Customer Reviews

The Wishsong of Shannara

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Ahh...at-last.... We reach The Keep. Journey to the hidden storehouse of knowledge, protected by the Druids. Allanon risks all in this episode of the series! You will sit on the edge of your seat, as Allanon and company attempt to enter the last refuge of hope for the enlightenment of humankind (and otherkind). Read "The Sword" & "The Elfstones," first...then, kick-back with this one on a cold, Winter day. Writing these reviews convinces me that it is time to re-enter Brook's world, once-more. I deeply respect and admire Terry Brooks, a man who dissed a career in Law to take-up a quill and parchment. His writing is very enticing...his words draw you into the story, and you cannot escape his world. Tolkien got me through Middle school and Terry Brooks helped me survive High School, although I must admit I read Tolkien again and again--however, Terry Brooks is the only author I feel that I can mention beside the name of the master. This novel is not a "Lord of The Rings" nock-off, it is completely original. If you are looking for copy-cat stories, you should look else-where--although, the series does contain some of the same creatures and humanoids (sort-of), they are very original and exciting. I agree with the Future scenario, because of certain buildings and such that are encountered during the journey....our world devastated and rebuilt with Magick. One aspect of Brook's series that I feel very attracted to is the character Allanon, a Druid that sleeps for centuries or decades and awakens when he is needed. I have always felt a strong connection with this character.... Interestingly, this mysterious character guards a secret Storehouse of Knowledge and strives to save humankind from the Demonic Forces that want the world to live in Ignorance and Despair.

Follow these simple steps to write your first Shannara novel:

1. An ancient evil (quite a lot like something in Lord Of The Rings) threatens the lands. Choose from
a. Wraiths
b. Sorcerer Lord
c. Demon Army
2. Allanon the druid (who's a bit like Gandalf) seeks out a placid peacful living half-elf (a bit like a hobbit) descended from the line of the Ohmsford family (a bit like the Baggins family) in the quiet town of Shady Vale (which is kind of like The Shire).
3. He asks them to seek out something from the following list:
a. Sword
b. Mystic Fire
c. Book
4. 7 pages explain why Allanon is not to be trusted.
5. Despite the previous 7 pages, the Ohmsford decides to go on the perilous quest with the following:
a. No Map
b. No weapons (maybe, just maybe a small dagger that will
never get used)
c. Enough supplies for two meals on a seven day journey.
d. One or more companions (preferably descended from other
lines of families - Ellesedil, Leah etc)
6. They eat some stew, cheese nuts and berries.
7. They get into a scrape where only a one-legged blind leprechaun can save them from certain death.
8. A one-legged blind leprechaun shows up and saves them from certain death.
9. They eat some beef stew and some bread and cheese.
11. The Ohmsford gets into another scrape near the Silver River where they are facing certain death. The King Of The Silver River resuces them in a floaty white light.
12. Allanon disappears.
13. They eat a small meal of stew and cheese.
14. Allanon re-appears where they learn he has been withholding information and lying about the nature of the quest. Doh! If only they'd listened to:
a. Uncle Flick
b. Great Uncle Flick
c. Great Great Uncle Flick
16. Oops! Someone lost the Elfstones.
17. Phew! Someone found them again.
18. The adventurers eat a hearty meal of berries, nuts and cheese before facing some evil, and finding the artefact which is not quite what was expected.
19. There's a final conflict where Allanon does such a fantastic job of fighting off the evil armies/wraiths etc with blue fire that the whole quest starts to seem like a totally uneccessary waste of everyone's time.
20. Somebody from the quest group dies.
22. Peace is restored.
23. They celebrate witha hearty meal of cheese, nuts and berries.

I first came across the Shannara series in the library in June, where I had the luck to find all 3 books in the Voyage series. I took them home, fell in love and devoured them. Having finished them in the space of three days, I was gagging for more Terry Brooks, and rushed to buy the Sword trilogy from the bookstore. I found that I had to force my way through Sword, but then enjoyed Elfstones immensely. Then I came to Wishsong. And gaped in disbelief as I realised that it was exactly the same as the other two, but with a slightly different storyline, and protaganists with slightly altered names. But even they had the same traits as previous Shannara heroes. Rone Leah was Menion Leah with a better sword. The elf and the dwarf were just that, an elf and a dwarf, with as much personality as a piece of stale bread. Even the trademark borderman was exactly the same as all the others i.e an underdeveloped, cardboard cutout with sword action when needed. So much could be done with the world of Shannara, yet each time I pick up a new Shannara novel, I am dissapointed and left feeling cheated becausse they are all the same. Plot details are rehashed, characters, bloodlines and relationships are always the same. It seems that Terry Books is taking part in a bet to see how many times he can get the same story published as a new book.
On the other hand, dissapointments with the characters and plot left aside, Wishsong was still an entertaining read, and kept me occupied for a few days. But it could have been so much more. Please Mr Brooks, do something different with the Shannara universe.I would be incredibly happy never seeing another blasted Ohmsford again.

I am a recently converted Brooks fan. Like Saul of Tarsis I once took delight in casting stones at this man & his readers. But I have seen the light. This is one of my favorite Shannara Novels. I put them in this order: Sword of Shannara Wishsong of Shannara First King of Shannara Druid of the Shannara The rest all fall on a level plain. Basically, there's no reason why these pleasant books should take away from great literature. Only a snob would make that argument. Try this book - you'll like it.

The wishsong is the third of the Shannara books that I have read. It follows the tradition of people of Ohmsford bloodline needing to fulfill a quest. My mom and I are enthralled with the series and have gone on with the Scions of Shannara wich takes place 300 years later. I know that alot of people are wondering how many times you can tell the same story and how many different ways can it be told without being boring. Well the answer is apparently many, many times. If you don't stop to think about it you don't know that you are reading the same basic plot line. Brin and Jair are the perfect example of the older sibling thinking she can handle it all. As she sets off to take the Ildatch from the Mord Wraiths Jair realizes that she can't do it alone and sets off to help her in some way. After some guidance from the king of the silver river he knows that he has to use his version of the wishsong to save her from becoming the Ildatch's slave. This book is exactly the kind of book that has adventure and yet is still slow enough to let you know what is happening. I like this book because it is the kind of book I love to read. And even though it has trolls dwarves and majical things that is not to be held against it. I would reccomend this to someone who is into majic, adventure, and has a lot of time on their hands to read. This is a great book and I couldn't put it down for more than a minute.

This is the third book in what is known by some as the Shannara Trilogy, though I believe they can be read separately.

This story follows the brother and sister Bryn and Jaire Ohmsford. The Illdach, the evil book from which the warlock lord gained his power, and also his subversion, is still in the four lands. Alanon, last of the druids, wishes Bryn to use the wishsong, the magic that is her birthrite, to destroy the book. But who will save Bryn from herself? Learning of her danger, her brother Jaire sets out to reach her before the book can subvirt her for ever.

This is the most intense book of the trilogy, as the story jumps between the brother and sister. Jaire really does steal the show, and is in my opinion the best character in the book.

Charles Keeding once again brings this audio book to life. If they ever rerelease the quartette that follows this trilogy, then I hope he reads them. Once again, this gets four stars as it's an abridged addition. There is an unabridged addition, but it is not readily available. Is anyone picking up on my hints, I wonder?

I must say that I disagree with the last review.Wishsong is better than Elfstones.In Elfstones,the "bad guyes"were easy as pie .In Wishsong,Brooks resumes the theme of winning by a thread ,translation:the evil peoples are hard.Brin is one of my favorite characters in the whole series so far ,next to Risca ,Foraker,Hendel,Tay ,Raybur and a good deal of other people.It's just so easy to understand her feelings and her thoughts.Anyway ,here is the plot :Brin and Jair Ohmsford ,like most Ohmsfords live in Shady Vale and they bare the power of the wishsong:Wish for it ,sing for it ,and it's your's.Their pleasant lives are disturbed when Allanon the Druid comes to them in need of Brin's wishsong ,for the evil Ildatch book has unleashed the Mord Wraiths upon the Four Lands.Brin must travel with Allanon to the Maelmord,where the Ildatch is kept ,and destroy it with the wishsong .Jair however is making a quest towards Heaven's Well to heal the land that the Wraiths have poisoned.

I was bored. I needed something to read there were many unread books such as Robert Jordan's The Eye Of The World but I just could not get into the book so i still looked through the bookshelf most of the books I had already read until I came across this one The Wishsong of Shannara by Terry Brooks. The cover was cool so I decided to start reading it....from the first page I was hooked this book does not have too much description like most fantasy books these days and has plenty of action and it is a very easy to read book the only authors that are still around to match Terrry Brooks today are Terry Goodkind and George R.R. Martin. I recommend you read this book!

I unfortunately had one of the major plot twists revealed to me before I read it, which now probably added to my somewhat dissatisfaction with that person and this book. This, however, is not a negative review. I liked some of the elements of this story very much, but a great deal of the story reflected similar elements in the first book. Which, granted was probably intentional. But instead of the series moving forward, I felt I was often doing a comparison of the first and third book. I really liked some of the side characters in this book, they added color. Unlike a great deal of epic or high fantasy where the side characters have no function other then just rounding out the setting or taking up space. Certainly an entertaining book, but not the equal of "Elfstones".

Hey, this is yet another great book by Terry Brooks. It is about the singing of a brother and a sister that one can create images, and one that can make things happen in real life. These two and many more join up to kill an evil book that helped create the Warlock Lord and is now in possesion of the Mord Wraiths......