Rating: 
Summary: Ponderous, Preacy, Pointless..
Review: I have been a huge Goodkind fan in the past, even meeting him in person once at a bookstore. So I am probably more disappointed than a casual reader in the latest (and hopefully last) installment in this series.
I can sum up up the book in three sections:
1. Beginning: PADDED
2. Middle: PREACHY
3. End: POINTLESS AND PAT1. Beginning: PADDED:
The first portion lags horribly, as characters spend all their time in repetitive dialog, rehashing things ad nauseum that they said only a few pages earlier, for no apparent reason. It feels as though there were 10 pages that needed to expanded to 10 chapters, and the method was talk, talk, talk without actually communicating anything new.
2. Middle: PREACHY
The middle is preachy. Did I say preachy? well, it is. Richard spends all his time expounding in the most stilted and pedantic fashion a very simple concept. In order to allow the author to hammer this sermon home time and again, he has to write an enclave of characters as unreasonably obtuse, to allow Richard the opportunity to reexplain the gist over an over again with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, while at the same time portraying anyone disagreeing with the sermon as blind or idiotic.
This might have been acceptable if the sermon was something enlightening or some sort of revelation. But its fairly basic: its ok for an organism to protect itself against a threat. There, I've given you the entire sermon in one sentence, but it takes chapters and chapters of reiteration until you're mind is numb from the repetition before he ever abandons the sermon...temporarily, only to reprise it again in the last third as an "I told you so".
3. End: POINTLESS AND PAT: In possibly the worst case ever witnessed of "Magicus ex machina", four supposedly insurmountable problems are instantly solved in the last 10% of the book by devices not revealed to the reader until that moment. One particular solution simply materializes out of thin air with no explanation or logic.
Additionally, an enemy supposedly more dangerous than anything previously encountered has an achilles heel that is both incredibly obvious and too easily exploited. and did I mention preachy? ok, so I did. This series formerly was a high example of engaging characters that valued honor and sacrifice above all, and this book turns that hallmark on its head: the characters are tedious or insipid, honor is absent and the sacrifice of others in favor of yourself is championed as the highest virtue.
Rating: 
Summary: An Absolutely Dreadful Book
Review: Goodkind is all for "moral clarity," so I have to put this bluntly. The book is terrible. The plot is advanced perhaps a millimeter in hundreds of pages. Why, you ask? So that we may have the great fortune of listening to Mr. Goodkind rant his sub-Ayn Randian Objectivism for page after page. The ideas espoused are spoken with the conviction a Hitler youth--just as naively self-assured, just as accepting (embracing) of violence. I am all for individual responsibility, freedom, etc., but to have them preached to me page after page in such a clumsy and didactic fashion (your childhood Sunday School teacher was more elegant and eloquent than Richard's speeches on the subjects) made me want to toss up my hands and surrender. In fact, if it weren't for the disturbing brutality of Richard and his enemies, I would say that this was intended for youth, like the Victorian-era morality tales that sold so well. The story involved Richard being poisoned, finding a group of people that lack "moral clarity" (read "peaceniks" or "hippies" here--two groups that the author obviously loathes) and searching for the antidote. During this time he suffers nausea and headaches that we just don't care to hear about. His wife, Kahlan, again plays the fool and gets herself captured. There is a new evil wizard that can steal the souls of the people he impales on sticks. He then uses these souls somehow to control large black birds and goats (though why he does not simply put his own spirit into them without placing people onto sticks is not made known to us). There is a girl that has no magic that keeps company with a goat. The girl has no character, has nothing to do with the story. The goat, being a goat, should probably not be a main character in a novel, but this is a decision left to Mr. goodkind. At times the writing makes you want to laugh out loud. When the evil wizard has placed people on stakes so that he can fly in big birds, the dialogue becomes exactly what you read in "Fun with Dick and Jane." "look, look. See, see. Go up. Go down." I know you think I exaggerate, but you can verify this for yourself if you wish. The arguments for the capitalist and objectivist philosophy are not fun to read. They ramble on and on, and the points they make are trivial at best. The characters act, conveniently, in ways that bolster the arguments. In fact, they are not really human characters at all, they are pieces of cardboard, cut out and painted neatly with black or white finger paints. The good people are wholly good--perfect and sainted. The evil people are absolutely and totally evil--they have no redeeming merits and hate even their own mommies. In short, they are contrivances. The outcome is a forgone conclusion. I could not ruin it for you because it is too obvious. I cannot say that it was satisfying. Nothing about this puerile work really was. I know that sounds harsh. But as a new convert to the righteous Mr. Goodkind's vision of "moral clarity", I have to call it what it is.
Rating:
Summary: Had a few moments, but lacking overall
Review: Well it's definitely an improvement over Pillars of Creation - with familiar characters, and characters that are more interesting and creative, but it's still lacking. I found Pillars of Creation frustrating to read because it had so many inconsistencies and unbelievable coincidences. I know these sentiments may appear to be out of place in a review of Naked Empire, but PoC opened up my critical eye to Goodkind's world, and now I can't help but question the bigger picture when I read Naked Empire. Here are just some of the problems that occurred to me as I read the book (in no particular order): * There are so many problems with the whole pristinely ungifted exile premise:
- These people were only discovered after many generations, and there were many such people. How did the people of D'arah originally manage to round them ALL up - an impossible task.
- OK, let's say they were able to get them all together and exile them to the Old World. None returned? How did the Old World recognize them for what they were? How long did that take? How did the Old World round them ALL up AGAIN after they recognized them for what they were?
- Even given all these things as true, and they were successfully exiled to their valley, the fact that the ungifted society did not evolve in any way for 3 thousand years is unbelievable
- The fact that the ungifted society clung to that stupid 'wise one' (put your fingers in your ears and hum....) ideology for 3 thousand years is unbelievable * The way Richard was simply somehow 'able' to solve his own problems with the gift and the poison at the last second was very anticlimactic. * All the 'good' characters seemed to be able to move all around the map of this world in a few days (i.e. Ann and Nathan's trip to the Exile Land) while Jang-jang's army was stuck in one spot for several seasons. * Jang-jang's army is too chaotic at a micro level (i.e. all solders solely concerned with raping and pillaging) to have enough discipline to ever be efficient on a large scale. * The good guys had four independent parties (Boundary guard with daughter, Kahlan obsessed guy, Mordsith lady, and Captain of guard) invade the most inner, protected circle of Jang-jang's army to rescue Zedd. If they can do this, why not execute those of power in Jang-jang's camp and Jang-jang himself? * Jennisen and her goat are just as irritating as they were in PoC whenever they bleat on about anything * Much detail is spent describing the little battles, but the key battles (i.e. defeating Slide, rescuing Zedd) are, pretty much, "easy victories" were there is no exposition on how the feat was achieved.. * The bad guys are too evil to be believable. * The ethical dilemmas feel overly contrived. * The idea that one group thinks of themselves as being so superior while they are really living an impoverished life is getting a little tired. This combined with Richard's long preachy speeches is boring reading. If I hadn't read PoC, I may have given this book 1 star because of the above (and other) points that made for unsatisfactory reading. However, because I gave PoC one 1 star, I'll give this one 2 stars. Homerinvests
Rating:
Summary: Dear Creator, get rid of that STINKING GOAT!!
Review: Look, the book is horrible -but so was the last one- so I have no one to blame but myself for buying it. The characters have melded into one "cardboardy", preachy, predictable version of each other. And yes, the message is simplistic and transparent and frustratingly redundant. But, I LOVE those elements of the book compared to that freaking lousy goat. I'm embarressed for Mr.Goodkind's children when that bleating contrivance shows up. When they get old enough to read and find out that their daddy stuck that filthy goat down his readers throats they're going to claw their eyes out in shame. I can never be friends now with a woman named Betty because of you, Goodkind. If Roy reads this thing while he's recovering, he'll hate the goat more than the white tiger, I can tell you that. The president of PETA even said that he hopes Jagang the Just ends up raping and eating Betty. Now having said that, I ADORED that goat compared to that devastatingly not-cute, forced-precocious, sickenly saccharin character of Rachel. The next time I read about Rachel I hope it's on a milk carton.
Rating:
Summary: George the Just...
Review: I've been an avid reader and fan of the 'Sword of Truth'-series for a long, long time, and for that matter, many other fantasy series as well. But, with Goodkind's latest, 'Naked Empire', I can't remember reading a book that gave me such disappointment, especially regarding its ending. There once was a time when I compared SoT with George R R Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire'-series, but, since 'Blood of the Fold', Goodkind has gradually drifted lightyears away from that kind of quality. I have the strong impression that the last 10 chapters of the story in NE were hurried away, while the storyline still invited for many an intricate story detail, able to create at least some 10-20 additional chapters. For example (I'll do my best not to give away spoilers): 1. Nicholas the Slide could have done to Richard what he also was able to do to Kahlan; or:
2. What would have happened if Kahlan/Nicholas had come back to Richard? or:
3. What would have happened if Jenssen had interacted with Nicholas? or:
4. How about a fight between Nicholas and Jagang over who rules the Empire? etc. So, all in all I think Goodkind just failed to create a truly satisfying read, and he or his publisher have limited the length and possibly the scope of the story, especially towards its ending. Another thing: there was much ado about Goodkind's co-called pro-war ramblings as he told them in this book via Richard. Well, for whatever they were worth, I must say I much agree with Richard's line of reasoning: brutal oppression must not be won by appeasement but by vengeance and obliteration of the enemy, see Germany, WWII. But one thing it failed to identify: who then is the enemy in our modern, real world? In SoT, it's easy: the Imperial Order, led by emperor Jagang the Just. But in our real world? In the real world we have to do with terrorism, not bound to states. That reminds me of the following: war is done by nations, but it is the people that are the victims. The same accounts for terrorism, however, terrorism is not bound to nations. So, if Goodkind indeed tried to show some of his modern war-philosophies via this book, I think it's just been a very outdated show how he has handled this theme in the book -- There is a lot in it about the brutal oppression by the Imperial Order (i.e. Germany, WWII), but there is /nothing/ in it about the current problems regarding terrorism and/or its implications, let alone solutions, of how to fight such a 'war'. That makes me wonder why so many people were offended by the war-theme of this book. Unless of course Jagang the Just's Imperial Order Empire should be compared to George the Just's neo-conservative economic-oppression 'Empire'? Now, then /that/ makes for truly interesting reading... Two stars, is all I am willing to give. And that has more to do with good memories of earlier books of the series than with the actual quality of this latest incarnation. /And/ it has to do with the /very/ interesting 'Empire' comparison...
Rating: 
Summary: An improvement over PoC, but still no cigar
Review: (Knowledge of the previous books is helpful, if not required to appreciate this review.) I have been a loyal reader of the SoT series since 1998, when I discovered Terry's books via a friend. "Wizard's First Rule" was astonishing in every sense of the word. Over the next year, I had quickly read every book up to "Faith of the Fallen" and eagerly anticipated the release of "Pillars of Creation." When it finally came out, I read through it in a matter of three days. PoC definately made me take a step back and look at the rest of the series, namely FOTF. FOTF was good, but the ending was basically a 10-page long preaching session about the evils of communism. Suffice it to say, I already agree with all of the points made about communism, I don't need them rehashed every few chapters, much less in every book. (Some say that books 1-5 were just as preachy, but Terry must've done a good job of hiding it, for I didn't feel like I was being preached to.) Flash forward to PoC. Not only did it poorly tell a story of characters that I cared little about, the ending made it seem like the story was set up just for Jennsen to be taught a lesson about free will. Richard and Kahlan had little or no impact on the story except of course when Richard started giving his long winded speeches about how bad communism is and how the free will of man is the supreme law. Here we are at Naked Empire. My first major problem with this book is that it takes forever for the main plot of the book to get going. Example: at the end of PoC, Richard, Kahlan, and co. are in a desert wasteland. 250 pages into Naked Empire, they're STILL in the wasteland, and we still don't know what's really going on other than Richard is sick and the party receives a warning of eminent danger. The rest of the book is mostly a lesson in anti-pacifism, reiterating the same points over and over again. The whole story about the Bandakar empire seems to me about as transparent as glass, and that now Terry just wants to hawk his political and philosophical ideals. Richard and Kahlan have become hollow shells of who they once were. Terry's character development in books 1 thru 6 was spectacular. I felt like Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, Cara were my personal friends, and it felt like I walked right into the story when I picked up the book. Now, I find it hard to get into the story. Now, when I read about Richard, all I hear is a preacher saying "communism is bad, pacifism is bad, do what you want with you life, fight to keep it" over and over again. Years ago, Terry was asked how he goes about writing a story. He said that Richard and Kahlan came to him, that they chose him to tell their story. To my dismay, Terry was recently asked the same question, and he replied that he chooses a message that he wants to impart, then builds his story around that. When I want to read a story, I want a good story with good characters, good plot, and good imagery. I don't want to read a philosophical dissertation that has wooden characters, poor plot, and dull imagery. I will remain loyal to the series in hopes that the books get better. Hopefully Mr. Goodkind will take all of the "constructive" criticism he's been receiving into account and write us a story that will once again knock us off our feet and make us remember the things we loved about Wizard's First Rule, Stone of Tears, Blood of the Fold, Temple of the Winds, and Soul of the Fire.
Rating:
Summary: the illusion is almost dead
Review: I read the first seven books as soon as I could lay hands on them; even POC was tolerable at the time. There must've been something about the wait for Naked Empire that ended the honeymoon period, because I could barely force myself to pay attention to this book. Then again, it barely required attention, since pages and pages would be wasted on dissecting the same bland morals and virtues: essentially, reading the first sentence often sufficed. Never has a fantasy book reminded me so much of an outdated school textbook...the different here being that this text read like a knee-jerk reaction to the Afghanistan war (perfect timing, too). How many people want to read a fantasy book in order to have someone's views on reality stuffed down their throat? Isn't Fantasy an escapist genre? There's no subtlety here, just an overly simplistic "this is good and right, this is wrong and bad; kill the bad people and anyone who's not totally against them" theory. ...smacks of Bush. If you want good fantasy fare, skip this book. I sincerely doubt it will have much bearing/importance on the following 'chainfire trilogy' that is supposed to wrap up the SOT series. and whatever you do: if you loved the first couple of books, don't try rereading them after sloughing through NE. It's enough to ruin the wonderful mirage.
Rating: 
Summary: It's a fantasy book....get over it!
Review: The book was much much better than POC. He returns to the characters that we know and love. I like the premise of the Wizard's eight rule and it was over all a good read. This book is not intended to make deep philosophical statements or to be a mirror of our present conflicts. This is a fantasy book, for people who love to read about different worlds, with there is MAGIC and good and evil are clearly defined. And for the person who says that the bad guys in these books are TOO evil, did you think that the Emperor in Star Wars was too evil?
If you are trying to read these books to understand life, war, today's politics, good vs evil in real world etc....get a life. This is entertainment people, just like going to the movies. This is not a guide for your life or the world today.
Rating:
Summary: Morale sink
Review: This review may be somewhat redundant compared with the other ones that are already there, but I have to get rid of my feelings about this book. After being a passionate reader of all the other books of the SoT cycle, I also bought 'Naked Empire'. While in parts written with the good style and quality we know from the rest of the cycle, I'm more than disappointed about the message of the book and the development of the main character.
Richard, who was once a nice guy who hated violence and killing and did it only when absolutely necessary, is now becoming such a morale sink that I sometimes nearly got sick reading the book.
In elaborate, elongated and often repeating monologues, he preaches the freedom to do violence without thinking or restrain. He orders his men to attack an unarmed crowd, because they "have sided with the enemy". At the end, he comes to the glorious conclusion that he doesn't even have to feel guilty for any killing he does, as long as he personnaly thinks that it was right. Dear Mr. Goodkind, I recommend you to go to war and experience it on your own, before continuing your work. As for myself, you have just lost a reader.
Rating:
Summary: This book STINKS!
Review: The past few books have been so horrible, and this is certainly no better. I want the time added back to my life I lost reading this book. The part where he instructed people to make thong underwear for going into battle, was really really silly. Naked Empire is to books what season FIVE of the sopranos is to TV. Hours of waiting for something to happen, and nothing ever does. The past few books have been like a Gulliver's Travels of bizarre and idiotic political ideas taken to the extreme. While Jagang is very cool, when you think about the philosophy of his people you have to wonder - is this a book for adults or children? I guess the idea of having all these weird people (that the reader doesn't care about) with silly ideas taken to the absolute extreme is easier to write about than people who have more subtle flaws in their philosophies. I can honestly say that beyond thecore group of characters there has been no new character anyone has cared about at all in the past 7 books. Even Cara, with all she has done for the group - I mean come on, she's annoying. When will Terry get that we don't need to be beat over the head with constant CONSTANT repetition. If you write a good story you'll find people will not lose track of where they were, and therefore not NEED a review of what happened 5 pages ago. BTW, honestly, in book 10, you should assume that the reader IS READING THE SERIES. WHO STARTS A BOOK SERIES AT BOOK 10! Come on now! The book would be 1/3 the size if you took out all the reviewing of events from past books, and from previous pages in the current book. This is probably the worst book I have ever read. So bad I find it hard to enjoy the older stories.. The ending of the book was just so horrible that even though I was sitting alone I felt embarrassed having read the book. I cringed... aweful. ... and I hear he has 3 more books to go. 3 more of this series his past 2 books already COMPLETELY DESTROYED. Forget the series, it sucks, move on to something else Terry.
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