The Sword of Shannara Trilogy (Shannara, #1-3)

by Terry Brooks

Men today have forgotten the past; they know little of the present and less of the future.

But they fought to survive, and reason has no place in the mind of a creature fighting for its life.

Central governments have always been the greatest danger to mankind. Now there are none—small communities are the new rule of life. Some things are better left alone by everyone.”

“Legends and myths that did not exist in yesterday’s world will exist in tomorrow’s.

Both lay back and were quickly asleep, their tired thoughts flowing sluggishly into the bright, colorful dreams of the momentary world of sleep. In that secure, drifting dimension of fantasy, their weary minds could relax, releasing the hidden fears of tomorrow to emerge in whatever form they wished, and there, in that most distant sanctuary for the human soul, be faced privately and overcome.

But while Man worked all those years to discover the secrets of life, he never managed to escape his overpowering fascination for death.

At that moment, he knew what death really meant and he was afraid. There was no adventure in it, no sense of purpose or choice, nothing but a sickening disgust and shock.

It was an unavoidable part of war, that men should die for unknown reasons—it had been happening for centuries.