The Elfstones of Shannara
- 609
- Pages
- about 11 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“The Elfstones of Shannara” is old-school quest fantasy that builds to a moving close. Some readers find the opening fifth clunky, the debt to Tolkien heavy and the style prone to repeating itself; others consider it a clear advance on “The Sword of Shannara”, more original and better told. Second in the original trilogy, it follows Wil Ohmsford and deepens the history of the Elves.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
The Elfstones of Shannara is a 1982 epic fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks. It is the first sequel to The Sword of Shannara and the second book in The Original Shannara Trilogy. It expands upon the history of the Elves, which was only hinted at in the preceding story, and follows Wil Ohmsford, grandson of Shea and inheritor of the Shannara Elfstones.
Reading order · Shannara
Full order & progress →- The Sword of ShannaraStart here
7.17.1 / 10 - The Elfstones of ShannaraThis book
7.77.7 / 10 - The Wishsong of Shannara
7.77.7 / 10 - The Scions of Shannara
7.97.9 / 10 - The Druid of Shannara
7.97.9 / 10 - The Elf Queen of Shannara
7.87.8 / 10 - The Talismans of Shannara
7.87.8 / 10 - Running with the Demon
7.87.8 / 10 - A Knight of the Word
7.97.9 / 10 - Angel Fire East
7.97.9 / 10 - Ilse Witch
7.87.8 / 10 - Antrax
7.97.9 / 10 - Morgawr
7.87.8 / 10 - Jarka Ruus
7.97.9 / 10 - Indomitable
–Not ranked yet - Tanequil
–Not ranked yet - Straken
–Not ranked yet - Armageddon's Children
7.97.9 / 10 - The Elves of Cintra
7.97.9 / 10 - The Gypsy Morph
7.97.9 / 10 - Bearers of the Black Staff
–Not ranked yet - The Measure of the Magic
–Not ranked yet - Wards of Faerie
–Not ranked yet - Bloodfire Quest
–Not ranked yet - Witch Wraith
–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.6 across 221 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 60% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Fantasy average of 8.0. That is how 7.7 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 7.6 | 221 | 100% |
Frequently asked
How long is The Elfstones of Shannara?
It has 609 pages — longer than 61% of the ranked books in Fantasy.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Fantasy — and a score of 7.7, the closest to this book.
