tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930320015749694781.post388112675870117248..comments2023-12-26T04:58:04.337+11:00Comments on Flight of the Dragon: Down Memory Lane: The Sword of ShannaraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436989031700445050noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930320015749694781.post-34648908596936116272012-01-16T12:12:51.065+11:002012-01-16T12:12:51.065+11:00It helped cement my love of fantasy as well. I rea...It helped cement my love of fantasy as well. I read it purely because it was in my Dad's bookcase, although I read the Elfstones first. The Elfstones is probably my all-time favourite Shannara book, although I am enjoying the latest books which deal with the apolocalypse out of which the Four Lands were birthed.Ciara Ballintynehttp://ciaraballintyne.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930320015749694781.post-60233949754796122962012-01-12T15:37:54.589+11:002012-01-12T15:37:54.589+11:00I read 'The Sword of Shannara' in the summ...I read 'The Sword of Shannara' in the summer of my 6th<br />grade/7th grade year. I chose it from<br />among several others at the bookstore because I was impressed that a book<br />written in 1977 was still on the shelves<br />(lol, probably a sophisticated thought for a grade schooler). Anyway, that book and some others helped<br />cement my (up to now) lifelong interest in the fantasy genre. With that said, I agree with you that 'The Sword<br />of Shannara' is a flawed work. One of<br />its chief weaknesses is in its character development. Most of the characters in the novel are not<br />developed fully and almost all of them, apart from Allanon, act like spoiled<br />children. Brooks' second novel, 'The<br />Elfstones of Shannara' is a much better book--in fact, one of the better fantasy<br />novels that I have read to date. Unfortunately, none of his other books have risen to the level of 'Elfstones.'Anthonyhttp://elander-anthony.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930320015749694781.post-38640165907888346362011-10-22T10:18:23.650+11:002011-10-22T10:18:23.650+11:00I recall one scene in the Sword of Shanara where t...I recall one scene in the Sword of Shanara where the party stumble across an overgrown ruin with metal beams and I remember thinking "wow this world must be centuries after some previous world like ours." I only read the word and the void series in the past few years and now I see that he is tying his Shanara stories in with those and I am blown away by the foreshadowing - twenty years in the making. That is the very definition of Epic :-)Goranhttp://www.assassins.org.aunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930320015749694781.post-160605467787958452011-10-21T12:32:29.770+11:002011-10-21T12:32:29.770+11:00It was my pleasure, since I got to take that trip ...It was my pleasure, since I got to take that trip too!Ciara Ballintynehttp://ciaraballintyne.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930320015749694781.post-2780139449368900982011-10-21T12:31:42.654+11:002011-10-21T12:31:42.654+11:00I read it before Lord of the Rings, too. In fact I...I read it before Lord of the Rings, too. In fact I hadn't even really noticed the obvious comparisons until I sat down to write this post. <br /><br />I believe LOTR was the inspiration for The Sword of Shannara, but it's not 'just' a carbon copy. It has it's own individualitioes and the characters are definitely distinct from their inspirations. Allanon, as an obvious example, is the 'wizard' figure and equivalent to Gandalf, but personality-wise, they are nothing alike.Ciara Ballintynehttp://ciaraballintyne.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930320015749694781.post-1900585095969929312011-10-21T12:29:34.256+11:002011-10-21T12:29:34.256+11:00I agree, there was a definite evolution in later b...I agree, there was a definite evolution in later books. I am particularly enjoying the Word and the Void tie in.Ciara Ballintynehttp://ciaraballintyne.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930320015749694781.post-70721633476695201982011-10-21T12:02:55.331+11:002011-10-21T12:02:55.331+11:00I really love the Shannara books. In high school, ...I really love the Shannara books. In high school, I read the Hobbit and then the Lord of the Rings and craved more in that style. When I found Sword of Shannara (granted, a LOTR clone), I could continue reading in that same atmosphere, if you will. As the series progressed, Terry Brooks really came into his own voice, I think.William Kenneyhttp://twitter.com/WilliamJKenneynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930320015749694781.post-60919189378004828262011-10-21T11:06:13.608+11:002011-10-21T11:06:13.608+11:00I loved this book when I was a kid! I read it befo...I loved this book when I was a kid! I read it before I read "Lord of the Rings" so I missed the obvious comparisons, but I reread it recently and even now I feel like Brooks' characters are more than just carbon copies of their inspirational antecedents.<br /><br />I second Goran's comment; this is a wonderful trip down memory lane.Andy Christoffersonhttp://twitter.com/VizProdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930320015749694781.post-60570006319747356702011-10-20T18:34:16.596+11:002011-10-20T18:34:16.596+11:00I remember reading these books as a kid too. Thoug...I remember reading these books as a kid too. Though I'm pretty sure it was well before 1992 (I finished high school in 1988). I might have been 1984 when I read them. The Shanara stories (sword, elfstones and wishsong) were among the first such books I read and I remember re-reading them soon after. <br /><br />I also loved the cover by the Hildebrandt brothers on Sword of Shanara.<br /><br />Thanks for taking me on this trip down memory lane.Goranhttp://www.assassins.org.aunoreply@blogger.com