Talismans of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara) [Paperback]

Terry Brooks (Author)

Book Description

Series: Heritage of Shannara | Publication Date: October 5, 2006

The descendants of the Elven house of Shannara had all completed their quests: Paranor, the Druid's Keep, had been restored; the Elves had been returned to the Four Lands; and Par Ohmsford had found what he believed to be the legendary Sword of Shannara. But their work was not yet done - for Rimmer Dall, the leader of the Shadowen, was determined that the scions of Shannara would not share with each other the knowledge that would end the sickness. Walker Boh, Wren Elessedil and Par would all face terrible opponents before they could discharge the Druid Allanon's tasks ...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Brooks's resounding, action-filled conclusion to the Heritage of Shannara series was a nine-week PW bestseller.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

Having fulfilled the quests imposed upon them by the shade of the druid Allanon, the children of Shannara must now attempt to use their newfound powers and allies to defeat the Shadowen who are ravaging the Four Lands. Drawing together the threads of the three previous series titles, Brooks orchestrates an exciting, though predictable, conclusion to his second Shannara series. Brooks's appeal lies in his fidelity to tried-and-true quest fantasy and his ability to create engaging protagonists. Most libraries will want this title to satisfy patron demand. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/92.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Time Warner Abacus & Orbit (October 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857239016
• ISBN-13: 978-1857239010
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,882,077 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

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic...EXCEPT for the ending..., October 17, 2000

By 

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

This review is from: The Talismans of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara) (Mass Market Paperback)

Let me start off by saying I LOVE Terry Brooks' books. I have been a fan since '77 when 'The Sword of Shannara' came out. With that said, I absolutely loved 'Scions', was a bit disappointed with 'Druid', and thought that 'The Elf Queen' was THE best of the series (bar none). In the opening chapters when Walker is plagued with the problem of being a captive INSIDE Paranor because the Shadowen have brought forth the Four Horsemen to sorta keep an eye on him and make sure he stays there...I felt that Brooks had a PERFECT beginning to a really great series. The way Walker went about defeating them was truly a work of creative art in my opinion. I was really thinking that 'Talismans' was going to out-perform 'Elf Queen' but it seemed as though the ending wrapped up a little too neatly a little too quickly. My reasoning was this: when you have a series of connected novels that span 4 complete books, and they aren't even close to wrapping up the war with the Shadowen with just a hundred pages left in the book...it seemed as though there was too much to finish in such a short amount of time. It just seemed as though Brooks' was writing against a deadline and tied up the loose ends much sooner than it seemed it should have. That isn't to say this book isn't great, but I have to say it ended almost too abruptly for me. Now with that said, read this book no matter what. If you enjoy Fantasy, and a fantasy series in general, do NOT miss out on the 'Heritage of Shannara' it ranks as one of the best in print (flaws notwithstanding). I still think 'Scions' and 'Elf Queen' are the best in the series, but all in all, Terry Brooks has done a great job of giving us all what we want most: a few hours of distraction with a little adventure, magic and intrigue thrown in.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So good, you have to buy the other 6!, October 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Talismans of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara) (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved this book. The whole story comes to one final end, after 3 books full of running, screaming, and fighting. To date, I haven't had the chance to read The Sword of Shannara or it's sequels; I started with the scions of Shannara, Book 1 of the Heritage of Shannara. The story of the Ohmsfords and Leahs is like a history class to me. But that makes it more exciting, because it puts you more in the place of Par, Coll, and Morgan. All three have magic, created several hundred years ago, and eventually given to them, which they use to defeat the Shadowen. I love that. The whole book is almost like an AD&D adventure; some have magic, some have brute strength, and some have nothing but their wits and a dagger. It makes it really exciting, because the battles and the characters are described excellently. It's so possible to imagine Walker facing off against the four Horsemen, or Coll chasing Par through the wilderness. I love this book, and it's predecessors! I can't wait to get my hands on Sword of Shannara!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The greatest tale of good against evil concludes..., July 23, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Talismans of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book besides what many critics may say is an excellent book. I must admit that it wasn't no Sword of Shannara- for I believe that was Terry Brook's greatest book. This book is not for everyone, people with toddler's attention spans for instance will die in some places of the book.

But here also lies a mix of battle, magic, and fast action that mkaes up for that. The one thing that some people just don't understand about the Shannara books is that it's lessons and themes also run within the characters as well as the plot. Which is why this book has a tad more dialogue then more books but not that much. But it really is not all that much more.

I believe if it was not part of a series, it wouldn't of gotten some of the bad reviews it got [which were not many to begin with]. For the sole reason that people were anxious and waited & waited for the conclusing series that they expected it to be the most magnificient written, flawless, and extraidionary book ever wrote in history.

This is human to do it, just like when you wait forever to get your birthday presents- constantly thinking & hoping about it you envision it to be greater & greater all the time. Until you reach a point of too high standards for it in the first place. And people were impatient to find out the conclusion. So if you extremely impatient with things this book may irritate you. But if you have a normal patience level it should not even hint to be a problem.

This is a book well thought out, strong in emotions, and well written. And seriously won't be the publisher's lost if you don't buy it but your own lost.