5 comments about The Sword of Shannara: Book One of the Shannara Trilogy (The Sword of Shannara).

1. So I finally started on Terry Brooks, long overdue for a self-professed fantasy fan! I decided to read his books in the order he wrote them, and hence this was my introduction to his work.
   
   After completing it, I had much the same thoughts as many of the negative reviewers on this site. Sword of Shannara is such an unbelievable rip-off of Lord of The Rings that I was shocked it could even get published. And while LOTR can be difficult and annoying to read at times, Shannara really didn't seem to bring anything spectacular or new to the story, other than make it more action-packed and easier to follow. So what gives? I thought.
   
   But keep in mind, I'm reading this book in a post-LOTR Peter Jackson movie world. And I'm also reading it after finishing other popular high-fantasy series, like Goodkind's and Hobb's. In other words, in my known world, high fantasy has always had NY Times Bestseller List potential. And authors have taken the cornerstones of the genre and worked their creative genius, giving us new and exciting ways to enter the fantasy world. Ways that might have similarities to what Tolkien did, but certainly not carbon-copies. And all this because Terry Brooks wrote Sword of Shannara.
   
   Love him or hate him, my in-depth research (read: 10 seconds on Google) has afforded me the history of Brooks' literary career, and what he set out to do. Sword of Shannara is little more than a creative experiment. Brooks wrote it, with LOTR in mind, to ease the doldrums of being a law student. And once Ballantine got behind it and the book took off, the rest is history--a history that includes the genius of Goodkind and Hobb and George R.R. Martin, etc. Tolkien may have paved the road, but Brooks built the high--speed thruway. And having now finished the second book in the series, it's clear that he has the ability to write his own totally creative and original stories. Sword of Shannara is an homage to the forefather of the high-fantasy genre, which is how it should be read.
   
   So while Sword might not be the greatest high-fantasy story I've ever read, I appreciate it for what it was in 1977.



2. Brook's 'The Sword of Shannara' is simply a great case of being in the right place at the right time. It was the seventies. Star Wars had just come out to be a smashing success. Dungeons and Dragons was coming along big time. They were making weird cartoon movies of Tolkien (Remember the 1977 'The Hobbit' cartoon?) because people were craving it. Not everyone had read Tolkien at the time. I mean, he wrote everything in 1937. Those books were just starting to be called 'classics.'
   
   So, any high fantasy book was bound to be a big success. Borrowing some of Tolkien's successful elements made it a shoe in. All I can say to that is that they still haven't been sued for anything, so I guess its legal. And clearly, this book is no where near the quality of the Tolkien's work, so I think comparisons aren't all that relevant.
   
   But let compare them anyway, because I can't help myself :)
   
   Is Sword of Shannara like LoTR because they both have a wizard? Not necessarily... Gandalph is a tad different from Allanon, he is a lot more like Elminster. I find Allanon much more like Obi Wan Kenobi, as I find Druids in the world of Shannara much more like Jedi. An "order" of "wizards" who are "reclusive" and "don't tell you everything" and are committed to protecting the "balance" in the world and committed to spreading "knowledge." What was it that Owen Lars called Ben Kenobi? Was it 'crazy old wizard?'
   
   And they both have young inexperienced characters who leave their home to flee for their life on a quest. Some might suggest this could only come from Tolkien's work. Well, how about Lucas' work? Was Luke not a similar character who had to flee for his life on a quest? I mean, Tolkien, while good at using this device did not patent it. Both Lucas and Brooks borrow it here. I wonder if Tolkien didn't borrow it from someone?
   
   Where did Brooks borrow the battle scenes from? Well, they are very reminiscent of Tolkien. This is for sure. Just not very good compared to him at all, but they remind you of Tolkien. While Tolkien displays madness, anguish, grief, esprit de corps, not to mention inspiring songs into the fray giving a masterpiece of literature, Brooks just tries to describe some ridiculous tactics that probably would have failed in real life. Tolkien wins here.
   
   Now, I feel Brooks borrowed Brona's 'floating cloak' from Lucas. Lucas employed cloaks with the Jedi, and when Kenobi dies, it leaves only a cloak. I feel this had to be invovled.
   
   But the whole Sword of Shannara being a sword of truth, I think Brooks made up this on his own. Kind of silly, but it conveyed an interesting thought that we all hide our own faults to protect ourselves in a fabricated cocoon. This is true, though we might not want to admit it. This is his idea, and his alone.
   
   So, in conclusion, is this an original work? Yes, but he borrowed stuff from Lucas and Tolkien (but who hasn't borrowed SOMETHING from Tolkien!). Is it a brilliant work? Not at all. Is it a good work? Yes. The characters are good, and the story has its moments, but it is far from a masterpiece. The Sword of Shannara has been called a Tolkien clone and worse, and this is fine, but if you want to look at it that way, you will hate it. I don't find it to be a Tolkien clone, but a book with borrowed elements. This isn't the same, especially when you have your own things thrown in, and borrow from more than one source like Brooks did.
   
   But, you know, I read books and decide I like them based on their own merits. I don't waste my time thinking about comparisons while I read them (this comes later). I just read for my own enjoyment. You should too. For this reason alone, this book is worth a look, especially if you can't find a good book written in the last few years you haven't already read.



3. I finally bought this book to read (I should have borrowed it from the library). I hadn't read it previously, and I doubt I will read it again. I was, as you can tell by the number of stars, fairly disappointed in this book. My disappointment wasn't based on how much was borrowed from Tolkein (as others have said, that comes with the territory). What bothered me was that it was unrealistic (heh, I know, I'm complaining about a fantasy book not being realistic!). The map provided to describe the world they live in does not show a very big world, yet I am to believe that in a matter of a day or two, one can go from one kind of environment to a completely different, and more deadly environment? Or Shea just happens on the Gnome that happens to be carrying the famed sword? There are numerous other examples. The point is that I am to assume too much. If you are going to borrow from Tolkein, or create a similar story, then you must make your world as believable as Tolkein's world is. For example, there is no question about distances or various environments within Tolkein's world. It doesn't drastically change within a day's journey! That would be impossible within the laws of physics. But if your world does have those drastic changes, then you must explain how they break the laws of physics you otherwise apply to your world whether you write that they apply or not. For example, if your characters breathe normally, that means you have applied several laws of physics to your characters by default.
   
   Maybe fantasy isn't my best domain? :)



4. The Sword of Shannara was a very popular book back in the 70s right after the huge success of The Lord of the Rings when everyone wanted to read more fantasy. I wasn't old enough to read it back then, so I came to it much later. I read part of the first book and, knowing how popular it had been, and feeling like it was a classic, I was prepared to enjoy it. About half way through I gave it to my ten year old son.
   
   The weird thing is, it's so like The Lord of the Rings, at the same time that it's not. I don't mind a few common fantasy elements (especially in works written before they were cliché), but Brooks' plot and characters come almost straight out of Tolkien. This may have been acceptable if the writing had come straight out of Tolkien, too, but Brooks' style is clunky, wordy, and awkward. Adjectives and adverbs are used without restraint. I mean there are constant repetitive superfluous unnecessary redundant profligate excessive numbers of adjectives. And did I mention the weirdly-placed adverbs which are used unsparingly, unrestrainedly, extravagantly, and immoderately? And annoyingly? . . . When I couldn't care less whether Shea and Flick (they're the hobbits-- I mean the heroes) live or die, then the characterization is weak. Actually, I was kind of hoping that they would die. If they died, the book would have to end, right?
   
   Conclusion: These are fine for kids (at least this one is, I can't say if all of the later Shannara books are -- probably not). But, do you really want to teach them to write like that? If not, give them C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Susan Cooper, and Lloyd Alexander. To be fair: This series is wildly popular. Perhaps the writing gets better (it has been 30 years, after all). I have heard that only the first book is too much like Tolkien. But I'll never know for sure because I can't make it through the first one. --FanLit.net



5. I dont know what's wrong with all you people who didnt like this book. Why dont you just read it and stop comparing it to other books. If you read a book like Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit, and then later read the Sword of Shannara, of course you're going to see similarities. As another reader mentioned, wizards and evil bad guys arent just in Tolkiens books. There are heros in the Bible (i.e., King David, various other profits and of course Jesus Christ) and an evil guy (the devil) but you dont compare books that have hero's and evil guys to that. Its an age old concept to have heros and evil guys in books. You should just read the book. When I read it, I couldnt put it down. I wanted to find out what was going to happen to the characters. I never even thought about any other book. I couldnt wait to get to the next book. If you're so f**king critical you're going to find faults everywhere.

5 comments about The Wishsong of Shannara (The Sword of Shannara).

1. Bad books need bashing, unfortunately through singing.
   
   
   The descendants of the elf boy etc. in the first couple of books are now needed to save the place from a Tome of Evil. Of course, your manipulative magic druid guy is still around to make suggestions Inheriting magical talents is one thing, but having to sing them? No thanks there, ancestor people. Each book in this series gets worse.



2. This novel continues the ambivalence that I feel toward Brooks' writing. He is a good writer as far as style, plot progression and character development go. All of these strengths are present in this book. However, his glaring weaknesses of unoriginality and being too simplistic also show up strongly. Brooks is the kind of writer I feel like I should like but he always gives me reasons to view him as just an average fantasy writer. If you've read the series this far, go ahead and read this to finish the triology--just expect more of the same.



3. I was told that this books was not very good by a friend. I also had my doubts after reading the Elfstones and wondering how anyone could counter after a book like that. But I was glad to find out that this book is not bad at all, infact, its great! Definitly worth reading!!



4. This audio version of the third book in the series features the fine voice of Charles Keating bringing to life Mr. Brooks' characters. Brin Ohmsford and her brother Jair and their quest to destroy an evil book, the Ildatch. With fine characters and a strong story, this is a great conclusion to a fantastic series, began with the Sword Of Shannara and continuing with the Elfstones Of Shannara.



5. It is inexplicable, but the world of Shannara has a potentially world shattering crisis every generation or so, and it all unfolds in basically the same way. You get the feeling that you are reading the same story over and over and over. And it's true. You really are, and he even admits it a little bit in this story.
   
   The biggest problem with the "Shannara" trilogy I've seen, is that all three books start the exact same way, which just happens to be a condensed version of the way the Lord of the Rings starts. All three books model many of the traits of Tolkien's world and the heart of each of the stories share the same fundamental plot tree (although each plot has some unique twists and turns to get from A to B).
   
   If you can ignore this annoyance, each book has its own merits and its own lands to reveal, and they each make some token (if not Tolkien) effort to differentiate themselves as their stories progress. However, having the same intro and same base plot to all three stories really makes a lot of people kinda wishing that he had tried a little harder there, myself included. Still, if you let this frustrating fact consume you, it is hard to appreciate what Brooks has done here with 'Wishsong.'
   
   'Wishsong' gives us Brooks best use of magic to date, with a creative form of magic performed with a song containing some phenominal abilities. This seems to be the norm for this book, where Brooks tries hard to flex his creative muscle, while still in too many ways remaining bound to his 'formulaic' approach to storytelling.
   
   'Wishsong' takes some risks, by allowing major characters to die, and changing the plot up enough at various points to make it somewhat more interesting than previous attempts. Overall, you really get the sense that Brooks wanted this one to be something different, something better and more original than the previous works, while recycling what he felt was his some of his better stuff. Almost like, "Wouldn't 'Sword' would have been better if I did this, instead of this... etc." Sword of Shannara: Director's Cut.
   
   Yet, 'Wishsong' struggles hard to assert its independence of the other three through improved character development, with the best Ohmsford yet with Jair, and a good vote for the best pair with Brin and Jair. Not does he manage to pull of some interesting characters in the two, but their names don't actually sound utterly ridiculous. Brooks also pulls off three of his most memorable sidekicks with Slanter, Garrett Jax, and Cogline. Rone Leah could have been the best Leah character yet, if he had been properly developed. But, if that had been done, he could have easily outshined his quest buddy Brin, and that might have broken Brooks' magic formula for novel writing. Alas, we will never know. As is, Rone is nothing special, and Brin gets diluted by the split story.
   
   The Kracken was not new to literature but new to the story, and the Jachyra was definitely something interesting. Other than that, having a book as the main bad guy led to an interesting finish, even though the Mord wraiths and the mutens seemed a little too generic.
   
   'Sword,' 'Elfstones,' and 'Wishsong' should never win any awards for plot line. 'Sword' was really quite weak with plot, 'Elfstones' was creative, but also full of holes, and 'Wishsong' is really a more creative retelling of 'Sword.' People who would like a complex plot that doesn't seem to have been created by a 'fill in the blank' approach should try some of Brooks more recent works, or better yet, avoid Brooks altogether. It just isn't his strong suit.
   
   Overall, thanks to the great characters and interesting reimagining of the plot line, this book was really quite good. I loved it, but I love this same old tired plot for some reason. The reason it falls short of expectations is it is a rehash, and therefore has no real potential on its own. If you were going to read one book of the three, this would probably be the best one to read. It explains all that happened (the net effect) in the first three anyway. Recommended.

5 comments about The Elfstones of Shannara vol 2 [ABRIDGED].

1. One of the best books I've ever read this book stands the test of time and is just as good now as it was when I was a teenager. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll keep this short. As part of the first Shannara trilogy it continues the tales of the heirs of the house of Shannara, the second generation, but is just as good as a stand alone novel. It was actually the first of this series I read and had no trouble jumping right in. I recommend this to any fan of fantasy, action, or just a good good story.



2. The Elfstones of Shannara is the greatest book ever. If you are into this kind of thing, you will be turning pages faster than you thought possible. A friend told me this was an amazing book, and most books dont live up to the hype. But this one went right over the top! You NEED to read this!



3. Elfstones is where I feel you can really start to sink your teeth into Brooks. Sword of Shannara was an experiment and homage to Tolkien, so the story often lacks, especially in originality.
   
   Not so with Elfstones. This story starts with Wil Ohmsford, the grandson of Shea, who is studying to be a Healer. In what will turn out to be a running theme, Allanon shows up unannounced and whisks Wil and the Elfstones in his power, away on an adventure to accompany a young elf girl, Amberle, on a quest to save the Four Races from an ancient evil.
   
   The book has everything a high-fantasy should have: fast-paced action, lots of traveling and battles, terrifying evil, humorous quirky characters, lots of history, etc. The story is believable and gripping and you genuinely care about the main characters. There are two romances in the novel (won't spoil), one which I found incredibly well-done and the other kind of shoddy. Sometimes I felt the battle scenes went on way too long, but I'm also a chick so maybe they just don't appeal to me the way they would the usual male fantasy-genre audience.
   
   Brooks brings everything to this book that you could want in a high-fantasy novel, and I'd recommend it to any fan of the genre.



4. The Elfstones of Shannara is Terry Brooks' second major novel, and his first major step at becoming a talented author. In this novel, Brooks blends his ability to develop emotionally conflicting situations, while keeping the reader in the dark, and his ability to develop insignificant characters into heroes over the course of a quest. This to me is his strength, and this particular novel puts this talent on center stage, mesmerizing the reader with his potency. It is a stunning read.
   
   The Holistic aspect of this novel, which makes it a bit different than the Sword of Shannara, is the fact that the Elfstones draw their strength from the body, mind and spirit of the user, and the protagonist must find his own strength to power them. This continues Brooks' tradition of characters who develop through a greater understanding of who they are, as a person.
   
   The rights to this particular novel have been bought by a major studio (which they passed on the Sword of Shannara) and it is easy to see why when you read this book. This book contains a number of "scenes" that could very easily be visualized in movie form. The action is dramatic, and would be a wonderful challenge for the CGI guys. Sometimes the novel switches gears from 3rd gear to first and staying there a while, offering a bit too much emotional depth for some, but the overall pacing seems to glide along quite smoothly. People who have a tendency to skim the touchy feely stuff can easily get by these parts.
   
   Overall the basic story was quite good in terms of scope, character involvement, and development but with some rather pointed plot weaknesses, or flaws.
   
   1. The death of the Ellcrys was prolonged enough to allow demon hordes to completely penetrate the world, nearly destroy the Elves, and allow the main quest to be completed, rather than just dying on the spot.
   
   2. The Ellcrys was so unaware of her pending death, (or perhaps so incompetant in her task so as to scare away Amberle and not tell anyone else anything) that she was not able to give sufficient advanced warning to have the seed germinated BEFORE any damage occured to the Forbidding.
   
   3. The demon hordes chose to band together to form an army and attempt a direct frontal assault, instead of their natural chaotic individualism, where the could wreak havoc individually in all parts of the world, unhindered, and destroyed everyone bit by bit. I mention this because I realized that the demons had a better success rate BEFORE the army arrived, when they hid in the woods and slaughtered as they pleased. Sure the demons HATED the Elves, and sure they had a leader in the Dagda Mor, but was he really a strong enough character to motivate and unite all the demons into a direct frontal assault? Surely there were others in the whole Forbidding with leadership qualities that would want to do their own thing?
   
   4. Why is a single main antagonist even necessary, why not just have the threat the demon horde with no real leader, or multiple small groups? I mean, the Dagda Mor is such a weak character, his dialogue is limited to the first few chapters. You never see him verbally leading all the demons, you never really understand the signficance of his staff other than the fact that he seems to have no power of his own to attack with besides the staff. What power does he have other than his scary appearance?
   
   5. The Forbidding was broken BEFORE the Ellcrys died, and there was a great time span AFTER this event in which the Forbidding could be reformed with no additional magic which was required the first time the Ellcrys was formed, but was no longer available.
   
   6. The chief antagonist (the Dagda Mor) rode a giant bat so as to better mirror Allanon riding a Roc. Giant bats never being heard of before or after this event, thank goodness. How do giant bats survive? Giant fruits, or giant insects? Oh, and perhaps this gives us an excuse as to why the Dagda Mor is absent for the majority of the book. Brooks' fails to include Mr. Mor's quest for an evil flying mount with which to sufficiently contrast our hero Allanon (can't come to an epic battle without both sides sufficiently equipped for a one on one equally matched showdown)...and the best he could come up with is a children's Halloween decoration come to life.
   
   7. The Harpies must have gone off to roost, because we just didn't hear that much from the bad guys early arial advantage.
   
   8. While there were upteen jillion different kinds of "demons" they don't use them differntly, (no scouts, no rock chuckers, etc.) they just come in some huge struggling mass. The tactics they used to fight could apply to any infantry army, not specific techniques for fighting specific types of demons, like how they took down the "big" demons, or how they dealt with different types.
   
   9. The Ellcrys should have exploded when the Forbidding collapsed, and demons should have poured from the stump, instead of at Hoare Flats (which also gave our protagonists more time to finish their quest).
   
   Most of these faults are trivial, and don't affect the enjoyment of the read, as far as I am concerned. This book brings up some new types of bad guys, some new types of good guys, and some emotional poignant passages. This book makes heroes out of ordinary guys, and legends out of heroes. It really does shine as one of the jewels in any collection of Terry Brooks works, and is an absolute must have for understanding what Terry Brooks was trying to create when he created this world. You get an understanding of the history, and the depth of this world, and you can really fall in love with it. A great book for any collection.



5. I read Elftones over 25 years ago at the age of eleven. I can honestly say that this is the book that made reading and writing a major part of my life. I even remember walking into the local newstand with my mom and seeing the original cover. Something about Wil holding those elfstones intrigued me and I begged my mom for next week's allowance. For an eleven year old, it was a tough read:) But I have since then developed my reading skills thanks to Terry. I've even recently re-read the entire Shannara/Word&Void series.
   
   I have read other fantasy books, but none has compared for me personally to Brooks' writing style and story line. Elfstones, as with all the Shannara books, keeps you excited, thrilled and on the edge of your seat. If you are a fan of other writers such as Tolkien and haven't read any Brooks, you are really missing out.
   
   Although Elfstones actually plays out as an individual storyline by itself, you might want to jump back and start either with Sword or First King of Shannara to get a little feel for the history.
   
   Love all of Brooks' books and cannot wait for the release of Gypsy Morph.

No comments about The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara (Antrax).

5 comments about Running with the Demon.

1. "Running with the Demon" is a brilliant novel centered around Nest Freemark, a fourteen year old grappling with her magical abilities that set her apart from her friends. She must protect the park in Hopewell from feeders and other monsters that lurk in its dark recesses that lay invisible to others. The novel also centers on, John Ross, a knight of the word that suffers from haunting dreams of a destroyed Hopewell, a city caked in ruins, people roaming about it like ghostly aparrations starved and decrepit and the smoke from its ruin rising about the air, like ink. He must prevent the possible future of his dream from occuring.
   The story intricately intertwines these two stories, these two lives. Terry Brooks flawlessly describes the city of Hopewell, the park and such to the extent that I am there, lost in the vivid colors so creatively and lyrically painted.
   Also, I have never read a novel that draws the characters so intricately, so dynamicly, emotionally that I really feel for them. This novel is truly a masterpiece that delves into rich fantasy and into deep carefully constructed characters.
   I really feel as if I know Nest, John Ross, Oolish Amaneh, Nest's grandfather and grandmother and her friends. It is as if I could hop on a plane, take the next flight out to Hopewell and meet them. It is a fantasy that so deeply embeds itself in reality, it takes a while after I close the book, to feel it leave me, for reality to sink in. It is a dizzying plummet into a great work of art.
   This book is amazing, I highly recommend it to any and everyone!



2. This is my favorite Terry Brooks novel. The Magic Kindgom for Sale was a close second, but Running is the book I keep coming back to read over and over. And, I have read ALL of Brooks' Shannara books. This book is perfect. It wreaks of nostalgic Americana, yet the evil is ancient and powerful. The characters are some of the greatest ever created for a novel. The tender, bittersweet relationship between Evelyn and Old Bob. A group of kids from disfunctional families who stay srong and support each other. The mistreated Josie. The pillar-like Two Bears. The tortured John Ross. And finally Nest, probably the most perfect female character ever written. She is strong, intelligent, yet warm and caring. I really missed them in Armageddon's Children. I love the Shannara books too, but they are sometimes hard to follow, perhaps because of the vast variety of foreign names and places.



3. I don't understand this book. John Ross dreams about a horrible future every time he falls asleep, a future that will happen if he doesn't stop it from happening. He's suppose to stop the Demon from getting to 14 year old Nest Freemark. But the Demon was never going to get to Nest because her grandmother had already taken care of things. The horrific, end-of-the-world future was never going to happen in the first place because of grandma! This book would have turned out EXACTLY the same without John Ross. Such a wimpy hero!!! I'm just surprised that more people don't find this fact really annoying.



4. I had forgotten ... it had been so long, I had forgotten what it is like reading a book by Terry Brooks. I had forgotten that he creates worlds that hold such dark things; that he isn't afraid to kill characters, traumatize characters, forge them into weapons in the hottest fires of testing. I had forgotten what a ... almost tactile experience it could be reading a book by Terry Brooks, who describes things in such detail, in such living color, that it is like you are THERE.
   
   When Nest saves Bennett Scott from the Feeders one night in the park, it seems pretty normal - she's been a Caretaker of the park ever since she was old enough to understand that she carried the magic inside her to do so - the 5th of her family's women in a line to do so - and was paired with Pick, a Sylvan, who only those with the magic can see. However, she can't help but notice that the Feeders are becoming more bold, and there are more of them than ever. Pick tells her the balance is off, that something seems to be going on, but he doesn't know what.
   
   Meanwhile, her grandfather meets with former co-employees who are currently on strike from MidCon, the area's largest employer - the strike has gone on for a long time now, and tempers are getting high; especially since scabs are being brought in, and managers are working the lines themselves in order to keep the plant operational. Derry and Junior, two of the men affected by the strike, are becoming especially upset about it, and swear they will "do something about it," leaving the meeting in a huff. A mysterious man, who Old Bob (Nest's grandfather) can't quite place but is quite sure he knows, leaves as well.
   
   Nest's grandmother, shattered by the death of Nest's mother, Caitlin, but nonetheless holding herself responsible for Nest's training in magic, spends her days drinking and smoking. Nest believes that there is something that Gran isn't telling her, but she cannot figure out exactly what it is. It seems to revolve around her mysterious father, of whom no one will speak.
   
   A mysterious Native American named Two Bears arrives out of nowhere - Nest befriends him and joins him when he calls up the spirits of his ancestors, the ancient tribe of the Sinnissippi people, of whom he is the last. What she learns further strains her relations with Gran.
   
   The final piece of the puzzle arrives in town when John Ross, a Knight of the Word, shows up. He receives dark dreams of the future, of what it will hold if he fails in his duties to the Word, if he fails to stop the Void from destroying humankind.
   
   I have this book as part of an omnibus, containing all three titles. It doesn't look particularly thick but through some trick of the paper and binding they have fit a large number of pages within a fairly small book, and you can feel the weight when you hold it. It reminds you of the weighty topic of the story itself. The story takes place in our world - or, at least, a world not so very much different from our own - and even if you do not believe in magic, demons, Knights and such, you should believe in the fact that we, are Humans, are on the brink of wiping ourselves out. There is a lesson to be learned here, I believe, if you look deeply enough.
   
   Definitely a recommend from me for this extremely thought-provoking story.



5. I am a huge Terry Brooks fan. This book does not disappoint. I have introduced my grandson to Terry Brooks, and he enjoyed this book as much as I did.

5 comments about Disappearing Acts.

1. I love all of Terry's books. She tells it like it is from a woman's perspective.Books are always better than the movie. You get so much more out of it. I own the movie and it wasn't all that, not like the book.The movie could have been much better than it was.Waiting to Exhale and Stella were good movies as were the books. Those two movie adaptations are the only exceptions. If you want to enjoy a good read, kick up your heels and laugh, as I enjoy with her other novels, read this by Terry! She will keep you in stitches!



2. This book was one of the first that I had read that portrayed a reasonable male-female relationship without much of the baggage that seems follow many of these relationships. The male had problems dealing with ghosts of the past, the female had problems with her ghosts. Its nice that it has since become a movie. I think the book is a much better journey than the movie.



3. work to date. I first read this book in 1994, and in the year 2007, I still consider it to be her BEST stuff!!!
   
   I loved both Franklin and Zora. The complex love affair between the two characters is very real and it played out nicely throughout the book. I particulary loved having a front row seat to their individual thoughts as their relationship progressed.
   
   Their story is a true testament of how easy it is to lose yourself in another when in love.



4. This complex love affair is very true-to-life, and though the characters may not have the baggage couples in most stories do, you'll be riveted.



5. It was a good book but I wanted a surprise ending but it never came lol.

No comments about Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace [Unabridged] [Audiobook].

5 comments about Tangle Box, The (Landover).

1. Finally Brooks took some risks and put his characters really on the line. I found this the best plotted one of the series! I loved it. The characters' explorations in their prison are wonderfully done, especially those they make into themselves. I think Brooks put more meat in this one, and that is why I like it so much. You gotta read this one. It is definately the most satisfying of the bunch, with the G'Home Gnomes being the coolest part of the book practically. Read it.



2. In The Tangle Box, Ben Holiday, king of Landover is trapped away from those he loves. Willow, his wife, is on a journey alone carrying their child. In the meantime, havoc ensues in Landover with the arrival of a past citizen, who had been exiled, Horris Kew.
   
   Both Willow and Ben are searching for answers. Willow the answer of how to safely deliver her child, Ben the answer to who he is and how to escape. Neither is aware of the importance of the others journey.
   
   The books in this series keep getting better. This one being my favorite so far. Some of my favorite characters are back, including Edgewood Dirk and Im finally seeing some character growth in Ben. A 3.5 star book for me. Im looking forward to finishing the series with the next book...Witches Brew.



3. As the fourth book in the "Landover" series, Terry Brooks's somewhat comedic-fantasy series (especially when compared to the serious "Shannara" saga), "The Tangle Box" continues Ben Holiday's adventures as king of a fairytale kingdom that he purchased in a shopping catalogue. Having successfully ruled Landover for several years, Ben is delighted when his sylph-wife Willow informs him that she is expecting their first child. However, the celebration is short-lived when the charlatan Horris Kew returns from exile in Ben's world to the Landover, with a new plan to cause havoc.
   
   Having accidentally released a creature known as Gorse from a magical box, Kew becomes the unwitting pawn in its plan to seize control of Landover. Having lured the three most powerful individuals in the kingdom - King Holiday, the dragon Strabo and the witch Nightshade - Kew traps them within the confines of the Tangle Box in order for the Gorse to proceed with plans of domination without interference.
   
   From this basic scenario Brooks creates three major storylines; one good, one mediocre and one just plain bad. The best plot is concerned with the situation that Ben, Strabo and Nightshade (who is Brooks's best Landover character) find themselves in when they awaken in the Tangle Box, unaware of their surroundings and stripped of their memories, magic and identities. Calling themselves the Knight, the Lady and the Gargoyle, the three companions (completely unaware that they are adversaries in real life) traverse the mysterious terrain of the Tangle Box searching for answers to their existence. Brooks plays a great psychological game between the three of them and surprising things happen that change their complicated relationships forever, especially in the case of Nightshade and Ben. Their love/hate relationship has always been a highlight of the Landover stories, and what transpires here has the potential for payoff in later books.
   
   Meanwhile Willow is on a quest of her own, as the birth of a child with sylph and human parentage has complications. Seeking the advice of the Earth Mother, Willow is told that she must collect earth from three locations; Landover, Earth and the Faerie Mists in order to secure the safe delivery of her child. Joined by an old favourite, the faerie-cat Edgewood Dirk, Willow sets off on an intriguing (but hardly exciting) journey for the sake of her unborn child.
   
   That leaves the last major storyline which is unfortunately both predictable and convoluted. While Ben and Willow are gone, Questor Thews (the court wizard) and Abernathy (the court scribe) must deal with the bothersome Horris Kew. Introducing objects called "mind's eye crystals" that show the bearer their heart's desire, Kew suggests distributing them to the kingdom - an idea to which Questor and Abernathy foolishly agree. Unbeknownst to them, the crystals are merely a distraction from the Gorse's true intentions in taking over the kingdom.
   
   Unfortunately, the Gorse makes a generic villain whose personality, motivation and evil plan is just plain boring, and the clownish Horris Kew isn't much better. (Neither is his bird Biggar, whom I would have mentioned earlier if he hadn't been such a pointless character). The execution and resolution of this particular storyline drags the story down considerably.
   
   Nonetheless, "The Tangle Box" is an entertaining enough tale if you're looking for pleasant escapism. Deepening characters and expanding relationships, this bodes well for future books in the "Landover" series and is sure to be a hit with fans - Brooks even throws in a quick reference to "The Lord of the Rings" when Biggar suggests he and Horris escape to the world where the people with the "big furry feet live". However, for newcomers it's best not to start reading here; retrace your steps till you find the previous books in the series: "Magic Kingdom for Sale/Sold!", "Wizard at Large" and "The Black Unicorn."



4. A breathtaking, I have enjoyed every word, every moment, could not leave it until I reached last page and made me hungry for more...



5. I am a huge Terry Brooks fan. This book does not disappoint. I have intorduced my grandson to Terry Brooks, and he enjoyed this book as much as I did.

5 comments about High Druid of Shannara: Straken (High Druid of Shannara).

1. Love Terry Brooks and have enjoyed all of the Shannara series, but this one wasn't quite as good as the others in the series. The interaction between the characters tended to fall a little flat and the final conflict just didn't live up to Terry Brook's normal style.



2. Terry Brooks has a lot of critics out there, and I can't quite figure out why. Perhaps it is just the fact that he is a one of the few consistently good authors out there in the fantasy business. Perhaps we expect to be dazzled with his books like we were when were so so so much younger reading the Sword of Shannara. I don't know. But I am going to give him some slack. This book is great. It resolves all the conflicts in an action packed unpredictable way that leaves you mesmerized from beginning to end. Perhaps people wanted the more predictable ending. I haven't read the other reviews, so I don't know.
   
   There are very few areas in Terry Brooks writing where I feel he is weak. Perhaps the worst area is in coming up with names. Sometimes the climax is kind of silly, or anticlimatic (which is a lot like Stephen King sometimes). You seldom get a peek into the innermost thoughts of the characters (unlike Robin Hobb who absolutely drowns the reader in every thought of her protagonist) and a lot of the story is left the imagination. Perhaps, this is the fault most people find. That their personal lack of imagination ruins their appreciation of the story. And, I'll admit, I've suffered from this problem myself at times when reading his work. But, overall, he writes a well crafted plot, and paces it expertly, so that you never have a chance to get distracted. In fact, you can hardly put these books down. The characters are interesting, if perhaps a bit stereotyped, and the world is sufficiently developed to create a sense of intrigue as well as a very real sense of plausibility.
   
   This series is drawn to a great conclusion, and I find the writing between all the books in the series to be remarkably "tight" in the sense that the pacing and style is identical in all three books. Which is important to note, as reading any of the other series from Terry Brooks, you will notice each series has its own pacing and feel. This is pretty good, considering he is using virtually the same setting in most of his series, and he could try to be formulaic in his approach to each series. I find he hasn't done that at all, but he tries to reinvent the world with each book by bring in a different tone, or approach, which ends up lending each series its own special flavor.
   
   The High Druid of Shannara is more like an action movie than anything else I have read that he has written. Straken is like the big finale third movie of the trilogy. An immense number of loose ends are all tied up satisfactorily, in this unpredictable and dramatic conclusion. This series lacks some of the emotional buildup of the previous series, and builds a lot of that drama into the last book, though the second book lent a little more to the emotional investment than the first one.
   
   Overall a very satisfying read.



3. I could write this review for all three books in the series. Perhaps I'll just copy and paste it. The unfortunate thing is I could probably write this review for most of his relatively recent works.
   
   What we have here is an author who had some *really* clever ideas way back when, (i.e. Magic Kindom for Sale), had an o.k. and likable writing style, but just kind of leveled off creatively at some point.
   
   I've read nearly every Terry Brooks book ever written, and I can say I've generally felt like it was worth the time and interesting enough to bring me back for another one, but it's really not much more enriching than watching some pointless Star Trek episodes or maybe another hour of "Friends".
   
   Consider that I've actually picked up and started reading TB books, only to realize 100 pages or so in that I've actually already read this one. They're just that unremarkable.
   
   I'd love to see Terry come up with some new and creative ideas (and I'm sorry, but NO... having air ships with all these loose nautical terms simply isn't creative enough to stand on its own), but I wonder if he can do it at this point.
   
   I know it's kind of a blah review, but then it's kind of a blah book. :) They're fine. You won't hate yourself for it, but you may want to pick up a copy of Moby Dick or something to fill the void when you're done.



4. I enjoyed this story, but some of the pages were hard to read due to printing errors: fingerprint smudges, faint print across the page, ink blotches. If I were to do it again, I'd fork out the money for the hardcover.



5. I started reading Shannara books in November (First King), and I vowed not to stop until the library had run out of books. Well with Straken my journey has been completed. And i have to say it was an enjoyable one. Straken was easy to read and fast paced, Brooks' writing had really evolved since the Sword. The book has a great ending, there was nothing I wanted to see more than what happened. If you have followed the whole Shannara epic like I have, you have no reason not to read this book. I was just really sad when it was all over.

5 comments about Witches' Brew (Landover).

1. I was a big fan of Terry Brooks' Kingdom of Landover series when the original books came out. Because I was a member of the Science Fiction Book Club, receiving regular mailings, I always saw when the next one came out and made sure I would get it right away. At some point, however, either my subscription ended or I got the series before the final book, Witches' Brew came out in 1995.
   
   I've never read Brooks' critically acclaimed and bestselling Shannara Series, though I did come across his The Word and the Void trilogy and was fascinated by those, but they ended a few years ago. It wasn't until I decided to sell my Sci-Fi Book Club edition of The Tangle Box on eBay that I discovered there was a fifth and final book to the Landover series.
   
   The book was fantastic, to say the least, a very lighthearted fantasy in keeping with the earlier books. I was pleased and enchanted by the book, and it didn't take long for me to remember bits and pieces of the earlier novels as I went along.
   
   The story was entertaining as well, as a stranger calling himself King Rydell of Marnhull comes to challenge Ben Holiday, King of Landover. Ben and his sylph wife, Willow, decide to send their magical daughter, Mistaya, away because of the danger, but the girl is abducted along the way.
   
   Not much heavy reading here, but very much a story to enchant kids of all ages. I would be most grateful if Brooks were to follow it up, but maybe I'll just have to start reading the numerous books of the Shannara series.



2. Ben Holiday continues to struggle with the Kingdom of Landover, always seems something's going on which requires his attention. Very well done and may be the best of the series to date. Good fantasy and a an easy, enjoyable read.
   
   If you like books like this one, might I suggest another I've recently come across. The Unsuspecting Mage by Brian S. Pratt. It's another fantasy adventure sure to please. I highly recommend it.



3. Still good, but Terry Brooks starts being repetitive - you can figure out the plot in the first half



4. I am a huge Terry Brooks fan. This book does not disappoint. I have intorduced my grandson to Terry Brooks, and he enjoyed this book as much as I did.



5. I enjoyed the story, however as I travel a lot I rely on audio books to help me pass the travel time. I really enjoyed Dick Hill's narration, and his voices (except for Willow) were wonderful. The narration by Cameron Beierle is very flat and uninteresting. I wish now I had purchased the cassette, which did have Dan Hill's narration.