From Copycat to Classic — A Fantasy Book Review of The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Books

 

Art by Eva Eller

Ever since I started writing and editing more intentionally in my spare time, I've increasingly realized that I find it difficult to truly just relax and enjoy a story. Oftentimes, when I sit down to read a book, I eventually notice that I am studying each sentence—analyzing the writers' work to both understand and learn from it. However, when I read The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks, I found myself so lost in the wonder of the adventure that I had unwittingly set aside my analysis and was just letting myself have fun... and what a joy it was!

As I think back to the first book in the series, The Sword of Shannara, I consider reading it like watching a writer learn how to write a book. It starts out incredibly clunky and derivative, but by the end of it, it was quite enjoyable. From Sword to Elfstones, Brooks' skill increased by leaps and bounds.

In this story, Brooks has forgone the "Tolkien MadLibs" of his first book and tells the tale of a dying magical tree—a tree that has held demons at bay for thousands of years. When the tree dies, all of these demons will break through their barrier and wreak havoc on all the Four Lands, and its up to our heroes to stop it. There are still the tried and true fantasy tropes: A quest, a wizard—I mean druid—and a world with elves, dwarves and other creatures. But this time, Brooks tells an original enough story that The Elfstones of Shannara stands on its own as a worthy addition to the genre.

I really liked the plot of this book. There were essentially two major storylines: the journey to save the Ellcrys (the magical tree) and the defense of the elven lands lead by a cadre of heroic elves. I never once found myself trudging through a chapter, hoping to get to my preferred plotline. I was equally engrossed in both. The story also flows very well, with solid twists and turns, and I was eager to learn what happened next from page to page.

One of the strongest points of this is that it takes place 50 years after the original. This allows the story to both stand on its own, and throw back to the previous in very creative ways.

The new characters were a delight.

1. Amberle Elessedil was certainly the star of the show. Although she isn't a POV character, show is central—her connection to the Ellcrys and her stalwart heroism make her a standout.

2. Wil Ohmsford was a noble hero, and a solid choice for a POV. He does give off the "idealistic farm boy" energy, but it both works for this story and is made more interesting with his occupation as a healer.

3. Eretria the Rover girl is also a joy to read, and I found her character to be very strong (this might also be amplified in contrast to the previous book, which had like two female characters). She was had a solid voice, and her sincerity and vulnerability were compelling.

4. Ander Elessedil. Last but not least, in terms of main characters, we have the elven prince. I liked that Brooks had the POV for the elven plotline be the most humble of the bunch. I really admired his thoughtfulness.

There were some returning figures as well, Allanon was greatly improved, and I think Brooks had an excellent balance of old and new. In fact, that is one of the strongest arguments to be made for starting the series with the first book. Brooks knows how to write a sequel. Does this stand on its own? Definitely. Can you start the series with this book because its much stronger than the first? 100%! However, I'd argue, if you can get through The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara will make you appreciate what it was, and how far Brooks has grown as an author.

In terms of writing style, anyone who knows my reading habits could note that I am a sucker for pretty prose. Brooks also improved from book to book in this field as well. The first book had some really clunky descriptions—but, I will admit, I didn't mind them because they were at least easy to visualize, which a lot of fantasy authors fall short of. In this book, I really enjoyed reading Brooks' writing. There was a particular scene where Wil wakes up in this woodland glade, and the descriptions were nothing short of lovely.

I picked up this book and finished it in a week and a half (I have a full time job, so that's not too shabby for me these days). To say that I enjoyed it would be an understatement; I adored this book. There is definitely room to grow here, but Brooks showed from Sword to Elfstones that he is more than up to the task.

-H.