Rating: 
Summary: The Naked Empire
Review: This book is awsome. I was quite dissappointed with Goodkind's last book, 'Pillars of Creation', but this book completely grappled me back into believing that Goodkind is one of the most prominent fiction writers of this century. The characters are excellent, especially Nicholas the Slide, who is one of the most awsome villans since Darken Rahl. My only complaint with this book is the ending. ((SPOILER ALERT!!!!!))
I feel that the main antagonist of the story died much to easily for how awsome he was, and truthfully I wish that the Slide would have replaced Jagang as the main villan. This book is highly recommended, unless that is, you're a communist.
Rating: 
Summary: Please Stop
Review: This book was light years ahead of Pillars of creation as far as quality, but would have been MUCH better if it were a stand alone book without Richard or Kahlan... it could be in a new world, or a story centered around the more minor characters (such as Nathan or Verna)... it would have only taken a few small changes to make this a stand alone book so we dont have to see another "Villain of the week"I am a little tired of the first 50 pages reminding us where we are...then some bad guy comes out of nowhere and causes problems for our hero and then they are dispached... maenwhile i guess Emporor Jagang is just waiting miles away eating food and drinking beer waiting for the end of the series... These are rapidly turning into pulp books that resemble a serial much more than an epic saga... Please take 3 years off and write a good book Mr. Goodkind. I know you can do it.
Rating:
Summary: The Sword of Truth isn't so sharp anymore
Review: Since the fifth book of Mr. Goodkind's venerable Sword of Truth series, Soul of the Fire, a growing number of people have begun to complain that the books have grown too "preachy" to be enjoyable, while series loyalists and Mr. Goodkind himself insist that no such thing is occurring. Since this is the topic that invariably arises when one discussed these books, I feel that this is the primary issue I must address in this review. I recently read an interview with Mr. Goodkind in which he discussed his writing process, his views on philosophy, and how he incorporates them into his work, among other things. In it, he made a number of comments that struck me as telling indicators of what you'll find in Naked Empire. 1. Mr. Goodkind stated that rather than tell a pre-conceived story as he believes it would unfold, he instead comes up with a moral or philosophical statement he'd like to make, and then crafts the story to fit that tenet. Goodkind is not a world-builder and never has been; the endings of his books have always had the ring of, "Nice work Richard... but our princess is in another castle!" to paraphrase from everyone's favorite plumber-based video game. I've never had a problem with this in the past, since what Goodkind lacks in a cohesive world and story, he makes up for with his wonderful characters. However, his statement in the interview confirms what many readers have been saying over the past few volumes: his books are increasingly becoming vehicles for Goodkind's philosophy, and Naked Empire shows that trend increasing exponentially. While the events put forth as the book's main conflict could be intriguing, as the story develop, they seem much more like a setting explicitly constructed to make a tired moral point than one crafted to advance his story. 2. One of the main influences for Mr. Goodkind's portrayal of the Bandakar people was the idea put forth by Immanuel Kant that our senses are insufficient to perceive reality as it truly is. The Bandakar are a people who have been sealed away from the rest of the world since the time of the great wizards' war, whose homeland is now exposed to the rest of the world for reasons that will be made clear in the middle of the book. The Bandakar have some impossibly naïve views on reality and pacifism, and the fact that Goodkind cites Kant as the forebear of these ideals shows how grossly he misinterpreted what Kant was trying to say. I am as much a proponent of personal responsibility as anyone else, but unfortunately, this book is nothing more than a huge strawman argument. Goodkind sets up a pitiful target that nobody in the real world would defend, and expects us to be awed when Richard knocks it down with the force of reason. The result is not impressive; it's irritating in the extreme. 3. Mr. Goodkind calls Ayn Rand the "greatest philosopher since Aristotle." I'm not even going to touch that, but it should give you a strong idea of what you're in for. About three quarters of the way through this book, I realized something astonishing. I don't like Richard anymore. He was such a wonderful character in the early days of this series, but now he doesn't even seen human. Rather than a compassionate and resourceful man who's overcome many hardships, he comes across as a tiresome ersatz intellectual, and not just when he's addressing the Bandakar. His words are saturated with pedantry even when he's talking to his friends. The book's ending marks another low point in the series. There are three primary problems that Richard must overcome, which I won't name for fear of revealing too much of the story, but while Goodkind prides himself on writing endings that show his characters prevailing through intelligence and resourcefulness, only one of the solutions satisfies in that regard. Of the two disappointments, one is a contrived anticlimax, and the other is a horrible deus ex machina. That said, the upside is that there are still several strong characters here. Zedd, Adie, Nathan, and Ann all have parts to play, and they are still my favorite characters. I still love every minute I get to spend with them. Jagang is as interesting as usual, and Mr. Goodkind gets bonus points for Nicholas the Slide, who is one of the creepiest villains I've read in quite some time. So, the final verdict: Would I recommend this? Maybe. If you're a very dedicated Sword of Truth fan, I think you might want to stay with it if only for the good times spent with the characters not traveling with Richard. Will I give up on the Sword of Truth? Probably not. As much as Richard irritates me now, I still love the other characters, and I haven't given up hope on the series yet. Please, Mr. Goodkind, turn this thing around.
Rating:
Summary: A daring jaunt through underdeveloped ideas
Review: I first read Wizards First Rule I was in college and absolutely feel in love with it. Then I read Sword Of Truth, and was hooked. Since then I have dutifully read everyone of the books, but this will be the last, and the reason is this. I don't read fantasy novels for underdeveloped, half thought out philosophical flights of fancy. If I want philsophy I'll go with Kirkegard, or Wilber, or Plato. Someone who has taken time to properly develop and work out a concept. Not some fantasy writer with his own politcal agenda to push. Now I realize all of the books in this series have a message (as does any good book), but they were well hidden in the context of the story and were cleaverly revealed throughout. This book takes it's moral, and beats you about the head with it. And as the ideas in the story are mentioned ad naseum, it's actually a severe blow to the head, repeated often. If you break down the book into action vs. expostion, you get about 100 pages of action, and 566 pages of exposition. Actually most of the expostion is just the same thing over, and over, and over again. So what you really get is 300 pages of exposition, repeated. I don't know if Mr. Goodkind thinks his reading audience is dumb, or just wants to rest on his laurels, but you should never subject someone who has laid down their hard earned money to this kind of trash. I can safely say that after having been enamored with this series now for many years, I won't be reading the rest of the series. That is unless Mr. Goodkind can return to his roots and leave the philsophie to those who know what they're talking about.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best not the worst
Review: While I agree that this book is not the best novel in the series, it was still entertaining to read with enough action to keep me interested. I agree Goodkind was a little verbous and "preachy" at times, but i still enjoyed it... I mean anthing is better the that piece of $#%@ that Robert Jordan pawned of as his last novel "Crossboards into twilight". I am just glad the Goodkind can write a novel that keeps me interested and had some plot in about half the time it took RJ to write that 600 page prologue.
Rating:
Summary: We'll see
Review: When I started Goodkinds last book in the series I could tell I wasn't going to like it. But about two hundred pages into the book I found myself suprised and actually ended up liking it a lot. But lately I have been busy and I found myself immersed in other series and haven't had the time to get the latest but after reading some of the "anti-war" people saying the book preached to much or hearing their inane rhetoric on why war is bad and how the USA is in the wrong and how Goodkind's latest novel was awful because he seems to disagree with them, I knew I had to buy it immediatley. I never understood how someone can read fantasy novels with themes like Good versus Evil, battles that bring out the best in men, justice, and honor but yet be such a coward and a pacifist in real life. To each thier own I guess, but if your going to read a fantasy book that has action packed battles, political intrigue and a good versus evil, us versus them viewpoint, don't cry foul when it doesn't much up with your timid lifestyle. Some of us actually fight for whats right.
Rating:
Summary: I really enjoyed this book
Review: Naked Empire was just what it should have been. This far into the series I think it's fasinating to develop ideas for the characters to hold on to.
There has been less action and more ideas but I think that that is the entire reason why people read books: to develope ideas. We go into the world to experience action. We have movies to watch action. We have video games and computer games to simulate action. Naked Empire really makes you think. Even if your ideas don't exactly or even remotle coenside with the character's ideas it helps to be able to develop your own ideas by hearing others'.
In Naked Empire most of Richard's fight is against ideas. He fights (with words) against the ideas of a people who were isolated from the rest of the world for their ideas. And he fights for his life against his own false idea.
Richard's fight with the Imperial Order is also based in the disagreement over an idea but it is obviously more physical. Yet his only hope to win is to convence the "Naked Empire" and all the people in the old world that the Order is wrong.
Rating: 
Summary: Downhill road?
Review: While I do agree that Richard is getting very preachy, and would like to see less sermons in future books, all of Mr. Goodkind's books have had a moral to them. Previously the moral was hidden in the storyline, now it's written out for you in bold letters... several times. I don't see the connection to Iraq that some people have mentioned, and I happen to be there at the moment. While it is true that the earlier books in the series were better, this is usually the case, especially in a series this size, look at the Wheel of Time series as an example, Robert Jordan isn't doing quite as well either. I have to agree with one of the other reviewers, if you don't like it, don't buy it. It's that simple. If you're not sure, check it out at your local library first, they could probably use your patronage.
Rating:
Summary: The bottom line...
Review: The bottom line is this: I was entertained, it made me think, it made me laugh at times, I eagerly await the next book so that I can find out what happens to the characters I have come to know in this series. I see many reviews that slag the author for getting preachy or for milking the series for all its worth. Let's put the preaching into perspective. Did anyone ever see the movie "Rain Man"? Remember how annoying Tom Cruise was in the beginning of the movie, because he just didn't get it? By the end of the movie, he is redeemed. Both Jensen and the empire, Richard is about to discover, are in need of some serious hardcore preaching. It was necessary in order to bring about the conclusion of the book, otherwise, the conclusion would be unsupportable. Many have complained that Goodkind relies too much on gratuitus violence to bring the reader in. This time, he went cerebral on us. You can't please everyone. For those of you who like gore, there was still plenty. There are also appearances from some old friends. I was wondering how they were getting on. Now I know. As far as Goodkind milking the series, I would say to you "if you are enjoying it, then why do you want it to end?" If you're not enjoying it, stop reading and make up your own ending. This series has become like a TV Series with each book introducing a new set of characters and a new problem which must be resolved on the way to resolving the problem of the Imperial Order. Rome wasn't built in a day, and Richard is going to need a lot of help before he can defeat the Imperial Order. I still want to here more of what this author has to say and don't feel cheap or manipulated becaus of it. What's wrong with that? Finally, I would say that with this book in particular, you're going to need to be patient with it. There is a lot of set building going on in the first half. The second half is easier reading.
Rating: 
Summary: I may not read anymore of this series.
Review: I enjoyed the earlier books in this series. This book however, took me three starts before I was able to read through it. It was very low on plot and character development. The story took a back seat to political views.
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