Rating: 
Summary: Poor attempt to imitate Lord of the Rings
Review: Many Lord of the Rings elements are here (imitated ineptly), but none of the richness of that series nor is the reader drawn in as much as, say Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series (either of which I'd rate 5 stars). Brooks is fine for an airline trip, but I wouldn't push it beyond that. This is not a memorable read.
Rating:
Summary: ugggghhhhh.... extremes......
Review: ok, no chit chat , lemme tell you how good/ bad it is.
PROS:
awesome storylines
captivating writing
good plot
CONS:
storylines stolen from LOTR
characters are the same
plot is STOLEN(practically... i mean its almost the exact same things happen w/ diffrent characters...)ok, i must say that these books are awesom,e, and the reading is great!!! but for the other extreme, that is, the fact that it is greatly"influenced" by the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
(sigh)
Rating: 
Summary: Definetly NOT Tolkien
Review: Okay, I realize that for most people J.R.R. Tolkien is the pillar by which all of modern fantasy is judged and so thus is nearly impossible to live up to. But to compare this book with Tolkien is just WRONG!!! (See I can do it too!!!) I'm a huge fantasy fan, and I generally enjoy most fantasy books I read, but honestly I could not finish this book. I tried twice, but there was nothing to hold my interest. There was no emotional attachment to the characters, and in fact they didn't really have an attachment to each other. They have no depth or color. The story is basically a summary of their travels, and the dangers they face, from what I read but then hey, I didn't finish it. I never felt the characters were in any danger, because Brooks forgot one very important rule of writing, don't tell us, show us. Instead of saying they were in great danger, describe the danger. The story is written like this: they traveled for many days, they were weary from traveling and then the giant spider attacked them. The hero of the story uselessly laid there while his sidekicks chased the giant spider off. Then they traveld some more, became weary from travel, they argued, forgave each other, traveled some more, and then they were attacked by gnomes. The hero uselessly laid there while his sidekicks fought off the gnomes...The whole book goes on like this. It was boring, one-dimensional and nothing compared to Tolkien. Maybe Brooks later books are better, I don't know from experience, but if you want a captivating fantasy novel, the Sword of Shannara isn't it.
Rating: 
Summary: So it's not Tolkein - So What??
Review: Over the years I have read many, many "fantasy epics" and I must say that the Sword Of Shannara series ranks up with the best of them. It can't be helped that fans of the genre will make comparisons between series and themes. Does Brooks match up to Tolkein, no I don't think he does, but he tells a story that keeps you hooked right through to the very end and the Sword Of Shannara series is a great example. I have seen many of the elements of the LOTR in a myriad of other authors creations. This is bound to happen when the standard has been set so high as did Tolkein. Buy the books, read them, you will enjoy them.
Rating: 
Summary: 100% Awesome
Review: Seasoned fantasy fans and new fantasy fanatics (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc...) will not be disappointed by this awesome trilogy that can hold its own when compared to similar books in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. Author Terry Brooks takes you inside a world that you won't want to leave. From awesome action-packed adventure to well-crafted characters, this is a book you shouldn't pass up.
Rating:
Summary: Blatant ripoff...........
Review: Taken completely by itself, I might agree that this is a pretty good book, but that is virtually impossible to do if you have read Tolkien.
The story here has so many blatant similarities to The Lord of the Rings as to be pretty pathetic. It's like some little kid wanted to write a book and his favorite book ever was The Lord of the Rings and he just didn't know enough and couldn't help but make his story very much the same.
Come on......in the opening chapters, could the vale sound any more like Hobbiton?......Allanon coming to warn Shea seem any more like Gandalf coming to warn Frodo?.........Balinor and their meeting in the inn seem be any more similar to the hobbits meeeting Aragorn in the Prancing Pony?.......the same "dark riders" coming after him.....Flick and his loyalty to Shea seem any more like Sam and Frodo?....and it goes on and on. I was dumbfounded.......I have never in my life seen a book that isn't just "influenced" by another great work, but is so blatantly similar as to border on plagarism. I'm simply amazed that he has gone on to write so many other books in the Shannara series. Perhaps some of the others do move on to some original material, but how can you get past this first one?
Rating:
Summary: classic
Review: Terry Brooks is one of the best fantasy authors and this book proves it. Wonderful atmosphere, epic battles, memorable heroes&villains.
Brooks is a wonderful author and this trilogy is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Best of the subgenre
Review: Terry Brooks' Shannara series was one of the first doorstopper series, varying in originality and in quality but good brain-candy fun. Now the first three books of his trilogy are rereleased in a hardvcover three-in-one edition, not recommended for people with weak wrists, but for those who like good covers and big heavy tomes. "Sword of Shannara" kicks off the series with the druid Allanon arriving at the peaceful village of Shady Vale, where the half-elven Shea Ohmsford lives with his adoptive family. Shea, Allanon reveals, is the last descendent of Jerle Shannara, and the only person who can use the Sword of Shannara. When dark forces draw closer to Shady Vale, Shea escapes with his brother Flick. They and a band of Elves, Dwarves, humans, and Allanon set out toward untold peril to recover the Sword. "Elfstones of Shannara" starts with the Ellcrys, an Elven tree that protects the world, starting to die. Without its magic, demons will swarm over the world and obliterate the inhabitants of all species, unless a new Ellcrys can be planted in time. Wil Ohmsford and an Elf called Amberle Elessedil set out to get a seed for the new Ellcrys -- but a hideous demon known as the Reaper is stalking them... "Wishsong of Shannara" wraps up the initial trilogy with a new threat to the world in general: Mord Wraiths are going out to attack mankind, and the new Ohmsford hero, Brin, is the only one who can stop them. Her "wishsong" can defeat this evil, and so she comes with Ohmsford and a new band of heroes -- but a prophecy threatens them all. There is no doubt about it -- "Sword" is clearly a ripoff of "Lord of the Rings," and the remainder of the series contains the same ripoff elements. The Elves, Dwarves, evil creatures, even the background of the bad guy are just the same -- dozens of other things, such as Shady Vale and the spiderlike mutant beastie, are reminiscent of things in Middle-Earth. However, Brooks shows a distinct effort to distance himself from Tolkien in the second and third books; additionally, unlike many derivative authors, he also gives a postapocalyptic spin to his story that offers a semi-scientific explanation for dwarves, gnomes and monsters. Brooks also, to his credit, knows how to write. There are some overly-descriptive passages and some long stretches of boredom, but overall he manages to keep the reader's attention riveted. Some scenes, such as one in "Sword" where the various characters are led into a chamber that can cause madness, are written with exquisite skill. He also knows his limitations: Unlike many authors, he doesn't lapse into pseudo-ye-olde-style dialogue in an effort to imitate Tolkien. And unlike many authors who retain the same characters for twenty or thirty books, Brooks alters his cast to keep them fresh. His characters are pleasant enough; some are a little flat, but they're not annoying and a few are outright charming. The loss of a few will cause some heartbreak if readers develop a soft spot for them. And people of all ages can read these books: There is no smut, profanity or graphic violence. The main obstacle for children is the length, but if they have read "Lord of the Rings" or the Harry Potter series it ought to be fine. Terry Brooks is probably the most talented of the derivative-of-Tolkien authors, a pleasant read for those who enjoy basic fantasy tales with a few original bits among the "Tough Guide to Fantasyland" plotlines. Worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: A Major Gripe
Review: The original Brothers Hildebrandt illustrations are NOT included in this re-issue! How can they call this a 25th anniversary edition without the original art?
Rating:
Summary: Great books, I love them.
Review: The Sword of Shannara and the Elfstones of Shannara (have yet to read 'The Wishsong of Shannara') are great books. The crisp details of the battles, and the sharp characterization make these books great. So, it's cliche in a few places, but it's original in it's own way. It's a wild tale, and it kept me entertained for many nights. I even finished the Elfstones of Shannara in a week's time for it kept me so enthralled.
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