I havn't personally read "The Sword of Shannara," but my brother is and he says that it is very much like "The Lord of the Rings." The only thing that is different is that Shannara has more books than LotR.
I can't think of any series that I have read with almost the exact plot line as LotR, but one thing I have noticed is that a lot of people like to knock LotR and some have even gone to the length of writing books that make fun of LotR. Not to stray from the original subject too much, but my dad owns a copy of "Bored of the Rings." I have half a mind to read it, but I'm still thinking...
