First King of Shannara (The Sword of Shannara) [Hardcover]

Terry Brooks (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Sword of Shannara | Publication Date: March 19, 1996

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...

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Dark forces are on the move from the Northlands, and Bremen, an outcast Druid, learns of the huge Troll armies on the march and the Skull Bearers who act as their spies. To save the Druids, Bremen must convince the people of the Four Lands that their only hope lies in uniting -- and in using the magic they fear above all else.

From Publishers Weekly

You can't find the Four Lands on any map of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth; but, given all the elves, dwarves, warlocks, trolls and gnomes that run rampant in the setting of Brooks's many Shannara novels (The Talismans of Shannara, etc.), readers can be forgiven for trying. Tolkien's influence is so strong in this prequel to The Sword of Shannara (1977), which launched the series, that many of the events here seem predictable or repetitive. Set 500 years before the events of Sword, the novel chronicles the destruction of ivory-towered Paranor and its Druid scholars, tracing the subsequent adventures of the outcast Druid-magician Bremen. With a handful of companions, he must find and hide the Black Elfstone from the Warlock Lord and forge a magic sword for Elven King Jerle Shannara to wield against the warlock. Brooks's prose generates a breakneck pace, but it lacks depth of characterization and also the wealth of linguistic invention that the most satisfying high fantasy offers. As an allegory of the eternal struggle between good and evil, the vital basis of fantasy, Brooks's mythical universe also suffers from a crucial dearth of those magical moments of heart-stopping revelation when, against all hope, against all reason, against all the forces of evil, salvation comes at last. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 489 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; 1st edition (March 19, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345396529
• ISBN-13: 978-0345396525
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (155 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #405,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Terry Brooks is the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty-five books, including the Genesis of Shannara novels Armageddon's Children and The Elves of Cintra; The Sword of Shannara; the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy: Ilse Witch, Antrax, and Morgawr; the High Druid of Shannara trilogy: Jarka Ruus, Tanequil, and Straken; the nonfiction book Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life; and the novel based upon the screenplay and story by George Lucas, Star Wars(R): Episode I The Phantom Menace.(tm) His novels Running with the Demon and A Knight of the Word were selected by the Rocky Mountain News as two of the best science fiction/fantasy novels of the twentieth century. The author was a practicing attorney for many years but now writes full-time. He lives with his wife, Judine, in the Pacific Northwest.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terry Brooks, master of storytelling, weaves his greatest., December 27, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: First King of Shannara (The Sword of Shannara) (Hardcover)

Once again, Terry Brooks masterfully weaves his storytelling magic in The First King of Shannara, the eighth installment in the popular Shannara series. A prequel to the series, this book embodies the classic fantasy world in which the battle between good and evil predominates in the story. Brooks, master of his art, allows these "Tolkein-esque" elements to form only the backdrop of a solidly forged epic, powerful and moving, allowing readers to embrace characters as only Brooks can create and develop them. In great detail, The First King of Shannara answers many of the questions raised in previous books: the fall of Paranor and the Druids, the forging of the Sword of Shannara , the discovery of the Black Elfstone, the origin of Allanon , and more. Hundreds of years after the First War of the Races, the outcast Bremen, the last of the Druids, is the only force that convince the people of the Four Lands that their only hope to prevent subjugation lies in uniting -- and in using the magic they fear above all else. Whether dedicated fan or first time reader, this novel will enthrall you, capturing your full attention and binding you to the web woven by Terry Brooks. This book in the least deserves the highest recommendation, and connot be done justice by any summary, however massive. Only by personally experiencing the latest work of Brooks can one understand the wonder and proportion of it.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad..., October 17, 2000

By 

Jeff Edwards "RadioJeff" (Twin Falls, Idaho) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: First King of Shannara (Shannara Trilogy, Prequel) (Mass Market Paperback)

I was (as usual) pleasantly surprised to see Terry Brooks attempt to give us a prequel to his enormously successful and fantastic debut, 'Sword of Shannara'. As I started to read 'First King' I began to think that a few facts brought into evidence seemed out of whack with what had been written before in the original first book ('Sword'). After I finished the book, I went and re-read 'Sword of Shannara' and sure enough, there are just a few places where the facts originally set forth by Allanon were re-written a bit different in 'First King'. Now this is just a small annoyance, but for some reason it really got to me. Other than this, I had to say that it was an exceptional fantasy novel. I also have to say that even though the events pre-date the 'Sword of Shannara' you don't have to read it before beginning the series (although if you haven't read any of them, I would recommend going in order if you can). What Brooks does best is develop characters you can identify with, ones with flaws and problems, sometimes impossibly difficult problems...but that is why we root for them and feel like we can understand with them, they are like US. The bad guys are really bad (in this case, I don't think ANY evil creature in ALL the Shannara books is as bad as the Warlock Lord) and the good guys are good, and there are a few who are questionable...he gets you to wondering whether or not they will step up to the plate when necessary or will they fold and cause a tragedy...well without ruining the story (which should be familiar if you have read 'Sword') some do and some do not (I'll let you find out who they are on your own--it's much more fun that way). Let me just say this: IF you are a Terry Brooks fan, you will probably LOVE this book. If you are NOT a fan of Brooks, you should STILL LOVE this book. I just can't see anyone who is a fan of fantasy not enjoying EVERYTHING written by Brooks...I just can't fathom it. Anyway, 'First King' IS a great addition to the series, and after reading it for the 2nd time, I STILL enjoyed it, but those little details that were altered still managed to get under my skin. If you don't catch them, then don't worry, just sit back and enjoy a great read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelent prologue to the series, October 27, 2005

By 

trollocq - See all my reviews

This review is from: First King of Shannara (Shannara Trilogy, Prequel) (Mass Market Paperback)

I highly recommend to read the sword of shannara and the heritage of shannara series first, for two reasons first you will understand this book a lot better, and second because is really amazing to read the history of the world and of the characters that you knew in the first seven books and understand what is happening not by what they told you on the first books but by actually reading every part of it.
now, if you already have done that, this is an excelent book, an amzing book and it relates the story of Breman, Allanon`s father, and of the war that caused everything that will happen in the forst seven books and in the later six.
Read it, you will enjoy it.