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50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating!, January 8, 2002
This hefty tome is a companion to Terry Brooks' Shannara books. Written in the form of a narrative penned by someone with access to the Druid Histories, it attempts (and largely succeeds) in presenting all of the known facts about the world, its history and its inhabitants. It contains fifteen (if I counted right) chapters, each on different subjects, complete with maps, diagrams and sidebars on fascinating subjects. Overall, I did like this book. I enjoyed that the authors put the information from so many books into a well organized, deeply informing narrative. Having the world condensed and organized so well brought back so much of the fascination I felt when reading the first Shannara books so long ago. The downside is that the book really should not be read instead of the storybooks. As I read, I quickly realized that the book assumes that the reader has already read the other books, and as such leaves certain information out. Having not read certain book in so long, I found that I had to stretch to remember key facts, so that certain parts would make sense. That said, though, this book is quite fascinating. I loved the plentiful illustrations, the maps, and (especially) the diagrams of such things as Paranor and Dun Fee Aran. So, if you are a fan of Terry Brooks, then I highly recommend that you get this book!
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great companion to the fantastic Shannara epic tales, February 4, 2004
Everything about this book screams one major thing: RESEARCH. The authors have spent a great deal of time studying the works of Terry Brooks and went to great lengths to include as much as possible about what was available at the time of the printing. Basically nothing was omitted -- that I could see anyway. Details about things I never would have even thought about have been explored in great detail. No stone was left un-turned, so-to-speak. I have (over the years) developed a basic mental image of what many places and things look like in my minds eye and there are a few that do not meet up with the description I had conjured up in my own imagination, but that didn't stop my enjoyment of learning quite a bit about the history behind the 4 Lands portrayed (along with Parkasia) over the past 26 years in the World of Shannara. The maps alone were of great interest. Major detail regarding the Druids Keep (VERY well done) and I also very much enjoyed the hundreds of drawings (some color, some black & white) which helped to put a detailed face with the description of many of the best loved Shannara characters over the years such as Garret Jax, The Ilse Witch, The Dagda Mor and even Creepers. I must admit that since it was written by someone as though they had miraculous never-before-seen access to the Druid Histories it gave the book a more novel-like feel to it, and made it seem much more realistic, as though the authors were documenting a REAL place and not one from a fertile imagination. Very clever and I just cannot get over the incredible attention to detail regarding even some of the most mundane portions of these novels. Ever wonder about Wren Elessedil and her mentor the Rover Garth? How 'bout the Loden Elfstone for use in time of need. Curious about the Ellcrys Staff, the gift of living wood? What about the history of the Borderlands and those who inhabit that land? It's ALL here -- and a whole LOT more. One thing you do NOT want to do is buy this book expecting an entirely different Shannara tale or something that will add to what has already been written and published. The World of Shannara is nothing more than a companion volume which simply put compiles in one single book the major details regarding ALL of the books (written at the time it was printed). It's a great way to quickly reference virtually any major subject in the vast collection of Shannara tales that have been told. I have no doubt that an expanded edition will be made available within a few years with additional information collected from the more recent novels, but until then, this book will do just fine. I am very satisfied with my copy of 'The World of Shannara' and as usual, look forward to Terry's next venture into this wonderful fantasy land.
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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
For fanatics only, October 4, 2001
Well, it's certainly interesting. It fleshed out a little of the history I've always wondered about, and clarified the various forms of creepers. The pictures were nice, and as somebody who has a hard time imagining floor-plans and layouts from narration I can use the various blueprints of buildings to understand better the next time I re-read. There are a few annoying inconsistencies about dates. Also, the alleged connection between Garet Jax and Stee Jans doesn't mesh too easily with what we read in Wishsong. These are quibbles, of course. I wish, however, that they had deferred release of this until after Morgawr. I could tell that they didn't want to spoil Antrax, so they make reference to things from Ilse Witch but not Antrax. I think Antrax introduced enough new things into the storyline to deserve a place in the companion book. Instead you just read "Bek went away to a distant land on an airship" and "Ice Henge has a city of the Old World, and the city is rumored to contain secrets of the Old World." Well, now we know all about it. I suppose they can release a new companion in a few years and make more money. Overall, it's interesting, but nothing spectacular, and if I weren't starved for good brain-candy I'd have waited for the paperback version. A few short stories would have changed my mind, but that is not to be, I guess.
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