The Jerle Shannara Trilogy
Terry Brooks first novel, THE SWORD OF SHANNARA, began the post-Tolkien huge boom in epic fantasy in 1977.  It was a NEW YORK TIMES bestseller for five months.  Since then he has written seven more SHANNARA novels, five MAGIC KINGDOM light fantasies and the KNIGHT OF THE WORD dark fantasies series.  Terry Brooks divides his time between Seattle and Hawaii with his wife, Judine.