Rating: 
Summary: sleeper, not as good as the elfstones
Review: I remember reading the elfstones first---------it is still the best I say, but the leaps of logic are just plain funny----I mean even in the elfstones baddies can waltz into the good guys castle yet not assassinate the powerful good guys onlythe useless ones, and the angst [stuff] is very fake brroks tries to throw in, kinda barfish, I'd read bard, elric/corum, conan, druss the legend, and odyssey before this crud----but elfstones isn't bad, it just leaves you wanting more---I like rnadom old school magicians but why arent these amgicians using thier power to take over stuff?
Rating: 
Summary: A true feast for Fantasy Readers everywhere...
Review: When I immediately finished 'Wishsong' I felt it was my all-time favorite fantasy novel...I have since re-evaluated my list of favorite novels in this particular genre, and while my list of books has grown by quite a bit over the years, 'Wishsong' STILL remains one of the most entertaining novels I have ever read. I have come to rank 'Elfstones' as my personal #1, but this one comes in a VERY close 2nd place overall. Terry Brooks has taken a new and fresh approach to fantasy writing and how magic works with the creation of a power that is envoked using the talent of singing. Brin & Jair Ohmsford both have been born with the use of the Wishsong as a result of their Father having used the Elfstones in his quest to banish the Demons behind the wall of Forbidding many years before. To Brin & Jair, it is just a simple fun magical tool they play with when their Father isn't watching...but when Allanon makes one of his historic visits to the house Ohmsford, suddenly the power of the Wishsong is no longer a funny little magical abnormality, but a serious tool with which Allanon wishes to use in order to crush the Mord Wraiths on their path to destroying the Four Lands. Before long, Brin joins Allanon and heads to the Eastland in the skeptical hope that somehow, someway she can help. Coming along as her personal protector is another of the House of Leah, Rone. He takes the job of protecting Brin VERY seriously, and no more trusts the dark Druid anymore than Brin's Father does. As a tremendously fun side story, young Jair finds out that he is to be instrumental in helping his sister succeed in destroying the Ildatch, the book with which the Mord Wraiths are gaining secrets of using magic for dark purposes. Before long, Jair is captured and forced East. His uneasy friendship with Slanter, the Dwarf, starts out very innocently, but by the end of the story, Slanter becomes one of the best characters in all of the Shannara stories (in my opinion). We also meet Garet Jax, the Weapons Master who also plays a pivotal role in helping Allanon, Brin, Rone Leah and Jair. There are so many wonderful characters fleshed out in 'Wishsong' that I consider it one of the best of Terry Brooks' novels in character development. We also meet one of Walker Boh's decendants in Kimber and a very large Moore Cat which you can't help but like. All in all, there is very little NOT to like in this 3rd outing in the world of Shannara. This is truly a wonderful adventure told in a wonderful style. Of all of Terry's amazing books (and he has many), as I said earlier, this is easily one of his best. I also must admit that I like the fact that unlike his later stories which contain cliffhangers at the end, his first 3 novels were self-contained, which is a tremendous plus for THIS reader. HIGHLY recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: a great fantasy novel
Review: But not a great sequel. The story pacing is a little slower in this next episode of the famous Shannara series. The reason this is bad is the fact that the story isn't on as epic a scope as the books before it. This doesn't totally ruin the book, but loses character and history development that the other books are known for.
It's quite a good fantasy book, but I wouldn't be as dissapointed if it didn't have the Shannara label. It barely meets the Shannara standards (though anything that gets close to the Shannara standards is great).. so buy it if you read the others. It remains highly suggested.
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: this is a great book that i read when i was much younger. honestly what attracted me to this book in particular (when i had not read the others in the series) was the cover. so i started reading and couldnt put the book down. a great read!
Rating:
Summary: The Best U Can Read!
Review: Hello all! The Master has done it again! We to tell the truth i hated reading until upon chance i grabbed a book in the library called the First king of Shannara..I was instantly hooked and read every last of Terry's books.I think this was my favorite(Wishsong). Yes they all are great, but this one and the Scions were the best. Considering i guess i liked some of the characters the best.I mean come on.. Who could beat Garet Jax? I was in tears and still am! Slanter was awesome and added suspence,Elb,Edain, Allanon,Rone, Helt,Kimber, Cogline..How could u ask for better people and all together? In my mind i like this series better than Lord of the Rings..hard even for me to believe but i couldnt put this down and i even was balling my eyes out at parts..thats somethin rare with me..The BEST. Hail Terry Brooks!! I Hope more than anything is that they make a movie or movies, I would be first in line. Peace and good Reading!
Rating:
Summary: Jair's part was more entertaining
Review: I'll start off by saying that I loved the whole book. The story was well plotted there was plenty of action and magic and all the other things that make for a good fantasy novel. However, I found Jair's storyline to be far more entertaining and it is actually one of my favorite fantasy storyline's. This is mainly because it had more action but also because Brooks introduced two of his better characters in Garet Jax and Slanter the gnome. Overall the book is very entertaining and sets up the heritage of Shannara series fairly well as we see the first stirrings of the Confederacy becoming too powerful for the world's own good.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy addition
Review: I did like the first of the series and the prequel above this one, but only barely. My major gripe is that I don't like calling the magic a "wishsong" - it just sounds too childlike to me, I suppose. However, once again Brooks is marvelous, telling a seamless story even though his characters follow completely different adventures along the way. This book is phenomenal, and if you like fantasy books you really should own the whole set.
Rating:
Summary: Another Brooks Masterpiece... But it could be better.
Review: Brin Ohmsford is... the worst character Terry Brooks has created. She's not exactly likeable, but she's not exactly detestable either. And then there's Rone. He's just stupid. And there you have it, the main characters. Slanter the gnome saves the whole charcter thing with his uniqueness and his ability to really come across as "real". And then there's Garet Jax... He is WONDERFUL! Jair isn't bad either.
Anyway lada lada lada, I did give it 4 stars. It does kind of deserve it. The battle scenes are awesome, the characters... well.. anyway.. the book is an all over success. (But why did Brooks have to kill off the best, butt-kicking character?) Now, that we could have lived without.
Rating:
Summary: Read this for Garet Jax!!!
Review: Garet Jax...thge quintessential fantasy commando...if you like people who are just awesome fighters with vivid combat scenes and excellent personality quirks and issues, read this book!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Pedestrian Fantasy Fare
Review: The Shannara series is famous, and it may be worth reading for that, as it is a big mover in the pulp fantasy circles. Other than that, there is no real reason to read the series. It's not bad, but it's not good. You might be better served reading the Lord of the Rings. If you have already read that, then you have already read a better version of this.
|
