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The Shannara Trilogy by Terry BrooksGeneral Information
PremiseThe first book, Sword of Shannara, follows the adventures of Shea Ohmsford to find and use the titular weapon. He's an orphan half-elf, whose lineage allows him to use the powerful blade. The sword is the only weapon that can stop the Witch Lord, an evil being bent on total domination. Hunted at every turn by powerful Skull Bearers, and unsure of himself, Shea and his ragtag crew must trust the mysterious druid Allanon, if they have any chance of saving the Four Lands. In the second book, Elfstones of Shannara, Wil Ohmsford, Shea's grandson, is visited by the druid Allanon. Broken and bleeding, he informs the youth of his destiny, of the three blue stones that carry incredible power, and of the Ellcys, a magical tree holding back a demon army bent on the slaughter of the elves and all those that would aid them. Can Wil, with the power of the Elfstones, restore the Ellcrys and stop the oncoming apocalypse? With the final book, Wishsong of Shannara, Wil Ohmsford's children, Jair and Brin, take up the banner against a new evil. When Wil used the Elfstones, his body was flooded with magic. As a result, his children now possess magic without the aid of artifacts, the Wishsong. The Ildatch, a dark tome from an ancient time (and also created the witch lord) has been recovered and a new order, the Mord Wraiths, has set about learning its terrible secrets. High Point[Spoiler Warning!] One of my favorite pieces is the demon army's siege of the elven city. Blends horror, valiant bravery, massive battles, and dwarven engineering. Does it get any better than that? Low PointBrooks is fairly restrictive on the use of magic as most enemies seem to be able to detect it. As such, the use of it comes in sporadic, if spectacular, bursts. The ScoresIn terms of originality, Brooks borrows heavily from Tolkien's themes. What scores high points with me is the nature of the sword and other magics. There is also the subtle use of science blended in with the magic. This theme will gain in strength as the stories progress. And, while similar, each book features different characters through the generations, all connected by the druid Allanon. This keeps the stories fresh, but familiar. 4 out of 6. Brooks' imagery is weak in some respects (settings, physical descriptions) and strong in others. Particularly when it comes to feeling what the character feels be it pain, pleasure, fear, etc. I've often found his descriptions of fights to be some of the best around. 4 out of 6. The story (or stories) are well-constructed and thought out. I don't know if he planned books 2 and 3 when he wrote them (book 1 can stand by itself with no problem), but they all flow together. He has a gift for using prophesy in stories without giving anything away. This same trait shows up again in his latest trilogy. 6 out of 6. Characterization is wonderful. Each individual stands out from the rest, even if they do or say very little, like Allanon. Everyone has a clear motivation here, no one is simply "along for the ride" as often happens in adventure-party style stories. 4 out of 6. The emotional response is terrific. Brooks manages to keep you guessing from start to finish as to what's happening next, and what twist of fate he has in store for our intrepid heroes. Allanon, always a mystery, keeps the reader trailing, but not in an irritating sort of way. 5 out of 6. The editing is nearly flawless, particularly since these books were written between 24 and 14 years ago. After undergoing several printings, you shouldn't see a single problem. Brooks always manages to be thinking ahead of himself and never has to fudge something to make a scene or chapter work. 5 out of 6. Overall this series is one of my personal favorites, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a good fantasy read. 5 out of 6. Total: 33 out of 42 What's Next?Well, I'll post their review soon, but Brooks has continued the Shannara storyline further with the Heritage of Shannara series (four books) and the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy. He also went back in the timeline and wrote out the story of the Sword's creation in "First King of Shannara." Terry Brooks is also known for his Magical Kingdom of Landover series and, in 1999, wrote the novelization for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
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