Customer Reviews

The Elfstones of Shannara: Book Two of the Shannara Trilogy (The Sword of Shannara)

5 star:		(171)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I was impressed with Terry Brooks' Sword of Shannara, but he was obviously just warming-up in preparation for his true masterpiece, the Elfstones of Shannara. The Ellcrys tree, created millennia ago by long-lost Elven magic, is the strength behind the Spell of Forbidding, a dimension of imprisonment for ancient evil. In quick succession, the Ellcrys begins dying, the Forbidding starts crumbling, and the demons within break free--and that's only the first dozen pages! Allanon meets his match with the sorcerous Dagda Mor, only one of thousands of unstoppable demons who fear but one thing: a rebirth of the Ellcrys. Oh, I haven't even mentioned the cunning Changeling or the fearsome Reaper--there are enough villains and heroes in these pages to fill a shelful of ordinary books. Since 1982 when I first read this novel, I've returned at least ten times. I feel I've come to know and cherish these characters, like visiting old freinds every once in a while. Of the hundreds of fictional works I've read these past three decades, only a half-dozen have been as absorbing or given me as much enjoyment as the Elfstones of Shannara.

The Elfstones of Shannara is definitely the best book in the Shannara series. I love this book, and have read it over, and over, and over.... For the longest time, I wondered why I liked it so much. Then, I realized that it wasn't like any of the rest of the Shannara series (Sword of Shannara was O.K., but the later books became nothing more than agonizingly slow psychodramas with characters that were constantly struggling to deal with the use of the "magic"- bleh!). This novel, on the other hand, is perfectly balanced, with a somewhat different concept than the standard "Kill the evil wizard/dictator" plot. The Ellcrys, the tree that bars a horde of vengeful demons behind the magic walls of the Forbidding, is dying. Once she is gone, the creatures of darkness will pour in and destroy the world. The only way to stop the terrible events is to sent one of the Chosen to bathe the seed of the Ellcrys in the Bloodfire. This task falls upon Amberle Elessedil, a reluctant former Chosen. Allanon appoints Wil Ohmsford as her protector and sends them off on a mission to save the world. Meanwhile, the forbidding collapses, freeing the demons. It's up to the Elven Army to stop them, aided by the brave men of the Free Corps. Character development is excellent; none of Brooks' other works has any characters that come close to the ones in this book. Stee Jans, Ander, Amberle.... they're all very compelling and all seem very real. The plot is great, too. My personal favorite moment is the battle with the demons at Halys Cut, but the book is chock full of memorable scenes. The first encounter with Cephelo, Allanon's battle with the furies, the witch sisters, and the final agonizing decision itself... All of them will earn a special place in your memory of great fantasy. The only real downside to it all is that this book shows you how creative Brooks can really be. When you see that someone has the ability to write a masterwork like this and then go and read something like "The Wishsong of Shannara," it really disillusions you.

This book was the first of the initial trilogy that I read, and I still think it's the best. It has a near-perfect blend of suspense, intrigue, hierarchal rivalry, and romance. Also, it has one of the most intriguing, exciting, and well written large-scale fantasy war scenes I've ever encountered.

This book is NOT a clone of the first book, The Sword of Shannara, as some might be led to believe. True, something goes wrong, then Allanon appears. However, he is not the main character, and with all due respect to him, one large reason he is there is to simply tie in this book with the rest of the series.

A note to all people interested in this book but turned off by all references saying it's too much like Tolkien, only worse: people don't realize that the two series are not comparable. The two authors' writing styles are different. Brooks' works tend to focus on the here-and-now, using more dialogue and action. Tolkien tends to focus on the Big Picture, using tons more detail. Neither style is bad. It's the reader's taste.

FINAL NOTE: Good literature has no specific demographic. The Elfstones of Shannara is a good read for all. It has plenty of action and intrigue, while maintaining a definite mature atmosphere.

I read THE SWORD OF SHANNARA(SOS) in 1984...once I finished SOS I promptly bought THE ELFSTONES OF SHANNARA(EOS) and what a great read this book is.

The only real character carried over from SOS is Alanon. Eventine and Flick have cameos of a sort but are not main charaters in this story. Instead we have a great lead character in Wil Ohmsford. He unlike virtually every other Ohmsford in the various Shannara stories has a carrer. He is a self made man who has worked hard to get where he is in life. He is young adult, not a teen as most other Ohmsfords when they are wisked away on a journey. I think many readers can identify with Wil as he is a young person just starting out in life with all the uncertainities that come with that age. Next we have a great supporting cast. Ander, Amberle, Allanon and Eretria are all given good character development. The Rovers were also fun to read about. Obviously the Rovers are the Brooks equivelent of Gypsies and I found their lifestlye and practices to be a nice additon to the story.

Oddly, when compared to his other Shannara writings, Brooks seems to have been able to describe a love story that really works. Unlike the relationship between Menion & Shirl that was under deveoped in SOS, the relationship between Brin and Rone in THE WISHSONG OF SHANNARA(WOS) that was over developed or the relationship between Bek and Little Red in THE VOYAGE OF THE JERELE SHANNARA trilogy that was somehow never really explained but more graphic than any of the other relationships mentioned the relationship between Amberele & Wil is a treat to watch unfold. Eretria adds to the story by making the love story a love triangle so that the reader is never quite sure how it will end.

I thought the demons made for great villans. Unlike the Skull Bearers in SOS and the Mord Wraiths in WOS which had no individual personality the demons in EOS had individual personalities and that made them a lot more interesting to read about.

I have read this book many times. I agree with the other reviewers that it is an original story. When I first read the book I began to suspect the fate of Amberle but even so the ending was so saddening that it may well bring tears to the eyes of the reader. During subsequent readings I think it was pretty clear early on where this books ending was headed. However, I think that depends on what type of reader you are. Are you the type that reads and tries to anticipate what will happen or do you allow yourself to be swept along with the story not giving a lot of thought to what will happen. I am second type. There is actually a slight pick me to the sad ending on the final two pages of the book that may uplift the readers disposition.

Lastly, this is a great blend of fantasy, action and romance. While Brooks other works are for the most part good this is his best work!

Well, lots of people have done a general spread on this sterling novel so let me just list the highlights of what I liked:

CONCEPT: It is about 50 years after the Sword of Shannara storyline. A new Evil of Demons and Devils threatens the lands as the barrier which holds them back begins to waver. The only hope is to rejuvenate the Tree of Life, which controls the barrier, and that task falls upon Will omsford, grandson to Shea, and the only remaining servant to the Tree of life; a young reluctant elven woman.

MARKETING APPEAL: great epic story of good vs a primordial evil; runs on the bestselling SWORD OF SHANNARA; a weak boyish hero must assist a young girl, the last of the Chosen of the Ellycrys (that keeps the Evil kept captive), to an unexplored land to seek a means to rejuvenating the Ellycrys; Promises great battles, in the usual Brooks style, and the usual LEVEL ONE story telling level of good vs. Evil;

SCORING: Superb (A), Excellent (A-), Very good (B+), Good (B) Fairly Good (B-) Above Average (C+), Mediocre (C ), Barely Passable (C-) Pretty Bad (D+), Dismal (D), Waste of Time (D-), Into the Trash (F)

DIALOGUE: B+ STRUCTURE: A HISTORY SETTING: B CHARACTERS: B+ EVIL SETUP/ANTAGONISTS: A EMOTIONAL IMPACT: A SURPRISES: A LITTLE THINGS: B MONSTERS: A- PACING: A- OVERALL STYLE: A FLOW OF WORDS: A- CHOICE OF FOCUS: A TRANSITIONS/FLASHBACKS/POV: A COMPLEXITY OF WORDS/SYMBOLISM/THEMES: B+

OVERALL GRADE: A - (at the cusp to an A)

HISTORY SETTING: Pretty good History; the lands are created after a nuclear holocaust; the Faeries of Old return to the world; the other four races which are created are men, trolls, gnomes and dwarves. Some people claim Brooks is a Tolkien rip off but I don't see this too much. The elves, besides being faerie related, have lost much of their knowledge and magic of old. Furthermore, they aren't like the Tolkien elves as they have to sleep, die at the usual human age and are not gay and happy. Perhaps THE SWORD OF SHANNARA has more comparisons so I can't entirely say. Even the dwarves in this story are different, as they are great engineering types but they fear caves. Gnomes, other than having a group of healers called Storks, are barely introduced. Same goes for the Trolls except when an army of them arrives to drive the Demons back from the capitol. I would say that the History is nothing comparable to Tolkien. It lacks complexity and details. It does, however, deal with simple, focused ideas which get the points across. Fantasy setups don't always have to be terribly detailed to be good, I have found. Paranor, the well of knowledge run by the Druids, as well as the division of the Four Lands was done fairly well, in my opinion. And, needless to say, the fight between Good and Evil Faeries may have been adapted from previous legends but it was illustrated quite well.

PACING: The story never let up. Even emotionally, Brooks didn't try to spend too much time on details that would bog the story down and things kept moving forward and forward. Just the way I like it.

EMOTIONAL IMPACT: great love triangle; that's all I will say or I'll spoil it. :)

SURPRISES: many but again, I can't list them.

CONCEPT: Save the Elvish People from the Evil Faeries, who were behind the Forbidding. The idea itself has a smartly crafted fantasy world with a common yet well detailed Evil. The true strength to the novel is the means of how Brooks goes about laying all the points about, as well as the characters.

FAVORITE ACTION PASSAGE: "Far to the west of Arborlon, beyond the Breakline, there was a stirring in the air. Something blacker than darkness of the early dawn appeared, writhing and shuddering with the force of some blow that appeared to strike it. Momentarily, the veil of blackness held firm. Then it split wide, rent by the force from within it. Howls and shrieks of glee spilled forth from the impenetrable blackness beyond, as dozens of clawed limbs spilled forth from the straining toward the light. Then red fire exploded all about and the hands fell away, twisted and burned. The Dagda Mor appeared out of the dark, hissing with rage. His Staff of Power steamed hotly as he brushed aside the impatient ones and stepped boldly through the opening. An instant later, the dark forms of the Reaper and the Changeling followed him. Other bodies pushed forward in desperation, but the edges of the rent came together quickly, closing off the blackness and the things that lived within it. In moments, the opening had disappeared entirely and the strange trio stood alone." (see, doesn't he write great?) :D

WHY IT WORKED FOR ME: Reasons stated above, as well as the love triangle. There was a certain bittersweet quality to the lovestory where Wil had eyes for Amberle and continued to reject the Rover girl. As for audience appeal, I think the main reasons for it being a bestseller are: (1) large epic scale woven with skill, style and emotions; (2) excellent characterization; (3) great battle scenes; (4) great yet simple details on the History of the lands; (5) love triangle that ended bittersweet.

FLAWS: Much more plot oriented than context related. Those who would prefer a Tolkienesque context related world will be disappointed. Amberle and Flick were unimpressive.

COMMENTS: My second time reading it. Years later and still my favorite Shannara novel.

GRADE REASON: Done very well. For the reasons stated above, I have no compunctions in giving it such a high mark.

Nothing is original anymore in the fantasy genre. So stop bashing people who write about Dwarves and elves and such. Tolkien is great, the best, Yeah we all know but it would suck if you went into a book store and all they had in the fantasy section was LOTR. It's a very simple premise. Good vs Evil, a quest is envolved blah blah blah. We get it it's been done before but if you can write a good story and use these elements and people like reading about this stuff, let it be. Why complain that it sounds like LOTR. Stop already. Judge the book(s) for what they are. Good stories about Elves, Dwarves, Evil lords and Wizards. I can only read and watch LOTR so much. Please stop bashing this guy. He is a good writer and his stories are good. Better than most in the fanstasy section at your local book store.

First of all, people who continually feel that Brooks is recycling Tolkein obviously haven't really read it. The are just looking at the Elves, Dwarves, and Trolls. But there is one distinct difference between Tolkein and Brooks, his Middle Earth is just that, Middle Earth. But Brooks' land is an entire world rebuilt from the ashes of our own. If you really read the books, there are always reminders that this new world of elves, dwarves, and men, is built upon the ruins of old sewer systems, old subway systems, and the hollowed out ruins of an ancient Earth, which is of our time.

Now look at Elfstones of Shannara. Likeable characters, true horror, especially during the final battle before Amberle's change, and sweeps of geography, as you actually travel with these young searchers in the quest to help the Ellcrys. Also, while it is evident that Terry Brooks does not take the usual dodge of throwing characters into simple love situations, or overtly sexual ones, he does convey the very realistic development of love under duress. You actually see the characters developing feelings that are sincere, encompassing, and like love itself, worth sacrifices. When I read 'Elfstones', at Amberle's change, I wept.

In a world where you have far too many regurgitated themes and stories that lack the originality to make you feel, Brooks delivers emotion, just like his Science Fiction and Fantasy equal, Stephen R. Donaldson.

If it is not your cup of tea, then open another tea bag and drink something else. But I will continue to indulge in these treats, and gratefully so.

I read the Sword of Shannara and I wasn't too impressed. Oh, it was all right, but it was kind of a cookie-cutter fantasy novel. Sword borrowed heavily from The Lord of the Rings and didn't offer anything really inventive or new; Brooks simply threw a party (of mixed races) together and sent them to defeat--surprise, surprise--an evil lord. Also, Sword didn't allow readers to connect with its characters. The characters in Sword were often one-dimensional and lacked depth--they were types rather than actual people.

The Elfstones of Shannara, however, is the complete opposite. Though Sword is the most famous in the series (because it was the first), I really feel that writing Sword gave Brooks practice so he could create a much better and richer novel. Gone are the wooden, one-dimensional types. Allanon is much more complex and human in this novel. The elves, who did appear in Shannara (though described in absolutely NO detail), are the centerpiece of this novel and readers spend the majority of Elfstones within the Westland (the land of the Elves). Also, I found myself invested in the two main characters, Wil and Amberle, and actually cared about their fortunes. Wil and Amberle show genunie affection and concern for one another. There's an emotional component to Elfstones that was lacking in Sword. Does this emotional component sometimes become a bit sugary? Well, yes, but I think that every writer needs to risk dealing with the human heart. I don't care what kind of writing you like to read--sci-fi, fantasty, literary, western, etc.--CHARACTERS are what make a novel, not the endless monsters, battles, and wanderings to and fro. Whereas Sword was all convention and plot, Elfstone places its characters first.

No need to fret, though. Those who like battles and monsters will not be diappointed. Elfstones still delivers the goods expected from fantasy readers. Also, it's refreshing to see a female heroine in a male-dominated genre (though she could be a bit stronger). The ending as well is quite refreshing. I won't spoil it, of course, but the ending doesn't wrap things up with a typical "perfect" closing. The ending to Elfstones is bittersweet and I'm shocked, actually, that Brooks's editors didn't beg him to alter it. Or maybe they did and Brooks refused.

Elfstones, though not a perfect book, is still a welcome novel in a genre beleaguered by bad, or overrated, writers (i.e. Robert Jordan). I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

The Sword of Shannara, the first Brooks book I read, took some time for me to get into it, as I found the first part to be too similar to LOTR for my liking. The Elfstones of Shannara, however, sucked me in right from the first page. It is very fast-paced, emotional and strangely poetic. I cared very deeply for the 2 main characters, the love they had for each other truly moved me to tears. This book greatly surpassed the original and it's a must-read. Memorable characters, epic battles, romance and a good storyline, this book has it all.

A little known fact that some may not know is that Elfstones may have never been. After the success of Sword, Del Rey told Terry Brooks to start on a sequel to Sword, even though he never had intentions on doing so (and look where he has taken us since). So he set about doing just that. But he didn't write Elfstones. He wrote a completely different novel. It had no Ohmsfords in it and was about Menion Leah's grandson. It concerned him and a young woman whose magic was singing, like a siren (which he later borrowed from to write Wishsong). After finishing it and sending it to Del Rey, he waited. It was sent back and Lester Del Rey said it was horrid and start over. So he did and he wrote Elfstones.

What he wrote, in my mind set him apart from Tolkien and a completely different story than Sword. Once again he picked up with the Ohmsfords. The Ellcrys, the tree that the Elves made thousands of years before is dying. And with her is the ability to keep the barrier between the Four Lands and The Forbidding still strong. Without the barrier the demons (who were pushed into the Forbidding years ago by the elves) will begin to issue their dominance on the world. So the druid Allanon summons Wil Ohmsford to first help him convince the elfgirl Amberle to take a seed from the Ellcrys to the Bloodfire. He then must protect her on this perilous journey with only the Elfstones to protect her and him. Elfstones that he can barely use. Tailing them is The Reaper a most feared demon.

The aspects I like in this book are even though he is an Ohmsford, Wil can barely use the magic that Allanon gives him. We also meet the Rovers for the first time. They become very important in later books. Eretria is one of Brooks' most endearing characters. The battle between Allanon and the Dagda Moor is probably one of the best battle scenes in all his books (and the one that would look the best on screen, if it is ever a movie). And even though the ending is very heart-wrenching and leaves you kind of blah, but it sets up Wishsong, to me this is his best Shannara book.