Sword of Shannara

Colonel Worf said:
I ordered a copy, and it should be here in 1-2 days. Am I in for a treat?
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Depends entirely on your definition of a treat. If you'd have asked nicely, I would have considered sending you mine, which I can't see myself ever reading again.
 
It just got here today. It'll be a while before I read it. It looks like a LOTR ripoff, but what the heck, it'll be fun to read - I hope. :p
 
I have heard the LOTR ripoff slam before againist the sword of shannara and must admit that at times it does seem that way. One must keep in mind though when reading the book that it was orginally written for young adults. The book is pretty good IMO and the serisis as a whole is fantastic.
 
Yay someone who liked them :) I read SoS after LotR and whilst they were similar in story they were different enough and the rest of the series is completely different :P
 
I too, hope to start reading them soon, and to be honest, I don't really have any problems with it being similar to LoTR. After all, it was Tolkein who inspired him.
 
Author himself said, that he wanted to write something very similar to LOTR and he doesn't advertise The Sword of Shannara as something very original. This was also his first book he started to write it more or less for hobby. But it become something bigger and the result is a fine, very entertaining book, which I found quite refreshing from other more complex, plot twisting sagas with million characters. There's a lot of adventures and encounters with magical beings. Fantasy in its basic level and a good one. I entirely disagree with reviews saying tSoS is a bad book because of its similarities with LOTR. It was author's intention to write another LOTR. Sequels are much more original, especially the second one (The Elfstones of Shannara) which I think is the best book in the first Shannara series (trilogy + prequel). In short, a fine read, but not for someone who seeks originality or is tired of tolkienesque fantasy.
 
That's a really helpfull analysis there, Snow, you should consider submitting it as a comment on Terry Brook's work, at the sffworld authors section.

And I know what you mean, by saying that once in a while it's refreshing to read fantasy in it's basic level.

Thanks Snow, you've been a big help :D
 
I once worked out how many similarities that SOS had with LOTR and it got into double figures! :o

There will always be people that demean it due to this. For me personally, I love it. It was the first 'proper' fantasy novel I read and I thought it was great. Like you said - epic adventure fantasy with no strings attached. A good romp and some great moments.

Have to say, I think as a story, The Elfstones of Shannara is even better.
 
i couldnt get past the first 100 pages... it was like he'd just changed the names and key phrases..
 
new user

Hi I am a new user and I could not put down Brooks.
I love the twists in the story and how its so much faster pass then anything Tolkien wrote. Its like the races from tolkien in a faster pace with out the weird songs and mytholgy you don't understand.
Also the post Nuclear War adds a twist.
The series of a Voyage of Jerle Shannara was very intersting because they went to an islnad controlled by a city that was completely independent AI
Later
 
I've had the thing sitting on the shelf for a few months now but I will get round to reading it after I finish the Mallorian. Only 1 & a half more books to go :p
 
I'm a little so-so. I read only the first book because the beginning of the second kind of annoyed me. The jump from characters (the second is written from the perspective of the first book's main character's grandson) just broke the pace.

"Sword" was kind of slow, I thought, and I didn't feel drawn in by the storytelling. Maybe it's just bad memory playing tricks on me (it's been a few years since I read it) but I can't recall much good about it. Though the Tolkien similarities are many but I didn't find them that bothersome.

Anywho, all I can say is read the first book. If you like it, continue (there are quite a few others waiting).
 
tSoS was my first fantasy that I have read. At the time, I thought it was great. I read the first three Shannara and Magic Kingdom books and thought the were great. I tried to reread it a year or two ago and couldn't do it. I think my favorite Brooks book was the Black Unicorn.
 
Not a good series....

I read Sword, but couldn't bring myself to continue the series. Someone mentioned it was originally written for young adults... well then why does the Harry Potter series have 10 times the complexity, originality, and writing style of Sword? Sword was such a huge disappointment to me, almost boring. I forced myself to finish it. It was just pure fantasy fluff and very cliche. It wasn't written for young adults, it was written for 6 year olds. I'm 28 by the way.
 
Not even close to a little better. It is mildy interesting at tops, highly over-rated. Talk about obvious Tolkien rip-off :rolleyes:. A cheap imitation of Tolkien is the essence of this book. Brooks isn't very good with descriptions.
 
cheese said:
Not even close to a little better. It is mildy interesting at tops, highly over-rated. Talk about obvious Tolkien rip-off :rolleyes:. A cheap imitation of Tolkien is the essence of this book. Brooks isn't very good with descriptions.
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You're right about description, and I can't say nothing about that since I've sadly never read any of the Lord of the Ring books.
 
Hi!!!!! I love terry's books.... I have read some of them and they are... fantasy!!! my preferred one is "tanequil"...
 
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