Play Audiobook Sample
First King of Shannara Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.00) - 16,484 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Horrified by the misuse of magic they had witnessed during the First War of the Races, the Druids at Paranor devoted themselves to the study of the old sciences, from the period before the collapse of civilization a thousand years before. Only the Bremen and a few trusted associates still studied the arcane arts. And for his persistence, Bremen found himself outcast, avoided by all but the few free-thinkers among the Druids. But his removal from Paranor was not altogether a terrible thing, for Bremen learned that dark forces were on the move from the Northlands. That seemingly invincible armies of trolls were fast conquering all that lay to their south. That the scouts for the army--and its principal assassins--were Skull Bearers, disfigured and transformed Druids who had fallen prey to the seductions of the magic arts. And that at the heart of the evil tide was an archmage and former Druid named Brona! Using the special skills he had acquired through his own study of Magic, Bremen was able to penetrate the huge camp of the Troll army and learn many of its secrets. And he immediately understood that if the peoples of the Four Lands were to escape eternal subjugation they would need to unite. But, even united, they would need a weapon, something so powerful that the evil magic of Brona, the Warlock Lord, would fail before its might...
Download and start listening now!
"To all those retards who think this was a rip-off of LOTR, go get a life. Why don't you go out and write a book like this and see if you can even do it? First of all, nothing in here reminds me of LOTR, and the entire shannara series is different in many ways. Simply put, read the book and agree with me :P"
— Tyler (5 out of 5 stars)
First King of Shannara Listener Reviews
-
—
Michael Patrick, 5/20/2022
-
" If you enjoy fantasy books like harry potter then you need to read these books. the characters are great and very intriguing. The books are well wriiten and I could not put it down! "
— April, 2/19/2014 -
" Is it fair to say that I tend to forgive Brooks mistakes in the story just for the opportunity to spend a few days back in the world that he's created? "
— Becky, 2/11/2014 -
" The prequel to the Sword of Shannara series! Loved it! It was great to see Allanon and Cogline again and to see what Bremen was really like! Also of course a host of new characters to come to know and love. Great installment of the Shannara series! "
— Branwen, 2/10/2014 -
" I started reading this series in Jr. High thanks to Stephanie, so I thought it would be fun to finish. This isn't my favorite series of Terry Brooks so far. The Magic Kingdom of Landover is the best, but not nearly as famous. "
— Kelsey, 2/9/2014 -
" Great book, high fantasy. Can't complain. Four stars easy. "
— John, 1/28/2014 -
" If you enjoyed reading Lord of the Ring you may enjoy this series. Both authors use the same story formula. "
— Mandy, 1/28/2014 -
" I read Sword after LOTR ages ago and my view of that experience was the same as this one. Totally unimaginative and utterly boring. These kind of books make me believe that I can be a writer too! Lol. "
— Alunsina, 1/27/2014 -
" I actually read it as a prequel, before delving into the trilogy. It is much better written than The Sword of Shannara, more concise and tight. If you are not already familiar with The Sword of Shannara series want to start the series, start with this prequel. "
— Tee, 1/25/2014 -
" I can't believe I haven't read this series yet. I loved this prequel to the classic series, I can't wait to tear through the rest of the story. I read the jackets of the next few books to get a hint at what was coming and I remain absolutely engaged to what Brooks has set up with this book. "
— Bob, 1/20/2014 -
" I got bored and never finished. Pretty much the same stuff as the rest. Sorry to be vague, I'll most likely pick it up and finish later. "
— Craig, 12/20/2013 -
" this is the prequel to Sword of Shannara and is just great. It was written years after the trilogy. It therefore feels a little incomplete, I would not be surprised if terry came back and wrote yet another trilogy. "
— Forcebolts99yahoo.com, 11/12/2013 -
" Loved getting some back story on how/why the Sword of Shannara was forged, how Allanon became Bremen's successor, and seeing Cogline. I always liked that crazy old man! "
— Erin, 11/5/2013 -
" Really good--glad that I found it so I now have a new series to read! "
— Lydia, 10/28/2013 -
" This was the book that stared it all for me in the Shannara series. "
— Emily, 10/26/2013 -
" This is the second time around for this book - just wanted to read it again! "
— Kathy, 10/16/2013 -
" My favorite Shannara book! Totally awesome prequel! "
— Danail, 10/1/2013 -
—
Fan for life, 9/29/2013
-
" This book was weird in the beginning. It took me a while to actually get into it. But once all the character development was completed, I couldn't put it down. I haven't started reading the rest of series yet, because there are a lot of them and I need to finish a few others first. "
— Craig, 9/15/2013 -
" I can't believe I haven't read this series yet. I loved this prequel to the classic series, I can't wait to tear through the rest of the story. I read the jackets of the next few books to get a hint at what was coming and I remain absolutely engaged to what Brooks has set up with this book. "
— Horizon, 4/6/2013 -
" I liked this book a lot more than the other Shannara books. Brooks' writing seems to be getting a little bit better. "
— Ed, 1/14/2013 -
" I devoured this book quickly. It was a fun read, and seeing the origin of characters, the sword, and other elements of the world of the following Shannara books was quite satisfying. "
— Tim, 8/29/2012 -
" A prequil to sword of shannara "
— Michael, 12/19/2011 -
" This book drags in a few places, but for the most part keeps you on the edge of your seat! "
— Kirk, 9/6/2011 -
" This was in fact the first Terry Brooks I read. Amazing!!! And some imagery I will never forget...like the ripping out of the heart. "
— Snufkin, 9/4/2011 -
" The prequel...moves very fast, too fast...not enough time spent on the characters "
— Jerry, 5/4/2011 -
" Great transition into the classic Shannara series. If you like you fantasy reading, you'll enjoy this one. "
— Mike, 4/27/2011 -
" Beginning of a great fantasy series! "
— Vampiress_demitri, 2/27/2011 -
" The writing was rich, detailed and professional. But, I'm just going to say it, enormously boring. Not enough interaction between the characters and the story went waaaaay to slow. Plus, it was to much like Lord of the Rings. "
— Victoria, 2/26/2011 -
" This book clears up a lot of things that have been alluded to in "The Sword of Shannara" Trilogy and "The Heritage of Shannara" four-book series. Brooks has an excellent and easy to read writing style. His books can stand alone as well as be read as series. "
— Lynn, 11/29/2010 -
" I love the Shannara series of books -- this was the third time of read this book and still love it "
— Dpolonczyk, 11/23/2010 -
" This was the book that stared it all for me in the Shannara series. "
— Emily, 11/16/2010 -
" This book was enjoyable, but not good enough to get me to read the rest of the series. "
— Biz, 10/21/2010 -
" I read this book first before starting the series. A great way to start off the world of Shannara. "
— Todd, 10/6/2010 -
" I really enjoyed this tale. While it is not up with Martin or anybody, It is still a fun read. "
— Nate, 8/2/2010
About Terry Brooks
Terry Brooks has thrilled readers for decades with his powers of imagination and storytelling. He is the author of more than thirty books, most of which have been New York Times bestsellers. He is a recipient of the 2017 World Fantasy Association’s Life Achievement Award. His novels Running with the Demon and A Knight of the Word were chosen by the Rocky Mountain News as two of the best fantasy novels of the twentieth century.
About Scott Brick
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.