Rating: 3
These three instalments make up the first book of The Sword of Shannara, originally published as one book, but split into three for Young Adults, thus I have reviewed them together.
The story revolves around Shea Ohmsford and his brother Flick who are forced to leave their quiet home of Shady Vale, when they discover that Shea is being hunted by deadly Skull Bearers, sent by the ancient Warlock Lord, Brona. They learn from the mysterious Druid Allanon, that the half-elven Shea is the only living descendant of Jerle Shannara, the greatest of all the Elven kings, and that only a son of the House of Shannara can wield the Sword of Shannara against the Warlock Lord. Burdened with that destiny and armed only with the Elfstones given to him by Allanon, Shea and his brother journey to their friend, Menion Leah, and onwards to the land of the Dwarfs. From there they travel with Allanon; Durin and Dayel, two cousins of the Elven king Eventine; the strong and trustworthy Balinor, Prince of the Callahorn; and the gruff but hardy Dwarf Hendel, to rescue the Sword from the Druids’ Keep at Paranor. Their journey is perilous and not without sacrifice, and soon the company becomes separated, with Shea left alone to continue his pursuit of the Sword.
Terry Brooks’ Shannara series has been very successful, yet I had never been tempted to read them until, shortly before leaving for a job offshore, I discovered these three parts of the first book going very cheap in a bookshop, and they were nice and light, perfect for airplane luggage! Probably not the best reason I’ve ever come up with for reading a book, but this was probably a good thing, as I didn’t have very high expectations. Epic certainly, and enjoyable nonetheless, but inevitably I could not help but draw comparison with the Lord of the Rings. The idea of a company journeying in pursuit of a fabled object is not dissimilar from the trials undertaken by the Fellowship of the Ring. With Druids (wizards?), Elves, Dwarves, Trolls and Men, Brooks is obviously drawing from similar inspiration and the same mythological formula as Tolkien. His style is different of course, and the events in which his characters find themselves, but unfortunately Brooks’ is the inferior work.
The story did improve towards the end of the second part, The Druids’ Keep, as the company splits and go their separate ways. I found the battle for Tyrsis the most engaging part of the story and the struggle Balinor faces against his brother. His was the most interesting character for me, and I enjoyed his close friendship with Hendel. I would like to have read more about the Callahorn and Balinor’s history, along with more about Eventine and the Elves, which may inspire me to read further into Brooks’ world.
Recommended if you enjoy this type of fantasy series, but a very similar formula, with few surprises.
Terry Brooks’ Shannara series has been very successful, yet I had never been tempted to read them until, shortly before leaving for a job offshore, I discovered these three parts of the first book going very cheap in a bookshop, and they were nice and light, perfect for airplane luggage! Probably not the best reason I’ve ever come up with for reading a book, but this was probably a good thing, as I didn’t have very high expectations. Epic certainly, and enjoyable nonetheless, but inevitably I could not help but draw comparison with the Lord of the Rings. The idea of a company journeying in pursuit of a fabled object is not dissimilar from the trials undertaken by the Fellowship of the Ring. With Druids (wizards?), Elves, Dwarves, Trolls and Men, Brooks is obviously drawing from similar inspiration and the same mythological formula as Tolkien. His style is different of course, and the events in which his characters find themselves, but unfortunately Brooks’ is the inferior work.
The story did improve towards the end of the second part, The Druids’ Keep, as the company splits and go their separate ways. I found the battle for Tyrsis the most engaging part of the story and the struggle Balinor faces against his brother. His was the most interesting character for me, and I enjoyed his close friendship with Hendel. I would like to have read more about the Callahorn and Balinor’s history, along with more about Eventine and the Elves, which may inspire me to read further into Brooks’ world.
Recommended if you enjoy this type of fantasy series, but a very similar formula, with few surprises.
1 comment:
I really like those covers. These are not the best books out there, but the first three in the series are worth reading (The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara). There are a bunch more, but they aren't great and if you aren't a massive fan then I would give them a miss.
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