A&A The Official Terry Brooks Discussion Thread

Terry Brooks wrote the novelization to Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Terry has also written many original fantasy novels, including the Shannara series.

Website: http://www.terrybrooks.net/
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Discuss Terry's novels and aspects of his writing in this thread. You never know, Terry might drop by from time to time!

 

ehhh. I don't like Terry's books. I read his hook novelization and it was quite bad -- although reputedly it was a pretty bad experience for him as well. I read Sword of Shannara and it felt like a peurile but at times almost word-for-word ripoff of Tolkein. I tried First King of Shannara but had to stop a couple hundred pages in because it sucked. I gave him one more shot with Running With the Demon I think it was called, or maybe A Knight of the Word, and while not as terrible as his other stuff, it was nothing worthy of my time. As to TPM, it was okay. It wasn't very well written, but the saberfights were ten times better than those in the film, and I really liked that "I'm gonna marry you" scene, which IMO shouldn't have been cut out of the film.

 

I, being a huge Shannara fan, did not particularly enjoy First King of Shannara that much either... but if you read The Sword of Shannara, try reading Elfstones of Shannara. That's where he really starts to pick up steam. Also, I tended to like the Episode I novelization as it added far more foreshadowing to the GFFA for Anakin/Padme/etc. than the movie managed to convey.

 

No, I've given Terry Brooks' YA-level fantasy all the chances I'm going to. If by the time I've read three (well, 2.5) of his non-SW novels I'm still not impressed, I'm not going to continue to waste my time and money on even more of them.

 

Well, just remember that Sword of Shannara was his FIRST EVER attempt at writing a novel, IIRC. So maybe reading his second isn't a bad plan. Also, aren't his other series wildly different from the Shannara series (in terms of story, not writing necessarily) and wouldn't that have an impact of what you view as the quality?

 

Yeah, those Knight of the Word books are contemporary/urban fantasy.

 

I don't know about his Shannara books, but I didn't really care for the TPM novelization. Took me 3 months to finish.

 

Yeah, I've never read any of his other books except for TPM and I really didn't like it. He potrayed (sp?) Obi-wan to be so.... ignorant and as if he doesn't know anything.

 

I like the TPM novel. It took me two days to read the entire book. The saber battles were a lot better in the book than they were in the movie. There were some things that should have been in the movie that were in the book.

Anakins first race
I'm going to marry you scene
old lady saying Anakin was the kindest boy in the galaxy
anakin and rodian boy fight
anakin telling the rodian kid that he was
going to get killed one day if he didn't straighten up

"BIG ONE"
Anakin not destroying the droid control ship by accident

That really irritated me.

 

I just want to clear up my last statement. In the book Anakin was guided by an inner voice. In the movie he did it by accident. That was screwed up.

 

Master, I agree with you 100%. I just read the last 112 pages of this book last night, and the biggest difference between the book and movie is the treatment of Anakin.

Annie is the centerpiece of the book, as he should have been in the movie, and you can tell he is a special child. In the movie, like you said, it's like he just "accidentally" did stuff or mouthed lines with no apparant meaning. The book gives you his thoughts and treats him with a lot more respect.

 

I like his original works, Shannara and Landover, but his novelizations SUCK.

 

Okay -- seriously.

The last page of Morgawr. What the HELL was that supposed to mean? Did I miss a memo?

What did Hunter Predd and Obsidian find in the Blue Divide? It was a brightly colored shirt? Was this to imply Redden Alt Mer's death at some later point? That his luck had run out?

Honestly, I've never been as baffled by the ending of a novel as that... (well, once -- but it was nonsensical...)

 

Okay -- after reading an advance copy of the new Shannara book, I can (I think) safely say the scene mentioned above did not mean to indicate the death of Redden Alt Mer. But I'd still like to know what it means!!!

Also -- anyone familiar with the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series -- was it prophecized by Ryer Ord Star that Ahren Elessidil would become King of the Elves?

Lastly -- the new book. Great. Right back to the core things that made Shannara great, and away from the things I disliked immensely about the Parkasia segments of TVotJS series!

 

What are his Shannara books like?

I've perused over the Amazon.com reviews, which either love it or hate it. I want to branch into fantasy reading, but does everything have to be about elves/elvens/dwarfs and alternate naming of orcs?

I want to read a book that doesn't directly plagurise from LOTR. Something . . . real, original. Any suggestions?

 

I want to read a book that doesn't directly plagurise from LOTR. Something . . . real, original. Any suggestions?

Well, then don't read The Sword of Shannara.

However, I quite enjoyed that book and don't the LOTR books, so that from that what you will.

The Elfstones of Shannara are, IMO, one of the pinnacles of his Shannara series (the other being The Druid of Shannara). So, thus, I'd recommend you read Sword (his first book) and then Elfstones (his second book). You don't NEED to read Sword, especially if trying to avoid a LOTR-derived story, but I'd recommend it as it introduces the characters (some) and the world better that way. If you like Elfstones, read Wishsong. After that, well... you may want to read the second series, but we'll get to that bridge later before deciding to cross it or not...

 

Thanks, dp4m. With so many fantasy books out there, it's hard to tell which are the good ones. I'll check up on it.

I'm amazed that people are allowed to say "Mountains of Mist" and "Dhoom Mountain", direct plagurism, and get away with it! I want to start reading a bit of fantasy, but not something that's another LOTR word for word.

 

Is there a reason no one mentioned the Landover novels?

 

Personally I loved the Shannara books. While Sword of Shannara is still good, "Elfstones" was far superior in just about every area. I just started the "Heritage of Shannara" ...so far its pretty good...the one problem I have is that all the characters are decendents from the characters in the Shannara trilogy but its not a big deal.

Personally I thought The Phantom Menace was the best SW movie novel ....it eliminates many of the negative aspects of the script. Darth Maul has more lines, Jar jar and Anakin are more mature, Obi Wan has more presence, even the lightsaber duel is better then in the movie(and that is saying ALOT)

 

Terry Brooks Shannara series is the best! Can't wait for The High Druid of Shannara: Jarka Ruus!

His star wars novelization wasn't as good though!

 

Can't wait for The High Druid of Shannara: Jarka Ruus!

It's quite the good book. I wasn't expecting much after my disappointment with the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series, but this definitely set the stage for awesomeness over the course of this series...

 

I can wait eitehr

 

On a previous note... does anyone have answers to either of the two questions I posed previously?

1) What the heck was the last page of the last book of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara (Morgawr) supposed to mean? What was Hunter Predd finding in the Blue Divide?

2) In the previous series (The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara) was Ahren Ellesadil foretold to be King of the Elves by Ryer Ord Star?

 

1:It never says what he found but he was thinking it might lead to what happened when he found that body(can't remember guys name) with the map!

2:I think she did but then I can't remember!

 

There's something about Ahren becoming the Elfin (sp) king, but I can't remember where.

Jaarka Rus spoilers below
*from the excerpts*










Kylen dies, and his son succeeds him, sometime before the book starts.

Only eight more days to go...

Argghhhh