Rating: 
Summary: This is aweful
Review: You know, I liked Faith of the Fallen. I didn't care for the politics, but the book was brilliantly written and executed.Pillars of Creation is not. This is his worst book to date - in fact it's one of the worst fantasy books I've ever read. Yes, we get a bit more of the Imperial Order's perspective, but (true to Objectivist form) their ideology is so utterly absurd, stupid, and senseless that no real person would actually believe it. It appears, now, that not only are they Christian fundamentalist Communist primitivists, they're also anti-environmentalist and pro-gun - or "sword" - control. (Thank God we have Mr. Goodkind to warn us against the growing danger of such people, who actually do exist and have a voice in America today. He's a real modern day George Orwell ). Beyond the politics (which, again, were there in Faith of the Fallen, which I consider to be his best next to Wizard's First Rule), the characters in this area weak, very weak, the writing is awful, the plot is shallow, and, well, this is really just plain terrible. This is the last Sword of Truth book I will ever read.
Rating: 
Summary: Please don't tell me this series is petering out...
Review: I've been riveted to all the books leading up to this, and had high hopes for Pillars. It's a pretty good book, but not the best in the series, by far. The main characters are not Richard and Kahlan, but Richard's half-sister Jennsen. It seems as if this book was written 'like a girl', so to speak, and less like an adventure/fantasy novel type story. Character development wasn't as good either - I got almost tired of hearing Jennsen's inner thoughts of hate toward Richard, her angst and woes of her lot in life. The story ending does redeem it somewhat, and one must read it if following the series.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not there yet
Review: Pillars of Creation follows the adventures of a young woman, Jennsen, illegitimate daughter of Darken Rahl, as she travels the world in search of escape and vengeance. She is aided by a spy of the Imperial Order who may be more than he appears to be. At the same time, Jennsen's unique ability may mean the end of all life, if she and Richard don't discover the truth in time. Many reviewers have lamented the departure from the main plot line. True enough, the storyline here has little to do with the last installment, with the Midlands war and Richard's liberation of Altur'Rang. However, there are enough materials to advance some aspects of the story, notably the whereabouts of Nathan and the Imperial Order's attack on Aydindril. We also learn a great deal about the hitherto mostly unknown land of D'Hara and its people under the rule of the new Lord Rahl. This installment expands the Sword of Truth universe while introducing a character who may prove to be essential later in the series. The writing is impeccable. I think Goodkind has gone a long way from the first book. My main complaint has to do with his pacing. As he has done in some previous installments, the story plods along until it builds up into a climax in the last few chapters. Much of the story helps to build the characters, and characterization is something Goodkind is very good at, but he tends to overdo it sometimes. Goodkind brings to life a very sympathetic character in Jennsen, but he also creates some remarkably revulsive and twisted characters, and readers are forced to bear with these rather one-dimensional creatures to the point of exasperation. In Goodkind's fashion, the climax tends to come in a frantic rush, with characters converging and clashing in an all-or-nothing melee. In this one, though, the end seems to be too sitcom-like and neatly wrapped for my taste. At the same time, it leaves out enough details to leave me somewhat unsatisfied, such as what the "pillars of creation" have to do with anything or why Richard and company happens to be travelling to a wasteland in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps some of these questions will be addressed in the next installment, but then again, perhaps not. The only thing certain is that we'll have to wait six months to find out. But I suppose such is the lot for fans of epic fantasy. My ranking of the series so far is as follows: Book IV: Temple of the Winds
Book III: Blood of the Fold
Book VI: Faith of the Fallen
Book II: Stone of Tears
Book I: Wizard's First Rule
Book VII: Pillars of Creation
Book V: Soul of the Fire
Rating:
Summary: What a disappointment!!
Review: I love this serious but unfortunately the latest book has almost nothing to do with it! I kept reading and wondering when the characters I knew were going to make an appearance, and I had to wait until I was 95% into the book. In my opinion this book should have been published outside of the series and not considered book #7. If you are wanting to read more about Richard and Kahlan, don't waste your time with this one.
Rating:
Summary: From Worry to Pleasant Suprise
Review: I am an enormous fan of Terry Goodkind. I believe that the Sword of Truth series is one of the best fantasy series ever written. That being said, I'll tell you that I was very skeptical in regards to the Pillars of Creation being written from the perspective of an unknown character. Having fallen in love with Richard, Zed, Kahlan, and most of the other characters, the introduction of a new book based completely on the perspectives of new characters didn't entice me one bit. In fact, after buying the hardcover versions of all the other books (I'm very impatient when it comes to this series), this is the first one I waited for to be released in paperback. That was a mistake. There was absolutely no drop-off in the quality of the Pillars of Creation. I scoffed at other reviewers who wrote the same as I just have, but I found myself completely mistaken. This book adds fresh perspectives and new twists to both Richard's battle with the Order and his ongoing saga with the Keeper. READ THIS BOOK!!
Rating:
Summary: Very Good - Terry Goodkind is the best current author
Review: I compare this book to the section in the Lord of the Rings where Frodo visits Tom Bombadil: it is a good part and it is enjoyable, but I am always anxious to get on with the main story. Goodkind has very good stories that are extremely enjoyable. He gets tedious when he keeps hammering Jennsen's hatred of Richard Rahl. I find his books quite uplifting, which has become unusual lately in fantasy. I definitely think Goodkind is the best epic fantasy writer out there right now. Robert Jordan is getting nauseating; the only reason I can continue the WOT books is a faint hope he might return to good writing. I highly recommend this book to fans of Goodkind.
Rating: 
Summary: Full of suspense and anticipation
Review: To the reader who has not read the previous Sword of Truth novels I would surmise that this is not a good place to start. The reason for this is that the main characters of the series do not appear until very late in the book and the significance of certain events and references which made this book great will not be apparent. Having followed the series I found that this book was superbly written and the late of introduction of new characters, some of which will no doubt be important in the novels to come was artfully accomplished. Goodkind continually keeps the suspense by following the acts of two of Richard's siblings, Jennsen and Oba, both of which are being totally misinformed and in some cases are themselves misguided. All the characters (primary and secondary) are wonderfully human and this is a book where we at times end up feeling sorry for the bad guys too. The plot is riddled with suspense and anticipation as I eagerly waited for Jennsen to discover the truth about her brother, for Richard to actually show up, and to discover the significance of "The Pillars of Creation". At the same time the events described are interesting in themselves especially when the Imperial Order arrives in Aydindril. I will not say any more except that the pace picks up a lot and the scenes are beautifully rendered and plotwise entirely gratifying too! In a manner similar to the Robert Jordan's way of writing, several 'literary omens' and hints are thrown in throughout the book that unravel in a beautiful ending. I guess I am a bit frustrated in that, like Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, a character or sub-plot is often ignored in a particular book and so, along with the suspense of "what's going to happen next?" we are left insatiated with plot elements yet to be resolved. In this case the book does not at all mention Ann and the D'Haran army and how they fared in the crossing to D'Hara or what their next plans are. Also, we are given just a sneak peak at the elusive Nathan for whom we are always eager to find out more but are always left wanting. The effect of the book is to leave us with new characters to
be looking out for and with a lot of suspense as to what Richard and Emperor Jagang will attempt next. A little hint is thrown in at the end of a book which leaves me to believe that Shota is likely to show up (and probably rather displeased as well!) in the next book. Needless to say I can't wait for it!
Rating: 
Summary: please change
Review: I really enjoyed this book but it seemed to get to far from the previos story lines. I wanted to read a book about the sword of truth but got a long story about a distant relative of Richards.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic! A different approach that really worked
Review: Like Goodkinds other Sword of Truth novels, I couldn't put this one down. I had put off reading it because I knew that it wouldn't center around the Seeker and Mother Confessor. I love the characters of Richard and Kahlan so much, and I didn't think I would be interested in a Sword of Truth novel that didn't focus on them. But, when I finished the book, just 3 days after starting it, my exact words were "bravo". I thought it was an intriguing and creative approach to the world that Goodkind has created. I loved the way that, after so many novels focusing on the struggle of the midlands and D'hara against the Imperial Order, this novel shows us the opposite point of view, from people working with the Imperial Order, centering around Richard's half sister, and an Imperial Order representative. I cannot wait to read the next one (for, surely, it can't end yet). Thank you Mr. Goodkind!
Rating:
Summary: Not his best, but still good
Review: When I first read this book I found myself disappointed in Terry Goodkind's choice for story elements. He strayed from his main characters for the majority of the story and barely pushed the main plot. However, a few months later I decided to re-read the whole series. Upon doing this I was surprised to find that I liked what he did in the Pillars of Creation. In fact I would have to say it was the only way to bring a new character into the story and develop as much depth as he managed. By focusing on Richard's sister, Terry has brought us not only a colorful new character, whom we can deeply connect with, but he also brought us a new understanding of the Imperial Order and how it is that they operate and just why people seem to follow them. All in all I would recommend this book to anyonw interested in the series. In fact I would suggest reading this book first, than starting at the beginning as I believe it would add more power to what Terry has written.
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