Allanon's Quest (Short Story) - Paladins of Shannara

The short story was good background information for loyal readers of the Shannara series. I finished reading this book in a couple of days. I look forward to reading a couple of the other books I haven't read yet. It was good to read a new book from Terry Brooks. Keep them coming!!

I'm going to keep this short. I love the fact that Terry visited such a small portion of the missing story to tie it all together.

True to form, he brought out the power of Allanon and really leaned into the more foreboding side of the Wanderer. It was short, sweet and to the point... leaving me with a desire to read Sword of Shannara yet again.

Again, Terry Brooks has come up with an awesome story. Though it is a short story, it has great impact. The story gives a background that was only suggested in earlier books and ties things in well. Loved it!

For fans of The Sword of Shannara this will take you back and remind why Brooks is one of the best writers of fantasy. To me Allanon will always be the best of the druids. It is great to spend a little more time in the world where he still exists. If you haven't ever read The Sword of Shannara this book is a wonderful introduction to the story. I highly recommend it.

Allanon's Quest was good, though I wish it were longer even for a short story. I have read and liked all of Terry Brooks' Shannara series and this was no exception. It has made me want to go back and read the other books set around this time to see how it fits into the series. Definitely worth $0.99.

99 cents is a pretty low economic wall to get over. So to say that this 15 minute read was not worth it is saying something about the time and effort that Brooks put into this short story. Review in short: nothing happened.

Hey terry haven't you made enough money from Shannara? Charging money for this short of a story just doesn't seem right. It doesn't really take you anywhere and is not really necessary to any other books/series.

It was great to read about this brief time before The Sword of Shannara but left me wanting more. Now I am going to have to wait for October when the anniversary edition comes out. Allanon remains as dark and elusive as ever.

Terry's books r the only reason that I read. It started with the novel The Elfstones & since then have read all his books n fact there all 1st prints and r signed by Terry I have meet him several times he is a very kind person. I will read Terry's book's as long as he puts them out & well recommend Terry's books to all

This isn't a revelatory tale to lead into The Sword of Shannara, so don't expect to be wowed with new twists and secrets to the Shannara universe. What this is, though, is a solid, fun piece that allows fans of the series one more look at the character Allanon, along with the same clever, engaging storytelling that Mr. Brooks is so renowned for with his novels.

minor contributions to events leading up to, The Sword of Shannara. I found it interesting, but based on length and bang for buck, it should be free. I would recommend going straight to, The Sword of Shannara instead.

Good story for a short one. A prequel to some parts of the Shannara series.

It is not a mandatory prequel, nor does it offer much new material, but it's always nice to read about Allanon.

To bad is it not available is printed format.

I read the Sword trilogy many years ago, and have been reading all of the Shannara books as they come out. This one is a prequel to the Sword of Shannara series, and is a very welcome addition as it fills in some of the storyline.

Wow, very cool short story... gave me chills when I read it. There's a moment that takes me back 30 years ago when I first read The Sword. Very great memories as I begin book 1 of Terry's

newest trilogy. Well worth the dollar... keep on writing, Mr. Brooks... we're still reading!

Wasnt great but wasnt bad either. It is a quick little read that helps fill in some questions about how allanon came about discovering who to search for to take up the sword of shannara against brona.

This short story is a fantastic marriage of Terry's early writing style and his current. Even in its brevity, the story still manages to create depth in the cast of characters and invites the reader to further engage the story in the first of Terry's works, The Sword of Shannara. Having read most of Terry's works, this was of interest to me because of the obvious limitations of a short story -- and yet, what he weaves is self-contained, digestible, and is very much a standalone work (while yet being part of a larger canon). I suppose I had only vaguely questioned how Allanon had come to find his way to Shady Vale, but it made for an intriguing read. As always, I highly recommend Terry's work -- both as a storyteller and as a writer.

I'm not really sure I know what the point of this book is. It is an interesting little vignette, however barely a chapter in length, and a bit pointless as a standalone short story. It's interesting and fits into the saga well, but just too short.

Started off many years ago with The Sword of Shannara and have read most of the other Shannara books. It gave me tingles reading this as it gave me the same excited feeling I had when I started the very first book.

You'd think that if an author was going to write a story that takes place immediately before one of his previous books, he would take the time to go back and re-read said book to make sure he doesn't contradict something he wrote before. The continuity errors in this short story are myriad!

For example, the fact that Allanon can do telepathy is a really significant plot point in The Sword of Shannara. But since that ability would interfere with the plot twist in this short story, Brooks seems to have conveniently forgotten (or simply didn't care). Oh, and that creepy aura that the Skull Bearers gave off? Well, that would have been a problem as well, so out it goes.

Then there are the details about Shea. In Sword, Shea's mother was still alive when she brought him to Shady Vale, dying shortly after they arrived. In this story, she died well before Shea was taken to Shady Vale. In Sword, Curzad Ohmsford was supposedly just a distant cousin of Shea's mother. In this story, he's her brother (which makes the fact that Shea--in Sword--considers him his adopted father instead of his uncle more than a little weird!).

Allanon is and always has been my favorite character in all of fiction, and I would have been happy to read a story about him when he was younger and less indomitable...but that story shouldn't take place right before Sword. The Allanon from whose POV we see this story has very little resemblance to the Allanon whose POV we get a few glimpses of in Sword.

When it comes right down to it, this is lazy writing. Even the fight scene--something at which Brooks has always excelled--is sketchy. I'm glad I only spent 99 cents on this.

I have always been a big fan of Terry Brooks. This short story has all the great aspects your expect from Terry. As in my book its a tale of bravery and doing the right thing at the right time. The Sword of Shannara! Oh Yeah!

I been in love with the Shannara series since i got my hand on The Sword of Shannara. I enjoyed this short story as it give a prelude on what happen before the events in Sword of Shannara. Love the twist Terry put into the story at the end too. My only complaint, it is just too short.. wish that it could be a longer story but well, Wards of Faerie is coming out next month. Can't wait.

Yet again, another great story from Terry Brooks. It gave some insight into the mind of Allanon and was thoroughly entertaining. Can't wait for the next book by him. I've never been disappointed and always look forward to the next adventure to begin.

I like a book that captures your interest "right off the bat" and continues to stimulate your interest throughout the story which is what all of Terry Brooks writings do, including Paladins of sannara: Allanon's Quest.

You get a little insight into what Allanon is thinking; what led him to where he is and some of his worries. Even with that he still remains the mysterious enigma he's always been. This is what I like most about his character; not really knowing much and imagining it instead. Another terrific story from Terry Brooks.

My Thoughts On The Book:

This is going to be just a mini review as it's hardly right to put out a full size review of a book that's only 40 pages long, not that this book is anything less than great as for a book so small it packs a punch for fans of Shannara. This short novella tells of events directly before Allanon's appearance in Shady Vale looking for Shea Ohmsford in The Sword Of Shannara.

Allanon is the last of the Druids and is desperately searching for the last heir of Shannara, the one person in the world who can defeat the darkness using the famed Sword Of Shannara, this heir is the only one able to wield it but at every step the enemy is getting to the heirs first and slaughtering them before Allanon can get to them, to protect them. Time is running short and there is no knowing how many heirs are left, if any at all, so Allanon is chasing every lead no matter how slim it is but there is one last twist of fate in store for the druid, one that he could never have hoped for.

This is a short, but poignant novella, full of deceit and betrayal which nearly steals the remains of Allanon unusually long life. The tale gives us a sneaky little insight into events leading to The Sword Of Shannara and into the enigmatic druid himself.

It's a wonderfully crafted little story that slips perfectly into the gigantic Shannara timeline and only adds to the whole series. It's crisp and clearly formed, full of imagery despite it's limited length and as usual Brooks has written something that stays with you which is surprising for such a tiny tale. Allanon had always been a mesmerizing character and this tiny tale only adds to the mystery surrounding this strange and powerful man.

Final Thoughts:

This is a fantastic addition to the Shannara series, it's fits well into it's surroundings and despite it's being a novella it actually does add something to the whole Shannara sequences, gives us glimpses into the events leading to The Sword Of Shannara and gives that books extra meaning now we know how Allanon got to that point in time. So if you are a fan of the epic Shannara books then this is most surely a must read book for die hard fans.

I have a confession to make. Sometime in the past 10 years or so, I've fallen away from the world of Shannara. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, don't get me wrong. Life simply got in the way and other things took over the time I generally gave to reading and Shannara was one of the things that suffered.

I miss the world and the time I got to know these characters. I fell off sometime during the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara and keep meaning to find my way back, but the books are starting to get way ahead of me at this point. So, before I try to sink my teeth back into the main storyline and try to play catch up, I stumbled across these three short stories and figured that was as good a jumping on point as any.

Going in, I have to realize these are short stories. The epic scope I've come to expect from the series is simply not present, but I'm okay with that. This is my chance to spend a little time with characters I've missed. And I've missed good old grumpy Allanon.

It's been years since I've read The Sword of Shannara, but I was happy to see an account of events that lead up to that book. Allanon is searching for a surviving member of the Shannara line, any member will do, and he's at the end of his desperation. All seems to be lost, but there is one more thread to check out before he's ready to concede failure.

I think it's admirable what Brooks is able to pull off in so few pages. We get a little time with Allanon as he fears he may have let his guard down and failed in a huge way and his desperate attempt to fix it. There's a nice little twist or two thrown in to keep us and Allanon on our feet. These aren't pages filled with action, but when it does hit, it's good stuff.

It was a nice little slice of Shannara life and I felt it was definitely worth the 99 cents and tax I threw down to experience it. It put me back in a Shannara frame of mind, and I'm okay with that.

A short story linking existing novels, the author manages to imbue suspense and convey character into a tale that primarily is an explanation of how Shea Ohlmsford comes to take on the quest of the Sword of Shannarah. If you are familiar with the novels, the name dropping is gratifying, but if you haven't read the novels, the story stands on its own merits.

A typical, well written quest by Terry Brooks. This short story is quite short and contains the usual mental self flagellation and doubt of a near immortal hero tasked with an impossible feat. An enjoyable read for all who have transited the realm of Shannara.

How did Terry Brooks manage to fit this much story into so few pages?
This book covers the story of Allanon the Druid's quest to find someone of the Shannara bloodline and is set in the time just before and leading up to Mr. Brook's first novel Sword of Shannara.
In and of itself the story is well told and an enjoyable short read but as a prelude to the original story it is oh so much more.
Worth every cent.

This is the only short story I've read by Terry Brooks, but as devotee of the Shannara series I couldn't miss it. It fills a gap and does it well. It reminded me of why I loved the original "Sword of Shannara". It was fine story told well.

I simply love this man's writing. This short story is good in that it helps fill in some pieces, makes the story that much more complete. Recommend this story for anyone reading the Shannara series or if you are a Tolkien fan.

Allanon has to be one of my favorite shannara characters. It's fun to get a little extra insight to how events come about. Terry as always is a great writer and this story is colorful and dose not fall short other than it is a short story. That and the price are the only down falls.

The Druid Allanon has long been one of my favorite fantasy characters. The original Shannara novels -- The Sword of Shannara,The Elfstones of Shannara: 2 (The Sword of Shannara), and The Wishsong of Shannara: 3 (The Sword of Shannara) -- are some of the best epic fantasy available and it is largely due to Allanon. He is dark, powerful, and mysterious, a great combination that has led many fans like myself wanting to know more.

Terry Brooks has finally given us more. ALLANON'S QUEST takes place before The Sword of Shannara, when Allanon has the same responsibilities but he's a bit younger -- a bit untried. I loved the twists that Terry threw into the story, and getting an entire short story from Allanon's Point of View was fantastic. Anyone who loves the original trilogy and the Druid in particular will want to read this! And at $.99, it is completely worth it and much more. It even makes me want to re-read the original trilogy! I have no doubt I won't be the only one who wants to do that after reading this!

A good short read before bed. I devoured the Shannara books as a young adult and they were my first venture into epic fantasy. Many years later I am returning and this book has given me a good introduction into the land I knew so well all those years ago.