Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
79th out of 962 books
—
4,842 voters
The Scions of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara #1)
by
Terry Brooks (Goodreads Author)
Since the death of Allanon, life in the Four Lands has drastially changed. Yet Par Ohmsford still has some power of the Wishsong. And when a message from the ancient Druid, Allanon, reaches them, Par is ordered to recover the long-lost Sword of Shinnara, and the glory that once was the Four Lands....
Paperback, 512 pages
Published
October 5th 2006
by Orbit
(first published January 1st 1990)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
I am a longtime Terry Brooks fan but have primarily focused on his Magic Kingdom and Word and the Void stories. So I haven't yet completed all of the Shannara books and decided it was time to do so. This book is the first I've read since Wishsong. Wishsong wasn't my favorite Brooks book, so I wasn't sure how much I would like this one. I am happy to report that I really enjoyed this story and the characters. It was interesting to see what Brooks had done with the world and the battle sequences w...more
The Scions of Shannara by Terry Brooks is the first book in the Heritage of Shannara series set in the Shannara universe. In many ways this book finally treats Shannara as it always should have been treated. The first three books written about Shannara were in many ways to short to really get a true feel for what was going wrong with the land but after reading this one which is a true series book I feel like the world and the characters came more to life. Of course as such it is a bit darker tha...more
Il primo capitolo della seconda saga di Shannara. Per me è una rilettura, in realtà, perchè essendomi appena stato regalato il quarto libro, I Talismani di Shannara, molto tempo dopo aver letto i primi tre, avevo bisogno di rinfrescarmi la memoria.
Sono passati più di trecento anni, ormai, e generazioni e generazioni di Ohmsford, dai tempi leggendari in cui mostri, elfi e magia erano la realtà del mondo.
Adesso sulle Quattro Terre incombe l’ombra della Federazione, che ha riunito le terre del Sud...more
Sono passati più di trecento anni, ormai, e generazioni e generazioni di Ohmsford, dai tempi leggendari in cui mostri, elfi e magia erano la realtà del mondo.
Adesso sulle Quattro Terre incombe l’ombra della Federazione, che ha riunito le terre del Sud...more
Honestly, if I could for more than five stars I most certainly would. The Scions of Shannara was definitely in my opinion, a fast paced and intriguingly new addition to the tales from the Four Lands and I thoroughly felt encompassed by the world and it's characters more so than in any of the previous books, Wishshong being the most potent before. I felt I was there alongside Par and Coll in the Pit, Nervously traipsing behind Walker Boh as he walked between the Sphinxes in the Hall of Kings, and...more
I first read this book about 3-4 years ago, but it was apparently so forgettable that I couldn't remember a thing about it apart from the very bare bones of the plot. Even when I started skimming through it to remind myself of more details (so that I could read its sequels), I had almost no memory of most of the scenes or even important characters, so I finally decided to reread the whole damn thing. Perhaps it's an exercise in masochism to reread something that my mind didn't think was worth ho...more
In my review of the first 3 Shannara books, I pointed out that the first is extremely derivitave of Tolkien, and that the next two are mostly just TNG re-hashes of the previous book.
As bad as that was, it did not prepare me for the Scienos of Shannara, which is an even more contrived re-hash of the original trilogy. At least, that's how it starts, with the gathering of the party, with each party role being filled by the great-great-great-etc. grandchild of the person who filled that role in the...more
As bad as that was, it did not prepare me for the Scienos of Shannara, which is an even more contrived re-hash of the original trilogy. At least, that's how it starts, with the gathering of the party, with each party role being filled by the great-great-great-etc. grandchild of the person who filled that role in the...more
Jan 28, 2013
Timothy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-reviewed-in-2013
For The Sword of Shannara Trilogy, author Terry Brooks wrote three separate, but loosely-connected tales. In The Heritage of Shannara, he tells one large, epic tale over the space of four books. It was quite a departure from the pattern of the previous stories, and, if the first book is any indication, this seems to have worked quite well for Brooks.
As the first book, The Scions of Shannara, opens, the world is a radically different place from the world that Brin and Jair Ohmsford inhabited at t...more
As the first book, The Scions of Shannara, opens, the world is a radically different place from the world that Brin and Jair Ohmsford inhabited at t...more
Scions was where I really started to get into Terry Brooks's writing style as a kid, and it did not disappoint the second time through either. After the original trilogy was more or less written in a very standard (read: "safe") fantasy style of writing, Brooks really went out on a limb with a four part series with several protagonists, huge overarching plots, and a truly amped up adventure. The characters are more memorable, the journey more interesting, and yet, Brooks manages to connect just...more
my first terry brooks novel, and purely by chance. since then, i was hooked. don't care if people say that brooks was a hack compared to tolkien. i like both authors--they have their own writing styles, and both are very good in their art.
what is great about brooks and his shannara series is that every chapter is riveting. there were times when i really couldn't put the book down--i just wanted to gobble up every scene, every confrontation, every revelation. besides having fantastical character...more
what is great about brooks and his shannara series is that every chapter is riveting. there were times when i really couldn't put the book down--i just wanted to gobble up every scene, every confrontation, every revelation. besides having fantastical character...more
Meh. The reason to read this book is Walker Boh, whose character is being pissed off at the druid-ex-machina in earlier Brooks plots. This is fair enough, and pretty neat, and makes Allanon's meddling far more interesting. On the downside, Par and Coll are rather eh (though the true depths of Par's failure are saved for Talismans), and they're the main characters. At least Morgan Leah was kind of amusing (though did his line murder the real line? He claims to be descended from the Elfstones' Lea...more
As mentioned in my review of the "Wishsong of Shannara", I have decided to go back through all my Terry Brooks novels and re-read them, as some, such as this one, I read over 20 years ago.
Oddly enough, this was my first Terry Brooks book. This is the book that started my interest in Terry Brooks and fantasy novels in general.
Re-reading it, I realized this is a good setup book, but is not a book that grabs you in the way "Wishsong" does nor the later "Heritage" books like the one Im reading now...more
Oddly enough, this was my first Terry Brooks book. This is the book that started my interest in Terry Brooks and fantasy novels in general.
Re-reading it, I realized this is a good setup book, but is not a book that grabs you in the way "Wishsong" does nor the later "Heritage" books like the one Im reading now...more
I've been a fan of the various Shannara series' for a number of years but the Heritage series is probably my favourite. The brotherly bond with struggle and love is so well written that I really relate to Par and Coll. This is, in some ways, your standard sort of "epic fantasy" with elves, dwarves, humans, etc. but the personal stories carry it so much further than just any "standard" fantasy. I've read this series before, and I'll read it again! Love it.
Brooks begins to explore his own voice.
Characters that don't have a basis in the Tolken universe start to make their appearance on the page. And they are interesting to watch. They grow. They learn. And they defy stereotype.
As far as the plot is concerned, there is still much to be said for the derivative nature of Brooks work. However there is new life in this book of the series.
Characters that don't have a basis in the Tolken universe start to make their appearance on the page. And they are interesting to watch. They grow. They learn. And they defy stereotype.
As far as the plot is concerned, there is still much to be said for the derivative nature of Brooks work. However there is new life in this book of the series.
This is the book that started it all for me, the one that got me reading, that got me into fantasy, and introduced me to a lifelong fansession with Terry Brooks. And although I've read and enjoy Sword of Shannara more, this was the one that started it all for me. If Mr. Brooks ever happens upon this review, thank you for a life made more fantastic through your stories.
It took me a while to get into this book. When I started reading it, I thought it was going be a rehashing of the first three Shannara books. A young hero goes on a quest to save the world and things work out for him in the end. While this book started out that way, it certainly didn't end up that way. Unlike the previous Shannara books this one leaves you with questions that need to be answered and truths that need to be discerned.
Sep 13, 2011
La Stamberga dei Lettori
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sakura87
La reputazione di Terry Brooks oscilla enormemente.
C'è chi lo colloca tra i classici del fantasy, c'è chi lo boccia con decisione relegandolo al ruolo di clone di Tolkien; e c'è da dire, in effetti, che Brooks pubblicò in tempi sospetti (La spada di Shannara fu pubblicata circa vent'anni dopo Il signore degli anelli, nel 1977), quando avvenne il rifiorire del genere.
Tuttavia, personalmente, non mi sento di bocciarlo: nonostante La Spada abbia numerosi (a volte sfacciati) richiami a Tolkien, i li...more
C'è chi lo colloca tra i classici del fantasy, c'è chi lo boccia con decisione relegandolo al ruolo di clone di Tolkien; e c'è da dire, in effetti, che Brooks pubblicò in tempi sospetti (La spada di Shannara fu pubblicata circa vent'anni dopo Il signore degli anelli, nel 1977), quando avvenne il rifiorire del genere.
Tuttavia, personalmente, non mi sento di bocciarlo: nonostante La Spada abbia numerosi (a volte sfacciati) richiami a Tolkien, i li...more
Feb 07, 2013
Al
added it
SUMMARY:
Since the death of Allanon, life in the Four Lands has drastially changed. Yet Par Ohmsford still has some power of the Wishsong. And when a message from the ancient Druid, Allanon, reaches them, Par is ordered to recover the long-lost Sword of Shinnara, and the glory that once was the Four Lands....
Since the death of Allanon, life in the Four Lands has drastially changed. Yet Par Ohmsford still has some power of the Wishsong. And when a message from the ancient Druid, Allanon, reaches them, Par is ordered to recover the long-lost Sword of Shinnara, and the glory that once was the Four Lands....
If you have ever wondered about Terry Brooks, I would recommend reading Sword of Shannara and then the Heritage of Shannara - this book being the first in that series. In these five books not only do you visit a wonderful world created by Mr. Brooks, but you also are introduced to the most intriguing characters and journey on grand adventures. Sword sets the stage and the Heritage series takes the story telling to a new level.
Scion begins 300 hundred years after the last novel (Wishsong of Shann...more
Scion begins 300 hundred years after the last novel (Wishsong of Shann...more
It took me a while to get back to finishing reading the Terry Brooks stuff. I was trying to explore other things. I found the usual problems that I have with all of his books. The main characters are too young and ill equip to fight for themselves. As usual too the co star or companion or whatever you want to call it is always so whiny. Why haven't they learned the Druids help? Whatever, it was a very good book stretching on the same ideas. I always wonder how Terry Brooks is going to keep it fr...more
A current project of mine is to read the Shannara books in their chronological order; and while this is Book One of The Heritage of Shannara, it is the fifteenth book I read. It had been unread, on our household bookshelves, since Don purchased it when it was published in 1991. Don likes to own all the books in a series before he reads them. With yet another two books due to be published in 2013, I think he better finish the ones he owns before additional books have to be double-layered on the S...more
Shady Vale is the perfect starting point for the beginning of adventure. The Ohmsford's and the druids are our last line of defense against a plot to destroy the world. I love the way Brooks blends fantasy and modern sci-fi into his environments. This is a great series.
It was this series that made me hate Terry Brooks' writing. It felt clumsy and ill paced, Brooks is repetitive in his prose. I found very little compelling about it. I've heard Brooks himself is an awesome person, but I'm not a big fan of his writing.
This is a continuation of the Sword of Shannara series. This set got a little bogged down in details with me. I made it through, but I could not continue with it after this. I was no longer invested with the characters.
Exciting and enthralling. It kept me turning pages the entire time. The first two chapters were a little slow, but the rest of it was good. I would highly recommend this book to others!
Oct 30, 2011
Bee
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
any Terry Brooks and Fantasy Fan
Shelves:
fantasy,
favourite-authors
Well it is Terry Brooks Shannara what shall I say?
It was gripping, romantic, funny and you sympathise with all the characters maybe the most with Walker Boh who really does not like his task but goes for it anyway. Good for us because otherwise Shannara would fall at last.
Definitely worth reading!
Tja es ist Terry Brooks Shannara ~ was soll ich noch sagen?
Es war spannend, romantic, lustig und man identifiziert sich mit den Charakteren vielleicht am meisten mit Walker Boh, der seine Aufgabe wirkli...more
It was gripping, romantic, funny and you sympathise with all the characters maybe the most with Walker Boh who really does not like his task but goes for it anyway. Good for us because otherwise Shannara would fall at last.
Definitely worth reading!
Tja es ist Terry Brooks Shannara ~ was soll ich noch sagen?
Es war spannend, romantic, lustig und man identifiziert sich mit den Charakteren vielleicht am meisten mit Walker Boh, der seine Aufgabe wirkli...more
All the scions meet and receive tasks from the shade of Allanon:
- Wren is ordered to return the missing Elves,
- Walker is charged with returning Paranor and the Druids, and
- Par is charged with finding the lost Sword of Shannara.
After this everything gets complicated and messed up. Too many parallel stories going on that makes everything confusimg... When the plot centers in just one of them, I feel like everything is focused in trying to find a tunnel to get in and get the sword... To me, thi...more
- Wren is ordered to return the missing Elves,
- Walker is charged with returning Paranor and the Druids, and
- Par is charged with finding the lost Sword of Shannara.
After this everything gets complicated and messed up. Too many parallel stories going on that makes everything confusimg... When the plot centers in just one of them, I feel like everything is focused in trying to find a tunnel to get in and get the sword... To me, thi...more
Jan 27, 2008
Tracy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who like tales of magic, elves, dwarves, and druids.
I know I'm not even done this book at the moment, but I read it years ago and I always love them. What can I say, I'm a sucker for the whole series, and it's nice to escape for a while into a world of druids and elven magic. I don't read them because I know they're going to change my life, I read them for fun. I love that they're hard to put down. It seems like there's always a part that's too good and I just have to read one more chapter...If I had a nickel for every time I've said that over th...more
A swashbuckling tale of good and evil, men and dwarves - and trolls, elves, magic and whatever you can imagine.
The tale picks up after generations with everything different, yet everything the same.
The tale picks up after generations with everything different, yet everything the same.
Con questo libro comincia forse la più bella saga di Terry Brooks, Il ciclo degli Eredi di Sannara. L'ho letto diversi anni fa, ma ricordo bene di averlo divorato!
First book in this series. It was a good start,left me wanting more of the story,and a lot less of the scenery.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
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...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“If I have the means, I have the responsibility to employ them.”
—
11 people liked it
“The future is an ever-shifting maze of possibilities until it becomes the present. The future I have shown you tonight is not yet fixed. But it is more likely to become so with the passing of every day because nothing is being done to turn it aside. If you would change it, do as I have told you.”
—
6 people liked it
More quotes…
Apr 23, 2013 04:43pm