The World of Shannara

I have read all Shannara and Word and the Void books - they were simply amazing. Then I read the World of Shannara - an excellent compendium of just about any significant place, person or event in the entire epic story - and I relived every part of the story. All the books I have read, some parts forgotten, came back upon reading the World of Shannara. Written in an immersive, encyclopedian style and beautifully illustrated I can recommend this work to anyone who has read any or all of the Shannara books.

This is a coffee-table companion book to Terry Brooks' ongoing Shannara epic fantasy series. It's by the same lady who did The World of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. It has the same format of that book, in that it's a history of the world with illustrations of characters, places, and events sprinkled throughout. But it's different in that it makes reference to all of the Shannara books, from the First King prequel all the way up to the recent Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy. I really liked this book because it covers a lot of ground. It includes: 1) An overview of the history of the world. There is a brief tantalizing hint that Terry Brooks' Word and Void series might actually be a prequel to the Shannara books, in that demons are blamed for setting off the Great Wars that destroyed the Old World of Man, otherwise known as our modern-day world. 2) A history of the Druids, complete with blueprints of Paranor and profiles of key figures such as Allanon, Bremen, Walker Boh, Cogline, and founder Galaphile. 3) A chapter on the mysterious Realm of the Dead and Hall of Kings. 4) A history of the Southland, home to Man and the Federation, and a place that has not been featured much in the books. 5) An outline of the Ohmsford and Leah families, complete with a giant Ohmsford family tree. 6) A history of the Borderlands, from the kingdom of Callahorn to the Free Born. 7) A history of the Northland, home to Trolls and the former lair of the Warlock Lord. 8) A history of the Eastland, including the evolution of the dwarf nation and it's battle with human and gnome invaders. 9) A history of the Westland, including a long look at the Elves and a chapter on Wing Riders and Rovers. 10) A brief overview of the new continent of Parkasia featured in the Jerle Shannara books and of Faerie creatures such as the King of the Silver River and demons like the Furies.My favorite parts: 1) The full map of the world. 2) The beautiful pictures of Amberle Elessedil and the Ellcrys Tree, the Meade Garden of the Dwarves, fighting Rocs, and the big-breasted witch sisters of the Wilderun. 3) Pictures and background on the Trolls, Dwarves, Southland Federation, and Skull Bearers. My least favorite parts: 1) A silly portrait of Brin Ohmsford that made her look like a mall brat. 2) No pictures of Gnomes, Urdas, Spider Gnomes, or Mwellrats. 3) The repetition.All in all, this is a great companion book. But you should only get it if you've read all the books, otherwise there are spoilers galore.

This hefty tome is a companion to Terry Brooks' Shannara books. Written in the form of a narrative penned by someone with access to the Druid Histories, it attempts (and largely succeeds) in presenting all of the known facts about the world, its history and its inhabitants. It contains fifteen (if I counted right) chapters, each on different subjects, complete with maps, diagrams and sidebars on fascinating subjects.Overall, I did like this book. I enjoyed that the authors put the information from so many books into a well organized, deeply informing narrative. Having the world condensed and organized so well brought back so much of the fascination I felt when reading the first Shannara books so long ago.The downside is that the book really should not be read instead of the storybooks. As I read, I quickly realized that the book assumes that the reader has already read the other books, and as such leaves certain information out. Having not read certain book in so long, I found that I had to stretch to remember key facts, so that certain parts would make sense.That said, though, this book is quite fascinating. I loved the plentiful illustrations, the maps, and (especially) the diagrams of such things as Paranor and Dun Fee Aran. So, if you are a fan of Terry Brooks, then I highly recommend that you get this book!

Shannara has long been a powerfully epic fantasy series, and it now comes even more fully to life with the publication of this book. Richly detailed, beautifully illustrated, and every bit as absorbing as any of the novels, this tome brings into full view the cast and breathtakingly detailed world spawned from Terry Brooks' imagination.Descriptions of all the major characters, as well as details on their homelands and histories. Ever wondered just exactly what Paranor's lyout was like? Its in here. Maps, sketches, and detailed descriptions.This is without a doubt a must-own for any true Shannara fan.