Rating: 
Summary: A stark reminder.
Review: While I didn't really like this edition as much as the first two, it was a good solid book with a piercing hyperbole. Goodkind seems to work things into his books which he takes from modern society; and going to a university full time, I'm surrounded by Bandakarians(sp). I'll admit that it gets annoying listening to Richard try and pound sense into the halfwits that he's surrounded by, but it's an important message. Some people refuse to acknowledge the existence of Evil in others, and rather shift the blame to other things like upbringing, genetics, and tools like knives, guns and such. The book was a well done poignant reminder to any reader that we are all responsible for our actions, and what truths we choose to ignore. Read it, I think you'll agree.
Rating:
Summary: The pewee bird
Review: Not sure what everyone's beef is... I rather enjoyed the book. The pewee bird call, Chase and Rachel, Zedd's daughter's childhood toy... Goodkind is still in there. The wonderful story is still in there.
Rating: 
Summary: Naked Indeed
Review: I started the Sword of Truth series with uncertainty. I hadn't read a fantasy novel in a while, but I was working in the same town Goodkind lived in and had heard by word of mouth that they were a pretty good read. I haven't stopped reading him since. The world of Richard and Kahlan had a depth and honesty to it that I simply could not put down. Reading his books became highly anticipatory events in my life--like waiting for Christmas when you're a child.
I tried to like his latest book--I tried very, very hard. I wanted to like it, but it was as empty and naked as the title. I actually regret reading it. It was a total waste of time. I got so disgusted with the main character Richard preaching to the people of the Naked Empire over and over and over again---was it really necessary for the reader to have to hear it EVERY time? It was exhausting! Even the excitement of Richard getting poisined was ruined because in the back of my head I was screaming "Die! Put everyone out of their misery, you holier-than-thou cultist." Goodkind's characters have lost their challenges, their three-dimensionality, their life-like concerns and behaviors. They have become too perfect and self-righteous to care about. He has put them on this pedestal where none of us mere readers can truly appreciate their experiences. Even seven solid books behind this one isn't enough to float it along. I say skip it. You won't miss much. Richard frees another society that was bound only by their own inability to see the truth until he came along. The End. Oh yeah, Zed and Adie get kidnapped briefly but they get rescued at the end of the book like a last minute thought. I'm not sure I'll read another--not unless Goodkind gets off his soapbox and concentrates on real writing--if I wanted to learn a lesson or get preached to, I'd buy the bible.
Rating:
Summary: Very good, but still lacking the Sword of Truth quality
Review: All of the other reviewers have no idea what they're really talking about. Naked Empire wasn't as good as the other novels, with the exception of Pillars of Creation, but it was still a really good book. It indeed would have been better if Richard would have gone back to join the fight against Jagang, instead of wasting time down in the Old World like he's been doing. That is getting really annoying. The other thing that is getting really annoying is how we keep hearing about the vast size of Jagang's army. According to the numbers given to us by the novels, Richard's army has killed well over a million of Jagang's men. Where is Jagang getting all these men from? Are they just sprouting out of the ground magically? Supposedly he gets them from the old world, but there's a revolt down there now. He can't be getting all these men. It's insane. In addition to the fact that there also seems to be an endless supply of sisters of the dark. But Richard kills a couple off in every novel. Especially in this one after Zedd sets that Sunset thing off. Realistically, there are no more sisters of the dark in Jagangs army, when to begin with, he only had like twenty. Anyway, other than these few things, I thought the book was incredibly well written and clever. The characters are as enjoyable as ever, and to be honest, i don't at all consider myself stupid, and i believe in pacifism. No one deserves to die for any reason, life is too precious, and no one can take that away from another human being. I myself would rather die than kill another. At least i'll be going to heaven rather than all you other ramboes out there that want to kill anything that disagrees with you. Anyway, i loved the book, i love the series. Keep it up Terry.
Rating:
Summary: And I was so excited.... =(
Review: Well folks, I do believe that Mr. Goodkind has lost his edge. I will make this review short because it doesn't take much to see how much one was dissappointed. If you don't like slow books, don't read it. If you hated that stupid little goat, don't read it. If you had a MILLION questions after the last few books ended and are expecting some answers, don't read it. If you hate books that have chapter after chapter of one charcacter say the same stupid thing over and over again, don't read it. At one point I even said out loud, "OKAY! I get it Richard! get on with it!" The ending is so lame I laughed out loud. Good luck. I hope you get more out of it then I did.
Rating: 
Summary: Naked Empire
Review: 3 stars for the action in D'Hara and Wizard's Keep, and the new villian, but come on man, maybe a little too much on the talking side. Also, the beginning was way too slow. But overall, it was good to read another one in the series. I say two more books and then give closure.
Rating: 
Summary: Are there no editors anymore?
Review: The main problem I had with this book is that there is too much talking (not dialogue, just one-person-talking) and not enough action. All the action is in the last 100 pages, which is too short to build up a logical string of events. The rest of the book is about Richard telling everyone else what happened before and preaching his half-cooked philosophy. The main plot does not move one inch, which is quite annoying. I agree that absolute pacifism, while laudable, is not a very practical idea, and that self-defense against an invading army and non-provoked attacks is fully justified. I dont't need Mr. Goodkind hitting me over the head for about 500 pages with that, in fact, I find it pretty insulting since I'm not stupid. The problem is that ethical dilemmas are never as simple and black-and-white as that. Had Richard encountered a real dilemma it might have made for an interesting story. At the moment I don't like Richard very much because he has turned into close-minded fanatic. The other characters are pale, the villian is very improbable (a soul-stealer - please, why not a second dreamwalker?) and I don't feel with them as I used to in books 1-4 of the series. The reason I give the novel 2 stars at all is that the all too rare sections without Richard about the things happening at the Wizard's Keep and in D'Hara are quite good - I caught myself skipping pages looking for them. I'm under the impression that Mr. Goodkind wants to milk his fans as much as possible. Well, he's on his last chance with me: If he doesn't convince me with Book 9 I'll never touch his work again. If you feel you have to read this book, get it from the library or wait for the paperback, anything else would be a waste of money.
Rating:
Summary: A trifle disappointing
Review: Oh Terry, where did you go wrong? The start of the sword of truth series was absolutely fantastic, it draws you in and you can't put it down. But now you have become all philisophical on us. This book will be a disappointment to all those that enjoyed Wizard's First Rule, but I'm sure that most fans will opt to buy the novel anyway out of shear hope that Terry will dig himself out of the hole that he created with Pillars of the Earth. Coincidently, if you enjoyed that, you should enjoy this novel.
Rating:
Summary: He's lost it. Can I give zero stars?
Review: Goodkind has lost it. This book is patronizing, preachy, and boring! I never thought I'd call a Sword of Truth book boring. Richard has devolved from an interesting, complex, flawed character into an all-knowing, boring, orator. I agree with the other reviewers. It's preachy. Did I mention it's preachy? What's worse than that, however, is how all the other characters sit back and listen to Richard and bask in the other-worldly light coming off of him. In making Richard all-knowing, the other characters suffer for it (not to mention Richard--and us). Everyone traveling with Richard seems to be a sheep. So, is Goodkind trying to make Richard a god? Is that what this series is evolving into? Well, it doesn't work. Perfect people are boring. The other people they encounter are so easily swayed by a few paragraphs of oration by Richard that their ideals couldn't have meant much in the first place. Therefore, it's patronizing. And if I have to read one more time about "Kahalan's special smile...the one she save only for Richard," I think I'm going to scream. And possibly the worst part is that this entire novel seems like a side trip away from the main plot. That makes 2 novels in a row that are away from the main story. Makes me think Goodkind doesn't have enough ideas to sustain the series. Maybe he should just end it. Give us a great book next time and end the series on a good note instead of having it shrivel into a prune. Well, I'm done buying them (and I've bought them all--in hardcover). It's been over a month since I've read this book, and I still cannot believe how monumentally bad it is.
Rating: 
Summary: Retribution
Review: For those critics who complained so much about the preachiness in Terry Goodkinds eighth book of the Sword of Truth series, please take the time to read your own reviews which you have given. Thanks Terry for another great read. Preach on.
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