Rating: 
Summary: A good begining
Review: This book was great! This was the first Shannara book I have read and it was better than the reviews say. The story pulls you in at the begining when Bremen meets up with Kinson and keeps getting better and better until the final battle. The worst part was how the Sword of Shannara was so powerful it could distroy Bronas shell in one swipe. I found that a little too powerful. Other than that this book was really good. I suggest it to anyone who like fantasy and magic.
Rating:
Summary: Read it? Read it again! Haven't read it? Get reading!
Review: One of the best books ever! Great characterization. A must for Tolkien fans!
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad...
Review: I was (as usual) pleasantly surprised to see Terry Brooks attempt to give us a prequel to his enormously successful and fantastic debut, 'Sword of Shannara'. As I started to read 'First King' I began to think that a few facts brought into evidence seemed out of whack with what had been written before in the original first book ('Sword'). After I finished the book, I went and re-read 'Sword of Shannara' and sure enough, there are just a few places where the facts originally set forth by Allanon were re-written a bit different in 'First King'. Now this is just a small annoyance, but for some reason it really got to me. Other than this, I had to say that it was an exceptional fantasy novel. I also have to say that even though the events pre-date the 'Sword of Shannara' you don't have to read it before beginning the series (although if you haven't read any of them, I would recommend going in order if you can). What Brooks does best is develop characters you can identify with, ones with flaws and problems, sometimes impossibly difficult problems...but that is why we root for them and feel like we can understand with them, they are like US. The bad guys are really bad (in this case, I don't think ANY evil creature in ALL the Shannara books is as bad as the Warlock Lord) and the good guys are good, and there are a few who are questionable...he gets you to wondering whether or not they will step up to the plate when necessary or will they fold and cause a tragedy...well without ruining the story (which should be familiar if you have read 'Sword') some do and some do not (I'll let you find out who they are on your own--it's much more fun that way). Let me just say this: IF you are a Terry Brooks fan, you will probably LOVE this book. If you are NOT a fan of Brooks, you should STILL LOVE this book. I just can't see anyone who is a fan of fantasy not enjoying EVERYTHING written by Brooks...I just can't fathom it. Anyway, 'First King' IS a great addition to the series, and after reading it for the 2nd time, I STILL enjoyed it, but those little details that were altered still managed to get under my skin. If you don't catch them, then don't worry, just sit back and enjoy a great read.
Rating: 
Summary: Straight-forward, Simple, Predictable
Review: What more to say ? Although I am a fan of Terry Brooks, especially the original trilogy and some of his other books, the "First King" brings nothing new to the table, in a predictable, simple fantasy story the precludes the Sword. What happened to creativity in developing and writing a story ?
Rating:
Summary: Fairly Standard Fantasy, but an enjoyable read - Really 3.5
Review: Terry Brooks burst onto the fantasy scene with his fantastic epic, The Sword of Shannara. First King of Shannara is the prequel of Sword of Shannara, and faces the problem of many prequels: you know what is going to happen. Despite this handicap, Brooks weaves an interesting story, creating a believable cast of characters. But, this book may be better appreciated by readers who read this book prior to reading Sword. Character development exists, but it seems that the rich writing that made Sword such a major fantasy event is lacking in King. A lot of time is spent setting up events for the future story to be found in Sword. Naturally, this is the purpose of any preguel, but it does cast a shadow over the storytelling aspects of this book. First King of Shannara is a good book, but does not qualify for greatness. It should be enjoyed by all fans of Brooks' Shannara series.
Rating:
Summary: Great adventure!
Review: One thing I enjoy about Terry Brooks is that I can easily escape into his world. You open up a Shannara book and BOOM! You're there. In my opinion, The Sword of Shannara had a strong backstory, vividly told in that book. This is that full story, even stronger here, because you get to know the characters. Bremen, Kinson, Tay, Mareth and Jerle are all strong characters that you get to care about. Even the smith who forged the Sword was a decent character. You get what you expect here from Brooks novels, well thought out and told battle scenes that are very descriptive and keep your attention. The characters are such that if one gets hurt, it's almost like seeing a friend get hurt. I liked that Jerle Shannara has that inner struggle going on, wondering if fate was right to choose him. Tay was such a likeable character, that he almost singlehandedly lightened up some of the book for me, which mostly is kind of a dark book. The bad guys where rightly evil and creepy. In my opinion, there is no scarier thing to think about than coming face to face with a dreaded Skull Bearer. Shudder! Anyways, if you enjoy Brooks, you're sure to enjoy this. If you enjoy fantasy and adventure, this is right up your alley.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic fantasy
Review: I read the original trilogy at 15. At 30, I have rediscovered Brooks. The First King was exciting. I couldn't put it down. A very enjoyable pace, great plot. I loved it so much that I read First King and the three in the Heritage of Shannara series all in the same month. I couldn't get enough. Now I am reading the Sword over again which is slow in comparison. My only wish is that Brooks would write more in this series. He is a literary artist. His style of writing is as interesting as the stories.
Rating:
Summary: Brooks has still got it.
Review: After the HERITAGE OF SHANNARA series, I was afraid that Brooks had lost his touch with that world. This book proves otherwise. It tells a story of the past and does it well. Like the first "trilogy", this book gets the reader involved emotionally. You care about the characters...deeply, or at least I did. It tugged on my heartstrings and made my spine tingle throughout. The pacing is also very good. The book starts out quickly and continues at a breakneck pace. Not that there isn't time for introspection...there's a lot of that, but not an overabundance. It's definitely a page turner. I think I would have appreciated it more if it hadn't been so many years since I'd read the other books. There's such a sense of history here and Brooks works in a lot of foreshadowing of the other books. Unfortunately, I didn't remember details enough to fully appreciate all of it. The one thing that bothered me about this book was the lack of a map. I got confused sometimes as to where certain characters were in relation to others. Aside from that, this was a very satisfying read.
Rating:
Summary: Introducing the characters and concepts
Review: Terry Brook's writing is, if anything, getting better. This is the prequel to his classic sword and sorcery series started in 1977. It introduces the characters such as Bremen, Allanon, and Cogline. The book is a good read in its own right, and if you have enjoyed the Sword of Shannara,then this one is a must.
Rating:
Summary: Too much, too soon
Review: This is another wonderful book by Terry Brooks. It is a great book to read AFTER the other 7 Shannara books. It gives away many parts of later books in a very blunt manner, taking away the suspense that makes his books so thrilling. If after you read the other books you come back and read this one, it will help you more fully understand the plot, which you will surley still be thinking about months after, while not ruining his other fantastic books.
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