# The Chronicles of Shannara



## Wo7f (Jan 7, 2016)

Who watched it? What did you think?

My thoughts- It's not exactly the book, but we were told that it would be a different version of Elfstones early on. I couldn't help but compare it to the book however, but once I stopped doing that and allowed the show to unfold with it's own story, I liked it a lot. This is definitely a new version of Elfstones. One that I will cheer on as I continue to watch.

With the MTV app, your able to watch episodes 3 and 4 early! I liked both even more than the first two and am excited for the next.


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## Juliana (Jan 7, 2016)

Recorded it, going to watch it tonight. 
Was it a double feature premiere, then?


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## ratsy (Jan 7, 2016)

I recorded it too. Previews look good. We'll see when I get to it since I haven't even watched all the first Childhood's End episode!


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## ctg (Jan 7, 2016)

Not impressed. It's too YA and like I said in Brooke's forum, not enough of dwarves. I might drop it now that I've watched all four episodes.


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## Wo7f (Jan 7, 2016)

Juliana, yes it was a double feature! 

Sorry you didn't care for it ctg. I'm sure they'll be dwarves sometime in the series.


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## ctg (Jan 7, 2016)

Wo7f said:


> I'm sure they'll be dwarves sometime in the series.



Yeah, maybe, but it's the YA thing that's pushing me away. I cannot turn off my mind and just accept the silliness being part of the play.


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## Juliana (Jan 8, 2016)

Watched the first two episodes last night with my husband. Yes, it is rather YA, as ctg notes, but I quite like a bit of YA so I'm happy. I thought it was rather fun. Not my favorite show on TV, certainly, but entertaining enough that I'll be back for more. Manu Bennett's Allanon is my fave character so far, but then I also loved him in Arrow.


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## Kylara (Jan 8, 2016)

I'm just about to watch it. I think it being produced by MTV means you'll get YA influence in there. I'm sort of looking forward to it, and sort of not. It's been so long since I read any Shannara that I doubt I'll be getting book grumps, but you never know!


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## JC Kang (Jan 8, 2016)

I really enjoyed it!  Great visuals, compelling characters, and enough intrigue to hook me.


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## The Bluestocking (Jan 10, 2016)

The series definitely turned out better than I expected. A bit weird to hear American accents in a high fantasy setting and it definitely has a YA vibe but other than that, it's better viewing than - dare I utter this blasphemy? - GAME OF THRONES. Why? Because we're focused on the plot and story and there's no gratuitous sex or violence to distract us.


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## Droflet (Jan 10, 2016)

Yeah, it was alright. A tad too YA for my liking and the title character is a whining jerk. But I guess he has to start out that way before he becomes the savior of all. Allanon is my favorite character so far. Not being a fantasy reader, of sixteen, I'm not the target audience. But this had enough to get me to keep looking. We'll see.


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## Grimward (Jan 10, 2016)

Long time Brooks fan.  Don't think I quite saw all of either the first two episodes (tried twice, but was late for each episode), but I saw enough, and enjoyed it.  Now if I could only get the Brothers Hildebrand images of Allanon (especially the beard), Wil, etc. out of my head, I think I'll like it even more...

(This from *Sword*, circa 1976)


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## Heather Myst (Jan 10, 2016)

I liked all four episodes. The show is a lot sexier than the books were.  I wish the series was more than ten episodes but maybe if it does well they will do other seasons.


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## Kylara (Jan 10, 2016)

I'm sure MTV will keep it going. I'm really enjoying it, even though everytime Allanon comes on I inwardly yell "CRIXUS!" 

MTV love keeping series going so I'm sure this will be continued in some way or another. Rhys Jones is fabulous in everything and brings the acting level up, it's all quite fun and enjoyable, which is more than I was hoping for!


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## BAYLOR (Jan 17, 2016)

So far so good


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## WaylanderToo (Jan 20, 2016)

just started watching this and am now on E3 - TBH I'm quite enjoying it. It's not as good as Arrow or AoS but better than Legend of the Seeker (which for my sins I also enjoyed)


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## thaddeus6th (Feb 25, 2016)

Not read the books (think I started the first one, but didn't get far), but thought I'd flag up for UK persons it's on 5* tonight, at 9pm. (5* is around channel 30 or so on Freeview).


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## thaddeus6th (Feb 26, 2016)

Turns out I confused this for something else [hadn't read any of it].

There were some bits I quite liked, the scenery's delightful, but it's a bit too YA for me.


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## Kylara (Feb 26, 2016)

Its based on the Elfstones thad, so book two in the series. It is quite good, filmed in NZ I believe. Holding up well with each episode so worth sticking with for a few episodes I think


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## svalbard (Feb 26, 2016)

The Elfstones was my favourite book of the early Shanara series. Stee Jans would be in my top 20 all time characters. Therefore I sat down to watch this with a bit of trepidation and was very pleasantly surprised. Not bad for MTV. Good production values, an engaging cast(Bennett is an inspired Allanon), and a smashing good pace.


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## Susan Boulton (Feb 27, 2016)

Saw the first show last night. Please tell me it gets better.....


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## Caledfwlch (Feb 27, 2016)

Is it actually a Young Adult show? Because there seems to be a considerable amount of gore & Brutal fights, deaths, and plenty of corpses littering the episodes.


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## Ursa major (Feb 27, 2016)

I thought I'd look at the publishing history to see if there was some reason that the show started with book 2 -- which would seem, at first glance, to be a rather odd choice -- but I see that, in terms of the timeline of the Shannara universe given on Wiki, even book 1 is nowhere near the beginning.


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## svalbard (Feb 27, 2016)

Ursa major said:


> I thought I'd look at the publishing history to see if there was some reason that the show started with book 2 -- which would seem, at first glance, to be a rather odd choice -- but I see that, in terms of the timeline of the Shannara universe given on Wiki, even book 1 is nowhere near the beginning.



The Word and the Void series is Brooks's finest work(apart from Elfstones). I would have loved to have seen the TV series start there.


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## MemoryTale (Mar 3, 2016)

I caught up with episode 1, and it's mixed for me. I quite like how the characters are presented and the visuals are ace, but a couple of the changes threw me such as the blindfold race and Eretria having a fixed abode. I'll see how it goes.



Ursa major said:


> I thought I'd look at the publishing history to see if there was some reason that the show started with book 2 -- which would seem, at first glance, to be a rather odd choice -- but I see that, in terms of the timeline of the Shannara universe given on Wiki, even book 1 is nowhere near the beginning.



To be honest I think it's because Elfstones is a lot better regarded than Sword, which is largely decried as a LOTR rip off.


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## SilentRoamer (Mar 3, 2016)

svalbard said:


> The Word and the Void series is Brooks's finest work(apart from Elfstones). I would have loved to have seen the TV series start there.



I agree - the Word and the Void is definitely my favourite Brooks work as well. I think revealing that Shannara is "our world" in the future as part of the initial premise makes it lose some of its importance. For anyone who has read Shannara piecing together the events of the Great War and then really tying them in with Word and Void is a great reveal.

They would have struggled adapting Sword as anything other than a LOTR "homage/ripoff" as much as I like Brooks.

The series touches on events from Elfstones but also mixes in some things from Wishsong (I won't add spoilers) so there is definitely some fast and loose play with the source material - however, given Brooks known level of involvement I expect any changes are fully author approved. (Brooks never struck me as the uptight sort and I imagine him being great to work with).


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## Mr Orange (Mar 8, 2016)

watched the first episode of this last night and as someone not familiar with the books, i kind of liked it. it was a bit YA but the storyline looks like it could develop into something decent and the scenery is great (but i come from NZ so am biased in that regard). after getting sucked into the super-nice YA feeling i was a bit surprised at the gore and nastiness that made an appearance.

two things that bothered me were the cleanliness of everyone (this is something that really jars with me in shows like this. i want a bit of realistic grime) and the MC that i'm sure was one of the kids in Hanson. 

i think this will be my guilty mindless viewing whilst staying up with our baby...


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## Droflet (Mar 8, 2016)

Push on if you wish Mr O, I did, and found it a waste of effort.


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## Mr Orange (Mar 8, 2016)

i wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being exactly that Drof, but i'll give it a chance.


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## Emori (Mar 10, 2016)

Mr Orange said:


> ...and the MC that i'm sure was one of the kids in Hanson.



This made me laugh out loud! I thought the exact same thing!


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## thaddeus6th (Mar 10, 2016)

Ha, I didn't see that (only watched the one episode) but it's spot on.


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## Juliana (Mar 10, 2016)

Emori said:


> This made me laugh out loud! I thought the exact same thing!



In Arrow he briefly played a DJ/something else (won't say for spoilers for those catching up on the show) so it's weird to see him play such a naïve character in Shanara.


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## Mr Orange (Mar 10, 2016)

Glad it wasn't just me. I half expected him to launch into mmmbop... Don't think I stuck with Arrow long enough to see him in that. 

Watched the second episode tonight. Still enjoying it.


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## Cathbad (Mar 10, 2016)

> To be honest I think it's because Elfstones is a lot better regarded than Sword, which is largely decried as a LOTR rip off.



Having thought about it, I believe that *Sword* just isn't a necessary part of the storyline.  Simply revealing that the sword exists, who found it and what it did - which the show has done - was enough.  No need to go into all the convoluted details of the first book.


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## Gonk the Insane (Apr 4, 2016)

Four or five episodes in and I'm still really enjoying this. If I did read _Elfstones _it was long enough ago that I can't remember any of it. What does everyone else make of it? Still watching?


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## BAYLOR (Apr 22, 2016)

It should get a second season.


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## Ursa major (Apr 22, 2016)

According to Wikipedia:





> On April 20, 2016, MTV ordered a second season of _The Shannara Chronicles_.


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