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The Sword of Shannara Trilogy [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

Terry Brooks
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (180 customer reviews)

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This Book Is Bound with "Deckle Edge" Paper
You may have noticed that some of our books are identified as "deckle edge" in the title. Deckle edge books are bound with pages that are made to resemble handmade paper by applying a frayed texture to the edges. Deckle edge is an ornamental feature designed to set certain titles apart from books with machine-cut pages. See a larger image.

Book Description

August 27, 2002 Sword of Shannara
Twenty-five years ago, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks wrote a novel that brought to life a dazzling world that would become one of the most popular fantasy epics of all time, beloved by millions of fans around the world. Ten more Shannara books would follow. Now, for the first time in one elegant collector’s edition hardcover, and featuring an introduction by the author, here are the first three novels of that classic series: The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, and The Wishsong of Shannara—the beginning of a phenomenal epic of good and evil.

The Sword of Shannara
Long ago, the wars of the ancient Evil ruined the world. In peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knows little of such troubles. But the supposedly dead Warlock Lord is plotting to destroy everything in his wake. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness is the Sword of Shannara, which can be used only by a true heir of Shannara. On Shea, last of the bloodline, rests the hope of all the races.

The Elfstones of Shannara
The magical Ellcrys tree is dying, loosening the spell that bars the Demons from enacting vengeance upon the land. Now Wil Ohmsford must guard the Elven girl Amberle on a perilous quest as she carries one of the Ellcrys’ seeds to a mysterious place where it can be quickened into a powerful new force. But dark on their trail comes the Reaper, most fearsome of all Demons, aiming to crush their mission at any cost.

The Wishsong of Shannara
An ancient Evil is stirring to new life, sending its ghastly Mord Wraiths to destroy Mankind. To win through the vile growth that protects this dark force, the Druid Allanon needs Brin Ohmsford—for she alone holds the magic power of the wishsong. Reluctantly Brin joins the Druid on his dangerous journey. But a prophecy foretells doom, as Evil nurses its plans to trap the unsuspecting Brin into a fate far more horrible than death.

Thus begins Terry Brooks’s thrilling Shannara epic, an unforgettable tale of adventure, magic, and myth.

Frequently Bought Together

The Sword of Shannara Trilogy + The Heritage of Shannara + First King of Shannara (Shannara Trilogy, Prequel)
Price for all three: $56.51

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Editorial Reviews

Review

The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch
“If Harry Potter has given you a thirst for fantasy and you have not discovered the magic of Terry Brooks, you are in for a treat.”
Rocky Mountain News

“[Ilse Witch] finds Mr. Brooks’s power ascending . . . The action and creatures come fast and furious.”
–The Dallas Morning News


The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Antrax
Antrax is great, and it confirms Terry’s place at the head of the fantasy world.”
–PHILIP PULLMAN
Author of The Golden Compass and The Amber Spyglass

“An engaging read . . . Fine storytelling . . . Antrax is a satisfying story.”
–Associated Press

From the Inside Flap

Twenty-five years ago, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks wrote a novel that brought to life a dazzling world that would become one of the most popular fantasy epics of all time, beloved by millions of fans around the world. Ten more Shannara books would follow. Now, for the first time in one elegant collector?s edition hardcover, and featuring an introduction by the author, here are the first three novels of that classic series: The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, and The Wishsong of Shannara?the beginning of a phenomenal epic of good and evil.

The Sword of Shannara
Long ago, the wars of the ancient Evil ruined the world. In peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knows little of such troubles. But the supposedly dead Warlock Lord is plotting to destroy everything in his wake. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness is the Sword of Shannara, which can be used only by a true heir of Shannara. On Shea, last of the bloodline, rests the hope of all the races.

The Elfstones of Shannara
The magical Ellcrys tree is dying, loosening the spell that bars the Demons from enacting vengeance upon the land. Now Wil Ohmsford must guard the Elven girl Amberle on a perilous quest as she carries one of the Ellcrys? seeds to a mysterious place where it can be quickened into a powerful new force. But dark on their trail comes the Reaper, most fearsome of all Demons, aiming to crush their mission at any cost.

The Wishsong of Shannara
An ancient Evil is stirring to new life, sending its ghastly Mord Wraiths to destroy Mankind. To win through the vile growth that protects this dark force, the Druid Allanon needs Brin Ohmsford?for she alone holds the magic power of the wishsong. Reluctantly Brin joins the Druid on his dangerous journey. But a prophecy foretells doom, as Evil nurses its plans to trap the unsuspecting Brin into a fate far more horrible than death.

Thus begins Terry Brooks?s thrilling Shannara epic, an unforgettable tale of adventure, magic, and myth.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 1200 pages
  • Publisher: Del Rey; 1st edition (August 27, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0345453751
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345453754
  • Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 2.2 x 9.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (180 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,726 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

Readers who enjoy reading will enjoy this book. Indiana  |  26 reviewers made a similar statement
This editions just seems like a waste of money. Thomas S.  |  6 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
277 of 295 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars OK, so it's not LOTR...what IS?? June 20, 2003
Format:Hardcover
I have to say, I LOVE the hardback omni-edition. The weight of it satisfies something in my heart. I don't always replace my paperbacks with hardback books, but this one is a definite buy. The Shannara books hold a really special place in my heart.

I used to teach ninth grade English. 25% of my grading system was based on each student's outside reading, and the writing they did about that outside reading. And you all know that the average 14 year old boy is going to categorically REFUSE to pick up a book, and so are a lot of the teenage girls.

The Sword of Shannara was my "failsafe" deal. I would hand the most recalcitrant kid in my classes this enormously fat little book, brand new, purchased by me, and agree that if they would just read THIS ONE BOOK, that I was personally giving to them, that would be good enough for the WHOLE YEAR. Other kids would beg for the same deal. I would agree, but they had to buy their own books.

Terry Brooks never failed me once. Every single kid I ever handed that book to (including my own siblings as teenagers!) not only read it, they kept reading Shannara books until they ran OUT of Shannara books. By then, they were hooked. I run into them from time to time, those former students, and the conversation invariably turns to 'what are you reading right now?' And the answer has never been nothing. It's ranged from the latest best sellers to Dante Aligheri's Commedia, from Mark Twain to Harlan Ellison, from TWOT to Star Trek. But there was always an answer.

So what if Shannara's not LOTR? NOTHING IS! Hell, TWOT isn't LOTR, and it's about 13 times longer at this point. I really don't believe it's possible to write fantasy, and not rewrite, at some level, LOTR.

The point is, Terry Brooks wrote a fabulous book. A book that for 20 years (until HP1 was published) was unmatched in my experience for getting kids to read, and to keep reading. It's BRILLIANT.

Because he wrote about fun, engaging characters, that talk in normal English (unlike Frodo, Aragorn and Gandalf, who admittedly take a little wading through at 14, hm? High adventure. Loyal friends, and dangerous enemies. Ultimate sacrifice. All of it.

I love it. And while LOTR is always ONE of the 3-4 I always have on my nightstand, at least once every couple of years, Shannara joins it there. As it deserves to.

(And if the writing style seems a little immature, I suggest you go back and read "Carrie." It's not exactly "The Wastelands." All writers grow. Get a grip, there.)
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49 of 57 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Good, entertaining reading December 8, 2002
By A.P.
Format:Hardcover
I first read the Shannara books in junior high (early 90s) and instantly fell in love. They were the first epic fantasy books I'd ever read, the only other real fantasy book I'd read at that time being "The Hobbit." For the next decade, I'd read the Shannara books as they emerged, never feeling inclined to pick up the LOTR trilogy. For some reason, it looked boring to me when I was in high school. Then, in 2001, I decided that I'd better read the trilogy before the "LOTR: Fellowship" film came out. I really wanted to see the movie but felt that it would be bad form to see the film without having read the book.

So, I galloped through the trilogy, and it completely reframed how I viewed the Shannara books. In short, the LOTR trilogy completely blew me away. Aftwards, it almost made me sad to compare the two series. I spent a while feeling pretty negatively towards Mr. Brooks for what I felt were unforgivably blatant Tolkien rip-offs: Allanon/Gandalf, Elessedil/Elendil, Shady Vale/the Shire, wonderful elves/wonderful elves, etc., and all the other issues that Amazon reviewers have taken umbrage with.

I've since changed my tune. When all is said and done, when I go and re-read the Shannara books, they never fail to keep me up til 2:00 a.m., just as the LOTR trilogy does when it assumes a place on my night table. Mr. Brooks's works are, simply put, darn good pieces of storytelling -- when I'm lost in the pages of "The Elfstones..." at 1:30 a.m., it's not because I've been awake mentally critiquing Brook's characterization of the hero in the epic journey.

It is not Brooks's fault that he must write in Tolkien's shadow; Brooks certainly knew that his work was bound to draw comparisons (favorable and not so) to LOTR, and I think he has made the best of it. A recycling of themes, tropes, stock characters, etc., is inevitable in any literary tradition, movement, or genre, so I cannot fault Mr. Brooks for creating & populating the Four Lands in the manner that he has. When I re-read the books in the Shannara series, I do so to enjoy them on their own terms and for their own merits.

My main criticism of the Shannara franchise is the sheer number of books. I suspect that the quality of Mr. Brooks's writing in the most recent books falls below that of the original Shannara trilogy & Heritage series. I should say that in fairness, I've not read the latest one; I tried reading the "Ilse Witch: Voyage..." and could not make it through. I just couldn't read it for some reason, and I haven't tried the other two. All good things must eventually come to an end, and perhaps Mr. Brooks would have done well to end Shannara with "The Talismans...". Extending a series just to extend a series is not always a good thing.

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42 of 49 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST Read for Fantasy Lovers September 30, 2004
Format:Hardcover
When I first read the Sword of Shannara about 20 years ago, I was 13 years old and already a lover of fantasy. I had struggled through The Lord of the Rings but was not quite old enough to fully appreciate that saga. The Sword of Shannara was different story (heh). It was much easier to get into and enjoy than Tolkeins world, but that by no means is an indication of simplistic writting and plot. No, this was a heartfelt, intricate tale of sorcery, struggle and redemtion that kept me glued to it's pages until I finally turned the last one.

This book transported me to a masterfully created world full of peril where heros I could related to fought against the forces of evil even when the odd were heavily againt them. It was a world of magic and mystery and my youthful imagination ate it up! Fantastic stuff for a young teen looking for a little escape from the pressures of school, friends and family.

I went on to read more of Terry Brook's Shannara books, but the first will always be my favorite. The Elfstones and Wishsong were very good, but Mr. Brooks seemed to fall in a creative rut after those. I'm glad Elfstones and Wishsong are part of this tome, they are the core "Shannara" experience. The books to follow were enjoyable, Brooks could always create that sense of danger and suspence and the characters are fun to get to know, but in the end they seem to follow the same formula as the orginals.

I have revisited this book a few times since that first reading and enjoyed it as much as that first time, though in different ways. I could go into detail about the characters and subplots and writting style and so on, but I think you would be much better served to pick up a copy and read it for yourself, and discover the wonder for yourself. This book made a huge impact on my life, and I hope it will on yours.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars The story was ok very long and kind of dragy but still a good read. I
I had read some of his later books and wanted to read the earlier ones to see how it all started. He uses the same story line over and over. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Kathryn Olmstead
5.0 out of 5 stars 2nd time around.
Read these when they first came out in late 70s and early 80s. Great reading then and still exciting adventures now in my 60s.
Published 1 month ago by Michael Garrison
5.0 out of 5 stars loved it!
Yes, even though the 1st Shannara book steals liberally from Tolkien, I stil love the series. As Brooks linked his Word and the Void series to his Shannara timeline, he really... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Patrick C. Moring
4.0 out of 5 stars Adventure
I really enjoyed the fast pace and interesting subject matter of Terry Brooks. His books keep me interested and wanting to read the next book.
Published 1 month ago by Sunshine
5.0 out of 5 stars A Cherished Fantasy Classic
I loved this trilogy when I first read it some 20 years ago and I loved reading it again. A classic tale of good and evil and the lure of power.
Published 2 months ago by David B. Robitaille
5.0 out of 5 stars Oldie but a goodie
I loved this trilogy years ago when it was first published and it is really nice to have a digital copy of the entire set. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mary C Slagle
5.0 out of 5 stars None
I`ve loved the worlds created by Terry Brooks simce I first picked up Sword of Shannara. You cant go wrong with this author.
Published 2 months ago by Robert Verburg
4.0 out of 5 stars A fun read
I had read other books in this series before I started this trilogy. It was fun to read the "origins" and understand more about characters that were mentioned in other... Read more
Published 2 months ago by JJade
3.0 out of 5 stars The Trilogy Ends - Or Does It
Book One gives a logical beginning to the events of Shannara, and introduces the reader to the basic context of this fantasy land. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sunlaker
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
I could not stop reading this trilogy. It consumed me like the Elven magic of these stories. Thank you for the pleasure of sharing your vision. Rob
Published 2 months ago by robert d. riches
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hell will freeze over
This is actually three books in one, and it's (currently) about three dollars cheaper than buying them separately.
May 10, 2012 by LunaLupus |  See all 3 posts
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