I do know I was not mistaken about his being a deserter and a scavenger."
"He could have been a member of the band of Gnomes transporting the Sword to the Warlock Lord-or perhaps even a prisoner?" Shea suggested thoughtfully.
"More probably the latter," the other agreed, hesitating as if trying to recall something, staring northward into the gray mistiness of the forest morning. The sun had already cleared the horizon of the eastern edge of the world, its fresh light bright and warm, seeping slowly into the darkened corners of the forestland. But the mist of early morning had not yet cleared, leaving the three companions shrouded in a hazy mixture of sunlight and dying night. The sky to the north appeared unaccountably dark and forbidding even for early morning, causing the normally verbose Panamon to stare wordlessly at this curious blackness for several long minutes. Finally he turned back to them, his face clouded with doubt.
"Something strange is going on to the north. Keltset, let's move out now-find that Gnome before he has a chance to stumble onto a patrol of hunters. I don't want to share his final moments in this world with anyone!"
The giant Rock Troll moved into the lead in quick, easy strides, his head lowered slightly as he searched the ground before him, picking out the signs left by the fleeing Orl Fane. Panamon and Shea followed close behind in silent concentration. The trail of their quarry was readily apparent to the keen eyes of Keltset. He turned back to them and made a short signal with one hand, which Panamon translated for the curious Shea to mean that the Gnome was running hard and fast, not bothering to hide his footsteps, and had evidently decided on his eventual destination.
Shea began to speculate in his own mind where the wily little fellow would run. With the Sword in his possession, he might be able to redeem himself in the eyes of his own people by turning it over to them for presentation to the Warlock Lord. But Orl Fane had appeared highly irrational in his behavior while he was their prisoner, and Shea felt certain that the Gnome had not been faking. He had rambled on as if the victim of a madness he could only partially control, speaking in garbled sentences that had in a jumbled fashion revealed the truth concerning the whereabouts of the Sword. If Shea had thought the matter through a little more carefully, he would have seen it-he would have known that Orl Fane had the coveted talisman with him. No, the Gnome had crossed the mental barrier between sanity and madness, and his actions would not be entirely predictable. He would run from them, but to whom would he run?
"I remember now." Panamon broke into his thoughts as they continued to make their way back toward the Plains of Streleheim. "That winged creature insisted that we had possession of the Sword when it confronted us yesterday. It kept telling us that it could sense the presence of the Sword-and so it could, because Orl Fane was concealed in the brush with the weapon hidden in his sack."
Shea nodded quietly, recalling the incident bitterly. The Skull Bearer had unwittingly tipped them off that the precious Sword was in the area, but they had failed to notice this important clue in the heat and fury of their battle to survive. Panamon continued to ramble on in barely concealed fury, threatening to dispose of Orl Fane when they caught up with him in a number of extremely unpleasant ways. Then abruptly the fringes of the forest broke away, opening into the vast expanse of the Plains of Streleheim.
In astonishment, the three halted together, their disbelieving eyes fixed on the awesome spectacle that loomed directly to the north-a huge, unbroken wall of blackness, towering skyward until it vanished into the infinity of space, stretching along the horizon to encircle the entire Northland. It was as if the Skull King had bound the ancient land in the shroud of darkness that lay upon the spirit world. It was more than the blackness of a clouded night. It was a heavy mistiness that rolled and swirled in deepening shades of gray as it ran northward toward the heart of the Skull Kingdom. It was the most terrifying sight that Shea had ever witnessed. His initial fear was heightened twice over by a sudden, unexplainable certainty in his mind that this huge wall was crawling slowly southward, blanketing the entire world. It meant that the Warlock Lord was coming. . . .
"What in heaven's name is that . . . ?" Panamon trailed off into stunned silence.
Shea shook his head absently. There could be no answer to that question. This was something beyond the understanding of mortal man. The three stood looking at the massive wall for several long moments, as if waiting for something more to happen. Finally, Keltset stooped to peer carefully at the hard grassland before them, moving forward several yards at a time until he was some distance away. Then he rose and pointed directly into the center of the ominous black haze. Panamon started, his face frozen.
"The Gnome is running directly into that stuff," he muttered angrily. "If we do not catch him before he reaches it, the darkness will hide his trail completely. We will have lost him."
Several miles ahead, on the graying fringes of the blackened wall of mist and haze, the small, bent form of Orl Fane hesitated momentarily in its exhausting flight as the greenish eyes peered fearfully, uncomprehendingly into the swirling darkness. The Gnome had been moving northward since his escape from the three strangers during the early hours of the morning, running while his strength held out, then pushing forward in a shuffling trot, always with one eye straying back, waiting for the inevitable pursuit. His mind no longer functioned in a rational manner; for several weeks he had lived on instinct and luck, preying off the dead, avoiding the living. He could not force himself to think of anything beyond survival, a gut instinct to live another day among those who did not want him, would not accept him as one of their own. Even his own people had turned him away, scorning him as a creature lower than the insects that crawled the earth at their feet. It was a savage land that surrounded him-a land in which one could not survive alone for very long. Yet he was alone, and the mind that had once been sane had slowly turned inward on itself, shutting away the fears that were imbedded there until madness began to take hold and all reason began to die.
Yet the inevitable death did not come easily, as fate intervened with twisted humor and favored the outcast with a final glimmer of false hope, placing in his hands the means by which to regain the seemingly unattainable warmth of human companionship once more. While still a scavenger, still fighting a losing battle to stay alive, the desperate Gnome had learned of the presence of the legendary Sword of Shannara, its awesome secret gasped in faint warning from the rigid lips of one dying on the Streleheim Plains, the blinded eyes failing as the life thread snapped. Then the Sword was in his grasp-the key to power over mortal men in the hands of Orl Fane.
But the madness lingered, the fears and doubts wrenching ceaselessly at his failing reason as he pondered a course of action. This fatal hesitation resulted in the Gnome's capture and the loss of the coveted Sword-the lifeline back to his own kind. Reason gave way to despair and raving, and the already badly unbalanced mind collapsed. There was room now for only one burning, haunting thought-the Sword must be his or his life was over. He boasted irrationally to his unsuspecting captors that the Sword was his, that only he knew where it could be found, unwittingly betraying his last chance to keep possession. But the strangers failed to read between the lines, dismissing him too hastily as merely crazed. Then came the escape, the seizure of the Sword, and the flight northward.
He paused now, staring blankly at the mysterious wall of blackness that barred his way northward. Yes, northward, northward, he mused, smiling crookedly, the eyes widening madly. There lay safety and redemption for an outcast. Deep within, he could feel an almost uncanny desire to run back the way he had come. But the thought remained locked inescapably in his mind that his salvation lay in the Northland alone. It was there that he would find . . . the Master. The Warlock Lord. His gaze dropped momentarily to the ancient blade strapped tightly to his waist, its length dragging clumsily in the dirt behind him. The gnarled yellow hands strayed briefly down over the carved handle, touching the engraved hand raised high with burning torch, the gilt paint already flecking off in chips to reveal the burnished hilt beneath. He clutched the handle tightly, as if trying to draw his own strength from its sturdy grip. Fools! Fools all, that had not treated him with the respect he should command.
Continues...
Excerpted from The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks Copyright © 1996 by Terry Brooks. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Anonymous
Posted May 28, 2008
I had to force my way through this entire book. A lot of reviews said this book was a good read, but it was horrible. And yes I did finish it just so I could rightfully write this review. The main character Shea had no personality at all. You should feel some sort of emotion for the main character as you read the book. You should hope they win or lose. But the main character had no feelings toward anything that was happening in the book. If the main character doesn't care what happens then why should I? Setting, Characters, and Plot were just like Lord of the Ring trilogy, only not as well written. It was like reading Lord of the Rings again only this time I didn't enjoy it. I really suggest that you chose a different book for a fun read, but it is really your choice.
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Merickel-books
Posted May 6, 2011
Some people write off this series because of this book and they are truly missing out because this is one of the best series ever written. The complaint is that this book is too similar to the Lord of the Rings, and the truth is that, well it is ON PURPOSE. Terry Brooks was actually friends with Tolkien and this book was originally written personally for Tolkien as a gift. Tolkien liked it so much that he convinced Brooks to publish it. Despite the similarities the book is able to stand on it's own and the series is completely original.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 19, 2007
This is the worst fantasy i've ever read. I had to read it for school, and i almost cried. The book drags on and on and on. This is a HUGE tolkien rip off. Many settings can be compared with settings from the lord of the rings, and the plot has little originality. Not that high detail is a bad thing, but you need to leave some things to the imagination. A waste of time, all in all.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 1, 2002
This is one of the best books that I have ever read. Full of action and adventure. If you like J.R.R. Tolkiens books, you will like this.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 17, 2001
This book is pleasant, and at times compelling. The power of the Sword of Shannara was imaginative. There is a nice air of fantasy. The mechanics of Brooks' writing, however, are somewhat amateur. I found his description, while occasionally imaginative, to be a little mundane and comically repetitive. Everyone's face is 'impassive' and Allanon's expression is always a 'mocking grin'. It becomes very silly after a while. The elfstones were a bit of the 'Deus ex Machina' - able to solve just about any problem. Another annoying characteristic of his writing is that, as soon as a character becomes totally despondent and hopeless about a situation, that situation resolves and they triumph despite their doubts. After this happens about twenty times, it becomes very predictable. Also, his tactic of breaking chapters into cliffhangers is a weak attempt at infusing unpredictability into this novel. Nevertheless, a good book for younger kids. Some good values such as loyalty and companionship are expressed.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 29, 2012
This book isnot even worth your time i had to read it for school and thought i would never get through. I hated it, dont waste your money or time. It doesnt even deserve one star.
Anonymous
Posted December 27, 2011
This was a beautiful book and I would recomend it to any big fantisy fan!
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Posted December 1, 2011
I Also Recommend:
This book tells the story of a man named Shea Omshford, who is a half human, half elf. In the story he is visited by a mysterious man named Allanon. He is told that he is the last of a royal bloodline, and the only person in the land who can use the power of a legendary sword. This sword is the only thing that can defeat the evil warlock lord before his army of gnomes and trolls take over the entire earth. Then he and a small group of fighters go on a quest to steal the sword from the warlock lord and defeat him. The characters have to overcome fears and conflicts between them, and gain friends while avoiding enemies. My favorite part of the book was the battle near the end, which was cleverly laid out and thrilling, with surprises everywhere. One problem I found with the book was that it had a huge similarity to lord of the rings, with almost exactly the same plot, except replacing the characters and settings. Despite that, this book is one of my recommendations, because it is challenging and exiting, I found it very hard to put down and am looking forward to reading the sequel. I would also recommend books like 'The Dragons Nine Sons' which may be the best book I ever read, with the plot going down a helter-skelter of crime, redemption, revenge, treachery, horror, and death. Also, another brilliant book would have to be 'Watership Down', as a wonderful classic tale of rabbits trying to find a new home and peace between themselves. 'The Sword of Shanara' gets my overall rating of 8/10 because it has great truths and original characters.
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Posted November 30, 2011
I kinda dig this
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Ruthey01
Posted October 26, 2011
I love these books. I started reading the Shannara books in 1990. I liked the continuity of following Shea's family through the generations. Some people may find it repetitive on the theme, but when you consider that once evil gets entrenched it is hard to get rid of, and that it takes different forms, the story makes sense. It is not several stories but one, that spans decades, eons in Bremen's and Allanon's case.
Terry Brooks is a master story teller!!!
CalypsoBella
Posted September 18, 2011
I read this first as a teen and loved it, thought it was the best fantasy ever written. It got me started on his other books. I reread it as an adult last year and had to skim it. The cliches, the poor writing, the unbelievable plot elements got on my nerves. Thankfully Mr Brooks' writing skills have improved over the years with his experience. Now the only thing to get on my nerves is the constant "I just saved the lives of x number of people with my magic. I must never use it again! I hate it!"
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Posted May 23, 2011
I quickly found myself unable to put the book down. A story worth reading more then once. Only one question? When are they making these epic stories into movies? Thanks you TerryBrooks for the countless hours of adventure.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 13, 2011
This is one of my favorite books EVER! I have read it multiple times and still love it. I recommend this to anyone who wants to read fantasy fiction
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Posted February 2, 2011
I remember owning a copy of this book when I was younger however I don't ever remember reading it. Downloaded it to my Nook recently, and could not put it down. Brooks tells a wonderful story, a classic tale of good versus evil. Some say that the story is a rehash of many fantasy novels I must disagree. Brooks paints a vivid image, looking forward to reading the nect book in the trilogy (already downloaded).
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Long live the true start of a magical view of our world.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Tylerspider
Posted November 6, 2010
I finally decided to check this book out after many years of hearing how great it was from my siblings. Please note that neither sibling has ever read Lord of the Rings, so I can honestly see how they found this book enjoyable. However, having read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy prior to reading this book, I was left with a sense of déjà vu.over.and over.and over again. Yes, it was that repetitious. Out of 726 pages, only around 200 of them were remotely original. I will say, though, that the 200 pages that weren't complete Lord of the Rings re-hash were quite enjoyable. Its just a shame that it took almost 500 pages of monotony to get to this brief moment of entertaining literature. Almost more upsetting is the fact that the book's ending was looking to be a great one.however it took a turn for the worst and ended up disappointing just like the first 500 pages of the book. Spoiler ahead: When the main protagonist of the book was able to kill the all powerful antagonist in barely over 5 pages, I seriously wanted to put the book down and never pick it up again. If I wasn't less than 25 pages away from the end, I would have. Seriously, this enemy had the world kneeling at his feet.yet the hero, a stereotypical country boy, was able to slay him within ten minutes of meeting him?! REALLY?! So, to give you an idea of how quickly this all happened, within approximately 30 pages the book goes from all is lost, to all is won, to violent earthquakes, to blissful living for everyone. I would have really liked to see this "climax" be a bit more drawn out, more dramatic and less like the rushed let down it was. Although harsh, the above assessment is my honest opinion. I know it sounds like I completely hated this book, and approximately 525 pages of it I did. However, there were some brief shining moments within these burdensome pages that I very much enjoyed. Thus a 3 out of 5 stars is a reasonable.almost too reasonable assessment of The Sword of Shannara.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 4, 2010
Some years ago I heard mention of SWORD OF SHANNARA and that it was very similar to LORD OF THE RINGS. That prompted me not to read it, since it sounded like a rip-off. Then I realized that being similar to LOTR means it's a great read, so I gave it a shot. I'm glad i did--SWORD OF SHANNARA *is* a great book. It was like rereading the great LOTR while reading something new; all the rest of the books in the series are original. And also great. (Note: SHANNARA is pronounced SHAN-uh-ruh.) Sometimes characters in different books seem very similar, but, to me, they fit just fine into the storyline (after all, in how many *different* ways can someone be proficient with a knife or a sword?). And ELFSTONES OF SHANNARA and STRAKEN have endings that blew me away. Some readers have commented on the times that Brooks repeats previous storylines. These are just one paragraph long and occur only when a new character is encountered and is being brought up to speed on previous events. Also, I think a couple of times the recap refers to events that happened several books earlier, so the recap is even helpful to the reader. I'll just put in my two cents' worth as to the reading order, which is neither chronological nor date published. The books should be read as follows (no spoilers): the original trilogy: SWORD OF SHANNARA (first one written) ELFSTONES OF SHANNARA WISHSONG OF SHANNARA FIRST KING OF SHANNARA book (prequel to SWORD) HERITAGE OF SHANNARA quadrology VOYAGE OF THE JERLE SHANNARA trilogy HIGH DRUID OF SHANNARA trilogy WORD AND VOID trilogy (these books are all urban thrillers) GENESIS OF SHANNARA (these books are post-apocalyptic stories; a new book in this series has just come out, and another one is due out next year) This is the order where, I think, the overall Shannara storyline(s) flow most logically and without interruption. Some comments on WORD AND VOID. Each of the books builds to a climax that is both incredibly amazing and amazingly incredible. However, the bulk of each book was mostly uninteresting filler and just dragged on. Also, as noted above, these are urban thrillers, so they don't take place in the customary medieval setting associated with epic fantasy. I gladly give five stars to the Shannara series proper.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Having read the original book in high school, this is one of the books that inspired my love of fantasy. A definite reread over the years. Also enjoy perusing the illustrations.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I truly can't understand the popularity of this book. I heard it was reminiscent of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings--it's far *too* reminiscent, not simply in the Tolkien tradition or type of heroic quest, but with plots and places and characters that are immediately recognizable: Dark Lord, quest involving a magical object, fellowship in the quest that includes a dwarf, elves, a wizard, two princes, two ordinary boys from a Shire-like home... Except that Brook's tome is much more shallow, resembling a video game in plot and with characters that compared to their counterparts in Tolkien feel stock.
And well, my apologies to Tolkien for ever thinking he slighted female characters--part of what kept me reading was wondering if a female character would show up (besides a singing "siren" in a brief scene--someone with a name and dialogue). It took over 400 pages--and she's a weak, minor character, a damsel in distress, and besides that siren the *only* female character in a book of over 700 pages. Tolkien did better than that. Books set in sailing ships at sea and monasteries and all male prisons usually do better than that.
Then there's the style. Tolkien had some powerful writing and quotable lines--all I noted of Brooks was how many writing defects (truly terribly executed sloppy omniscient) I could check off in my mind. Awful, clunky style. If I had a dollar for every time a character or characters did something "in amazement" I could buy the whole series. I won't though. This will be my last Terry Brooks.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 25, 2010
An enjoyable read, but you could tell this was Terry Brook's first book. His characters, while interesting, did not have a lot of depth. I almost did not pick up the 2nd and 3rd books in this series, but am glad I did! Mr Brooks has really picked up the pace and spent more time developing his characters...can't wait to read his next series.
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Overview
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Terry Brooks's The Measure of the Magic.Living in peaceful Shady Vale, Shea Ohmsford knew little of the troubles that plagued the rest of the world. Then the giant, forbidding Allanon revaled that the supposedly dead Warlock Lord was plotting to destory the world. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness was the Sword of Shannara, which could only be used by a true heir of Shannara--Shea being the last of the bloodline, upon whom all hope rested. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flew into the Vale, seeking to destroy Shea. To save the Vale, Shea fled, ...