Rating: 
Summary: DRAMA AND ACTION, TERRY BROOKS STRIKES AGAIN
Review: 500 YEARS AFTER THE FIRST WAR OF THE RACES MAN HAS RETREATED
TO THE SOUTHLAND, THE DRUIDS ARE NOT LEAVING PARANOR, AND
THE DWARVES AND GNOMES ARE LOCKED IN COMBAT. THE PERFECT TIME FOR EVIL TO STRIKE. BRONA STRIKES QUICKLY. ANILATING THE DRUIDS, SLAYING ROYALTY, AND PLUNGING THE
ELVES INTO TOTAL CAHOS. THE ONLY WAY TO DEFEAT HIM IS
TO CREATE A MAGICAL WEAPON THAT BRONA CAN NOT SURVIVE AGINST.
CAN BREMEN DO IN TIME TO SAVE THE FOUR LANDS?
Rating:
Summary: Terry Brooks, master of storytelling, weaves his greatest.
Review: Once again, Terry Brooks masterfully weaves his storytelling magic in The First King of Shannara, the eighth installment in the popular Shannara series. A prequel to the series, this book embodies the classic fantasy world in which the battle between good and evil predominates in the story. Brooks, master of his art, allows these "Tolkein-esque" elements to form only the backdrop of a solidly forged epic, powerful and moving, allowing readers to embrace characters as only Brooks can create and develop them.
In great detail, The First King of Shannara answers many of the questions raised in previous books: the fall of Paranor and the Druids, the forging of the Sword of Shannara
, the discovery of the Black Elfstone, the origin of Allanon
, and more. Hundreds of years after the First War of the Races, the outcast Bremen, the last of the Druids, is the only force that convince the people of the Four Lands that their only hope to prevent subjugation lies in uniting -- and in using the magic they fear above all else.
Whether dedicated fan or first time reader, this novel will enthrall you, capturing your full attention and binding
you to the web woven by Terry Brooks. This book in the least deserves the highest recommendation, and connot be done justice by any summary, however massive. Only by personally experiencing the latest work of Brooks can one understand the wonder and proportion of it.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic Fantasy Series Revisted
Review: Fans of the Shannara series will recall vividly the first work of Terry Brooks, almost 20 years previous, as if they read it yesterday. That is the power of Brook's work. He employs a powerful technique of character and plot development that can be best described as "Tolkein-esque." He now employs his technique once again to draw on his own classic series of novels to approach the questions that could only be answered by a prequel. However, series readers will be once again be able to embrace a richly detailed fantasy world where the battle between good and evil form only the backdrop of a tightly woven web of classic fantasy writing. New readers will be drawn into this web and will find themselves unable to put this bookdown. Terry Brooks had managed the literary art of the "cliffhanger" and knows how to keep his readers engrossed. Fans of his writing should not hestitate to add this work to their collections
Rating:
Summary: one of the best!
Review: Although I am still in the procees of reading this book,
I have to say, it is one of Terry Brooks best! I have been
yearning to learn of how it all began, and finally, it has
been revealed! If you haven't read any Terry Brooks books
before, now is the time to start! You will become a fan if
you aren't already! As always, Mr. Brooks holds me in
spellbinding captivity with his absolutly wonderful work!
nortina bell
Rating:
Summary: Could not put down
Review: As the latest of the Shannara books Terry Brooks does a wonderful job of answering many of those questions that have dogged us since we were first introduced to Shea and Flick. For the first time experience to this world or as the latest book in the ongoing saga of the Shannara line you will enjoy this book. Many of our questions are answered and many more are posed as we experience the very beginning of the saga of the battles against the warlock lord and the ongoing strugle of good against evil. One of the all time best series
Rating:
Summary: A TRULY SPLENDID BOOK. HOURS OF ENJOYMENT.
Review:
The First King of Shannara is the eighth installment in
Mr. Brooks' magnificent Shannara series, yet it is actually
a prequel to the series. In this book, many of the things
alluded to in the in the preceding books are revealed in
detail: the fall of Paranor and the Druids, the forging of
the Sword of Shannara, the discovery of the Black Elfstone,
the origin of Allanon, and more. Whether or not you have
read the other Shannara books, this book is still extremely
thrilling. I cannot recommend this book enough.
Rating:
Summary: The ultimate battle between good and evil.
Review: The one time druid, Bremen, goes on a quest to prove the Warlock Lord is alive. Too bad nobody believes him. With a band of characters how will Bremen save the day. Especially when all but a few of the druids at Paranor, the druids keep, have been wiped out. Hope and time are running out for the races with the coming of the Warlock's coming darkness
Rating: 
Summary: Average, Predictable....
Review: I listened to the audio version of Firstling of Shannara, and while I enjoyed the narration, I found the story a little boring and predictable. For some reason the plot just failed to grab me. In the story there are elves. There is a dwarf. There is a druid muttering some mystic mumbo-jumbo. They are out to find/forge the sword of Shannara, and everyone is reluctant. Reluctant to become involved, reluctant to believe, reluctant to wield the sword properly. Reluctant to fall in love.Relationships are passionless and handled poorly. The three major romantic relationships featured in this book are quite dysfunctional. Tay loves Preia, Preiea loves the king Jerle, the King loves Tay's sister who is married, Merrith loves the ranger who is supposed to be 40+ years old? Ech. The only person I actually really liked was Bremen. I felt sorry for him and the pain/sacrifice he bore at times. But the rest of the characters had as much personality as department store mannequins. Look. If a story is going to have romance in it. Make it ROMANTIC. The romances were hasty and very contrived. Not quite up to par with the rest of the books. And what's with all the female character's being called 'girl'? The author refers to Preia as 'the elf girl' and Merrith as the 'druid girl' but the male characters are all called 'men' come on now. These characters are WOMEN. Lets call them such, shall we?
Rating: 
Summary: A big disappointment
Review: I must say that I found this book a real disappointment, given the standard of the rest of the series.
The plotting is thin, the action weak and the characters predictable. It reads like it was written using a fantasy-by-numbers manual and the cliché meter turned to the `on' position. Chunks of it are dull and full of padding.
It is only worth reading for completeness and, to be frank, even then it doesn't add anything really significant to the canon.
If it was a book other than in the Shannara series then I would only have given it one star.
steve
Rating:
Summary: Great (what do you expect?)
Review: This, like all of Brook's Shannara series books, is wonderful. I am glad that Brooks took the opportunity to write this prequel. It gives the reader a look into the past and into the characters and ancestors that started the story that continues through the Shannara series. The characters are very well developed and rich, without the droning on and on with descriptions that some authors fault. You learn little bits and pieces at a time about the characters and story that continually make you go "Aha! So that's why....." Moves along at a great pace and keeps you wondering, but with enough hints that you wait for the characters to find out if what you are anticipating is right! There are also plenty of "I didn't see that coming" moments. I recommend the entire SHANNARA SERIES for anybody who is looking for a wonderful fantastical world to read about. However, read this book in the order of publication - don't read it first.
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