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The Original Shannara Trilogy #0
First King of Shannara
Horrified by the misuse of magic they had witnessed during the First War of the Races, the Druids at Paranor devoted themselves to the study of the old sciences, from the period before the collapse of civilization a thousand years before. Only the Bremen and a few trusted associates still studied the arcane arts. And for his persistence, Bremen found himself outcast, avoided by all but the few free-thinkers among the Druids. But his removal from Paranor was not altogether a terrible thing, for Bremen learned that dark forces were on the move from the Northlands. That seemingly invincible armies of trolls were fast conquering all that lay to their south. That the scouts for the army--and its principal assassins--were Skull Bearers, disfigured and transformed Druids who had fallen prey to the seductions of the magic arts. And that at the heart of the evil tide was an archmage and former Druid named Brona! Using the special skills he had acquired through his own study of Magic, Bremen was able to penetrate the huge camp of the Troll army and learn many of its secrets. And he immediately understood that if the peoples of the Four Lands were to escape eternal subjugation they would need to unite. But, even united, they would need a weapon, something so powerful that the evil magic of Brona, the Warlock Lord, would fail before its might...
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 1996
824 people are currently reading
17632 people want to read
About the author
Terry Brooks
420 books77.9k followersTerry 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 692 reviews
September 1, 2010
There has been a fair amount of criticism floating around against The Sword of Shannara for drawing too many parallels with The Lord of The Rings. Much of this I felt was unfounded. I love The Lord of The Rings and I love the Shannara series. They're not the same, folks. Any resemblances end with the first Shannara book, and the series really picks up from book 2 (The Elfstones of Shannara). Anyway, that's neither here nor there, but just a way to set up my review of First King of Shannara.
Terry Brooks is a very good descriptive writer, a trait which is well suited to writing fantasy and describing worlds the reader is likely to be unfamiliar with. He also excels in character development. This has held true for all of the Shannara books I have read, which is everything up to and including the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy. In my opinion, Walker Boh is one of the most fascinating characters in fantasy literature. But I'm straying off the path again.
Back to First King of Shannara. This is not a 'must read' by any means and will likely appeal more to existing Shannara readers as it fleshes out the back story and history prior to the first book in the series (The Sword of Shannara). That being said, I really enjoyed the book, although it took me some time to finish. It was fun to, at long last, meet Jerle Shannara, to whom the whole series owes its name. And Bremen, who has such close ties to Allanon. So, if you're interested in Shannara lore, read this novel. It visits familiar ground insofar the Shannara books are concerned and as such isn't groundbreaking reading. Yet, the magic prevails.
Terry Brooks is a very good descriptive writer, a trait which is well suited to writing fantasy and describing worlds the reader is likely to be unfamiliar with. He also excels in character development. This has held true for all of the Shannara books I have read, which is everything up to and including the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy. In my opinion, Walker Boh is one of the most fascinating characters in fantasy literature. But I'm straying off the path again.
Back to First King of Shannara. This is not a 'must read' by any means and will likely appeal more to existing Shannara readers as it fleshes out the back story and history prior to the first book in the series (The Sword of Shannara). That being said, I really enjoyed the book, although it took me some time to finish. It was fun to, at long last, meet Jerle Shannara, to whom the whole series owes its name. And Bremen, who has such close ties to Allanon. So, if you're interested in Shannara lore, read this novel. It visits familiar ground insofar the Shannara books are concerned and as such isn't groundbreaking reading. Yet, the magic prevails.
December 29, 2019
”The Druids stepped back as the first of those things slouched into the light. It was a Skull Bearer, hunched and massive within its black cloak, claws extended before it. All sharp edges and flat planes, all hardness and bulk, it filled the corridor and seemed to suck away the very air. Red eyes burned into the three who cowered before it, and it shoved its way past them disdainfully. Leathery wings beat softly. With a hiss of satisfaction, it seized the young Elven guard, ripped out his throat, and cast him aside. The Druids flinched as the rending sprayed them with the victim’s blood.”
The Druids have been crippled by the horror of the misuse of magic in the first war of the races, which destroyed the old world and sent the race of man into banishment. The Druids have made themselves toothless, shut up with their books and minor spells in the castle keep of Paranor. When Bremen appears, demanding to see the council to warn them of the coming dangers, the last thing they want to do is believe a druid who has been cast out.
They’d have done well to listen.
The Warlock Lord, Brona, a druid who has been twisted by dark magic, has risen in the north and has browbeaten the trolls into an army of chaos. He has skull bearers, other druids who have been warped into sadistic, brutal, powerful monsters. He is marching south, and the first he will come for are the druids.
Bremen can only convince a small band of druids to leave the keep and come with him. Magic will have to be used again, and it may even need the help of the old sciences as well.
There is little time to convince the Races to come together as one. This reminds me of the slow responses by countries who were still recovering from the devastation of World War One and couldn’t even fathom the possibility of having to fight yet another world war. ”Only by uniting could the free Races hope to prevail. But it would take time for them to decide to do this if left to their own devices. Politics would slow any decision making. Self-interest would generate an ill-advised caution. The free Races would debate and consider and be made slaves before they realized what had happened to them.”
If Hitler hadn’t dithered at Dunkirk, the war might very well have been over before the US could get in the war. In this case, the Dwarves are nearly destroyed before the Elves can muster their army for war.
Bremen has a vision of a sword, a very special sword, made with magic and old science and held by a great Elven leader. Like with most visions, clarity is an issue. Bremen dispatches his small band in various directions on different quests as he tries to discover the proper way forward to destroy something seemingly too powerful to stop.
”Dust began to rise from the parched plains, the wind stirring it in wild clouds, and the size of the army seemed to swell even more, to rise on the dust as if fed by it. The silence shattered, and the light changed. In the roil of the dust and thunder of the army’s coming, Death lifted its head in expectation and looked about.”
I approached the Shannara canon ass backwards. I watched the TV show The Shannara Chronicles before I decided to approach the books. I rarely do this, but in this case, it might end up working out okay. I was itching, of course, to read The Sword of Shannara, the first and most lauded of the Shannara Chronicles, but after some research, I decided to read First King of Shannara, a prequel to the trilogy. This was a dicey decision because the prequel is far from the book that Sword pertains to be, but I was interested in learning about the lead up to what I already knew about Shannara. I hope that this means that I will enjoy Sword more because I have more background material already lodged in my head before reading the first page.
There is a bit of frothing at the mouth about Terry Brooks and the similarities between his world of Shannara and the world of J. R. R. Tolkien. I’m far from an expert on fantasy novels. In fact, I rarely read them, but I do find that throwing one in the reading queue occasionally does pleasantly shake me out of my reading comfort zone. In this case, I did become caught up in the quest aspects of the novel and enjoyed taking an hour or so a day to lose myself in the magical wilds of Shannara. I chose to see Brooks' Shannara books as an ode to Tolkien. I perfectly understand Tolkien purists choosing to see this series as a ripoff. Given the fact that Brooks has published many books in the realm of Shannara to great acclaim, I would say that most fantasy readers have chosen to see the series the same way I do.
Please Tolkien purists, do not send large, wart infested trolls after me or ninja dwarf assassins or Elven arrow sharpshooters or *shudder* a Skull Bearer. I will warn you, I do have a fierce Scottish Terrier who prefers a bit of variety in her diet...if you know what I mean.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
The Druids have been crippled by the horror of the misuse of magic in the first war of the races, which destroyed the old world and sent the race of man into banishment. The Druids have made themselves toothless, shut up with their books and minor spells in the castle keep of Paranor. When Bremen appears, demanding to see the council to warn them of the coming dangers, the last thing they want to do is believe a druid who has been cast out.
They’d have done well to listen.
The Warlock Lord, Brona, a druid who has been twisted by dark magic, has risen in the north and has browbeaten the trolls into an army of chaos. He has skull bearers, other druids who have been warped into sadistic, brutal, powerful monsters. He is marching south, and the first he will come for are the druids.
Bremen can only convince a small band of druids to leave the keep and come with him. Magic will have to be used again, and it may even need the help of the old sciences as well.
There is little time to convince the Races to come together as one. This reminds me of the slow responses by countries who were still recovering from the devastation of World War One and couldn’t even fathom the possibility of having to fight yet another world war. ”Only by uniting could the free Races hope to prevail. But it would take time for them to decide to do this if left to their own devices. Politics would slow any decision making. Self-interest would generate an ill-advised caution. The free Races would debate and consider and be made slaves before they realized what had happened to them.”
If Hitler hadn’t dithered at Dunkirk, the war might very well have been over before the US could get in the war. In this case, the Dwarves are nearly destroyed before the Elves can muster their army for war.
Bremen has a vision of a sword, a very special sword, made with magic and old science and held by a great Elven leader. Like with most visions, clarity is an issue. Bremen dispatches his small band in various directions on different quests as he tries to discover the proper way forward to destroy something seemingly too powerful to stop.
”Dust began to rise from the parched plains, the wind stirring it in wild clouds, and the size of the army seemed to swell even more, to rise on the dust as if fed by it. The silence shattered, and the light changed. In the roil of the dust and thunder of the army’s coming, Death lifted its head in expectation and looked about.”
I approached the Shannara canon ass backwards. I watched the TV show The Shannara Chronicles before I decided to approach the books. I rarely do this, but in this case, it might end up working out okay. I was itching, of course, to read The Sword of Shannara, the first and most lauded of the Shannara Chronicles, but after some research, I decided to read First King of Shannara, a prequel to the trilogy. This was a dicey decision because the prequel is far from the book that Sword pertains to be, but I was interested in learning about the lead up to what I already knew about Shannara. I hope that this means that I will enjoy Sword more because I have more background material already lodged in my head before reading the first page.
There is a bit of frothing at the mouth about Terry Brooks and the similarities between his world of Shannara and the world of J. R. R. Tolkien. I’m far from an expert on fantasy novels. In fact, I rarely read them, but I do find that throwing one in the reading queue occasionally does pleasantly shake me out of my reading comfort zone. In this case, I did become caught up in the quest aspects of the novel and enjoyed taking an hour or so a day to lose myself in the magical wilds of Shannara. I chose to see Brooks' Shannara books as an ode to Tolkien. I perfectly understand Tolkien purists choosing to see this series as a ripoff. Given the fact that Brooks has published many books in the realm of Shannara to great acclaim, I would say that most fantasy readers have chosen to see the series the same way I do.
Please Tolkien purists, do not send large, wart infested trolls after me or ninja dwarf assassins or Elven arrow sharpshooters or *shudder* a Skull Bearer. I will warn you, I do have a fierce Scottish Terrier who prefers a bit of variety in her diet...if you know what I mean.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
August 17, 2015
I read this a while ago, but all I remember is that the old adage, "show don't tell," was completely disregarded. Everyone was described as being ever so evil, good, awesome, super and yet never once did I actually believe it because no one did anything. Can't say I've been excited to read any of the other installments based on this one and 6 years later I still haven't.
I'm pretty sure it was Scott Brick who did the audio, so there's no complaints there.
I'm pretty sure it was Scott Brick who did the audio, so there's no complaints there.
January 18, 2008
Well, here it is, the biggest disgrace to the fantasy genre since...well, that's just it, I can't think of anyone worse. Maybe it's just me, but I think if I wanted to read a badly mocked up verion of Tolkien, then I would just read Tolkien. I just don't get this guy, because all he's proven to me is that anyone can rip off LOTR, create the most cliche fantasy scenarios and become an instant success.
Ok, I don't want to get a head of myself. Let me start from the beginning. Now, for a long time I've known about the Sword of Shannara series, but never bothered to read any of it. I just couldn't imagine anything could ever hold up to LOTR. Eventually though, I wanted to start reading some of the other fantasy series that were out there. I started reading reviews about the Shannara series - and they were bad. It got to the point, after reading so many bad reviews that I just wanted to read something of his to find out just how bad it really is (plus, I questioned it slightly. After all, he's a bestseller. How can a bestseller be so bad?)
So I decided to start with the prequel, First King of Shannara instead of the obvious first book, Sword of Shannara. Instantly, I felt like I was reading a joke. This book is filled with so many cliche scenarios, characters and plot devices it felt like I was reading a script for a game of Dungeons & Dragons, only trying desperately to be parallel to the world of Middle Earth, clinging to every nuance it possibly could. Ok, wait, we do have a difference: instead of Hobbits, we have Gnomes. But really, is that enough?
The characters are thin and predictable and their development is poor at best. They all seem to be cookie-cutter characters pulled right from the Player's Handbook and badly modeled on the heroes of LOTR. And if all this wasn't enough, probably the thing that drove me crazy the most was the Four Lands itself. Being a huge fan of cartography and geography, I always pay particularly close attention to the maps of fantasy worlds. My god!! The Four Lands is the most unimaginative landscape I've ever seen that appears to make no geographical sense in the least. Could you at least have come up with some more imaginative names - at the very least? Truthfully, I could spend hours just ranting about the Four Lands themselves, so I'll stop here.
Ah! and so, I could go on and on and on tearing this thing apart. Amazingly, it's not the worst thing I've ever read, but damn near close to it. Before I anger myself into a maniacal and convulsive state over this atrocity, I suppose I can at least list what redeeming values I think it has: um, it's got pretty good cover artwork.
Ok, I don't want to get a head of myself. Let me start from the beginning. Now, for a long time I've known about the Sword of Shannara series, but never bothered to read any of it. I just couldn't imagine anything could ever hold up to LOTR. Eventually though, I wanted to start reading some of the other fantasy series that were out there. I started reading reviews about the Shannara series - and they were bad. It got to the point, after reading so many bad reviews that I just wanted to read something of his to find out just how bad it really is (plus, I questioned it slightly. After all, he's a bestseller. How can a bestseller be so bad?)
So I decided to start with the prequel, First King of Shannara instead of the obvious first book, Sword of Shannara. Instantly, I felt like I was reading a joke. This book is filled with so many cliche scenarios, characters and plot devices it felt like I was reading a script for a game of Dungeons & Dragons, only trying desperately to be parallel to the world of Middle Earth, clinging to every nuance it possibly could. Ok, wait, we do have a difference: instead of Hobbits, we have Gnomes. But really, is that enough?
The characters are thin and predictable and their development is poor at best. They all seem to be cookie-cutter characters pulled right from the Player's Handbook and badly modeled on the heroes of LOTR. And if all this wasn't enough, probably the thing that drove me crazy the most was the Four Lands itself. Being a huge fan of cartography and geography, I always pay particularly close attention to the maps of fantasy worlds. My god!! The Four Lands is the most unimaginative landscape I've ever seen that appears to make no geographical sense in the least. Could you at least have come up with some more imaginative names - at the very least? Truthfully, I could spend hours just ranting about the Four Lands themselves, so I'll stop here.
Ah! and so, I could go on and on and on tearing this thing apart. Amazingly, it's not the worst thing I've ever read, but damn near close to it. Before I anger myself into a maniacal and convulsive state over this atrocity, I suppose I can at least list what redeeming values I think it has: um, it's got pretty good cover artwork.
May 23, 2023
Loved this very solid chapter of the Shannara chronicles. Great characters and lots of questions answered.
January 2, 2022
Of the 8 Shannara books I've read so far, this was my favorite. It featured the same easy reading style as well as most of the same flaws that I found in the previous books (lack of details, telling instead of showing, repetitive dialogue, and storylines) but I felt that the writing was the best of the bunch.
December 3, 2016
I just realized two things: 1) I have not written a book review in a while 2) I have not written a review of this fine book. And then I realized another thing: 3) I gave this book only three stars, but that's not correct, because I loved this book, and it deserves five stars. Amended.
Yes, it is a horribly cliche 80s-style Tolkienesque classsic D'n'D style good-vs-evil Warcraft, Trolls, Elves, Druids and other noble creatures, epic fight, magical artifacts, coming of age, tell-vs-show saga-like book. But I read it a dozen times, and every time, it felt cozy and good and happy. It's the kind of book that has its magical moment in time and place, and it's more about you reading it than the fact you are reading it and what words it has to share.
From a purely technical perspective, 20 years later, this book is definitely not a great work of prose. But it is a great work of adventure and magic, and if you have happened to be there at the right age and in the right frame of mind, it is awesome. There are great dangers in revisiting childhood specials, be they movies or books. I believe I will probably never again read it, but if I do, I will try to remember the companionship it gave me.
And that's all that matters.
Le song:
When Bremen into Paranor snuck,
Eilt Druin and some elfstones he took,
The Shannara Sword,
The Warlock Lord,
The plot continues in the following book.
Fun fact: Bremen is ALSO a German city!
Igor
Yes, it is a horribly cliche 80s-style Tolkienesque classsic D'n'D style good-vs-evil Warcraft, Trolls, Elves, Druids and other noble creatures, epic fight, magical artifacts, coming of age, tell-vs-show saga-like book. But I read it a dozen times, and every time, it felt cozy and good and happy. It's the kind of book that has its magical moment in time and place, and it's more about you reading it than the fact you are reading it and what words it has to share.
From a purely technical perspective, 20 years later, this book is definitely not a great work of prose. But it is a great work of adventure and magic, and if you have happened to be there at the right age and in the right frame of mind, it is awesome. There are great dangers in revisiting childhood specials, be they movies or books. I believe I will probably never again read it, but if I do, I will try to remember the companionship it gave me.
And that's all that matters.
Le song:
When Bremen into Paranor snuck,
Eilt Druin and some elfstones he took,
The Shannara Sword,
The Warlock Lord,
The plot continues in the following book.
Fun fact: Bremen is ALSO a German city!
Igor
October 18, 2007
Yet another great book in the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. I would recommend reading this book after the first three books, only because it seems to fit better in this way. It is called a prequel for a reason, and I thing looking at the continuum of the story in an order the mind isn't used to will make it better when working on understanding the themes that the Terry Brooks is trying to present.
In particular, I found the story of Tay Trefenwyd to be particularly moving. It also brought to light the concept of absolute power, and the ability to sacrifice oneself in order to not destroy that which one holds most dear, right intention, thought, and action.
Great book.
In particular, I found the story of Tay Trefenwyd to be particularly moving. It also brought to light the concept of absolute power, and the ability to sacrifice oneself in order to not destroy that which one holds most dear, right intention, thought, and action.
Great book.
January 17, 2023
A decent entry into the Shanara series. I think the writing is markedly better than in the original series, and most of the characters were likable. The romances still feel like weak spots, and it did suffer from prequelitus a bit but all in all, not bad.
August 2, 2015
È da tempo che avevo intenzione di inizare questa saga, ma non mi sono mai deciso a farlo. Fino a una settimana fa. Posso affermare, tranquillamente, che Terry Brooks è un grande scrittore del fantasy. Il primo re di Shannara è un romanzo epico che, anche se soltanto una specie di prequel, illustra la grande capacità dello scrittore di creare un mondo meraviglioso popolato da Elfi, Troll, Gnomi, Druidi e umani. Mi sono affezionato molto ai personaggi e ho concluso questo primo romanzo piangendo per le tanti morti perché in alcuni punti Terry Brooks mi è sembrato George R.R. Martin che, si sa uccide sempre i buoni. Fra epiche battaglie, come nel Signore degli anelli di Tolkien, questo romanzo entra fra i miei preferiti e così farà anche la saga sicuramente.
Brona è un ex druido cacciato dall'ordine per la sua malignità e l'eccessivo uso della magia per governare. Lui voleva, tramite la magia governate tutti. Una volta sconfitto si perdono le tracce della sua esistenza finché un esercito dei Troll inizia a marciare, immenso. Cosa spinge i Troll a uccidere e a uscire dalla loro terra? E così insieme a Troll, Gnomi e creature infernali il Signore degli Inganni vuole conquistare le Quattro Terre. Quattro visioni indicano la profezia scelta per Jerle Shannara, il quale non sa neanche di essere il prescelto per sconfiggere il male. Ci riuscirà?
Brona è un ex druido cacciato dall'ordine per la sua malignità e l'eccessivo uso della magia per governare. Lui voleva, tramite la magia governate tutti. Una volta sconfitto si perdono le tracce della sua esistenza finché un esercito dei Troll inizia a marciare, immenso. Cosa spinge i Troll a uccidere e a uscire dalla loro terra? E così insieme a Troll, Gnomi e creature infernali il Signore degli Inganni vuole conquistare le Quattro Terre. Quattro visioni indicano la profezia scelta per Jerle Shannara, il quale non sa neanche di essere il prescelto per sconfiggere il male. Ci riuscirà?
May 6, 2019
E' il prequel della saga di Shannara e racconta le gesta di Bremen, padre adottivo di Allanon, il druido che incontreremo poi in molti romanzi della saga. A vent'anni dalla pubblicazione del LA SPADA DI SHANNARA , Terry Brooks ce ne racconta il preludio facendo vivere personaggi che nei romanzi successivi saranno diventati leggendari. Da non perdere come tutte le fantastiche storie della splendida saga
July 31, 2021
This was the epic fantasy I needed. I can promise you that… ugh 😩 this is the 9th book I’ve read in this series and I love it 🥰
April 22, 2011
I must say that since writing the Sword of Shannara back in 1977, at least that is when it was published, Terry Brooks has become a much better writer. I was really hesitant to even pick up another Terry Brooks book. I read the Sword back when I was in middle school and I loved the book. I really liked the story. Of course that was before I had read Tolkien and I remember my friends way back then saying that Sword was a total rip off of The Lord of the Rings. I just never read LOTR. I thought they were too long even though the Sword paper back was really thick book. It had a great fold out picture painted by the Brothers Hilderbrant. They were at the time some great fantasy artist.
But Sword was really easy to read and it was fun. I read 3-4 more Shannara books and well by the 4th book it was the same story over and over again. I saw First King at the book store and was impressed with the cover. I am a sucker for nice covers. I read the back and it sounded really interesting. Bought it and was pleasantly surprised. Still a story of a "Heroes Journey" but it was really well written. Later I even read "Antrax" another "Shannara" book but wasn't as impressed with that one as I was with First King.
It is a Prequel to Sword of Shannara and it was really cool to see what had happened years before that set up what happens in Sword of Shannara book.
But Sword was really easy to read and it was fun. I read 3-4 more Shannara books and well by the 4th book it was the same story over and over again. I saw First King at the book store and was impressed with the cover. I am a sucker for nice covers. I read the back and it sounded really interesting. Bought it and was pleasantly surprised. Still a story of a "Heroes Journey" but it was really well written. Later I even read "Antrax" another "Shannara" book but wasn't as impressed with that one as I was with First King.
It is a Prequel to Sword of Shannara and it was really cool to see what had happened years before that set up what happens in Sword of Shannara book.
April 28, 2020
"No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond."
C.S. Lewis
First King of Shannara
is book 6 chronologically in the Shannara series. 5 stars!
Shannara has been a part of my life for over 30 years now, and it is ending with the final novel in the series, The Last Druid
, publishing in October 2020. I realized and it really hit me while reading First King of Shannara that I'm saying a long goodbye to my favorite book series this year.
Shannara kind of parallels Star Wars for me. Both Star Wars (New Hope released in 1977) and The Sword of Shannara (published in 1977) have been a part of practically my entire life. It's sad for me to see this series ending, but I have gotten so much reading joy out of this series over the years that I will never forget.
First King of Shannara is a wondrous prequel to The Sword of Shannara. We get Bremen (father figure to Allanon), the search for the Black Elfstone in the Chew Magna, the Warlock Lord Brona, Elf King Jerle Shannara, and the forging of the Sword of Shannara. Terry Brooks was just on his game when he wrote this story. It's really a remarkable achievement.
First King of Shannara
is a special book in the Shannara series for me because it was the first one I purchased a hard back copy of. I remember when I bought it - I was in my University's book store and they had it marked down (something like 33% off). I paid around $16-$17 bucks for it - worth every penny!
I was fortunate to get to meet Terry Brooks at a book festival in the town I grew up in and I got him sign and personalize my copy of First King of Shannara:
It says "To Matt with Magic". Needless to say from my gushing review that reading this series truly has been a magical experience for me.
Matt
C.S. Lewis
First King of Shannara
is book 6 chronologically in the Shannara series. 5 stars!Shannara has been a part of my life for over 30 years now, and it is ending with the final novel in the series, The Last Druid
, publishing in October 2020. I realized and it really hit me while reading First King of Shannara that I'm saying a long goodbye to my favorite book series this year. Shannara kind of parallels Star Wars for me. Both Star Wars (New Hope released in 1977) and The Sword of Shannara (published in 1977) have been a part of practically my entire life. It's sad for me to see this series ending, but I have gotten so much reading joy out of this series over the years that I will never forget.
First King of Shannara is a wondrous prequel to The Sword of Shannara. We get Bremen (father figure to Allanon), the search for the Black Elfstone in the Chew Magna, the Warlock Lord Brona, Elf King Jerle Shannara, and the forging of the Sword of Shannara. Terry Brooks was just on his game when he wrote this story. It's really a remarkable achievement.
First King of Shannara
is a special book in the Shannara series for me because it was the first one I purchased a hard back copy of. I remember when I bought it - I was in my University's book store and they had it marked down (something like 33% off). I paid around $16-$17 bucks for it - worth every penny! I was fortunate to get to meet Terry Brooks at a book festival in the town I grew up in and I got him sign and personalize my copy of First King of Shannara:
It says "To Matt with Magic". Needless to say from my gushing review that reading this series truly has been a magical experience for me.
Matt
August 18, 2012
Terry Brooks is really good at writing action scenes. Too bad only 1/10th of the book are action scenes. 'Twas a lot more boring than I remember, a couple cool parts, but overall very slow. Less description! More epic battles! (Towards the end) Less epic battles! FINISH THE STORY I ALREADY KNOW THAT THE GOOD GUYS WIN, I DON'T WANT TO SIT THROUGH YET ANOTHER BATTLE. What you should have done is spread out the battle scenes so we don't have 3 chapters about boring one-dimensional characters complaining about how boring they are and they wish they could stop being so boring but its really hard cause they're so boring. Actually I sort of feel like analyzing his characters right now. Here are the main characters of the story, and what would be in their "quick info" section on an online dating site:
Bremen: "Hey I'm an old, serious man with large amounts of training in the druidic art of verbal diarrhea."
Kinson Ravenlock: "My friends call me a generic fantasy-story human swordsman. I like to think that I have skill with a dagger as well."
Jerle Shannara: "If you like hot-tempered warriors with a passion for punching and the tendency to needlessly risk their lives, then you'll love me. I'm also very emotional, and I like to show this by spending the entire second half of books sulking in a corner and lamenting my best friend's death.
Tay Trefenwyd: "SPOILER ALERT I'm the guy that dies."
Preia Starle: "If I had to describe my personality with just three words, I'd use:
1. Woman
2. Elf
3. Female
What do you mean that's not personality? I don't even know what that word means."
Mareth: "I'm a small, vulnerable girl with a hidden past and a talent for magi-GARRGGHH I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE THEY'RE SO GENERIC &$%*#$!!
Warlock Lord: "Hi I'm Sauron."
Bremen: "Hey I'm an old, serious man with large amounts of training in the druidic art of verbal diarrhea."
Kinson Ravenlock: "My friends call me a generic fantasy-story human swordsman. I like to think that I have skill with a dagger as well."
Jerle Shannara: "If you like hot-tempered warriors with a passion for punching and the tendency to needlessly risk their lives, then you'll love me. I'm also very emotional, and I like to show this by spending the entire second half of books sulking in a corner and lamenting my best friend's death.
Tay Trefenwyd: "SPOILER ALERT I'm the guy that dies."
Preia Starle: "If I had to describe my personality with just three words, I'd use:
1. Woman
2. Elf
3. Female
What do you mean that's not personality? I don't even know what that word means."
Mareth: "I'm a small, vulnerable girl with a hidden past and a talent for magi-GARRGGHH I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE THEY'RE SO GENERIC &$%*#$!!
Warlock Lord: "Hi I'm Sauron."
July 10, 2016
#9/29 in my Epic Shannara Quest.
#9/29 in my Epic Shannara Quest.
Lackluster prequel to the original Shannara series has the same feel as Lucas' Star Wars prequels: a story line that has already been noted, but with a few details filled in giving it a perfunctory feel. The writing doesn't hold up as well as his marvelous eight pre-Shannara books. To be fair, though, it was probably a mistake to read this before I started the Shannara trilogy (since it was published before the pre-Shannara books).
The book ended on a high note, part four being better than the first three, but chapters 15-17 concluding Part Two "The Search for the Black Elfstone" were Brooks at his best, though the story of the black elfstone was better told in the superior The Druid of Shannara.
#9/29 in my Epic Shannara Quest.
Lackluster prequel to the original Shannara series has the same feel as Lucas' Star Wars prequels: a story line that has already been noted, but with a few details filled in giving it a perfunctory feel. The writing doesn't hold up as well as his marvelous eight pre-Shannara books. To be fair, though, it was probably a mistake to read this before I started the Shannara trilogy (since it was published before the pre-Shannara books).
The book ended on a high note, part four being better than the first three, but chapters 15-17 concluding Part Two "The Search for the Black Elfstone" were Brooks at his best, though the story of the black elfstone was better told in the superior The Druid of Shannara.
September 22, 2025
Ho appena terminato "Il primo re di Shannara" e ora capisco ancor meglio perché Terry Brooks consiglia sempre di leggere i suoi libri nell'ordine in cui li ha scritti. Se non lo avessi fatto, se avessi letto questo libro prima della trilogia di apertura di questa saga, mi sarei fatta talmente tanti spoiler che non avrei apprezzato la lettura come invece ho fatto e sto facendo.
In questo volume torniamo indietro nella storia, torniamo all'epoca di Bremen, di Jerle Shannara e della Seconda Guerra delle Razze. Ci viene mostrato come viene forgiata la famigerata spada di Shannara (talismano che ritroveremo nella mani degli eredi del re degli Elfi), come Jerle, da soldato e consigliere del re, diventerà egli stesso re e poi leggenda, come Bremen, ormai vecchio e rimasto unico Druido in vita, abbia trovato in un piccolo orfano, Allanon, il suo successore.
Terry Brooks è stato a dir poco perfetto nel tracciare con dovizia di particolari la storia che nella prima trilogia era stata solo accennata come una leggenda antica, ci ha mostrato tutti gli eventi, tutti i sacrifici (Tay! 😭) che hanno permesso di sconfiggere, almeno momentaneamente, il Signore degli Inganni.
Ho amato in maniera particolare il primo incontro di Bremen con Galaphile al Perno dell'Ade; evocare i morti rimane sempre un momento mistico e affascinante.
E ho amato il piccolo Allanon che, ormai orfano, si lega a Bremen e arriverà a chiamarlo "padre" (cosa che, se non ricordo male, gli vedremo fare anche nell'ultimo volume della prima trilogia, ormai vecchio e debole, ma sempre fermo nei suoi propositi e nel mandare avanti le promesse fatte alla fine di questo libro).
Non ho amato, invece, almeno all'inizio, Bremen e Jerle. Il primo mi è sembrato meno incisivo rispetro ad Allanon (e lo dico da amante smisurata dei druidi); il secondo mi è rimasto abbastanza indifferente, almeno fino alla morte di Tay, dove è iniziato il suo cambiamento.
Nel finale, invece, li ho amati, con la loro forza e con la loro debolezza, con la capacità di portare avanti il loro destino fino alla fine, e di diventare leggenda per i secoli a venire delle Quattro Terre.
Ovviamente sono cinque stelle nette come valutazione, ma non poteva essere diveramente 💖
In questo volume torniamo indietro nella storia, torniamo all'epoca di Bremen, di Jerle Shannara e della Seconda Guerra delle Razze. Ci viene mostrato come viene forgiata la famigerata spada di Shannara (talismano che ritroveremo nella mani degli eredi del re degli Elfi), come Jerle, da soldato e consigliere del re, diventerà egli stesso re e poi leggenda, come Bremen, ormai vecchio e rimasto unico Druido in vita, abbia trovato in un piccolo orfano, Allanon, il suo successore.
Terry Brooks è stato a dir poco perfetto nel tracciare con dovizia di particolari la storia che nella prima trilogia era stata solo accennata come una leggenda antica, ci ha mostrato tutti gli eventi, tutti i sacrifici (Tay! 😭) che hanno permesso di sconfiggere, almeno momentaneamente, il Signore degli Inganni.
Ho amato in maniera particolare il primo incontro di Bremen con Galaphile al Perno dell'Ade; evocare i morti rimane sempre un momento mistico e affascinante.
E ho amato il piccolo Allanon che, ormai orfano, si lega a Bremen e arriverà a chiamarlo "padre" (cosa che, se non ricordo male, gli vedremo fare anche nell'ultimo volume della prima trilogia, ormai vecchio e debole, ma sempre fermo nei suoi propositi e nel mandare avanti le promesse fatte alla fine di questo libro).
Non ho amato, invece, almeno all'inizio, Bremen e Jerle. Il primo mi è sembrato meno incisivo rispetro ad Allanon (e lo dico da amante smisurata dei druidi); il secondo mi è rimasto abbastanza indifferente, almeno fino alla morte di Tay, dove è iniziato il suo cambiamento.
Nel finale, invece, li ho amati, con la loro forza e con la loro debolezza, con la capacità di portare avanti il loro destino fino alla fine, e di diventare leggenda per i secoli a venire delle Quattro Terre.
Ovviamente sono cinque stelle nette come valutazione, ma non poteva essere diveramente 💖
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2018
I liked it. Looking forward to the second book in the series.
June 7, 2022
4,5 stars - English hardcover
After a while, author Terry Brooks decided to do what many fans had wanted him to do and tell some of the back-story of the Shannara universe. A quick note here, that Shannara does not refer to the world these adventures take place in, but to one of several in-universe families, in this case a legendary Elven family, that the adventures revolve around most often. The world these Shannara stories take place in is actually our own, thousands of years in the future after a nuclear apocalypse has destroyed modern civilization. In the wake of said devastation, man's science and the ancient faerie magic from before man both were
The interesting thing is that, for those who are big Allanon fans, they will not find him much in this book until the very end. Even when he does appear, his contribution, though important, is quite minor overall. This is not his story, but the adventure of Bremen, his father, and last of the Druids who bequeathed his legacy to his son. Of course, right there in that paragraph are some major spoilers I'm leaving unstated.
In this book it is also the story of Jerle Shannara, the famous ancestor of Sword of Shanara, protagonist, and first published protagonist, Shea Ohmsord (who was adopted by the Ohmsford family). The contrast between Shea and Jerle could not be more profound, yet similar despite all of this. I don't know if these contrasts and yet sameness were accidental, or on purpose with Brooks, but it works. Shea and Flick were smaller than most Men. In fact, they were often called, “little Valeman”, and so forth. Jerle is a big guy, athletic, and strong. “Little” could never be used as a word to describe him. Shea was a simple civilian who had little to do with his Elven side, and helped run his adoptive father's inn. Jerle was a military warrior, and eventual king of the Elves, who is Elven through and through. Yet, despite these differences, Jerle and his descendant shared in common important traits. They both cared deeply for their families, friends, and others. They both made mistakes and knew about this, and did their best to defeat the enemy, in both cases the rebel Druid Brona (known as the Warlock Lord).
All in all a "Yeah" read for me..
After a while, author Terry Brooks decided to do what many fans had wanted him to do and tell some of the back-story of the Shannara universe. A quick note here, that Shannara does not refer to the world these adventures take place in, but to one of several in-universe families, in this case a legendary Elven family, that the adventures revolve around most often. The world these Shannara stories take place in is actually our own, thousands of years in the future after a nuclear apocalypse has destroyed modern civilization. In the wake of said devastation, man's science and the ancient faerie magic from before man both were
The interesting thing is that, for those who are big Allanon fans, they will not find him much in this book until the very end. Even when he does appear, his contribution, though important, is quite minor overall. This is not his story, but the adventure of Bremen, his father, and last of the Druids who bequeathed his legacy to his son. Of course, right there in that paragraph are some major spoilers I'm leaving unstated.
In this book it is also the story of Jerle Shannara, the famous ancestor of Sword of Shanara, protagonist, and first published protagonist, Shea Ohmsord (who was adopted by the Ohmsford family). The contrast between Shea and Jerle could not be more profound, yet similar despite all of this. I don't know if these contrasts and yet sameness were accidental, or on purpose with Brooks, but it works. Shea and Flick were smaller than most Men. In fact, they were often called, “little Valeman”, and so forth. Jerle is a big guy, athletic, and strong. “Little” could never be used as a word to describe him. Shea was a simple civilian who had little to do with his Elven side, and helped run his adoptive father's inn. Jerle was a military warrior, and eventual king of the Elves, who is Elven through and through. Yet, despite these differences, Jerle and his descendant shared in common important traits. They both cared deeply for their families, friends, and others. They both made mistakes and knew about this, and did their best to defeat the enemy, in both cases the rebel Druid Brona (known as the Warlock Lord).
All in all a "Yeah" read for me..
December 9, 2018
There would be stories of what happened that night for years afterward, tales passed from mouth to mouth that would take on the trappings of legend. They would come from various sources, but all would have their genesis in the glimpses caught by passersby who paused for a momentary look at what was taking place within Urprox Screl's great forge. The doors stood open to the night so that fresh air could be drawn in and stale heat vented out and those who forced themselves close enough were witnesses to visions they later declared to have been born out of madness.
A sword was forged by Urprox Screl that night, but the manner of its shaping would be forever in dispute.
First King of Shannara takes the reader back to the place and time where everything once began. This is the tale of Bremen and the Druids of old, of the Warlock Lord and his hideous servants, of the rise to power of the house of Shannara, and of course, of the forging of the legendary sword itself in the forges of Dechtera.
How does one write such an amazing story when it's just a prequel with the considerable disadvantage that everyone knows beforehand what will ultimately happen? Terry Brooks seems to have found the perfect answer to that question. The tale of First King develops in a great way where what we already know (the tales recounted by Allanon to Shea Ohmsford) is skillfully mixed with surprises and unexpected turns of events. New and deeply fascinating characters and locations are intertwined with the ones we already know of, and the whole thing has a sense of nostalgia to it that adds another layer to its already shimmering excellence.
Apart from the original trilogy, this book is by far the best in the Shannara series and it truly lives up to the greatness of the three old legends Sword, Elfstones and Wishsong.
A sword was forged by Urprox Screl that night, but the manner of its shaping would be forever in dispute.
First King of Shannara takes the reader back to the place and time where everything once began. This is the tale of Bremen and the Druids of old, of the Warlock Lord and his hideous servants, of the rise to power of the house of Shannara, and of course, of the forging of the legendary sword itself in the forges of Dechtera.
How does one write such an amazing story when it's just a prequel with the considerable disadvantage that everyone knows beforehand what will ultimately happen? Terry Brooks seems to have found the perfect answer to that question. The tale of First King develops in a great way where what we already know (the tales recounted by Allanon to Shea Ohmsford) is skillfully mixed with surprises and unexpected turns of events. New and deeply fascinating characters and locations are intertwined with the ones we already know of, and the whole thing has a sense of nostalgia to it that adds another layer to its already shimmering excellence.
Apart from the original trilogy, this book is by far the best in the Shannara series and it truly lives up to the greatness of the three old legends Sword, Elfstones and Wishsong.
November 7, 2020
{1.5 rounded down}
Given the fact that I am following the chronological order of the series, sudden world changing surprises are not really welcomed. Suddenly there are multiple new races dominating the world and again additional history not covered by the multiple prequel books. In addition to it, there are major flash backs to Lord of the rings in more lines than is advised. Basically I have found myself lost in a bad way, barely caring about reaching the finish line.
And to think this book is but a stone throw away from the original series...
Given the fact that I am following the chronological order of the series, sudden world changing surprises are not really welcomed. Suddenly there are multiple new races dominating the world and again additional history not covered by the multiple prequel books. In addition to it, there are major flash backs to Lord of the rings in more lines than is advised. Basically I have found myself lost in a bad way, barely caring about reaching the finish line.
And to think this book is but a stone throw away from the original series...
May 26, 2009
I've read more Terry Brooks than Faulkner in my life. And I bought the bulk of Shannara books the same day I bought The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.
Oh, the irony!
Anyway, I thought this cookie-cutter fantasy epic was a great book when I was eleven. No way in hell I'm re-reading this, but it's safe to say that I don't think so anymore.
Oh, the irony!
Anyway, I thought this cookie-cutter fantasy epic was a great book when I was eleven. No way in hell I'm re-reading this, but it's safe to say that I don't think so anymore.
February 11, 2025
First King of Shannara is where it all started for this epic high fantasy. I was glad to get more of Allanon and troops.
Great characters. Great storyline. Wonderful world-building. Terry weaves a complicated trove of treasures in his storytelling and I for one am grateful.
Rereading this epic tale many, many years from the first time.
Great characters. Great storyline. Wonderful world-building. Terry weaves a complicated trove of treasures in his storytelling and I for one am grateful.
Rereading this epic tale many, many years from the first time.
March 3, 2017
this book is poorly written. the description of the warriers is sexist and human-centric. there was detailed description of scenes that were not relevant to the plot. a slog of a read and very disappointing.
August 23, 2024
I am a Shannara fan. I devoured these books when I was a teenager. I would secretly read them with low lights inside my blanket so my mom wouldn't find out that I'm still awake. I wasn't supposed to stay awake after 12am. So... Anyways, it's a good series.
March 22, 2020
A lazy prequel that does nothing but detract from the books published before it. Hard pass for all but the most hardcore Shannara fans.
We follow the outcast druid Bremen, his disciples Tay Trefenwyd the Elf and Risca the dwarf, his ranger friend Kinson Ravenlock, and the mysterious apprentice Mareth as they seek to stop The Warlock Lord from using his army of gnomes and trolls to conquer the entire continent (no, he still doesn't have a motivation besides being evil).
My complaints with the book can be sorted into four categories:
1) It's inconsistent with the other books. The Hadeshorn doesn't work the same, Skullbearers can toggle their fear aura as they please, etc.
2) It runs on the worst possible inertia. The party travels to the Hadeshorn and gets the walk-through of how to stop The Warlock Lord and almost all of it ends up being terrible. They're given four images: the other druids being slain; TWL searching for The Black Elfstone; an elf wielding a sword against TWL; and Bremen and an apprentice at the Hadeshorn. The strain of consulting the dead almost kills Bremen the time it's depicted but he goes there twice more off-camera with no more ill effects than if he had called the Nintendo Power Line.
Tay is the one sent to find the Black Elfstone before TWL's minions can. In typical Hollywood fashion, it's hidden in a remote valley and surrounded by fearsome guardians which only he is able to disarm only to find that his group was followed by the people they were trying to keep it away from. Normally there would be a double-cross involved but here it just reads like some ghosts sent a guy to go find something that was perfectly secure where it was.
The sword is the worst part, though. To sum up, it's a sword that when--and only when--in the presence of The Warlock Lord and wielded by someone from the bloodline of Shannara it will force that person to face some harsh truths about themself. If they are able to do so, then they can touch it to TWL to do the same and it will kill him because he's only alive because he refuses to acknowledge the fact that he's nothing more than willpower held together by magic after so many centuries of existence.
That's already pretty stupid but was mostly hand-waved in the original book so it more-or-less worked. Once you start telling a story about how it was intentionally designed like that it gets awful. Bremen gets told to forge a sword and give it to a martial-minded warrior--Jerle Shannara. When he finally confronts the Warlock Lord, Jerle slashes him with the sword and so the short duration of the contact allows him to escape badly wounded rather than be completely destroyed. So why was Bremen told to forge a sword and give it to a warrior in the first place. This book would make so much more sense if The Warlock Lord had somehow compromised the druid ghosts but that part got left out and instead we're just left with the protagonists blindly painting by numbers despite the grid being obviously misprinted.
In the original book, it's explained that only people from the Shannara bloodline can wield the sword because that's what people believe. That's not terrible but it's not really clear. For example, the main character in that book had never heard of the sword of Shannara and so there's no reason why he couldn't have used it in ignorance but it is what it is. Here, Jerle offers to give it to someone else and Bremen explains that's he's already called it Shannara's sword and so it's too late which is somehow even dumber. Moving on.
3) The writer's ignorance of both science and history is incredibly off-putting. It starts early when The Warlock Lord conquers the druid stronghold of Paranor. Determined to show how evil he is, TWL orders his horde of demons to take the druids to the cells and wall them in alive. They're not down there very long because TWL flees the fortress' automated defense system and I wonder where these fanged beasts got the bricks, mortar, or dexterity to build a wall. Then, Bremen returns about a day later and confidently declares that everyone is dead. An elf scout comes by about a week after the invasion and makes the same judgment. People can live for about three days without water and three weeks without food. Maybe they just didn't like the druids or thought it would be too much work to tear down a hastily constructed wall and free them? Mr. Brooks was being too clever by half here and should have just had them all slaughtered.
Afterwards, Bremen goes to forge the sword. He determines that it needs to be made of a special material so that it can withstand sorcery and he goes to find an ex-druid who knows the secrets of alchemy. He's given the formula for... steel. The inanity is compounded when he locates a blacksmith who explains that it's impossible to generate the temperatures needed to produce and so Bremen uses druid magic. If you are unaware, steel was being produced in 500 BC. The idea that a civilization approximately 1-2k years post-apocalypse--which includes elves who were just hiding the whole time--has been unable to rediscover steel and has just been content with iron is mind-boggling. And then of course the part of the sword that holds the magic isn't even made out of steel, so whatever.
Finally, we get to the denouement. Having defeated the Dwarves, TWL has turned his armies toward the Elves. Who live in a forest. Who are defending a pass filled with natural barriers but not like a giant wall or anything. TWL's plan involves his forces pulling siege towers and catapults across the entire continent to attack with. At one point, the Elven defenders are described as charging the opposing troops with battering rams. [Insert Esurance "That's not how it works. That's now how any of this works." meme here].
4) Lack of technology. The one original thing in Sword of Shannara was the post-apocalyptic setting. At one point, the protagonists fight a cyborg insect thing and it's the most memorable thing to happen. So of course there's almost no "lost technology" at all for 24 years of sequels until the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy.
So that's really all there is to the book. We knew TWL was going to be beaten but escape already. Everything else is just things happening because they're told to even when it makes no sense at all. All the new characters who could potentially have survived until the modern series get killed off out of necessity and the others aren't very memorable. Overall, a forgettable prequel that I would recommend skipping.
We follow the outcast druid Bremen, his disciples Tay Trefenwyd the Elf and Risca the dwarf, his ranger friend Kinson Ravenlock, and the mysterious apprentice Mareth as they seek to stop The Warlock Lord from using his army of gnomes and trolls to conquer the entire continent (no, he still doesn't have a motivation besides being evil).
My complaints with the book can be sorted into four categories:
1) It's inconsistent with the other books. The Hadeshorn doesn't work the same, Skullbearers can toggle their fear aura as they please, etc.
2) It runs on the worst possible inertia. The party travels to the Hadeshorn and gets the walk-through of how to stop The Warlock Lord and almost all of it ends up being terrible. They're given four images: the other druids being slain; TWL searching for The Black Elfstone; an elf wielding a sword against TWL; and Bremen and an apprentice at the Hadeshorn. The strain of consulting the dead almost kills Bremen the time it's depicted but he goes there twice more off-camera with no more ill effects than if he had called the Nintendo Power Line.
Tay is the one sent to find the Black Elfstone before TWL's minions can. In typical Hollywood fashion, it's hidden in a remote valley and surrounded by fearsome guardians which only he is able to disarm only to find that his group was followed by the people they were trying to keep it away from. Normally there would be a double-cross involved but here it just reads like some ghosts sent a guy to go find something that was perfectly secure where it was.
The sword is the worst part, though. To sum up, it's a sword that when--and only when--in the presence of The Warlock Lord and wielded by someone from the bloodline of Shannara it will force that person to face some harsh truths about themself. If they are able to do so, then they can touch it to TWL to do the same and it will kill him because he's only alive because he refuses to acknowledge the fact that he's nothing more than willpower held together by magic after so many centuries of existence.
That's already pretty stupid but was mostly hand-waved in the original book so it more-or-less worked. Once you start telling a story about how it was intentionally designed like that it gets awful. Bremen gets told to forge a sword and give it to a martial-minded warrior--Jerle Shannara. When he finally confronts the Warlock Lord, Jerle slashes him with the sword and so the short duration of the contact allows him to escape badly wounded rather than be completely destroyed. So why was Bremen told to forge a sword and give it to a warrior in the first place. This book would make so much more sense if The Warlock Lord had somehow compromised the druid ghosts but that part got left out and instead we're just left with the protagonists blindly painting by numbers despite the grid being obviously misprinted.
In the original book, it's explained that only people from the Shannara bloodline can wield the sword because that's what people believe. That's not terrible but it's not really clear. For example, the main character in that book had never heard of the sword of Shannara and so there's no reason why he couldn't have used it in ignorance but it is what it is. Here, Jerle offers to give it to someone else and Bremen explains that's he's already called it Shannara's sword and so it's too late which is somehow even dumber. Moving on.
3) The writer's ignorance of both science and history is incredibly off-putting. It starts early when The Warlock Lord conquers the druid stronghold of Paranor. Determined to show how evil he is, TWL orders his horde of demons to take the druids to the cells and wall them in alive. They're not down there very long because TWL flees the fortress' automated defense system and I wonder where these fanged beasts got the bricks, mortar, or dexterity to build a wall. Then, Bremen returns about a day later and confidently declares that everyone is dead. An elf scout comes by about a week after the invasion and makes the same judgment. People can live for about three days without water and three weeks without food. Maybe they just didn't like the druids or thought it would be too much work to tear down a hastily constructed wall and free them? Mr. Brooks was being too clever by half here and should have just had them all slaughtered.
Afterwards, Bremen goes to forge the sword. He determines that it needs to be made of a special material so that it can withstand sorcery and he goes to find an ex-druid who knows the secrets of alchemy. He's given the formula for... steel. The inanity is compounded when he locates a blacksmith who explains that it's impossible to generate the temperatures needed to produce and so Bremen uses druid magic. If you are unaware, steel was being produced in 500 BC. The idea that a civilization approximately 1-2k years post-apocalypse--which includes elves who were just hiding the whole time--has been unable to rediscover steel and has just been content with iron is mind-boggling. And then of course the part of the sword that holds the magic isn't even made out of steel, so whatever.
Finally, we get to the denouement. Having defeated the Dwarves, TWL has turned his armies toward the Elves. Who live in a forest. Who are defending a pass filled with natural barriers but not like a giant wall or anything. TWL's plan involves his forces pulling siege towers and catapults across the entire continent to attack with. At one point, the Elven defenders are described as charging the opposing troops with battering rams. [Insert Esurance "That's not how it works. That's now how any of this works." meme here].
4) Lack of technology. The one original thing in Sword of Shannara was the post-apocalyptic setting. At one point, the protagonists fight a cyborg insect thing and it's the most memorable thing to happen. So of course there's almost no "lost technology" at all for 24 years of sequels until the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy.
So that's really all there is to the book. We knew TWL was going to be beaten but escape already. Everything else is just things happening because they're told to even when it makes no sense at all. All the new characters who could potentially have survived until the modern series get killed off out of necessity and the others aren't very memorable. Overall, a forgettable prequel that I would recommend skipping.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2023
There was a definite bridge to the original world of Sword of Shannara, but it was weak. Trying to force the world and the series to be Dystopian, did not feel natural (having always viewed it as a high fantasy). When I first saw the television series, I went back and read the Sword of Shannara for a 3rd time to see what I had missed, and could not make the connection. Now that I have read all of the books in chronological order (Running with the Demon first), I am going to read it a 4th time... lol.
The last fifty pages of this book were exciting and brought me back to what I love most about Brooks' original novels, but the rest was difficult at times. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and did not have any strong feelings (good or bad). Plus the change in the timeline was significant and there was very little tying this book to its predecessor (unlike every other one before).
The last fifty pages of this book were exciting and brought me back to what I love most about Brooks' original novels, but the rest was difficult at times. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and did not have any strong feelings (good or bad). Plus the change in the timeline was significant and there was very little tying this book to its predecessor (unlike every other one before).
July 12, 2019
Antes de comenzar esta reseña quería aclarar una cosa importante. Os parecerá raro que sea el Libro 8 y pensaréis, ¿es necesario leer antes los 7 libros primeros? Pues no, ya que este es una precuela de lo que pasó varios siglos antes del primer libro. O sea, cronológicamente, este Libro 8 sería el primero.
Este libro tiene muchísimos personajes, todos muy bien trabajados y con sus personalidades muy bien definidas. En primer lugar tenemos a Bremen, un druida anciano. este fue expulsado de los druidas debido a su interés en la magia y sus cuantiosas teorías. Bajo sus hombros está la responsabilidad de salvar el mundo. Es un persona misterioso, pues parece que le cuesta aclarar las cosas. Muy relacionado con este encontramos a Kinson Ravenlock, un humano fronterizo. Este acompaña desde hace varios años a Bremen, siendo siempre fiel y ayudándole en todo lo necesario.
Además de a este druida, vamos a conocer a otros que siguen la causa de Bremen, como Tay Trefenwyd, un elfo, y Risca, un enano. De estos dos me ha gustado mucho más Tay, por su encanto personal. De mujeres tenemos a otra druida, Mareth, la cual tiene un gran poder escondido. De ella conocemos su pasado y vemos su continua evolución. Por último, sabremos más sobre Jerle Shannara, un elfo y amigo de Tay, con un papel súper importante en la trama, y Preia Starle, una guerrera. El enemigo de la historia es un ser malvado llamado Brona, el señor de los brujos. Este se ha vuelto invencible tras abusar de la magia.
La trama de El primer rey de Shannara narra cómo surge la espada (de La espada de Shannara), quién fue el primer rey y portador de la misma, Jerle Shannara, los orígenes de Allanon y, sobre todo, la caída de los druidas y la guerra contra Brona. Encontramos tres partes, ya que los personajes se dividen en grupos: 1) Bremen, Mareth y Kinson; 2) Tay y Jerle; y 3) Risca y los enanos. Las dos primeros, especialmente la segunda, tiene mayor peso que la tercera. En ellas veremos el pasado de los personajes y parte del futuro, así como veremos a Allanon, el druida de la trilogía. Es una trama con mucha acción y llena de aventuras, intriga, magia, drama, batallas, amor y amistad.
En cuanto al ritmo, al principio se me hizo un poco lento, ya que hay muchas páginas de introducción (como es normal) pero pronto el libro va cogiendo un ritmo mucho más rápido hasta que acaba enganchando al lector hasta el final. Brooks escribe de maravilla y te va transmitiendo con cada capítulo un montón de emociones distintas.
En conclusión, este libro es el punto de partida para adentrarse en el mundo de Shannara. Es un libro con tres partes diferenciadas, una trama de "viajes" con unos personajes muy bien desarrollados, cada uno con una personalidad diferentes y muy bien construidos. Una trama llena de acción, aventuras, batallas, drama, amor y amistad. Un libro que engancha, que emociona y que gusta y que será la puerta de muchos para conocer Shannara.
Más en mi blog La Gran Biblioteca de David (https://lagranbibliotecadedavid.blogs...)
Este libro tiene muchísimos personajes, todos muy bien trabajados y con sus personalidades muy bien definidas. En primer lugar tenemos a Bremen, un druida anciano. este fue expulsado de los druidas debido a su interés en la magia y sus cuantiosas teorías. Bajo sus hombros está la responsabilidad de salvar el mundo. Es un persona misterioso, pues parece que le cuesta aclarar las cosas. Muy relacionado con este encontramos a Kinson Ravenlock, un humano fronterizo. Este acompaña desde hace varios años a Bremen, siendo siempre fiel y ayudándole en todo lo necesario.
Además de a este druida, vamos a conocer a otros que siguen la causa de Bremen, como Tay Trefenwyd, un elfo, y Risca, un enano. De estos dos me ha gustado mucho más Tay, por su encanto personal. De mujeres tenemos a otra druida, Mareth, la cual tiene un gran poder escondido. De ella conocemos su pasado y vemos su continua evolución. Por último, sabremos más sobre Jerle Shannara, un elfo y amigo de Tay, con un papel súper importante en la trama, y Preia Starle, una guerrera. El enemigo de la historia es un ser malvado llamado Brona, el señor de los brujos. Este se ha vuelto invencible tras abusar de la magia.
La trama de El primer rey de Shannara narra cómo surge la espada (de La espada de Shannara), quién fue el primer rey y portador de la misma, Jerle Shannara, los orígenes de Allanon y, sobre todo, la caída de los druidas y la guerra contra Brona. Encontramos tres partes, ya que los personajes se dividen en grupos: 1) Bremen, Mareth y Kinson; 2) Tay y Jerle; y 3) Risca y los enanos. Las dos primeros, especialmente la segunda, tiene mayor peso que la tercera. En ellas veremos el pasado de los personajes y parte del futuro, así como veremos a Allanon, el druida de la trilogía. Es una trama con mucha acción y llena de aventuras, intriga, magia, drama, batallas, amor y amistad.
En cuanto al ritmo, al principio se me hizo un poco lento, ya que hay muchas páginas de introducción (como es normal) pero pronto el libro va cogiendo un ritmo mucho más rápido hasta que acaba enganchando al lector hasta el final. Brooks escribe de maravilla y te va transmitiendo con cada capítulo un montón de emociones distintas.
En conclusión, este libro es el punto de partida para adentrarse en el mundo de Shannara. Es un libro con tres partes diferenciadas, una trama de "viajes" con unos personajes muy bien desarrollados, cada uno con una personalidad diferentes y muy bien construidos. Una trama llena de acción, aventuras, batallas, drama, amor y amistad. Un libro que engancha, que emociona y que gusta y que será la puerta de muchos para conocer Shannara.
Más en mi blog La Gran Biblioteca de David (https://lagranbibliotecadedavid.blogs...)
March 9, 2020
*Reread
I've always thought that Terry Brooks' best book was The Sword of Shannara, because he caught the fun, young, energetic, and wonderous feeling that fantasy books should have. I believe that as he has gone along, his writing has gotten a lot more serious and has taken away the campy, fun aspects of his stories. However, one clear exception to this rule if First King of Shannara, which very closely captures the feel that Sword of Shannara had.
Bremen is an excellent character. I really enjoyed reading about his story. He had a similar plot to "Fiver" from Watership Down, and Jeremiah from the Bible or Dumbldore in Harry Potter 5. He knew what was coming and warned everyone, but no one listened. I loved how Brooks made him a father figure to virtually everyone he came across.
Another great character from this book is Jerle Shannara. We have, up until this point, not known the history of the Shannara legacy, except for Allanon's explanation in "Sword". This really makes that backstory interesting and his story kept me on my toes, even upon reread.
Mareth was a very "Brooksian" character, in that she has secrets, slowly reveals them, doesn't trust others, and eventually is accepted in the group. She feels like one of his later characters, whereas Tay, Risca, Bremen, and Kinson all feel like traditional, old school characters.
It's quite interesting that you barely, barely see the villain here. I think it works to have a villain who is real but not present. It's a unique take that harkens, yet again, to the way that Brooks wrote Sword of Shannara.
There were a few, picky items that I had with the book, but I can easily overlook them for what Brooks turned in.
Overall, this is a fantastic book. It's definitely my 2nd favorite Shannara book(behind Sword, obviously) and my 3rd favorite Terry Brooks book(behind magic kingdom). 9.1 out of 10!
P.S. I will be doing a podcast on this book shortly, so listen to that if you are interested in picking the book up.
I've always thought that Terry Brooks' best book was The Sword of Shannara, because he caught the fun, young, energetic, and wonderous feeling that fantasy books should have. I believe that as he has gone along, his writing has gotten a lot more serious and has taken away the campy, fun aspects of his stories. However, one clear exception to this rule if First King of Shannara, which very closely captures the feel that Sword of Shannara had.
Bremen is an excellent character. I really enjoyed reading about his story. He had a similar plot to "Fiver" from Watership Down, and Jeremiah from the Bible or Dumbldore in Harry Potter 5. He knew what was coming and warned everyone, but no one listened. I loved how Brooks made him a father figure to virtually everyone he came across.
Another great character from this book is Jerle Shannara. We have, up until this point, not known the history of the Shannara legacy, except for Allanon's explanation in "Sword". This really makes that backstory interesting and his story kept me on my toes, even upon reread.
Mareth was a very "Brooksian" character, in that she has secrets, slowly reveals them, doesn't trust others, and eventually is accepted in the group. She feels like one of his later characters, whereas Tay, Risca, Bremen, and Kinson all feel like traditional, old school characters.
It's quite interesting that you barely, barely see the villain here. I think it works to have a villain who is real but not present. It's a unique take that harkens, yet again, to the way that Brooks wrote Sword of Shannara.
There were a few, picky items that I had with the book, but I can easily overlook them for what Brooks turned in.
Overall, this is a fantastic book. It's definitely my 2nd favorite Shannara book(behind Sword, obviously) and my 3rd favorite Terry Brooks book(behind magic kingdom). 9.1 out of 10!
P.S. I will be doing a podcast on this book shortly, so listen to that if you are interested in picking the book up.
February 2, 2023
I enjoyed this one.
I know that I've read it before. I went into it without having any expectations...well, other than to be disappointed, and I was pleasantly surprised. I found it quite enjoyable. Long. But enjoyable.
It's odd. I'm fairly certain that this book was written earlier than the Knight of the Word series and the opening of the valley series, and yet, it's better written. How did the author regress in skill level? Are the later ones ghost written? I don't know what happened, but as much as other people rag on this book, it's still better than the Genesis of Shannara series.
The characters at least existed. They were flawed, they clashed together and were changed by each other. They failed, and they stood up again. They were vulnerable, and they were strong. They were alive.
Maybe they didn't act in a way that I liked. Maybe there was a tad bit too much description, maybe not everything was tied up in a neat little bow in the end. But isn't that what life is actually like? Aren't things left unresolved?
I liked it.
I liked how the focus was on the here and now and the people alive, not on the past or the future, or the ghosts of those who have been lost. Learning from the past is important, but you can't focus on it to the extent of ignoring the present. The past is indelible, try as we might to topple what remains of it, we will never succeed in getting rid of it, but the present, the present we can change. We can change our behavior today and affect the future. We can reach out to someone alive today and help them through the difficulty they are facing. I just think that is inherently more valuable than fixating on the evils or the grandeurs of the past.
I know that I've read it before. I went into it without having any expectations...well, other than to be disappointed, and I was pleasantly surprised. I found it quite enjoyable. Long. But enjoyable.
It's odd. I'm fairly certain that this book was written earlier than the Knight of the Word series and the opening of the valley series, and yet, it's better written. How did the author regress in skill level? Are the later ones ghost written? I don't know what happened, but as much as other people rag on this book, it's still better than the Genesis of Shannara series.
The characters at least existed. They were flawed, they clashed together and were changed by each other. They failed, and they stood up again. They were vulnerable, and they were strong. They were alive.
Maybe they didn't act in a way that I liked. Maybe there was a tad bit too much description, maybe not everything was tied up in a neat little bow in the end. But isn't that what life is actually like? Aren't things left unresolved?
I liked it.
I liked how the focus was on the here and now and the people alive, not on the past or the future, or the ghosts of those who have been lost. Learning from the past is important, but you can't focus on it to the extent of ignoring the present. The past is indelible, try as we might to topple what remains of it, we will never succeed in getting rid of it, but the present, the present we can change. We can change our behavior today and affect the future. We can reach out to someone alive today and help them through the difficulty they are facing. I just think that is inherently more valuable than fixating on the evils or the grandeurs of the past.
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