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The Sword of Shannara

The Sword of Shannara

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.19
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A most wonderful book
Review: This is one of the most-superb books I've ever read. It is about a young, half-elven elf named Shea Ohmsford, and he lives in Shady Vale. Sadly, all the rest of the world was infested by darkness. He knows little of these troubles, yet he is the only one able to stop it, by using the Sword of Shannara against the power of darkness.
I loved this book because of the superb writing style, and awesome characters. The settings are easily understood and memorable. This book is definitely for a hardcore fantasy reader, and those who understand the English.

by: ????

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This book has no originality...
Review: Sad enough to say, I haven't even taken the liberty of reading this novel, yet just from the descriptions and the complaints that I have already encountered, you can tell right off the bat that Brooks' novel is a complete and utter rip-off of Tolkien's magnificent "Lord of the Rings" novel. The characters and especially the main plot seem to be that of Frodo and the Fellowship's quest through Middle Earth to destroy the One Ring (Except, likely enough, they have different names of characters, lands, and oh, this time it's a sword, not a ring...right). It's a shame that someone should even try to match or better Tolkien's brilliant fantasy; as a matter of fact, Tolkien actually researched Viking, Norse, Welsh and Celtic mythology, linguistics, and many other things, all that can be seen in the historical and mythological aspects and qualities of "The Lord of the Rings." Brooks' novel lacks originality, and no doubt does not even reach the magnitude of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings..." If you want to read an excellent fantasy novel (and an original one as well) I highly reccommend reading Tolkien's artistic masterpiece, because no one can and ever will match Tolkien's world. Tolkien is 'the lord' of the fantasy world; by trying to imitate Tolkien's fantasy epic, it's like trying to rip-off Shakepeare's plays...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Complicated, Surprising, and Original World
Review: I love adventure stories. Those stories where the characters are to trek on and on and on. This is one of those novels, and a very good one at that! Full of descriptions and astounding details, but if you like straight-forward books, forget about this one. Me myself I absolutely love books rich in detail.
Some people may tell you that this book is a cliche or copy or whatever they'd like to call it. I've one thing to tell you; setting. Let's see George Lucas come up with an astounding world in which there are not simply random alien creatures, but far more; astounding, realistic, in-depth landscapes, battling cultures with realistic problems, and everything described down to complete exactness.
Here, Terry Brooks has weaved a new sort of book. A book in which you are not meant to pass the time; you are meant to realize its existence. Philosophies and morals inevident until the character makes their climactic appearance. A cliffhanger, and I really need to get the Elfstones of Shannara.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A book i love with firey passion
Review: The Sword of Shannara
By Terry Brooks

This is one of the most-superb books I've ever read. It is about a young, half-elven elf named Shea Ohmsford, and he lives in Shady Vale. Sadly, all the rest of the world was infested by darkness. He knows little of these troubles, yet he is the only one able to stop it, by using the Sword of Shannara against the power of darkness.
I loved this book because of the superb writing style, and awesome characters. The settings are easily understood and memorable. This book is definitely for a hardcore fantasy reader, and those who understand the English.

by: ????

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: KES Evenstar
Review: It is an imitation of Lord of the Rings, but not as good. The hero is Shea Shannara, who has a brother
who will suffer and die for him and a group made up humans, elves and a dwarf, and a wizard sent to protect him. An evil wizard is covering the world in darkness and there is one weapon that can destroy him. Only Shea can use the sword of shannara, being the only heir of the Shannara family. One human is a king with a dying father and a mad brother with a traiter designing their and their people's destruction. There are battle and war scenes and one character desguises himself as the enemy.
I believe the writer has talent but he doesn't demonstrate it in this book.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Message to Terry Brooks: SHOW, DON'T TELL
Review: Before I begin, I should say I'm a quick reader; my record is a hundred pages in an hour. I'm telling you this so you know what I mean when I say a book is a slow read. For example:

The Sword of Shannara is a slow read. How slow? I read it for about two weeks. I'm on page 65 of 700, less then halfway through chapter IV of XXXV (that's 4 of 35, for those that don't know). And I'm done. Finished. I'm not reading page 66; I'm not finishing chapter 4. And I don't nomally like stopping unless I'm at the end of a chapter. Don't like stopping, period, really. But here, I'm just going to forget the whole thing. Why?

It's dull, that's why. Dull, dull, dull. I'm reading about people being chased through the woods by huge things with sculls tatooed on their face, and my mind's drifting. Couldn't care less. That's not what's supposed to happen.

Show, not tell, is an important rule that the narration has forgotten. It's omniscient nature, where we never glimpse inside peoples heads but get the gist of what everyone thinks, is dull and uninspired; the traditional, rotating third-person narration, where we know all of what one character sees and thinks, is used more frequently for a reason: you look through the charecters eyes, not God's.

The plot exposition is done poorly in addition. The events of the past are not hinted at or shown, as in other books; we are instead treated to a remedial history lesson where the Wise Man character tells the characters what they clearly already knew just so the reader can be bored out of his mind learning it. This would be a good time to note that the world the story takes place in uses the stock creatures of normal fantasy. And those are just a few of the complaints

Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps if a reader looks beyond the dull style, trite dialouge, and painful background, he will discover an epic plot that will thrill the reader and make him wonder what fate has in store for this cliché fantasy world. Perhaps, I'll come back to this book one day (at gunpoint, most likely) and find that I was wrong about the whole thing, and that this is a great book.

Until that day, I'm not opening the book again.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Lacking in Necessary Literary Elements
Review: I began this book with high expectations, I admit. I thought that it might be up to the calibre of Tolkien, or like the enjoyable Dragonlance Sagas. As I commenced reading it, I also began to wonder. The writing style was rather juvenile in the first few pages, reminding me somewhat of some rather terrible fanfiction I have read. I figured, if so many intensely enjoyed this book, it must become more interesting.
I'm at the middle of the book now, and admit I haven't finished it. But by the middle of the book, I expected to be immersed in the story, unable to put it down. Especially when I'm in a climatic situation and my copy is placed in front of me, yet I have no desire to finish it.
First, the names are absolutely horrendous and predictable. Allanon? The name conjures thoughts of Alcoholics Anonymous! Flick is too reminiscent of Flint from Dragonlance. All of the characters are intensely underdeveloped. Shea and Flick don't have personalities of their own, though most of the time the story is told in their points of view. What happened to the dislike between Menion and Flick, anyways? It was incredibly prominent at the beginning, but now they seem to coexist quite happily. The Elven Brothers are simply fillers, I can barely remember their names. One has a sad story about a young wife waiting, but that was stated in a mere paragraph and never hit upon again.
This story is missing such necessary literary elements like suspense, drama, and whatever that mysterious force that pulls you seemingly inside the book is. The characters have a lack of emotion, so when one is lost, there is no dispair spent on them. One remains nonchalant and lackadaisical about it, and just begins to expect that they shall be all united again in a dozen pages anyways.
The language is boring, the conflicts predictable. Speaking of conflicts, Terry Brooks preaches many times about how all of the races despise each other and are secluded. Yet when the Elven brothers, Hendel the Dwarf and the Humans meet each other, they have no reservations. Good books must have some sort of conflict within the characters, or their relationships seem empty. I believe that Shea should feel like some sort of misfit, being one of mixed descent, but there is nothing.
As I above commented, Brooks' language is dull and monotonous. A good writer does not use the same adjective twice in ONE SENTENCE! He relies on descriptive words that grammar school teachers try to shy their students from using. Big, for instance.
Another one of my problems is the lack of women. Though Tolkien did the same, he did include women of power throughout his books: Eowyn, Galadriel, Arwen. If Brooks has mentioned a women more than just the name of a wife yet, I will be surprised.
One last word: Allanon relies on this mysterious "blue fire" that simply shoots out of his fingers on various occasions. Blue Fire must be the biggest cliche in fantasy writing I have ever noticed. Then, whenever possible, he conjures up a shade to tell him the future. His powers are impossible even in the fantasy world, and it is annoying.
The only reason this book even deserves two stars is because of the parts he just about plagiarises from JRR Tolkien. I am grandly disappointed.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Enjoyable Fantasy
Review: Note: This is an updated review from the one that I wrote in early 2001. I have read through the book again and have developed a different opinion than my previous one, which was an unfair one. Enjoy.

"The Sword of Shannara" is one of the classics of the fantasy genre. It is one of the first epic fantasies (or high fantasy, if you will) that were written after "The Lord of the Rings." Because of this the book has developed a love over the years because it was the first bestselling fantasy novel to make a major bestseller list and fans of "Lord of the Rings" were looking for something just like it. And that's what this novel is, it's just like "The Lord of the Rings." However, I will get into a defense for this book later on in this review, so watch out for that.

As for the plot of this adventurous novel, this is it: In Shady Vale, a little area of Brooks' fantasy world, Shea and Flick Ohmsford are living enjoyable lives. When the mysterious Druid, Alannon, comes to find Shea, they are scared. Shea is told about the Warlock Lord and how he is plotting to win over the races and rule the world. The ancient sword, named The Sword of Shannara, is able to kill the Warlock Lord. The sword can only be used by a relative to Jerle Shannara, a long dead elf of old times, and this person happens to be Shea Ohmsford. Along with a band of other people, dwarves, elves, and men, Shea sets out to find The Sword of Shannara and to kill the Warlock Lord.

Many of the characters in the novel are extremely well written, while others are just the typical heroes that can be found in much of fiction. Shea and Flick are probably the most developed characters as we are able to get inside their heads. Alannon is a Gandalf-like figure but is a very cool character to read about. His mysticism is something that makes you drawn to him. Some of the villains that play big parts in the book are well developed, too. But then there are the characters that are just put in on the side to get some sword fighting in, like a few of the people in the group that set out on the quest for The Sword of Shannara. These characters are people that are not easily cared about and played minor roles, not neccesarily "filler" ones, though.

This novel is very similar to "The Lord of the Rings," but that didn't bother me. I found the complelling characters likeable and I wanted to know what would happen to them, so this was one aspect that kept me reading. Many of the characters shade Tolkien's characters, as well as plot devices, locations, and the general plot. Terry Brooks was a huge fan of "The Lord of the Rings" and I feel that he was writing this novel in reverence to Tolkien. ... So, read this book as an enjoyable fantasy adventure, don't pick at every little thing that is similar to Tolkien.

Brooks' writing is very enjoyable to read. This novel flows along very quickly and before you know it you'll have these 700 plus pages finished; I know I did. "The Sword of Shannara" is an enjoyable fantasy classic. It is not a masterpiece, but it is thoroughly enjoyable.

Happy Reading!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Couldn't finish it
Review: I found this book to be a painful read. The characters emotions jumped all over the place. In one paragraph after Flick and Shea expend all their energies escaping the mist monster, the dreaded Black oak forest, and then lost their guide and friend after which they fall exhausted to the ground. When they awake they smile and joke with each other congratulating themselves for their success and in the same paragraph Flick see's the obvious bitter disappointment in Shea. What???? All this happens and they are making smalltalk and kidding with each other like they were going out to see a movie??? I could never tell where the characters were at emotionally. After that I sludged through a couple more chapters but finally gave up. Maybe the recommendation to stick with Tolkien has some merit?
When I shared my criticism with another avid fantasy reader he assured me that Brooks has improved as a writer and so in all fairness I am going to pick up a more recent writing effort.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A little less than mildly entertaining, ...
Review: First of all, how in the world did Brooks get away with writing this so called classic?! It was almost exactly like Tolkien's masterpiece The Lord of the Rings. It ripped off everything from the valemen, being timid and weak, like the Hobbits, The tall mystical gaurdian Allanon, a character almost exactly like Gandalf. The skull bearers, unusually synonomous to the Nazgul. And Hendel the battle-hardened dwarf, exactly like Gimli. Also Balinor,not quite king of the border town Calahorn, oh yeah, he was also an experienced fighter and ranger/scout, kind of like Aragorn. There are so many other things, so let me list all of them for you. The mist monster, like the water guardian to the mines of Moria, the Elven archers curiously resemble Legolas, The Warlock Lord, kind of like Sauron, The Skull Kingdom being like Mordor,Shady Vale, almost exactly like The Shire,Im sure I missed some, but you get the point.Don't waste your money on this LOTR clone, instead, go out and buy the real deal.


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