The Shannara Chronicles

Fans of the novels will be disappointed with this adaptation, but they aren't the target audience. It was MTV that won the battle of rights for Terry Brook's series, and that means it has a firm, young adult flair. As a result, you can expect heavy romance and some cheesy lines, but there's also a lot to like. Despite the young cast, the acting is fairly solid, and it really does bring to life the strange and wondrous world. Thanks to the great choice of shooting locations and special effects, the world itself is beautiful, even if it doesn't quite reach the level of Game of Thrones. The story, too, is reasonably well-executed, scratching the itch for high-fantasy in an easily digestible manner. Drawing parallels to Lord of the Rings, it tells of a demon lord who returns, destroying a magical tree to release his dark kin on all. A band of heroes sets off on a quest to revive the tree, journeying to Safehold where ancient magic awaits them. It all sounds very familiar, but that's not a bad thing. The Shannara Chronicles doesn't pretend to be high-brow. It's easy-to-watch, entertaining fantasy, and sometimes that's all you need.