The Sword of Shannara Trilogy

The Sword of Shannara Trilogy is deep and rich, grand in scope, and full of adventure that catches it's readers up. The family member heroes and their companions thrill and beguile, conquering dark forces.

I haven't read this genre in quite some time. When I did, I avoided incomplete trilogs because I hate the lag time between books. Well, I just finished Terry Brooks first trilogy and am delighted that he had provided me with a few more. I may be late in reading this author but I am glad he has provided me with many more hours of reading pleasure to come.

I first read read this when I was 15, the book was already "old". I am rereading the entire series now and having a blast. If you like fantasy stories about wizards and swords and powerful elves and dwarves... This is something special not to miss!

This review pertains only to the aesthetics of the book, as I have not finished reading it yet. This edition is very nice to look at, I love the deckled edge of the pages, it makes it feel like an old-style book. This edition also contains the entire original Shannara trilogy, so it was a good deal price wise, as well as being quite substantial and nice to look at. Hope the story is just as good.

The book was a gift for my son. I do not believe that he has read the entire book yet. I do know that he was disappointed in the appearance of the book becasue the binder was damaged. This was upsetting to him because he takes great pride in how he keeps his books and wants to keep them a long time.

I have been a fan of Terry Brooks for years and have read most of his books. He has a knack for describing characters and places in such detail, that you actually feel as though you are a witness to something grand. I highly recommend this series or any of his series if you like a great fantasy style novel!!!

Every time I reread this book I am reminded what a fantasy novel should be. I'm reminded what a fantasy hero should be.

Shea is the quintessential 'reluctant' hero, and he proceeds in his 'heroes journey.'

Enough said.

I have quickly learned that Terry Brooks will be one of my new favorite authors! I didn't start off with this series but I am definitely going to be getting the rest of his books soon! It was definitely one of those series I couldn't put down!

I was very disapointed with this book as it is just a well written rip-off of Tolkien's Lord of the rings. I say well written because after I was able to get over the extreme similarity to Tolkien, I thought the story was ok. I finished two of the three stories and decided it was not to my liking to finish the third book.

First let me say that Im not a big reader. It takes something really special to catch and keep my attention and Terry Brooks has created something that has done just that. If your looking for a great read no matter if you read a little or a lot the Shannara series is one worth picking up.

The book is compelling, but there is too much war in it for my taste. Also, I think the author must have an issue with women. In the first book of the trilogy there was only 1 female character. In the second book, there are only 2.

Compared to more recent works of fantasy it was ok. It seemed to parallel the Lord of the Rings trilogy quite a bit. Small group of heroes pitted against ultimate evil kind of thing. Took me a few years of trying to get through, but overall not bad.

Read this trilogy a long time ago. I wanted to refresh myself for the show coming out but I had loaned my books and never got them back. This was a great way to do just that with all 3 in one! If you love fantasy and haven't read these I suggest you start or put them on your list!

The depth of characters, and the past is never forgotten. I had to go back to the beginning so I was updated on all the characters that come up in later books. Kudos, Mr. Brooks, good for your readers you changed careers.

Fantastic work!! Beginning to end, just amazing! The storyline intertwined through all 3 books and wrapped up so completely in the end, in a most unexpected way. I can't wait to get to Brooks' next work!

I was really disappointed by this book. I have heard so many good things about it, but I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. Many reviews say it's a clear rip-off of the Lord of the Rings series, and I have to agree. That wouldn't be so bad, though, if the writing was decent. The narrative is forced, slow, and boring, as if it came from a high school creative writing class. I wanted to like it, but as hard as I tried I couldn't get engaged in the story. Maybe his writing gets better over time, but I think I'm done with this series.

I was really disappointed by this book. I have heard so many good things about it, but I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. Many reviews say it's a clear rip-off of the Lord of the Rings series, and I have to agree. That wouldn't be so bad, though, if the writing was decent. The narrative is forced, slow, and boring, as if it came from a high school creative writing class. I wanted to like it, but as hard as I tried I couldn't get engaged in the story. Maybe his writing gets better over time, but I think I'm done with this series.

The Sword of Shannara line of books are similar in quality and genre to the books of JRR Tolkien, but they are much easier for an American to read. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys fantasy/adventure.

I've been meaning to read this forever. So when I see it on sale for $3 I'm happy to buy it. It's quite the shock to quickly discover that it's poorly written fan-fiction. Very poorly written. Skull Bearers? It doesn't even rise to bad pulp status. Don't waste your time.

I did not like all three books being contained in one volume because I have arthritis in my hands, so holding such a heavy book was rather painful. I read only the first book, The Sword of Shannara, and was lukewarm about it. I don't think the author writes especially well, and the plot borrowed a good bit from Lord of the Rings (which WAS written well!)

Apparently this is the first book by this author and it shows it. According to the author, he was strongly influenced by JRR Tolkien and that showed in this book as well. It was a weak imitation of The Fellowship of the Ring, but instead of a ring, this book featured a sword. The characters also imitated Tolkien's. For example, you have a wizard who helps, guides, and comes and goes just like Gandalf. You also have a Frodo like person with a trusty side kick just like Sam. There is a prince who reminds me of Strider, and two elves who could be Merry and Pippin. There is evil incarnate trying to stop them with nasty minions. They are all referred to as the company and they travel for miles and miles meeting and defeating horrible creatures. They even go under a mountain just like In Tolkien's books where they cross stone bridges over bottomless depths. I frankly got rather bored and could not finish the book. Sadly, I paid $20 for this book, which is extremely annoying. That is waaaay to much to charge readers for someone's early attempt at writing. On a positive note, I had previously read later books by this author which were decent.

Dust jacket torn and wrinkled along one edge and paper and binding quality terrible. Pages are super thin and unevenly bound. Will be returning for the three individual volumes. Disappointing quality. Awesome book!

The plot is so derivative of Lord of the Rings that it's barely even enjoyable.

The last of the druids (Gandalf) shows up to a small village to tell Shae that he has to find the one weapon (the ring of power) that can defeat the Dark Lord (Sauron). The druid then takes off, telling them to meet at a dwarf city (Rivendell). On the way, they're avoiding Skull Bearers (ring wraiths). They eventually form a party in the dwarf city to retake the sword from the Dark Lord (the Fellowship of the Ring)... I can go on...

The Sword of Shannara Trilogy, Terry Brooks' first fantasy series, is definitely a mixed bag. Book 2, The Elfstones of Shannara, is clearly the best of the lot. Elfstones is-despite Brooks' future growth as a writer-possibly Brooks' best book. Fortunately, like every book in this trilogy, it functions as a stand alone tale, and serves in my opinion as the best introduction to Shannara. Readers who enjoy Elfstones might naturally want to explore the rest of the original trilogy, which for various reasons doesn't quite measure up in quality.

The first volume, The Sword of Shannara, is the novel that made Terry Brooks a household name. However, many people who read Sword first never give Brooks another chance. I see why many people dislike this book. It is one of most blatant Lord of the Rings imitations around. It also suffers from relatively poor writing and it is much too long. However, there are some pluses. Brooks does not take himself too seriously, so his derivative work comes across-to me at least-as a superfan's cheerful and unpretentious act of homage. Though the book itself often drags, Brooks' himself is having fun, which gives the book some added entertainment value. Enthusiasm can be contageous. In addition, the story picks up and becomes more original in the latter stages of the book, with the introduction of Panamon Creel and Keltset Mallicos. On its own, I'd give this book 3 stars.

Though Brooks showed clear signs of growth as a fantasy writer towards the end of Sword, the Great Leap forward that occurred with Elfstones is remarkable. Though there is still a definite Tolkien influence, this book is no Lord of the Rings clone. This original story is more briskly paced than Sword, and manages to draw the reader right in and keep him engaged throughout. The story is fun and highly entertaining (and stocked with a memorable cast of characters), yet manages to to be poignant as well. There is an interesting love triangle, and the ending of the tale packs a punch. Elfstones is not the most literary fantasy book you are ever going to come across, but it is compulsively readable book. Somehow, everything just seems to click. I have read it several times over the years, and it never disappoints. I consider it a minor fantasy classic, and would give this book 5 stars.

Book 3, The Wishsong of Shannara, was a real letdown, especially after Elfstones. My gripe is that Brooks basically seems to have "mailed in" the effort. I didn't get the sense that he was pushing himself. There are some decent things that one could say about the book. Nevertheless, Wishsong left me relatively cold. If the Brooks of Sword was a derivative but inspired lover of fantasy determined to learn how to "walk the walk" as a fantasy writer, if the Brooks of Elfstones got to see all his dreams come true, the Brooks of Wishsong comes across as an uninspired formula writer content to churn out a mildly interesting book in order to make a living. Three stars for Wishsong, my least favorite of the trilogy.

Even though Elfstones is a gem, I can't see giving this series as a whole more than three stars, especially given the drop in quality from book 2 to book 3. If a reader of Elfstones wanted more Brooks, I would actually recommend the much more consistent and cohesive Heritage of Shannara series before circling back to books one and three of the Sword trilogy. A case could even be made for starting with the Heritage Series first, since this series is generally considered Brooks' most accomplished, mature Shannara offering. This seems a sound strategy as well, but the reader should be aware that because of the cohesiveness of Heritage (one story in 4 parts), they would be signing up for 4 volumes if they went down that route.

The pages were cut at the side irregular. Like they were cut by hand and not in a print shop. Maps and drawings missing.
I do not rate the story but the book as a publication. I believe it is better to stick in the three books as separate and not in one trilogy book.
I returned it immediately

I have read quite a number of books by fantasy authors (Goodkind, Jordan, Rowling, Martin, Pratchett, Williams, Salvatore, Bujold, LeGuin, Stroud, Feist, Paolini, etc. etc.) and Terry Brooks must be, without a doubt, the worst I have read so far. The characters are shallow, the writing is bland, the plot is linear, and the world is boring.

The book is about a number of guys (there are no women at all in this book - don't ask me why) who have to overcome an endless series of obstacles, like a monster in a lake, a monster in a valley, a monster in a room and another monster in a room. And then, what shall we give them next? Oh, let's throw in another monster in a lake. Oh, and hundreds of smaller monsters in the mountains. That must be cool! Not!

Just about all of the main characters happen to be a prince of some kingdom, by pure coincidence of course. And (SPOILER ALERT...) the leader of the pack turns out to be a sorcerer. Surprise, surprise! Look mom, just like Gandalf!

One of the stupidest things (if that's possible) was that at one point the main characters arrived at a place full of healers! Isn't that fascinating? Who would have thought such a thing is possible? An entire city full of people all having the same job?

I gave up after 150 pages (about one third).

Anyone who gives this author five stars has probably read nothing else there is to offer in the fantasy genre. And that's a pity, because probably around 95% of the writers are better than this one.

Lord or the Rings. I didn't read the intro to this book and dived right in. I hardly ever read the forward part of books. Brooks states that they were a big inspiration, but it is too close to the great work of art to work for me. Wish I would have just got the sample. Very predictable. I am not going to bother finishing this and feel like I just wasted money on a cheap rip off of Tolkien! Since I recently retread Lord of the Rings it's pretty fresh, so I see even the small stuff that seems like it came straight from those books. That wouldn't be so bad if it was all small, but there are too many larger things that relate so close to those amazing books. In general I like Terry Brooks, but this is a big disappointment!

An unimaginative twelve year old could have written this. The plot is so predictable that you could skip chapters and know exactly what's going on. The writing its self is Horrible! I think the editor of this book got so bored that he couldn't even focus enough to correct the gramatical errors in every other sentence. And all the 'monsters' are so generic i actually laughed when they were being discribed. And i don't mean fantasy generic, I mean bad ninties cartoon generic (I believe that one of the monsters actually had green patches of fur and scales pfffft!) This book is ridiculous, horribly generic, predictalbe, and I still can't belive that it got published.

I am an avid fantasy reader and I was looking for something new and fun. I looked online to see if there were any popular fantasy books/series/authors I had yet to read and Terry Brooks' "Sword of Shannara" was one that many people recommended. So, without even reading the jacket or checking out the first chapter, I bought the Kindle edition of the trilogy. This was probably one of the worst book purchase mistakes I have ever had the misfortune to make. The writing is bland and stilted. The characters and plot are so predictable I was out of my mind with boredom. I finished the first book wondering why on earth I had wasted my time with it, but I figured, since it was Brooks' first book, the series might get better. I was wrong. The subsequent books were just as dull and plodding. I would *not* recommend these books to anyone.

A shameful plagiarized copy of LOTR with incredibly verbose descriptions and heavily wadded sentences with unnecessary words. I cannot in good conscience rate this book well because it is almost scene for scene a direct copy of the Tolkien classic. Names and characters are altered and that's about it. How Terry Brooks hasn't been sued I will never know.

The Sword of Shannara line of books are similar in quality and genre to the books of JRR Tolkien, but they are much easier for an American to read. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys fantasy/adventure.

I've been meaning to read this forever. So when I see it on sale for $3 I'm happy to buy it. It's quite the shock to quickly discover that it's poorly written fan-fiction. Very poorly written. Skull Bearers? It doesn't even rise to bad pulp status. Don't waste your time.

I did not like all three books being contained in one volume because I have arthritis in my hands, so holding such a heavy book was rather painful. I read only the first book, The Sword of Shannara, and was lukewarm about it. I don't think the author writes especially well, and the plot borrowed a good bit from Lord of the Rings (which WAS written well!)

Apparently this is the first book by this author and it shows it. According to the author, he was strongly influenced by JRR Tolkien and that showed in this book as well. It was a weak imitation of The Fellowship of the Ring, but instead of a ring, this book featured a sword. The characters also imitated Tolkien's. For example, you have a wizard who helps, guides, and comes and goes just like Gandalf. You also have a Frodo like person with a trusty side kick just like Sam. There is a prince who reminds me of Strider, and two elves who could be Merry and Pippin. There is evil incarnate trying to stop them with nasty minions. They are all referred to as the company and they travel for miles and miles meeting and defeating horrible creatures. They even go under a mountain just like In Tolkien's books where they cross stone bridges over bottomless depths. I frankly got rather bored and could not finish the book. Sadly, I paid $20 for this book, which is extremely annoying. That is waaaay to much to charge readers for someone's early attempt at writing. On a positive note, I had previously read later books by this author which were decent.

Dust jacket torn and wrinkled along one edge and paper and binding quality terrible. Pages are super thin and unevenly bound. Will be returning for the three individual volumes. Disappointing quality. Awesome book!

The plot is so derivative of Lord of the Rings that it's barely even enjoyable.

The last of the druids (Gandalf) shows up to a small village to tell Shae that he has to find the one weapon (the ring of power) that can defeat the Dark Lord (Sauron). The druid then takes off, telling them to meet at a dwarf city (Rivendell). On the way, they're avoiding Skull Bearers (ring wraiths). They eventually form a party in the dwarf city to retake the sword from the Dark Lord (the Fellowship of the Ring)... I can go on...

The Sword of Shannara Trilogy, Terry Brooks' first fantasy series, is definitely a mixed bag. Book 2, The Elfstones of Shannara, is clearly the best of the lot. Elfstones is-despite Brooks' future growth as a writer-possibly Brooks' best book. Fortunately, like every book in this trilogy, it functions as a stand alone tale, and serves in my opinion as the best introduction to Shannara. Readers who enjoy Elfstones might naturally want to explore the rest of the original trilogy, which for various reasons doesn't quite measure up in quality.

The first volume, The Sword of Shannara, is the novel that made Terry Brooks a household name. However, many people who read Sword first never give Brooks another chance. I see why many people dislike this book. It is one of most blatant Lord of the Rings imitations around. It also suffers from relatively poor writing and it is much too long. However, there are some pluses. Brooks does not take himself too seriously, so his derivative work comes across-to me at least-as a superfan's cheerful and unpretentious act of homage. Though the book itself often drags, Brooks' himself is having fun, which gives the book some added entertainment value. Enthusiasm can be contageous. In addition, the story picks up and becomes more original in the latter stages of the book, with the introduction of Panamon Creel and Keltset Mallicos. On its own, I'd give this book 3 stars.

Though Brooks showed clear signs of growth as a fantasy writer towards the end of Sword, the Great Leap forward that occurred with Elfstones is remarkable. Though there is still a definite Tolkien influence, this book is no Lord of the Rings clone. This original story is more briskly paced than Sword, and manages to draw the reader right in and keep him engaged throughout. The story is fun and highly entertaining (and stocked with a memorable cast of characters), yet manages to to be poignant as well. There is an interesting love triangle, and the ending of the tale packs a punch. Elfstones is not the most literary fantasy book you are ever going to come across, but it is compulsively readable book. Somehow, everything just seems to click. I have read it several times over the years, and it never disappoints. I consider it a minor fantasy classic, and would give this book 5 stars.

Book 3, The Wishsong of Shannara, was a real letdown, especially after Elfstones. My gripe is that Brooks basically seems to have "mailed in" the effort. I didn't get the sense that he was pushing himself. There are some decent things that one could say about the book. Nevertheless, Wishsong left me relatively cold. If the Brooks of Sword was a derivative but inspired lover of fantasy determined to learn how to "walk the walk" as a fantasy writer, if the Brooks of Elfstones got to see all his dreams come true, the Brooks of Wishsong comes across as an uninspired formula writer content to churn out a mildly interesting book in order to make a living. Three stars for Wishsong, my least favorite of the trilogy.

Even though Elfstones is a gem, I can't see giving this series as a whole more than three stars, especially given the drop in quality from book 2 to book 3. If a reader of Elfstones wanted more Brooks, I would actually recommend the much more consistent and cohesive Heritage of Shannara series before circling back to books one and three of the Sword trilogy. A case could even be made for starting with the Heritage Series first, since this series is generally considered Brooks' most accomplished, mature Shannara offering. This seems a sound strategy as well, but the reader should be aware that because of the cohesiveness of Heritage (one story in 4 parts), they would be signing up for 4 volumes if they went down that route.

The pages were cut at the side irregular. Like they were cut by hand and not in a print shop. Maps and drawings missing.
I do not rate the story but the book as a publication. I believe it is better to stick in the three books as separate and not in one trilogy book.
I returned it immediately

I have read quite a number of books by fantasy authors (Goodkind, Jordan, Rowling, Martin, Pratchett, Williams, Salvatore, Bujold, LeGuin, Stroud, Feist, Paolini, etc. etc.) and Terry Brooks must be, without a doubt, the worst I have read so far. The characters are shallow, the writing is bland, the plot is linear, and the world is boring.

The book is about a number of guys (there are no women at all in this book - don't ask me why) who have to overcome an endless series of obstacles, like a monster in a lake, a monster in a valley, a monster in a room and another monster in a room. And then, what shall we give them next? Oh, let's throw in another monster in a lake. Oh, and hundreds of smaller monsters in the mountains. That must be cool! Not!

Just about all of the main characters happen to be a prince of some kingdom, by pure coincidence of course. And (SPOILER ALERT...) the leader of the pack turns out to be a sorcerer. Surprise, surprise! Look mom, just like Gandalf!

One of the stupidest things (if that's possible) was that at one point the main characters arrived at a place full of healers! Isn't that fascinating? Who would have thought such a thing is possible? An entire city full of people all having the same job?

I gave up after 150 pages (about one third).

Anyone who gives this author five stars has probably read nothing else there is to offer in the fantasy genre. And that's a pity, because probably around 95% of the writers are better than this one.

Lord or the Rings. I didn't read the intro to this book and dived right in. I hardly ever read the forward part of books. Brooks states that they were a big inspiration, but it is too close to the great work of art to work for me. Wish I would have just got the sample. Very predictable. I am not going to bother finishing this and feel like I just wasted money on a cheap rip off of Tolkien! Since I recently retread Lord of the Rings it's pretty fresh, so I see even the small stuff that seems like it came straight from those books. That wouldn't be so bad if it was all small, but there are too many larger things that relate so close to those amazing books. In general I like Terry Brooks, but this is a big disappointment!

An unimaginative twelve year old could have written this. The plot is so predictable that you could skip chapters and know exactly what's going on. The writing its self is Horrible! I think the editor of this book got so bored that he couldn't even focus enough to correct the gramatical errors in every other sentence. And all the 'monsters' are so generic i actually laughed when they were being discribed. And i don't mean fantasy generic, I mean bad ninties cartoon generic (I believe that one of the monsters actually had green patches of fur and scales pfffft!) This book is ridiculous, horribly generic, predictalbe, and I still can't belive that it got published.

I am an avid fantasy reader and I was looking for something new and fun. I looked online to see if there were any popular fantasy books/series/authors I had yet to read and Terry Brooks' "Sword of Shannara" was one that many people recommended. So, without even reading the jacket or checking out the first chapter, I bought the Kindle edition of the trilogy. This was probably one of the worst book purchase mistakes I have ever had the misfortune to make. The writing is bland and stilted. The characters and plot are so predictable I was out of my mind with boredom. I finished the first book wondering why on earth I had wasted my time with it, but I figured, since it was Brooks' first book, the series might get better. I was wrong. The subsequent books were just as dull and plodding. I would *not* recommend these books to anyone.

Just awful, I did not realize that this was a YA series. From moist of the comments on here, you wouldn't know that. His writing is rushed, never taking the time to fill out either the characters or scene. Clumsy personal relationships, little alteration, formulaic, and absolutely no sense of timing. I could forgive the constant parallels to LOR if the author had bothered to give them any personal flair. This is possibly the only series that pales in comparison with the TV show, and on MTV no less.

The original trilogy that launched the world of Shannara is still definitely worth a read, but if you're new to Brooks and you're not planning to read your way through all his works, I think the Heritage of Shannara quadrilogy is much better. Brooks has always had a wonderful sense of what makes for an excellent story, but his technical skills as a writer are much less polished in his early work and you'll encounter some fairly repetitive descriptions and syntax across the three books that make up this original trilogy. By contrast, his later works seem to replicate many of the structural and thematic features of his earlier works--there is a clear set of plot patterns and twists that recur in each new trilogy/quadrilogy he writes about Shannara--but they feel less monotonous and the nuances of character development, pacing, and vivid detail feel more masterfully controlled in his later work. I especially recommend the Heritage of Shannara series, the Word and the Void series, and the Genesis of Shannara series. They will offer a more fully immersive reading experience and a better glimpse of how far Brooks has come in his craft. And there is a better-than-average chance that once you read them, you'll find yourself wanting to come back to fill in the gaps in Shannara's history by reading this Sword of Shannara series too, as I did. But I wouldn't start here if you're new to Brooks.

The first 50 pages of this are exactly Tolkien, except more poorly written by far. We've got a wandering mysterious wizard, 2 bumpkins meeting a ranger in an inn, black shadow creatures that fly around screeching death shrieks... How this got published, even in 1977, without the publisher saying "um.. wait.. this is exactly Lord of the Rings" is incredible to me. It's definitely not suitable for adult readers (I'm 36). I'm sure teenagers who haven't read lord of the rings would like it, but then, why not just read Lord of the Rings and have a better book under your belt?

If you like epic fantasy, these are classic.

I read these when they first came out. The Shannara Chronicles on MTV made me decide to re-read them. They are still a great read. I did find myself skipping over long passages of internal thought processes or travel descriptions to get back to the action. After all, I'd already read them before, even if it was >30 years ago.

i don't think I ever read past the first trilogy. I love some of his other series, and it appears his writing style tightens up with each book. I'll have to check into them.

There were a very few typos, my personal favorite being "m6n" for "men" near the end of the last book. There are so few you won't find them a distraction.

I am surprised at all the people that bash this awesome book trilogy on the basis of LOTR. Who cares! This book series has a lot of its own unique flavor to it and hey at least it doesn't have one giant plot hole like the LOTR series did (the Eagles could have carried the ring directly into the fires of mount doom!!). So good job to you Terry Brooks for no MAJOR plot holes!! I love this series and am now the proud owner of 26 of your titles! I can't wait for your most recent four part series to be finished!!!

Back in the early 1980's, I was in one of those book clubs. I must have accumulated over 100 hard bound books and this trilogy was one of them. If you love fantasy, you will love this trilogy. I wish I still had those books. Lost them during a move years ago. But I remember this book grabbing me where I could not put it down and my husband complained all the time that I was late in getting dinner started or making us late to go anywhere. Of course, the book would come in the car with me. lol

I read the first book, The Sword of Shannara, and was hooked. I read the First King next, but wanted to get the rest of the first 3 book. Was able to get ahold of the trilogy. I'm surprised at how well the 3 stories read together. I'd recommend this for science fiction fans that want a good series.

I have a kindle and bought the trilogy which was fairly expensive for a kindle book. I purchased it based on the great reviews it had. I didn't even get through the first chapter. The author must have been a high school English teacher since it is written for proper grammar without any interest in communicating as normal people would communicate. This was so irritating to me I lost complete interest in it. No one (even fantasy characters) talk this way. I've annually read LOTR and the Hobbit and have read A song of fire and ice series from George Martin and waiting on the latest. All these were written to communicate on the level of each character based on their role but in "The Sword of Shannara" everyone must have graduated from Cambridge University. Take a look at the first chapter before you buy. This type of thing might not bother you.

Enjoyed the series. Decided to check it out since MTV was doing the TV series and I hadn't read any of Terry Brooks' books yet. The first season of the show was basically the second book in this series with some minor changes. The only thing I wasn't as crazy about was that each book was another generation of the characters from the first book. Yes, there was some carry over and reference to the original characters but I think I would have preferred a trilogy like LOR that is a continuation. That was just a personal preference. A lot of similarities to the LOR series.

The Sword is probably Terry's worst book; many people criticize it for borrowing too heavily from LOTR. It does borrow heavily, if this will bother you I suggest you skip it. You needn't read the first book to understand all the subsequent ones. That being said, I think Terry Brooks is the best author of my lifetime, and you should read his other books! Just don't let the fact that he copied his favorite author three decades ago in order to get his foot in the door bother you!
The Elfstones is the best book in this trilogy, I think. It's more exciting, slightly shorter, and shoes Brooks' innovation much more than the Sword. He does not follow Tolkien very much at all in this book, but weaves an incredible tale the likes of which is--to say the least--fantasy-tastic!
The Wishsong is good too, not as good as Elfstones, and it sets up an important feature of many subsequent novels.
One thing too--unlike some long fantasy epics these books do not flow in a tight chronology. There are centuries long gaps between each series. So if you feel like you don't want to start another 16 book series that will leave your brain addled, don't worry. You can stop after one trilogy! You needn't even start here--the Heritage of Shannara is a far better series in my opinion.
But it's all great! And I hope Terry keeps writing for a long long time!

This is not in the same league as the Wheel of Time series or the RR Martin books. The stories are really quite slow and tries to create a mystery where there is clearly none. I would not recommend or buy this ever again

It never even entered my mind to compare this to the Lord of the Rings until reading reviews.
Having read the Lord of the Rings a lot (every year for the past 10), and all accompanying literature, I think "inspired by" is a good description, but "copied" is a little extreme.
These stories are not nearly as dense. They are clearly aimed at a younger crowd, feature relatively simple morals and character motivations, and are generally well-written enough to achieve their simplistic narrative goals.
There are some fancy monsters and magic being bandied about, but nothing in the way of complex or innovative plot elements. Terry Brooks, at least compared to many of his contemporaries, does not got out of his way to be verbose, though many of the characters seem to have internal voice-overs going on that occasionally over-explain the action. For younger readers, however, this may not be altogether negative.
In short, this is not some landmark opus of fantasy writing, but it can be appreciated by younger readers and possibly by adults who are looking for something fluffier in the fantasy genre.

I never read these books as a YA, which it appears many of the glowing 5-star reviewers did, so that may be why I see them a bit more critically. Like many modern fantasies they have numerous parallels or similarities to LotR, but I can't fault the author for that, as Tolkein defined the modern fantasy genre. My complaints are more about the writing than the plot, since the writing prevented me from becoming immersed in the story and I wasn't able to finish the books.

The narration itself is extremely distracting because it's not traditional third person limited POV; within a single section of text you get thoughts/emotions from multiple characters, and the character the narration is "following" can change without warning. The lack of consistency was jarring, but maybe I could have gotten used to it, or at least gotten over it, if not for...

The overuse of adverbs is what ultimately forced me to stop reading. It took me awhile to identify why the narration wasn't flowing the way it should, but once I identified adverbs as the cause, I couldn't not notice them. Almost every verb in the narration has an adverb attached to it: he smiled slowly, turned abruptly, stepped quietly, muttered dryly, persisted eagerly, admitted frankly, asked cautiously... I've counted as many as 5 adverbs in a single paragraph, and these are not long paragraphs.

I'm no English major, I don't dissect or analyze writing style when I'm reading. I want to become immersed in the story, not think about why the author used that word or evaluate the quality of the prose. But this writing is so distracting it prevents immersion, which meant I didn't really care about the characters or what happened to them, and eventually gave up trying to get through the books.

Terry Brooks' Shannara series was one of the first doorstopper series, varying in originality and in quality but good fantastical fun in the vein of "Lord of the Rings." Now the first three books of his trilogy are rereleased in a hardvcover three-in-one edition, not recommended for people with weak wrists, but for those who like good covers and big heavy tomes.

"Sword of Shannara" kicks off the series with the druid Allanon arriving at the peaceful village of Shady Vale, where the half-elven Shea Ohmsford lives with his adoptive family. Shea, Allanon reveals, is the last descendent of Jerle Shannara, and the only person who can use the Sword of Shannara. When dark forces draw closer to Shady Vale, Shea escapes with his brother Flick. They and a band of Elves, Dwarves, humans, and Allanon set out toward untold peril to recover the Sword.

"Elfstones of Shannara" starts with the Ellcrys, an Elven tree that protects the world, starting to die. Without its magic, demons will swarm over the world and obliterate the inhabitants of all species, unless a new Ellcrys can be planted in time. Wil Ohmsford and an Elf called Amberle Elessedil set out to get a seed for the new Ellcrys -- but a hideous demon known as the Reaper is stalking them...

"Wishsong of Shannara" wraps up the initial trilogy with a new threat to the world in general: Mord Wraiths are going out to attack mankind, and the new Ohmsford hero, Brin, is the only one who can stop them. Her "wishsong" can defeat this evil, and so she comes with Ohmsford and a new band of heroes -- but a prophecy threatens them all.

There is no doubt about it -- "Sword" is clearly a ripoff of "Lord of the Rings." The Elves, Dwarves, evil creatures, even the background of the bad guy are just the same -- dozens of other things, such as Shady Vale and the spiderlike mutant beastie, are reminiscent of things in Middle-Earth. However, Brooks shows a distinct effort to distance himself from Tolkien in the second and third books; additionally, unlike many derivative authors, he also gives a postapocalyptic spin to his story that offers a semi-scientific explanation for dwarves, gnomes and monsters.

Brooks also, to his credit, knows how to write. There are some overly-descriptive passages and some long stretches of boredom, but overall he manages to keep the reader's attention riveted. Some scenes, such as one in "Sword" where the various characters are led into a chamber that can cause madness, are written with exquisite skill. He also knows his limitations: Unlike many authors, he doesn't lapse into pseudo-ye-olde-style dialogue in an effort to imitate Tolkien. And unlike many authors who retain the same characters for twenty or thirty books, Brooks alters his cast to keep them fresh.

His characters are pleasant enough; some are a little flat, but they're not annoying and a few are outright charming. The loss of a few will cause some heartbreak if readers develop a soft spot for them. And people of all ages can read these books: There is no smut, profanity or graphic violence. The main obstacle for children is the length, but if they have read "Lord of the Rings" or the Harry Potter series it ought to be fine.

Terry Brooks is probably the most talented of the derivative-of-Tolkien authors, a pleasant read for those who enjoy basic fantasy tales with a few original bits among the "Tough Guide to Fantasyland" plotlines. Worth a read.

I've just finished reading the Sword of Shannara, after reading King of Shannara. It makes me smile, because it LOTR all over again, and that's ok by me. I LOVE LOTR, have read the entire trilogy plus the Hobbit numerous times. It always saddened me that those were the only books out there with those characters.
But since finally sitting down to give Terry Brooks a try, I am feeling better. I now have a whole new bunch of books to look forward to reading.

The premise of friendship and courage under impossible odds is the theme. I like it. Makes my petty issues in my own life seem small and I am able to forget them for a while. These books suck you in, make you antsy to know what the next chapter will bring.

The writing style isn't very sophisticated, but lucky for me, I don't need sophistication to appreciate a good story. (I'm a Stephen King fan too.)

My first series of a similar vein was the Death Gate Cycle books by Tracey & Hickman. Now I see where they got it from. I am hooked on the story of The Quest, whatever it might be- be it rings, swords, or Spice.

Terry Brooks was one of the most influential writers for me as a kid and as a teenager. His works and the world he created stimulated my interest in fantasy (books, drawing, role-playing games) and provided tons of fodder for activities related to that interest. His writing in these three books is spellbinding and his characters memorable.His writing is descriptive and his 'world-building' fascinating. The plot lines work within the world he created and the characters are perfect for that milieu.

That said, each book has its pluses and minuses...

The Sword of Shannara is a fairly blatant ripoff of Lord of the Rings, something not uncommon among fantasy books. However, the descriptive writing and excellent character development creates a very strong base for everything to follow. In fact, this book lays the foundation for everything else he has written and remains the most relevant of his works. Hard to put this book down (and I've read it over and over and over many times). On writing and characters, I'd give it 5 stars... the plot stealing might drop it a hair (4 stars, maybe)

The Elfstones of Shannara is my favorite of this set - the story is taut and characters very memorable.The lot line is fairly original and builds a broader look onto the world. I have no complaints with this book - pure 5+ star rating

The Wishsong of Shannara is good - excellent characters in a well written format. but it doesn't quite rise to the standard of writing of the other two. It adds a few elements of interest and remains very readable though. I'd give it 4 stars.

Overall, I love these three books and the influence they have had on my "realm of fantasy' ideas. The writing is great, characters are good, and there is a building of continuity that makes for a lot of excitement. Overlook the stolen plot/character ideas and enjoy the excellent writing that these represent!

...since my 7th grade English teacher (Mr. Gilbert, thank you!) introduced me to the Sword of Shannara because he saw I had a high reading and comprehension level (and I assume he was a fantasy fan). This was around 1982. To say this book had an impact on me is an understatement. I devoured the next two Shannara books, and then turned to other fantasy books, like Narnia and the Black Cauldron series. While I haven't bothered with the mountain of dreck-filled fantasy books available today, it is safe to say I would have never read Dune, LOTR, Watership Down, or the hundreds of other quality books I have read if it hadn't been for that first magical Shannara book.
In retrospect, the flaws of the Shannara books become pretty apparent, although they are still very good books. Wishsong was the weakest of the lot, and I can't say anything Terry Brooks wrote after Wishsong even approached that level. HOWEVER, these books will always hold a special place with me, and ANY fantasy fan MUST read them. While I agree these books aren't LOTR, I disagree that LOTR was better. LOTR has flaws, too. I think they are both very good, but Shannara obviously owes a debt to Tolkien for creating the genre in the first place. Overall, the Shannara Trilogy belongs on the top shelf of fantasy novels with all the other great ones.

The series is moderately entertaining. Each book has essentially the same plot as the other. There is some character development, but the development to happen is pretty obvious from the onset. There's quite a bit of explaining what the characters are thinking, and there can be long stretches between things actually happening.

Several sources inspired me to read Terry Brook's Sword of Shannara. My father for one, told me all about its fantastic nature and style of writing. He told me of the mythical creatures and the things they could do. I was also intrigued by the epic adventure and the trials and beings that were advertised in the inside cover.
Shea Ohmsford finds out that he is the only heir to the throne of Jerle Shannara, a legenday elven king that wielded the Sword against the Warlock Lord, a being of such power that could only be defeated by the abundance of power within the Sword. Only a direct descendant of Jerle Shannara could wield the Sword and unleash its full potential. He embarks on a journey with several friends and eventually reaches the Warlock Lord's keep in Skull Mountain. There he defeats the power threatening to conquer and kill all that opposed him.
There were many elements of this story that I really enjoyed. The detailed writing for one impressed me a lot. There were so many details that just lengthened the reading in a very enjoyable way. Several of the semi-long chapters ended in a way that encouraged me to keep reading. Cliffhangers, if you will. Another component of Brook's writing was the descriptive action scenes. They always left me gasping for air and kept me turning the pages. Sometimes after a good action scene, I looked at how much I'd just read and be amazed I had read a good ten to fifteen pages without even realizing it.
There was only one thing that I didn't like about the book. Early on, there were some diplomatic and political scenes that slightly bored me. The chapters were also somewhat long, but most chapters were good, so it wasn't a huge factor in the reading.
I would recommend this book to any person that enjoyed Eragon or Eldest, because these books are along those lines in that they have mystical characters and beings. This book is sure to intrigue anyone looking to set down reality for a moment and just let his or her mind run wild.

~Sean Phelps~

Many have spoken negatively in regards to this series and its author because of the not so subtle resemblance to the Lord of the Rings, but then what modern fantasy would not resemble the master? The Sword of Shannara Trilogy along with First King of Shannara is a great series of books and Brooks does a great job of taking the usual fantasy ideas and giving them a few news twists along the way. The Heritage of Shannara is better, but you have to read this trilogy first (and First King of Shannara).

If you love the writings of JRR Tolkein, Terry Brooks is the author for you. His descriptions paint a solid picture in your mind and you feel that the world being described to you actually exists. The writing style is rich with amazing descriptions and a well crafted story.

The Sword of Shannara Trilogy is an excellent ongoing tale of a family cursed to be tragic heroes, whether they like it or not. The story is well written and the characters are very strong and well developed. By the end of each book, you feel that you really know these characters, even the mysterious ones.

This is a definate necessity of every book collection!

I'm a big fantasy fan and this book seemed to have great reviews. I could only make it through the first book because it was so dull. There's not a lot of stuff happening in the book and the author draws out each scene turning a 120 page story into 500. The characters were mildly interesting, but only one, not the main character, showed any character growth/development at all. Maybe the 2nd/3rd book are better, but I don't think I'll take the time to find out yet...

It's not Lord of the Rings, and for my money it is slightly lesser than the fantasy works of his contemporary Piers Anthony, but the Shannara books move along at a good pace with reasonably interesting characters and you can certainly do a lot worse. Not sure how well it would hold up to a second reading beyond one's teenage years but I would give it a thumbs up.

Life is about perspective, and the Shannara Trilogy essentially spearheaded my interest in Fantasy. I have read plenty of Fantasy books, and have many authors of interest; Tolkien, Anthony, Salvatore, etc. The Sword of Shannara was one of my first Fantasy books and I absolutely loved it. I continued on to read every book available relating to Shannara, and even the Landover series. While there are comparisons between these stories and LOTR; where in Fantasy can you not draw correlations between stories? Terry Brooks is as good at telling stories as any other writers in the Fantasy genre, and has been doing it for a long time. If you want a good read, pick up the Sword trilogy, and afterwards, move on to the Scions of Shannara. They are all good reads!

Book is terrible quality! All of the pages are uneven and the corners are smashed from shipping. Book is probably a good read but the print quality is awful. I bought this for a 1 year anniversary present and now I will have to find something else....

Update: I am a novice book reader and realized it has deckled edges.

The first book in the trilogy, The Sword of Shannara is in my opinion the best of the three. With Flick and Shea, and the whole supporting cast, the adventure rolls on from the very beginning when the tall dark stranger shows up.

Very reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, but so many these days are. Strange creatures, elves, evil creatures and an ultimate magical artifact (the sword) that everyone is trying desperately to possess.

Excellent twists in the plot, some come as quite a surprise. A good fantasy for any lover of the genre, or even those who just like a good tale!!

B is a good writer. have no fear about that. but his characters are mostly uninteresting, and he can be very uninventive. in one book here, some characters of interest have a role, but then in again, in another the introduced characters are very uninteresting. but his writing style is always good, and he delivers. it's not flawed writing. the main characters are never really interesting, but not too bad either. but hey, it's good read. don't expect too much inventiveness and interesting characters, that's all.

First of all, if you have never read these books, get them individually. I have not ordered this edition yet, but I'm sure it will way a ton. It will be one for the book case. Having said that, this is an excellent story. It is somewhat slow going at first, but if you stick it out, you will not be disappointed. Having read some of the negative reviews saying it was a rip off of L.O.T.R., I felt I had to put in my two cents. On the contrary, after reading the whole series to date, it feels to me not that it is a rip off of Tolkien, but more of a continuation. I kind of felt this way while reading the first trilogy, and of course it became clear later on that the story is set in the future. So it's like things have come full circle. This may not be the way Brooks intended it, but it's how I like to think it worked.

I have very much enjoyed delving into the world that is Shannara. I find that reading through all three books, as one, drew the generations together, although each could stand on their own. I have enjoyed the weaving of the tales and the characters into a world I could emerge myself, built using bits of reality and fantasy fused together. The writing grew stronger as each book progressed, the characters were endearing and I thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy.

When I first read the Sword of Shannara about 20 years ago, I was 13 years old and already a lover of fantasy. I had struggled through The Lord of the Rings but was not quite old enough to fully appreciate that saga. The Sword of Shannara was different story (heh). It was much easier to get into and enjoy than Tolkeins world, but that by no means is an indication of simplistic writting and plot. No, this was a heartfelt, intricate tale of sorcery, struggle and redemtion that kept me glued to it's pages until I finally turned the last one.

This book transported me to a masterfully created world full of peril where heros I could related to fought against the forces of evil even when the odd were heavily againt them. It was a world of magic and mystery and my youthful imagination ate it up! Fantastic stuff for a young teen looking for a little escape from the pressures of school, friends and family.

I went on to read more of Terry Brook's Shannara books, but the first will always be my favorite. The Elfstones and Wishsong were very good, but Mr. Brooks seemed to fall in a creative rut after those. I'm glad Elfstones and Wishsong are part of this tome, they are the core "Shannara" experience. The books to follow were enjoyable, Brooks could always create that sense of danger and suspence and the characters are fun to get to know, but in the end they seem to follow the same formula as the orginals.

I have revisited this book a few times since that first reading and enjoyed it as much as that first time, though in different ways. I could go into detail about the characters and subplots and writting style and so on, but I think you would be much better served to pick up a copy and read it for yourself, and discover the wonder for yourself. This book made a huge impact on my life, and I hope it will on yours.

I first came across the Sword in 1979 when I found it used in a flea market. I was 13 or 14 at the time, already rooted deeply in Tolkien. I think what attracted me to the book was the Brothers Hildebrandt clunky and disproportionate painting on the cover. I remember the B.H. doing Tolkien calendars so I thought I would give it a try. Turns out that having identical twin brothers paint identical-looking characters for an otherwise identical storyline was highly appropriate.

I must say that I am very glad that Mr Brooks' writing has improved over the years. His "Magic Kingdom" series is wonderful, but his early writings - this series in general and this book (Sword of Shannarah) in particular - is dreadful. As a previous poster wrote, his over-use of exclaimation points gets old... and he writes like he is trying to use EVERY trick he learned in his Creative Writing class in each sentance.

It is lamentable that so many people compare him to Tolkien, or his stories to LoTR, but that is what happens when a writer makes such a blatant copycat storyline.

The Sword of Shannara is an old favorite I am reading to discuss with my grandson, a new fantasy lover. The Trilogy is Terry Brooks early work and well worth reading. He improved greatly in later works. This trilogy is the foundation for reading Terry Brooks.

I believe these were the first novels Terry Brooks wrote, and he himself says in the introductions that he was still learning his craft when he wrote them; he learned very well. If you like Terry Brooks, or the history of Shannara, or even just enjoy fantasy, get this book.

I had read other books in this series before I started this trilogy. It was fun to read the "origins" and understand more about characters that were mentioned in other books. Now I want to go back and reread the others! I only gave it four stars because parts of books 1 and 3 did drag at times, but they were all page turners by the end. I would definitely recommend these books to all fantasy lovers.

Okay, explain something to me -- almost everybody giving this thing one star (or even two) hasn't even read Elfstones. They whine and moan endlessly about how "this book" copies Lord of the Rings, but only Sword does that to any great extent; or how we're lacking strong female characters, but both Elfstones and Wishsong have those; or better yet, how they couldn't finish Sword - don't post a review about the trilogy, then! Learn to post a review for the proper product, people, it's really not that hard.

Maybe even worse is anybody who says Brooks is "an amazing writer." You folks need to be flogged for obviously NOT having read Sword. The story is fun and the last half of the book is enjoyable, but overall Sword needs a lot of fat trimmed to be anything close to amazing. Elfstones is better in terms of technical "writing is good" rating, but it still has countless flaws. The stories are something you have to dig a bit to enjoy, because his writing is absolutely NOT amazing in these first books. (And in his more recent books where writing is indeed better, the storytelling is somewhat lacking)

I have re-read these stories too many times to count. I enjoy them all to some extent. But rating this trilogy as a single unit is very difficult. Elfstones is certainly four stars on its own. Maybe even 4.5. But Sword has so many painful mistakes in the writing. The story is fun, and once Brooks finally gets past the belief that he needs to hold the reader's hand through everything, somewhat good. But it's got to be his worst work. Maybe some of the latter Landover books were worse - tough to say. Wishsong is all right as I recall, but that's one I haven't read more than a few times and not in the past couple years.

Read the trilogy and rate the trilogy, don't just read Sword and rate the trilogy. Sword is just not a shining example of what Brooks can do. It's fun if you aren't a die-hard LotR fanboy, but you won't really feel the power of Brooks until you've at least read Elfstones as well.

So I give this trilogy three stars. The missing map of the westland hurts this compilation a bit, Sword hurts it a lot, but even so, it's not a bad deal by any means.

In the late 70's I chose a book to read, not knowing it would be a classic. I never finished that book; life going in other
directions.
I'm now in my 50's, saw and advertisement on the Shannara trilogy; cobwebs clearing, I remembered the name. Oh, the joys of a kindle!
I'm really glad I waited 40 years to give Terry time to write the complete circle in the saga of The Sword of Shannara. His eloquence and diction of prose are entertaining, allowing the reader to actually feel as if they are a character in the plot. Having finished the trilogy, I can honestly say "I have found a new author to follow." Anyone who wants to settle into 1200 pages of plot gripping, character believability and engrossing reading, this is the story for you.
Enjoy as much as I did!

The series is moderately entertaining. Each book has essentially the same plot as the other. There is some character development, but the development to happen is pretty obvious from the onset. There's quite a bit of explaining what the characters are thinking, and there can be long stretches between things actually happening.

Several sources inspired me to read Terry Brook's Sword of Shannara. My father for one, told me all about its fantastic nature and style of writing. He told me of the mythical creatures and the things they could do. I was also intrigued by the epic adventure and the trials and beings that were advertised in the inside cover.
Shea Ohmsford finds out that he is the only heir to the throne of Jerle Shannara, a legenday elven king that wielded the Sword against the Warlock Lord, a being of such power that could only be defeated by the abundance of power within the Sword. Only a direct descendant of Jerle Shannara could wield the Sword and unleash its full potential. He embarks on a journey with several friends and eventually reaches the Warlock Lord's keep in Skull Mountain. There he defeats the power threatening to conquer and kill all that opposed him.
There were many elements of this story that I really enjoyed. The detailed writing for one impressed me a lot. There were so many details that just lengthened the reading in a very enjoyable way. Several of the semi-long chapters ended in a way that encouraged me to keep reading. Cliffhangers, if you will. Another component of Brook's writing was the descriptive action scenes. They always left me gasping for air and kept me turning the pages. Sometimes after a good action scene, I looked at how much I'd just read and be amazed I had read a good ten to fifteen pages without even realizing it.
There was only one thing that I didn't like about the book. Early on, there were some diplomatic and political scenes that slightly bored me. The chapters were also somewhat long, but most chapters were good, so it wasn't a huge factor in the reading.
I would recommend this book to any person that enjoyed Eragon or Eldest, because these books are along those lines in that they have mystical characters and beings. This book is sure to intrigue anyone looking to set down reality for a moment and just let his or her mind run wild.

~Sean Phelps~

Many have spoken negatively in regards to this series and its author because of the not so subtle resemblance to the Lord of the Rings, but then what modern fantasy would not resemble the master? The Sword of Shannara Trilogy along with First King of Shannara is a great series of books and Brooks does a great job of taking the usual fantasy ideas and giving them a few news twists along the way. The Heritage of Shannara is better, but you have to read this trilogy first (and First King of Shannara).

If you love the writings of JRR Tolkein, Terry Brooks is the author for you. His descriptions paint a solid picture in your mind and you feel that the world being described to you actually exists. The writing style is rich with amazing descriptions and a well crafted story.

The Sword of Shannara Trilogy is an excellent ongoing tale of a family cursed to be tragic heroes, whether they like it or not. The story is well written and the characters are very strong and well developed. By the end of each book, you feel that you really know these characters, even the mysterious ones.

This is a definate necessity of every book collection!

I'm a big fantasy fan and this book seemed to have great reviews. I could only make it through the first book because it was so dull. There's not a lot of stuff happening in the book and the author draws out each scene turning a 120 page story into 500. The characters were mildly interesting, but only one, not the main character, showed any character growth/development at all. Maybe the 2nd/3rd book are better, but I don't think I'll take the time to find out yet...

It's not Lord of the Rings, and for my money it is slightly lesser than the fantasy works of his contemporary Piers Anthony, but the Shannara books move along at a good pace with reasonably interesting characters and you can certainly do a lot worse. Not sure how well it would hold up to a second reading beyond one's teenage years but I would give it a thumbs up.

Life is about perspective, and the Shannara Trilogy essentially spearheaded my interest in Fantasy. I have read plenty of Fantasy books, and have many authors of interest; Tolkien, Anthony, Salvatore, etc. The Sword of Shannara was one of my first Fantasy books and I absolutely loved it. I continued on to read every book available relating to Shannara, and even the Landover series. While there are comparisons between these stories and LOTR; where in Fantasy can you not draw correlations between stories? Terry Brooks is as good at telling stories as any other writers in the Fantasy genre, and has been doing it for a long time. If you want a good read, pick up the Sword trilogy, and afterwards, move on to the Scions of Shannara. They are all good reads!

Book is terrible quality! All of the pages are uneven and the corners are smashed from shipping. Book is probably a good read but the print quality is awful. I bought this for a 1 year anniversary present and now I will have to find something else....

Update: I am a novice book reader and realized it has deckled edges.

The first book in the trilogy, The Sword of Shannara is in my opinion the best of the three. With Flick and Shea, and the whole supporting cast, the adventure rolls on from the very beginning when the tall dark stranger shows up.

Very reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, but so many these days are. Strange creatures, elves, evil creatures and an ultimate magical artifact (the sword) that everyone is trying desperately to possess.

Excellent twists in the plot, some come as quite a surprise. A good fantasy for any lover of the genre, or even those who just like a good tale!!

B is a good writer. have no fear about that. but his characters are mostly uninteresting, and he can be very uninventive. in one book here, some characters of interest have a role, but then in again, in another the introduced characters are very uninteresting. but his writing style is always good, and he delivers. it's not flawed writing. the main characters are never really interesting, but not too bad either. but hey, it's good read. don't expect too much inventiveness and interesting characters, that's all.

First of all, if you have never read these books, get them individually. I have not ordered this edition yet, but I'm sure it will way a ton. It will be one for the book case. Having said that, this is an excellent story. It is somewhat slow going at first, but if you stick it out, you will not be disappointed. Having read some of the negative reviews saying it was a rip off of L.O.T.R., I felt I had to put in my two cents. On the contrary, after reading the whole series to date, it feels to me not that it is a rip off of Tolkien, but more of a continuation. I kind of felt this way while reading the first trilogy, and of course it became clear later on that the story is set in the future. So it's like things have come full circle. This may not be the way Brooks intended it, but it's how I like to think it worked.

I have very much enjoyed delving into the world that is Shannara. I find that reading through all three books, as one, drew the generations together, although each could stand on their own. I have enjoyed the weaving of the tales and the characters into a world I could emerge myself, built using bits of reality and fantasy fused together. The writing grew stronger as each book progressed, the characters were endearing and I thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy.

When I first read the Sword of Shannara about 20 years ago, I was 13 years old and already a lover of fantasy. I had struggled through The Lord of the Rings but was not quite old enough to fully appreciate that saga. The Sword of Shannara was different story (heh). It was much easier to get into and enjoy than Tolkeins world, but that by no means is an indication of simplistic writting and plot. No, this was a heartfelt, intricate tale of sorcery, struggle and redemtion that kept me glued to it's pages until I finally turned the last one.

This book transported me to a masterfully created world full of peril where heros I could related to fought against the forces of evil even when the odd were heavily againt them. It was a world of magic and mystery and my youthful imagination ate it up! Fantastic stuff for a young teen looking for a little escape from the pressures of school, friends and family.

I went on to read more of Terry Brook's Shannara books, but the first will always be my favorite. The Elfstones and Wishsong were very good, but Mr. Brooks seemed to fall in a creative rut after those. I'm glad Elfstones and Wishsong are part of this tome, they are the core "Shannara" experience. The books to follow were enjoyable, Brooks could always create that sense of danger and suspence and the characters are fun to get to know, but in the end they seem to follow the same formula as the orginals.

I have revisited this book a few times since that first reading and enjoyed it as much as that first time, though in different ways. I could go into detail about the characters and subplots and writting style and so on, but I think you would be much better served to pick up a copy and read it for yourself, and discover the wonder for yourself. This book made a huge impact on my life, and I hope it will on yours.

I first came across the Sword in 1979 when I found it used in a flea market. I was 13 or 14 at the time, already rooted deeply in Tolkien. I think what attracted me to the book was the Brothers Hildebrandt clunky and disproportionate painting on the cover. I remember the B.H. doing Tolkien calendars so I thought I would give it a try. Turns out that having identical twin brothers paint identical-looking characters for an otherwise identical storyline was highly appropriate.

I must say that I am very glad that Mr Brooks' writing has improved over the years. His "Magic Kingdom" series is wonderful, but his early writings - this series in general and this book (Sword of Shannarah) in particular - is dreadful. As a previous poster wrote, his over-use of exclaimation points gets old... and he writes like he is trying to use EVERY trick he learned in his Creative Writing class in each sentance.

It is lamentable that so many people compare him to Tolkien, or his stories to LoTR, but that is what happens when a writer makes such a blatant copycat storyline.

The Sword of Shannara is an old favorite I am reading to discuss with my grandson, a new fantasy lover. The Trilogy is Terry Brooks early work and well worth reading. He improved greatly in later works. This trilogy is the foundation for reading Terry Brooks.

Seasoned fantasy fans and new fantasy fanatics (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc...) will not be disappointed by this awesome trilogy that can hold its own when compared to similar books in the sci-fi/fantasy genre.
Author Terry Brooks takes you inside a world that you won't want to leave. From awesome action-packed adventure to well-crafted characters, this is a book you shouldn't pass up.

I first read the Shannara books in junior high (early 90s) and instantly fell in love. They were the first epic fantasy books I'd ever read, the only other real fantasy book I'd read at that time being "The Hobbit." For the next decade, I'd read the Shannara books as they emerged, never feeling inclined to pick up the LOTR trilogy. For some reason, it looked boring to me when I was in high school. Then, in 2001, I decided that I'd better read the trilogy before the "LOTR: Fellowship" film came out. I really wanted to see the movie but felt that it would be bad form to see the film without having read the book.
So, I galloped through the trilogy, and it completely reframed how I viewed the Shannara books. In short, the LOTR trilogy completely blew me away. Aftwards, it almost made me sad to compare the two series. I spent a while feeling pretty negatively towards Mr. Brooks for what I felt were unforgivably blatant Tolkien rip-offs: Allanon/Gandalf, Elessedil/Elendil, Shady Vale/the Shire, wonderful elves/wonderful elves, etc., and all the other issues that the store reviewers have taken umbrage with.
I've since changed my tune. When all is said and done, when I go and re-read the Shannara books, they never fail to keep me up til 2:00 a.m., just as the LOTR trilogy does when it assumes a place on my night table. Mr. Brooks's works are, simply put, darn good pieces of storytelling -- when I'm lost in the pages of "The Elfstones..." at 1:30 a.m., it's not because I've been awake mentally critiquing Brook's characterization of the hero in the epic journey.
It is not Brooks's fault that he must write in Tolkien's shadow; Brooks certainly knew that his work was bound to draw comparisons (favorable and not so) to LOTR, and I think he has made the best of it. A recycling of themes, tropes, stock characters, etc., is inevitable in any literary tradition, movement, or genre, so I cannot fault Mr. Brooks for creating & populating the Four Lands in the manner that he has. When I re-read the books in the Shannara series, I do so to enjoy them on their own terms and for their own merits.
My main criticism of the Shannara franchise is the sheer number of books. I suspect that the quality of Mr. Brooks's writing in the most recent books falls below that of the original Shannara trilogy & Heritage series. I should say that in fairness, I've not read the latest one; I tried reading the "Ilse Witch: Voyage..." and could not make it through. I just couldn't read it for some reason, and I haven't tried the other two. All good things must eventually come to an end, and perhaps Mr. Brooks would have done well to end Shannara with "The Talismans...". Extending a series just to extend a series is not always a good thing.

It is a shame that this book was released as it is. It appears to be nothing more than a money-making effort for the publisher and/or author. The efforts put into the publication are minimal. My recommendation is, if you can find the original versions of the books or book club editions or even the current mass paperbacks or a library version. Do not bother with the travesty that is the 25th anniv. edition, and here is why:
First off, its HUGE - 1191 pages. They felt the need to combine all 3 books into a single volume and call it a 'trilogy'. A trilogy it may be - if by that term you understand a single character being in the 3 stories. But the Sword itself is only in the first book. The other two books, Elfstones and Wishsong, have nothing to do with any 'sword' nor do they have any other character from the other books in them. The 3 books really are 3 separate books and should remain that way - if for no other reason than to allow the reader not to have to lug around the extra weight of the 2 other books you are not currently reading.
Second - the publishing quality is not up to spec. Its printed on pretty thin paper, but I suppose that was to be expected or the book would be 2x as thick as it is. The flaw that is most glaring, unless its hidden in some internal place or I've gone blind, is that a key map is not even in the book. Each of the 3 books has a map with it, related to the region the book takes place in. Sword has the central four lands map, Wishsong has the Eastlands, and ElfStones has the Westlands - but WHERE IS THE MAP OF THE WESTLANDS? I see the map for books 1 and 3, but no Westlands map. It will take something out of Elfstones of Shannara if you don't get the map with it.
Thirdly, all of the illustrations are not here either. Sword had many, but the other two also had illustrations by other artists. None of the those are in this combined edition.
Readers are better off tracking down used copies of the original hardbacks - even in book club editions, or even as mass market paperbacks. This editions just seems like a waste of money. This is a re-release of a classic, not where some value is added to justify to fans or new readers to purchase it, but rather where things are taken away, making it worth less than the orignals it is celebrating. Maybe when the 25th anniversary of the 3rd book, Wishsong of Shannara, comes around in 2010, the folks will get it right. I'm always amazed at how publishers will put out so-called 'special' editions of works that end up being total junk and of substandard quality (see the 'collectors edition' of the Lord of the Rings for more info on that issue).

The Sword of Shannara is definitely one of the best books that I have ever read in my life! I don�t know how anyone could ever hate this book. Brooks has invented some pretty interesting characters that I loved to meet, and journey with them to their final destination. He also has accomplished a story line that would shame a lot of today�s fantasy writers, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. There is just so much in this book, that I can�t put all of them on this page. The list just wouldn�t fit! All I can say is, READ IT! I promise you won�t regret it.

I read these books when they were first released, and Terry Brooks quickly became one of my favorite authors. His world-building skills and descriptions bring fantasy to life. Characters are three-dimensional and realistic. Having read the trilogy before did not diminish the experience. Excellent!

Terry Brooks is one of the best fantasy authors and this book proves it. Wonderful atmosphere, epic battles, memorable heroes&villains.
Brooks is a wonderful author and this trilogy is a must read.

Love this series! I've read the entire series through twice! The way Brooks shadows Par in The Sword, Uncle Boh in The Druid, and Wren in the Elf-Queen, then does all three in The Talismans is pretty amazing. The book has a lot of humor, and is very exciting. The first book starts off a bit dry, but they get much better. I got so into it, I read the entire series in about one week, because I could hardly put any of them down. The Elf-Queen I finished off in a day. They're great books! A must read!

This is the next(or first) step into the amazing world or Shannara. Reading 'The First King of Shannara' isn't a necessary step when coming into this spectacular imaginative fantasy world. The trilogy provides plenty of back story to jump right in and enjoy the best Brooks has to offer. This is but one(or three)steps into this immense and breath taking series.

This was the first fantasy work I read after LOTR, and while it didn't compare favorably, the plot line moved along, the characters were likeable, and the adventure was fairly constant. As an inexpensive Kindle product it is well worth purchasing.

It is nice to have all of the books in one volume. However, I was very disappointed to see that one of the maps (the the westland) was not put in the volume. The art work was also taken out. It would be better to find the books in hardback with all of the maps and all of the art work.

This is the best Terry Brooks book I have ever read only because it had a little more suspense any of the other ones. Not to say that the other Brooks books aren't good, actually quite on the contrary, I think that all his books are excellent and should be read by anyone who is looking for a good read. So after all that blathering on and on, this is a very good book and I would recommend this book

I first picked up this title over twenty years ago when I was a teen and Terry Brooks has successfully continued to weave this fantastic tale into many other wondrously related novels. Its a must read for any fantasy lover! Don't take my word for it read them, you won't be disappointed.

Yes, even though the 1st Shannara book steals liberally from Tolkien, I stil love the series. As Brooks linked his Word and the Void series to his Shannara timeline, he really grows as an author. I loved it!

Firstly, I want to say that I do like this book and found it an enjoyable read. However:
Allinon = Gandalf
Shea = Frodo
Flick = Samwise
Balinor = Aragorn
Brona = Sauron
'Skull Bearer' = Ringwraith/Nazgul
Need I say more...?

one of the best fantasy series i have ever read....and they say it is a ripoff of LOTR....those people need to die of inhalation of a fat man's bean farts. Yes it follows the archetype laid down by Tolkien, but what fantasy novel of this type doesn't..Plus the later books go off on their own, away from the Tolkien line. Fanboys....Whatever!

Terry Brooks is one of the greatest authors of fantasy. The first three of his books all end great. He actually finishes his stories, unlike some authors that keep you guessing for years.
Having all three stories is really nice. especially if read alot. This is a must have for any fantasty fans.

I must admit that had I read this book when I was a middle-schooler, I probably would have enjoyed it a great deal. Then again, at that time I was still hopelessly influenced by Tolkien. I realize that the fantasy genre is a place where originality is difficult to come by, and that many of the modern fantasy writers were greatly influenced by Tolkien's works as well. However, that should not be an excuse for reusing what has already been written - and written much better - as Brooks did in this Shannara trilogy. His characters are completely one-dimensional, and his idea of depicting 'action' is to blithely tell the reader exactly what is going on, as well as what every character involved in the 'action' is thinking at the time. This leaves zero room for imagination, and his prose is hackneyed and dull at best. Also, Brooks' idea of 'darkness' and 'evil' are also one-dimensional, with very little depth in his villains. For a more sophisticated fantasy reader, simple 'good v. evil' doesn't cut it anymore. A sophisticated reader wants characters who are both, within themselves. Just look at Jaime Lannister in the Song of Ice and Fire series. All in all, this is a great read for middle schoolers and those who like Tolkien rip-offs.

If you are looking for epic fantasy as it was meant to be written, try three very good and original series: A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R.R. Martin, and the Farseer and Tawny Man series by Robin Hobb. You won't find any exact replicas of Tolkien here, and you will find fully fleshed, interesting, three-dimensional characters in gripping worlds.

Despite the hype and impassioned fan-made reviews, the Shannara trilogy is hardly one which will keep its place forever on your bookshelf.

While it is, in all fairness, a well crafted story of good versus evil in a fantasy setting, that is where it ends, for it is the same story we have all heard time and again...

Readers (they need not even be fans) of the Tolkien line of books (The Lord of the Rings) will, having read but the first few chapters of this series opening book (The Sword of Shannara), immediately recognize how very passe (even cliche) this tale is...for instance:

* The Shannara tale features two young men from a back-country area questing into the evil lords land in hopes of defeating him, and acquiring a magical artifact (the very same background description encompasses the life of Frodo and Sam, Tolkien's rustic heroes).

* The heroes are led by a mysterious wizard, of whom little is truly known, who comes from a council of like empowered beings (even as Tolkien's Gandalf led Frodo and Sam, and comes from the council of wizards).

* The party which embarks with our heroes to the evil lords land is made up of men, elves, and dwarves (boy, if Terry Brooks threw in a hobbit there would be no difference at all).

* One of the men is little trusted by one of the rustic heroes (Tolkien fans will appreciate how very much this mimics the feelings displayed by Sam towards Boromir).

* One of the men wields a great and mystic sword, and is well versed in wood-lore (Aragorn, anybody?)

* The antagonist is an evil lord of dark creatures, once thought defeated, who has since gathered his dark powers to reform himself and reconquer the world (need I even tell you that this is the very same premise behind Sauron of the Lord of the Rings).

* On our heroes journey through the mountains, when the trek becomes too perilous to continue, the decision is made to take a new path...through abandoned mines that lead under a mountain, mines never before successfully crossed (Just as Tolkien's heroes left the mountains when thwarted to go through the mines of Khazad Dum...).

* Our heroes are accosted by a monster who emerges from a lake, and ensnares them with it's tentacles, seeking initially only after the ringbearer, errr, the hero of Terry Brooks original tale... (Tolkien fans will recall this same scene being played out before Khazad Dum).

* The two rustic heroes are named Shea and Flick (as opposed to Tolkien's, Sam and Frodo)...I know it is a stretch, but really...there do exist many other consanents of which to make use...I might also bring up the fact that the name "Durin" appears in both tales.

* The most evil servants of the dark lord in this tale, bring terror wherever they go (the description of which reads like Tolkien's work), and seek after the hero Shea (all too much like the Wringwraiths), and are even drawn to the powers of an artifact he bears (once again, all too much like the Wringwraiths).

* The hero of the tale is injured, and subsequently brought to the home of the healers, where his wound is tended, he recovers, is greeted by his fellow rustic hero, the ranger-like character, and the wizard (if you have read Tolkien, I need not even go into such, however, for those who have not...Chapters 11 through 13 tell the very same story, albeit, in a far better manner).

Suffice to say, after having read the first half of this book, and continuing to find the material a near blatant knock-off of J.R.R. Tolkiens celebrated work, I promptly tossed such aside, and moved on to better literature...

However, that is not to say that the tale is not entirely without merit (the only reason I gave it more than one star). While many chapters of the majority of these books will be all too familiar to true fantasy bibliophiles, the occassional fresh take on old ideas, and even (rare) original concepts make it an experience better left for the moments when you have little else to do...

Take a massive helping of Tolkien, sprinkle with a touch of Arthurian legend and hey presto the 'Sword of Shannara'. I couldn't get into this book at all as I had already read a much better, more dramatic version with far superior characters called 'Lord of the Rings'.

I knew what would happen in this book at almost every step because it follows Tolkien's book so closely. Do yourself a favor Read 'Lord of the Rings' if you want monsters, battles and magic OR read the 'Warded Man' for a truly new fantasy experience.

I had owned all the paperbacks and wanted a hardcover edition. The originals are rare. This edition was just what I needed.

The 3 books in this compilation are timeless classics. I have read all of the Shannara books over and over again. I'm sure you will too.

It's just my quirk for reading fast that sometimes makes me believethat the descriptive writing sometimes got a little too much. Loved the storyline, the characters and the world created in the Shannara fiction arena.

OK, up front I'm a big Tolkien fan. Since the 70's. Never heard of this guy, but thought, well, I like this kind of stuff. Let's give him a try. Read the first story. Slowly. Started the second story. Gave up after about four chapters. You can see where this guy got all his ideas. Save time and just read the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy again. I have 5 times. You won't be disappointed. With Terry Brooks, you will be.

My friends had been pestering me to read this book since high school and I had never got around to it until recently. To my utter dismay the story he has written is a magical one. It's one that is timelessand can invoke great emotion. That because its Fellowship of the ring. How the author did not get sued over this obvious rip off is beyond me.
Two little farm boys who live in a quiet part of the world and have no interest in the affirs of others. Not unlike the Shire. Are approched by a big powerful man not unlike Ghandalf. Whom tells them of an ancient evil that was meant to have been defeated but stirs again. Only one thing can stop him and its up to one of the farm boys because he is the only one who can weild it.
They farmboys get poisoned and are dying. Just like when the Ringwraith stabbed Frodo. They are taken to a mysterious place of healing that bears a remarkable likeness to Rivendell. The boys are saved and the group sets off on their journey. The mountain passes are watched closely and after debate it is decided to go through the Tomb of kings. Moria anyone?
You get the idea. This book is so close in plot and structure to Lord of the rings. Very disappointed that this book is so unoriginal.
Read Lord of the rings instead.

This is an ok book but it basically follows a common fantasy storyline "a small town nobody turns out to be the only one that can save the world" but without introducing anything new. The book just is missing memorable characters and origanal ideas you just don't get pulled into the story at all. this book may have more pages than the lord of the rings but the lord of the rings has more on the pages, so if your thinking of reading these books i would suggest just picking up tolkien it will much more worthwhile.

I thought only Tolkien could transport my mind to another world. I was wrong. Mr. Brooks in my opinion did so and more. I read this book in less then a week. I intend to read the book a few more times as well. The series is very addictive. Read this!

Many Lord of the Rings elements are here (imitated ineptly), but none of the richness of that series nor is the reader drawn in as much as, say Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series (either of which I'd rate 5 stars). Brooks is fine for an airline trip, but I wouldn't push it beyond that. This is not a memorable read.

this series isn't too bad at the beginning. I enjoyed Sword of Shannara and Elfstones of Shannara, but i couldn't bring myself to finish Wishsong. Once you've read the one, you've read them all. Unfortunatly, this means i have the hardcover edition Heritage of Shannara and no current interest in reading it.

Delivery time, price, and the quality of the product and its contents all get a thumbs up from me. I have already ordered and received the sequels. And there are yet more and it is positive that I will order them soon.

ok, no chit chat , lemme tell you how good/ bad it is.
PROS:
awesome storylines
captivating writing
good plot
CONS:
storylines stolen from LOTR
characters are the same
plot is STOLEN(practically... i mean its almost the exact same things happen w/ diffrent characters...)
ok, i must say that these books are awesom,e, and the reading is great!!! but for the other extreme, that is, the fact that it is greatly"influenced" by the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
(sigh)

Just loved to read these three quest stories, each in different settings with new characters and tasks at hand and each showing an author coming more and more into his own power. I enjoyed being with the characters and watch the world of Shannara come into existence and unfold. And I found in the reading some answers for my own quest in the nothing and everything of everything and nothing. Thanks to the author for bringing these books into existence even if it has been some time.

I have been a fan of fantasy for over fifty years, starting with Andre Norton in fifth grade, and then proceeding through Tolkien and McGuinn and their heirs.
I have tried to read TB for decades, beginning with his first book, but simply have never (even at the age of 14) been unable to get beyond a few pages into any of his books.
The reason for this is his writing is so slavishly and unimaginatively derivative, boring, predictable, funerally-paced, and basically, vile, that it causes me to become physically nauseated. Its created world/s, inhabitants, creatures, and characters are entirely imitative, completely unimaginative, and clumsy and lumpish in style. A good writer is told by his/her sentences. Brooks' sentences are those of a 10 year old. He seems constitutionally unable to use a noun without an associated adjective. I recently retired to read the original Shannara book, and simply could not find a noun without an adjective, or (for the most part) a verb without an adverb. How any editor could let this ameturish, ham-fisted, puerile stool pass uncorrected through publication is simply inconceivable, as is the continued popularity of his mass-produced, nausea-inducing, boring, overly-long, and endlessly repetitive "novels". There is nothing novel about them. TS Eliot said 'a bad poet borrows; a good poet steals." Brooks not only borrows, but he borrows from the worst, rather than the best of his predecessors.