| Title | : | The Wishsong of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1857231325 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781857231328 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 512 |
| Publication | : | First published April 12, 1985 |
The Wishsong of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy, #3) Reviews
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I've been reading my way through the whole Shannara series a bit at a time, in chronological order as suggested by Terry Brooks himself. I first read the original trilogy when I was a teenager but since then Terry Brooks has written several prequels to the original series so I made the decision earlier this year to start reading them in order starting with The Word and Void trilogy, then The Genesis Of Shannara, followed by The First King Of Shannara which is the direct prequel to the original trilogy, before finally re-reading the original trilogy itself, there are also many more Shannara books to come too!
I have to say that I really enjoyed the trilogy when I was a teenage but re-reading them again, after reading the newer prequels, has been a bit of a revelation and made them a much different read altogether when you realise how things got to be the way they are, and how the people and the world of Shannara are just alternate version of our own Earth's future.
I have been a huge fan of Terry Brooks for a very, very long time indeed and one of my favourite series of books is by him, The Magic Kingdom of Landover books! He writes stories that pull you in and keep you there, making you care about the fates of your heroes and waiting to know if they are going to get through to the end of the book, how it will all turn out in the end. You can see the Tolkien influences in the original trilogy books, the biggest influence probably has to be the Mord Wraths of The Wishsong of Shannara (very similar to the Ringwraiths) and you can't help but think of Gandalf while reading about Allanon but all in all they are just influences and have been written to be quite different. Of course Allanon is the glue that holds the three books together despite the fact the each book is about a different generations of the Ohmsford family although if I had been a member of that family I would have runaway at the sheer site of Allanon considering how much trouble he causes for the family everytime he shows up.
I am very glad to have taken the time to read the Shannara Sequence so far and there is still plenty left to go as well, next set up will be the Heritage of Shannara and I can't wait to get started at some point after Christmas. -
Derde deel van deze trilogie. De Shannara-trilogie gaat over het naspel van de oorlogen met een eeuwenoud kwaad, waarin gnomen, elfen, heksenmeesters, druïden en magische voorwerpen een grote rol spelen. Opeens is hij weer terug: de druïde Allanon, de man die Shea hielp de Tovervorst te verslaan. Hij komt voor de liefelijke Brin Ohmsford, die - net als haar broer - de macht kent van het wenslied: een eeuwenoude elfenmagie. Allanon ziet hierin de enige kans om de eeuwenoude bron van kwaad, de Ildatch te vernietigen. De Ildatch is een demonisch boek dat door zijn corrumperende invloed Allanons vader in de zwarte Tovervorst veranderde. Nu bedreigt het heel Shannar. Allanon is aan het eind van zijn krachten. Het wordt tijd de wereld te verlaten. Maar hoe laat hij hem achter?
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The best of the original trilogy. Unpredictable, good characters and action all the way. Had me hooked from the start. If Brooks can just go back and edit out all of the "wordlessly's" "soundlessly's" and "abruptly's" and make the writing style a little less like a 10th grader then this book would have got 5*
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I read the previous sequel in 6th grade.
Remember imagining myself as Amberle and William Moseley as Wil.
For some reason I was convinced the two of them would end up together and the fact they didn't crushed my little 12 year old heart.
I took this book and tried reading it, but the moment I found out it was about Wil, his stupid new wife and kids, I threw it across the room.
I mean, it's my Wil after all!
It might the about time for me to pick up this book again.
Let's see if I got over it. -
#12/29 in my Epic Shannara Quest.
The Druid Allanon shows up unexpectedly again in Shady Vale twenty years after the events of The Elfstones of Shannara with another dire prediction of evil plotting against the Four Lands.
The conclusion of the Shannara trilogy begins like the other two, which is probably why Brooks doesn't spend much time in getting his questers on the road to Culhaven--we've seen this before. But this time around, Brooks is more confident in his storytelling--the scene that seems ripped off from Tolkien is actually a rip off of a scene in Elfstones--and the story in Wishsong is his strongest yet. Exciting and engrossing, this quest is all his own. And, for the first time, Allanon is a 3-dimensional character, not the cardboard mentor of the first two books.
Brooks' prose is still rather juvenile, as evidenced by the fact that in extended scenes of no dialog the story's momentum starts to lag, but for the most part, the book is well-written. Brooks wouldn't hit his narrative stride until his pre-Shnnara books, but here his writing seems more limited by the style of story he is telling than his ability. Over all, this is a very enjoyable read.
NOTE: Arguably, this is the most important book of the whole Shannara saga, as it introduces the wishsong--the ultimate form of magic the Ohmsford family is cursed with. Every book after Wishsong chronologically references the events within. -
This is Terry Brooks' true masterpiece in my eyes, and still my personal favourite in the Shannara series. I would actually place it in the top three within the fantasy genre, and it even had a scene that put a tear in my eye (everyone who has read the book knows which one).
It started out quite weakly. As always, Allanon's appearance to an Ohmsford was repeated, and in contrast to the same scenes in the two previous books, this one was quite boring. Also, that the main "villain" of the story was the evil book that once corrupted the rebel druid Brona, seemed at first to be rather inadequate for an epic fantasy villain like these books have to have. Deep inside, I feared that this one wouldn't get anywhere near Sword and Elfstones. But despite my worst fears, I kept reading. I'm rather pleased with that decision now.
The main characters, the siblings Brin and Jair Ohmsford, are simply perfect. The supporting characters are absolutely brilliant as well, among them Allanon (of course), Garet Jax the invincible Weapons Master and Slanter the Gnome Tracker. The magic system is new and interesting, the villains are mysterious and fascinating, the locations are intriguing and the development of Brin's and Jair's stories is amazingly well done. All in all, the Wishsong is so close to completely flawless that the few downsides don't even make a difference. -
I have read 7 or 8 Brooks books over the years and have decided to read the entire Shannara series starting from the beginning. This was a re-read for me, first read it 30 years ago (or so).
More descendants of Jerle Shannara go to save the world, this time a magic book.
Terry Brooks has definitely matured as a writer over this trilogy, the writing and character development is much better but the plot of this book is kind of childish.
Enjoyable but nothing great.
Looking forward to the next series as I seem to remember (it's been a while) that the quality of the writing really jumps by the time we get to the Heritage of Shannara. -
E con questo terzo volume finisce la trilogia del primo ciclo.
Con la tristezza che segna sempre il passaggio da un’epoca a un’altra, anche se in realtà di generazioni ne abbiamo viste susseguirsi diverse in questi libri, partendo da Shea e Flick Ohmsford, della stirpe di Jerle Shannara, passando per il nipote Wil e finendo con i figli Brin e Jair, ma lo stesso è stato per gli elfi Elessedil e per i sovrani di Leah, che abbiamo visto avvicendarsi in queste storie.
Con questo libro però si conclude l’era della magia dei Druidi e questo fa un certo effetto.
Come accennato Brin e Jair sono i figli di Wil e Amberle (sì alla fine sta con lei evviva!!!🥳🥳🥳) che restano soli in compagnia di Rone Leah in occasione del viaggio che i genitori fanno due volte all’anno come guaritori, per andare a prestare i loro servizi alle popolazioni più lontane.
Stavolta peró si rivela diversa dalle altre perchè ritroveremo Allanon, nuovamente alla ricerca di discendenti di Shannara, per salvare il mondo dalla stessa magia nera che, prima con Il Signore degli inganni e con i Demoni, ora con le Mortombre, sta portando la devastazione nelle Quattro terre. Stavolta però i tempi sono maturi perché la magia nera venga distrutta una volta per tutte e alle origini, e sarà Brin a doverlo fare, trovando l’Ildatch, il libro creato dai Druidi ai tempi, che crea ogni volta nuove apparizioni.
E per farlo dovrà usare la sua unica ma potentissima arma, la Canzone magica con cui riesce a modificare la realtà circostante in maniera permanente.
Sarà lei a partire seguita dall’amico Rone, mentre il fratello resterà a casa ad attendere i genitori.
Il destino però ha in serbo qualcosa anche per Jair.
Devo dire che inizialmente ho trovato il libro un po’ lento ma, dopo averne letti tre di Brooks, ho capito che questa è un po’ una sua caratteristica
Allo stesso modo, all’inizio faticavo nella lettura e procedevo molto lentamente, perché, pur apprezzando il suo stile narrativo, trovavo nella storia di una spedizione per salvare il mondo, qui addirittura di due, a cui si aggreghino esponenti di tutte le razze, la solita storia già sentita nei tanti fantasy dei tempi.
Poi però, da un certo punto in poi, tutto cambia e cominciano a susseguirsi una serie di colpi di scena, di eventi e nuovi personaggi che tengono incollati alle pagine, guidando velocemente verso la fine.
In particolare per me questo è successo dagli eventi che si verificano sul fiume Chard Rush da un lato, e dall’altro dalla comparsa di Garet Jax il maestro d’armi.
Come mio solito però, mi trovo ad andare controcorrente.
I mio personaggi preferiti non sono mai o quasi, gli eroi senza macchia nè paura ma le persone comuni che si dimostrano speciali.
In particolare in questo caso, nonostante Garet Iax abbia il suo fascino, mi ha rubato il cuore il battitore Slanter, burbero e scontroso, apparentemente freddo e scostante, discriminato per la sua razza, ma guardato male anche dai suoi simili per la sua storia, finisce invece per rivelarsi di cuore, leale e affezionato, eroico come si rivelerà nel finale, per permettere di portare a termine la missione, anche quando potrebbe scappare.
E poi vabbè Cogline, Kimber e Baffo!!! Ne vogliamo parlare? Sono la combriccola più comica e stramba ma anche più tenera e unita che ci sia! Per Baffo ho tremato ogni istante nelle lotte nel Malmord, temendo ogni istante che potesse succedergli qualcosa.
Senza fare spoiler, o almeno ci provo, subiamo una perdita importantissima in questa vicenda, che segna il passaggio da un’era ad una nuova, e questo cambiamento mi ha lasciato tanta tanta malinconia.
Dall’arrivo dei due gruppi alle Montagne del Corvo mi è sembrato di entrare in un videogioco con i due personaggi contemporaneamente, uno da un lato e uno dall’altro del Croagh, attraverso la fortezza di Graymark, e tutte le minacce come i guardiani neri, gli Gnomi guerrieri e le Mortombre che sbucano a ogni angolo, da sconfiggere velocemente per non morire.
E poi dall’arrivo nella foresta fino alla scena finale con l’Ildatch è tutto un crescendo, con una trovata originalissima, intrapsichica di Brin, che fino a quel momento non mi aveva convinta del tutto realmente e che, in quell’occasione, si mostra realmente pericolosa e non abbastanza forte da resistere alla tentazione, e si capisce subito che non è tanto la canzone la minaccia, come poi spiegherà Allanon, ma la magia nera e il potere che le si lascia assumere.
Tra i due protagonisti infatti ho apprezzato molto molto di più Jair e quel che è capace di fare, perché, nonostante più giovane e più malleabile apparentemente, si mostra poi in fondo più puro.
In tutto questo libro ho trovato delle atmosfere molto più oscure, più dark e più riflessive se vogliamo, concentrate sui tormenti di gran parte dei personaggi, che qui sono caratterizzati da molte più sfumature del solito e non sono solo bianchi o neri.
L’unico aspetto che apprezzo poco dei finali di Brooks è che ci sono sempre troppe perdite ed addii, cosa che non amo per niente.
Chissà nei prossimi cicli chi ritroveremo... -
A little bit about this book:
➔The plot is original, and we all know that Brooks didn't know the meaning of the word in his first two Shannara books, so this was a much-needed change.
We follow Brin and Jair, Wil and Eretria's children.
Yes, Allanon will appear yet again demanding they pack and go on an adventure or the Earth is doomed.
���Understandably, they pack and go along with him. The quest is to find a book of magic that corrupts anyone who touches it. They meet friends along the way,, there is a lot of changes happening and they ultimately save the world.
➔In conclusion: It's predictable but enjoyable. The only book worth reading from the Original Shannara trilogy and that's that.
Also, the last time I am writing a review for Brooks this year — thank you God.
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Originality looks good on Brooks. 💁Review to come. -
Brooks’ vivid yet clear writing was the perfect backdrop for this epic story. The graphic yet picturesque action sequences came to life throughout. The intertwining storylines add a complexity to the novel that changes it from a simple tale to an epic journey and the adventure of a lifetime. Brooks takes his readers on an epic journey across a vivid world that comes to life as if you were looking at an interactive 3D map. Not only does Brooks bring the story to life, he also brings some well-developed and unforgettable creatures & races to life. He pulls on the deepest parts of your imagination and makes it so very real.
I enjoy how the magic of the wishsong is gradually developed as Brin explores it, and to some extent the very different manner Jair manifests it. The unique magic present in this world permeates everything in very unique manners. The explanation of how magic works was astounding. It definitely added a lot to the tale and mad Brin’s character and plight even more complicated. I love how it was done as well. I love the ties with the Elfstones of Shannara but how it also stands on its own. The ever-changing political alliances of this series serve to both tie the novels together and to illustrate the ever-changing world with the passage of time. I loved how I could recognize locales from past novels but also got introduced to new ones.
I loved the close relationships between the characters here. It really humanised the entire story. I love Allanon’s storytelling. He’s a master bard along with everything else. His voice brings it all to life. I felt as if I were watching it. I appreciate how we see Allanon being stuck between a rock & a hard place, how Brooks shows how he hides his emotions and fights with himself. I also enjoyed Jair’s story almost as much (if not slightly more than) Brin’s. The King of the Silver River is a fascinating character. He’s both extremely complex and very straightforward. Brooks lets you know what each of his characters is thinking and feeling. I really felt a connection with them because of this. I appreciate how real and natural the characters are. They feel fear, anger, love, and loss. It was a fantastic mix and really allowed me to not only connect with them but also to become part of the tale.
Brooks has developed an action intensive plot for this novel that kept me captive while drawing me deep into a true fantasy. It was an epic read on its own and unforgettable as part of this series. -
I took a bit of a break between this book and
The Sword of Shannara but I really wanted to finish this series and I actually had time to read this month!
I've always really enjoyed Brooks' writing, how detailed and unique it feels. However, he does like to be a little long-winded, taking his time in a particular situation or to get to a specific point in the story.
We learn Wil and Eretria settled in Shady Vale and had two children; Brin and Jair Ohmsford.
The parents leave to visit outlying communities, using Wil's skills as a Healer while Eretria helps as his assistant.
As it always does, the appearance of Allanon sets the story in motion. While he only needs Brin for this mission, her friend, Rone Leah (a last name we've seen before) joins them.
As for Jair, someone is hunting him... and is promptly captured.
Though they travel completely differently, the sibling's journeys lead them to Graymark, the place where Mord Wraiths dwell. And though, they aren't together, they wind up helping each other. Or at least, Jair helps Brin before the Ildatch, the book of dark magic is able to overpower her.
Something I found interesting was how most of the book was the tale of Jair's adventure's when the blurb barely mentioned him! Brin's tale was only told in short sequences.
Even towards the end, Brooks managed to stretch out the story. It made it suspenseful, sure but it also made it unnecessarily long (in my opinion).
The end definitely felt like an *end*. Loose ends were tied and questions were answered, as much as they could be.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this (high?) fantasy series. It was exciting and interesting, if a little long-winded at times. I loved this novel wonderfully closed of a series of good verses evil! -
Sometimes I wonder if I have become less discriminating about books as I've gotten older. Recently it seems like I'm giving almost everything I read 4 or 5 stars, and this is one where I question my discernment. I found the old man Cogline to be excessively caricatured with the stomping of his feet, jumping around like a clown, and repetitive cantankerousness concealing the stereotypical heart of gold. I felt like Brooks pulled a bit of a bait and switch when he started with Brin heading out on her quest with Allanon, but then spent the next major chunk of the book following her little brother instead. Eventually he joined the threads such that I didn't feel cheated. This book is pretty much a standard epic quest, with party formation, dynamics, and death, and it worked for me. I had fun while reading it, and even if I was never particular surprised by an of the events, I enjoyed the journey. Some of the names are a bit silly, sometimes the characters make decisions that are annoying, but for the most part their motives are made clear, and their weaknesses make sense within the scope of the story.
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Mr. Brooks' challenge: write a worthy follow-up to The Elfstones of Shannara.
Challenge: met.
The next generation of Ohmsfords produces their best fighter yet - the tough-as-nails Brin, who follows in her father's footsteps and goes on another epic quest to save the world. This time, though, the forces of evil will come this close (picture my thumb and forefinger a millimeter apart) to corrupting her beyond repair, should they have her way.
It's the end of the original Shannara trilogy, but not the end of this world, not by a long shot. I've still got a long ways to go on this series. But I really hope that if MTV's Shannara Chronicles comes back for a second season, that they'll base it on this book. It'll be a very nice and welcome change after the first season, the Elfstones adaptation, inevitably reaches its end. -
Questo terzo volume della trilogia inizia esattamente come i primi due. Allanon va dagli Ohmsford e convince l'erede di turno - Brin - a seguirlo per salvare il mondo dal Male del momento, il libro che raccoglie tutta la magia nera, l'Illidatch.
La differenza rispetto ai primi due romanzi sta sostanzialmente nella sfiga della Compagnia, che viene decimata. Far finire un'era (e una trilogia) è un lavoraccio, devi ammazzare un sacco di personaggi. Sarà per questo che le "Compagnie" questa volta sono due...
Lo stile di Terry Brooks è sempre lo stesso: E allora captò lentamente la presenza di qualcosa, qualcosa di terribile, un'entità così maligna che la sua sola presenza bastava a permeare l'aria di paura. Qualsiasi cosa fosse, sembrava essere dappertutto, un orrendo mantello nero che avvolgeva la casa degli Ohmsford come un sudario. Un essere, sussurrò la sua mente, un essere oscuro. Tutto fumo e niente arrosto: tutti questi aggettivi hanno un devastante effetto soporifero (e allora si cominciano a contare la pagine che ci separano dall'agognata fine...).
I personaggi rimangono privi di approfondimento e piatti, senza vita, senza forza. Sarebbe stato meglio avere meno personaggi, ma sufficientemente approfonditi...
La narrazione va avanti a forza di descrizioni poco evocative, "colpi di scena" (molti già visti in precedenza, ma presentati con condimento diverso) e introduzioni di personaggi/mostri più o meno significativi.
A questo giro la parte del protagonista-oh-ma-quanti-problemi-mi-faccio tocca a Brin: visti i suoi pensieri catastrofici, nessuno può stupirsi di ciò che le accade alla fine... mai sentito parlare di pensiero positivo? Inizia a pensare che non ce la farà prima ancora di partire...
Al contrario di lei, il fratello minore Jair è una macchina di positività (e nessuno gli crede quando prova ad abbattersi). Dentro di sé sa che ci sarà sempre qualcuno disposto a salvargli il c*** (e infatti, puntualmente...).
E, infine, abbiamo l'innamorato pazzo - di Brin - Rone Leah, discendente del vecchio Menion del primo volume. In realtà, dal suo comportamento non si direbbe che sia così innamorato, ma Brin una volta pensa che lo sia e tanto dovrebbe bastarci (ehi, lettore, come mai pretendi che lo scrittori ti mostri che Rone è innamorato di Brin?). Poi il potente sentimento viene di nuovo fuori alla fine, quando i due si ritrovano, innamorati persi (o meglio, Rone la guarda con gli occhi da pesce lesso innamorato). Tutto qui. Nelle restanti pagine non c'è nessun cenno ai loro sentimenti.
Il cattivo è un libro di magia nera. Le sue parole - sì, il libro parla - sono tentatrici come quelle di un allievo di Satana rimandato a settembre. Non avrebbero convinto a passare dalla sua parte nemmeno il malvagio più incallito. Quindi ci si meraviglia di tutti i danni che è riuscito a fare... ma, d'altro canto, i cattivi libri hanno sempre pessimi effetti sulle menti dei lettori... -
Recensione pubblicata su
Cronache di Betelgeuse
Un nuovo viaggio per sconfiggere il male è alle porte della famiglia Ohmsford. Il druido Allanon, con il suo solito fare cospiratorio, è pronto a trascinare i due giovani protagonisti in mezzo al pericolo.
Gli ingredienti classici di questa avventura fantasy ci sono tutti: due ragazzi che si ritrovano a dover affrontare un nemico sconosciuto, con una guida sapiente e un gruppo di sostenitori pronti a tutto per loro. Brin e Jair non possono però dormire sonni tranquilli, perché per una volta sembra che Allanon abbia fatto male i suoi conti. Forse a causa dell’età o della presunzione di riuscire sempre a orchestrare le missioni, stavolta però rischia di compromettere la salvezza dell’intero gruppo. Infatti per quanto Brin e Jair siano dotati, sono comunque due ragazzini. Sono affascinati dal mondo che li circondano, spaventati dalla minima ombra e inconsapevoli dei rischi che stanno correndo. E’ un mix pericoloso da gestire, che potrebbe portare a risultati inaspettati.
Brin sembra la brava ragazza, che riflette sempre prima di prendere qualsiasi decisione e si sente in dovere di compiere le scelte più difficili in quanto sorella maggiore. Il suo potere è più forte di quello di Jair, che però compensa il tutto con astuzia e intelligenza. Ho trovato la ragazza un po’ scialba come caratterizzazione. Si appoggia sempre agli altri personaggi per ogni sua azione e le poche volte che rimane da sola combina solo disastri. Jair invece matura in fretta, anche a causa delle disavventure che gli capitano. Riesce a capire come sfruttare i suoi poteri e a colmare le sue mancanze creandosi alleanze con diverse razze.
L’intera avventura si basa sul viaggio compiuto dai due giovani, lasciandoci esplorare una nuova porzione del mondo creato dall’autore. Purtroppo essendoci sempre guerra e pericoli in agguato non possiamo apprezzarlo a fondo, ma dai piccoli dettagli che trapelano qua e là sembra essere una terra fantastica. Scopriamo anche qualcosa in più sulle altre razze, che nei libri precedenti erano rimaste un po’ nell’ombra. Speriamo in una nuova evoluzione della trama, viste anche le rilevazioni che ci colpiscono a fondo durante la lettura. -
1.5/5 oop
I am so bummed about this. I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, both the plots and the characters, but this book felt like just a weird amalgamation of the plots from the first two books with some extra stuff thrown in that I Did Not Care About At All. It didn't feel like the real plot started until at least 60% through the book, and then the rest of the book felt way too long and draggy so I really didn't enjoy any of the plot in this. I didn't care about most of the characters because they just felt like caricatures of the fellowship from Lord of the Rings. I did enjoy some of the inner monologues from Brin, and I liked that there was a bit of a focus on the sibling relationship so it gets an extra 0.5 stars but other than that I really didn't like anything about this book. -
The 3rd book in original Shannara.
I think it is time for me to move on...I wanted this book to be good-it did not have to be great, just good. I am stretching myself giving this book three stars. It may be, as I said that it is just time for me to move on to another author for a while. I do want to, at some point, continue reading the series. I have hopes that at some point Brook's editor reigned him in and cut out the massive amount of adjectives that slogged this book down for me. -
This is so awesome. it's on the same magnificent level as Lord of the rings. Terry Brooks is an awesome writer. This is fantasy at its best.
-
-Know me. I am the Ildatch, the book of the dark magic, born of the age of faerie. I am older than the Elves--as old as the King of the Silver River, as ancient as the Word.-
I just finished
The Wishsong of Shannara
. It is the 12th story in the Shannara series chronologically.
A few thoughts I had during this re-read that struck me about the book:
1) The juxtaposition of Heaven's Well at the summit of the Croagh set against the hellish jungle that is the Maelmord below it in the valley where the evil Ildatch lays is very powerful. Heaven vs. Hell. Life vs. Death.
Terry Brooks used that setting so cleverly.
2) While the first about 2/3 of the book is great, it wasn't as great as I remembered, but the last about 1/3 always leaves me breathless as a reader. Pacing and plot are great.
3)
The Wishsong of Shannara
is so important and formative to the rest of the series. The wishsong magic, readers find out, is the resulting effect that changed Wil Ohmsford after his use of the Blue Elfstones. So much happens in this novel, and the events here in this novel are a wondrous segue into the rest of what readers get in the rest of the series.
Next up in the series is another short story called
Indomitable
It is an epilogue to
The Wishsong of Shannara . Brin Ohmsford apparently didn't get all the pages of the Ildatch...
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2015 review
Wow! 5 out of 5 stars for the Wishsong of Shannara by Terry Brooks! This is now my fourth reading of The Wishsong and it seems to get better each time I read it. (Great books deserve to be re-read and this one is definitely worth the time). This book has everything - a wonderful plot, unforgettable characters, and descriptions and settings that are the best I've ever read. While it is hard for me to pick a favorite book in the Shannara series because I love them all so much, the Wishsong is now definitely my favorite! All fans of epic fantasy should read this book. If you do read the Wishsong, even though it is a stand alone novel, I suggest reading The Sword of Shannara and the Elfstones of Shannara to help you understand and appreciate some of the plot of The Wishsong. It is formative to all of the books that come after it in the Shannara series, so it is very important to the series. The Wishsong of Shannara is an AWESOME book and I give it the highest recommendation! Happy reading and Happy National Book Lover's Day, everyone! -
I kept thinking this series would get better. The first book sucked but the second was much better. I had such high hopes for the third. I was sorely disappointed! I actually gave up on this book because even after *forcing* myself to get to the 82% mark. Do you know how bad a book as to be for me to give up at 82%?!?!?
One of the problems is that the author clearly didn't plan out this world in any way before he started writing. This book has the characters coming across new sentient life forms left & right. Brooks clearly couldn't pound the square peg of the sentient life forms he already created in the round peg that was the plot of this book, but rather than work with what he had (or, god forbid, take the characters into entirely new parts of the planet), he just kept creating new creatures to fit the hole he dug himself into.
The world, which is supposed to Earth post-apocalypse, has more "ancient beyond ancient magic" (from the days before humans evolved) than you can shake a stick at. Having characters encounter extremely ancient magic once or twice is plausible. When it happens every ten feet, not so much.
The reviews written by others for the first book tear into Brooks' almost character-for-character, place-for-place, plot-for-plot copy of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. For this book, he clearly read or watched some version of Alice in Wonderland. One of the main characters gets to talk to an ancient magical creature who sometimes tells the truth, but sometimes lies. The characters also befriend a giant cat that can "disappear" - it even appears to smile at them once (seriously). Brooks states in the foreword that he wanted to write a "Magnificent Seven" type of story. That movie was based on "The Seven Samurai," which I think Brooks basically copy-pasted from a little too much. Jair Ohmsford may as well be swordsman (who was actually a farmer's son wanting glory & acceptance). The Other "new" creatures in this world are Spider Gnomes (because why not?) and a species of lizard creatures that no one made mention of in previous books even though they've been there all along in the same lands as the gnomes & trolls.
The worst problem I had with this book is the never-ending series of "convenient occurrences." Each time a main character almost dies, or is lost, or captured.....conveniently enough something happens that saves them! It never fails to annoy me that every time a character wanders around the "impenetrable" forest, they conveniently find exactly what they need, or who they were looking for in no time flat. I realize that this happens in most books, but this series is so poorly written I kept finding myself rolling my eyes so frequently I began to wonder if they could get stuck up there. At one point Brooks describes an "impenetrable" Dwarven fortress built on a river - he even describes all the ways it's been reinforced to hold off attacks off all types. Oops, that becomes a problem later when he needs the fortress to fall. The solution? A Kraken! A %!#$! kraken! I damn near chucked my Kindle across the room.
Honestly, there's a probably a lot more ranting I could do but it's been a while since I officially abandoned this one. I think MTV was wise to use the second book as the basis of their TV series. Neither the first nor this one had enough compelling, original content to do anything with. I'm actually beginning to wonder if the second book is just a big copy/paste of something I haven't read or watched. Hm...maybe I'll go re-read the reviews to see if it is. -
I wasn't a big fan of this third and final book in the Shannara trilogy. While it isn't necessary to read the first two books before this one as it can be read as a stand-alone, I would recommend reading them just for some background. Actually, I'd probably read the first two and skip this one as it is not nearly on level with them.
Brin Ohmsford and her brother Jair are greatly surprised when the mysterious and well known druid Allanon comes to their home to seek them out. You see, the two are able to use the wishsong, elven magic that responds only to them, and in Jair's case, only as an illusion. A new evil is on the rise in the form of the Mord Wraiths who are controlled by a dark book far to the east. Allanon requests (and demands as is his nature) that Brin come with him to destroy this evil as only she has the power to. She is accompanied by her friend Rone Leah who is to be her protector and they set off with the druid to try to put an end to this evil. Meanwhile, Jair, who is left behind to warn their parents, is taken by a roaming pack of gnomes who were searching for Allanon and they discover he holds the magic. After a rescue and then strange meeting with the Guardian of the Silver River (which has been poisoned) he is set out on a quest to cure the river and also assist his sister. This can only be accomplished by reading his destination before she can reach hers and then help her with his magic before she can fail in her task. With five helpers, he has to journey as well through the treacherous eastlands, not knowing what he may encounter.
The characters in this had the potential to be interesting but were never really given a chance. They are not fully developed and I didn't even really like the main characters, Brin and Jair which made it hard to care about what happened to them in this novel. Once again, major motivations were not explained satisfactorily either. Brooks even makes note of one of my biggest problems with the series (the fact that Allanon doesn't share information) yet doesn't produce a good answer to why he makes his character do that (he does provide an answer, just not a good one).
The writing drags in this book due to overuse of description and scenes that could have just been cut out. I found myself putting the book down multiple times just to get away from it and take a break, and since I read for fun, this didn't sit well with me. It just gets plain boring through most of the book and tedious in other parts. There is a redeeming feature to this book, however. I loved the idea of the wishsong and devoured any parts of the book that mentioned it. It was a neat idea for magic and well thought out and saved this book from being too much of a mess.
I'll probably avoid Brook's books for awhile. He just isn't consistent on how well done or original they are and I like to try to choose books to read that I'll enjoy. Great fans of Brooks or the fantasy genre might appreciate this book, but most others probably will not.
The Wishsong of Shannara
Copyright 1985
504 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2011 -
I don't think I am the target audience for the writings of Terry Brooks.
The plot lines and characters of his Shannara stories are borrowed almost whole from JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
There are elves and dwarves and men living in Brooks's world; and there are magical talismans with the power to seduce those who possess them and to identify the possessor to the dark lords who covet them; and there are quests to save the world from evil, powerful sorcerer and his army of demonic beings; and there are at least 2 creatures who talk like Gollum.
In "The Wishsong of Shannara" - the third and final book of "The Shannara Trilogy", Brin and Jair - children of the hero of "The Elfstones of Shannara" and grandchildren of the hero of "The Sword of Shannara" - travel across the Four Lands to destroy an evil book. They armed with the power of the Wishsong - the ability to generate magic and illusion with their voice; and are joined by allies of other races.
I think Brooks's books are aimed at teens and young adults who have not yet experienced Tolkien and maybe aren't ready for something as heavy as Middle Earth. Brooks is not nearly as good a writer as writer as Tolkien (who is?); but his narrative is simpler and more straightforward, making it accessible to those who are new to high fantasy. It's a good gateway into this genre.
I enjoyed this trilogy enough to complete it, but not enough to read any more books that Brooks has set in this universe. This is a good introduction to high fantasy for those who want something light and easy to read. If you are already a fan of the genre and have read some of its masters, you are likely be disappointed. -
This book was EXCELLENT! It definately stuck out in my mind as my favorite Terry Brooks book that I've read thus far. Something about this storyline and the characters really just grabbed a hold of my heart! Brin and Jair are my favorite Shannara protagonists so far, espescially Brin. Her journey was so touching and really believable (as weird as that may sound for a fantasy book!).
One of the most amazing things I find about this series is how much I find myself caring for the characers. And Mr. Brooks always seems to keep me in suspense worrying whether they will all make it out okay in the end. And the funny thing is, THEY DON'T. Terry Brooks is a genius, in my opinion, because he makes his stories even more emotional and intense by not allowing everyone to survive. That may sound morbid, but believe me, his books are even more amazing because of this.
I am really super hyped to start the next one now! If you are a fantasy fan, this is not a series to be missed! -
Loved Brin and Jair, and always a fan of Allanon. Great follow up to the Elfstones of Shannara!
2020 reread: Still one of the best books in the series. The story is a Terry Brooks classic, with an epic quest, a few sacrifices from awesome side characters and quirky animal-like fantasy creatures. This was a great read, with a great ending. I am actually curious to learn more about the Mwellret, a lizard-like race. Stythys was an interesting character which reminded me a bit of Gollum, lol. On to the next! -
Reseña ->
http://thewordsofbooks.blogspot.com.e...
La canción de Shannara, es un libro lleno de aventuras, peligros, acción, muertes dolorosas y magia, con una trama totalmente adictiva desde las primeras páginas. Sin duda, os lo recomiendo si os gustan los libros de fantasía épica con personajes decididos, fuertes, y valientes dispuestos a todo por cumplir su misión y evitar que la magia oscura triunfe. -
Well, I don’t think that any of these books fully lived up to the first book in the trilogy. Or maybe it’s just at the time I’m reading them.
The Ildatch has been found. The one thing behind all the evil and dark magic in the world. Now it has brought the Mord Wraiths who will bring down the destruction of all mankind. Allanon, protector of the Races, has come to Brin. Her magic, known as the wishsong, may be the only power that can help him destroy the Ildatch once and for all. So off they go, to save the world. But Jair finds out that their mission is doomed to fail unless he helps them. He leaves his home and the world he knows to find Brin and save her if he can. But the only way that he’ll even have a chance to reach her is if he gets some help. Will any help him? Will he save her in time? Or will he be too late?
The characters. There seems to be a trend in these books. And that is the fact that there are a wide cast of characters. We have Brin Ohmsford who is quiet, calm, and collected. She knows reason and is stubborn to stick to it. She is brave, but not without fear. Her younger brother, Jair, is also stubborn. He has temper and isn’t at all afraid to speak his mind. He won’t back away from something he disagrees with. Jair wants to help, even if it endangers himself. Brin and Jair have a bond that is stronger than anything else. Rone Leah is a close friend to Brin. Well, he’s more that that to her. He’s her protector. He cares about her so much. Rone is headstrong and more likely to get himself killed that Brin herself. Slanter is a Gnome, but at the same time he’s not. He pretends not to care about anything, but he does. He is tough, hard, and cold, but that’s all for show. Garet Jax is a man with only one purpose in life. Only one that satisfies him. He’s a mystery. Quiet and quick, you’d never see him coming. He doesn’t talk much, and definitely not about his past. Elb Foraker is as much of a Dwarf as a Dwarf can be. He believes in Jair’s mission and is willing to help him, but he the Dwarves do come first if he can help them. He’s a natural leader, if need be. Edain Elessedil is young, but willing to sacrifice himself to save the world. He’s smart and caring. Helt is a sort of father figure. Not much is known of him. He’s thoughtful and big and strong. Then, of course, there is the Druid, Allanon. He will always be my favorite characters. He keeps many secrets, but feels it is his duty to do so. We see a bit more into him in the book. I was so happy about that. He is like a coming storm, just waiting to unleash its fury. He does not play games. He acts as though he needs no one and really cares for no one, but that’s not true. He does care, but doesn’t want to show it. He needs someone to truly care for him.
The plot was for the most part pretty fast. There were parts that were slow, but not a lot. I enjoyed it. The danger levels was high. The battles were heart stopping. The terror was real. Many people died, but a good many survived. There were parts that I wanted to scream in agony over. There was the plot twisting ending (which I have come to expect from this author). I kind of guessed it, but still loved seeing it played out. It was really good.
The writing style reminds me of The Lord of the Rings, but it is much easier to read and stay focused on. I’m not totally sure why, but it is. There were a few times that I was confused by the way they described the landscape or a certain setting. I couldn’t picture it for some reason, but I didn’t let it bother me.
I didn’t notice any bad content. There is a lot of violence and it is quite creepy, but that was fine. There were a few kisses, but nothing else in that category. I will say that this series does dwell on magic (dark magic and good magic) and such things like that.
I really did love this book. I just wished it hadn’t taken me so long to read. I hope to read more by this author soon.
You can check out this review on my blog too, at:
https://aheartredeemed.wordpress.com/... Thanks! -
So it took my husband and I a year to read this out loud together...oops.
Anyway, I have now read through the original three Shannara books and I still think
The Elfstones of Shannara is the best. I could see myself re-reading that one. The characters are just great. But you came here to read a review of this book, not that one.
This is my least favorite book of the original trilogy. It just wasn't as compelling as the other two, the characters weren't as well developed and the story wasn't as gripping. I frequently found myself rolling my eyes at Brin's ineptitude and would often pause in my reading aloud when she was in a sticky situation to make snide comments to my husband; usually along the lines of "If only she had some kind of magic wishsong that would help her out..." Four paragraphs later, after a useless internal monologue, Brin would catch up with the rest of us. I liked Jair somewhat better but my favorite character had to be the rough and lovable Slanter. There should be a whole book dedicated to his story.
Since the three books stand on their own, I would only recommend this one if you are a series completionist. If you are only interested in reading one, I recommend Elfstones.
The Sword of Shannara isn't bad and has some great moments but Elfstones is still better. -
A great ending to the Trilogy that started world of Shannara. This sure was a great read, and I am happy that Terry Brooks decided to follow his gut and write it. I really enjoyed all three books thoroughly, although if I had to pick, I'd say Elfstones (Part2) was my favorite.
Only reason for 4 stars rating instead of 5 is that I think Terry Brooks gets a little carried away with his over abundant and over detailed descriptions of everything and too little of dialogue to carry the story forward. It's a double edged sword there, since it really at times made for a difficult, in-easy read for no reason.
There really is no political intrigue, no Royal houses, no history to study, just a pure adventure of a group of people. You'd think they would talk more, but instead we are described they're thought mostly and environment they're in. Don't get me wrong, it was very detailed and very beautiful and my imagination ran rampant, but it did take a very quiet room to really be able to immerse into Brooks' world.
By no means is his a book for someone who's looking for action or a quick paced thriller, it's very much a slower kind of read. If you enjoy Lord of the Rings, I have a feeling you'd like Shannara. They're really seem very similar to me, just take away Tolkien's linguistic inventions and most of his history of the ages, and just focus on the adventure.
In all honesty, first book felt like I was reading Lord of the Rings "Light", if you will, but that feeling is quickly extinguished once you progress through Book 2 and 3.
All in all, I'd highly recommend it, I will surely be reading the next installment, just be mentally prepared for a very solid wall of text hitting you in the face the entire journey. So grab a nice glass of scotch, a quiet room...and go on a journey of your life!
Roman -
It’s been a while since I visited The Four Lands, but I went into this one really hoping it was going to be a satisfying conclusion to the original trilogy. If I’m honest, book 3 was entertaining but somewhat predictable and similar to a number of conclusions I have read in fantasy books over the last 10 years.
At the start of the third adventure, The Ildatch, an ancient source of evil, has begun spreading its dark powers. Following the events of its awakening, the Druid Allanon yet again seeks the help of the Ohmsfords. This time it will be children Brin and Jair who must aid the Druid.
I found book 3 to be entertaining adventure and action, mixed with sometimes monotonous journeys between two points, something I hoped Brooks would write less of as he continued the series. I also found the characters to be very similar to those in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, much like my experience with the Sword of Shannara. There were a couple of characters that were original, however, improving my experience somewhat.
The original trilogy,as a whole I enjoyed, but I don’t think it would have succeeded without Elfstones being the novel it was since I don’t think Sword or Wishsong met the same standard.
Wishsong was not quite the conclusion I was hoping for, but I was entertained throughout most sections of the novel. I am happy to award Wishsong 3.5 stars rounded down, this could have been 4 if the book hadn’t been drawn out in its less eventful stages and if it had also been more original. I will continue to read the Shannara series, since I have heard it improves with the later novels, but I will give myself a considerable break before starting the next stage.
