Shannara
Encyclopedia
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
. The series blends magic and primitive technology and the books are set in the Four Lands which in some books is identified as Earth
long after civilization as we know it was destroyed in a chemical and nuclear holocaust called the Great Wars
. By the time of the prequel First King of Shannara, the world has now reverted to a medieval state and magic has re-emerged to supplement science as humans and other races live in a place known as the Four Lands, which is a future North America. Further into the novels science starts to become more advanced.
Shannara is the name of an Elven
noble family. Many of the protagonists in the series are descended from this family, beginning with Jerle Shannara
.
used their magic to care for the earth, while the hateful Demons
used theirs to dominate and destroy. When the Demons tried to eradicate the rival Elves altogether, the Elves proved victorious by creating a magical prison called the Forbidding, to which they banished the Demons. The Forbidding locked the demons away in an alternate universe
from which they could not attack the Elves. The integrity of the prison was upheld by a magical tree known as the Ellcrys
. As long as the Ellcrys lived, the Demons would remain locked away. (See The Elfstones of Shannara
)
, and Angel Fire East
are set during this period.
However sometimes during the 22nd century the demons of the void managed to infiltrate and seduce the worlds ruling powers into starting an unending war between each other that left the world an almost barren wasteland. During the confusion created during this time the demons created an army of blood thirsty savage humans known as the Once Men and lead an invasion against the few surviving human strong holds.
The Knights of the Word did what they could to stop this but were too few in number and after the wars devoted themselves to protecting the few remaining human settlements. Eventually the Word told her knights that a holocaust was coming that would destroy the world and that they should find the gypsy morph, a being of incredible magical power that could save a small portion of humanity.
However the gypsy morph was trapped in the body of a small child known only as Hawk and it had no knowledge of the power it had. The Void also knew of this child and sent several of its strongest demons to destroy it before it could use its power. The Word also told her knights to find the hidden Elves and take them with the gypsy morph to ensure the survival of both species. However a demon had already found the elves and was in the process of trying to destroy them.
Eventually the Knights of the Word succeeded in transferring the entire city of the elves into a magical gray elfstone known as the loden and brought it, the gypsy morph and as many human survivors as they could take to a valley full of life hidden in the mountains that the war did not destroy. Once there they released the elven city from the lode stone and the gypsy morph sacrificed himself, creating a magical barrier around the valley to prevent anyone or thing from entering or leaving.
The word then used her powers to contact the humans who managed to survive in nuclear missile silos around the world and told them to fire their nuclear rockets. The resulting nuclear blasts destroyed most of the demons and their armies of Once Men and mutated whatever life remained into new and dangerous forms.
of man’s greatest cities and monuments, the world as everyone had known it had disappeared. New races appeared, genetically mutated by radiation from the Great Wars. These mutant human races were given names from man's ancient fairy tales: Troll, Dwarf, and Gnome. The surviving Elves
also appeared from their concealment, now that the threat from the quickly multiplying men was gone. Unfortunately, chaos ensued as the four races each tried to declare their power over the other.
Fearing that the chaos would lead to the end for all of them, a group of learned men and women from all the races formed the Druid Council. Under the order of the Druids, the earth was divided up into the Four Lands, one territory for each race. The Druids then sought out all the information they could on the arts, sciences, and history of the Old World, attempting to understand what had brought about such a terrible apocalypse, so that they might learn from those mistakes and bring lasting peace and order to the land. As time progressed, the council’s plan seemed to be working and they hoped that, in time, all that was known of the Old World would eventually exist again. However, several powerful members of the Druids became convinced that magic, not science, should be the guiding force of the new world, and that it was their destiny as Elves and magic-wielders to shape the future of the races. These Elves left the Druids to form their own group, consisting of all races and led by a Druid named Brona
, who took with him the Ildatch, a book of unparalleled evil power that once belonged to the Demon
leader in the Age of Faerie.
, who had become known as the "Warlock Lord", orchestrated a rebellion against the Druids. Started by Men attacking out of the Southland
at Brona's urging, the rebellion soon widened into what became known as the First War of the Races, with Men against all the races that were supported by the Druids—mainly the Elves
and the Dwarves. Eventually, the combined power of the Council crushed the humans, but the Warlock Lord escaped to rebuild his legion, leaving the human countries to rebuild their shattered lives. Indirectly, this war led to the isolationist policy of the men of the deep Southland.
Once he recovered, the Warlock Lord and his armies returned twice more. In the Second War of the Races
, Brona rallied the Trolls (Shannara) to attack all of the other races. In the Third War of the Races the combined forces of the Trolls and Gnomes. Both in the space of a century with years of peace in between (the equivalent of the World Wars during the time of man), until finally the Warlock Lord was killed.
left them both blessed and cursed, as this feature was part of the reason that they could wield magic. Over the years, descendants of the Shannara bloodline, now with the surname Ohmsford, have continuously been called upon to fight to defend the Four Lands and the lives of its inhabitants
.
The familial relationships between the main characters can be seen in the Shannara family tree
.
The Word/Void
The Word/Void trilogy consists of Running with the Demon
, A Knight of the Word
, and Angel Fire East
and is predominantly set in present-day Illinois
. It follows Nest Freemark, a girl with magical abilities who has no known relationship to any Shannara character. Before the publication of Armageddon's Children it was unclear whether this trilogy existed within the Shannara universe. It has since been revealed as the "ultimate prequel" to the Shannara novels.
, The Elves of Cintra
and The Gypsy Morph
. It takes place eighty years after the Word/Void story, and approximately 1500 years before the events of The First King of Shannara. The many varieties of mutants found in it, are the predecessors of species from later in the series, the Trolls, Dwarfs, and Gnomes.
series will continue to connect the Old World with the world of the Four Lands. The first book, Bearers of the Black Staff
(2010), is set 500 years after the end of The Gypsy Morph
. The second book The Measure of the Magic
was released in August 2011.
First King of Shannara
The prequel to the Original Shannara Trilogy
, The First King of Shannara is set during the lifetime of Jerle Shannara
, a predecessor of Shea (about 500 years before the first book of the original Shannara Trilogy) and chronicling the second war of the races.
The Original Shannara Trilogy
Also called The Sword of Shannara Trilogy, the first three published Shannara novels (The Sword of Shannara
, The Elfstones of Shannara
, and The Wishsong of Shannara
) follow Shea Ohmsford
and his step-brother Flick Ohmsford
, Shea's grandson Wil Ohmsford
, and Wil's children Brin Ohmsford
and Jair Ohmsford
during the times of the third war of the races and the war of the forbidding.
, The Druid of Shannara
, The Elf Queen of Shannara
and The Talismans of Shannara
. They follow four of Shea Ohmsford's descendants: Walker Boh
, Par Ohmsford
, Coll Ohmsford
, and Wren Elessedil
.
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy consists of the books Ilse Witch
, Antrax
, and Morgawr
. Set aboard the airship Jerle Shannara (named after the olden king), the story follows Walker Boh as he guides the crew across the ocean in search of an ancient source of power. This is set 130 years after The Heritage of Shannara.
High Druid of Shannara
The High Druid of Shannara trilogy includes the novels Jarka Ruus
, Tanequil
, and Straken
. It focuses on the disappearance of the High Druid Grianne Ohmsford
and is set 20 years after The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara
.
. These three books are scheduled to be published in September 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively.
, the first planned movie, was to be filmed and directed by Mike Newell
, who was also responsible for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
and more recently Prince of Persia
.
Since the initial offer made to Warner Bros., a script was bought, potential actors reviewed, and assurances made that the movie would indeed be produced. To date, the rights to Warner Bros. for the production of the movie have expired. Mike Newell, the director announced to produce the movie, disappeared from the project and began work on Prince of Persia.
Terry Brooks himself has expressed frustration and a desire to see an adaptation. He stated that there is still interest by other parties to produce the movies, but as of yet he still holds all creative rights to his books.
High fantasy
High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. High fantasy was brought to fruition through the work of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s...
series of novels written 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...
, beginning with 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...
in 1977 and continuing through Bearers of the Black Staff
Bearers of the Black Staff
Bearers of the Black Staff is a fantasy novel by Terry Brooks released on August 24, 2010 as the first of a two-part series called the Legends of Shannara. In the series' timeline, it falls between the Genesis of Shannara trilogy and the First King of Shannara. It takes place 500 years after...
which was released on August 24, 2010, as well as a prequel, First King of Shannara
First King of Shannara
The First King of Shannara is a 1996 epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. It is a prequel to Brooks' The Sword of Shannara and is set during the Second War of the Races...
. The series blends magic and primitive technology and the books are set in the Four Lands which in some books is identified as Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
long after civilization as we know it was destroyed in a chemical and nuclear holocaust called the Great Wars
The Great Wars
The Great Wars are a fictional conflict from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks.According to legend, the Great Wars were a result of several things. These things were common to most societies: territorial dispute, political disagreement, and so on...
. By the time of the prequel First King of Shannara, the world has now reverted to a medieval state and magic has re-emerged to supplement science as humans and other races live in a place known as the Four Lands, which is a future North America. Further into the novels science starts to become more advanced.
Shannara is the name of an 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...
noble family. Many of the protagonists in the series are descended from this family, beginning with Jerle Shannara
Jerle Shannara
Jerle Shannara is a fictional character from Terry Brooks' Shannara series of epic fantasy novels. Only mentioned as a long-deceased person in the Original Shannara Trilogy, he is one of the main characters of the prequel novel First King of Shannara.- Biography :Jerle begins the story as captain...
.
Age of Faerie
At the beginning of time, in what was known as the "Age of Faerie", the Earth was inhabited only by Faerie creatures, born out of the power of the Word; most or all wielded magic. Magic was used by some for good and some for evil. For example, the ElvesElves (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...
used their magic to care for the earth, while the hateful Demons
Demons (Shannara)
Demons is a common name for many different creatures in the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. The 'true' demons were sealed long ago within an alternate universe, named the Forbidding; this prison is 'maintained' by the Ellcrys, a sacred Elven tree; if she dies, the Forbidding...
used theirs to dominate and destroy. When the Demons tried to eradicate the rival Elves altogether, the Elves proved victorious by creating a magical prison called the Forbidding, to which they banished the Demons. The Forbidding locked the demons away in an alternate universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
from which they could not attack the Elves. The integrity of the prison was upheld by a magical tree known as the Ellcrys
Ellcrys
The Ellcrys is a fictional sapient tree with silver bark and crimson leaves that was "created by the bonding of earth and life". She appears in two novels of the Shannara series. She is the magical linchpin of the barrier that keeps the Demons that once overran the Four Lands trapped in an...
. As long as the Ellcrys lived, the Demons would remain locked away. (See 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...
)
Age of Man
Thousands of years later, man came into being. The Elves still existed, but quickly found themselves few in numbers compared to the quickly growing human race and decided to go into hiding. Thousands of years passed while man and science ruled. The Elves and their magic remained hidden, as memories of their existence become nothing more than “Fairy Tales”.The Great Wars
Throughout the history of man a battle existed between the Word, the creator of life, and the Void, the power of death. During the age of man the Void attracted the attention of power hungry men who through various temptations, power, greed, and immortality, gave them magical power to try to destroy the life created by the Word. The word responded in kind and created numerous black staffs that she gave to men and women who she believed were true of heart and could wield the power of the Word to protect the world from the Void. These humans became Knights of the Word and lead a secret war against the followers of the Void who called themselves demons. The books Running with Demon, A Knight of the WordA Knight of the Word
A Knight of the Word is the second novel in the Word & Void series by Terry Brooks, written as a prequel to his Shannara series. It was first published in 1998 by Ballantine's Del Rey division . The setting is primarily Seattle, Washington around Halloween in 2002, five years after the events of...
, and Angel Fire East
Angel Fire East
Angel Fire East is the third and final novel in the Word & Void series by Terry Brooks, written as a prequel to his Shannara series. It was first published in 1999 by Ballantine's Del Rey division. The novel takes place around Christmas in 2012, ten years after the events of A Knight of the Word...
are set during this period.
However sometimes during the 22nd century the demons of the void managed to infiltrate and seduce the worlds ruling powers into starting an unending war between each other that left the world an almost barren wasteland. During the confusion created during this time the demons created an army of blood thirsty savage humans known as the Once Men and lead an invasion against the few surviving human strong holds.
The Knights of the Word did what they could to stop this but were too few in number and after the wars devoted themselves to protecting the few remaining human settlements. Eventually the Word told her knights that a holocaust was coming that would destroy the world and that they should find the gypsy morph, a being of incredible magical power that could save a small portion of humanity.
However the gypsy morph was trapped in the body of a small child known only as Hawk and it had no knowledge of the power it had. The Void also knew of this child and sent several of its strongest demons to destroy it before it could use its power. The Word also told her knights to find the hidden Elves and take them with the gypsy morph to ensure the survival of both species. However a demon had already found the elves and was in the process of trying to destroy them.
Eventually the Knights of the Word succeeded in transferring the entire city of the elves into a magical gray elfstone known as the loden and brought it, the gypsy morph and as many human survivors as they could take to a valley full of life hidden in the mountains that the war did not destroy. Once there they released the elven city from the lode stone and the gypsy morph sacrificed himself, creating a magical barrier around the valley to prevent anyone or thing from entering or leaving.
The word then used her powers to contact the humans who managed to survive in nuclear missile silos around the world and told them to fire their nuclear rockets. The resulting nuclear blasts destroyed most of the demons and their armies of Once Men and mutated whatever life remained into new and dangerous forms.
Return to the old world
Eventually the barrier created by the gypsy morph collapsed and creatures from the outside world found ways into the valley of the humans and Elves. Eventually a race of mutated humans who called themselves Trolls managed to find a way into the valley and tried to take it for themselves. During this time the last of the great demons of the Void attacked the last Knight of the Word who took the last remaining black staff into the valley with the gypsy morph. The Knight of the Word was eventually victorious and the humans and elves went out to explore the old world and to try to find their place in it.Birth of the Four Lands and The First Council
After an extremely long amount of time, the Earth had more or less recovered from the cataclysm of the Great Wars. Except for the ruinsRuins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
of man’s greatest cities and monuments, the world as everyone had known it had disappeared. New races appeared, genetically mutated by radiation from the Great Wars. These mutant human races were given names from man's ancient fairy tales: Troll, Dwarf, and Gnome. The surviving Elves
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...
also appeared from their concealment, now that the threat from the quickly multiplying men was gone. Unfortunately, chaos ensued as the four races each tried to declare their power over the other.
Fearing that the chaos would lead to the end for all of them, a group of learned men and women from all the races formed the Druid Council. Under the order of the Druids, the earth was divided up into the Four Lands, one territory for each race. The Druids then sought out all the information they could on the arts, sciences, and history of the Old World, attempting to understand what had brought about such a terrible apocalypse, so that they might learn from those mistakes and bring lasting peace and order to the land. As time progressed, the council’s plan seemed to be working and they hoped that, in time, all that was known of the Old World would eventually exist again. However, several powerful members of the Druids became convinced that magic, not science, should be the guiding force of the new world, and that it was their destiny as Elves and magic-wielders to shape the future of the races. These Elves left the Druids to form their own group, consisting of all races and led by a Druid named Brona
Warlock Lord
The Warlock Lord is the principal villain of Terry Brooks' novel The Sword of Shannara....
, who took with him the Ildatch, a book of unparalleled evil power that once belonged to the Demon
Demons (Shannara)
Demons is a common name for many different creatures in the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. The 'true' demons were sealed long ago within an alternate universe, named the Forbidding; this prison is 'maintained' by the Ellcrys, a sacred Elven tree; if she dies, the Forbidding...
leader in the Age of Faerie.
The Wars of the Races
After years of growing his power, BronaWarlock Lord
The Warlock Lord is the principal villain of Terry Brooks' novel The Sword of Shannara....
, who had become known as the "Warlock Lord", orchestrated a rebellion against the Druids. Started by Men attacking out of the Southland
Southland (Shannara)
The Southland is a region in the Four Lands, the fictional world where Terry Brooks' Shannara series is set.-Overview:The Southland is inhabited mostly by men. It was largely divided with the largest country being the Borderland of Callahorn until the Federation took over the Southland after the...
at Brona's urging, the rebellion soon widened into what became known as the First War of the Races, with Men against all the races that were supported by the Druids—mainly the Elves
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...
and the Dwarves. Eventually, the combined power of the Council crushed the humans, but the Warlock Lord escaped to rebuild his legion, leaving the human countries to rebuild their shattered lives. Indirectly, this war led to the isolationist policy of the men of the deep Southland.
Once he recovered, the Warlock Lord and his armies returned twice more. In the Second War of the Races
Second War of the Races
The Second War of the Races was a fictional war in the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. This war is chronicled in the prequel to the Original Shannara Trilogy, First King of Shannara. The war caused the forging of the only weapon able to harm the Warlock Lord, The Sword of...
, Brona rallied the Trolls (Shannara) to attack all of the other races. In the Third War of the Races the combined forces of the Trolls and Gnomes. Both in the space of a century with years of peace in between (the equivalent of the World Wars during the time of man), until finally the Warlock Lord was killed.
The Shannara Family
Involved in nearly every key moment throughout the history of the Four Lands is some member of the Shannara family. Their mixed heritage of man and ElfElves (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...
left them both blessed and cursed, as this feature was part of the reason that they could wield magic. Over the years, descendants of the Shannara bloodline, now with the surname Ohmsford, have continuously been called upon to fight to defend the Four Lands and the lives of its inhabitants
Shannara creatures
This is a list of creatures appearing in the Shannara series of novels by Terry Brooks.- Gnomes :The Gnomes live in the Northland and Eastland.- Mord Wraiths :...
.
The familial relationships between the main characters can be seen in the Shannara family tree
Shannara family tree
This is a genealogy for the main characters from Terry Brooks Shannara series of fantasy novels....
.
The Word/VoidWord/VoidThe Word & Void series by Terry Brooks is a trilogy of dark urban fantasy novels primarily set in Illinois in the late 20th and early 21st century....
trilogy
The Word/Void trilogy consists of Running with the DemonRunning with the Demon
Running with the Demon is the first book in the Word & Void fantasy series, written by Terry Brooks as a prequel to his Shannara series. It was first published in 1997 by Ballantine's Del Rey division. The story takes place in a fictional town named Hopewell, Illinois, but is actually based on...
, A Knight of the Word
A Knight of the Word
A Knight of the Word is the second novel in the Word & Void series by Terry Brooks, written as a prequel to his Shannara series. It was first published in 1998 by Ballantine's Del Rey division . The setting is primarily Seattle, Washington around Halloween in 2002, five years after the events of...
, and Angel Fire East
Angel Fire East
Angel Fire East is the third and final novel in the Word & Void series by Terry Brooks, written as a prequel to his Shannara series. It was first published in 1999 by Ballantine's Del Rey division. The novel takes place around Christmas in 2012, ten years after the events of A Knight of the Word...
and is predominantly set in present-day Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It follows Nest Freemark, a girl with magical abilities who has no known relationship to any Shannara character. Before the publication of Armageddon's Children it was unclear whether this trilogy existed within the Shannara universe. It has since been revealed as the "ultimate prequel" to the Shannara novels.
The Genesis of Shannara trilogy
The Genesis of Shannara series connects the Word/Void series with the Shannara novels. The trilogy consists of Armageddon's ChildrenArmageddon's Children
Armageddon's Children is the first novel in Terry Brooks' fantasy trilogy The Genesis of Shannara, which bridges the events of Brooks' Word/Void trilogy with his Shannara series...
, The Elves of Cintra
The Elves of Cintra
The Elves of Cintra is the second novel in Terry Brooks's epic fantasy trilogy The Genesis of Shannara. The series bridges the events of Brooks' Word & Void series with his acclaimed novel The Sword of Shannara and the subsequent trilogy. It takes place in an apocalyptic world around the year 2100...
and The Gypsy Morph
The Gypsy Morph
The Gypsy Morph is the third novel in Terry Brooks' fantasy trilogy entitled The Genesis of Shannara, which bridges the events of Brooks' Word & Void series with his Shannara series. It takes place in an apocalyptic world around the year 2100 and immediately follows the novel The Elves of Cintra...
. It takes place eighty years after the Word/Void story, and approximately 1500 years before the events of The First King of Shannara. The many varieties of mutants found in it, are the predecessors of species from later in the series, the Trolls, Dwarfs, and Gnomes.
Legends of Shannara duology
The Legends of ShannaraLegends of Shannara
Legends of Shannara is the title of a series of novels written by Terry Brooks. The first book, Bearers of the Black Staff, was released by Del Rey Books on August 24, 2010 in the United States. These novels bridge the Genesis of Shannara series with the Shannara series, two other series by Brooks'...
series will continue to connect the Old World with the world of the Four Lands. The first book, Bearers of the Black Staff
Bearers of the Black Staff
Bearers of the Black Staff is a fantasy novel by Terry Brooks released on August 24, 2010 as the first of a two-part series called the Legends of Shannara. In the series' timeline, it falls between the Genesis of Shannara trilogy and the First King of Shannara. It takes place 500 years after...
(2010), is set 500 years after the end of The Gypsy Morph
The Gypsy Morph
The Gypsy Morph is the third novel in Terry Brooks' fantasy trilogy entitled The Genesis of Shannara, which bridges the events of Brooks' Word & Void series with his Shannara series. It takes place in an apocalyptic world around the year 2100 and immediately follows the novel The Elves of Cintra...
. The second book The Measure of the Magic
The Measure of the Magic
The Measure of the Magic is a fantasy novel by Terry Brooks released on August 23, 2011 as the Second of the two part Legends of Shannara series...
was released in August 2011.
First King of ShannaraFirst King of ShannaraThe First King of Shannara is a 1996 epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. It is a prequel to Brooks' The Sword of Shannara and is set during the Second War of the Races...
The prequel to the Original Shannara TrilogyOriginal Shannara Trilogy
The Original Shannara Trilogy consists of the first three Shannara novels by Terry Brooks...
, The First King of Shannara is set during the lifetime of Jerle Shannara
Jerle Shannara
Jerle Shannara is a fictional character from Terry Brooks' Shannara series of epic fantasy novels. Only mentioned as a long-deceased person in the Original Shannara Trilogy, he is one of the main characters of the prequel novel First King of Shannara.- Biography :Jerle begins the story as captain...
, a predecessor of Shea (about 500 years before the first book of the original Shannara Trilogy) and chronicling the second war of the races.
The Original Shannara TrilogyOriginal Shannara TrilogyThe Original Shannara Trilogy consists of the first three Shannara novels by Terry Brooks...
Also called The Sword of Shannara Trilogy, the first three published Shannara novels (The Sword of ShannaraThe 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...
) follow Shea Ohmsford
Shea 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 his step-brother Flick Ohmsford
Flick Ohmsford
Flick Ohmsford is a character in The Sword of Shannara, a novel by Terry Brooks....
, Shea's grandson Wil Ohmsford
Wil 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....
, and Wil's children 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...
and Jair Ohmsford
Jair 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....
during the times of the third war of the races and the war of the forbidding.
The Heritage of Shannara Quadrilogy
The next four books, known as The Heritage of Shannara, are set 300 years after The Original Shannara Trilogy. This series consists of The Scions of ShannaraThe Scions of Shannara
The Scions of Shannara is a fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. It is the first book in the Heritage of Shannara series, which takes place three hundred years after the end of the previous Shannara trilogy. The first version was published in 1990...
, The Druid of Shannara
The Druid of Shannara
The Druid of Shannara is the second book of the tetralogy The Heritage of Shannara written by Terry Brooks. It was first published in 1991.-Plot summary:...
, The Elf Queen of Shannara
The Elf Queen of Shannara
The Elf Queen of Shannara is the third book of the tetralogy The Heritage of Shannara written by Terry Brooks. It was first published in 1992.- Plot summary :...
and The Talismans of Shannara
The Talismans of Shannara
The Talismans of Shannara is the fourth book of the tetralogy The Heritage of Shannara written by Terry Brooks.- Plot summary :The Elves and Paranor are both now back in the Four Lands, and the former Walker Boh has inherited Allanon's powers. Moreover, the Sword of Shannara has been found...
. They follow four of Shea Ohmsford's descendants: Walker Boh
Walker Boh
Walker Boh is a fictional character from Terry Brooks' Heritage of Shannara and The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series....
, Par Ohmsford
Par Ohmsford
Par Ohmsford is a fictional character....
, Coll Ohmsford
Coll Ohmsford
Col Ohmsford is a fictional character from the Heritage of Shannara series by author Terry Brooks. He is the younger brother of Par Ohmsford....
, and Wren Elessedil
Wren Elessedil
Wren Elessedil is a fictional character from The Heritage of Shannara by Terry Brooks....
.
The Voyage of the Jerle ShannaraThe Voyage of the Jerle ShannaraThe Voyage of the Jerle Shannara is a trilogy by Terry Brooks set 130 years after the Heritage of Shannara. Similar to its predecessor, this is one cohesive story following the happenings of Bek Rowe, Walker Boh, and Grianne Ohmsford, among other characters.-Characters:*Ahren Elessedil*Antrax*Ard...
trilogy
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy consists of the books Ilse WitchIlse Witch
Ilse Witch is the first book in Terry Brooks' The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara fantasy trilogy. It was first published in 2000.-Plot summary:...
, Antrax
Antrax
Antrax is the second book in Terry Brooks' The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara fantasy trilogy. It was first published in 2001.-Plot:The voyage to find the lost magic takes the companions to the continent of Parkasia...
, and Morgawr
Morgawr
* For the fictional character see Morgawr * For the Cornish sea monster, see Morgawr Morgawr is the third book in the The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara fantasy trilogy by Terry Brooks. It was first published in 2002....
. Set aboard the airship Jerle Shannara (named after the olden king), the story follows Walker Boh as he guides the crew across the ocean in search of an ancient source of power. This is set 130 years after The Heritage of Shannara.
High Druid of ShannaraHigh Druid of ShannaraHigh Druid of Shannara is a trilogy of fantasy novels in the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. Set 20 years after the events of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, the series chronicles the adventures of Pen Ohmsford as he seeks to rescue his aunt, the High Druid Grianne Ohmsford.-Jarka Ruus:The...
trilogy
The High Druid of Shannara trilogy includes the novels Jarka RuusJarka Ruus
Jarka Ruus is a fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. It is the first book in the High Druid of Shannara trilogy in Brooks' Shannara series, and takes place 20 years after the events of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara...
, Tanequil
Tanequil
Tanequil is a fantasy novel in the High Druid of Shannara trilogy of the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. First published in 2004, the book takes place immediately after the events of Jarka Ruus and is followed by the novel Straken....
, and Straken
Straken
Straken is the third book in the High Druid of Shannara trilogy of Terry Brooks' Shannara series. First published in 2005, it takes place immediately after the events of Tanequil...
. It focuses on the disappearance of the High Druid Grianne Ohmsford
Grianne Ohmsford
Grianne Ohmsford was abducted from her burning home when she was a young child by a powerful and evil warlock called the Morgawr, who knew that the power of the Wishsong held by the Ohmsford family had the potential to destroy him. He brainwashed Grianne into believing that it was the Druids,...
and is set 20 years after The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara is a trilogy by Terry Brooks set 130 years after the Heritage of Shannara. Similar to its predecessor, this is one cohesive story following the happenings of Bek Rowe, Walker Boh, and Grianne Ohmsford, among other characters.-Characters:*Ahren Elessedil*Antrax*Ard...
.
Legacy of Shannara trilogy
Terry Brooks has planned another trilogy to take place after the events in StrakenStraken
Straken is the third book in the High Druid of Shannara trilogy of Terry Brooks' Shannara series. First published in 2005, it takes place immediately after the events of Tanequil...
. These three books are scheduled to be published in September 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively.
Planned film adaptation
The rights to a movie adaptation for all of the Shannara novels were sold to Warner Bros until August 2010. The Elfstones of ShannaraThe 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...
, the first planned movie, was to be filmed and directed by Mike Newell
Mike Newell (director)
Michael Cormac "Mike" Newell is an English director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for television. After the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005, Newell became the third most commercially successful British director in recent years, behind Christopher Nolan...
, who was also responsible for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling, published on 8 July 2000.The novel won a Hugo Award in 2001, the only Harry Potter novel to do so...
and more recently Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia is a platform game, originally developed by Jordan Mechner and released in 1989 for the Apple II, that represented a great leap forward in the quality of animation seen in video games....
.
Since the initial offer made to Warner Bros., a script was bought, potential actors reviewed, and assurances made that the movie would indeed be produced. To date, the rights to Warner Bros. for the production of the movie have expired. Mike Newell, the director announced to produce the movie, disappeared from the project and began work on Prince of Persia.
Terry Brooks himself has expressed frustration and a desire to see an adaptation. He stated that there is still interest by other parties to produce the movies, but as of yet he still holds all creative rights to his books.