Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Sword of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy #1)

by Terry Brooks (Goodreads Author)

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 30,030 ratings · 1,337 reviews

Long ago, the wars of the ancient Evil ruined the world. In peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knows little of such troubles. But the supposedly dead Warlock Lord is plotting to destroy everything in his wake. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness is the Sword of Shannara, which can be used only by a true heir of Shannara. On Shea, last of the bloodline...more

Mass Market Paperback, 726 pages

Published July 12th 1983 by Del Rey Fantasy (first published 1977)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1) by J.R.R. Tolkien

Magical Lands

15th out of 88 books — 21 voters

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Fantasy You Have Read More Than Once

53rd out of 176 books — 52 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 25, 2012 Stephen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, fantasy, tolkienesque, 1970-1979, kings-and-queens, audiobook, shame-on-you

Man did that ever SUCK. And not your garden-variety, ham-fisted hackiness kind of suck. No, this was dumbfounded, frustrated bitterness swelling into white heat for which the only salve is the venting of my smoking, bile-filled vitriol in the form of this ~~juvenile tantrum~~ scathing rebuke of Brooks’ abominable, turd-like abortion of appalling plot-stealing gall.…Therefore listen to Baby Rage above and take cover…*inhales deeply and launches*…
.
.
.

PLOT SUMMARY:

A shitty, lifeless point for point ri...more

like 153 likes · see review

Aug 18, 2008 Susanne rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one... maybe Tolkien fans who DON'T mind a re-telling

Recommended to Susanne by: amazon. buggers.

If The Sword of Shannara was a film, it would go like this:

Mirkwood Productions proudly presents:

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE SWORD

Directed by Meriadoc Brandybuck. Director of Photography: Celeborn. Costume Design: Arwen Evenstar. Visual Effects: Saruman the White. Sound Design: Noldor Unlimited. Starring Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Gandalf the Grey, Sauron the Necromancer, Aragorn Arathornsson, Gimli van Gloin, and many more!

Synapsis

The Ohmsford brothers Shea (BAGGINS) and Flick (GAMGEE) live a pea...more If The Sword of Shannara was a film, it would go like this:

Mirkwood Productions proudly presents:

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE SWORD

Directed by Meriadoc Brandybuck. Director of Photography: Celeborn. Costume Design: Arwen Evenstar. Visual Effects: Saruman the White. Sound Design: Noldor Unlimited. Starring Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Gandalf the Grey, Sauron the Necromancer, Aragorn Arathornsson, Gimli van Gloin, and many more!

Synapsis

The Ohmsford brothers Shea (BAGGINS) and Flick (GAMGEE) live a peaceful and simple life in the Vale (SHIRE), helping their father (HAMFAST GAMGEE) run the family inn, when one day a mysterious stranger arrives in the Vale. His name is Allanon (GANDALF THE WHITE) and he has a dark and disturbing tale to tell: The Warlock Lord (an exceptional performance by the DARK LORD) has risen again. He knows that the ancient Sword of Shannara, currently being protected by the Druids in Paranor (GONDOR), is the only weapon that can permantly destroy him if wielded by a descendant of the House of Shannara. Allanon reveals to Shea that he is, in fact, part elf and carries the bloodline of Shannara. His life is in danger and he must flee the Vale at once. Allanon tells him to meet him the dwarf city of Culhaven (RIVENDELL) as soon as possible and disappears.

Hesitant to believe Allanon's tale at first, the brothers decide to wait and see if part of the stranger's story is true – that the servants of the Warlock Lord are looking for Shea. They bear a Skull Mark ™ . One night, Shea and Flick witness one of the Skull Bearers (NAZGUL) in the village and flee instantly. They must get to Culhaven somehow and decide to seek the help of their friend Menion Leah (HALDIR). Their journey takes them through the Black Oaks forest and past the Misty Marsh where they are attacked by and narrowly escape a Mist Wraith (our very own WATCHER IN THE WATER has come out of retirement to appear in this film) before they finally arrive safe and sound in Culhaven, where they meet Balinor Buckhannah (ARAGORN) and Hendel the dwarf (VAN GLOIN). A council of the Races is held under the direction of Allanon, and it is decided that a small party (FELLOWSHIP ™) must journey north and rescue the Sword of Shannara from the army of Goblins that has captured it in a raid of Paranor. etc, ad naus.

I threw this first against the wall and then away. There's only so much derivation a woman can take...

(less)

like 94 likes · see review

Sep 17, 2007 Lorena rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

A friend who was also into fantasy insisted I read this series, and I got as far as the first three books before I stopped believing him when he told me they were magical and wonderful and would get better and better. As far as I can tell, they all have the exact same plot. Mysterious Wizard shows up at home of person. Tells person he is Chosen for an Important Quest. What follows is chapter after chapter of "I don't WANNA go on a Quest!" "You MUST go on a Quest!" Seriously, I know the reluctant...more

like 43 likes · see review

Mar 31, 2009 Kat Hooper rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

The Sword of Shannara was a very popular book back in the 70s right after the huge success of The Lord of the Rings when everyone wanted to read more fantasy. I wasn't old enough to read it back then, so I came to it much later. I read part of the first book and, knowing how popular it had been, and feeling like it was a classic, I was prepared to enjoy it. About half way through I gave it to my ten year old son.

The weird thing is, it's so like The Lord of...more

like 29 likes · see review

Apr 21, 2011 mark monday rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantastickal

this is perhaps my first experience with a Bad Book. young nerds like myself shouldn't have to scorn fantasy literature, but this wet piece of crapola put me off of fantasy for years. something this derivative should never have seen the light of day. i don't care if folks needed a tolkien fix, there were other, better literary drugs out there they could have turned to. Brooks spends a very long time blowing tolkien style, but it is an extremely un-relaxing bj and i found myself getting agitated...more

like 26 likes · see review

May 14, 2007 Eric rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People that want to read the Cliffnotes version of LOTR

Recommended to Eric by: Brendan Konrad

Shelves: fantasy

Terry Brooks is my friend's favorite fantasy author, and he gave me the entire set of Shannara books a while ago. Respecting his literary opinion, I read the first.

WARNING: IT IS AN EXACT COPY OF THE PLOT OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

And Brooks is no J.R.R. Tolkien. That aside, it is an okay read. The storytelling isn't bad, and the story becomes slightly more original as it goes along. I actually finished it, so it can't be terrible, but it gets two stars for its absolute lack of originality.

like 8 likes · see review

Jun 23, 2008 Seizure Romero rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sf-fantasy, overblown, halcyon-days

Read this when I was a wee lad, still high on an epic fantasy called The Lord of the Rings (you may have heard of it). I was hoping for more of the same, which is precisely what I got-- the EXACT same, at least plot-wise. Unfortunately, Brooks was unable to imitate Tolkien's style and storytelling ability. I've heard that his writing has gotten better, but this experience pretty much put me off him for good. I was twelve, fer chrissake. That stuff stays with you. And when a twelve-year-old fanta...more

like 8 likes · see review

May 11, 2012 Zarakoda rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read "The Sword of Shannara" because one of my friends claimed it was a terrible piece, whereas the other called it her favorite novel. Such contrast always intrigues me, so I picked up the book and read it to determine my own point of view.

It was a wasted read. 728 pages of wasted time.

Realize I never say that about books. Even many I dislike, I say it was still worth reading for the experience. However, I got absolutely nothing out of "The Sword of Shannara". The writing was terrible in both...more I read "The Sword of Shannara" because one of my friends claimed it was a terrible piece, whereas the other called it her favorite novel. Such contrast always intrigues me, so I picked up the book and read it to determine my own point of view.

It was a wasted read. 728 pages of wasted time.

Realize I never say that about books. Even many I dislike, I say it was still worth reading for the experience. However, I got absolutely nothing out of "The Sword of Shannara". The writing was terrible in both content and style. Characters were extremely flat and the landscape of the fantasy was uninteresting. Furthermore, I found the novel highly unoriginal, leaning heavily on "The Fellowship of the Ring" and its sequels. For both Lord of the Rings and the mimicking "Sword of Shannara", the plot consists as follows:

The protagonist and his loyal brother flee a small, pacifist community after being warned by a wise, mysterious immortal figure that they are being chased by evil spirit beings. They take temporary shelter in a beautiful city, where a council is held to determine how to defeat an extraordinary evil that is being reawakened. A small company of influential people decides to travel on a quest that relies on an ancient relic of mystical powers. Their journey is wrought with peril as they travel over mountains and in tombs. The protagonist becomes separated from the main group. The remaining people of the company divide themselves further in order to search for a captive friend, warn bordering human territories of an approaching force, and try to get more information about the plans of the leading evil being. Meanwhile, the protagonist travels with companion(s) and a groveling guide who claims to know how to reach their valued destination. The guide ends up betraying them and tries to take the relic for himself. Meanwhile, thousands of people must flee their homes and take shelter in a fortresss that soon will be besieged by the enemy. The people are greatly outnumbered by the enemy and seek help from other sources. However, the current ruler of one city is being influenced by an evil figure and will not help them. There is a struggle between brothers about who is worthy of ruling. The evil influence is removed from power and killed, the men receive back-up from other places just in time, and the protagonist defeats the great evil during the climax of the battle.

True, "The Sword of Shannara" becomes slightly more original and interesting in the last few hundred pages of the novel... but it was not enough to erase away the crimes of the majority of the book. They were no more attention-grabbing than the rest of the novel. Even ignoring the book's undeniable parallels to Tolkien's work, "The Sword of Shannara" still is a poorly-written volume that lamely repeats the same message of many typical fantasy novels. It was difficult for me to read through the entire book, and it is a wonder I did.

I will definitely have to side with my friend who warned me it was not a book worth reading. Even for those unexperienced in the realm of fantasy, I can think of millions of other books that would better introduce them to the genre.(less)

like 4 likes · see review

May 10, 2007 Christian Walden rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you are comparing the literary value of science fiction books, I think it is best to use food as an example. Terry Brooks can be viewed as a really good bacon cheeseburger (fake meat for you veggies), it is really good and fun to eat, makes you feel full, however it is often sloppily put together in a hurried fashion, without much effort and does not give your body true fulfillment.

While Tolkien on the other hand, or C.S. Lewis, are like well planned home cooked meals, with each food group r...more

like 14 likes · see review

Jun 25, 2007 Peter rated it 1 of 5 stars

Easily one of the worst novels I've read since graduating college. It's difficult for me to fathom how this novel could have inspired so many sequels, except that I think a healthy fraction of Brooks' readership is under 18 and doesn't know any better. Hyperbolic descriptive language presents a blatantly cloned Middle Earth quest full of elves, halflings, and humans swinging swords and wielding magic to try and save the world. When the book was first published (1977, if I recall) fantasy choices...more

like 7 likes · see review

Aug 27, 2007 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fantasy lovers

Shelves: haveread

This book threw me head first into the fantasy genre. And i don't mean sci-fi but the magic, elves and dragon genre. It was in our house, no one will admit to who's book it was, but I was reading everything and anything in the house at that time and absolutely LOVED this book. It's your typical fantasy/quest type of story filled with good, evil and hope. And I found it to be a nice break from the murder/suspense stories I had been reading.

If you've never read fantasy and want to take a dip, or s...more

like 9 likes · see review

Dec 08, 2007 Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: ppl who hate tolkien

Shelves: old-favorites

Everyone says that you fall into one of two camps: Those who love Tolkien, and philistines. I belong firmly in the latter. It is my firm belief that the man (Tolkien) got paid by the word. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoy Brooks' Shannara series. I have read all of them, own most of the hard covers, and have spirited debates (code for a fight) with my friends about why these books are not carbon rip-offs of Tolkien's works. Great characters, epic stories with fallible heroes, and a world lov...more

like 16 likes · see review

Jan 17, 2008 Dave Johnson rated it 1 of 5 stars

is this the worst book ever? yes. then probably The Secret. man, this is seriously the most overrated book in history. i was looking for a fantasy that i'd enjoy, after reading LOTR, looked at some reviews on amazon, and bought a used copy for 3 cents. maybe THAT should've clued me in. so i started reading it, and was so bored. i fell asleep while reading this book numerous times. i read about a third of the book, and after having read 150 pages of brooks describing what grass looked like and th...more

like 8 likes · see review

Oct 22, 2007 Hollyhocks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: epic adventurers

So, I've read reviews that say this is just Terry Brooks' Lord of the Rings. I do see that, but at the same time, I think he made it his own in a lot of ways. I mean, aren't all fantasy adventures just someone's take on Lord of the Rings ... anyway, other than the fact that it's 700-some pages and I thought I would never finish it .. I liked it. I wasn't happy that 2 of the characters I liked died, but, it was a battle-adventure, can't live happily-ever-after for everyone. There were some lullin...more

like 13 likes · see review

Jan 25, 2008 Temptress rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-someone-else-recommended

So my boyfriend's mother recommended the trilogy with Isle Witch and I was hooked. I've read almost every book he's written now and some of the other reviews are right. They're basically all the same story, a kid finds out he/she has an obligation to save the word as well as super powers/control over an item with super powers and then they need to go on a quest to save everyone and everything on earth. It involves bringing a few friends along and traveling all across the world.
But somehow I'm a...more

like 3 likes · see review

Dec 13, 2008 Lorena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I was in 8th grade I stayed home sick from school one day. My sister-in-law lent me this book, and I read the whole thing in one day. What a read! It remains to this day a standard for what a good fantasy should be like.

like 6 likes · see review

Apr 03, 2008 Jay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like 1 like · see review

Jan 21, 2009 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This is a pretty solid fantasy, if underwhelmingly written and plotted. I read the entire series more for completism than anything else, because I never really connected with the characters.
Still, it's entertaining, and it's true that the basic plot of practically all Shannara books (kid has unrealized birthright/weapon/magic, must go on quest, quests all over the land, defeats the bad guy using previously unrealized birthright/weapon/magic) is still a fairly decent plot for a not-that-great wri...more

like 2 likes · see review

Feb 21, 2008 kate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to kate by: danny, dad

my family drove to florida during my six grade spring break and on the way home i finshed the book i was reading adn got bored. my brother gave me his book to read, this one. but it also had the second and third books in it and my dad made a bet i couldnt finish the whole thing before we got home. we were already half-way and i only got to the end of the first i think but it was really good. ive read all the shannara books but this is my favorite. ive read it twice! ...or have i read it three ti...more

like 3 likes · see review

Feb 04, 2009 Joel Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's been years since I've read this book, but I think about it every day. It was by far one of the most exciting books I have ever read becuase it had such a compeling story and reasonable diction. Terry Brooks truly has a gift for making a fantasy world seem to be a reality. His descriptions of character and scenery leave a vivid image in ones' mind that will stay with you for years to come. His ability to describe action and create battles leaves the reader begging for more after every page....more

like 3 likes · see review

Apr 24, 2013 Stein rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels-fantasy, novels-suspense

Some critics have accused Terry Brooks of plagiarizing JRR Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" with the epic fantasy tome "The Sword of Shannara." Thousands of adoring fans have canonized Tolkien and his works to the extent that no other author of the fantasy quest genre can legitimately write anything which bears any resemblance to JRRT's works. While it is no doubt true that Brooks produced "The Sword of Shannara" to take advantage of the tremendous popularity of JRRT's works among the flower-childr...more Some critics have accused Terry Brooks of plagiarizing JRR Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" with the epic fantasy tome "The Sword of Shannara." Thousands of adoring fans have canonized Tolkien and his works to the extent that no other author of the fantasy quest genre can legitimately write anything which bears any resemblance to JRRT's works. While it is no doubt true that Brooks produced "The Sword of Shannara" to take advantage of the tremendous popularity of JRRT's works among the flower-children in the 60s and 70s, his book can stand on its own merits. True, it does not have the maturity, complexity and cultic charm of "Lord of the Rings" so therefore it may not deserve to be venerated but that doesn't mean that it will disappoint readers--especially the young and the less cultured readers who may have trouble being enamoured by JRRT's intricate literary sophistication.

Every author of every genre will get ideas from other authors and sources. JRRT's works have inspired dozens of successful fantasy authors and Brooks is one of them. But the folk tales of the Celtic, Nordic, Grecian and Germanic cultures have leavened the dough of all fantasy telling. "The Sword of Shannara" could have been written solely based on the rich mythic legacies from those cultures without any help from Tolkien.

For readers who are not overly biased and prejudices by their superlative admiration for Tolkien, this book will be a worthwhile Arthurian-like adventure of intrigue, mystery and magic. The book's popularity and the successful sequels it has engendered should vouch for its worthiness. I think that the first half of the book lacks somewhat in substance (Brooks having then been a novice of the art) but it lays the foundation for an exciting second half of the book. As soon as the character Panamon Creel is introduced things do get very interesting. A good mix of characters populate the book and their introspective musings are well done. I did miss the total lack of feminine influence in the first half of the book but that was also remedied by romance in the second half. Brook's superbly vivid geographical and meteorological descriptions create appropriate atmosphere and mood for every situation.(less)

like · see review

Mar 20, 2013 03BonnieZ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-reviews

Who is the inteded audience: More avid readers.
What is the main issue?: The Warlock Lord is coming to take his revenge upon the house of Shannara.
Setting: What is is contribution?: Theres no technology, and so they do much. Its placed kind of in mideval times.
Main Characters: Flick, Shae, Allanon, Ballanor, the Warlock Lord, Minion.
Flick meets Allanon on a trail and leads him to Shady Vale. Allanon tells Shae of his heritage. Warning them, then leaving. Ballanor comes to warn them also.As he lea...more

like · see review

Feb 20, 2013 Matthew Legaspi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Terry Brooks’ first novel, “The Sword of Shannara,” fulfills most of the tenets of an old-fashioned fantasy story and the structure of Western classical mythology. In many ways, the adventures of Shea Ohmsfold and the company from Culhaven is analogous to Frodo Baggins’ adventure with the Fellowship out of Rivendale. That Tolkien heavily influenced Brook’s narrative is without question; but that doesn’t detract from my assessment that Brooks is an excellent writer.

Brooks is a master world-builde...more Terry Brooks’ first novel, “The Sword of Shannara,” fulfills most of the tenets of an old-fashioned fantasy story and the structure of Western classical mythology. In many ways, the adventures of Shea Ohmsfold and the company from Culhaven is analogous to Frodo Baggins’ adventure with the Fellowship out of Rivendale. That Tolkien heavily influenced Brook’s narrative is without question; but that doesn’t detract from my assessment that Brooks is an excellent writer.

Brooks is a master world-builder and his greatest talent is capturing the right words to paint a canvas in the reader’s mind, illustrating every scene with powerful and distinguished clarity. We enter the Four Lands of Brooks’ debut novel, immersed in every excruciatingly detailed scene, as would characters that have never left their own backyard. Yet as with many first-time writers, Brooks is still finding his groove and his descriptions are often long, often uneconomical. Streams of paragraphs seem to flow down the page before any action or dialogue even takes place. But his ability to paint scenes serves him well in depicting the climactic Battle of Tyrsis. Brooks weaves story threads gracefully, building up dramatic tension, and culminating in a battle that his writing portrays as both epic in scope and tragic for those involved.

In his later novels, over time, Brooks becomes more adept at characterizations and diversifying their point-of-views. In “Sword”, some characters, though not all, suffer from a lack of inner complexities and unstrained development. My favourite characters are arguably the most original and well-developed. Panamon Creel is the brave, if morally ambiguous, rogue who despite being a thief, is anchored to the side of good by his code of honor. In his reluctance to accept a higher calling in being Shea’s protector and companion, he reminds me of the swashbuckling Han Solo from “A New Hope.” Like Han, Panamon rises beyond his own expectations and is selflessly transformed by his heroic actions to serve the greater good. I liked that he dresses much in red, a traditional color for heroes in Japanese culture, foreshadowing his role late in the novel. His mute Troll companion, Keltset Mallicos, is stoic and introverted. He is the embodiment of integrity and a steadfast will. Unlike vast numbers of his race who’ve surrendered to the Warlock Lord, Keltset chooses exile rather than be converted to the ranks of the Skull Kingdom, even after the rest of his family was slaughtered, and because of his strength of will, his tongue was cut. Keltset demonstrates that his actions forever speak louder than words. These two are Brooks’ most complex characters in “Sword of Shannara,” because unlike the others who wear everything out in the open, these two are layered in their emotional intricacies and multifarious traits.

While reading “Sword of Shannara” will likely remind you of “Lord of the Rings,” I recommend this epic narrative to anyone who loves modern fantasy. Terry Brooks is a master at work. Near the last third of “Shannara,” Brooks’ narrative and style begin to identify themselves, and we see the seeds of growth from a writer whose skills certain flourish into creating some of the most entertaining and enduring fantasy stories ever written.(less)

like · see review

Jan 27, 2013 Brian Demartin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I recently saw an interview with Terry Brooks on the Sword and Laser YouTube show. I remember trying to read one of his Shannara books in high school. At the time I found the writing dense and circuitous. I would loose my way through the dense, descriptive fog of many passages. After learning on the show that he was the one of the highest selling fastasy authors of all time, I felt like I should give him another chance.

Unfortunately, I think my original assessment still stands. I still feel the...more

like · see review

Jan 09, 2013 Connor Bennett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alright, all of the critics out there that are saying this book is very similar or exactly the same as the Lord of the Rings trilogy you are correct. For all of the critics out there who say Terry Brooks completely ripped off J.R.R. Tolkein, well you are very wrong. I am an avid fan of the LOTR trilogy and after reading this book it makes me appreciate this genre of literature even more. Brooks wrote this during the period where people were getting into the fantasy of J.R.R.’s trilogy and deman...more Alright, all of the critics out there that are saying this book is very similar or exactly the same as the Lord of the Rings trilogy you are correct. For all of the critics out there who say Terry Brooks completely ripped off J.R.R. Tolkein, well you are very wrong. I am an avid fan of the LOTR trilogy and after reading this book it makes me appreciate this genre of literature even more. Brooks wrote this during the period where people were getting into the fantasy of J.R.R.’s trilogy and demanded more of these types of books, so Brooks responded to the want.
So there are many things that I enjoyed about this book that I feel like I should share so here goes.
First: The attention grabber at the beginning was stupendous. If you weren’t immediately interested in the book at the very beginning then you should focus on another genre. Right away you are dealing with a mysterious man in a cloak that towers over the main character Flick who seemed to be following him through the Duln forests. He tells Flick that he is meaning no harm but from past knowledge of books I infer that he is obviously lying due to this statement and the foreshadowing put forth by Terry Brooks from the image of the darkness of the woods and the chill of the wind.
Second: I have always loved the David and Goliath fantasy novels. Allanon (the mysterious man in the cloak) tells Flick and his brother Shea that they have to go on a quest because Shea is the only hope to save the world. Shea is a half elf orphan of the Ohmsford family who apparently is heir to the Shannara bloodline and he would be the only one to use the Sword of Shannara to get rid of the Warlock lord who was planning to take over the whole world. Shea is feeling hopeless as he does not feel like a true warrior that could bring down the greatest evil making it David and Goliath like.
Third: The panics right out of the gate for Flick and Shea were breath taking. Allanon left the two with instructions to meet him at Culhaven and these elf stones that they have no clue on how to use. They don’t even know where Culhaven is, which makes it seem even more hopeless so it left me asking, “How are they even going to get there,” so I had to keep on reading. While they are on their journey they encounter a Skullbearer that is sent out by Brona, the Warlock lord. They have no idea how to defend themselves so they have to run and hide. My heart was pounding while reading this because they had no defense against this creature, yet they managed to escape.
Fourth: I loved how once they reached Culhaven, with the help of Menion Leah, Allanon and the group formed an even bigger group of the finest warriors from dwarves to elves. This made their trek seem more possible, but I knew there would be struggle along the way.
Fifth: The fact that the journey was not straight forward and had split ups made the story even more suspenseful and enjoyable. Hendel, a dwarf, ends up getting lost and the group assumes him to be dead. He came back though which satisfied me and the adventurers because I liked that character.
Sixth: The fact that after Shea fell over a waterfall changed the whole meaning of the book. I thought that they would all stick together but right after that incident, Shea went off on his own until he met Panamon Creel, Menion Leah went to Kern, Balinor went to Tyrsis, and Allanon and Flick try to infiltrate a troll camp. All of the different plot lines that are going at this point get me so intrigued into the story because I am just so eager to see what is going to happen.
Seventh: This whole time Allanon was not telling everything he knew about their journey and Flick was suspicious as whether or not he was an enemy or not. This caused me to think over in my head that what if he is evil? He will ruin the whole journey! This caused me to yet again keep reading.
Eighth: In general this whole book was spectacular, not just the important parts. The descriptions by Terry Brooks were phenomenal; I felt I could just close my eyes and picture the whole world they were in. The vocabulary used by Mr. Brooks was phenomenal, but it was not very hard to understand. Also the power the descriptions of the characters gave me great ideas of how they would act and look if I was talking with them.
Overall this book definitely deserves the five stars. Overall the plot line, incredible; the characters, believable; the descriptions, detailed; imagination, stupendous; and the ending (which I won’t spoil for you) incredible, definitely not what I expected. I recommend this book to all of you avid fantasy readers and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
(less)

like · see review

Dec 16, 2012 Gwen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: regretfully-read

(this is a bit of a rant)

I read this book for English class in 9th or 10th grade. Being an avid reader with a mother who wholeheartedly supported my reading and constantly challenged me, I had already read The Lord of the Rings 7 or 8 years ago (had to in order to see the movies) and fallen in love with the genre. I picked up Sword of Shannara expecting something *along the lines of* LotR. I was NOT expecting such a blatant copy.

Not only was it the same thing all over again - I probably could've...more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 23, 2012 Kislay Verma rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Meant to rate this 3.5, but whatever.

From my review at SolomonSays:

Terry Brooks starting working on the book when he was 23 years old and completely in thrall of Tolkien’s writing. He was not, however, the linguist and academician that Tolkien was. So he “cut the crap” (in a manner of speaking) and wrote a tale mirroring his inspiration – same events, same characters but with a much faster pace.

The plot of TSOS mirrors LOTR event by event. Even the characters have equivalents counterparts- Shea...more

like 1 like · see review

May 29, 2012 Casper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read this book twice before, and am now listening to the audiobook. The first time wasn't very enjoyable for me (I pretty much just wanted to get it over with). The second, I LOVED reading it. Now, not too much. However, I will base this review on my second read.

First off, this book gets a bad wrap for its similarities to the Lord of the Rings. This similarity is undeniable, the characters and events are almost uncanny, and the book was verily published for these very reasons. But I can giv...more I've read this book twice before, and am now listening to the audiobook. The first time wasn't very enjoyable for me (I pretty much just wanted to get it over with). The second, I LOVED reading it. Now, not too much. However, I will base this review on my second read.

First off, this book gets a bad wrap for its similarities to the Lord of the Rings. This similarity is undeniable, the characters and events are almost uncanny, and the book was verily published for these very reasons. But I can give many reasons why that very fact shouldn't affect at all how you feel about this book. It's true that the first half mimics Tolkien's epic, but one must remember that Brooks was so enamored and inspired by LOTR that he felt he needed to write his own story that others craved for but would never get. And Terry produces the first piece of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times best-seller list. Also, remember that once the resemblance between the two fantasies begin to die away, the Sword of Shannara develops into a timeless, original classic. Just as well, Terry's reputation for close-minded Tolkien fans has virtually ruined the rest of the series. Out of this one-off tale is produced a slew of timeless and extraordinary stories, undeniable beautiful and strong in every aspect. The Elfstones of Shannara, sequel to the Sword, proves Terry's aptitude for success in both writing and winning the hearts of millions of readers. Many just can't look past the nuances this book produces and look more into its deeps of beauty and excellent adventure.
That's that for the Tolkien problem; on for the real review.

The first half of the book was very exciting for me, an adventure full of surprises, turmoil, and horizon. Each page provided to me great detail and activity that never left me a reason to second guess the story's expanding greatness. The last half of the story's focus splits among the parting of the characters' company, and some perspectives get rather tedious at times. I found the battle scenes boring (as I do in most battle and war oriented books), but I get the breaks I need when the hunt for the Sword of Shannara comes into play. This part of the book is what touches my heart so dearly.

The tale also may be considered post-apocalyptic, and is reminiscent to the Planet of the Apes. Both stories are comprised on a lesson for man that technology is something that never should be fully relied on. The fantastical element of the book combined with the apocalyptic factor makes a very creative way of telling a story. The world which this book takes place in alone is an escapist's dream.

Terry Brooks' writing becomes more fluent during the last half, and you can begin to tell that the story is shaping into a very individual tale. Terry's writing is very broad and insightful, both internally and externally. The originality of the latter half of the tale that is often missed is more than proportionate, and the closing of our protagonist's journey BLEW MY F***ING MIND!!!

The sheer reading experience of this book was pure and gratifying. This book will forever be a standalone classic on my shelf.(less)

like 1 like · see review

May 06, 2012 Legolas Greenleaf rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Epic-fantasy lovers

Recommended to Legolas by: A friend who gave me a copy

This is a wonderful book, and I enjoy reading it. I particularly like Allanon and his mysterious (if a bit dark) characteristics. 'The Sword of Shannara' is similar in some ways to JRR Tolkien's epic fantasy books, but with a slightly different style. It was inspired through Tolkien's magic. I don't know why so many people give this book a bad review. Is it because it's "too long", or "too similar to 'The Lord of the Rings'"?
So what if it seems like this is another Tolkien book? If so many peop...more

like 2 likes · see review

Mar 31, 2012 Nikko rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alright. Before anyone goes into a tirade of why I gave this book a five-star rating, read on.

I was never the novel-reader type. I was never much of a novelist, either. I live in a Third World country, so when I was young, we kids amuse ourselves by learning to climb trees, playing hide-and-seek and all sorts of outdoorsy games.

Until I met Terry Brooks through The Sword of Shannara.

A neighbor of ours was moving out, and with the bulk of books and other stuff they have, they decided to sell most...more Alright. Before anyone goes into a tirade of why I gave this book a five-star rating, read on.

I was never the novel-reader type. I was never much of a novelist, either. I live in a Third World country, so when I was young, we kids amuse ourselves by learning to climb trees, playing hide-and-seek and all sorts of outdoorsy games.

Until I met Terry Brooks through The Sword of Shannara.

A neighbor of ours was moving out, and with the bulk of books and other stuff they have, they decided to sell most of them. Ms. Susan saw me browsing through the books they were selling one afternoon, and when I was about to leave without buying anything (I had no money, since my parents never really gave me money to spend on anything until I was in High School), she beckoned me to come closer and gave me a seemingly old, yellowed-page-kind of book with the cover ripped off and no more first few pages. For an eleven year-old kid, it was kind of cradling a treasure (add that to my over-active imagination, hahaha).

That's when I started reading. In earnest.

The Sword of Shannara engrossed me. In bibliophyllic terms, I was heavily intoxicated, hahaha Sure, it had a very similar plotline with that of the Lord of the Rings by Tolkien (which I found out years later when I was in college already), but as you go further into the story, you would see where Brooks' originality lies. Besides, J.R.R. Tolkien is Terry Brook's mentor. It would be highly improbable if Tolkien's Middle Earth wouldn't rub off on any of his students. :D

When I started working, I made it a point to collect all of Terry Brooks' works, from the Sword of Shannara trilogy (I bought a brand new hard cover version of The Sword of Shannara) to the Genesis of Shannara books. I would often end up comparing how beautiful was the first book, the Sword of Shannara, is compared to the rest of the following materials.

Where others see repetition, I see consistency. Where others see a rip-off copycat work, I see one of the many variations in the seeds of literature that Tolkien sowed into the world of reading and writing.

Terry Brooks' The Sword of Shannara will always hold a special place in my heart, as it awakened me to the world of fantasy, fiction, and magic. :)(less)

like 7 likes · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Terry Brooks reading list	2	14	Apr 14, 2013 09:01am
MY EX HUSBAND READ THIS BOOK TO ME	1	26	Apr 13, 2013 04:48pm
Terry Brooks	4	16	Mar 30, 2013 05:16am
Opinions?	35	219	Mar 02, 2013 06:57pm
Sci-fi and Heroic...: The Sword of Shannara	27	52	Sep 29, 2012 06:14am
The Dusty Bookshelf: The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks	69	68	Sep 21, 2012 12:36pm

combine
Other Editions (72)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

244 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

115 users

Fantasy > Epic Fantasy

97 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

57 users

Adventure

46 users

Fantasy > Magic

38 users

Science Fiction

34 users

Epic

32 users

Young Adult

26 users

Adult

18 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Terry Brooks

Terry Brooks was born in Illinois in 1944, where he spent a great deal of his childhood and early adulthood dreaming up stories in and around Sinnissippi Park, the very same park that would eventually become the setting for his bestselling Word & Void trilogy. He went to college and received his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College, where he majored in English Literature, and he received...more

More about Terry Brooks...

Books by Terry Brooks

Elfstones Of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy, #2)

The Talismans Of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara #4)

The Wishsong of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy #3)

Magic Kingdom For Sale/Sold (Magic Kingdom of Landover, #1)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Sword Of Shan...

3 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Sword of Shannara

“Herein lies the heart and soul of the nations.
Their right to be free men,
Their desire to live in peace,
Their courage to seek out truth,
Herein lies the Sword of Shannara.” — 4 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Sword of Shannara
avg rating	preview: The Sword of Shannara Goodreads rating: 3.73 (30030 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/349320.The_Sword_of_Shannara?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1315280007l/349320.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/349320.The_Sword_of_Shannara?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks[/url]

The Sword of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website