Hi everyone.
After writing my last post, I decided to reread the Sword of Shannara. Of course after finishing it I had to reread its sequel: The Elfstones of Shannara.
In the beginning of The Elfstones of Shannara, the reader finds out that an ancient elven tree called the "Ellcrys" is dieing. The Ellcrys is the only thing stopping an ancient hoard of demons from invading the Elven nation. The Ellcry gives Amberle, the daughter of the elven king Eventine (who was in Sword of Shannara), a seed to plant a new Ellcrys.
In the Sword of Shannara, the reader finds out that the mysterious wanderer Allanon is a druid who can prolong his life by sleeping for long periods of time. In the The Elfstones of Shannara, Allanon has awoken around 50 years after the events of The Sword of Shannara. He instructs Wil Ohmsford, who is the grand-son of Shea Ohmsford (remember him from The Sword of Shannara?), to protect Amberle on her journey. Wil's only weapons are the "elfstones", an ancient elven magic his grandfather gave to him.
The Elfstones of Shannara has a much larger emphasis on romance than The Sword of Shannara. None of the main characters in The Sword of Shannara were romantically involved with anyone. Wil, on the other hand, has two ladies fighting over him: Amberle and a rogue girl named Eretria. It makes for a much more interesting tale.
I would suggest The Elfstones of Shannara to anyone. Knowing what happens in The Sword of Shannara isn't all that important, so you can even read The Elfstones of Shannara without having read The Sword of Shannara.
Another one to add to my reading list. Reading a sequel without reading the original leaves a bad taste in my mouth: I'll definitely have to take a look at both.
ReplyDeleteiiiiiiiiinteresting plot kind of confusing when you boil it down this much, but you did a good job summarizing
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds great for summer reading. Thanks for the book review.
ReplyDeleteNice last post. I've enjoyed this blog! I'm glad you and Edward thought of the idea. Have a great time in Wood's Hole, and we'll see you in the fall!
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