Terry Brooks: The Sword of Shannara (Paperback, 1986, Del Rey)
Paperback, 726 pages
English language
Published Jan. 12, 1986 by Del Rey.
A young man and his brother set out on a journey to find the magical "Sword of Shannara". Only the mystical sword can defeat the evil overlord and his minions.
Extremely enjoyable! This is a great adventure with some very memorable characters. Despite what others have said, it is a very different story and atmosphere than in Tolkien's books.
an epic quest to save the world from evil...
short plot description: after a cataclysmic event in the past different races (dwarves, gnomes, trolls, elfs) and magic have returned to Earth and all high technology has been lost. We follow the events when Shea Ohmsford, a half-elf who lives peacefully in Shady Vale becomes aware that he is the last heir to the House of Shannara and only he can wield a weapon to destroy the evil which threatens to enslave all of Earth. Woefully unprepared and chased by evil minions he embarks together with his human brother Flick on a quest which will decide the fate of the world...
my thoughts: Brooks borrows (very) heavily from Tolkien's LOTR, sometimes too much for my liking. Nevertheless the setting is intriguing, plot and characters do serve their purpose. Not many surprises here if you've read epic quest fantasy before (though the …
an epic quest to save the world from evil...
short plot description: after a cataclysmic event in the past different races (dwarves, gnomes, trolls, elfs) and magic have returned to Earth and all high technology has been lost. We follow the events when Shea Ohmsford, a half-elf who lives peacefully in Shady Vale becomes aware that he is the last heir to the House of Shannara and only he can wield a weapon to destroy the evil which threatens to enslave all of Earth. Woefully unprepared and chased by evil minions he embarks together with his human brother Flick on a quest which will decide the fate of the world...
my thoughts: Brooks borrows (very) heavily from Tolkien's LOTR, sometimes too much for my liking. Nevertheless the setting is intriguing, plot and characters do serve their purpose. Not many surprises here if you've read epic quest fantasy before (though the "lost technology"-setting is well done).
my advice: one of the better entries in a genre which has seen too many Tolkien wannabes.
