Rating: 
Summary: Easy read - but story line is even easier to figure out
Review: While I have had the pleasure of reading many authors, from many genres, this was the first time I read any of Terry Goodkind. And while I probably shouldn't have started with Book 6, it was a gift. Having said all that ...This book was an excellent read. The story was good, while not tasking the reader to attempt to figure out what was going to happen. Many things were obvious, such as Kahlan deciding to join the fight against The Empire, although not directly. Guerilla warfare may be indrect, but it is still "against" Richard's wishes. So much for a wife listening to her husband. Nicci's flashbacks to her childhood got old, especially when Mother trashed Father for having pride in his work. Richard & Nicci's trip to the Old World was figured out early on, and the final conclusion was pre-determined as Nicci finally "saw" the truth her Father had been trying to show her, and she joins with Richard to overthrow the Empire. This book could have been shortened considerably, but Mr. Goodkind doesn't know the term - concise. He rambles on about many obscure items, while espousing his ideals to the world. Although some of his thoughts are truly provoking, they are just a retread of existing theories and failed governments. If you expect to get anything enlightening from this book, don't buy it. If you just want a good stand alone yarn, then go ahead. But be forewarned.
Rating: 
Summary: Can the Social Commentary
Review: Mr. Goodkind would do well to remember that he was a pretty good fantasy writer, and leave the social commentary to those who are qualified. His transparent and uninspired social commentary has completely put me off this series. If you enjoyed the first three, do yourself a favor and forget about the rest.
Rating: 
Summary: faith of the fallen withouf spoilers
Review: k first i'll talk to the people who have never read any of the sword of truth books. terry goodkind is an excellent writer and when you buy the first 2 books you think he is the best there is. on the 3rd book he made it short which sorta counted as a minus. the fourth was by far the best thing i have ever read. the fifth was great though some people called it a little preachy but i personally loved it. this is the 6th book and i liked it too. but there is a reason i only gave it 4 stars instead of 5. that's because in this book i didn't see much of his usual action. instead [you should be able to tell be the cover] he sculpts a statue. though there was tons of action in-between. that's not to diss terry in any way, in fact i've read every book in the series at least twice and the fourth book [temple of the winds] 4 times. this book ive only read twice. but the fact that i did read it again should be enough to tell you that i loved this book as well as any of the others. buy it, read it, love it.
Rating:
Summary: The epic gets better
Review: Goodkind's 'Faith of the Fallen' follows effortlessly from the previous 'Soul of the Fire' where both Richard and Kahlan have banished the Chimes from the world, thus restoring magic. However, not without price, as the first two hundred pages are given over to Kahlan's rehabilitation (she conveniently can't use magic to heal herself) back in Richard's home forests interspersed with more development of the Sister of the Dark, Death's Mistress, Nicci, as she gains her freedom from the Imperial Order and Jagang (roasting his able lieutenant to death along the way). Goodkind spends considerable time explaining why Nicci is as emotionless as she is, detailing her childhood brainwashing by her severely misguidedly charitable mother (who fails to learn that whilst her intentions are good, her actions ultimately cause greater suffering) and subsequent emotional problems as she grew to adulthood in the Sisters Palace. References to Richard's arrival under the captivity of Verna in previous novels are heralded as her personal epiphany.
So by the third hundred set of pages we are neatly in position for Richard to use prophecy to disavow all interest in helping the fight against the Order and for Nicci to turn up and cast a maternity spell linking her to Kahlan and giving her power of life and death. This emotional weapon forces Richard to follow her into a farcical 'oblivion' as she seeks the answer to a question she cannot fathom.
There is a decidedly interesting and humanizing section where Kahlan places the culpability for all the death and destruction on the ex-Prelate, Ann, emphasizing that it is in fact her obsession with prophecy that ensures it must come about.
Nevertheless as Nicci and Richard travel a lonely path south to the Old World, Kahlan's metamorphosis into a true death's mistress commences as she (in true Ce'Nedra style) leads the ragtag army against the Imperial Order in guerilla fashion. The numbers of troops tend to get overly large and the inevitable volume of deaths displayed as purely numbers rather than people. In fact (other than the wedding of Warren and Verna) most of Kahlan's role in the novel is reduced to general as battle after battle is fought. To be honest the repetition of action meant those pages were read quickly in order to return to the more interesting plot followng Richard.
So, Richard and Nicci make it to the worst town in the Old World where he continues to confound her. With his usual charisma he encourages growth of a communal spirit with his helpful style of free enterprise that brings out the best in people. In some respects (and this is fairly novel in the fantasy genre) Goodkind is attempting a social and political criticism/comment. From Richard's incarceration to his rebellious carving of the main entrance statue on the new palace we accelerate through the rest of the novel as it is ultimately Nicci who realizes the truth of what she has become and follow Kahlan as she fights to save Aydrindil.
As ever Goodkind's characterization is exceptional (with the sole exception of Cara who is overly drawn, and her relationships with Richard and Kahlan too artificial, though softened when she meets Benjamin) his plot lines keep moving at a steady plod, galloping at the right times to draw the reader into a frisson of excitement. Goodkind again elevates Richard Rahl beyond the normal, emphasizing that the inevitable change that sweeps behind this war wizard can also be achieved by simple calm and goodness all the while building his character upon the Wizard's Sixth Rule.
As good as Jordan, and grandiose as Eddings, the latest installment of the Sword of Truth is another fine example of a fantasy author at the peak of his literary powers.
Rating: 
Summary: Best SOT Book so far
Review: This is the BEST Sword of Truth book that Goodkind has written so far. Goodkind shows just how diverse a war wizard's talents are. Even without being about to openly use his magic, Richard uses his gift in an unexpected manner.
His portrayal of the kind of society over which Emperor Jagang rules is a realistic portrayal of a Communist state. All work must be shared equally. Productivity is discouraged. Workers are encouraged to use sick time on a regular basis. I thought that Temple of the Winds was the best when I initially read the series (FOTF had not yet been published at that time). Now, I consider TOTW as the 2nd best book. Read the series. Goodkind has established himself as a master of the Fantasy genre!
Rating:
Summary: An Outstanding and Amazingly intellectual Read
Review: I was incredibly suprised by this book, even given Goodkind's past work. It starts out a little slow, but the depth of the world that Goodkind creates is AMAZING!! It gives a look at communism through a fantasy setting, and is a stunning example of being able to rise over your circumstances and improve your life. The story itsself is incredible, and leaves the reader with the unerringly true statement that "Life is what you make of it."
Rating:
Summary: Good comeback
Review: The first Sword of Truth books were a grave disappointment to me. Total "Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time"ripoffs they were. But, truth be told, the first three books were apart from that quite entertaining. The fourth and especially fifth were booooring, horrible. But this sixth books has fire in it. And a lot more originality than the rest. Not much stolen, good battle action, very good Old World action. I loved it and couldn't stop reading it. I truly hope mr Goodkind has bettered his life, stops stealing from other authors, and keeps up this good work.
Rating:
Summary: A Series Gone Astray
Review: In "Wizard's First Rule," Terry Goodkind began a series that promised to be one of the brightest stars in the Firmament of Fantasy along with other greats such as JRR Tolkein, Melanie Rawn, and David Eddings--to name some of my personal favorite authors of at least one series. This promising inception was followed up with equally--if not even more--stirring, heart-wrenching, and complex novels. Yet with each novel, the series as a whole has begun to unravel, and none have done so more than "Faith of the Fallen."
Each installment of the series has set before the main characters of Kahlan and Richard some harrowing experience which they must endure, very often involving some sort of sexual violence committed against one of the two (I believe that Kahlan has now experience two incidents of rape). Simultaneously, some new facet of Richard's abilities role as Rahl or wizard is revealed. By the time one reaches "Faith of the Fallen," the believability of Richard's character is stretched as tight as a drum and as thin as tissue paper-and that is a lot to say for when speaking in the realm of fantasy.
While "Faith of the Fallen" is an enjoyable read in and of itself, it pushes too far the bounds of a well-structured character in the scope of the series that Goodkind has been building with the initial novels. He has imbued the character with so many traits-master of the woods, superior hunter, unparalleled swordsman, War Wizard, fulfiller of prophecies, and on and on-that an entire novel centered around the latest traits, an amazing talent for sculpture and a ridiculous level of generosity, is just getting sickening. If Goodkind is looking to create a character that he is going to apotheosize, he would do well to read Sara Douglass' "The Wayfarer Redemption" series to get a number of pointers on how to do it!
And this ridiculous level of character exploration is just a facet of a larger problem: the overall plot and experience of the series. Goodkind initially set up as the conflict of the series as a splintered society that needed to come together behind a young huntsman who is slowly discovering his true self, and his love interest, a beautiful and complex woman with unique abilities of her own. This Goodkind then complicated by adding the threat of a foreign empire ruled by an utterly malevolent, mystically empowered figure as well as a series of betrayals and other obstacles.
Basically, Goodkind has done as any good author of a series would, he has convoluted his plot to add interest and tension. The problem, however, is that Goodkind has interrupted the flow of his series by doing so to too great a degree. While each novel may be able to stand alone as a very interesting piece, the greater composition of the series has suffered by Goodkind's convolutions. They have become distracting digressions into siblings, magical beings, and character traits. He needs to return to the meat of the series. Hopefully, in the next installment of the series, "Naked Empire," Goodkind will do so and return to a plotline that furthers the conflict he had constructed between Richard and the emperor Jagang that somehow draws back upon the initial conflict between Richard Rahl and his predecessor. ...I'll also put money on it that Kahlan will at some point in the future become one of Jagang's unwilling sex slaves--afterall, she has recovered from her last rape already.
Rating:
Summary: The wind that shook the earth...
Review: I will in no way cover the plot in this review, if you haven't read the book, it would ruin it for you, or if you have, you will in no way need to know it.
The faith of the Fallen is more politicaly potent then Terry Goodkinds last books in the series, now covering the
philosophical heritage of Ayn Rand(Objectivsim, roughly boiled down to the individual being more precious the the MAsses in such terms that no man should live for others).
WOW, that sounds boring, but in not only are the political ideals in Faith of the Fallen in no way a manifest in such terms that they are simply being listed, they are being put into use.
If you do not care for politics, this book is still great because the plot is wonderful, entriguing and filled with beauty, just as teh Main characters in this book.
If you are a fab of Comminism, or just hates Objectivism, this is not the proper book for you.
This truly is a book about the nobility of the human spirit.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book of the Series is Book 6
Review: I will keep this brief. This book made the entire series worth wild. Many fantasy writers focus on all the characters walking great distances and fighting impossible battles and winning. I was tired of this!! It gets old, quick. I must compliment Goodkind for telling a story. It is rare to see an author explore the people we read today in fantasy writing. Only George R.R. Martin has done it better in recent years. Worth reading more then once!!!!
|
