Review: Elfstones of Shannara takes readers on another adventure through the Four Lands
In the epic fantasy genre, Terry Brooks’ “Shannara” novels rank near the top, right up there with Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings.”
After writing books for decades, Brooks brought part of his world to the big screen in the form of the television show “Shannara,” based on his novel “Elfstones of Shannara,” which was published in 1982.
I read “Elfstones” in preparation for the show’s premiere last week, and found that, once again, the book is far better than the cinematic interpretation.
“Elfstones” is a masterful piece of storytelling. It tells of Amberle, a young elven girl chosen to help bring to life the seed of the dying Ellcrys, a magical tree that holds back an army of demons locked in a prison called the Forbidding.
Traveling with her on this perilous journey, fraught with dangers and demons seeking to destroy any hope of reviving the Ellcrys, is Wil Ohmsford, a novice healer with no fighting experience.
At the instruction of the last druid, Allanon, Amberle and Wil travel the Four Land seeking the mystical Bloodfire to quicken the Ellcrys seed and renew the Forbidding with nothing but their wit and three Elfstones, magical stones that only Wil can use. The Elfstones have the power to protect the two travelers at the cost of revealing their location to other magic wielders.
What I enjoyed about this book was the richness of the world’s history. I was able to read and understand “Elfstones” without having to read the prequel, “The Sword of Shannara,” first.
The novel’s storytelling structure conveys the history of the first book, as it tells the Four Land’s history and the development of today’s world into the world of Shannara.
In Brooks’ world, the Four Lands grow from the ashes of our world after a cataclysm destroys human civilization. Thousands of years later, humanity splits into new races – elves, gnomes, dwarves, trolls and man – named after legendary creatures from stories for their physical attributes.
I like how Brooks links our world to his despite the elves, magic and demons, common themes found in the fantasy genre. It helped me connect to this world as a theoretical future instead of a foreign land similar to ours.
The journey Wil and Amberle take stands out from other books as well. Even though both have a destiny thrust upon them – another common fantasy theme – the characters manage to make it through their journey based almost solely on luck and the people they meet along the way.
Other fantasy books I’ve read usually introduce an older companion or mentor that trains the heroes in the skills they need to succeed. Instead, Wil and Amberle embark on their quest completely unprepared and without supplies or weapons to protect themselves except for the Elfstones, which are for emergencies only and even then their use isn’t guaranteed.
Their relationship is unusual because they grow to really care about one another, but it’s a friendship grown from companionship and the burdens of the quest, instead of the shoved-in-your-face romantic attraction so many other novels and TV shows resort to.
I thoroughly enjoyed “Elfstones” because it took me on an adventure. I strongly suggest reading it instead of watching its TV show adaptation, which adds meaningless and unnecessary romances to multiple characters in the story and heated racism towards the Elves, the book’s primary race. Many other changes were made to the TV show that must add something to the story, but I’m not yet sure what.
—miranda.lorenc@gmail.com
Twitter: @miranda_lorenc