The original Shannara Trilogy - The Wishsong Of Shannara

These books are entertaining with great characters, a great plot, and good adventures. As with other books by this author I find that I skip over several pages at a time when the characters reminisce, when their minds wander to retell the story, or the scenery becomes extremely descriptive . The book could do with at least 100 less pages and still be as good.

The best book of The Orgininal Shannara Trilogy, this one goes out with a bang and some more unique storylines. I loved how the wishsong came about because of events in book 2 and that the decendents are the ones that pay the price of our decisions (life lesson anyone?). I also enjoyed how similar the siblings were, but at the same time those similarities came across in different ways to make the very unique.

There were still some very classic fantasy elements worked into the story. We have our group of heroes thrown together by circumstance, all powerful evil magic bad guys, and power and redeption comeing from the most unlikely of places.

A great way to finish the first part of this series.

It is inexplicable, but the world of Shannara has a potentially world shattering crisis every generation or so, and it all unfolds in basically the same way. You get the feeling that you are reading the same story over and over and over. And it's true. You really are, and he even admits it a little bit in this story.

The biggest problem with the "Shannara" trilogy I've seen, is that all three books start the exact same way, which just happens to be a condensed version of the way the Lord of the Rings starts. All three books model many of the traits of Tolkien's world and the heart of each of the stories share the same fundamental plot tree (although each plot has some unique twists and turns to get from A to B).

If you can ignore this annoyance, each book has its own merits and its own lands to reveal, and they each make some token (if not Tolkien) effort to differentiate themselves as their stories progress. However, having the same intro and same base plot to all three stories really makes a lot of people kinda wishing that he had tried a little harder there, myself included. Still, if you let this frustrating fact consume you, it is hard to appreciate what Brooks has done here with 'Wishsong.'

'Wishsong' gives us Brooks best use of magic to date, with a creative form of magic performed with a song containing some phenominal abilities. This seems to be the norm for this book, where Brooks tries hard to flex his creative muscle, while still in too many ways remaining bound to his 'formulaic' approach to storytelling.

'Wishsong' takes some risks, by allowing major characters to die, and changing the plot up enough at various points to make it somewhat more interesting than previous attempts. Overall, you really get the sense that Brooks wanted this one to be something different, something better and more original than the previous works, while recycling what he felt was his some of his better stuff. Almost like, "Wouldn't 'Sword' would have been better if I did this, instead of this... etc." Sword of Shannara: Director's Cut.

Yet, 'Wishsong' struggles hard to assert its independence of the other three through improved character development, with the best Ohmsford yet with Jair, and a good vote for the best pair with Brin and Jair. Not does he manage to pull of some interesting characters in the two, but their names don't actually sound utterly ridiculous. Brooks also pulls off three of his most memorable sidekicks with Slanter, Garrett Jax, and Cogline. Rone Leah could have been the best Leah character yet, if he had been properly developed. But, if that had been done, he could have easily outshined his quest buddy Brin, and that might have broken Brooks' magic formula for novel writing. Alas, we will never know. As is, Rone is nothing special, and Brin gets diluted by the split story.

The Kracken was not new to literature but new to the story, and the Jachyra was definitely something interesting. Other than that, having a book as the main bad guy led to an interesting finish, even though the Mord wraiths and the mutens seemed a little too generic.

'Sword,' 'Elfstones,' and 'Wishsong' should never win any awards for plot line. 'Sword' was really quite weak with plot, 'Elfstones' was creative, but also full of holes, and 'Wishsong' is really a more creative retelling of 'Sword.' People who would like a complex plot that doesn't seem to have been created by a 'fill in the blank' approach should try some of Brooks more recent works, or better yet, avoid Brooks altogether. It just isn't his strong suit.

Overall, thanks to the great characters and interesting reimagining of the plot line, this book was really quite good. I loved it, but I love this same old tired plot for some reason. The reason it falls short of expectations is it is a rehash, and therefore has no real potential on its own. If you were going to read one book of the three, this would probably be the best one to read. It explains all that happened (the net effect) in the first three anyway. Recommended.

Wishsong of Shannara is the third book in the Sword of Shannara trilogy and with this book author Terry Brooks magnificently puts his talents together and has woven a solid conclusion to the trilogy. The land is ready to enter a new era without the threat of the dark magic found the first trilogy.

Wishsong follows the tradition of the descendents of the Ohmsford bloodline needed to fulfill a quest. Brother and sister Bryn and Jaire Ohmsford are well-developed, intriguing characters that the reader becomes attached to. Also, the supporting cast of characters is outstanding.

An ancient warlock is stirring and the evil book, from which he acquires his dark power, the Illdach, is still in the four lands. Allanon is last of the druids and he wants Bryn Omsford to accompany him and use her birthright and magic, her gift of the wishsong, to destroy the book. When her twin brother, Jair learns of the danger she faces, he goes to find Bryn before the book can corrupt her.

The trilogy is brought to its dramatic conclusion in Wishsong of Shannara. The plot is monumental and the climax of the story arc is intense inasmuch as Allanon's story seems to be come full circle as the age of the Druids passes into history. Terry Brooks has written an exciting and engaging novel that incorporates events of the previous two books. This is a fine read and a nice finish to this part of the series.

For me, both the Elfstones and Wishsong (to a lesser extent Sword) were the two books that really set the foundation for me that I was a fan of epic fantasy. I had not read too much fantasy prior to that. Once I finished Wishsong, I plowed through all of Terry's works.

This book as with Elfstones has so much in great characters, creatures, magic, and locations including: Mord Wraiths, Brin, Jair, Cogline, Rone, Allanon, elfstones, gnomes, Slanter, Garet Jax (the weapons master), Paranor, Hadeshorn, King of Silver River, Heaven's well, Maelmord, silverdust, Edain Elssedil, Foraker, Helt, Kimber the moorcat, Ildatch, and so much more. In addition, the battle scenes from small to large are great. I was definitely invested in the story and everything happening seemed very visceral. Overall, just a really great story. This is definitely worth the read. Recommend for sure.

Jeff
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The final part of the original Shannara series, Wishsong continues the story of the Ohmsfords and their relationship with Allanon. Once again evil magic threatens the Four Lands and Allanon appears to do battle with it. This time he seeks the services of Brin Ohmsford, the daughter of Wil and Eretria. Wil's use of the Elfstones during his defense of Amberle in the Elfstones of Shannara have left their mark in him: by passing on the elven magic to his children. Now the magic is not contained within an object, but inside Wil's children: older sister Brin and younger brother Jair. It takes the form of "the Wishsong" (so termed by Brin), a magical ability that can make anything Brin sings for happen. Jair has this ability too, but to a lesser extent: for him, the power is one of illusion only. Allanon needs Brin's help to defeat the Illdatch, a book of ineffable damnation and long the source of evil magic in the Four Lands. Allanon intends to find this book and destroy it once and for all, but he needs Brin's strange magic Wishsong to succeed.

This effort by Brooks comes on the heels of his best book in the Shannara series, and seems a bit flat in the very beginning, with old, familiar scenes: a dark and stormy night, evil shadows slipping around, the appearance of Allanon, evil in the land-oh, my! But the story line quickly picks up as Brin and Allanon set out on their epic journey in the company of Rone Leah, a descendent of the Menion Leah from the first book. Left behind, Jair quickly runs afoul of the forces conspiring against his sister and realizes that the danger is more than either of them realize. And off he goes to try and find his sister and Allanon to warn them of their danger. Before long he is caught up in his own quest to save his sister from the evil allure of the dark magic and to cleanse the land of the evil taint.

Wishsong delivers the old Brooks standards of a racing storyline, poignant self-discoveries by the protagonists, and of course, a great supporting cast. Slanter, the gnome who seems to be an outcast from all the races of the lands, finds hope through Jair's sacrifices. We meet Cogline, an irrascible old coot living in the middle of nowhere with strange powers and ancient knowledge that belie his wild mannerisms and appearance. But the best of all these characters is Garet Jax, the Weapons Master. A mysterious figure misunderstood by almost all the other characters, Jax represents the ultimate single warrior. He has never lost a fight no matter what the odds. He appears to flat through most combats in the book, dealing out indiscriminate death almost effortlessly. But in true Brooks fashion, the Weapons Master is not the hard unfeeling character he seems: he feels empty, unchallanged, and agrees to help Jair reach his destination only becuase he is promised in a vision a chance to win the ultimate combat.

At times this book seems to drag a bit, although nowhere near as much as the Sword of Shannara. Despite an obvious decline from his second book, the Elfstones of Shannara, Brooks proves that he can still deliver a solid storyline with interesting characters even when he's not exactly on his A-game. This book is a great read, and as one would expect, sets the table for future Shannara series while delivering a definite end to the first trilogy. Terry Brooks has shown that he is one of the premier fantasy writers of the last 20 years, and with this book finishes his first trilogy with a resounding crescendo. I highly recommend all of these books, the frequent clunky parts of Book 1 are well worth the pain, thanks to Books 2 and 3.

The wishsong is the third of the Shannara books that I have read. It follows the tradition of people of Ohmsford bloodline needing to fulfill a quest. My mom and I are enthralled with the series and have gone on with the Scions of Shannara wich takes place 300 years later. I know that alot of people are wondering how many times you can tell the same story and how many different ways can it be told without being boring. Well the answer is apparently many, many times. If you don't stop to think about it you don't know that you are reading the same basic plot line. Brin and Jair are the perfect example of the older sibling thinking she can handle it all. As she sets off to take the Ildatch from the Mord Wraiths Jair realizes that she can't do it alone and sets off to help her in some way. After some guidance from the king of the silver river he knows that he has to use his version of the wishsong to save her from becoming the Ildatch's slave. This book is exactly the kind of book that has adventure and yet is still slow enough to let you know what is happening. I like this book because it is the kind of book I love to read. And even though it has trolls dwarves and majical things that is not to be held against it. I would reccomend this to someone who is into majic, adventure, and has a lot of time on their hands to read. This is a great book and I couldn't put it down for more than a minute.

Borrowing from a failed second Shannara novel, never published, Brooks wrote Wishsong. Allanon is back and this time calls upon Brin Ohmsford to help him. The Illdatch, ancient book of dark magic is sending forth the evil Mord Wraiths to take over and destroy the Four Lands. The Eastland is being poisoned by it's evil power. Only Brin, who has the power of the wishsong (a consequence of her father, Wil using the elfstones). Only the wishsong can get them into the Illdatch's lair and it is the only way to destroy it. On the journey to the Eastland also is Rone Leah, Brin's friend. They set off leaving Brin's brother Jair behind. But after an attack he is also on the run. And after a warning from the King of the Silver River, he also starts a journey east hell bent on saving his sister from a fate worse than death. Along the way with both journey's we meet new charcters like Garett Jax. We also meet Cogline (a failed Druid) who is a center piece in the next tales and his grand daughter Kimber Boh. And the moor cats are introduced too. And the gnomes have a bigger part too.

Really this book is about family and the power a bond between sibling can achieve. Brin and Jair are really the centerpiece and their love is the most powerful magic of all. For a interesting epilogue to Wishsong read "Indomitable" which is in the Legends II collection.

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.

The third and final book in the trilogy is wonderful book. I don't think it's quite as good as the Elfstones of Shannara but it's a pretty exciting tale nonetheless. Allanon is back yet again to fight a new (sort of) evil that has showed itself with the intention of destroying the lands of Shannara. There are two main stores in this book, the journey of Jair Olmstead(?) and Brin Olmstead(?). Both are extremely interestesting and exciting. There is a ton of action but not so much that they don't have time to develop the main characters. It was awesome to see both Jair and Brin mature through the book along with Slanter, the gnome.

If you are looking for an exciting trilogy that you will have a hard time putting down, if you are looking for great action, plot, great characters and a little romance then this is the series for you. All three books are exceptional!!!

This series is great for younger readers as well, while there is a lot of action and battle scenes there is no swearing and no sex, implied or otherwise. It just goes to show that you can make a great action series without filling it with garbage.

I can't wait to read more form Terry Brooks in the future!!!

Out of the original trilogy of Shannara novels, "The Wishsong of Shannara" is possibility the best of the three, though certainly not Brooks's best overall (not that his best is groundbreaking literature anyway). As one of the early detractors of Tolkien, Brooks's "Shannara" series caters to the fantasy buffs that just can't get enough of noble quests against evil - but with likeable characters, fast-paced narrative and some genuinely intriguing components stirred in Brooks's works aren't a complete plagaristic waste.

Something makes me keep coming back to Brooks's work each time he publishes a new book, that I can't explain (and it's not just the fact that my father loves him, buys his books and then passes them on to me). At this stage, I've simply become invested in his created world, but I know better that to enthusiastically recommend his work. The facts are twofold: 1. Brooks unmistakably bases heavily on Tolkien's work. 2. Some people don't care about that. You should know by this stage which category you belong to and whether you want to continue reading this review or not.

The great-granddaughter of Shea and the daughter of Wil (the protagonists of the first two books in the series), Brin Ohmsford is called upon by the Druid Allanon to undertake a mission for the sake of the Four Lands. Her father's use of the magical Elfstones in the previous novel had an extraordinary effect on the capabilities of his children: both Brin and her brother Jair have magical abilities based in song. Coining it "the wishsong", Brin and her brother simply have to sing for whatever they wish and it will occur. Brin is the stronger of the two since her singing actually causes reality to change, whereas Jair's is based in illusion, and so it is she that is called upon by Allanon.

The Druid tells her about an ancient book known as the Ildatch, which is the root of all the evil that has ever plagued the Four Lands; the tome which corrupted the Druid Brona into becoming the Warlock Lord. Although Brona was destroyed in "The Sword of Shannara", the book's existence is still a danger to those seeking out power, having already created a new kind of evil that has been set loose in the world. The mission is simple: to find the book and destroy it.

Brin sees little choice in the matter, and sets out with Allanon and her friend Rone Leah to do precisely that (stopping for a couple of detours to the Druid's Keep and the Hadeshorn to complete Allanon's own mysterious errands). Jair is not happy about being left at home, but is soon caught up in his own adventure when he runs into two strangers: a Gnome called Slanter with whom he forms an unusual friendship, and the King of the Silver River who has a task for him that coincides with his sister's fate.

Brooks is initially more interested in Jair's story than Brin's, as the first half of the book is devoted more to Jair than his sister (who simply follows Allanon around for the first part of her adventure), but soon things balance out to explore the inner struggles of both siblings. Brin is a thoroughly likeable young heroine and has a place in modern-fantasy history as the first female protagonist of the genre. Kind, clever, brave and resourceful Brin has her weaknesses too and as such comes across as a three-dimensional character. She's backed up nicely by the loyal Rone and her brother (the sibling relationship in particular is strong despite the fact they spend most of the book apart, and is necessary for the completion of the plot).

Brooks is terrible when it comes to writing romantic connections between characters (I still wince when I think of Bek and Rue in "The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara"; and other couplings such as Par/Damson and Pen/Cinnamonson aren't much better), infusing too much corniness and melodrama into his love stories. But here, the romantic placing of Brin and Rone is fantastically done, simply because it is so understated. Instead of falling in love during the course of the story, Brin and Rone are *already* in love at the beginning of the novel (though they're not fully aware of it) and just beginning to express it to one another. So instead of mushy nonsense, there is simply an unspoken bond between them that is palatable. Brooks *shows* us that they love one another, instead of relying on long-winded declarations of love that pop up in both earlier and later books.

So our three main characters are very good - but any and all supporting characters are sadly lacking. Allanon is there, the same as always but surprising developments remove him from the story reasonably early on. Jair's followers (made up of an elf, a dwarf, a man, a warrior and a gnome) are never developed enough to make us care about them, and though Slanter is given a "crusty gnome with a heart of gold" persona, it comes across a little corny. Likewise, Brin is joined late in the game by a psychotic old man named Cogline and his bland granddaughter Kimber whose presence in the story isn't really justified or explored. (Cogline will turn up again in "The Heritage of Shannara" series with a complete personality shift).

As always, the biggest criticism of Brooks's work is its borrowings from Tolkien which go beyond the typical fantasy scenario (a detailed imaginary world, a quest narrative, good against evil, magical spells). With Brooks several things are so obviously taken from Tolkien that it's painful - the cloaked and hooded "Mord Wraiths" (who are also called "Black Walkers") for example. Even the concept of the wishsong is swiped from Tolkien (who in a throwaway passage mentions that Elves can create visions from the sound of their singing voices).

Unfortunately the concept of the wishsong is a flawed one. It is difficult for any author, not just Brooks, to describe the sound of music and song, and so to make it the main focus of your novel is a little foolish. In this case it gets even more confusing, as Brooks never gives us any clear indications of how it works or what it sounds like; for example he mentions that the wishsong is composed of words, but we never get an example of what these words are. On top of all this, it's quite disconcerting to imagine characters in terrible danger that save themselves by...singing. Sounds like something out of a Disney cartoon. It's not that the wishsong is a bad idea; just that it is clumsily handled within the course of the story.

But despite my complaining, "Wishsong" is a solid story that is sure to entertain established fans of Brooks's works. When read as a complete series (seen in the context of past and future publications, including "The Word and the Void" trilogy and the upcoming "Armageddon's Children") Brooks's work is a fascinating history of a world with *very* close ties to our own. As a complete series, Brooks is in control of his created-world, and as such "Wishsong" also provides set up for further books in the series (namely the Sword of Leah and a strange ritual performed on Brin, both of which will not come into play till the next series, long after the two characters are dead). With this ongoing "master plan" in play across such a massive length of time, it is hard not to get sucked into Brooks's creation.

While the three books of the Sword of Shannara Trilogy read as individual stories each with definite beginings and endings, The Wishsong of Shannara provides excellent conclusion to the trilogy. Each of the three books has different main characters and very individual plots and would be ejoyable reguardless of the reading order. In the Wishsong of Shannara, the trilogy is brought to its dramatic conclusion and the land is primed to enter a new era without the threat of the dark magic found in the first three books. Allanon's story seems to be told in full and the age of the Druids passes into history.

The Wishsong of Shannara is a very exciting and engulfing novel that has everything of the previous two books. Brin and Jair Ohmsford are well developed and intriguing characters that the reader can really become attached to. The supporting cast is awesome and the plot is monumental. The climax is (in my opinion) the most exciting of the trilogy. This book will not dissapoint.

The final book in Brooks' first trilogy is, unsurprisingly, his best of the three. There are still times that I find his stories become a bit too bogged down with lengthy, repetitive battle scenes. I also became a bit put off by the fact that the plot device of having Allanon withhold secrets and the protagonist reluctant to use magic is repeated in all three books. But, these two criticisms are overall minor. I loved the use of sibling protagonists in this book, and also appreciated that, once again, a female was a main character--and in this case, an even stronger one than her male counterpart. It's refreshing to see in fantasy series whenever I come across it, although refreshing might be the wrong term for a book written in 1985. The character Cogline is a welcome addition to the series, and he adds the perfect amount of comedic charm that this dark and often sad book needed. A great finish to a series!

Ahh...at-last.... We reach The Keep. Journey to the hidden storehouse of knowledge, protected by the Druids. Allanon risks all in this episode of the series! You will sit on the edge of your seat, as Allanon and company attempt to enter the last refuge of hope for the enlightenment of humankind (and otherkind). Read "The Sword" & "The Elfstones," first...then, kick-back with this one on a cold, Winter day. Writing these reviews convinces me that it is time to re-enter Brook's world, once-more. I deeply respect and admire Terry Brooks, a man who dissed a career in Law to take-up a quill and parchment. His writing is very enticing...his words draw you into the story, and you cannot escape his world. Tolkien got me through Middle school and Terry Brooks helped me survive High School, although I must admit I read Tolkien again and again--however, Terry Brooks is the only author I feel that I can mention beside the name of the master. This novel is not a "Lord of The Rings" nock-off, it is completely original. If you are looking for copy-cat stories, you should look else-where--although, the series does contain some of the same creatures and humanoids (sort-of), they are very original and exciting. I agree with the Future scenario, because of certain buildings and such that are encountered during the journey....our world devastated and rebuilt with Magick. One aspect of Brook's series that I feel very attracted to is the character Allanon, a Druid that sleeps for centuries or decades and awakens when he is needed. I have always felt a strong connection with this character.... Interestingly, this mysterious character guards a secret Storehouse of Knowledge and strives to save humankind from the Demonic Forces that want the world to live in Ignorance and Despair.

The third in the series, Terry Brooks decides to replay the first in the series without the Sword of Shannara and in the Eastland. He makes it interesting, though, by adding the wishsong. This gives godlike power to our heroine Brin, but the main hero, Jair, gets to go through a much tougher adventure. While Brin has to fight temptation, Jair gets to fight an army of bad guys. This allows for some interesting situations, but it's still not quite as good as the Elfstones of Shannara. The ending is very unrealistic; I don't think a hostile army in a fortress will run away from some hostile commandos who slaughtered a bunch of the comrades and killed their leaders. No, they should all have been dead at the end, but hey- how can you have a sequel them? The book is still very good though, and I will reread it many times

Three... That's the answer given by Terry Brooks as he presents the third installment of the highly popular Shannara series. The Wishsong of Shannara sees yet another quest by a descendent of the Half-Elf family Ohmsford under the watchful eye of the great druid Allanon. Yes there is a great evil threatening the lands, yes they need to seek something out to stop it, yes Allanon arrives in Shady Vale, yes no-one trusts him... etc, etc. If it sounds like you've heard it all before, it's because you have - the whole plot, and the narrative devices are virtually identical in every way to it's predecessors. I found myself reading the opening few chapters in disbelief that the exact same things were taking place yet again with only a few aesthetic details changed. The Sword of Shannara presented an absolute wealth of potential to it's readers - characters, lands, creatures, races, a great back-story and some nice themes. But all of this just gets wasted by sequels that are nothing more than a re-hash of the same story. The legacy of the series is not enough to carry this novel. Yes we have loved the characters and the ideas that Brooks has developed, but they are only ever going to be as strong as the story and situations you put them in. If all he's going to do is the re-work the same old tired quest idea, then we're going to get bored. Wishsong is the point where that boredom kicked in for me. Brooks hides behind his winning formula at a time when the series really badly needed a massive injection of fresh ideas, and I was very disappointed.

Brooks proved himself capable of writing an original story with the first two books of the Shannara Trilogy, and he never falters here. While I didn't like this story as much as the other two novels, it was still well worth the read.

The history of the Four Lands and the origins of the Druids unfold in good fashion; Brooks paces the unfolding of mysteries that become revealed to a great extent here. Brin seemed to me to be a little less developed than her brother and counterplot protagonist, Jair.

While I appreciated the struggles that Brin, Allanon, and Rone went through, the staying power of this story was in Jair and the characters that surrounded him. Brin didn't really go through enough struggles to grow as a character as much as Jair did.

Allanon has always been a stable character that continually pleases the reader with his knowledge and abilities to overcome his enemies and his charges. Rone seems to be a shadowy copy of Menion, though...same temper tantrums...same brashness. As I said before, Jair was the lifesaver. He went through so much, and I could instantly empathize with his love and concern for his sister. His relationship with his kidnapper-turned-comrade Slanter is new and refreshing to the Shannara series, and the favorite of the book seems to be the Weapons Master, Garet Jax, who has been Brooks most "neat-o" butt-kicking good guy to at this point in the novels...with the exception of Allanon, of course.

The best part of Brin's journey was the meeting of Kimber and Cogline. Cogline was a humorous and fresh addition to Brooks line-up of original characters...and his importance to the Shannara children makes his appearance here classic. Jair's comrades such as Helt, Elb Foraker, and Edain are all well-developed characters that remind you of the comraderie of the first book, and the most descriptive scenes are those in which Jair and his protectors fight against Gnomes and Mord Wraiths.

The change that comes over Allanon and the closing of the trilogy are skillfully done, and Brooks still left me wanting more.

The continuing story of the Shannara legacy.
This time, we see an interesting adaptation of the magic that runs through the Ohmsford bloodline. It now manifests itself in the Wishsong! 1 child can create powerful illusions, the other - actual change! You can guess who the story revolves around in the fight against an ancient curse.
However - what I liked about this story is the fact that we find out more about Allanon - and the price he has to pay to be an ancient protector and law keeper. We witness too his vulnerabilities as he takes a huge gamble at none other than Druids Keep.
An interesting twist to the tale.

I have to preface by saying that these Terry Brooks books (a fun little phrase in its own right) are a guilty pleasure of mine. Most everyone says that they are ripped off from Tolkein, but I disagree. These are more like "Tolkein Lite" or "Tolkein Cliffs Notes." The thing is, I can't read and enjoy Tolkein. I will now pause for gasps from hard-core LOTR fans. I read and enjoyed The Hobbit, but The Fellowship of the Ring bored me to tears. When I picked up The Sword of Shannara, I LOVED it, not realizing at the time that it was basically LOTR repackaged. You know what? I still love it. Brooks took something that didn't interest me and turned it into something that did. I am ok with that.

This review, however, is about The Wishsong of Shannara, the third book in the series. I must admit, I think this one is the weakest of the original (I use the term loosely) trilogy. Sword was a great start and Elfstones was, to me, the strongest entry and a very good read. Wishsong felt like a book that he was contracted to write, so he dug out his notes from the previous two installments and churned out another novel. There was, however, one thing that made Wishsong worth it for me. That one thing was the character of Garet Jax. I love that guy. His skill. His hubris. His ability to do what no other could. He fascinated me the first time I read the book and he fascinates me still. It's not as if he has any depth to him. He just has that one thing, and he does it better than any other living creature.

I enjoyed this book for what it was: a light read filled with decent action and a satisfying conclusion. While I do love to delve into great fantasy, and while I do like to be intellectually stimulated, occasionally I want the equivalent of an action movie with little or no plot. That, folks, is what we have here.

I unfortunately had one of the major plot twists revealed to me before I read it, which now probably added to my somewhat dissatisfaction with that person and this book. This, however, is not a negative review. I liked some of the elements of this story very much, but a great deal of the story reflected similar elements in the first book. Which, granted was probably intentional. But instead of the series moving forward, I felt I was often doing a comparison of the first and third book. I really liked some of the side characters in this book, they added color. Unlike a great deal of epic or high fantasy where the side characters have no function other then just rounding out the setting or taking up space. Certainly an entertaining book, but not the equal of "Elfstones".

I think that this book was well worth reading. It was different then the first two books in the series cuz Allanon is not some invincible all powerful superhero. He is a lot more vulnerable and human in this book. And also in this book, there are 2 heros from the Omsfords and one from Leah. In this book Brin has to get the Eastland and find this evil book that is messin with the world. She has to destroy it. And her borther finds out that she in in trouble and he is the only one who can save her. So there are two jorneys going on in this book. The one thing bad about this book is that one of the characters is not in it enough. Garet Jax seems like a very interesting character but he isn't talked about a whole lot. I wanted to know more about and it left me feeling frustrating. But still, this was a great book and I think that you should go out and buy it or rent it ... and read it.

This book is a funny mix of amazingly creative stuff and a sense of deja vu. After reading the other Brooks Books, this one comes to lack originality in such things as characters and enemies being replicas of the ones before, with new names. The storyline is great however, and I love the plot twists involved in following Jair and Brin on their seperate quests, with a dark but compelling ending.

That said, some things in the story really seem outa place, like why they have such a hard time getting allies for battle when one generation earlier Jair's FATHER was involved in an epic war with demons. Who forgets that fast? Also, I thought the Lizard creatures were a great addition, but it is spoiled in the fact that they are mentioned only in this book, and then they disappear from the series. It tends to take away from the story when things like entire races can dissappear.

Definately worth reading, regardless of the repetativeness, there is enough fresh stuff to keep the reader intrigued.

Upon reading the first two Shannara books I feel that Brooks has set a very high and demanding standard for himself. A standard, I'm afraid he failed to match in the wishsong. Although by fantasy genre standards it's an enjoyable read, but if your expecting it to compare to some of his other novels then you will be disapointed. I felt that with some characters (such as Garet Jax) Brooks did'nt allow them to interact with other characters enough and they only seemed intresting when there was action involved. Also I think he did'nt focus enough on Roan Leah, who right from the beginning you feel may be an essential charater, but was later all but forgotten.
But there were some good points to the book. The action was pretty good, and the exploration of the East land. And I felt that it rounded the hertitage of Shannara off quite nicley.
Its worth reading only if you intend to read the entire series.

While Mr. Brooks sometimes suffers from repeating himself in overall setting and plot, that doesn't detract from the epic story he has here. In my opinion, this is the culmination of his career, never to be matched again. For though Wishsong is similar to Sword and Elfstones, Brooks adds in the character that throws Wishsong over the top: Garet Jax. I can say either little about him or write a book, so I shall restrain myself. Suffice to say that Garet Jax is the person that we all wanted to be, but never were. He is a Hero in the true sense of the word. Add in Brooks' masterful storytelling and wonderful style and you have a fantasy masterpiece.

This is the third installment of Terry Brooks trilogy. I just couldn't get into it. After reading Elstones of Shannara this was a complete let down. It continues the story of the children of the heroes of the first two installments, but it just didn't measure up. Terry Brooks is a great author and some of you may enjoy The Wishsong of Shannara, but I wasn't one of them.

With the third book in the Shannara series, Terry Brooks finally manages to put all of his talents together. The first book in the series was not very well-written, but was propelled by an exciting story. The second book was much better written, but lacked the sheer readibility of the first. In Wishsong, Brooks puts these two talents together to create an exciting story that is also very well-written and populated by interesting, and for the most part, well-developed characters. As well as being a good fantasy series, the first three Shannara books are also an interesting study in Brooks' development as a writer

Yes! Finally a book which is almost equal with that of 'The Sword of Shannara'. Although, it had a slightly repetitive look at the beginning, and the bridge scene, the rest of the book was very original. This book intoduces two very interesting secondary characters, which are developed very well. These are Garet Jax the 'Weapons Master', and Slanter the gnome. I especially liked the Slanter character because he was grouchy and grandfatherly at the same time towards Jair, and his constant whining and arguments with Jax were hilarious. Another great aspect of the novel was Rone's sword and his addiction to it's power. There were many great scenes in this book, such as when the heroes try to sneek through a Gnome camp to get to a Dwarven castle, and the climax of the story. Cogline also was hilarious and added comedy to the story. (He reminds me of Fizban from the DragonLance series)
There are a few downsides to this book, though. The main one being that Brin and Rone were'nt developed enough. This also goes with the Mord Wraiths. For some reason I didn't find them as frightening as the Skull Bearers from the Sword of Shannara. Also, some of the characters in Jair Ohmsfords party were not developed at all, past their names and skill in battle.

The Wishsong of Shannara is about Jair and Brin Ohmsford.They embark on seperate adventures,Brin to destroy the Ildatch a magic book hidden deep in the Maelmord and Jair to save Brin at Heaven's Well from death fortold by the King of the Silver River.On their way they fight Mord Wraiths,ancient beasts,and other mysterious creatures.I like this book because it has lots of action and adventure.Plus it has a great plot and keeps you on the edege of your seat.I think it's the best book out of the ones that I've read.(I've read The First King through The Scions and I'm reading The Druid)

I love how the author keeps with the lineage. Too many times authors will try to continue a series but the characters change to much and the reader looses enterest. Terry does a great job of letting the reader get to know the characters envolved in his works. I loved the whole series of the Shannara books. I am glad I read them for it furthered my loved of the fantasy world. Where there are creatures and beings one may never know about. Terry does a great job as well with making the reader belive in the characters he creats weither it be human, elf, wizard, etc. or something more dark and evil.

This novel continues the ambivalence that I feel toward Brooks' writing. He is a good writer as far as style, plot progression and character development go. All of these strengths are present in this book. However, his glaring weaknesses of unoriginality and being too simplistic also show up strongly. Brooks is the kind of writer I feel like I should like but he always gives me reasons to view him as just an average fantasy writer. If you've read the series this far, go ahead and read this to finish the triology--just expect more of the same.

The third and final member of the original Shannara trilogy, The Wishsong of Shannara is truly an epic fantasy novel. Like all of the Shannara books, it is set the distant future, after a series of massive wars destroys all of the technology in the world, in a place called the four lands. It is set 20 years after The Elfstones of Shannara, the previous book in the trilogy. At 504 pages, it is the shortest of the original story, although longer than Terry Brooks' later Shannara works.

It begins when the druid Allanon comes to take Brin Ohmsford, the daughter of the star of the previous book, Wil Ohmsford, on a quest to destroy the villainous Mord Wraiths using her Wishsong, a magical singing power that she and her brother, Jair, had acquired due to their father's overuse of the Elfstones in the previous book. Allanon takes Brin Ohmsford and her friend Rone Leah to Paranor.

Meanwhile, a gnome tracker comes to the Ohmsfords' hometown, Vale. Jair ends up trying to escape from him by heading to the city of Leah, which Rone's family rules over. He ends up being found and captured by the gnome, whose name is Slanter. After Jair is rescued by the legendary Weapons Master Garet Jax, Slanter decides to join up with him and the three of them continue east toward the Eastland.

During this time, Brin, Rone, and Allanon manage to reach the Valley of Shale. After being dipped into the waters of the lake known as the Hadeshorn, Rone's sword, the Sword of Leah, becomes much more powerful and can now kill Mord Wraiths, as demonstrated slightly afterward when one attacks. The three of them then head to the Druid's Keep, Paranor, which has been overrun by evil gnomes and Mord Wraiths. Allanon makes the building vanish into another dimension where it remains until the next series.

Meanwhile, Jair and co. end up at the Silver River, which has been polluted by the evil of the Mord Wraiths. When they spend the night there, Jair is visited by the mystical King of the Silver River, who tells him that he needs to travel to the Heaven's Well, the source of the Silver River, to purify it again and be able to save Brin from a danger she is going to get herself into. In the morning, Jair and Co. head out to Culhaven, the dwarven capital.

While this is happening, Brin and Co. enter the Eastland from further north, through the Wolfsktaag Mountains. After making it through there without incident, they come upon a river known as Chard Rush, where they are attacked by a monster known as the Jachyra. After the battle, their journey becomes much more difficult.

Meanwhile, in Culhaven, Jair acquires three new members of his group: the dwarf Foraker, the elf prince Edain Elessedil, and the borderman tracker Helt. From there, the group of six journeys to get to the Heaven's Well through the southern area of the Eastland.

This book is different than many other fantasy novels for the simple fact that it is set in the future, making its timeframe more comparable to Sci-fi novels. It isn't quite as horrific as the Elfstones of Shannara, focusing more on the fantasy aspect. Although there are still character deaths, which seem to affect the reader more due to the fact that the characters that die in this, as described in the conversation ""Is he dead?" Jair whispered, barely able to make himsel speak the words.

The Gnome bent close for a moment, then drew back again "Yes, boy-he's dead."" The character deaths in this book seem sadder than the ones in Elfstones, especially since one of my favorite characters in the book dies.

The two main characters in this story are Brin and Jair Ohmsford. Brin and Jair's heights are compared in the sentence saying that Brin was "a tall girl-taller than her parents or her brother Jair, nearly as tall as Rone Leah". Their temprements are compared later in that page, when it says "All that Brin lacked was her mother's fire. Jair had gotten that. Brin had her father's temperament, cool, self-assured, and disciplined". Brin's wishsong is more powerful than Jair's. Jair's wishsong can only create illusions and images, while Brin's can create things that are real.

The epic battles between Allanon and the Jachyra, Garet Jax and his one true adversary (whose identity I will keep secret so I don't spoil the story), as well as the shocking final battle are excellent. So is the idea of the trilogy's final villain, who had been the mastermind behind the Warlock Lord of The Sword of Shannara and the Mord Wraiths of this book. The Wishsong of Shannara will be enjoyed by any fantasy reader who loved such works as The Lord of the Rings, because it is a great fantasy novel filled with action as well as twists and turns. This book was so rivetting, I didn't want to put it down, so I read it in a quiet place, chapter by chapter, capturing each detail.

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.

This series is more than the Hobbit ,but JUST less than the Lord of the rings. It got better and better as I read more and more. I am now searching for the next book in the series. I know you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Terry Brooks burst onto the fantasy scene in 1977 with his Tolkien rip-off "The Sword of Shannara". Despite an unoriginal plot, the book was fast-paced, well written, and throughly gripping. In his second book, "The Elfstones of Shannara", Brooks proved he could write an original, compelling story. Despite the extraordinary success of these two books, though, they don't hold a candle to "The Wishsong of Shannara", which proves that Terry Brooks is, without a doubt, the finest hack-and-slash fantasy novelist there is.
I have read every single book Brooks has written, and I believe that Wishsong is his best work, bar only "The Elf Queen of Shannara". The plot is the strongest element in the book, which throws in some very intriguing twists to the standard "reluctant hero saves world from bad dude". His characters also are much more compelling than those in his first two books. But beware getting too attached to them: Brooks has a tendency to kill off some of his characters.
Anyone who purports to be a fan of hack-and-slash fantasy (ala Terry Goodkind or David Eddings), who hasn't read Terry Brooks yet is in for a real treat. Brooks is a master of the genre, and "Wishsong" is Brooks at his absolute best.

Terry Brooks sure knows how to build to a climax. The last 100 pages of this book were some of the most exciting I have ever read. And I agree full-heartedly with Jair's way of thinking - No way does Garet Jax loose his last battle! I could not bring myself to give this book 5 stars though. Brooks' writting seemed rushed in places, and the character Stythys was a painfully-obvious clone of Gollum from The Hobbit. Still, for those who loved the first two books like I did, this is definitely fun.

Brin Ohmsford has always had the Wishsong, which allows her to control living creatures, but she has never thought much of what that meant until the appearance of the Druid Allanon. He tells her that her gift could save the world, which her family has had a tradition of using magic to do. What neither of them realize is how dangerous her ability will prove to be, and what price must be paid for its use.

Outstanding Third book in the series.

Some Magic certainly does still exist in the Ohmsford Bloodline in this latest generation - which IS THE POINT of the repeated visits by one of the greatest fictional Wizards ever created. Allanon's role in this 'future' earth is clarified in "The WishSong of Shannara." And Brin, the couragous and rightfully confused heroine, is not too unlike teens today, caught up in their own little universe and totally unaware of their own "wishsongs."

I wonder if several hundred years from now there might not be a real "Cogline" with some left over "magic" from the 21st Century. And I wonder what kinds of names will really be used to describe the different "races" at that time (..."trolls" ??? ... maybe, most likely to demonize the enemy during warfare... just like today... and yesterday.. and the day before that... lol).

This is a wonderful, edge of your chair, finish of the trilogy! A combination of love, friendship and trust.
So deserving of 5 stars. You felt like you were right there, every step of the way! Beautifully written and skillfully woven with the first two books.
Thank you Terry Brooks for the hours of sheer delight!

Bad books need bashing, unfortunately through singing.

The descendants of the elf boy etc. in the first couple of books are now needed to save the place from a Tome of Evil. Of course, your manipulative magic druid guy is still around to make suggestions Inheriting magical talents is one thing, but having to sing them? No thanks there, ancestor people. Each book in this series gets worse.

This audio version of the third book in the series features the fine voice of Charles Keating bringing to life Mr. Brooks' characters. Brin Ohmsford and her brother Jair and their quest to destroy an evil book, the Ildatch. With fine characters and a strong story, this is a great conclusion to a fantastic series, began with the Sword Of Shannara and continuing with the Elfstones Of Shannara.

Although Brooks seems to always repeat the main ideas of his earlier books (you know, Allanon asks Ohmsfords to help him with their magic to destroy something nobody believes in...), the story remains good. This book was better than The Sword of Shannara but didn't quite live up to Elfstones. Still, the idea of the Wishsong was unique and Garet Jax was a nice touch. I recommend this book to all fantasy fans.

Though I liked the first two, I am generally tired of Brook's format. A Character(s) is taken from a small town, and gathers together a small party in order to find an artifact that will banish evil, while armies battle it out elsewhere. It seems that it's the same story with different characters and locales. Read Elfstones of Shannara, but leave this one

I was bored. I needed something to read there were many unread books such as Robert Jordan's The Eye Of The World but I just could not get into the book so i still looked through the bookshelf most of the books I had already read until I came across this one The Wishsong of Shannara by Terry Brooks. The cover was cool so I decided to start reading it....from the first page I was hooked this book does not have too much description like most fantasy books these days and has plenty of action and it is a very easy to read book the only authors that are still around to match Terrry Brooks today are Terry Goodkind and George R.R. Martin. I recommend you read this book!

If you have already read the sword of shannara and the elfstones of shannara and thought that they were great books, leave this book on the shelf. Instead of being titled the wishsong of shannara, Brooks should have titled it "The sword of shannara again". The plot was the same old rehashed plot we've seen before, but minus all the great characters and adventures of the sword of shannara. I basically forced myself to finish the book just to finish the trilogy.
What really bothered me about the book was that the characters were horrible. Rone Leah was the biggest dissappointment. All he did was cry about the sword of leah the whole time. Also, why the hell did Jair care about slanter so much? Brooks tried to force the relationship between those two and it left me feeling really uncomfortable each time they spoke together. (frodo and sam uncormfortable). I was kinda suprised they didn't kiss each other. Another dissappointment was the weapons master. Here was a character with some potential, but Brooks didn't embrace the potential for this character. In all, I would avoid this book if possible.

Hey, this is yet another great book by Terry Brooks. It is about the singing of a brother and a sister that one can create images, and one that can make things happen in real life. These two and many more join up to kill an evil book that helped create the Warlock Lord and is now in possesion of the Mord Wraiths......

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?

I first came across the Shannara series in the library in June, where I had the luck to find all 3 books in the Voyage series. I took them home, fell in love and devoured them. Having finished them in the space of three days, I was gagging for more Terry Brooks, and rushed to buy the Sword trilogy from the bookstore. I found that I had to force my way through Sword, but then enjoyed Elfstones immensely. Then I came to Wishsong. And gaped in disbelief as I realised that it was exactly the same as the other two, but with a slightly different storyline, and protaganists with slightly altered names. But even they had the same traits as previous Shannara heroes. Rone Leah was Menion Leah with a better sword. The elf and the dwarf were just that, an elf and a dwarf, with as much personality as a piece of stale bread. Even the trademark borderman was exactly the same as all the others i.e an underdeveloped, cardboard cutout with sword action when needed. So much could be done with the world of Shannara, yet each time I pick up a new Shannara novel, I am dissapointed and left feeling cheated becausse they are all the same. Plot details are rehashed, characters, bloodlines and relationships are always the same. It seems that Terry Books is taking part in a bet to see how many times he can get the same story published as a new book.
On the other hand, dissapointments with the characters and plot left aside, Wishsong was still an entertaining read, and kept me occupied for a few days. But it could have been so much more. Please Mr Brooks, do something different with the Shannara universe.I would be incredibly happy never seeing another blasted Ohmsford again.

This book was excellent, I've read it several times and I have enjoyed it everytime. I loved all the characters in the book. Brooks does an excellent job of keeping all the books connected, and this is what makes the Shannara series so compelling to read. this book is one of my favorites.

Wishsong was unfortunately boring and repetitive, but it was definetely needed to continue the series. I have read all of Brooks's shannara books and this one is the worst until about midpoint. Than it takes off if your reading the series you have to get it otherwise it won't be complete.

This book and all of Terry Brooks books are fantastic!! Anyone who has read the Shannara series will tell you. If you have read books like the Lord of the Rings series you will fall in love with these books. Terry Brooks works should be right up there with J.R.R Tolkien's.

I loved the Wishsong of Shannara. It was filled with so many amazing characters. My favorites are Rone Leah and Garet Jax. SPOILER WARNING! No book has ever made me cry. I was crying when Allanon and Garet Jax died. I didn't cry when Dustfinger died in Inkspell, but I cried 3 times while reading. 1: When Allanon was killed. 2: When Garet Jax was discovered dead. 3: When Brin Ohmsford talked to Allanon's shade. You will love this book. I promise.