The World of Shannara

Shannara (Chronological Order) #reference

by Terry Brooks, Teresa Patterson

The beloved Shannara series by New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks has been acclaimed as a towering achievement, an unquestioned masterpiece in fantasy literature. Now all the wonders of Shannara have been gathered into one indispensable volume in which Brooks shares candid views on his creation. This completely updated edition includes new entries on the High Druid of Shannara and Genesis of Shannara series, as well as the thrilling connection between Shannara and the Word and the Void trilogy. Illustrated throughout with full-color paintings and black-and-white drawings by award-winning artists David Cherry and Rob Alexander, this comprehensive guide ventures behind the scenes to explore the history, the people, the places, the major events, and, of course, the magic of one of the world's greatest fantasy epics.What sets Terry Brooks apart? Is it a knack for creating unforgettable characters like Allanon the Druid, Shea Ohmsford, Tom Logan, and Angel Perez - men and women, gnomes and wizards, who come alive on the page? Is it the haunting and utterly believable evil of his darker the foul Dagda Mor, the murderous Jachyra, the enigmatic Ilse Witch, the ruthless Druid Shadea a'Ru? Whatever the secret of Brooks's storytelling magic, generations of readers have fallen under its spell.Sure to tantalize faithful fans and newcomers alike, The World of Shannara is the ultimate gateway into the fantasy realm of Terry Brooks-and the perfect companion to take along on the journey of a lifetime.

Genres: Fantasy, Reference, Fiction, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 2, 2001

About the author

Terry Brooks was born in Illinois in 1944, where he spent a great deal of his childhood and early adulthood dreaming up stories in and around Sinnissippi Park, the very same park that would eventually become the setting for his bestselling Word & Void trilogy. He went to college and received his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College, where he majored in English Literature, and he received his graduate degree from the School of Law at Washington & Lee University.
A writer since high school, he wrote many stories within the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction, until one semester early in his college years he was given The Lord of the Rings to read. That moment changed Terry's life forever, because in Tolkien's great work he found all the elements needed to fully explore his writing combined in one genre.
He then wrote The Sword of Shannara, the seven year grand result retaining sanity while studying at Washington & Lee University and practicing law. It became the first work of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months.

Reviews

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I've remarked before in reviews of other books of this nature, I'm a sucker for background. My favorite part of The Lord of the Rings? The final third of The Return of the King, the histories.

I read The Sword of Shannara back in that mythical age of the '70s, soon after discovering Tolkien. Looking at the bibliography at the beginning of this book, and not bothering to check my Read shelf, I think, in addition to Sword, I've read Elfstones and Wishsong and "The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara" series. I was never terribly interested in Brooks' or his writings. He has some good ideas* but more often I've found his characters and writing pedestrian and unmemorable, and most of his stories derivative - the prime example being the ur-book of this world: Sword.

This reference book (up to date as of 2010) has some interesting entries but reinforces my overall impression of the series.

* For example, I like his take on magic - that even beneficial magic demands a terrible price from its wielder.

[Brian Schiebout · Rating 2 out of 5]

The World of Shannara by Terry Brooks and Teresa Patterson is a reference guide to the universe of Shannara. In many ways this guide has some of the same issues which I have with the series as a whole. I found the guide very disjointed as it seems not to have been based on any logic about how people function around each other but instead on things that were just arbitrary decided by the author at the time of the writing. The book decides to deal with the four lands each in time but only includes material that already has been published in the books. The books starts by describing the druids but with a very limited description of their history or how their magic functions. Then it goes on to the southland where the humans have dominated but once again the book does not explain how such a stable state is created or what exactly each of the conflicts did to the land. The next area the book deals with is the northland which focuses mostly on he former kingdom of the skull and the places seen in the Heritage of Shannara series. The description of the Eastland deals with how dwarves gnomes and mwellerets came into the world and how they affected the stories which were written. The description of the westland deals with the elves and the rovers and how they fit in the book series. The description of magic is undefined and in many ways the fact that magic runs the world makes this discrepancy almost unworkable. I found the book an answer to Shannara but it did not increase my love for this world.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a pretty good guide to the Shannara series up to the point at which it was published, which means that it covers the original trilogy up through High Druid, as well as briefly discussing The Word and Void trilogy and Genesis of Shannara. Most of the information is repeated from the books, but it's nice to have it all in one place. Some things get a bit more detail than they really need, such as the Hall of Kings, while other topics aren't covered enough - the chapter on the Druids is presumably unchanged from the first edition and thus neglects Grianne Ohmsford and the later life of Walker Boh. There's some new information here that fills in some gaps I've always wondered about, especially the Second Druid Council and the formation of the Southland Federation. Also, the wealth of information on Rock Trolls makes me disappointed that they're so often overlooked in the series proper. A lot of the illustrations are just okay, but there are a few pretty great ones, especially the picture of a Skull Bearer. The updated map towards the back of the book is also pretty cool, about on par with the maps from Dark Legacy. All in all, the only downside of this book is that it's now rather out of date, although it's still a handy reference to the earlier parts of the series. I'm hoping that in a few years there'll be a third edition to cover what this one has missed out on.

[Rick Ludwig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a nice memory jogger about the various components of the Shannara-verse. It is well researched and well written. My only real criticism is that it needs to be updated to reflect the information in the newer Shannara novels, especially the Genesis of Shannara series. This is completely understandable given the date the book was published, so what I'm really saying is, "If you update it, I will buy the new edition."

Reading this reminds me of all of the complexity that has evolved with the series and the consistency that has somehow been retained. Terry Brooks writes great fantasy, but he also provides a cohesive narrative that spans centuries.

If there is someday an updated version of this book, I would like it to address the linkage between the Shannara series and the Word and the Void series, from Mr. Brooks perspective. I have read every book and short-story in both series, except the most recent "Bloodfire Quest" and find they all relate so well with one another.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wealth of knowledge for those interested in the World of Shannara. It doesn't cover everything, just the stuff up to its published date. I read this before I started the series, and during my current reading of the series. Since the Shannara series is a little on the slow and repetitive side, I have found this to be very helpful. The books in the series I find the hardest to get through are the ones I refresh my memory with this book. However, I must admit this is not a substitute for reading the books, but it can help. It will take you some time to read and absorb the information, but it is worth it. I also really love the artwork presented inside.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great companion to the Shannara series. You will find this book super interesting and going "Huh. I forgot about that/I didn't realize that." There is even a more updated version than this one I have posted. Both are great but get the most current, obviously.

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, The World of Shannara is a compendium of all things published in the Shannara universe up until 2009 (If you get the revised edition.) While the Shannara series is authored by Terry Brooks, The World of Shannara is written by Teresa Patterson, and as such, she is given creative liberty to expand on people, places, and concepts to fill in the gaps that Brooks has otherwise left to the readers imagination. In essence, this book is glorified fan fiction. Brooks himself states in the foreward that he asks Patterson, "What do you think?" when she asked him details about the Shannara universe.

Patterson has some creative ideas about what happens behind the scenes in regards to places and backstories, but so do I. Some of her ideas are downright absurd - Garet Jax = Stee Jans? Don't think so. The Shannara universe isn't a shared universe. It's a Terry Brooks universe. Please don't let any more people or entities (ahem, MTV?) dip their "creative" fingers into it.

The positive side is that the World of Shannara provides an in depth recap of all preceding Shannara work. The revised edition includes the Genesis of Shannara series, where Brooks combines his Word & Void series into the Shannara universe; not one of his best creative decisions in my humble opinion.

The World of Shannara reads like a textbook at times. It can serve as a good companion and reference guide to the series, but if you're looking to get back into it and are just in need of plot summaries, it may be more efficient to look them up on Wikipedia.

The artwork is not phenomenal. Many of the artists renditions do not give justice to the characters; while this is entirely subjective, it definitely doesn't capture the fantasy imagery as well as the art of the Brothers Hildebrandt or Todd Lockwood. Half of the art in this book are just sketches.

The maps are a welcome addition. There are two maps of the Four Lands that are very well done, as well as maps and diagrams of Paranor and other strongholds.

For any Shannara completionists, pick up this book for your collection, just don't take it too seriously.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of Terry Brooks Shannara series will enjoy this colorful and fanciful world that attempts to describe the history of the world, its characters, and places as well as myths and legends. It helps to tie together the numerous books in the Shannara series.

[Mary Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caught me up on The World of Shannara

It was great, I have read all of Terry Brooks books but it is great to have a book put everything in order.

Definitely recommend it

[Cathy Mahan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I REALLY tried to read this book, but OMG I got so bored. I loved the prequels, but I just couldn't get into it.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me two months to read. I read myself to sleep at night and was lucky to read two or three pages before I zonked. It is interesting, but a very dry read. I am in awe that the authors made the effort to categorize all the "facts" about fictional people, places and events. I'm glad I read it but unless I need it to reference something, doubt that I'll ever pick it up again. My copy is hardbound and quite awkward and heavy to hold when I was lying down (my favorite reading position when in bed) The pages are shiny and I had to keep repositioning the book to deflect the light so I could see the page. Also, I'm not a big fan of the format where little tidbits of information are put in a sidebar (for lack of a better term) format. It totally messes with the flow of reading when you have to stop and read one of these sidebars, then relocate where you'd left off before the interruption.

This is a good book, just not really something I'd read for enjoyment. It's more of a historical tome.

[Ami Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must have for any Shannara fan. This book contains abridged versions of each character, creature, and location in the Four Lands where the Shannara Saga takes place. The new version includes the Knight of the Word info as well. This book definitely ties the whole collection together. Also includes some interesting character drawings. However, this is not a substitute for reading the books. I recommend if you are a fan of the Series.

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

TONS of great information, very detailed. this is the kind of background book (as i call them) that i recommend--it is great for the hardcore fan who wants all this info, it is good for the casual fan, and it is even better for the new or returning fan who has lost touch with most of the info and lore. also absolutely gorgeous artwork included all over the place. be sure to check this one out even if you're not a Shannara fan. it might just turn you into one ;)

[Tonari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dopo aver passato anni a immaginare Paranor e le Quattro Terre è un piacere avere un'opera che cataloghi tutto ciò che è degno di essere catalogato, corredando il tutto con delle buone immagini. Si tratta di un libro poco adatto ad una lettura "tutta d'un fiato", perfetto invece nel caso qualcuno volesse ambientare un gioco di ruolo nel mondo di Shannara.
Ovviamente è meglio essersi letti prima i libri della saga (almeno le prime due serie).

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fabulous guide for Shannara, although with the rate at which new books seem to appear will be a little behind the inventiveness of the pre-Shannara history. Definitely worth having at least until a revised edition is available, but not a vital part of enjoying the world of Shannara!

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great reference for Shannara fans.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great addition to any Shannara lover's coffee table.

[Carrie]

interesting

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you love the Shannara books this is a must read. There are great illistrations and some background story that fills in what the books leave out or leave for you to figure out.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to read through this book as I've read about half the Shannara series. This filled in a few blanks on what I've read and whetted my appetite for the books on my shelf! :-)

[Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and interesting. Make sure you get the most up to date copy though as the older ones don't inlcude the books from the last couple of years.

[Debra · Rating 2 out of 5]

great reference for the books. Especially if you don't quite remember the past characters.

[Craig Leimkuehler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everything and more about the world of Shannara created by Terry Brooks. Great illustrations and attention to detail.

[Todd Giles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading through this encyclopedia of the Shannara world.

[David Sastre · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful companion book!

[Ropajo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't finish - skimmed