Fantasy Books > T Fantasy Books > Terry Brooks

Advantages: Builds up the first part of the trilogy fairly well
Disadvantages: Neglects to build up this or the final part at all

...be associated with Shannara, in the same way as David Eddings will probably never escape the lands of the Belgariad and Raymond Feist and Riftworld will always go together. All of them have branched off and written other series, but they cannot escape the stories they are best known for. However, what Brooks is trying to do with the "Genesis of Shannara Trilogy" is combine his Shannara and "Word and Void" trilogies into something that his website ...
...I am. Starting with the second part in a trilogy is not wise, however, as "The Elves of Cintra" immediately assumes you've previously read "Armageddon's Children" and drops you straight into the action without preamble and without introducing you to any of the characters. You're supposed to know who Logan Tom is and how and why a Knight of the Word should be associating himself with a group of children known as the Ghosts. Once things settle down, ... Read review

Advantages: Great plotline and character depth
Disadvantages: Similarities to Lord of the Rings!

...hear anyone say Lord of the Rings? I started the book hoping for it to be your typical - mystic quest, as the start of a series of books that may or may not interest me but i decided to give it a shot anyway. It starts with a council of all different races deciding how best to save the world from the armies of evil, just like Lord of the Rings, and the fate of the word lies in the hands of one unlikely soul by the name of Shay and his brother Flick ...
...to preserve his life from the ring wraiths...oops i mean the skull bearers that are hell bent on the destruction of the young traveller, as with the sword of shannara Shay (being the last heir to the throne of shannara) is the only true man able to effectively wield the magical sword and rid the terrors of the great warlock. Characters in the story show great depth and i can fully relate to them, from the 7 feet tall Allanon to the experienced highlander ... Read review

Advantages: One of the best books i have ever read!
Disadvantages: None whatsoever

"The Elfstones of Shannara": The Sequel to "The Sword of Shannara" An epic novel of fantasy and adventure; the long awaited sequel… An ancient, ultimate evil threatened the elves and the race of men. For the Ellcrys (the tree of long lost Elven magic) was dying - loosing the spell of the forbidding that locked the Demons away from Earth. Already the fearsome Reaper was free; only one source had the awesome power to defeat it: Ok, so the story ...
...Demons and Fairies - essentially the sides of good and evil, equally opposed, each existing solely to destroy the other. And inevitably, there had to come an end to this era. Neither side could win outright, neither side could be destroyed - so the side of good devised a compromise to not win, but prolong the 'calm' period between wars. The Fairies and magical Elves created within the "Blood Fire" (that's the Earth's life source) a seed. This seed ... Read review

Advantages: Easy enough read
Disadvantages: Not self-contained | Lack of Depth | Too Much Waffle

I'd read and quite enjoyed the first three Shannara books that had been written by Terry Brooks, so when I discovered that there was another set of books written in the same series, I thought I may as well give them a try. After all, if I enjoyed the first three, I'd enjoy finding out what happened next wouldn't I?? ---About the world of the Shannara's--- The Shannara books are set in the distant future, after an apocalyptic war (I'm assuming nuclear) ...
...survived the wars have mutated to suit the conditions of the areas in which they were living and have separated into five distinct races : Man, Dwarf, Troll, Gnome and Elf , each of which have their own distinct characteristics. All of the old sciences have been abandoned, and the people rely on very low tech machinery, there's no electricity, basically the way of life is pretty similar to the Middle Ages, where everyone relies on either their own ... Read review

Advantages: Great read
Disadvantages: hard to put down

This is the second book in the latest trilogy form Terry Brooks and as such the story is well underway. Grianne is stuck in the forbidding and is battling hard to save her life and sanity from the demons that inhabit this terrible place. Her only hope is her nephew Pen who has to complete a quest in order to find the Tanequil and somehow get the darkwand which will enable Pen to enter the forbidding and rescue Grianne. Things are complicated by ...
...to make sure that the forbidding is broken and all the demons inside freed to cause chaos and terror. There is a lot going on and plenty of sub plots to keep you busy and it is sometimes frustrating when you want to know what is going on to other characters. All in all a compulsive and exciting book. Available from amazon in paperback for £3.99 ... Read review