BY GIACK SELLONI
Long
time Shannara fans have reason to rejoice. Thanks to the series producers Sonar Entertainment and MTV, author Terry
Brooks' Shannara has come to life. Based upon his second novel, "The
Elfstones of Shannara," The Shannara Chronicles is an engaging new
television series that premieres on MTV on January 5. Cast with some terrific
young actors it's a good bet to be a hit with MTV fans who know nothing of Brooks' novels.
Shot on location in New Zealand, it has beautiful scenery, breathtaking
cinematography and an impressively talented and good looking cast. (Elves are
supposed to be beautiful, no?) The set design is spectacular; wait until you
see the Sacred Garden and the Ellcrys.
Visit
http://www.mtv.com/shows/shannara/video-guide
and watch the preview videos. They should whet your appetite for more.
Here
is a synopsis of the show’s story line:
A
long time to come, on a post-apocalyptic Earth, a magical tree, the Ellcrys,
stands in the Elven city of Arborlon. For thousands of years it has protected
the Four Lands from demon invasion. As long as the Ellcrys lives, the demons
remain banished in the Forbidding. But the Ellcrys is dying. For the first time
in its history the Ellcrys is shedding leaves and with each leaf that falls
another demon is released into the world. The demons are coming...
Since its planting the tree has been
protected by The Order of the Chosen. Each year young elves vie for one of the
seven places in the Order, giving a year's service tending to the tree. This
year, against tradition, the first female elf has earned a spot in the Order.
She is Amberle Elessedil (Poppy Drayton - Unhallowed Ground, Downton Abbey),
granddaughter to King Eventine Elessedil (John Rhys-Davies
- do I need list his credits?) and the Ellcrys speaks to her through visions.
Misinterpreting one of the Ellcrys' messages, she runs away in an attempt to
protect someone she cares about.
In
Shady Vale, Wil Ohmsford (Austin Butler - The Carrie Diaries, Arrow), a
young man who is half-elf, half-human, is dealing with the death of his mother,
a gift she gives him on her death-bed and a mission she imparts; "Find the
Druid." The Druid she refers to is Alanon (Manu Bennett - The Hobbit,
Arrow). The gift pertains to the magical elfstones once wielded by Wil's
father, Shea Ohmsford. Wil leaves Shady Vale intent on going to Storlock to
study healing to make up for the helplessness he feels being unable to save his
mother. Instead of finding Alanon it is the druid who finds Wil but not before
Wil has been relieved of the elfstones by a beautiful Rover girl (read: thief),
Eretria (Ivana Baquero - Pan's Labyrinth). Alanon has been called by the
Ellcrys and with Wil in tow they head to Arborlon.
Meanwhile,
a Changeling demon prowls Arborlon doing the Dagda Mor's bidding. The first
leaf lost by the Ellcrys released the Dagda Mor, a powerful Elven Druid
corrupted thousands of years earlier by the Illdatch, a book of dark magic. The
Changeling's mission is to kill all the members of the Order of the Chosen. In
this way, as only a member of the Chosen possesses the ability to revive the
Ellcrys, a demon invasion will be assured…
The Shannara
Chronicles is
an exciting and impressive adaptation of Terry Brooks’ equally impressive
novel.