The Sword Of Shannara (Sword of Shannara - Terry Brooks)

Member Name: mattydalton

Product:	Sword of Shannara - Terry Brooks
Date:	28/07/06 (94 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Captivting read

Disadvantages: Quite long

Introduction

I first read the prequel to this book about 10 years ago, while I was at school and really enjoyed it. I had always meant to read the rest of the series but, as always happens, never got round to it. After recently spotting this book in my dad's collection, I resolved to read it immediately.

If you are unsure of the type of books that Terry Brooks writes then, quite simply, think Lord of the Rings. What I have read of the series so far follows a similar sort of format. Good vs evil, manifested in fantasy form. I have never really been interested in fantasy books, yet found this to be compelling at times.

The Plot

As already stated, this is a classic good against evil struggle type of book. The story revolves around six central characters, with a few accomplices thrown in along the way. The central plot of the story revolves around the struggle between the many races of the world - trolls, elves, dwarves, gnomes and men - against the forces of evil, controlled by the Warlock Lord.

Allanon, who is the last of the Druids, suddenly appears in a village called Shady Vale to talk to a man he has never met, called Shea Ohmsford. Shea, unbeknown to himself, is the last descendant of the legendary Jerle Shannara. Jerle can be found in the prequel to this book as the hero who saved the world by defeating the Warlock Lord.

Allanon presents the case to Shea that the Warlock Lord has returned and the only person who can defeat him is a direct descendent of Jerle Shannara, as only a direct descendent of the Shannara house can unlock the power of the legendary Sword of Shannara. A reluctant Shea eventually gets involved in the war between good and evil and the story goes from there.

The Characters

Allanon

Allanon is the last of the druids. He is shrouded in mystery and has a knowledge that escapes all others. He is a very strong character in my mind and, by only releasing small pieces of information at a time, keeps the story flowing and the interest held.

Shea Ohmsford

Shea, as already stated, is the sole live descendent of Jerle Shannara. He is little more than a normal man with a heritage unknown to himself. He is an unlikely hero, as he seems to be very weak towards the beginning of the story. As the story progresses, he begins to become a more confident and determined character.

Flick Ohmsford

Flick is Shea's brother and seems to be a slightly stronger character. Physically, he is more imposing than Shea. He is dragged into the battle following his reluctance to leave his brother to deal with such a threat alone. There is obviously a close relationship between the two brothers, who would go to the ends of the earth for each other.

Menion Leah

Menion Leah, or Menion the prince of Leah to be more exact, is a close friend of Shea. They have very different principles on life, but share a strong sense of faith in their beliefs. They are very different characters, but a mutual respect for each other is shared and helps form a strong friendship.

Menion is very much an adventurer, constantly undertaking dangerous, sometimes pointless, adventures. Flick is unsure about Menion because of this, as he sees him as a potential hazard to his brother.

Hendel

Hendel is a dwarf from a region called the Anar. He is a very strong character who fears nothing and nobody, or not to the reader's knowledge anyway. He has been in constant conflict with the Gnomes over the years and is a hardened warrior, hence his inclusion in the group selected for the mission at hand.

Balinor

Balinor is the prince of Callahorn. He is, again, a very strong character. Brooks presents the image of Balinor as being a person who commands respect from all quarters. He is resolute and, at times fearless. He has a determination to succeed, perhaps unsurpassed by any other in the story. He is a very likeable character, perhaps the type of person many parents would like their children to grow into.

What The Critics Said

A marvelous fantasy trip - Frank Herbert (I have no idea who he is!!)

More Importantly, What I Said

I found the book to be a very enjoyable read. This was the first book in the series written by Terry Brooks and, at times, it shows. His characters don't come across quite as well as in other books by him and sometimes he can be quite long winded. Despite this, I still really enjoyed the story.

I found the characters to be mostly likeable and I thought that the differences between them, despite fighting exactly the same cause, created a nice blend to have enough characters for everyone to find a favourite. My favourite would probably be Balinor. He is a very likeable character with many good virtues.

It was quite a long book, seemingly a couple of hundred pages longer than other books in this series. This would be one of my criticisms of this book. I think that he could have shaved a couple of hundred pages off the story to make it a much easier read, yet still convey what he was trying to say. I don't think this was too much of an issue, but it can seem quite daunting when starting the book.

All in all, this was a book that I really enjoyed. As already stated, it does not belong to a genre I usually read, yet I found the book really easy to get into and I finished it within a week, such was my desire to find out what was going to happen.

I would strongly recommend this book to people and I fully intend to read the rest of the series, so keep your eyes peeled for follow up reviews!!

Some Random Information

First Published: 1978
Pages: 726
Overall Rating: 88%

Summary: A Lord Of The Rings style fantasy novel.