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The Elfstones of Shannara
Shannara book 2

by Terry Brooks



      I am pleased that Little, Brown is reissuing Terry Brooks’ classic Shannara series for a whole new generation. This is the first time I have read it, and I can see why it stands as one of fantasy’s best-loved series. It is fifty years since Shea and Flick Ohmsford defeated the Dark Lord, but now the elves are in trouble. Their great tree, the Ellcrys, was planted ages ago to imprison demons and prevent them from menacing the world. But now she is dying, and a breach has opened in the wall, releasing the demons. Unless somebody can plant her seed in a location that nobody has ever heard of the world will be consumed by demons. It looks as though young Wil Ohmsford will be coming to the rescue, aided by the Druid Allanon and the elf Princess Amberle.

Fantasy is surely one of the most enjoyable genres when done well, and has the blessed ability of make the readers lose themselves in another world. Once again, this is a fairly bloodless tale despite the demons’ best efforts but with this much action you probably won’t miss it too much. This makes it suitable for younger readers to enjoy as well, and I was pleased to lose myself in a good old quest novel full of wondrous situations and a bit of mild monster-bashing. Feminists won’t be enthralled with the rather wimpish Amberle, and this is very much the tale of a man’s world where women don’t make many decisions. Happily the feisty gypsy girl Eretria offsets some of this, and there is a very Oz-like interlude with the two witches and their minions that surely owes something to Frank L Baum. It is easy to see why this became a classic, and reminds me why I started reading fantasy in the first place.

The Book

Orbit (Little, Brown)
2 November 2007 (reprint edition)
Hardback
1904233988
Juvenile & Adult - Fantasy / Fantastic Location
More at Amazon.com US|| UK
Excerpt
NOTE: US version is a different edition

The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2007
NOTE:
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