The Wishsong of Shannara

Some interesting and original characters here. It's unfortunate that the supposed heroine needs so much support, but the young hero character pulls through.

Argh. DNF at about page 420 of 500 (original mass market paperback, printed in 1988). I just can't bring myself to finish this book.

Bad stuff is always happening in Shannara. Dark Lords always seem to be resurfacing. Some teenagers are home alone for the weekend and when they should be partying, a dude in a cloak comes along and tells them (a) there's a dark lord resurfacing, (b) only you can stop him, and (c) your parents won't mind at all if you come with me and risk your lives using forbidden magic. He's kinda like the Cat in the Hat. I was willing to let that go, but after 400 pages it's just too much. This is the kind of wish fulfillment people are talking about when they say “eighties fantasy.” These teenagers are the only ones who can save this world that always seems to need saving.

Now, if I read this in 1988 or even 1992, that would be fine. We weren't drowning in fantasy then. Terry Brooks, Mercedes Lackey and Dragonlance were pretty much all you could find. I'm just telling you not to expect depth. Not even the depth of Elfstones of Shannara. I will still read Terry Brooks, but I don't know that I'll commit if it looks like this again.

It's kind of like a nice re-telling of the Sword of Shannara. The plot's mostly interchangeable here and there. While the brother and sister protagonists this time around has good characterisation, it's disappointing to note that again, the story's obviously very influenced by other similar literature, progressing in an almost very typical adventure quest style. But there are some good moments towards the end. Overall, don't go nitpicking the plot or the details and it'll be good for some light reading.