The Elf Queen of Shannara
1992 novel by Terry Brooks
The Elf Queen of Shannara is a fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks, the third book of the tetralogy: The Heritage of Shannara. It was first published in 1992.
Plot summary
Wren Ohmsford, a descendant of the legendary Jerle Shannara, was charged by the shade of the Druid Allanon to travel to the distant island of Morrowindl and find the Elves to bring them back to the Four Lands. However, Elves have not been seen in the Four Lands for over a century. No one in the Westlands knew of them---except, finally, the Addershag, who told Wren how to locate one.
To Morrowindl
Tiger Ty, the Wing Rider, carried Wren Ohmsford and her friend Garth to the only clear landing site on the island of Morrowindl, where the Elves might still exist. A Splinterscat, Stresa, and a Tree Squeak, Faun, help her reach the city of Arborlon. The island has become a prison since demons began appearing. Only the magic of the Loden keeps Arborlon safe, but its power is failing, and if the Elves are not returned to the Westland soon, they will not survive. Upon reaching the Elves, Wren learns about her true Elven heritage, as her maternal grandmother is the current Elf Queen, Ellenroh Elessedil.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “The Elf Queen of Shannara” is 1992 novel by Terry Brooks. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Queen, Shannara and novel, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “1992 novel by Terry Brooks” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1082111. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1992.
Rights, attribution and provenance may remain disputed even when a general reference summary presents a stable account. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “The Elf Queen of Shannara”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow The Elf Queen of Shannara primary sources, The Elf Queen of Shannara archive and Queen research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “The Elf Queen of Shannara”?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “The Elf Queen of Shannara” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.