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Summary: The Pillars of Creation
Review: I was extremely disappointed with this book. Definitely not up to Goodkind's normal standard. A whole book devoted to developing 2 new characters, but left you wondering when the last book was going to be picked up and when the main characters were going to enter the picture.
Rating: 
Summary: EXCELLENT WELL WRITTEN
Review: For those who did not read the books in this series, this book does not deal directly with Richard. The book follows the story line exactly and references a lot of things explained in prior books. The new charactors introduced in this book can only inhance the series.
I feel that Terry used his great imagination and his style is easly to follow and really hard to put down. I only regret that he can't write faster. There is a lot of questions remaining unanswered and can only lead to bigger and better reading experiances.
Rating: 
Summary: I really don't understand
Review: I really don't understand how a man like this could become an author. To begin with, the plot is emensly childish in all of his books so far ( dont ask me why I've read them all). Secondly, his characters are so transparent, unrealistic and uncreative, it makes me doubt that he actually wrote the book without an editor. Every chapter of this book, and all of his books, served only to add to the mound of spontanious rabel that he aimed to serve as a plot. I can say nothing positive about this book. Overal, I really think it is the worst book I've ever read. Please stay away from it, and all books by this author for the sake of your mind
Rating: 
Summary: Good
Review: I just finished reading the Pillars of Creation. I have to say after reading it that it wasn't quite what I expected. I'm used to Seeing Richard or Kahlan trying to make the world a better place. Instead I see a new character trying to figure out her own identity and in so doing goes through a complete character change as she grows.
After my initial shock of not seeing any of the main characters in the book, I actually enjoyed the book. Jennsen Rahl struggles to escape her past. She is given choices on how to do it and in the end chooses correctly.
What makes this book unique for long time sword of truth fans is that for once you really get to see the perspective of Jagang and the rest of the imperial order. You see how they see Richard and Kahlan and what they represent to these characters. Now that can be a very difficult thing, but I appreciated the new dimension this book gives to the series. Grant you, for some this is quite predictable and expected based on whether or not you have read the first six books. But it still was a unique attempt. Not too many authors really have the guts to try that. Only L.E. Modesitt Jr. has done the same thing that I have read in high fantasy.
For those that have read them, you see a lot more depth to the world you have been reading about for the last six (now seven books) with the special protectors in the D'haran army, used by the D'harans to help protect the Lord Rahl. An intelligence service that hopefully will continue to be used as the series progresses. They had a good introduction here.
That said, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed at the lack of major characters until the very end. Grant you it would not have been in any way useful to the story, but as a reader I have come to care about Richard, Kahlan, Zedd and the many others involved. It was a little disappointing that Terry did not continue on the thread he had left at the end of book 6, because as a reader I always want to have to know what happens next. Hopefully in book 8 he will continue that story, as it seems to me he already has something in mind, but you'll have to read the end of pillars to understand.
Finally, the author gave away a major revelation to the series. In the end, Richard Rahl is the only one that can end magic in the world. It will be his choices that determine the fate of the world. While this isn't fully unexpected, I think with this and book 6 previous the full conflict with the imperial order is now revealed. You now know what each side fully represents and who will decide things in the final battle. What remains to be seen is whether or not the conclusion to the war is going to happen in the next book.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. Many may not, if you are a die hard fan. You mightt feel betrayed. But if you can get over the major characters absence in the book, it really is a good read and worth picking up. That's my two cents. Hope you enjoy the book.
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Summary: A very interesting approach to continuing the series...
Review: I've seen a few people slamming this book for several reasons, I dont see the reasoning behind their position (or, maybe I see their reasoning, but dont understand it)It does not feature Richard or Kahlan or Cara as the main characters, but rather introduces Richards sister, Jennsen, who was rumored to have existed in Temple of the Winds, as well as another bastard child of Darken Rahl, Oba... The first five books were fabulous fantasy tales, book six and seven were also the same, but both of them had deeper meaning to them. In this book, Terry Goodkind shows the way disinformation and rumour can cause people to fear and hate even those that fight for freedom and life. It also shows Jagang as a 'real' person, not just a one-sided flat tyrant, it shows him as a person who, for whatever reasons, truley beleives in what he's fighting for One thing I had to laugh at was one person saying, 'If Richard could deal with a thousand men in an instant, why doesn the just end the war?', theres a difference between a thousand and the millions they have to fight, for one, and for another, Richards power works through anger and need, and the thousand he destroyed in an instant were standing between him and Kahlan..perhaps if someone could convince Jagang to capture Kahlan, heheh
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Summary: Gives New Light to the Old Series
Review: I have been a long time admirer or Goodkind's work ever since Wizard's First Rule debuted. I have loved the vivid details of the series with each page breathing life into the series. However, with the last two books (FotF and PoC) new thoughts were pushed into the forefront. While I read Faith I was curious to see that Terry had started touching on ideas that spawned from Ayn Rand. The whole idea of "communism sucks" and the way that Goodkind writes about it seems to pay homage to Rand's philosophies. The new book goes one step further, we are given more and more philosophical views about the world we live in. The whole basis of Rand's Objectivism is seen through the eyes of Jennsen and Oba. This is becoming a series that needs to be respected not only as a leading fantasy series but also as a new philosopher's work much like Rand's Fountainhead. This is intelligent fantasy writing at its finest!
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Summary: Fantasy Fizzle!!!
Review: Ok, so I have been reading this series from the beginning and been waiting almost feverishly for this new book.It finally gets to my local library and I start to peel back the pages. This seems to be to be a piece of literary burnout. All the books before are riveting and the characters always suprise me. From their multi faceted complexity and their adult perspectives, to the world that surrounds them and its contained hardships. These things have pushed this series into its own creme del la creme in the fantasy realm. But all that is totally absent from this book. Page by page I looked for it, but it continued to drone on with its predictable, one dimensional blandness. I was glad I had to return it, for it has no home on the shelves of my own library. Maybe Mr. Goodkinds attention was concentrated on Debt of Bones, which I do plan to read. Or he wasted our time with a book to set up the next book in the series. Either way this book will be a serious letdown for avid fans of Mr. Goodkind. Thank you.
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Summary: I really, really tried... ** SPOILERS**
Review: I understand what Goodkind was going for here. I agree with the Pugh review that he was attempting to challenge his fans (of which I am one and still remain...) to see Richard from a unique perspective. But I just couldn't get into it. I think the book would have worked better if Goodkind focused more on Jennsen and never bothered us with Oba. He spent way too much time on Oba who's actions could have been served by anyone from, say, the Sisters of the Dark or even Sebastian. Plus, it was kind of confusing when we're one minute with Richard in the forest, and then - BAM! - we're at the Pillars and the story suddenly comes to and end with no set up.
I was disappointed in this portion of what is otherwise a brilliant series. I hope the next book is better.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: After book six (one of the best) I was really looking forward to read the next, with Richard and Khalan together continuing the story. The whole book could have been a really good build-up for book seven. What I especially like in the Sword of Truth series is that it stays on focus and don't leap all over like Wheel of Time does. With a long time between each book it gets too confusing from time to time. I also like the style which Terry has written in until now. But this book wasn't like this. This book was boring and predictable, and I miss Richard. It's nice to introduce new characters, but don't leave the main ones in the dark until the very end. What have they been up to? How did it go where we left them last? I feel that the author has wasted much too many pages introducing a new character which wasn't really needed, and probably won't get much attention later. What's interesting with Jennsen? Simply put I love the first six books, but I think this book should have been profiled like Debt of Bones, or that the author should have taken a break, if this is the best he can perform right now.
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Summary: Put it in perspective
Review: Now i am not going to give some over elaborate explanation of what happens because that's what the thing up top is for. I like the SOT series and this was a refreshing book. It was not refreshing because it was new and astonishing, but because for once the bulk of a book was not centering around just Richard and Kahlan. Some call this a way to extend the series, but i call it a prevention against the reader getting bored with the characters and the plot falling into a predictable rhythm. Keep up the good work Goodkind. If you don't like me, what i said or anything else just click the no icon right beneath this.
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