The Wishsong of Shannara

Pros: -It\’s Terry Brooks. -It\’s the third book in a great trilogy. -The cover is shiny. Cons: -The binding is coming off on the first reading. This is the third book in the Sword of Shannara trilogy, so if you\’re interested in this book, you probably already have some idea what it\’s about. This review won\’t talk about the story, but about the physical condition of the book. I purchased this book brand new, and as I began to read it, the first 50 pages or so came undone from the binding! This is frustrating. I like to keep my books in good condition, so it frustrates me to have one start falling apart on the first read. The reason I gave it two stars is because I like Terry Brooks and the series. Do not buy this version of the book. Choose a different one.

This book felt like a step backward from the improvements made in Elfstones. One complaint about Sword is that it feels like it very much copies Lord of the Rings. Elfstones took a huge step forward in differentiating from LOTR. WIshsong, on the other hand, went very much back to copying LOTR. Sword also had large sections where it felt like nothing happens while Elfstones constantly felt like it had momentum and something important was always happening. Wishsong, again felt like a step backward. While still better paced than Sword, it had a lot of really slow sections. My last \”complaint\” is that I didn\’t really feel connected to any of the character\’s fates. Maybe because there were so many characters again that it was hard to really get to know any of them. Again, Elfstones was much better with this by focusing on a smaller primary group of characters. Still definitely worth reading. Just not as good as Elfstones.

After \”Elfstones\” I was greatly looking forward to \”Wishsong\”. Wow was I disappointed. This book feels like the author just added sentence after sentence to stuff pages. Characters\’ dialog goes on and on restating the same thing over and over….This one slogs along with almost no surprises and a completely predictable plot. I found myself skimming ahead. It\’s been a long time since I\’ve done that…determined just to get it over. Go back and read Elfstones again, and skip this one.

Another excellent Shannara book by Terry Brooks. Brin and Jair Ohmsford, children of Wil Ohmsford and the Rover girl, Eretria, are young adults with the power of the Elfstones that Wil carried on his journey to help Amberle Elessedil find the Bloodfire and restore the Ellcrys and the Forbidding that held the demons sealed up from the old world, transformed into a different power, that of the Wishsong. For Brin, it eventually becomes something that is almost terrifying as she travels with the Druid, Allanon and the Highlander prince, Rone Leah, to destroy an evil book called the Ildatch. For Jair it becomes a means to help his companions on a quest that he had not known he was to undertake, to save Brin from herself and her wishsong. Traveling companions that neither of them could foresee join them along the way, and both question whether they are capable of the tasks assigned them. A must read for any fantasy fan!

I really loved this series of the three original Shannara books, The Sword, The Elfstones and The Wishsong. I read them when I was in high school for the first time. I enjoyed them just as much this time. I always get to the end and cannot decide which in this series is my favorite. That being said, The Wishsong is another wonderful dimension to the series. Terry Brooks does a wonderful job at unfolding the events in way that makes you want to keep turning the pages. The journey is an adventure you\’ll not soon forget. I know that some criticism comes from the parallels people draw from Tolkein, but really take the time to read Brooks. There are some parallels, but he does develop a wonderful and imaginative story that is all his own work and one I really loved. Great characters, he develops wonderful heroes and heroines that you can believe in.

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