The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks

Truisms, my young friend, are the useless children of hindsight.

There was a time–about five years ago–when only a few of my students had heard of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Of course, all that has changed with Peter Jackson’s magnificent movies. Now all of my students are familiar with the story, and many of them have read the books. If you haven’t read them yet, buy them immediately–they’re that good (and so much more satisfying than the movies, which I also happen to love). But what if you’ve already read Tolkien and you want to read more of the same type of story? Or what if you’ve tried The Lord of the Rings, and just haven’t got the knack of reading fantasy yet?

The Sword of Shannara might just be what you’re looking for. A dwarf, two elves, two halflings, a wizard, and two men must travel together to keep an ancient elven artifact from becoming a powerful tool in the hands of evil. Sound familiar? Well, perhaps Terry Brooks does copy Tolkien a bit–ok, more than just a little bit–but that doesn’t mean that this book doesn’t have its own strengths. The Sword of Shannara has terrific characters, some great battles, and a non-stop plot.

Brooks’ writing moves along much faster than Tolkien’s and is, I think, easier reading, especially for those who are new to fantasy. Many teenage readers who find Tolkien slow in parts are very satisfied by Brooks’ pace. Of course, the faster pace means less depth and history, which is a definite drawback. But while The Lord of the Rings is absolutely a superior work, The Sword of Shannara is still a great ride.

[This review was originally written for my students at Mr. Senger’s Junior High Reading Lists, a website for my 8th graders.]