Rating: 
Summary: Not very great
Review: To those who think Terry Brooks is the "Fantasy God," read my story. I had read this book last year, and I thought it was the greatest fantasy book ever. I reviewed it and gave it five stars, and all the subsequent Shannara novels I loved. I read others' reviews and some said this book was a blatant copy of Tolkien's epic. I couldn't believe it. Shannara was one of my all time favorite fantasy books.That was before I read Lord of the Rings. After I finished that brilliant tome, I decided to reread Sword of Shannara. I was very disappointed. Instantly I noticed some flaws. The druid Allanon. Has anybody ever noticed his temper? I got disgusted when Allanon got angry. His mood is completely unrealistic, and it changes as often the time of day. The dialogue also was unbelievable. At times, it almost seems as if the characters are speaking the language of Middle Earth. Furthermore, I was annoyed with the character Panamon Creel. Something Shea might have said resulted in Panamon's "uncontrollable tears of laughter for many minutes." I mean come on! I did enjoy the first half of the books story, however, because there I felt as if there actually was a quest. The second half of the book, the quest was seemingly abandoned and everyone split up. The defense of Tyrsis was also painfully tedious. The more and more I read, it got more and more predictable. Another thing I didn't like was Brooks' portrayal of the Warlock Lord. Unlike LOTR, where Sauron remained mysteriously unseen, Brooks gave a definite character to the Warlock Lord, and therefore defeated the mysteriousness and sinister aura of the enemy. I was hardly impressed with a floating cloak surrounded by "green mist." It would have been a much more interesting and original story had Shea been an experienced and BRAVE warrior, the party size greatly reduced, and the storyline centered chiefly on the search for the Sword of Shannara. The space filler with everything regarding Tyrsis could have been omitted with little to no impact on the Sword quest, which seemed to be second priority by the middle of the book. I think this book is centered more on younger ages, and those in search of a real fantasy book should read Wheel of Time or Lord of the Rings.
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT SERIES
Review: I loved reading this series probably more than any other i've read. This book however is Brook's least original and has the least potential for re-reading enjoyment. It seams he was still learning the ropes on this one but his full talent shows throughout the rest of his books. Essential to read this book and get started on this great series though!
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastically Creative
Review: I am new to the fantasy world. I recently read all of the Tolkien books as well as the origonal Dragon Lance Chronicles. This book was by far one of my favorites. Brooks was origonal, descriptive, and involved the reader every step of the way. I can't wait to read the rest of Terry Brook's books.
Rating:
Summary: Brooks does have some potential...
Review: The first three hundred pages of "The Sword of Shannara" were very enjoyable for the most part, but after that the book just went downhill. Brooks started the book of very good, and the following quest was done very well, but when they reached the castle everything seemed to drag on and on. I say Brooks has potential because he does write well and grips the reader, but that formula seemed to wear off during the middle of the novel. He had some good magic ideas too. The elfstones weren't bad, but they seemed much too childish. The writing for the most part was very good though. The world that Brooks has created is not fascinating, but kind of enjoyable. He does lack on a lot of description, and that can keep people from enjoying the novel. I was not able to see the world in my head very clearly because of that. The things presented in the novel came mostly from Brooks' imagination, but the quest and all seemed much like Tolkien's style of writing and story. Maybe lack of originality was a reason why I didn't enjoy the book. And sometimes the story got very, very boring. I think that the main thing that happened with the story is that Brooks was not able to hold the reader in suspense as he did at the beginning. One of the only aspects of the novel that I enjoyed were the characters. I very much enjoyed seeing the usual fantasy creatures appear, as well as some new ones that Brooks created. I enjoyed the character of Alannon the Druid very much. Alannon was the most thought out and realistic of all the characters. One of the only original aspects of the story that I enjoyed were the tombs that they passed through. One thing that Brooks does include in the novel is character development. Every single character in the novel is built on and can be felt for. If someone was about to die I had my eyes closed in agony. This is one place where I did have feeling. So, "The Sword of Shannara" is not one of the best fantasy novels around, but then some may disagree and enjoy it. Maybe it was my tastes that kept me from enjoying it? Who knows? But the one thing that fantasy fans will most likely agree on is the lack of originality. If you like books that are like a rehash of Tolkien works, then you are bound to enjoy this. If you're looking for something new and original, keep away from this. So, good luck.
Rating:
Summary: Another Great Book
Review: The Sword of Shannara is lacking some exciting parts at the start it will surely drag you in later, a true fantasy book. A must get. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy books. The Sword of Shannara is about Shea, the main character of the story and his brother Flick going on a trip to recover the Sword of Shannara from the evils. One night, his brother Flick was going home to Shady Vale when a man by the name of Allanon joined in with Flick. When they got to Shady Vale Allanon told Shea that he was a descendant of a great Elf ruler known as Jerle Shannara. He also told of a man named Brona who had mastered the art of sorcery. This sent Shea and Flick upon a journey to find the Sword of Shannara to stop Brona, the Warlock Lord. They later meet up with other characters such as Menion Leah, Balinor, Dayel, his younger brother, and a dwarf named Hendal.
Rating:
Summary: TOLKIEN WANNA-BE
Review: So far I've seen three authors (Brooks, Jordan, and Goodkind)that have used what I like to call THE TOLKIEN FORMULA. Here's how it goes: Some people in a little village, ignorant of the world. One day, a stranger comes to town and says, "There's evil in the world and YOU'RE going to be the one who's going to stop it. Then they get swept off on this grand adventure and usually the stranger dies or we are led to believe that the stranger died. The village runt learns what he really is and kills the bad guy at the end. I find it interesting that all the authors that have used this formula have had great success. But between Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind and Terry Brooks, Terry Brooks does the worst job. This book started out interesting, but before long I was just able to guess what was going to happen. I KNEW that the sorcerer-stranger was going to "die" and then get brought back to life. I KNEW the good guys would win. As a result, there were very few surprises. Brooks' world is BLAND compared to the worlds of Jordan and Goodkind and Tolkien. He hardly spent any time at all describing the landscape. As for the storyline, Brooks lacks there tremendously. Utterly predictable, boring, nothing inventive or exciting. I remember while reading this I was thinking, "I can't wait to finish this stupid book so I could read EYE OF THE WORLD for the THIRD time." If you like the Tolkien formula, read TOLKIEN, JORDAN, OR GOODKIND. NOT Brooks.
Rating:
Summary: Need to even out a table? Have insects that need killing?
Review: I am, I suppose, a masochist. What other reason would I have to finish this lengthy piece of insomniacs gold? The characters were certainly not memorable. I could have cared less whether the characters lived or died. There was little motivation and internal dialogue between the characters. They all moved predictably. I think the only character I cared at all about was Rock Troll. Certainly subtlety is not one of Brook's strongpoints. This book plods. It does not flow. Please, I know good fantasy can be hard to come by but try Donaldson, or George R. R. Martin. Or in a slightly off subject arena, Robert Anton Wilson, but please for the sake of your mind, skip this book, unless you have a sofa without a 3 -inch leg. Then, by all means, it is a perfect fit.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for teenagers and adults as well!
Review: This book and the others of this series are great. My teenage son, my eleven year old son and I as well can read them and enjoy them. The Sword of Shannara is a page turner in every aspect. If you like adventure, romance and fantasy, this is the book for you. It is a great escape for me from the rigors of everyday life to read something that truly takes me light years away from the daily grind. Terry Brooks is a great and talented author. Also, this book is free from profanity and the filth that permeate much of the literature today. (If that means anything to you. It was a great selling point with me.)
Rating:
Summary: awsome
Review: wow, i absolutely loved this book! trying to find a good book for school, i piked up a dusty book, obviously a fantesy. within 2 minutes i was hooked, this is by far my fravorite book of all time. nomatter whether its the description of the horizon ar the epic battles between gnomes or rock trolls, this is mezmorizing. its easy reading for ages 10 and up, im only 12 and finishing within weeks and thinking about it for months. i reccomend this to anyone. and the shannara trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: The best book ever written
Review: I picked up the Sword of Shannara in history class in ninth grade...that was seven years ago, and i still can't get enough. This book is for everyone. It's got AWESOME battles between good and evil set on giant fields that turn red with blood where magic and weapons flare. It's got ROMANTIC stories that unfold between characters throughout the story. It's got characters that we can all relate to. Some search for truth, some characters search for love and some are just along for the ride. This is a book that i wasn't able to put down for a second. I read it between classes...at lunch...when i got home...and then when i finished this book, after i did my "wow's" and my "oh my word's," i couldn't wait to get into the next book...So if you like fantasy, or you're not sure if you like fantasy...read this book. It will truly change the way you look at life.
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