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Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth Series is Awesome. It is probably the best Science Fiction series I've ever read. The Story is riveting, and the underlying ideas and values are amazing and right on target. I would definitely recommend them.
I had a problem with the original shipment and the dealer responded with a new book for no cost. Great service. I love the book.
but WAIT AGAIN. this book is not Mr. I can't believe I'm going to die, I'm going to die. Only Once. I'm going to die."DIFFERENT BAD GUY:"I'm going to rape you. I changed my mind. Not about the rape of course.
The whole novel is an exercise in a single plot tactic (and a cheap one imo), the suspense of suspense for suspense's sake:(spoilers)BAD GUY:"I'm going to cut your throat. How many times do we need to be told about how evil the bad guys are. Did we get a chance to tell you about our faith that is so evil that it makes it so we feel JUSTIFIED in being so bad. but for some reason the only guy I ever get to attack is invincible. But there are a LOT of us. WELL. but WAIT. no.
first I'm going to talk about it for HALF A BLASTED HOUR. but first I'm going to yap on about it for a half a blasted hour"HELPLESS VICTIM:"I'm going to die. but at least I'm SUPER HOT. but I've got this book I can't read that will tell me. we should probably go over it again.BAD GIRL:I'm going to reach halfway across the country with my super magic and steal your power.GOOD GUY:I don't even know HOW to use my power.
no. but first we're going to talk about it for 30 MINUTES. We're going to spend extra time detailing how we hurt women and children. How many times do we need tens of pages dedicated to describing in excruciating detail the repetitive thoughts of victims as they helplessly await some unavoidable horror. I thought I left it leaning against the door.BAD DEMON:I'm INVINCIBLE.GOOD GIRL:I can't remember if I'm powerful or not.
if only I could read it.BAD EMPEROR: I can reach in anyone's dreams and take control of them.GOOD GUY:I seem to have lost my sword. What. You want me to walk around naked AGAIN.GOOD GUY:"I'm going to now spend 30 minutes talking about the amazing awesomeness of my honey that I've spent about 3 minutes with over the last 6 novels. RAWL #3:It's good to be king.Good lord I could go on.
I can't believe I'm going to die. but now we're good - so other than pining over the GOOD GUY (He's DREAMY) we're only going to be around for about 4 minutes in this book.GOOD OLD MAGICIAN:I'm a really powerful good magician. I'm still going to rape you (insert 30 minutes of detailed description here), but FIRST I'm going to wait until the perfect moment." ARMY OF BAD GUYS:We're going to rape all of you, and those we don't rape we're going to murder. In case you didn't know - we're a bad army.
Did I mention that she's SUPER HOT.USED TO BE BAD GIRLS THAT ARE NOW GOOD:"We used to be bad with our pain sticks. Goodkinds best.
However, it only deepens my sorrow at what an incredible series of books this could have turned into.The basic problems remain: Too much dialogue, too preachy, reuses old plots, frequent use of the Deus Ex Machina, magic is used only as a plot device, excessive amounts of boring description, a lack of the better characters in the Cycle, Richard doesn't learn how to use his gift, no updates to the map or new map of the Old World, long passages with little or nothing happening, etc. Kahlan basically just wonders around with the Sisters or the Order, and Nicci and Zedd stand around the jabber about sterile fields and prophetic bifurcations instead of actually doing anything. a name so creepy and epic. Phantom. This is slightly better than Chainfire, but still nothing remotely near a really good book. It wouldn't have hurt if Goodkind had forgotten his holier-than-thou preaching agenda as well.Well, I think that about summarizes my feelings on Phantom. Richard, despite his own convictions, spends most of his time trying to unravel riddles, and his character development is given in Deus Ex Machinas of "Suddenly, the realization hit him." and the like. It's a shame that characters as interesting as Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, and Nicci have to exist in these boring plotlines.
That way, Goodkind wouldn't have to deal with managing the two plotlines(Kahlan is missing + The Imperial Order is attacking), and maybe he would make some books that are actually epic. The Sword of Truth series has come to resemble a soap-opera, only without all the things that make soap-operas interesting. First of all, let me honestly say that the name and cover of this book are both very good. I think the Chainfire Trilogy would have been much better if the Imperial Order War had been resolved(without the use of the Boxes of Orden) by Book 8(preferrably by throwing out the lame plot of that book and tightening the pace of the earlier ones), and the Chainfire Trilogy would happen (at least) several years afterwards. However, I'd have to say the largest problem is that nothing interesting is going on any more. These last two books have been more like a documentary of boring political conversations rather than fantasy epics. The war with the Order has been dragged out long enough as is. It's a good story idea, but it would have turned out far better in the hands of a more capable author who didn't preach so much or reuse old plotlines.
If you like adventure, fantasy, magic, metaphysic and want to be entertained, you can't lose. Terry Goodkind is an excellent author. Detailed characters and settings, make you feel as you are there. Enjoy.
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