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

Terry Brooks

Start date: September 1, 2012

Finish date: September 30, 2012

Discussion: Book Discussions

Why we're reading this: Classic fantasy/sci-fi discssion September 2012
#67 on NPR's Top 100 SF/F novels of all time (2011 poll) h …more
[close] Classic fantasy/sci-fi discssion September 2012
#67 on NPR's Top 100 SF/F novels of all time (2011 poll) http://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/1390858...
#59 on Locus Magazines Best Fantasy novels of the 20th century http://www.locusmag.com/2012/AllCentu...

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Apr 30, 2011 EA Solinas rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

Intellectually, I should hate "The Sword of Shannara." Authors like Dennis McKiernan, Terry Goodkind and Christopher Paolini throw me into a white-hot rage.

But for some reason, I simply can't bring myself to dislike Terry Brooks and his debut novel, "The Sword of Shannara." Perhaps it's because he's worked so hard SINCE this book to create a distinct fantasy world, or perhaps it's because of the novel's wide-eyed earnestness. But as Tolkien knockoffs go, this is one of the more innocuous ones.

In Intellectually, I should hate "The Sword of Shannara." Authors like Dennis McKiernan, Terry Goodkind and Christopher Paolini throw me into a white-hot rage.

But for some reason, I simply can't bring myself to dislike Terry Brooks and his debut novel, "The Sword of Shannara." Perhaps it's because he's worked so hard SINCE this book to create a distinct fantasy world, or perhaps it's because of the novel's wide-eyed earnestness. But as Tolkien knockoffs go, this is one of the more innocuous ones.

In a future medieval/postapocalyptic time, the mysterious druid Allanon comes to the town of Shady Vale, and warns young half-elven Shea Ohmsford that Sauron... I mean, the Warlock Lord will soon be trying to find him. Shea is the last descendent of Jerle Shannara, and as such is the only person in the whole world who can use the Sword of Shannara. He also gives Shea some magic Elfstones.

Faster than you can say "Shire... Baggins," minions of evil arrive at Shady Vale. Shea and his adoptive brother Flick escape their town, and meet up with Shea's friend Menion and a little gang of the expected tropes (a prince, a dwarf, and two elves). Now they must save a kingdom, wage war against the Warlock Lord, and recover the Sword before it's too late.

"The Sword of Shannara" is pretty shameless in knocking off "Lord of the Rings" -- the basic plot, the giant mutant robot spider, the characters, even the "death" of the wizardly mentor all reek of J.R.R. Tolkien. It reads like the first fantasy that a 15-year-old Tolkien fanboy would write while he's still working out the kinks of how to actually make a story.

And yet... it isn't that bad.

There's something very simple and earnest about the book. Part of this is because of Terry Brooks' prose, which is solid and unpretentious -- lots of strong descriptions, decent enough dialogue, and a genuine sense of atmosphere in scenes like the Skull Bearer's arrival in Shady Vale (if you can stop quoting lines from "Lord of the Rings").

Similarly, the characters are totally derivative -- Shea is Frodo, Allanon is Gandalf, Flick is Sam, Menion is Merry and Pippin, Balinor is Aragorn and Boromir, Hendel is Gimli, Dayel and Durin are Legolas, and so on. But honestly, they have the same earnest, pleasant-but-not original quality as Brooks' writing style, making them likeable even though they're wholly unoriginal.

"The Sword of Shannara" isn't very good, but it isn't horrible (especially as Tolkien knockoffs go). But it's a decent fluff read, and Brooks spent a lot of effort making his later books much more original.
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