The Sword Of Shannara
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Product Description
Review
'Confirms his place at the head of the fantasy world' Philip Pullman
Product Description
Living in the remote hamlet of Shady Vale, the young half-elf Shea Ohmsford knows little of the outside world. And yet, in the desolate, ruined lands of the far north, a dark-hearted sorcerer is plotting his death. The ancient warlock has dispatched a band of deadly Skull Bearers to track Shea down and murder him. For Shea is the last descendant of an ancient Elvin king, and the only person living who can wield the fabled Sword of Shannara - a weapon with the power to thwart the Warlock Lord's terrifying plans. Only the druid Allanon knows where the sword is hidden and even now he rides to Shady Vale to offer his aid. But the Skull Bearers are swift and ruthless, and Shea Ohmsford's destiny may be over before it has begun! And so begins the incredible legend of The Sword of Shannara - a classic story of magic, adventure and epic conflict, from one of the world's greatest living storytellers. Part Two, THE DRUIDS' KEEP and Part Three, THE SECRET OF THE SWORD will be published in successive months.
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First Sentence
The sun was already sinking into the deep green of the hills to the west of the valley, the red and gray-pink of its shadows touching the corners of the land, when Flick Ohmsford began his descent. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
The sun was already sinking into the deep green of the hills to the west of the valley, the red and gray-pink of its shadows touching the corners of the land, when Flick Ohmsford began his descent. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read this book when I was 21 and I thought it was brilliant. Okay, so it pilfers like hell from Tolkein without any of the latter's scholarly depth, but it's still a thumping good read. But it is better read before your tastes mature and your sense of literary criticism develops. Now aged 42 I am reading it aloud to my 12 year old son, and I cannot believe that I raved over this book 21 years ago. The sentences are so torturously written that if I was Terry Brooks' editor, I would have gone through the story with a blue pencil like a dose of salts! The adventure story line zings along. The characters are well drawn and likeable, but Terry Brooks writes like an amateur. The Sword of Shannara could be cut by half and the only difference would be the improvement!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I thought that Sword was a pretty good book and I won't compare it to LOTR because it's been so long since I've read it. However, the following book, the Elfstones is much better, and the third book as well, the Wishsong. My main complaint: the characters weren't developed to the point where you wanted to read more about them.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have to confess I read this book when I was twelve and up to that point it was the best book I'd ever read. I managed it in less than a week and was gripped by it from start to finish. The sequels were okay but this one was definitely the best.
However, upon just looking up the book on amazon I can see that a lot of other reviewers are pointing out that it's a LOTR rip off. Well, I guess they're probably right, but I hadn't read LOTR when I stumbled across The Sword of Shannara and therefore I enjoyed the book without making the comparisons. And in reality most books are copying some sort of formula. Let's face it 90% of crime thrillers involve a dead body at the start and then a detective / investigator tracking down the killer for the rest of the book. It's therefore inevitable that most fantasy books have dwarves, elves etc all hunting for some magical item that mustn't fall in to the hands of evil. So if you like fantasy there is no reason why you shouldn't like this book. It is formulaic but it's well written and I found it very entertaining.
However, upon just looking up the book on amazon I can see that a lot of other reviewers are pointing out that it's a LOTR rip off. Well, I guess they're probably right, but I hadn't read LOTR when I stumbled across The Sword of Shannara and therefore I enjoyed the book without making the comparisons. And in reality most books are copying some sort of formula. Let's face it 90% of crime thrillers involve a dead body at the start and then a detective / investigator tracking down the killer for the rest of the book. It's therefore inevitable that most fantasy books have dwarves, elves etc all hunting for some magical item that mustn't fall in to the hands of evil. So if you like fantasy there is no reason why you shouldn't like this book. It is formulaic but it's well written and I found it very entertaining.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A sword you just can't hate
Intellectually, I should hate "The Sword of Shannara." Authors like Dennis McKiernan, Terry Goodkind and Christopher Paolini throw me into a white-hot rage. Read more
Published 3 months ago by E. A Solinas
The Sword of Shannara
Let me first explain that the only reason that I didn't give this book the full five stars was because of the fact that the plot was pretty much that of Lord of the Rings. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Alex
Complete Crap, but Entertaining Crap Nonetheless
I'll make this one short and to the point.
This book is quite simply a complete load of crap. Read more
This book is quite simply a complete load of crap. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Theo
Great
Great book postage very quick faster than stated on amazon. Well packaged and was exactly what i expected. Very good thanks
Published 8 months ago by Paula cavanagh
If its not broken...
Yes, there is something familiar about this tale. Earnest but naive half-elf Shea Ohmsford is visited by the tall, mysterious figure known as Allanon, who explains that Shea is in... Read more
Published 9 months ago by The Big Pink One
Awful
A series of predicatable set-pieces conceived and written in a childlike way. This is the worst fantasy book I've ever read.
Published 9 months ago by P. Hammond
A More Gripping Middle Earth?
If you found LOTR of little too descriptive and slow going you'll like this book better. However if you enjoyed the character development and descriptive writing in Middle Earth,... Read more
Published 10 months ago by MSharp
Top 5
I first read this book when i was about 12, it was the first book i really remember reading of any decent size and at the time i was blown away by the story and i loved it. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Ms. S. Stanley-gustar
Sword of Shanara
I brought this book when it first came out , and have not read it for over twenty years.
Still ticks all the boxs for boys own fantasy adventure books. Read more
Still ticks all the boxs for boys own fantasy adventure books. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mr carl downs
I should have loved this book.. but i just didn't.
Before i delve into a series like this i do a lot of research into wether i would like the book or not. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Daniel A. Savva
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