Rating: 
Summary: Best of the Best, Five Stars
Review: Thirteen years ago, my husband read this book and talked me into reading it also. I hated to read, but we I started the book I could not put it down. We named our last daughter Amberly Shea Flatt. Two years ago my husband was killed, since then my son read and rereads Terry's book we have all of them. Thanks for the escape, the excitement, and danger in the safety on our home. Terry's book are nice clean fantasies a truly rare find in this day and age.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but not perfect.
Review: This book is your run of the mill "Get the magic item and destroy the evil creature threatening life as we know it." story. Allanon is an interesting character, but the rest left something to be desired, and I wouldn't miss any of them if they died. The various races are interesting, and aren't the stereotypical Tolkien or Dungeons and Dragons fare. Brooks also does a good job in describing the landscapes of his world. All in all, this book is worthwhile reading, but not a masterpiece
Rating:
Summary: a great book
Review: The Sword of Shannara is a strangely compelling book. It captures you in the first dozen pages like an iron claw and wont let go until you absorb the entire book. I read the book when i was 12, (a year ago) when i was in 6th grade. I forced my friends to read it and even though the 726 pages can seem a little much, they couldnt put it down. The book is of a genre of its own. Fantasy, sure, but Brooks adds that little bit of knowledge that makes you think you have a little video camera looking at all the action. His beautifully described landscapes and villages are the best touch to the book. The characters could be better described, but that is just a minor flaw of this masterpiece, with the forbidding Allonon as the best described character. I have since read all of the series all the way down to Tailsmans (which you should too if you chose to read the Sword.) If you like fantasy and adventure with dark caverns and black magic, this is your heaven. I would encourage anyone to read this book, young or old.
Rating:
Summary: I took it with me everywhere!
Review: This is the best book that I have read since the "Lord of the Ring" series. It had so much description that I almost felt like I was there. There was more adventure in it than any book I have ever read. The characters had great friendship,respect and loyalty toward each other. Everyone was always making jokes about me because I carried it with me wherever I went
Rating:
Summary: Incredible, and lacking in very little
Review: When I read "The Sword of Shannara," I was completely mesmorized. The whole story was extremely captivating. In fact, my parents were actually upset that I spent all my time reading instead of being with the family. I was in my room most of the day, reading the priceless book (and the whole series right down to "The Talismans of Shannara"). I was drawn into the world of the Four Lands and only the end of the book could get me out of it, which, eventually, it did. The book contained some really powerful scenes, for instance, the Hall of the Kings. Never before had I experienced such vivid descriptions, and I could practically see the different chambers. The only things wrong with it were 1) the story needed a little more romance . Not just with Menion and Shirl. and 2) some parts were a little boring, mostly the parts when Allanon was telling the history of the races, etc. All in all, it was a fantastic piece of literature that any fantasy lover would enjoy
Rating: 
Summary: Read the First King of Shannara first.
Review: I am one of the rare few fantasy readers that just can't getinto this book far enough to actually complete it. No, my mind is notsimple. I just can't get past the lack of character development. I felt that Mr. Brooks was trying too hard to avoid sounding Tolkienesque, losing a fair amount of solid writing in the process. When I tell people that it has now taken me over 10 years to get into this book (that is correct, no typo!), they often tell me to skip this one completely and read the next in the series. I have read half of it on more than one attempt, and have now come up with what I consider to be a better decision. This was his first book, and it shows. Persistent as I am, I bought a copy of First King of Shannara. If only he'd written that first. I couldn't put it down (except to write this review). Fewer than 100 pages are left in this journey. I believe my quest to conquer reading Sword of Shannara is finally within my grasp.
Rating:
Summary: Near copy of Tolkien's "Rings" with some redeeming Qualities
Review: First off I'd like to say that I liked the book, it was quite enjoyable. However, it was quite obviously an altered copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, intended or not I do not know. Brooks may have never read the "Lord of the Rings".
The events are nearly identical. One reviewer suggested a timeline to judge the similarity of the plots. This is flawed thinking because if I were to copy a few sentences out of a book in a different order would it no longer be plagiarism?
The characters are also out of Tolkien. Allanon is just like Gandalf in most ways, though Brooks does develop Allanon better than Tolkien developed Gandalf. Both appear out of nowhere and provide cryptic advice forcing people on quests, but Brooks explains Allanon's actions and methods better. The Heroes, Shea and Flick, are weak copies of Sam And Frodo. They hail from basically the same place, The Vale as opposed to the Shire, and eventhough they are human can be easily and most accurately described as Hobbit-like. Except in height, I think Shea and Flick are a little taller.
I have read all the Shannara books up to and including "The Elfqueen of Shannara", and most of the Landover books. Brooks can be a good author
as the better written and ifinitely more original Heritage of Shannara books prove. The Sword of Shannara is enjoyable, but fails to create the atmosphere and caring for the characters that Tolkiens Rings does. I read "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy when I was ten and several times since and I have always loved it. The Sword of Shannara provides answers for some questions Tolkien readers might have asked, but lacks the depth and feeling I perceived in Tolkien's works even when I was ten.
Good, but not great. Anyone who has read and really liked "The Lord of the Rings" can't help but be disappointed. Rating would have been higher had I not read "The Lord of the Rings" first.
Rating:
Summary: the truth is the truth...
Review: Contrary to what seems to be the tradition among Brooks-critics, I am not going to start haranguing this book for being a carbon copy of Tolkien.Not only would that be insulting that master of fantasy, it would be missing the point. Let`s just face it: NO ONE will ever do what Tolkien has done, because he did it. The founder of fantasy is in a class of his own, and always will be; comparisons are futile and worse than pointless. It doesn`t mean other authors aren`t capable of stretching the limits of the genre in a different way. Well, now that I`ve had my lecture... Terry Brooks, while admittedly not the greatest of fantasy writers, is also strong in many areas. His ideas about magic are definitive and never trite, and they always manage to tie in directly to the theme of character development. Unfortunately, character development of any kind is scarce indeed in 'The Sword', and the dialogue tends to be colorless and rather unexceptional. The idea of four races also does not work very well, as there is barely a difference between the four, except in size (the dwarfs are small and thick, the elves tall and thin, the trolls huge, the men nondescript). What saves this book was the ending, a fascinating character study; and I could only regret that the author did not help us appreciate it more by letting us know a little more, throughout the book, about that distant, rather nondescript main character called Shea
Rating:
Summary: A vivid tapestry of words
Review: I've read the rings trilogy by tolkein, and the hobbit. After reading this book, and reading through some of the reviews here, I'm concerned with the reading level of half of the people on the web. If you wanted to throw out any books that had similarities with another, we wouldn't have even 1/10th of the books we have now. Great minds think alike, but while tolkein took more time to develop the personality and mood of his characters, Terry Brooks put more time into the development of his setting. Neither is necessarily wrong, and to think so should make people with any sense send you to the 12yr's & under section of your book store. Terry Brooks acomplishment with the Sword of Shannara or any other Shannara books should not be judged until you've read the majority of them, as they tend to work together. I do agree that I would have liked to get into the characters more, but the richness and depth of the surroundings pulled me even further into the story to the point where I couldn't hear the doorbell 5' from my head. I recommend this book to anybody with an interest in fantasy literature
Rating:
Summary: The Best Told Epic of the Millenuim
Review: Terry Brooks is a great writer, better then, I dare say- Tolkein, the founder of fantasy fiction as we know it. I must say that Tolkein in my opinion isn't a good writer when compared to great writers such as Terry Brooks. Tolkeins might of founded fantasy fiction as we know it but that doesn't mean he was the best fantasy writer; quite the contrary. Terry Brooks has proven this with his very first fantasy book the Sword of Shannara.
He writes it with a mystery bit that lures the reader's interest eternally to the very last page. To the way it is told, trully magnificient. It makes your heart beat when a hero is close to death, or makes you feel warrior-like during a raging epic battle to romantic when another hero awakens to see what will ne his wife to be.
All of these aspects and more are comfortably twined together like I never have seen before I read the Sword of Shannara. You will love this book, the way it's told, and basicly everything about it. And it might look long but trust me it will be over before you know it.
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