I Finally Finished

That's right.  I finally finished my novel!  Okay, not my novel, but the novel I was reading.  It took me an unnecessarily long time to finish.  I guess that's what two busy jobs will do to you.  There was a time when I literally didn't understand how a person could "have no time to read".  I guess part of me understands a bit better now.  Mostly, I still think it's an excuse because most of those people still find time to watch TV...

Anyway, let's get to the point.  The First King of Shannara was a great book.  My brother has been begging me to read it for years and I always seemed to have an excuse.  High fantasy, as you all know, is not always my favorite genre to read.  Yes, The Hobbit was completely enjoyable, but that's about all I've ventured to read.  While I'm not ready to start writing stories about elves, dwarfs, and wizards, my eyes have been opened to explore fantasy a little more.

The First King of Shannara is about a group of people sought after by Bremen to join forces to bring down the Warlock Lord--a man who has let evil magic consume him beyond return.  The characters are well crafted and I couldn't help but care for them.  I wanted them to succeed and find peace after their quest.  Each character had something unique to offer and the mystery in some of them compelled me to keep reading.  There are beautiful images evoked in some of the scenes thanks to the way the story is told.

There were times when I felt everything used too many words, but I'm always looking for ways to squeeze as much meaning into a sentence as I can with as few words as possible.  Wordy language is also the nature of fantasy books.  People don't speak in contractions and they are often formal.  But, like I said earlier, the character still come through.  Despite these few things, I really liked this book and I would recommend it.

Happy Reading!