The Sword Of Shannara
Book 1 – The Warlock Lord
The Sword of Shannara was originally sold as three separate books, The Warlock Lord, The Druids Keep and The Secret of The Sword. Now it is becoming increasingly hard to come by the three as individual books rather than just the Sword of Shannara as trilogy in one book.
The story is similar to The Lord Of The Rings. The story begins with the last wizard, Allanon appearing mysteriously at the quiet village of Shady Vale. Here it turns out he is seeking Shea Ohmsford who unknowingly holds the fate of the whole world in his hands. He is the Last Descendant of the Elven King Jerle Shannara the only family who could wield the most powerful of weapons, the Sword of Shannara. But what this sword does Shea does not know and Allanon wont tell him. It seems perhaps Allanon is keeping something from them and this is a strong theme throughout the book.
Soon after Allanon’s visit strange and terrible monsters appear in the village and it becomes evident they are here for Shea. The warlock Lord an ancient evil wants the Shannara line ended for good. Unwilling to put his people in danger he and his brother make a desperate escape to draw the creatures away from the village.
Teaming up with family friend Menion Leah they make they’re journey towards the safety of the Dwarven forest havens to meet Allanon in but the first leg of an enormous quest. Joined by representatives of all the free peoples, two Elven princes, a Dwarf and the prince of Callahorn they set of on they’re quest, o claim the Sword from the impregnable fortress of Paranor and then to vanquish the Warlock lord of the north with it once and for all.
The Journey is long and riddled with danger and the heroes must get through monster filled swamps, forests of terrible wolves, hordes of evil gnomes and most interestingly the Wolfsktaag Mountains where dark hints of the origins of the world are given, that instead of the story being set in a forgotten ancient past it is in fact the far future after an apocalypse. Leaving a serious weight in the minds of the reader as the first book draws to a close and the second begins to open.