The elfstones of Shannara (The Shannara Series) (utgåvan 1998)

I enjoyed the TV series but I'm not sure I'll ever get to the story.
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Q: I'm currently re-reading The Elfstones of Shannara and I was wondering whether you will ever write about the birth of the Ellcrys?

A: Now there is a suggestion I haven't heard before. I would have to go back to the time of Faerie to do that, and that would mean writing about a world that I haven't set a story in before and that would mean a whole lot of world-building. So if I do write something about it, likely I will do it as a shorter work of fiction and not a novel.

Many, many years ago I read this. Then I watched season 1 of the TV series - which closely follows the book - and now I re-read it.

Wil Ohmsford, the last of the Shannara bloodline is recruited by Allanon, the last of the Druids, to escort Amberele on her misson to save the Ellcrys, a misson that will ask a lot from them.

It's not a bad story and I enjoyed it, though there are times when it got a little cliched. It's a well worn story and Terry Brooks does a good job of telling the tale. It was worth re-reading. I do intend to continue reading this series. ( )

Just really not for me. ( )

The second book in the series is what the TV series is based off of, but the TV series made some definite changes. Shea, Eretria and Amberle go together to help Eretria with her quest to save the Ellcrys and send the demons back.
( )

Another stinky book club pick. At this point I'm just going for the socialization. Anyway...

The worst thing about this book is not that it's a Tolkien rip-off; it's that it's a tedious, badly-written Tolkien rip-off. It reads as if a young writer read a few fantasy novels, maybe played a little D&D, and then proceeded to write what he thought a fantasy novel should sound like. In other words, the style is very affected and pretentious. He also repeats himself a lot. At least Stephen King will wait a few pages before reminding you of something you already read; Terry will keep going over it until he is sure that you got it the first time. Maybe the publisher asked for a longer book and Terry didn't understand that he was supposed to add more story, so he just went through and reiterated everything.

Not only does the plot feel strangely familiar, but Terry's version is terribly contrived. There's no sense of danger after a while because whenever the protagonists get into a fix they are saved by one deus ex machina after another. If it's not the book's third-rate Gandalf, it's a never-before-mentioned earth spirit that relocates them to safety, or it's the Elfstones whose power is to do whatever is needed to save the protagonists in any situation.

The characters are completely uninteresting. When one slightly interesting character shows up who might make things a bit sexier, she is left behind. (Those fools!) I think she might turn up again later, probably at just the right moment to miraculously save our protagonists, but I didn't get that far. ( )