The Elfstones of Shannara (Abridged) Audiobook

" I am going through the entire series and this was the only copy I could find for this chapter. The fact that it was abridged was more then annoying because there was a whole other dimension to this story that is now missing. the main points are covered, but you do not get the feel for the characters as if it was unabridged. "

" Love the original Shannara trilogy. Too bad the Charles Keating is abridged. I have the original Del Rey paperback and compared. Skips some interesting and relevant parts of the book. The really good unabridged ones are read by Scott Brick. This publication is very disappointing. "

" The best of the Shannara series by far. I read this as a kid, so I can't guarantee that the writing will hold up for an adult -- but if you have a young teen in your life, this novel may be just the thing for them. "

" Was okay in 1984, but hey, that was some time ago. I don't really remember that much. "

" Great starter series for those new to scifi and youth. "

" My brother's favorite book of all time, but I prefer his later series. "

" loved it and the rest in the series as well "

" Better than the first one. "

" Not quite Sword, but a good fantasy. Another example of an epic where I lost interest to continue with the series past 2-3 books. But a good fantasy series. Just doesn't have the linguistic capacity of "Greatness." "

" This book was my first experience with Terry Brooks. It was very exciting and easy to empathize with the characters. I was drawn into the saga instantly and found myself eager to rush to the next book. I entered the world of Terry Brooks at this point and have not been dissappointed yet. "

" My brother's favorite book of all time, but I prefer his later series. "

" The second book in the original Shannara series, it is sn exceptional book, well written and engrossing. Really brings out the characters and their relationships. Terry Brooks is an author well worth investing the time it takes to read and follow his works. Once you start reading, it becomes very hard to put down. "

" I enjoyed this story and had trouble putting it down. It was a great example of ultimate sacrifice! "

" This is one of the greatest books of all time. "

" loved this series when I was younger! "

" I read this the first time when it first came out in paperback. I remember enjoying it until I came to the ending. I enjoyed reading it just as much this time, but the ending wasn't so bad since I knew what was going to happen. "

" I read this book without reading the book 1, and i was able to keep up easily! If you love a good fantasy with Elves, Trolls, Humans (duh) and Druids, this is for u! I plan on going back to the very beginning and reading up! "

" This was my favorite book in the series, though I contribute it to the fact that I read it first unintentionally (it is book 2). It made the other books harder to get into. I do plan on re-reading in order. "

" Plot driven novel; characters are interesting, but shallow. Plot is strong; thrills and suspense with chases and fight with monsters, interesting to learn about the background of the fantasy world. I think younger readers might rate this higher. Recommended. "

" More original than the first book in the trilogy, it still drew too many paralles to Lord of The Rings for my liking. "

" another fun read from Terry Brooks, love this book. "

" This is the kind of stuff I read and don't tell anyone about... "

" Another great book in the Shannara series. "

" Better than the first book of the series... "

" The first of the Shannara books that I ever read, as a result it holds a rather special place in my heart. It is a lot like most of the Shannara series but you won't tire of the efforts of just one young Wil must do to save his world from the ancient threat all but forgotten. "

" As I have read Shannara Books, the elftsones have been a fixture to almost all of them. These powerful stones gave the Shannara bloodline the power to change their course of history. To me, the elfstones are what Terry Brooks gave life to fantasy readers. "

" A little better than the first one. "

" Even better than book 1 "

" Almost as good as the first in the trilogy. Recommended. "

" i don't care what Rusty says, terry brooks can write his own stories. :P "

" Great Shannara book. Read "The Sword" first. "

" Was okay in 1984, but hey, that was some time ago. I don't really remember that much. "

" The ending seemed a bit rushed. "

" Great adventure for a pre-teen getting into fantasy... I think this series brought me fully into the fold. "

" I read this book without reading the book 1, and i was able to keep up easily! If you love a good fantasy with Elves, Trolls, Humans (duh) and Druids, this is for u! I plan on going back to the very beginning and reading up! "

" In my favorites to read "

" I liked this book better than Sword of Shandra, but, like the first, is very derivative of LOTR. But if you like epic fantasy, it's worth a read. "

" My first fantasy book that was given to me by my Mother in 1989...and I'm glad she picked it up! Brooks has had a special place on my bookshelf ever since then. "

" This book was totally awesome -- haha!!! Seriously, a great book, better than the previous one in the series. Couldn't put it down! Terry Brooks did a great job continuing the story and expanding on this world. Great character development too. "

" One of the truly best fantasy epics ever. "

" I read many Terry Brooks books - the Shannara series is excellent - but this book is especially incredible. Can be read as a stand-alone. An amazing story; should be a movie. Chick-book, perhaps. "

" A beautiful tale and part of an awesome trilogy. "

" Dan and I read this together. It was entertaining and I'll read the other books in this series with him, but probably wouldn't on my own. "

" Really like the Shannara books, read them out of order but reading the first set now. Long live fantasy! "

" I read this series as a teen. They were fun. "

" This is one of my favorite series. "

" I think this book is better than the first book in the trilogy. More heroic, more stunning, especially there are two heroines here, Amberle and Eretria. "

" Read in middle school. This was one of the first fantasy series I ever read and probably the one that got me onto an epic fantasy kick. "

" i stopped here with this series. "

" A little better than the first one. "

" The characters of this books are what set the precedent of the Shannara Series. Elves, elfstones, and much more. I've read this book about fifteen times and finally found a copy in book resale. Highly recommend! "

" Disappointingly similar to the preceding Shannara novels. "

" I really enjoy this Shannara series. It was fast pasted and full of great adventure. I will definately read this one again! "

" Sci-fi stuff that filled my childhood. Big fan of the Shannara series as a kid, this being the second. "

" Not as epic as Sword but still an excellent read. Brooks delved more into character introspection (a continued trend in his works.) "

" Book 2 of the ORIGINAL Shannara series (since there's so many coming out these days!) I read this back in high school and remember liking it quite a bit. Fantasy lovers could do worse. Kick back and enjoy! "

" Another great book in the Shannara series. "

" I can't wait to read the next one in this series. "

" As always the fanatasy world of of Terry Brook's was engrossing and thrilling. The pace of the book however I found staggared and only gained worthwile momentum within the last 20 pages, as part of a duology the book certainly leaves you wanting more. "

" Read in middle school. This was one of the first fantasy series I ever read and probably the one that got me onto an epic fantasy kick. "

" I am a fan of Terry Brooks', and I liked all his novels. The element that I prefer is the environment. Brooks manages to bring the reader inside his world and feel it. Unfortunately I was not very font of the characters this time. "

" Start of a new series. Should be good. "

" The whole time reading this I kept getting reminded of "The Lord of The Rings" "

" Loved this one it was a little different than the authors usual plot in most of his other books. "

" Another great Terry Brooks! Can't wait for more!! - DOE "

" Another saga not impressed with but provides insight following the other sagas "

" This is the first of the Shannara series that I read. It was a good way to get back into fantasy fiction, which I have been missing lately. Fun and interesting premise and good characters. I will enjoy tracking down the rest of the series. "

" A slow starter for me that didn't really get my attention until the last 50 or so pages. But I'm sure the massive amount of set-up in the first book will yield great story in the next installment of the series. Full of what Brooks does best, including the cliffhanger ending! "

" loved it, but I love all the shannara books! "

" Excellent first part of a trilogy! I am dying to read book number two! "

" This is just one book in a number of series tying the Word & void series together with the Shannara series. Terry Brooks in my opinion is an incredible author and to have him tie these to story lines together is a great work in itself. I highly recommend all of his works. "

" This book is amazing. I highly recommend it to any avid fantasy reader such as myself. It is a beautiful world that Terry Brooks created with elves, druids, and so on. It's a definite must have. "

" The last book was the best in my oppinion. "

" Absolute torture reading this. A boring, clichéd, badly written Tolkien rip-off in every sense. Absolutely dire. I would rate it lower than one star if it was possible. "

" Read these many many years ago ... now I'm gonna have to re-read them! "

" Spectacular stories. I loved reading these. "

" I give up. I tried hard to get into this book...but it seemed like a giant Lord of the Rings rip-off--except I couldn't care about the characters in this case. "

" Terry Brooks is one of my favorite authors of fantasy. His worlds are vivid and he keeps me guessing the whole way through. "

" This is a three in one deal and thus far I've only read the first one. It sucked. <br/> <br/>When/If I decide to read the next two I will update. "