Rating: 
Summary: Terry Ayn Rynkind chokes again
Review: Okay, I really like the first few books of this series. Interesting characters, good plot, above average writing. My wife and I even enjoyed listneing to the audio version on a long drive. I refuse to buy another book. Things have gone downhill on a fairly steady slope for the past three books. Kahlan calls it right when she said all the trouble started with the chimes. The last book was a cut and past of Atlas Shrugged and this book continues to brow beat you with garbage. And the worst part is that he repeats himself repeatedly. (Ha) If you need to remind people of relevant plot moments in the past...that's why the preface was invented! What is the problem with fantasy these days? Jordon is DOA, Goodkind is following. I hope Martin is able to shoulder the burden and demonstrate how to move a plot forward. Boo hiss. How do these things make it past the editors? Save your money.
Rating: 
Summary: Naked Empire
Review: Though still good reading, and I will continue to read Terry's books, it appears he is running out of gas. This book is wordy beyond belief and could have been pared down to half the pages and been a five star book. I do look forward to his next editon in the ongoing adventure, but hopfully he will get back to the quality of The Wizards First Rule.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing!
Review: Goodkind is loosing it!
I was a fan of the first 6 books in the series, but last 2 have been a waste of time. Far too much repetitive lecturing on his psuedo philosophies, and not enough plot or action. If Goodkind feels he needs to put some of his 'big ideas' in the book fine, but rather than repeating them countless times he should just make the book 200 pages shorter! or better still stick to what he is good at and fill the 200 pages with some good fantasy writing.
Rating:
Summary: Trapped in "Robert Jordan Syndrome"??????
Review: Poor Terry Goodkind, the publishing company wants lots of pages from him but he hasn't quite figured out what comes next in the story. Well, just put Richard in danger, take lots of pages to get him out, explain how killing actually supports the value of life and use about 4 of those pages to move the bigger story a baby step along. Oh, and since it is the eighth book, be sure to mention the Wizards Eighth Rule, just in case someone is nostalgic for a worthy book. It all sounds a lot like what Robert Jordan has been going through the last few books. Save your money. Hopefully both authors will get past the celebrity and get back to telling us the real story. I still have hope but it's fading.
Rating:
Summary: Has Goodkind lost his Magic?
Review: The first few books in the Sword of Truth series got me hooked. The story line was often complex, characters written in a fashion that you actually cared about them, and one couldn't get to the next page soon enough. Although Naked Empire is far better than his last several novels its still void of the skillful story telling that brought several folks into the series. In itself Naked Empire was extraordinarily flat, predictable, and excrutiatingly repetitive. The actual original material in this book is less than 60% of total pages. Significant pages are devoted to looking back to previous books (know anyone who begins a series at book 8?) and drowning the reader with the same speech again and again. If you are a fan of the series and drudged your way through his last few books you'll find this a little more rewarding and a bit more on track. If you can borrow the book or buy it at a discount then please do so. Unlike his first few books there isn't anything in here worth reading again or looking back to. Another disappointment, although not as severe as POC.
Rating: 
Summary: Are we morons?
Review: Fantasy writers must assume there readers morons - Goodkind seems to. Why is it that authors like Goodkind write these books like the readers are new to the serie? Half this book is spent repeating things that happen in the past. As a faithful reader to the series I don't need to be refreshed as to what happened in previous books and new readers to the series probably won't start on book 10 and read backwards. This book is very repetitive. Everytime Khalin uses her power the author goes through the same litany "... time was hers, he was hers...." I'm an audio book reader and even though I can't see the words at this point I can say them with the reader. How many time must we here about the special smile she give only to Richard? Perhaps if Goodkind spent less time reminding his readers of what happened in the pass and less time repeating the same thoughs of his characters over and over again he could spend a bit more time on the story and even advance this plot to some sort of conclusion. The fact is, when he's not being repetitive the book is a joy to read and keeps your rapt attention.
Rating:
Summary: If you liked the first of these books, dont read this one
Review: I loved the first books to this series... they were awesome... and the last few disapointed me, but I thought I would give it another try with Naked Empire... I will admit that there are parts to the story that I liked... however, the book could have been half as long and twice as good... Goodkind spent way too much time monotonously preaching what he had already spent pages conveying... he goes on and on about the evil and life and blah blah blah blah blah... I agree with a lot of what he is saying... but gimme a fricken break... let it go.... he says the same thing over and over and over and over... I got sick of it and wanted to just skip ahead... other than that it could be a good story... but its basically the same as all the other books... its like a bad infomercial, richard, the salesman convincing someone so stupid beyond belief to change his beliefs... richard still cant use magic... which seems a little irritating... I think our prized Terry Goodkind has finally run out of "wizards rules" and instead of ending the series as he should do, hes trying to revive a dead horse by preaching to death about the value of life.... the book has a good message, but if you read it, you'll get sick of hearing it... so if you have nothing better to do, the book will fill up some of your time, but I recommend looking for something else first... it will only disappoint you...
Rating: 
Summary: Back to Richard/Kahlan
Review: I was a just a little disappointed in Pillars of Creation, but in Naked Empire, Terry Goodkind got back to his main characters. It was good to find the focus is mostly on Richard and Kahlan once again. I've noticed some review calling this book 'preachy'. Well, it is in some parts, but I thought it was conducive to the story. All in all, a fine entry in the Sword of Truth series.
Rating:
Summary: Ayn Rand meets Robert Jordan
Review: Opinions appear to be fluctuating wildly, but my title sums it up perfectly. If you've also read Robert Jordan, you'll recognize the endless novels, evergrowing/unclosing subplots, Aes Sedai/Sisters of the Light & Dark who seem to hae endless means of torturing. But Goodkind is not Jordan. However he does seem to have a certain knack in some areas, the people are intriguing and he seems to sometimes flare with imagination. Althoguh his Richard character is becoming a little to perfect (unlike Rand), the bigger mistake is the lack of planning at the outset. He never defined the powers of his characters at an early stage and so sometimes his plots and characters don't make sense. Jordan has an end already visualised, and he knows the limits of his characters. Yet if you recognise AYN RAND, then this review will make even more sense. Ayn Rand make her novels of fiction direct philosophy. It is obvious to someone who has read Ayn Rand that the philosophy and even plots have been torn directly from her pages (seriously, entire paragraphs seem to be paraphrased). It is this factor that diversifies readers. Many may like the philosophy, and if you think that Goodkind spends to much time on it, you are obviously unaware of John Galt's speech in 'Atlas Shrugged' which I think spanned 100 pages. Of course, most people will hate her uncompromising philosophy... it's brutal attack on anything but pure individualism and capitalism. However arguments about how simplistic the philosophy being dictated by Goodkind are in themselves simplistic. Ayn Rand fails in taht it is a modernist philosphy in a post-modern society. It is still a valid philosophy (or so po-mo's tell us... for a given value of "valid"). But I digress. As I said, the title says it all.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good, Not as bad....
Review: I'd like to agree with some of what many reviewers have said about this book. It's certainly better than the "Pillars of Creation" by Goodkind and the last book written in the "Wheel of Time" series. It doesn't advance the plot very much, but a least the main characters are in this one. Its less about milking money out of his fans than his last book. But i'm tired of the "ungifted" storyline. Hopefully, it has played out and he can let it go. Overall, I believe its a pretty decent read and I'd recommend this book to Terry Goodkind fans. I wouldn't recommend it to any new fans to the genre.
| 
