Some of the classic fantasy names and novels at Del Rey are now available at a new low price -- just $3.99 for the first book in each wonderful series!
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Some of the classic fantasy names and novels at Del Rey are now available at a new low price -- just $3.99 for the first book in each wonderful series!
Read Less
Add this copy of Sword of Shannara to cart. $31.76, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1986 by Del Rey Books.
Add this copy of The Sword of Shannara to cart. $60.00, very good condition, Sold by Browse Awhile Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tipp City, OH, UNITED STATES, published 1977 by Del Rey.
I got maybe a third of the way into this book before giving up in disgust. The whole book doesn't appear to entirely rip-off "Fellowship of the Ring," but the exposition most certainly does. (meek but noble hero, even meeker brother/loyal friend cleaves to his side, evil creatures tracking hero down close to home, etc. etc.) The ridiculous similarities were a huge distraction, but that's not what bothered me most. Even once the quasi-plagiarism tapered off and the original work began, the characters were flat and predictable and I just could not maintain any interest in the story.
Ron Townsend
Jul 12, 2007
A stand alone
When the Sword of Shannara came out in 1977 the most popular fantasy at the time was The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Terry Brooks' wrote a very good book on writing and he wrote to me that although some fans of Tolkien's books feel like his Shannara is a ripoff it didn't matter because his fans liked his books and that is all that matters. I read the Sword of Shannara triology and the Heritage of Shannara trilogy and found no similarities between Tolkien and Brooks. Tolkien's books are based on a language system whereas Brooks' books are based on good old fashion adventure stories that he read as a child. I would also tend to believe that there is a general domain for books writing about supernatural creatures. I reread the first Sword of Shannara and never get tired of it. The fantasy elements of Tolkien are there but they are pure Brooks' creations. They both stand alone. I would recommend both authors to anyone.
