Rating: 
Summary: This is just ridiculous.
Review: Woa... Let me say that I liked the first 4 books of this series, but now Goodkind turned into total [...].This book is the absolute worst book I've seen him write. Unfortuantely, it seems he is just trying to get our money now... This piece of work is turning the entire series into a [...] fight between Communists (Jagang the Just) and Democrats (Richard Rahl). Not only the writer made it look like that, for some unknown reasons he also made Commies much more stupid than D'Harans... [...]? I didnt buy this book to read about political situation 50 years ago... Totally worthless, honestly, look somehwere else.
Rating: 
Summary: You can skip this one.
Review: All this book is good for is introducing Jenssen, Richards new sister, who ends up being nearly identical to him in charictor. Obe is so simeraler to Richard's other brother it's scary. You hardly get any of Richard fighting the order, you hardly see any of Richard at all. Instead of developing old charitors, Goodkind gives us new ones that I could care less for.
Rating: 
Summary: Master of his craft.
Review: I, like many of you, have been a die hard Goodkind fan since Wizard's First Rule. However, unlike many of you, I think The Pillars of Creation is every bit as good as the rest of his work. I've noticed many people don't seem to like this book as much because it deals primarily with new characters. But I think it was a brilliant ploy. Making Richard the villian (At least from the perspective of the main characters) was a wonderfully insidious twist. For those of you who've not yet read it, much of the book is told through the perspective of a woman named Jennsen, who is convinced that Richard had her mother murdered, and is now trying to kill her. Many reviewers seem to be upset, or feel cheated because the book was not totally about Richard, Kahlan, Cara, Zed, ect, ect. Now I'm an aspiring writer myself, approximately halfway through the first draft of my first novel, and I can honestly say that things do not always turn out as the writer has planned. I've read interviews with Mr. Goodkind where he mentions that the stories guide him, not the other way around. If he meets new characters, then he lets them show him their part of the world, tell him their stories. That is exactly how good writing is created. A good writer will merely help the story to unfold, he will not force it in which ever direction he wants, or the audience wants. Personally, I think showing the events through the eyes of new characters is a very good way to shed light on different parts of the world, and to show that despite we all know Richard as the hero he is, not everyone in the world realizes it. Also speaking as a writer, it can get repetitive to write about the same characters time after time, and I'm sure introducing Jennsen and the others was quite revitalizing to Mr. Goodkind. I know that after writing 6 books in a row with the same characters, especially after finishing one as intense as Faith of the Fallen, I would have been grateful for a change of pace. Anyway, I've babbled on long enough. I feel the Pillars of Creation, while not as moving as Faith of the Fallen, is still every bit as riveting as the rest of the series. As long as you know in advance all the previous characters are absent for much of the book, I think you will really enjoy it too. Plus, even if you agree with those who dislike Richard's extended absense, the book is worth buying for Jagang's raid on the Confessor's Palace alone. Don't listen to the whiners, read it yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Pillars of Creation -- Creeped me out
Review: This book was too weird to finish. Don't waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best of the series.
Review: I must say after reading this bookk the first thing that comes to mind is good try. I, like many, am a advid follower of the Sword of Truth Series, however I did not enjoy this installment. I liked the idea of introducting a character at odds with the fundemental virtues that the main characters strive to uphold. However, Jenssen, nor Oba were the characters to do it. I found Jenssen's gullible nature a little to convient in allowing her to be so easily lead by someone who is, in essence, a complete stanger to her despite the warnings and training of her mother. I find Oba to be a weak willed brute with little to offer in the way of true opposition to the struggles of the series main characters. I think Mr. Goodkind had a good idea to base this chapter of the series on, but fell short of developing the idea fully.
Rating:
Summary: a 560 page short story
Review: First off, lets get this straight. I don't give a hoot for what Goodkind or anyone else says, this is NOT a Sword of Truth novel. Rather, it has the feel of one of those short stories (like Debt of Bones by Goodkind, or The Hedge Knight by George RR Martin)that many fantasy authors write set in the worlds on their major books. The only problem is...this one is over 550 pages long. It drags on. It's boring. Oba, one of the 'main characters' is basically a boring rewrite of Drefan (from Temple of the Winds)and he's about as interesting as watching grass grow. Granted, he has his moments...but the rest of the time, he's just a disgusting, undeveloped version of Drefan with no real depth. Jennsen is boring also, but she at least has the merit of being a developed character (well, compared to Oba). It's certainly refreshing to have the story told through the eyes of someone other than Richard and Kahlan, but I quite frankly just don't care about Jennsen. I don't understand how Goodkind can possibly expect us to really care about such a 2 dimensional character, who (on top of being bland and suffering from a dearth of development) is naive and hates Richard. In order to write their best material and to continue to be a fountain of creativity, Goodkind (and all authors and artists) needs to be free to write what he wants. But that doesn't mean we have to like it. This book is bland, boring, and dull. I feel like I've been cheated out of a day and a half of my life by reading this. My advice is... don't spend a penny on this, and don't read it if you have something better to read (like, George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, for example). This book stoops down a level of dullness that I didn't know Goodkind was even capable of. Sorry.
Rating:
Summary: such an refreshing addition to the series!
Review: Terry Goodkind's writing has always been excellent, but I think we all tired of the good Kahlan and Richard's exploits. Now, with new characters, he injects new life into the series. Jennsen is a very likable girl with some misguided ideas - you are rooting for her all the way while at the same time hoping she learns the truth. Oba is disgustingly evil, but Goodkind provides childhood reasons for it. When I ended this book, I found myself wondering when the next one would be out. Again. This is after buying Pillars of Creation almost out of duty and thinking I wouldn't enjoy it. Just like Jennsen, I learned the error of my thinking.
Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointed
Review: I am an avid reader of Goodkind's books - I've been hooked since I read Wizard's First Rule 4 years ago. While I Think Wizard's First Rule was Terry's best by far, I've enjoyed the whole series until now. I do not have a problem with the new character focus - Richard and Kahlan are not the only people with power in their world, much as I love reading about them, so there must be others able to affect the world. My main problem with this book was the lack of CONTENT. Instead of being captivated by beautiful worlds and a strong storyline, as in the other books of the series, I found myself skimming page after page looking for some content, any content. The main characters were ridiculous: Jenssen was naive and Oba was just plain disgusting. There was little character development required to depict these two one-sided characters. I was especially disappointed by the predictability of the climax - I have never before been able to predict the twists and turns of Terry's books, but I figured out the end before 100 pages had gone by! I understand and agree with the idea of showing the opposition to Richard and his actions - Goodkind does a good job of demonstrating the Imperial Army's ability to twist Richard's truths - but I feel that Terry reused too many old ideas - Oba certainly sounded exactly like Drefan did a few books back. Ultimately, it was refreshing to come upon characters with whom I was familiar, but I did not enjoy much of the book at all. I would recommend this book only to those who are familiar with the series so when Terry writes the eighth book we can all be up to date. Otherwise, don't bother.
Rating:
Summary: A Nice Change of Pace
Review: I really enjoyed the lastest in the SoT series. Pillars of Creation is a very nice change of pace from the other novels in the series, and it's enjoyable to see things from a different perspective. I missed Richard and Kahlan in most of the book, but still enjoyed Mr Goodkind's latest work a great deal and anxiously await the continuation of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: stunted ending
Review: The majority of the story was decent and worth the read, although it doesn't compare to the rest of the series. Toward the end, it almost seems that Goodkind realized he had written enough and decided to throw on an ending. While there was great potential for a climax and an ending, that potential seemed to be abandoned for a quick finish to the novel.
|
