Book Review: The First King of Shannara by Terry Brooks

The First King of Shannara
by Terry Brooks

This novel is the prequel to ‘The Sword of Shannara’ trilogy, which really ought to be read before this one; however, doing so does make you aware from the onset that the main quest here is not quite doomed, but certainly not as successful as the characters hope it to be. Brona, a rouge Druid, also known as the Warlock Lord, is at large and taking over all the land with his massive army of trolls, demons and Skull Bearers. The Druids, Bremen, Mareth, Tay, and Risca go on their own separate quests with the common goal to wage war and discover a way to overtake evil before the world is totally destroyed. One of these quests is to forge sword to serve as a talisman to overcome the great magic of Brona as no physical means could defeat him. After seeing the sword, later named the Sword of Shannara, in the book of the same name it was really fun to see it’s origin and creation in this story. It was also really enjoyable to see characters who only existed in lore in the later stories living their adventures in this book. What I like about this book, and others in the series, is discovering who is related to who, as quite often it’s the same families drawn together again and again throughout the Shannara tales even though they can be set hundreds of years apart. I highly recommend the series to fantasy readers, just be a bit thoughtful to which order you read them in – Brooks’ website has a reading order guide , but I’m sure there are other fan made ones out there.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, or The Wishsong of Shannara, all also by Terry Brooks.]

[ Wikipedia page for The First King of Shannara ] | [ official Terry Brooks web site ] 

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Review: The Wishsong of Shannara by Terry Brooks

The Wishsong of Shannara
by Terry Brooks

This novel is the third in a trilogy; the preceding titles are ‘The Sword of Shannara’ and the ‘Elfstones of Shannara’. I wouldn’t say it’s absolutely critical that they be read in order, but I strongly encourage it as previous events and characters overlap in these novels. Wil and Eteria from the adventures of the last book have since been married and have two mostly grown children, Brin and Jair, who are quickly whisked away by the druid Allanon on adventures of their own. The beginning is familiar as it’s how the other two in the series begin; a grave danger threatens all the lands and all its peoples, and the attempt to save it all requires the help of the Ohmsford family. Jair and Brin, both born with the magical gift of the Wishsong, which is a way of singing to change reality or appear to, are separated in the early stages of the quest each with their own mission in the grand scheme to destroy the source of dark magic of the Warlock Lord from the first book in the trilogy. I really have enjoyed this trilogy, which is set among a larger series of Shannara books. All I’ve read so far have engaging plots, character development and a world rich in history that readers can experience by reading/visiting the same places, seeing some of the same events and magical items so many years apart.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Sword of Shannara and The Elfstones of Shannara, the first two books in the trilogy, or The First King of Shannara, a prequel — all by Terry Brooks.]

[ Wikipedia page for The Wishsong of Shannara ] | [ official Terry Brooks web site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Witch Wraith by Terry Brooks

Witch Wraith
by Terry Brooks

This is the third in the Dark Legacy of Shannara series. Much of what has happened comes to a resolution in this final installment, but it still leaves us wondering what’s next for these characters. According to Brook’s website, in 2017 there will be a new Shannara series coming out that will be set after this, but it’s not clear if the same characters appear or if it set much much later. Please see my previous reviews on Wards of Faerie and Bloodfire Quest for a basic overview of the plot of the series. Saying anything about the plot of Witch Wraith will spoil it, which I don’t want to do because the story is so good and full of surprises you should read it for yourself. After finishing this series, and I admit I have not read his other books, it seems like Brooks is not at all afraid of killing off major characters, protagonists or villains. Since there is no vail of safety for anyone it really gives you a sense of nervousness reading that you don’t get sometimes. Also the characters don’t always have very good plans. In their given situations it’s understandable everyone would make missteps and misjudgments, so when they make mistakes and have to deal with the consequences and guilt, it makes them more believable as characters. If you like adventure, fantasy, and really long storylines, you should read this series, starting with book one.

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Wards of Faerie (Book 1) and Bloodfire Quest (Book 2) by Terry Brooks.)

( official Witch Wraith page on the official Terry Brooks web site )

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Bloodfire Quest by Terry Brooks

Bloodfire Quest by Terry Brooks

The second book in the Dark Legacy of Shannara trilogy picks up immediately after the first and leads right into the third. This makes it a bit difficult to separate the three of them because there is not even a slight pause between books. In this installment, Aphenglow’s sister, Arling begins to have a more major role. She is a one of a few chosen to care for a mystical tree which keeps a realm called the Forbidding locked away from their world, thus preventing all the demons locked inside from escaping. The tree is inhabited by a human spirit which can live for centuries, but it’s time has come and it needs a replacement or else the Forbidding will open. The tree has chosen Arling to renew its seed then take its place; she is terrified to sacrifice herself but still embarks on a quest to renew the tree’s seed in the Bloodfire. While all this is going on, there are still members of the initial expedition for the Elfstones trapped in the Forbidding and others outside the Forbidding trying to locate a long lost relative to help free their friends. Once again there is a large cast of characters and a lot of character development as they find themselves in situations they don’t feel they can handle. I won’t say there is a happily ever after to this or the previous book, but I still highly recommend this series if you like fantasy adventure. I listened to the audio book and the narration was fine but I also like having a paper copy because it includes a map of the world.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Wards of Faerie (Book 1) and Witch Wraith (Book 3) in the Dark Legacy of Shannara trilogy by Terry Brooks.]

[ official Bloodfire Quest page on the official Terry Brooks web site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!