Comparison of 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Sword of Shannara'

Basically I've gone through the plot of SoS in my head, and listed anything which struck me as being in tLotR.

This probably isn't an exhaustive listing, so let me know what you think.


Each line details the SoS name for sth, it's description, and the element of tLotRs which it resembles.

Shady Vale      (sleepy village)                ====    The Shire

Shea (orphan hero) ==== Frodo

Flick (doubty sidekick) ==== Sam

Allanon (mystery & magic) ==== Gandalf

Balinor (travelling prince) ==== Aragron

Skullbearers (non-existent night crawlers) ==== Ringwraiths

Menion (outlander friend) ==== Merry + Pippin

Black Oaks (bad rep. for travel) ==== Old Forrest

Siren (evil tree type thingy) ==== Old Man Willow

King of SR (old, old power, in a region) ==== Tom Bom

Culhaven (heros flee to a safe place) ==== Rivendell

Council (various races, and plan) ==== Rivendell Council

Buckhannah Bros.(princes at variance) ==== Boromir & Faramir

Party of 8 (our small band of heros) ==== Nine Walkers

City Poison (makes hero unconscious) ==== Knife poison

Elfstones (reveal user to Enemy) ==== One Ring

Hall of Kings (fearsome place, abandoned) ==== Paths of the Dead, or Moria

Druids Keep (good but abandoned to evil) ==== Moria

Al + Skullbearer(fights to save, yet 'dies') ==== Gandalf and Balrog

Loss of Shea (company broken amidst battle) ==== Departure of Frodo

Tyrisis & Callahorn (first, best deferse) ==== Minas Tirith / Gondor

Kern (associated with main city) ==== Rohan

Stenmin (poisioning mind of royals) ==== Wormtongue

Rhul (weak ruler, overcome by evil) ==== Steward or K.Rohan

Cloud wall (sent by Enemy eve of battle) ==== Dark Clouds

Orl Fane (pitiful creature with object) ==== Smeagol

Sword (ancient magic to destroy) ==== One Ring

Storlock (place of great rest&healing) ==== Lorien

Skull Mt. (single mountain, evil home) ==== you know the one

Orl Fane Saves (by intervening at critical time)=== Smeagol Saves

Brona (good, overcome by lure of magic)=== Sauron


Go to Melmoth's Prose Page


Page last updated 2nd April, '98.