Terry Brooks

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So I was exploring the bookstore and I stumbled into this book that got my attention. Apparently it was the second book from a trilogy. I remember - or thought so at least - to have read this Terry Brooks name somewhere in this forum section, so I though I would give it a chance. I had seen the second book, so I asked some girl if they had the first book in the series Ilse, the Witch or something like that. I took the first one solely - better safe than sorry. So, did I make a good purcharse?
Thanks for any info.

 

I think Terry Brooks is terrible. In fact, I trashed those three Shannara books I owned instead of giving them away. They were boring, with a boring story, boring characters and a silly ending.

But this seems to be another series. Is it worth reading? Dunno.
I just know that I won't touch any Brooks book again.

 

They are good for some reading experience in a foreign language on the introductory level. Simple vocabulary, simple grammar, linear story, twists and turns in the story-line are signalised 100 pages beforehand...

Yes, they are really bad.

 

The Shannara books aren't great. I did like Running with the Demon and his other books set in reality, but I generally enjoy fantasy set in our world.

 

I read the first Shannara trilogy and found them predictable, boring and plagiaristic I thought, gave them to my elder sister who adores his work and has everything he's written; just goes to show there's no accounting for taste. Personally I'd leave his books alone or borrow them from a library to read.

 

Well, I'll disagree. I enjoy his later work, and can tell you about that particular serie, if you wish.

I agree with what you've all said about the 1st series ( to an extent) but they get betetr as time goes.

The Ilse witch is the FIRST book of the 'Voyage of the Jerle Shannara' series. The next two books are Antrax, and Morgawr.

I would recommend it to any fantasy fan, but see if you like the following things:

Use of technology in fantasy (It is set on a flying ship)
Romance
Magic
Character Death

etc. I really enjoyed the whole series, and the next one, which is called the 'High Druid of Shannara' series. In fact, I think I'll go read them again. PM me if you want any more info.

 

When I was a Teen, I thought that The Sword of Shannara and its two sequels were just the best damn books in existence. Reading them later, i still like them, but he is hardly a "great" writer.

He occasionally has excellent ideas, and his use of the standard cliches does occasionally have some freshness. I liked his "Demon" series more than the other 2.

So, I'm not going to trash him as totally as some of the rest here have done -- I'd sooner see my daughter reading his stuff than Terry Goodkind, as Brooks does not have the S&M sex all over the place. In fact, there is little sex at all in Brooks, which I think is good for younger readers -- I'm all for sex, don't get me wrong, but I don't think kids should be exposed to that sort of thing too early -- in that sense Brooks is a good introduction to fantasy.

Lastly, like him or hate him, there are those in the publishing industry who credit the publication of SOS with bringing fantasy back into the mainstream of publishing as a commercially viable genre. At least, I read that in an article once.

 

Hehe, doesn't seem like a good purcharse. I will give it a try and tell what I think later though.

Except for the romance all is well.
Thanks anyway.

 

I think Terry Brooks is great. He is predictable sometimes yes. But so is about 95 percent of hollywood movies, and other fantasy writers I think. Just plain old fashioned adventure stories set in a fantasy world and I like it. But I must agree that his earlier books were the best though. Now he is writing a trilogy about how the druid council came to be.Its set thousands of years before the events in Sword of Shannara. Will be fun to read it I am sure.

 

Terry Brooks is usually pretty mediocre to be honest. His Shannara books are awful. There are plenty of other better writers out there.

 

Save your money, Syv. DarkStrider and Harbourboy have the right of it. Besides, Brooks can't write a decent battle scene to save his life.

 

I had bought this one already. Well, I will read it, and if it is half decent in the least - because I hate to start things and don't finish them - I will buy the other two.
I am thinking in buying the Icewind Dale Trilogy. How does it fare compared to the other Drizzt trilogies - I have read the Dark Elf one and the one about the drow attack on the surface world? Problem is, I have plenty books to read already.

 

A short OT:

Don't buy it. Get it from a library or a friend, if available. Chances are high that you will be disappointed, especially after reading the Dark Elf Trilogy. It is Salvatores first work and therefore his worst. IMO, the books would have never been published if they were not part of the FR franchise.

 

I'm fairly open to arguing that both Brooks AND Salvatore write fantasy that is too fluffy and derivative for my liking. But, as Tal suggests, each to their own. And as they've both sold more books than I have, I guess they can have the last laugh.