Status
Checked out
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
New York Ballantine 1990
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. Thriller. HTML:ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR FANTASY TALES OF ALL TIME. NOW AN EPIC TV SERIES. An ancient evil is stirring, intent on the complete destruction of all life. The Druid Allanon sets out on a dangerous journey to save the world, reluctantly aided by Brin Ohmsford, daughter of Wil Ohmsford??for she alone holds the magic power of the wishsong. But a prophecy foretells doom, as evil nurses its plan to trap the unsuspecting Brin into a fate far more horrible than death. Praise for Terry Brooks ??Shannara was one of my favorite fictional worlds growing up, and I look forward to many return trips.???Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia! ??If Tolkien is the grandfather of modern fantasy, Terry Brooks is its favorite uncle.???Peter V. Brett, author of The Skull Throne ??A great storyteller, Terry Brooks creates rich epics filled with mystery, magic, and memorable characters.???Christopher Paolini… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member imyril
Another old favourite (although originally less dear to me than Elfstones), my reread is already being challenged by Brooks' patriarchal bias. Jair, the younger Ohmsford, gets to think himself better than his sister because 'she's only a girl' and in spite of his youth Allanon refers to him as
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Valeman, while the older Brin gets the diminishing Valegirl. Grr. Reading through gritted teeth. Show Less
LibraryThing member Redthing
I loved this book. In my opinion, it's the best of the trilogy. Read Sword/Elfstones first! This one takes place 20 years after Elfstones. One of my favorite characters, a gnome named Slanter, is in this book. Highly reccommended!
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
Unlike "the Force" in Star Wars, magic in these books is not neutral. It is capricious, capable of turning evil in the best of people. Or is it? I can't quite decide.
LibraryThing member www.snigel.nu
I liked Terry Brooks mainly because of the mystical and magical feeling of his world. I probably would not like him if I stumbled upon his books today.
LibraryThing member Karlstar
The 3rd in the Shannara series picks up with the next generation of Ohmsfords in a now familiar pattern. The magic has manifested itself in the Ohmsford family in a new way. With new opponents, allies and the usual fascinating characters, this book is well worth reading.
LibraryThing member GoofyOcean110
This is the book that finally made me stop with the Shannara series and not pick up anything else related to it. It was fine, but nothing particularly special that would incline me to reread it.
LibraryThing member jehovahrapha
I've always love this third installment of the Sword of Shannara trilogy best. For the first time, there's a female Ohmsford, even though I always liked Jair better. I love that we got a deeper look into the Eastland forests, too. In Sword, it was an in-depth tour of the Northland; in Elfstones, it
It's also nice to know that Allanon isn't invincible. Sometimes, he was just a bit too much of a presence for me!
I love this book the best of all Terry Brooks' fiction, and I still have my first copy- falling apart in multiple places, but still well-read!
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was Westland. But in Eastland, you have meet two races, rather than one, and you get to know the Gnomes better, through Slanter.It's also nice to know that Allanon isn't invincible. Sometimes, he was just a bit too much of a presence for me!
I love this book the best of all Terry Brooks' fiction, and I still have my first copy- falling apart in multiple places, but still well-read!
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LibraryThing member Jitsusama
Yes another very well done Shannara book. The story splits rather well between the 2 main heroes and culminates in a reunion that is quite rewarding for the reader. The book deals with death, duty, and an understanding of self the really makes you get inside the characters head. Not everything
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portrayed is completely thought out, but it's still done well enough that the book is quite enjoyable. Show Less
LibraryThing member twiglet12
I found this book a real struggle, but then I have been reading the Shannara books quite regularly recently to try and clear some space on my book shelves and I think that with this book I have reached my limit. I love the whole idea of the timeline that Brooks has created from present day through
I really didn’t get on with the Word and the Void trilogy, although I really liked the idea of the Knight of the Word, enjoyed the Genesis of Shannara series and the first of the Legends of Shannara books and will probably read The Measure of the Magic when it comes out this year. I also quite liked the First King of Shannara but then I hit the Sword of Shannara and it all went downhill again for me. The Sword of Shannara is incredibly derivative although due to its age this is probably forgivable and although The Elfstones was a slightly better effort and the Wishsong started ok I just lost the will to live halfway through and the rest of the book was a struggle.
Apart from Measure of the Magic I think I will probably stop here with this series and I am debating whether I should start the Magic Kingdom of Landover series at all or whether I should just take them to the charity shop so that others can enjoy them and I can clear another couple of inches of shelf space…
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the great wars to the creation of Shannara and the history of the kingdom beyond and the survival and creation of the races, but some of the individual books in this seem to have left me a little cold. I really didn’t get on with the Word and the Void trilogy, although I really liked the idea of the Knight of the Word, enjoyed the Genesis of Shannara series and the first of the Legends of Shannara books and will probably read The Measure of the Magic when it comes out this year. I also quite liked the First King of Shannara but then I hit the Sword of Shannara and it all went downhill again for me. The Sword of Shannara is incredibly derivative although due to its age this is probably forgivable and although The Elfstones was a slightly better effort and the Wishsong started ok I just lost the will to live halfway through and the rest of the book was a struggle.
Apart from Measure of the Magic I think I will probably stop here with this series and I am debating whether I should start the Magic Kingdom of Landover series at all or whether I should just take them to the charity shop so that others can enjoy them and I can clear another couple of inches of shelf space…
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LibraryThing member willowcove
Great addition to a great series.
LibraryThing member juniperSun
3rd in series, read before any others. Did not require previous books to understand, but there was frequent mention of adventures of relatives.
One danger after another narrowly escaped. Incredible wins with overwhelming odds in fighting, treks thru swamps and caverns with magical attackers.
Yes,
One danger after another narrowly escaped. Incredible wins with overwhelming odds in fighting, treks thru swamps and caverns with magical attackers.
Yes,
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there is a moral, and Brooks was careful to spell it out for us: Power Corrupts, and Love Conquers All. Show Less
LibraryThing member ComposingComposer
The Wishsong of Shannara 7/19/16 *****
This is by far the best of the Shannara Chronicles. It took me a while to warm up to it. Afterall, Allanon had said that the Mord Wraiths were not as bad as the Warlock Lord of the Sword, who was not as threatening as the demons of the Elfstones. I truly did
Another reason why this book managed to impress me more than the previous books was that I was upset over the deaths of characters. In the previous books, only two characters that I knew well and liked had died (Keltset and Amberle, and Amberle did even die, exactly.)I have never been able to decide whether or not I liked Allanon, but I was still saddened by his death. Most of the other characters I had not gotten to know well enough to feel more than a little regret over their deaths. I suspected that Garet Jax would die fairly quickly after meeting him, and his arrogant, almost indifferent attitude prevented me from getting too attached to him. I was somewhat saddened when Foraker and Helt died, but they weren't as close to Jair. I was unreasonably upset over the death of Edain Elessedil. I don't know if if it was because he and Jair seemed to have become such good friends, or because I truly expected him to survive, or because he was Ander's son and Ander had already lossed so many people in The Wishsong, but even as Jair, Slanter and Garet Jax left him and Foraker, I still truly expected Edain to survive. Learning, almost in passing that Brin, Jair, Rone, Kimber and Cogline had "put them to rest" had me, not crying, but moaning with unhappiness.
Both Jair and Brin were tested almost beyond their endurance. They were both likeable characters, even if it did take me a bit to warm up to Jair. What's more is that most of the side characters were quite likeable as well. Allanon was almost typical Allanon, but for some reason Brin had more sympathy for him, even though she understood his manipulative ways far more than either Shea or Wil before her, and through her, I found that I liked Allanon more than I had before. Rone Leah was a bit arrogant and annoying (particularly after Allanon magicked his sword) but he loved Brin, and cared for Jair as a brother. Kimber, Cogline and Whisper were introduced too late in the story for me to really learn to love them, but they were interesting. I was really attached to Edain Elessedil for some reason, and he seemed to be a very good friend to Jair, almost like a brother. We didn't know Helt all that well, but he was kind to Jair, reassuring him when Slanter was a jerk. And Slanter. Slanter was incredible. I loved him even as I was annoyed with him for being a jerk. After the first two books where we were told that gnomes were human, finally we were shone that they were human through Slanter. Slanter was irritable, irrascible, frustrating, and far more loveable than he wanted anyone to know. If Keltset could allow the trolls to be able to make peace with the elves, than surely, seeing Slanter would allow the dwarves, elves and men to see that gnomes are not all evil? And then we saw that half the time when the gnomes were fighting against the free peoples, they were doing it at the command of their slavers the Mwellrets. I understand that the gnomes saw Slanter as a traitor and he won't be able to lead them to peace, but because the other races knew Slanter and saw him as human, perhaps they would make an effort with the other gnomes. I do hope so, at any rate.I was very grateful when Slanter survived the story.
There was one major plot point that was not resolved. Brin sensed, and the Grimpond said that Rone was too attached to the magic of the Sword of Leah, but it was never really addressed at the end of the book.The Ohmsfords and the elfstones were apparently the only beings/objects left with magic (y'know, except for Amberle/the Elcrys, but they were the only ones left with magic useable by normal beings) and we weren't even sure about the elfstones. Was the magic in the sword destroyed? With Rone's apparent addiction to it, how did he deal with that? If it was not destroyed, how did Brin persuade Rone to give it up?
There was also a moment when Brin was shone a vision of her mother and described her as being 'gentle' which made me laugh a bit because, even if she has a husband and children who she loves, and who she can be gentle with, 'gentle' is not a word overall that I would ever have thought to use to describe Eretria.
Even with the points I addressed in the last two paragraphs, I really, really liked this book overall. It was better than the two first books. I plan on taking a break from Shannara, and then continuing with the first spin-off series the Heritage of Shannara.
This is by far the best of the Shannara Chronicles. It took me a while to warm up to it. Afterall, Allanon had said that the Mord Wraiths were not as bad as the Warlock Lord of the Sword, who was not as threatening as the demons of the Elfstones. I truly did
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not know how the antagonists could beat those who came before. But they did. Or rather, it did. The Ildatch was worse than any of the other antagonists because it attacked Brin's integrety, and, like the Ring from The Lord of the Rings, it had the ability to take the hero's goodness from them.Another reason why this book managed to impress me more than the previous books was that I was upset over the deaths of characters. In the previous books, only two characters that I knew well and liked had died (Keltset and Amberle, and Amberle did even die, exactly.)
Both Jair and Brin were tested almost beyond their endurance. They were both likeable characters, even if it did take me a bit to warm up to Jair. What's more is that most of the side characters were quite likeable as well. Allanon was almost typical Allanon, but for some reason Brin had more sympathy for him, even though she understood his manipulative ways far more than either Shea or Wil before her, and through her, I found that I liked Allanon more than I had before. Rone Leah was a bit arrogant and annoying (particularly after Allanon magicked his sword) but he loved Brin, and cared for Jair as a brother. Kimber, Cogline and Whisper were introduced too late in the story for me to really learn to love them, but they were interesting. I was really attached to Edain Elessedil for some reason, and he seemed to be a very good friend to Jair, almost like a brother. We didn't know Helt all that well, but he was kind to Jair, reassuring him when Slanter was a jerk. And Slanter. Slanter was incredible. I loved him even as I was annoyed with him for being a jerk. After the first two books where we were told that gnomes were human, finally we were shone that they were human through Slanter. Slanter was irritable, irrascible, frustrating, and far more loveable than he wanted anyone to know. If Keltset could allow the trolls to be able to make peace with the elves, than surely, seeing Slanter would allow the dwarves, elves and men to see that gnomes are not all evil? And then we saw that half the time when the gnomes were fighting against the free peoples, they were doing it at the command of their slavers the Mwellrets. I understand that the gnomes saw Slanter as a traitor and he won't be able to lead them to peace, but because the other races knew Slanter and saw him as human, perhaps they would make an effort with the other gnomes. I do hope so, at any rate.
There was one major plot point that was not resolved. Brin sensed, and the Grimpond said that Rone was too attached to the magic of the Sword of Leah, but it was never really addressed at the end of the book.
There was also a moment when Brin was shone a vision of her mother and described her as being 'gentle' which made me laugh a bit because, even if she has a husband and children who she loves, and who she can be gentle with, 'gentle' is not a word overall that I would ever have thought to use to describe Eretria.
Even with the points I addressed in the last two paragraphs, I really, really liked this book overall. It was better than the two first books. I plan on taking a break from Shannara, and then continuing with the first spin-off series the Heritage of Shannara.
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LibraryThing member ComposingComposer
This is by far the best of the Shannara Chronicles. It took me a while to warm up to it. Afterall, Allanon had said that the Mord Wraiths were not as bad as the Warlock Lord of the Sword, who was not as threatening as the demons of the Elfstones. I truly did not know how the antagonists could
Another reason why this book managed to impress me more than the previous books was that I was upset over the deaths of characters. In the previous books, only two characters that I knew well and liked had died (Keltset and Amberle, and Amberle did even die, exactly.)I have never been able to decide whether or not I liked Allanon, but I was still saddened by his death. Most of the other characters I had not gotten to know well enough to feel more than a little regret over their deaths. I suspected that Garet Jax would die fairly quickly after meeting him, and his arrogant, almost indifferent attitude prevented me from getting too attached to him. I was somewhat saddened when Foraker and Helt died, but they weren't as close to Jair. I was unreasonably upset over the death of Edain Elessedil. I don't know if if it was because he and Jair seemed to have become such good friends, or because I truly expected him to survive, or because he was Ander's son and Ander had already lossed so many people in The Wishsong, but even as Jair, Slanter and Garet Jax left him and Foraker, I still truly expected Edain to survive. Learning, almost in passing that Brin, Jair, Rone, Kimber and Cogline had "put them to rest" had me, not crying, but moaning with unhappiness.
Both Jair and Brin were tested almost beyond their endurance. They were both likeable characters, even if it did take me a bit to warm up to Jair. What's more is that most of the side characters were quite likeable as well. Allanon was almost typical Allanon, but for some reason Brin had more sympathy for him, even though she understood his manipulative ways far more than either Shea or Wil before her, and through her, I found that I liked Allanon more than I had before. Rone Leah was a bit arrogant and annoying (particularly after Allanon magicked his sword) but he loved Brin, and cared for Jair as a brother. Kimber, Cogline and Whisper were introduced too late in the story for me to really learn to love them, but they were interesting. I was really attached to Edain Elessedil for some reason, and he seemed to be a very good friend to Jair, almost like a brother. We didn't know Helt all that well, but he was kind to Jair, reassuring him when Slanter was a jerk. And Slanter. Slanter was incredible. I loved him even as I was annoyed with him for being a jerk. After the first two books where we were told that gnomes were human, finally we were shone that they were human through Slanter. Slanter was irritable, irrascible, frustrating, and far more loveable than he wanted anyone to know. If Keltset could allow the trolls to be able to make peace with the elves, than surely, seeing Slanter would allow the dwarves, elves and men to see that gnomes are not all evil? And then we saw that half the time when the gnomes were fighting against the free peoples, they were doing it at the command of their slavers the Mwellrets. I understand that the gnomes saw Slanter as a traitor and he won't be able to lead them to peace, but because the other races knew Slanter and saw him as human, perhaps they would make an effort with the other gnomes. I do hope so, at any rate.I was very grateful when Slanter survived the story.
There was one major plot point that was not resolved. Brin sensed, and the Grimpond said that Rone was too attached to the magic of the Sword of Leah, but it was never really addressed at the end of the book.The Ohmsfords and the elfstones were apparently the only beings/objects left with magic (y'know, except for Amberle/the Elcrys, but they were the only ones left with magic useable by normal beings) and we weren't even sure about the elfstones. Was the magic in the sword destroyed? With Rone's apparent addiction to it, how did he deal with that? If it was not destroyed, how did Brin persuade Rone to give it up?
There was also a moment when Brin was shone a vision of her mother and described her as being 'gentle' which made me laugh a bit because, even if she has a husband and children who she loves, and who she can be gentle with, 'gentle' is not a word overall that I would ever have thought to use to describe Eretria.
Even with the points I addressed in the last two paragraphs, I really, really liked this book overall. It was better than the two first books. I plan on taking a break from Shannara, and then continuing with the first spin-off series the Heritage of Shannara.
Show More
beat those who came before. But they did. Or rather, it did. The Ildatch was worse than any of the other antagonists because it attacked Brin's integrety, and, like the Ring from The Lord of the Rings, it had the ability to take the hero's goodness from them.Another reason why this book managed to impress me more than the previous books was that I was upset over the deaths of characters. In the previous books, only two characters that I knew well and liked had died (Keltset and Amberle, and Amberle did even die, exactly.)
Both Jair and Brin were tested almost beyond their endurance. They were both likeable characters, even if it did take me a bit to warm up to Jair. What's more is that most of the side characters were quite likeable as well. Allanon was almost typical Allanon, but for some reason Brin had more sympathy for him, even though she understood his manipulative ways far more than either Shea or Wil before her, and through her, I found that I liked Allanon more than I had before. Rone Leah was a bit arrogant and annoying (particularly after Allanon magicked his sword) but he loved Brin, and cared for Jair as a brother. Kimber, Cogline and Whisper were introduced too late in the story for me to really learn to love them, but they were interesting. I was really attached to Edain Elessedil for some reason, and he seemed to be a very good friend to Jair, almost like a brother. We didn't know Helt all that well, but he was kind to Jair, reassuring him when Slanter was a jerk. And Slanter. Slanter was incredible. I loved him even as I was annoyed with him for being a jerk. After the first two books where we were told that gnomes were human, finally we were shone that they were human through Slanter. Slanter was irritable, irrascible, frustrating, and far more loveable than he wanted anyone to know. If Keltset could allow the trolls to be able to make peace with the elves, than surely, seeing Slanter would allow the dwarves, elves and men to see that gnomes are not all evil? And then we saw that half the time when the gnomes were fighting against the free peoples, they were doing it at the command of their slavers the Mwellrets. I understand that the gnomes saw Slanter as a traitor and he won't be able to lead them to peace, but because the other races knew Slanter and saw him as human, perhaps they would make an effort with the other gnomes. I do hope so, at any rate.
There was one major plot point that was not resolved. Brin sensed, and the Grimpond said that Rone was too attached to the magic of the Sword of Leah, but it was never really addressed at the end of the book.
There was also a moment when Brin was shone a vision of her mother and described her as being 'gentle' which made me laugh a bit because, even if she has a husband and children who she loves, and who she can be gentle with, 'gentle' is not a word overall that I would ever have thought to use to describe Eretria.
Even with the points I addressed in the last two paragraphs, I really, really liked this book overall. It was better than the two first books. I plan on taking a break from Shannara, and then continuing with the first spin-off series the Heritage of Shannara.
Show Less
LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
Just can't do it. Really wanted to at least finish the trilogy, but I can't read a third installment of the same book. Ok, the first book is LOTR, sure. Then the second one is pretty much the same thing. Alright. But a THIRD book that starts with Allanon coming to the Vale and taking an Ohmsford
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kid away with him to save the world from sure doom? I just can't. Show Less
LibraryThing member BrainFireBob
Rounding out Brook's original Shannara trilogy, we have the Wishsong of Shannara.
Wil Ohmsford, in the quest for the Ellcrys, wielded the seeking stones to defend Amberle. Yet he was far more human than Elven, and the stones did not always work for him. In desperation he sought within himself for
His children were born with part of the ancient magic of the original Elves, the Elves the seeking stones knew as Elves. The wishsong; wish for it, sing for it, and it is yours. Jair, his son, can use it to create illusions limited only by his imagination that seem completely real until his singing stops. But his sister, Brin, has the true magic of the wishsong- she truly changes things, not just their appearance.
Allanon, aged by the battle with the Demons of the Forbidding, comes to the Ohmsford home seeking the magic of Brin to destroy the Illdatch; a sentient tome of evil from Faerie that once created the Warlock Lord and now has birthed the Mord Wraiths, the black walkers. Only Brin can reach and destroy the book. But Allanon does not know everything.
At the end, Brin gives up her magic to destroy the ancient evil of the Illdatch, but bequeaths to her progeny a sacred trust in Allanon's blood against the future need of the Four Lands. Here too we see the end of Steel Jans, and the creation of the Sword of Leah.
Surprisingly and uncharacteristically dark for Shannara, this book is tonally more in line with Brook's Knights of the Word. It completes the Elfstones of Shannara in a satisfying way, I recommend reading them as a pair.
Wil Ohmsford, in the quest for the Ellcrys, wielded the seeking stones to defend Amberle. Yet he was far more human than Elven, and the stones did not always work for him. In desperation he sought within himself for
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what had made the stones work before- and the seeking stones responded...His children were born with part of the ancient magic of the original Elves, the Elves the seeking stones knew as Elves. The wishsong; wish for it, sing for it, and it is yours. Jair, his son, can use it to create illusions limited only by his imagination that seem completely real until his singing stops. But his sister, Brin, has the true magic of the wishsong- she truly changes things, not just their appearance.
Allanon, aged by the battle with the Demons of the Forbidding, comes to the Ohmsford home seeking the magic of Brin to destroy the Illdatch; a sentient tome of evil from Faerie that once created the Warlock Lord and now has birthed the Mord Wraiths, the black walkers. Only Brin can reach and destroy the book. But Allanon does not know everything.
At the end, Brin gives up her magic to destroy the ancient evil of the Illdatch, but bequeaths to her progeny a sacred trust in Allanon's blood against the future need of the Four Lands. Here too we see the end of Steel Jans, and the creation of the Sword of Leah.
Surprisingly and uncharacteristically dark for Shannara, this book is tonally more in line with Brook's Knights of the Word. It completes the Elfstones of Shannara in a satisfying way, I recommend reading them as a pair.
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Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1985
ISBN
9780345356369