I have been a science fiction fan for over 30 years and I want to know why I am just now hearing about Terry Brooks and his Shannara Series! Well, actually...I am just now coming out of a 14 book reading binge.
As the name of my blog implies, there are too many good books out there and not enough time to read them all. I am what I describe as an emotional reader; I read books that fit my mood. Everything from Politics, Science, Classic Lit, Poetry, Short Story, Graphic Novel, you name it! I read it, if I'm in the mood. So for me to plow through thousands and thousands of pages by the same author, in a short amount of time, says a lot about that author's work!
What made my reading spree even more fantastical is that all 14 books were part of one over-arching story! Science Fiction heaven! Us Sci-Fi fans love our created worlds and rich characters and Terry Brooks' literary feat transports the reader right next to a bevy of characters.
Reviewing each one would just rob you of precious minutes that you could use to read Terry Brooks, so I will provide a real brief framework overview:
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| The Elfstones of Shannara |
All of the books follow the classic
"hero's journey" formula. We have the unlikely hero who is called to take part in a quest. The hero is always a member/descendants of a character who was infused with the magic of elf stones. The power of the Elfstones manifests differently with each decedent. As with every hero's journey, the main character develops/matures as they discover their talent/ability and overcome an obstacle with the help of a mentor. In the case of the Shannara Series, the mentor is always a Druid (decedents of humans that have devoted their life to the protection of the Four Lands and the development of their magical knowledge and ability).
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| The Sword of Shannara |
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| The Wishsong of Shannara |
The Heritage of Shannara:
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| The Scions of Shannara |
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| The Druid of Shannara |
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| The Elf Queen of Shannara |
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| The Talismans of Shannara |
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara:
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| Ilse Witch |
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| Anthrax |
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| Morgawr |
High Druid of Shannara:
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| Jarka Russ |
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| Tanequil |
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| Straken |
I discovered 8 more novels, plus a graphic novel and novella, in this series as I was looking up the book jackets for this post. With that being said...I gotta get to reading!
Happy Reading!
Heather
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