I first read these books back in 1980/81. Back then, the first in the series didn't really hold my interest, and I spent more time with Elfstones and Wishsong. Maybe it was the lack of female characters or maybe it felt a little more sword than sorcery for my tastes at that age. Whatever the reason, I never gave it much attention. Coming back to the books as an adult, I found that I did enjoy Sword. Maybe not quite as much as the other two, given the familiarity I already had with them, but I liked getting a better glimpse into Allanon's character and seeing the young Shea and Flick Ohmsford, which shows where Wil got his values from.

I'll admit, I never read any of the other Shannara novels; I moved on to other genres and authors, but these stories definitely made an impression on me. Like many of my favorites from younger days, reading them now allows me to see things I missed and understand characters a little better.