Rating: 
Summary: Read Elfstones of Shannara before Sword of Shannara
Review: I picked up this book accidentally in 1988. My uncle had it on paperback and I pilfered it from his room by chance. This book proceeded to dominate my afternoons for the next couple of weeks.Upon finishing this book, I felt as spent as the Heroes/Heroines!
The character development was the best I've ever seen, and is still a standard I compare to the rest of the series! I read this first, and this book actually started my interest in the rest of the books. Much like C.S. Lewis' Chronicles Of Narnia, which was not necessarily in chronological order, I was glad to have read the Elfstones Of Shannara first. Moreso than the other books of the series, I felt this book lock me in to finishing it before I could do anything else. I like how the time in the book seemed to flow similarly to the time it took me to read the book. And I wanted to know the befores and afters of the book. I know I'm not giving much of the story away, and that is on purpose. But this book should be read first,
and then the Wishsong of Shannara, and then the Sword of Shannara. If possible, get your hands on early printings of the series, with characters on the front of the book, as opposed to sweeping landscapes.
Rating:
Summary: Terry Brooks RULES!
Review: I am such a fantasy freak, and I first heard of Terry Brooks through an employee at Annies Book Stop. I read the Elfstones of Shannara over the summer, and I thought it was his most depressing book. I am a big fan of the elves, and I thought it so sad when the Reaper killed all those Hunters that were helping Wil and Amberle. Especially Crispin! I don't like Eretria much. I almost cried when I read the end! I liked it how Allanon took a stronger role in this book. What happened to the Sword of Shannara, eh? I like swords better than little blue stones. I thought this was one of Brooks's best, much stronger than the MAgic Kingdom For Sale-Sold! series.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Book ever
Review: This book Kept me on the edge of my seat. The Characters are well built, the plot is clear, and everything is so discriptive. Some people might say this is kindsa a rip off of The Fellowship of the Rings. Not at all. In this book the creatures are different,and the world is way different.
Terry Brooks ensnairs the senses in a world of Elfs, Demons, Dwarfs and much more.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best epic fantasys around!
Review: I found Elfstones of Shannara when I was9 years old at a used book sale and bought it because I liked the cover. I read it, didn't understand half the techincalities, and fell in loved with it. I carried that big, hefty harcover with me everywhere. I must have read that book nine timesat least since then. Now, at 18, I understand the detailsand love it even more. It was my first real fantasy book (if you don't count Ruth Chewand otherstuff like that) and got me hooked for life. I love this book. After reading out my library's SF/F section and practically living in B&N, it remains one of my all-timefavorites. It's a grand epic of incredible proportions with characters you cannot forget if you tried. Amberle, Will, Eretria, Allanon, Flick . . . the list goes on and on. When I think wonderful epic fantasy, I thinjk Elftsones. Despite y limited suitcase space, Idragged it to Israel with me this year to read yet again, and I eagerly look forward to it. There are scenesin that book that will live in my head forever. No matter what I read, what I write, what books I come to love, Elfstones has always - and will always - remain on the top of the list. It's a classic. I now own 2cpoies - my origianl beloved hardcover and a softie to tote around with me. Buy it, read it, give it to people you love. It's worth it. Elfstones is a treasure of fantasy literature.
Rating:
Summary: Another Brooks Masterpiece... 5 VERY deserved stars!
Review: Ohh... Brooks seems to be incapable of writing a bad novel. This is his ABSOLUTE BEST. It'll make you hate some characters, (Eretia.. grr!) Love them, Make you go crazy.. and such. The battle scenes are extraordinary, the characters are colorful, the plot is somewhat complex- somewhat simple and when you finish it, you'll be thinking about it for days afterwards. This book is everything you can possibly imagine, and more.
But the end.... Alas... I cried like hell!
Rating: 
Summary: Good story, but old ideas
Review: This was a 1980's book, so in those days this was good. Today, however, people are inventing new creatures aside from giant eagles, elves, demons and druids, so the Elfstones of Shannara is old material for me. I also notice that long books (500 pags. or so) tend to spend many words on miniscule details, so people would say it can be compressed to 400 or 300 pgs. and not lose its story. I gave this book 4 stars though because of the reading experience. The events are suspenseful, engrossing, and you can feel the characters, their emotions, hopes, dreams, fears and failures. Brooks writes well. I challenge him though and other writers to go out of the usual.
Rating:
Summary: Much better than the first!
Review: This novel surprised me. Usually when I read a "part2" I end up being somewhat disappointed, and adnittingly I didn't know how to feel about the Reaper being involved... but to my surprise, the use of the Reaper as well as all of the countless demons was a nice twist. In "Elfstones" you have a character (Wil) with more than one purpose... not only to help save the world, but to ensure the safety of the only person able to actually do what was needed. Full of surprises, countless battles (all well drawn out), rivalries inside rivalries, demons galore, a little romance... Brooks has really outdone the first novel in this series. I hope the following are even better...
Rating:
Summary: The Best Shannara Book
Review: This was the first Shannara book that I read, and, unfortunately perhaps, its still by far the best. It has an intriguing, heart-wrenching story line, tense battle scenes, and a passionate yet utterly believable love story. Allanon really shines in this book, unlike in some of the others where he takes more of a back seat. By the end (which you will get to very quickly, despite this book's girth, probably at, say, 4 a.m.), you'll feel emotionally elated and drained at the same time. Unlook Terry Brooks' latest works, which can generally be described as "fantasy schlock, although good as schlock goes," the Elfstones is the closest thing he has written to a true classic.
Rating:
Summary: One in a million
Review: When I first read The Elfstones of Shannara,I was unprepared for what i would feel while reading it. Terry Brooks has managed in this book to convey the feelings of each character to the reader in such a way that they feel them themselves. If you haven't read the book, it's about a tree called the Ellcrys that protects the world from demons that have the power to destroy it. The tree, after thousands of years of life, is dying, and unleashing the demons upon the Elves who created it. The only hope is Amberle Elessedil, a Chosen in service to the tree, who will carry the seed of the Ellcrys to the mysterious Bloodfire to be changed into a new tree. To protect her, Allanon the Druid calls on Wil Ohmsford,who has possession of the powerful Elfstones of faerie. They know that with the demons following them it will be dangerous, and they know it won't be easy to even find the Bloodfire, but they don't know the extent of the impact it will have on their lives. Definitely a book you don't want to miss, the Elfstones of Shannara combines,plot, characters, emotions, and amazing word choice to bring you a story that will instantly plant itself in your heart.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice, but never great
Review: The Elfstones of Shannara gave me the same fealing as the previous one, the Sword of Shannara. It all goes to quick and to easy. The characters don't have the depth you seem to expect when you start reading books from a known writer as Brooks is. It is a good "holiday" book though, you can drop it anytime, do somtehing else, pick it up and go on. What I liked the best of this book are the huge battlescene's. Their the best I've ever read. The only downside to these scene's is the fact that the main character's are really invincible. They kill 20+ opponents every next scene. But ok, it is fantasy. One last thing. Allanon makes me very curious. I want to know more about this druid that lives through the ages.
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