The Elfstones of Shannara

The Elfstones of Shannara
First hardcover edition.
AuthorTerry Brooks
IllustratorDarrell K. Sweet
Cover artistDarrell K. Sweet
LanguageEnglish
SeriesOriginal Shannara Trilogy
GenreEpic fantasy
PublisherDel Rey Books
Publication date
1982
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback, mass market paperback)
Pages576 (mass market paperback)
ISBN0-345-30253-2 (1st edition hardcover) ISBN 0-345-28554-9 (mass market paperback)
OCLC7976998
813/.54 19
LC ClassPS3552.R6596 E5 1982
Preceded byThe Sword of Shannara 
Followed byThe Wishsong of Shannara 

The Elfstones of Shannara is a 1982 epic fantasy[1] 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 (the hero of the first book) and inheritor of the Shannara Elfstones.

The novel, set in a fictional world called the Four Lands, consists of two intertwining plotlines. The first plotline follows the quest of protagonists Wil Ohmsford and Amberle Elessedil to create a new Ellcrys, a magical tree that serves to banish all Demons from the Four Lands. To do this, they must locate a specific place in the Four Lands called Safehold, where the process of creating a new Ellcrys can begin. The second plotline focuses on the efforts of the Elven army and their allies to slow a massive Demon invasion, made possible by the dying of the current Ellcrys, to give Wil and Amberle enough time to complete their quest.

  1. ^ Speakman, Shawn (2008). "Terry Brooks' official website". Archived from the original on 2008-04-23. Retrieved 2008-05-02.