The Sword of Shannara

Pros

• Sword is more important for it's standing historically in fantasy, starting up epic fantasy once again. ... It has a few beats than are different than LOTR, and honestly, I like the Sword concept and how it applies at the end.
• Our copy had a totally sweet Brothers Hildebrandt gatefold illustration that blew my tiny mind. It's also kinda fun, accessible, slightly unserious but very much earnest honest fantasy from a time before the formula was nailed down, poli...
• It was one of my favorite books as a teen, but that was long ago and it was one of the first fantasy books I read so I’m biased.
• I enjoyed it when I read it back when it was first published.

Cons

• It's not that it is similar, it is that Terry Brooks' process was cynically taking plot points beat for beat from LotR and stripping out all the mythology, poetry, and linguistics. This isnt just a meanspirited criticism, it's his own ex...
• Sword is very much a product of it's time - it has some good moments, but mostly its just an average book with nothing special going on.
• Parent context: As close to a 1:1 lotr (as far as plot and characters) as it gets, except for originality and depth. There's moments that are interesting and scratch the fantasy itch, but it's 70% slog IMO Reply: But I should mention the...
• As close to a 1:1 lotr (as far as plot and characters) as it gets, except for originality and depth. There's moments that are interesting and scratch the fantasy itch, but it's 70% slog IMO
• As a stand-lone book judged on its own merits? Not really no.