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iluvbooks13's review against another edition
4.0
Ok, so technichly (sp?) i haven't finished the wishsong of shannara, the other two i liked. The Elfstones of Shannara was my favorite one, but it made me mad in the end when Amberle had to turn into the tree to save everyone. :(
rodterez07's review against another edition
3.0
The Sword of Shannara (TSS) is considered a modern fantasy classic. Suffice to say, I was very excited by the prospect of reading this novel when I first purchased it.
However, during my reading I could not help thinking of how similar the main characters and plot were to [[book: The Lord of The Rings] (LOTR).
For instance, there were elves, dwarves, trolls and men who populate Terry Brook's fantasy realm. Again, these races are nearly identical to those of Middle Earth. The main antagonist of the novel is an evil, powerful spirit-being named the Warlock Lord who shares many of the same attributes as Tolkien's Sauron.
Also, there is a relic of power which is the sole weapon by which the Warlock Lord can be defeated forever. Finally, there is a band of questers who must seek out this lost relic. Among these adventurers is a diminutive hero who is the only being capable of wielding the weapon which can destroy the threat to his entire world.
Sound familiar? Yes it does, and that is the major problem I had with this novel. Now, please understand the novel has many significant differences not only in characterization and plotting, but also in writing style. Mr. Brooks is a very prolific author and of course, his writing style is his own.
However, the differences between TSS and LOTR pale when compared to how similar the books are in tone and plot. Mr. Brooks, by his own admission, was heavily influenced by Tolkien, but he allows that fondness to cause his debut novel to read and feel more like a derivative of LOTR instead of an original work of fiction.
Many of my friends assure me that the subsequent novels in TSS series improve greatly in terms of originality and depth. I hope so, but I was still rather disappointed by the debut novel.
However, during my reading I could not help thinking of how similar the main characters and plot were to [[book: The Lord of The Rings] (LOTR).
For instance, there were elves, dwarves, trolls and men who populate Terry Brook's fantasy realm. Again, these races are nearly identical to those of Middle Earth. The main antagonist of the novel is an evil, powerful spirit-being named the Warlock Lord who shares many of the same attributes as Tolkien's Sauron.
Also, there is a relic of power which is the sole weapon by which the Warlock Lord can be defeated forever. Finally, there is a band of questers who must seek out this lost relic. Among these adventurers is a diminutive hero who is the only being capable of wielding the weapon which can destroy the threat to his entire world.
Sound familiar? Yes it does, and that is the major problem I had with this novel. Now, please understand the novel has many significant differences not only in characterization and plotting, but also in writing style. Mr. Brooks is a very prolific author and of course, his writing style is his own.
However, the differences between TSS and LOTR pale when compared to how similar the books are in tone and plot. Mr. Brooks, by his own admission, was heavily influenced by Tolkien, but he allows that fondness to cause his debut novel to read and feel more like a derivative of LOTR instead of an original work of fiction.
Many of my friends assure me that the subsequent novels in TSS series improve greatly in terms of originality and depth. I hope so, but I was still rather disappointed by the debut novel.
panxen's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
omgsrsly's review against another edition
I can't even remember anything about this one, either. Doesn't bode well for Mr. Brooks writing ability, considering I read and re-read this one as a teen.
Lest you think I don't remember anything of my childhood, I have to tell you that I remember other books! The Belgariad, The Hobbit, Little House, Anne of Green Gables... But not this one.
Lest you think I don't remember anything of my childhood, I have to tell you that I remember other books! The Belgariad, The Hobbit, Little House, Anne of Green Gables... But not this one.
cavalary's review against another edition
4.0
It does seem a whole lot like The Lord of the Rings, but the author says quite clearly that it was his inspiration, so he never claims to be anything more. That said, it's pretty darn good.
vaderbird's review against another edition
4.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
novice052's review against another edition
4.0
In the fifth grade, I tried to tackle Fellowship of the Ring. I promptly crashed into Rivendell and never made it past that until some years later. I picked up the first of these instead and blew through all three that summer. I loved them. I was in 5th/6th grade. Would I read them now? Probably not. But I remember how thrilling they were then.
frasersimons's review against another edition
3.0
Tropey but quite fun. Basically as you might expect from a YA 90s fantasy commercial fiction series. Comparisons to LOTR are a bit baffling, as that is literary fiction and this is commercial fiction decades later. Of course the progenitor of this kind of fantasy has tropes recycled into the genre. This is meant to be accessible and fun and easy reading. It is not trying to do the same things whatsoever.
The first book has the most noticeable tropes popularized in the genre, but it actually diverges quite a bit as it goes on and with each book it does deviate. Though it also becomes of formulaic, which is not all that fun to read. But that is addressed in the ending of the trilogy. The Wheel of Time is turning. It would be funny if Robert Jordan read this and was like Wheel of Time, wait a f*n second. But, of course, this is also a mainstay trope. It’s just funny to hear the exact phrase here.
All-in-all this is dated, but perfectly serviceable and fun as a light read, if you take it for what it IS and you don’t project what you’d like it to be onto the text. Like I said, apples to oranges. Sure, they’re both fruit, but they are also distinct.
The first book has the most noticeable tropes popularized in the genre, but it actually diverges quite a bit as it goes on and with each book it does deviate. Though it also becomes of formulaic, which is not all that fun to read. But that is addressed in the ending of the trilogy. The Wheel of Time is turning. It would be funny if Robert Jordan read this and was like Wheel of Time, wait a f*n second. But, of course, this is also a mainstay trope. It’s just funny to hear the exact phrase here.
All-in-all this is dated, but perfectly serviceable and fun as a light read, if you take it for what it IS and you don’t project what you’d like it to be onto the text. Like I said, apples to oranges. Sure, they’re both fruit, but they are also distinct.