Ancient Evil threatens the Elves: The ancient tree created by long-lost Elven magic, is dying. When Wil Ohmsford is summoned to guard the Amberle o...
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Dec 17, 2009
Bryce
rated it: 
I notice that everyone's favorite lists are riddled with the literary classics like Great Expectations or modern smartness like Middlesex.
I bet far more people prefer to sit down with some Dean Koonz or a bodice ripper. So I'm going to stand up and say: I like fantasy. I read it. And I think it's good!
I bet far more people prefer to sit down with some Dean Koonz or a bodice ripper. So I'm going to stand up and say: I like fantasy. I read it. And I think it's good!
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Oct 14, 2011
Angie
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I loved this book. I was a bit disappointed at the beginning when I realized that I wouldn't be reading about Shea, Flick, and Balinor, but I quickly became used to Wil and Amberle, and frankly, I found them to be much more believable and relatable characters. Shea and Flick were a bit annoying at times, and the other characters were too close to LoTR characters for me to really get close to them. This book could stand on its own, and it was a good story.
I enjoyed the character devel More...
I enjoyed the character devel More...
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(3 people liked it)
Feb 20, 2008
Amy
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 22, 2008
Lucy
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I don't think you can possibly understand what a formative impact this book had on me.
Picture it: I was nine years old. We were at this massive used book sale, and I was bored silly of all the books at the children's table. I wandered around a bit, and ended up in adult SF/F. And there, like a shining beacon of fascinating glory, was a gorgeous hardcover copy of The Elfstones of Shannara.
Of course I bought it, even though my parents thought I wouldn't understand it. A More...
Picture it: I was nine years old. We were at this massive used book sale, and I was bored silly of all the books at the children's table. I wandered around a bit, and ended up in adult SF/F. And there, like a shining beacon of fascinating glory, was a gorgeous hardcover copy of The Elfstones of Shannara.
Of course I bought it, even though my parents thought I wouldn't understand it. A More...
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Oct 25, 2011
Gaurav
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Terry Brooks’s Shannara Series is my favourite series and my favourite book in that universe would have to be Elfstones of Shannara. It’s hard to describe this world without giving too much away but it has elves, magic-stones, powerful-spirits, demons, trees, epic quests & more. It’s what you expect when you read genre fiction of this nature. I think I enjoyed this particular work more than others in his series (I’ve only read the Sword Trilogy and the Heritage Tetralogy) because of Terry Brooks
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Feb 12, 2011
Leilani
rated it:
This has an extra star for nostalgia's sake. When I was 12, I stumbled across this, my first epic fantasy, and I was hooked. I kept up with the Shannara series for a while, but don't remember much about them other than a sense of diminishing returns. This one, though, I remember really enjoying.
Two decades later I felt the need for a good comforting relaxing read & checked this out. I still enjoy Wil & Amberle's storyline, though the Elf/demon battles were less involving. A couple More...
Two decades later I felt the need for a good comforting relaxing read & checked this out. I still enjoy Wil & Amberle's storyline, though the Elf/demon battles were less involving. A couple More...
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Jan 30, 2011
Melissa
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I liked this book better than I did the first in this fantasy series by Brooks. While it's not necessary to read the first book (this one could stand alone quite easily) I do always recommend reading a series in order just for background information. As a whole, I'd probably rate this particular book about 3 1/2 stars.
Wil Ohmsford has been studying with some gnomish healers when the mysterious Allanon (powerful druid mentioned in first book) comes to disrupt his day and whisk him off More...
Wil Ohmsford has been studying with some gnomish healers when the mysterious Allanon (powerful druid mentioned in first book) comes to disrupt his day and whisk him off More...
Jan 28, 2011
Kelanth, in tenebris lux tua
rated it: 
Visto che si parla di un prossimo film della Warner su questo ciclo (di ben 14 libri!!) e la Mondadori ha appena stampato un volumone che racchiude i primi tre romanzi di questa saga, mi permetto di recensire i primi tre episodi tutti insieme. Prima di tutto spero mi perdonerete se non entrerò specificatamente nelle tre trame delle opere proposte, in quanto questa fu una lettura di tanti anni fa. Posso però esprimere un giudizio globale su questi tre primi libri (Spada - Canzone - Pietre) che pu
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Apr 18, 2010
Breanna
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 07, 2010
Bruno
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Jun 24, 2009
veronica
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Jun 11, 2010
Darth
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A brilliant second novel of the "Shannara" series, in which Brooks really demonstrates his writing talent. Young healer Will Ohmsford possesses the magical Elfstones - and that's why the mysterious Druid Allanon orders him to protect Amberle, an Elven Princess, who is the only hope of her race and the Four Lands against a dark tide of evil demons. The two of them must travel deep into wild lands with the most horrifying demon hot on their heels, while Allanon and the Elven Army try to
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Apr 07, 2011
Tristin
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This is a very interesting book because it has very descriptive writing that pulls you in and want to read more it also makes you feel that your right their in certain parts. I gave this book 5 out of 5 because I think that the author just did everything right in the being able to picture the land scape the characters and their every move. I would recommend this book to anybody who is into fantasy books and adventure books or anybody who want's to try reading different type of book because it h
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Jul 13, 2011
Kandie
rated it:
This is by far the BEST FANTASY READ by Brooks [in my opinion]. I remember reading this in 8th grade [I think] and just being floored. I wrote in in 1992 and 1995 and he wrote 'personal letters' back encouraging me, a young writer. His description and narrative are INSANE and he is the author that made me want to write fantasy. Can't wait for his books to be come movies. I started with this book [unaware of the Sword of Shannara, the first book] and although the first book is good in it's ow
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Nov 25, 2011
Richard
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4 1/2 Stars
Much better than book one. The story is excellent and original. It is set fifty years after the first book and therefore most of those characters have little or no role in this book, Allanon has a major role again, and the Elf king is also in the book. As Shea and Flick were uninteresting characters it's not a loss, although I would liked to have found out what happened to the other characters. The new main characters are very interesting and have excellent development.
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Much better than book one. The story is excellent and original. It is set fifty years after the first book and therefore most of those characters have little or no role in this book, Allanon has a major role again, and the Elf king is also in the book. As Shea and Flick were uninteresting characters it's not a loss, although I would liked to have found out what happened to the other characters. The new main characters are very interesting and have excellent development.
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Dec 30, 2011
Tim
rated it:
Fantasy has always been one of my favorite genres. While my all-time favorite series will always be Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, Terry Brooks (and this book in particular) is a big reason as to why I love fantasy. The Sword of Shannara was a good book. Not excellent, but good. This book, however, is where Brooks really got into his writing groove, in my opinion, and remains his best book to date. I'm not going to give a detailed synopsis of the book, as there are plenty of those already, but I
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Aug 13, 2011
Zack
rated it:
You could say the Sword of Shannara does have a ton in common with Lord of the Rings, but I think the second book in the series definitely moves away from that comparison. The descriptions were much more vivid in this book, which made it easier to get lost in the world of Shannara this time. There were some geographical references that confused me a bit, especially early on, but I ignored them and enjoyed the story anyway. The characters really developed well throughout and I feel like we got
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Jan 30, 2009
Mary Rose
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This is the second in a series my aunt got me for Christmas (see the 1st post), and this book was actually better than the first. The dynamic between the characters was more interesting than the first book. It sort of had the same corny theme about believing in yourself and having self-confidence like the first, but...sometimes I like corny. And I actually didn't see the end coming, which is saying something because I can usually guess an ending. But I assumed Brooks would have a conventional an
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Jun 22, 2010
Shannon
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After giving The Sword of Shannara a break for a few months, I read the next and second book in the series, The Elfstones of Shannara. While I did enjoy this book slightly more than the first one, I still found something lacking. The storyline was fine, but I wanted more from the characters. I wanted them to make me believe they were real. I wanted more from the overall description of events, too. In short, I wanted more from the actual writing!
That being said....
This boo More...
That being said....
This boo More...
Oct 01, 2011
Branwen
rated it:
This book, no... this SERIES is awesome. And yes, I can tell that even after only finishing the second book! *laughs* This book follows Wil and Amberle as they travel into dangers unknown, pursued by an evil demon called the Reaper, in search of the Bloodfire which can save the world from the onslaught of demon hordes. But really, this story is simply about love, adventure, magic, friendship, and the responsibility of honor. This second installment of the Sword of Shannara series has everything
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Apr 28, 2009
Allen
rated it:
Brooks' sophomore effort turned out to be far better than his LotR ripoff book. In this one, young Wil Ohmsford is tasked with protecting a young elven girl on a perilous journey to save the world... yeah, it sounds like most of the Shannara books, but it's tautly written, and the villains are truly menacing. The tiny-elven-force standing against a vast horde of unstoppable evil subplot is a bit more cliche, but never too tiresome. A nice, slightly ambiguous but mostly happy ending. Probably my
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Dec 31, 2010
Jeff
rated it:
Elfstones is a great book. It is amazing to compare the writing with Sword, Brooks' first publishing effort, and see how far he had come in such a short time. The characterization was much better, the dialogue was great, the action was far superior, and the plot was much more interesting. While I could put down Sword and walk away for weeks at a time, only returning to it when I had nothing better to do, I couldn't put Elfstones down. It was entirely engrossing and a great read from beginning to
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Jun 27, 2011
Caitlin
rated it:
This book was a lot better than the first in the series. There weren't as many hiccups in the writing (where the author would break character), and the pace was so so so much better. From the beginning, I wanted to keep reading whenever I had to stop, and the story was entertaining. There could have been more depth to his characters, but having read the first, I have to say that he fleshed out characters in Elfstones a lot more. Overall: a decent read, but not so addictive you couldn't set it do
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Feb 05, 2011
Books-treasureortrash
rated it:
Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes
This story continues several generations after the first book in the trilogy. It is with different characters who are the descendants of the original characters. It is up to Amberle Elessedil, the forsaken Elf and Wil Ohmsford, the healer to find the bloodfire and quicken the seed. They find some unexpected help along the way. On the home front, protecting the Elves is the Elven prince Ander Elessedil and the last of the Druids Allanon.
The More...
This story continues several generations after the first book in the trilogy. It is with different characters who are the descendants of the original characters. It is up to Amberle Elessedil, the forsaken Elf and Wil Ohmsford, the healer to find the bloodfire and quicken the seed. They find some unexpected help along the way. On the home front, protecting the Elves is the Elven prince Ander Elessedil and the last of the Druids Allanon.
The More...
Feb 02, 2012
Matt
rated it:
I listened to this as an audio book. I have a lot to say about this book that is negative and very little that is positive.
First, the negative. The dialog between characters is atrocious. They call each other by their full names (first and last) or their titles. This aspect alone nearly drove me crazy. Why can't the characters act like actual people instead of purely fictional entities? The narrator also insisted on referring to the characters not by their names but by a description More...
First, the negative. The dialog between characters is atrocious. They call each other by their full names (first and last) or their titles. This aspect alone nearly drove me crazy. Why can't the characters act like actual people instead of purely fictional entities? The narrator also insisted on referring to the characters not by their names but by a description More...
May 28, 2011
M
rated it:
This is the book that introduced me to the world of fantasy years ago. I fell in love with the characters. I loved the story. It was a more enjoyable read for me than Sword of Shannara, which I read afterwards.
Admittedly, it is not high-quality literature. It appealed to me as a (then) 12 year old practical newcomer to fantasy fiction...so keep that in mind. Yes, Terry Brooks borrows heavily from the stereotypical fantasy characters--there are elves, dwarves, men, etc...Yes, there's nothi More...
Admittedly, it is not high-quality literature. It appealed to me as a (then) 12 year old practical newcomer to fantasy fiction...so keep that in mind. Yes, Terry Brooks borrows heavily from the stereotypical fantasy characters--there are elves, dwarves, men, etc...Yes, there's nothi More...
Apr 13, 2010
TJ
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Mar 21, 2010
Tom
rated it:
Terry Brooks has created an amazing world in the Shannara series. I have never come across a fantasy series I liked more. (Including Lord of the Rings.)
The first novel, Sword of Shannara is a masterpiece. It makes you cry for more. This sequel, and 2nd in the trilogy, takes place 500 years after the first. This book is as good as the original. Start with Sword of shannara, and follow through these others. If you liked LOR, you can't miss absolutely loving Sword of Shannara!
The first novel, Sword of Shannara is a masterpiece. It makes you cry for more. This sequel, and 2nd in the trilogy, takes place 500 years after the first. This book is as good as the original. Start with Sword of shannara, and follow through these others. If you liked LOR, you can't miss absolutely loving Sword of Shannara!
Dec 05, 2010
Scott
rated it:
Much like Sword of Shannara, this is a seminal fantasy tale that is perfect for young readers. This one is a little darker than Sword of Shannara, but still features a plot similar to what is found in Sword and in Tolkien's trilogy, but with more twists and turns. Well-read adults will likely see the surprise ending coming, but it is nonethless an enjoyable follow-up to The Sword of Shannara, using the same family, a couple generations later.
Aug 01, 2011
This was the novel that started me on Terry Brooks. Given that I'm a horror fan, this novel attracted me right off with the demonic elements. While fantastic, there really isn't suspension of disbelief, unlike some of his other works. The introduction of the 'magic' here is utilized multiple times over in other works of his, and such as the Druid of Shannara to his strength. This is a 'quick', colorful read and excellent storytelling.
