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I read THE SWORD OF SHANNARA(SOS) in 1984...once I finished SOS I promptly bought THE ELFSTONES OF SHANNARA(EOS) and what a great read this book is.

The only real character carried over from SOS is Alanon. Eventine and Flick have cameos of a sort but are not main charaters in this story. Instead we have a great lead character in Wil Ohmsford. He unlike virtually every other Ohmsford in the various Shannara stories has a carrer. He is a self made man who has worked hard to get where he is in life. He is young adult, not a teen as most other Ohmsfords when they are wisked away on a journey. I think many readers can identify with Wil as he is a young person just starting out in life with all the uncertainities that come with that age. Next we have a great supporting cast. Ander, Amberle, Allanon and Eretria are all given good character development. The Rovers were also fun to read about. Obviously the Rovers are the Brooks equivelent of Gypsies and I found their lifestlye and practices to be a nice additon to the story.

Oddly, when compared to his other Shannara writings, Brooks seems to have been able to describe a love story that really works. Unlike the relationship between Menion & Shirl that was under deveoped in SOS, the relationship between Brin and Rone in THE WISHSONG OF SHANNARA(WOS) that was over developed or the relationship between Bek and Little Red in THE VOYAGE OF THE JERELE SHANNARA trilogy that was somehow never really explained but more graphic than any of the other relationships mentioned the relationship between Amberele & Wil is a treat to watch unfold. Eretria adds to the story by making the love story a love triangle so that the reader is never quite sure how it will end.

I thought the demons made for great villans. Unlike the Skull Bearers in SOS and the Mord Wraiths in WOS which had no individual personality the demons in EOS had individual personalities and that made them a lot more interesting to read about.

I have read this book many times. I agree with the other reviewers that it is an original story. When I first read the book I began to suspect the fate of Amberle but even so the ending was so saddening that it may well bring tears to the eyes of the reader. During subsequent readings I think it was pretty clear early on where this books ending was headed. However, I think that depends on what type of reader you are. Are you the type that reads and tries to anticipate what will happen or do you allow yourself to be swept along with the story not giving a lot of thought to what will happen. I am second type. There is actually a slight pick me to the sad ending on the final two pages of the book that may uplift the readers disposition.

Lastly, this is a great blend of fantasy, action and romance. While Brooks other works are for the most part good this is his best work!

When I first read The Elfstones of Shannara,I was unprepared for what i would feel while reading it. Terry Brooks has managed in this book to convey the feelings of each character to the reader in such a way that they feel them themselves. If you haven't read the book, it's about a tree called the Ellcrys that protects the world from demons that have the power to destroy it. The tree, after thousands of years of life, is dying, and unleashing the demons upon the Elves who created it. The only hope is Amberle Elessedil, a Chosen in service to the tree, who will carry the seed of the Ellcrys to the mysterious Bloodfire to be changed into a new tree. To protect her, Allanon the Druid calls on Wil Ohmsford,who has possession of the powerful Elfstones of faerie. They know that with the demons following them it will be dangerous, and they know it won't be easy to even find the Bloodfire, but they don't know the extent of the impact it will have on their lives. Definitely a book you don't want to miss, the Elfstones of Shannara combines,plot, characters, emotions, and amazing word choice to bring you a story that will instantly plant itself in your heart.

I read Sword and was kinda disappointed. I decided to give its sequel a shot and was pleasantly surprised. While this book still has your forgetable main heros, it redeems itself in that category with two cool characters, Stan Jees and Garet Jax. The plot has more originality and makes the book more interesting. It also shows new evils with the witch sisters, the Dagda, the Reaper, and the demons(very neat). Highly Recommended.