Sword of Shannara
by Terry Brooks
Sword of Shannara
Terry Brooks |
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 2843)
Read in January, 2007
recommended to Susanne by:
amazon. buggers.recommends it for: no one... maybe Tolkien fans who DON'T mind a re-telling
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) ...more
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) ...more
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Read in August, 2003
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
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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!" Serious...more
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I believe I read this book back in middle school and I absolutley loved it. Besides the amazing Lord of the Rings series, this sage is definetly one of the greatest fantasy novels you'll find out their at your local bookshops. I remember buying my copy at Halfprice bookstore, a worn out front cover, and a fat yellow paged body, very intimidating. Yes, it is a long book, and small text, but for readers out there who want to escape from the world for awhile and jump into a fantasy adventure, then ...more
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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 g...more
While Tolkien on the other hand, or C.S. Lewis, are like well planned home cooked meals, with each food g...more
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Read in November, 2007
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
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Read in January, 2007
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...more
But somehow...more
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recommends it for:
fantasy lovers
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 d...more
If you've never read fantasy and want to take a d...more
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Read in March, 2007
recommends it for:
fantasy lovers
Although I did enjoy this, I found it lacking in many different ways. It seems almost impossible for any fantasy not to seem like a copy of the Lord of the Rings. Of course, the book did have plenty of its own originalities, but it seemed to me like a cheap imitation of Tolkien in many parts (especially in the characters). The flow certainly wasn't lacking. It retained my interest throughout the whole thing.
I was annoyed by the presence of "magic" and yet a lack of rea...more
I was annoyed by the presence of "magic" and yet a lack of rea...more
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recommends it for:
People who don't know any better
The original--and sadly, probably the best--wholesale rip-off of Lord of the Rings, this is Terry Brooks' first novel. That, taken together with its near-plagiarism, was enough to keep me from giving this book a chance past its first chapter for several years.
When I finally overcame my reservations, I found myself rewarded with a study in mediocrity. That'll teach me to take chances.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book, and the story--though terribly written--is fairly well told. And...more
When I finally overcame my reservations, I found myself rewarded with a study in mediocrity. That'll teach me to take chances.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book, and the story--though terribly written--is fairly well told. And...more
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Read in February, 2008
recommended to Josh by:
Both of my older brothersrecommends it for: more the middle age men
This is just the beginning of what is the best series of books with the different races of characters from montain trolls to humans. I can truely compare my life style or what I would like my life style to be. Going on long journies throught mountain areas and grass plans. In the book it brings people that dont really like eachother to frinds that are as close as brothers. Well I think that if you are ready to move on with the every day books of kids having personal problem and girls that hate t...more
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Read in November, 2007
I only read a hundred pages of the book. The text reads well, and initially draws you into its depths. However, the book seems cobbled together hastily, and the premise is trite, ruining my ability to suspend my disbelief. While I can't hold it against the author for ripping off "Lord of the Rings" (I mean, what fantasy author doesn't use orcs and goblins and trolls?), I got annoyed that he based his world's mythology on "The Planet of the Apes". I mean, come on, the worl...more
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Read in September, 1978
recommended to erik by:
no onerecommends it for: no one
After graduation and returning from New York and Norway, I stayed with Roy Laube and his girlfriend, Mary Cinelli, at their second floor apartment on North Shore Ave., not far from the Loyola Beach in Chicago while looking for an apartment and a job. When not so engaged, while the sun was up, I'd walk the two blocks to the beach and read.
The book I'd brought with me for this period was a large one, Brooks' Sword of Shannara. It read like Tolkien, yes, but that seemed okay at the outset as ...more
The book I'd brought with me for this period was a large one, Brooks' Sword of Shannara. It read like Tolkien, yes, but that seemed okay at the outset as ...more
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Read in January, 2008
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Read in March, 2008
A very good book that follows along the same lines as the Lord of the Rings and some other fantasy books in many ways. The similarities between this and Lord of the Rings were very numerous, which at first bothered me but after getting into the story, I found myself enjoying it more than anything I have read of Tolkien. In fact, I believe that this book was very likely one of the influences to Peter Jackson in adapting the Lord of the Rings into a movie, as some of the scenes in that movie bor...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
My worst enemy
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I gave them an OK rating for a very simple reason. The story takes you along, but there is really strong LOTR feeling present all the time. I had it less in the prequel First King of Shannara and the second part Elfstones of Shannara - these were still relatively original. But the main work the first part of the trilogy called Sword of Shannara has LOTR written all over it. Sometimes it feels stolen, but it still remains a good read if you have enjoyed LOTR. However I bought the third part of th...more
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Read in January, 1977
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
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Read in September, 1993
recommends it for:
ppl who hate tolkien
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 wor...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
Any fantasy lover and every fantasy writer.
At first it appears to be just another fnatasy sotry with unusually complex characters. Then it quickly tumbles you down a hill of surprise after surprise beginning with a terrible prediction and moving on with a twisted turn of fate, a certian amount of bravery (and stupidity), and not quite ending with the shocking power of the Sword.
Admittedly the first thrid or so of the book is difficult to read but if you have patience it is one the absolute best fantasy books out there, just half a p...more
Admittedly the first thrid or so of the book is difficult to read but if you have patience it is one the absolute best fantasy books out there, just half a p...more
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