Original Shannara Trilogy
Encyclopedia
The Original Shannara Trilogy consists of the first three Shannara
novels (The Sword of Shannara
, The Elfstones of Shannara
and The Wishsong of Shannara
) by Terry Brooks
. Though not originally written as a trilogy, the novels were published as The Sword of Shannara Trilogy by Del Rey
; however, Terry Brooks' official website lists the books as The Original Shannara Trilogy.
Unlike the other three main Shannara series, each book in this series is intended as a stand-alone novel.
and Flick Ohmsford
in their quest to retrieve the Sword of Shannara to defeat the Warlock Lord who threatens the Four Lands.
as he aids the endangered Elven
nation, helping it survive a horde of demons coming through from their sealed off dimension, the Forbidding. The rift is eventually closed when the magic tree that guards it, the Erlcrys, is renewed.
and Brin Ohmsford
, the children of Wil, to save the Four Lands from the evil magic within a tome called the Ildatch.
Shannara
Shannara is an epic fantasy series of novels written by Terry Brooks, beginning with The Sword of Shannara in 1977 and continuing through Bearers of the Black Staff which was released on August 24, 2010, as well as a prequel, First King of Shannara...
novels (The Sword of Shannara
The Sword of Shannara
The Sword of Shannara is a 1977 epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. The first book of the Original Shannara Trilogy, it was followed by The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara. Inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and historical adventure fiction, Brooks began writing...
, The Elfstones of Shannara
The Elfstones of Shannara
The Elfstones of Shannara is an epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. It is the first sequel to The Sword of Shannara and the second book in The Original Shannara Trilogy...
and The Wishsong of Shannara
The Wishsong of Shannara
The Wishsong of Shannara, an epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks, is the third and final novel in the Original Shannara Trilogy, with the other two being The Sword of Shannara and The Elfstones of Shannara. The story revolves around Jair and Brin Ohmsford, the children of the main characters from...
) by Terry Brooks
Terry Brooks
Terence Dean "Terry" Brooks is an American writer of fantasy fiction. He writes mainly epic fantasy, and has also written two movie novelizations. He has written 23 New York Times bestsellers during his writing career, and has over 21 million copies of his books in print...
. Though not originally written as a trilogy, the novels were published as The Sword of Shannara Trilogy by Del Rey
Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn since 1998, by Bertelsmann AG. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy...
; however, Terry Brooks' official website lists the books as The Original Shannara Trilogy.
Unlike the other three main Shannara series, each book in this series is intended as a stand-alone novel.
The Sword of Shannara
The first novel of The Original Shannara Trilogy chronicles the adventures of the brothers SheaShea Ohmsford
Shea Ohmsford is a fictional character and the protagonist of Terry Brooks' epic fantasy novel The Sword of Shannara. In the universe, he is the last known person with the blood of Jerle Shannara, making him the only one who can wield the powerful Sword of Shannara to vanquish the Warlock Lord.-...
and Flick Ohmsford
Flick Ohmsford
Flick Ohmsford is a character in The Sword of Shannara, a novel by Terry Brooks....
in their quest to retrieve the Sword of Shannara to defeat the Warlock Lord who threatens the Four Lands.
The Elfstones of Shannara
The second novel of The Original Shannara Trilogy follows Shea's grandson, Wil OhmsfordWil Ohmsford
Wil Ohmsford is a fictional character from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks, appearing in two novels: The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara. He is the grandson of Shea Ohmsford and the grand-nephew of Flick Ohmsford....
as he aids the endangered Elven
Elves (Shannara)
Elves are one of the races in the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. They are the only race of the faerie creatures still in the World, though they now have become mortal. Though Elves usually refers to the Westland Elves, Elves can be split into two: the "Land Elves" and the...
nation, helping it survive a horde of demons coming through from their sealed off dimension, the Forbidding. The rift is eventually closed when the magic tree that guards it, the Erlcrys, is renewed.
The Wishsong of Shannara
The final novel of The Original Shannara Trilogy details the quest of JairJair Ohmsford
Jair Ohmsford is a major character in three novels of the Shannara series by Terry Brooks: The Wishsong of Shannara, a full-length epic fantasy novel, Indomitable, a short story that appeared in Legends II, and Dark Wraith of Shannara, a graphic novel....
and Brin Ohmsford
Brin Ohmsford
Brin Ohmsford is a fictional character from The Wishsong of Shannara, an epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks.- Biography :She is the daughter of Wil Ohmsford, making her actually 1/16 Elf, and because of his use of the Elfstones gained magic she named the wishsong. She is described as looking like...
, the children of Wil, to save the Four Lands from the evil magic within a tome called the Ildatch.
Characters who appear in multiple books
Few characters appear in more than one novel in the trilogy, though many references to previous characters are evident. Those who appear in multiple books include:- AllanonAllanonAllanon is a fictional character from the epic fantasy Original Shannara Trilogy and the trilogy's prequel, First King of Shannara; all four are by Terry Brooks. Described as Brooks' "most enigmatic character", Allanon is very secretive and appears only when needed...
(All three) - Eventine ElessedilEventine ElessedilEventine Elessedil is a character from The Sword of Shannara and The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks.- The Sword of Shannara :...
(Sword and Elfstones) - Flick OhmsfordFlick OhmsfordFlick Ohmsford is a character in The Sword of Shannara, a novel by Terry Brooks....
(Sword and Elfstones) - Wil OhmsfordWil OhmsfordWil Ohmsford is a fictional character from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks, appearing in two novels: The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara. He is the grandson of Shea Ohmsford and the grand-nephew of Flick Ohmsford....
(Elfstones and Wishsong) - Eretria (Elfstones and Wishsong)
- The King of the Silver RiverKing of the Silver RiverThe King of the Silver River is a fictional character from the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. He has appeared in many of the novels in the series as a recurring character.- Biography :...
(All three)