The Elfstones of Shannara

Astronomically better than the first one and I gave the first one 5 stars!

This book, like the first one, reads as a stand-alone with some loose tie-ins. The story is set 50 years later and follows the descendants of the first book. Which I didn't like at first because I loved the original characters but I loved these characters almost just as much. This story also had some bad ass horror elements with the Reaper who is one of my favorite bad guys of all time. Absolutely terrifying character and would actually get my heart racing when encountering it's wrath.

The mystical tree that holds the power of the prison encasing demons for thousands of years is dying and they are escaping. One of the Chosen must get the “Seed” and bring it to the Garden to create a new tree before it's too late. Wil Ohmsford (Shea's grandson), uses the the Elfstones to lead one of the Chosen on a journey to find the seed in Westland to save the world from the Demons. All while encountering mystical creatures, monsters, and unexpected friends on his path. Such a dope story and Brooks is a must read for me from now on

I was not overwhelmed by the Sword of Shannara, but wanted to give the original trilogy a solid try. The first fifth of Elfstones was...clunky. Chunky. I am glad I pushed on. Once we got past the initial introduction of the quest, the book was fairly fast-paced. Still awkward in places, but a fun/quick read.

What a great sequel to the first book in the series! Mr Brooks has abandoned the majority of characters from the first book while still retaining the shape and feel of the world. An exploration of the Westland awaits the readers when a threat from the deep past of the Elves announces itself once again.

This book continues the amazement first experienced in the quest for the sword of Shannara while not leaving a new reader lost attempting to puzzle out what happened previously. The reader can see that Mr Brooks has become more accomplished in his writing style and story development. The book progresses at a fast pace that will leave readers enthralled as the story unfolds.

Highly recommended. First read over 30 years ago. This book has lost none of the sense of wonder over this time period. An amazing installment in the Shannara catalogue!

I'm a bit torn in my opinion of this book. On the one hand I think there are some good things story-wise that I enjoyed very much, some interesting ideas at play and if you enjoy a good old-fashioned fantasy adventure of good versus evil, it definitely fits the bill- which I still do enjoy from time to time. The writing, however, leaves something to be desired. It isn't bad per se, but the repetition of particular words gets tiresome over the 560 page count. I was sure that if I heard ‘the Elven girl and the Valeman' one more time I was going to chuck the book altogether. Referring characters to what they were rather than who they were was rather odd and way too much over used. Another word used over and over was ‘phalanx'. I'm not sure why this bothered me, but I don't think I've ever come across another book that uses the same wording over and over to describe things and it became tedious and really pulled me out of the story at times.
The story itself is typical fantasy fare, which I don't think is always a bad thing, once in a while I don't mind just a straight forward good versus bad story with wizards, elves & dwarves - that's actually not what bothered me about this book. The typical factor is definitely high, but it is the writing I think that would turn a lot of people away. It almost reads more like a young adult book, for readers who are still finding what makes good writing.
I believe there are some books you read for the pleasure of the language, and maybe not necessarily the story and some books that you read for the story not necessarily the writing - only the best books have both in my opinion.
The Elfstones of Shannara is firmly in the ‘enjoy the story, not the writing' category. I enjoyed it, but didn't come away with an intense love for it. It was good ‘fluffy' read. I didn't really find myself drawn in by the characters as much as I was the world and story and maybe that is why I feel it was just an okay read and not one I'll be singing praises about.
I'm interested to see how they adapt it for the small screen - again I think there are some good ideas at play that may make a better short series of TV than a long gruelling read. That remains to be seen, but I definitely remain on the fence about the book as a whole.

The style of Brooks writing is the same as the Sword of Shannara. But unlike that previous book, this one is very much better and way more original. The plot is not exactly very unique but it was believable and well-told. The way the races came together and the way the ending turned out made it a beautifully touching story.

I really enjoyed reading this again. Sure it's derivative, but I like fantasy and this holds up pretty well. I read it first time in my late teens. I'm now in my late 40s and some books I've tried rereading don't stand up well at all, such as the Belgariad. The writing in the Shannara books is pretty decent though.