I recently finished re-reading, for the first time in many years, "The Scions of Shannara" - the fourth entry in the Shannara series, and the first of the Heritage of Shannara tetralogy. I must say that this book may be the weakest of the Shannara series that I have read. Again, I have read most of them but not all of them. That said, though, a weaker Shannara book is still a good book and I enjoyed reading it again for my second time. I had initially read it as a child. I read from the Heritage of Shannara tome that I grabbed on eBay some years ago.
One thing I adored about this book as that it stars my second favorite character from the Shannara series: Walker Boh. He is an introverted loner that wrestles with his place in the world and his contributions to the history of the Druids. He's a lot of fun to read about and I enjoyed it immensely. I'm looking forward to reading the next volume that stars Walker Boh as the main character, "The Druid of Shannara", soon. I recall liking that book quite a bit more than I had "The Scions of Shannara."
In "The Scions of Shannara", three Ohmsford kin are called to the Hadeshorn to speak with Allanon's shade about what is needed to end the reign of the Federation, an oppressive entity that had taken control of vast swaths of land and people since the conclusion of book 3, "The WIshsong of Shannara."
Each Ohmsford is given a task. Par Ohmsford, the main character of "The Scions of Shannara", is tasked with finding the Sword of Shannara again, which hadn't been seen in hundreds of years. Walker Boh is tasked with restoring Paranor and the druids, which had both ceased to exist three hundred years before. Wren Ohmsford is tasked with getting the elves to come back, who had also not been seen in hundreds of years.
"The Scions of Shannara" focuses primarily on Par Ohmsford's search for the Sword of Shannara. He teams up with his brother, Col, and a descendant of Rone Leah from "The Wishsong of Shannara", Morgan Leah, Damson Rhee, and a descendant of Panamon Creel from "The Sword of Shannara", Padishar Creel. Padishar is also the leader of the Federation resistance movement, so his goals and those of Par align. There is some surprises and betrayals during the course of their quest. Par, Col, and Damson ultimately get separated from Padishar and Morgan, each group focusing on different critical priorities.
The novel has a climax, but the finale falls somewhat short of the buildup leading into it. That is probably the main reason I find this book weaker than other entries in the series. It's somewhat disappointing. But, overall, it remains a fun book and I'm glad to have read it if only so I can re-read the remainder of the series fully informed. I do recommend this entry to the Shannara series for those interested in the Heritage of Shannara tetralogy or for devout fans of Terry Brooks and his work.
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