Rating: 
Summary: READ THIS BOOK (after reading the previous ones)
Review: I have read all the Sword of Truth novels (yet just learned there is a new one coming on june 21), and i think that this one is definitely the best of all of them. I am fourteen and love all Terry Goodkind's books (although he seems kind of wierd on the back cover) i thought at first that these books were sort of bad Lord of the Rings knockoffs. I was horribly mistaken. Although i am a humongous fan of Tolkien i think that for a kid my age or for anyone these are a way better read. I also thought that they were dumb. come on the first book starts off with a kid named Richard(oo interesting) getting bitten by a tree and getting his splinter pulled out by some old dude and a hot chick in a white dress. a pretty lame entrance but i hold no grudges because as i read on Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd became very good friends to me. Again being a fourteen year old boy i loved all the extensive battles, sensual(not rape) scenes, and numerous ominous bad people named cool cheesey names like Darken Rahl (sounds like a alter ego for Calvin or Darkwing Duck or something. Alright sorry im getting off topic. This is definitely the best book in the series because it shows that Mr. Goodkind can write something other than depressing deaths, battles and strange rapes. The "subplot" (if i can call it that because i guess it was the main one), of Richard and Nicci was heartwrenching yet also heartlifting. I guess that if you look at the bigger picture it is kind of cheesey, but having read this book 4 times and crying and smiling everytime i read it, it really is a great story. Its in a way like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (at least i think so) because the author decided to find a new villian who can be bad or good or nuetral or... just there i guess. It is kind of an experimental book. I think that even if you skipped this book completely (and the pillars of creation) you would still get the whole story line of the series. BUT PLEASE DONT SKIP THIS BOOK BECAUSE I PROMISE THAT IT WILL BE YOUR FAVORITE. Foobird13 spends his time somewhere between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. lol
Rating: 
Summary: A Tedious Rant in Desperate Need of an Editor
Review: Goodkind is writing these books quickly, and sometimes it shows. I have enjoyed all of his books until this one, but this one would have been much better if it had been honed to about 1/3 shorter.In this book, Richard is dragged off to the old world, where he experiences first hand the moral bankruptcy of the Imperial Order. We read, again and again and again and again and again and again and again that collectivism stifles innovation, that social structures designed to take from the rich (and middle class and anyone else with a even-slightly-taxable income) and give to the poor breeds laziness and corruption. I don't hate the message (though it is a bit oversimplified) but by page 400, the point was thoroughly (already tediously) made. I don't object to Goodkind's politics or to his use of fiction to push his political views. But the writing degenerates into pompous verbosity. . The redeeming feature of the book (the reason for 2 stars instead of a well-deserved 1-star) is the study of Richard as someone who creates his own opportunities in an even-tempered, interesting way, in so many different circumstances. There's a lot to learn from and emulate in this character.
Rating: 
Summary: Series is going downhill, but still good.
Review: Terry Goodkind, Faith of the Fallen (Tor, 2000) We are six books into the Sword of Truth series, and one fact has become undeniable. The farther along you are in the series, the more time Goodkind is going to spend reprising old stuff. It's starting to feel almost as if he's not refreshing the readers' memories of past events, but his own. When you've gotten a hundred fifty pages into a just-over-five-hundred-page novel before anything actually happens, you're probably in trouble. Once the action picks up, though, it rolls along much like the Sword of Truth books of yore. Jagang has taken Anderith (in Book five), led a bloodless revolution in the Westlands, which are now loyal to him (Between Books Five and Six, implied in the first scenes of Book Six), and is poised to make an attack on the Midlands, an attack which Richard, commander of the D'Haran Empire, refuses to challenge, fearing the people cannot be led; they must crush the revolt themselves. As the book opens, Kahlan has been attacked and badly beaten by a number of people Richard grew up with; their loyalty to the Order has overrideen their friendship, forcing Richard, Kahlan, and their guardian Cara into the high, secluded forest of the western Westlands. While there, Richard is trapped by an old foe, leaving Kahlan and Cara to their own devices. Meanwhile, many of the other characters who have splintered off are touched on (the only one conspicuous in his absence is Nathan, the prophet, who is in hiding), sometimes only briefly, and a few new twists are added. (One expects to be seeing a lot more of The Healers in the remaining books.) This should sound somewhat familiar to viewers of daytime television. Yes, the Sword of Truth is becoming quite the soap opera. And while the writing continues to be strong and easy reading, it's becoming more predictable as time goes on. Simply put, the quality is going down, and I fear for the next novel (which many fans of the series seem to regard as the nadir), The Pillars of Creation. Still, reading it was like being back with old friends. It's still a barnburner of a book. *** ½
Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK
Review: I have to disagree with Mr. Leaning on this one. No offense to you but this was easily the best book I've read in my life. I've been hooked on the Sword of Truth series since i read them. I admit that I was a bit disapointed with Soul of the Fire, but Faith of the Fallen was absolutely wonderful. It did have polotics in it but not that bad. Goodkind gives you the feeling that your there and fighting alongside Richard and Kahlan and all the others. I would recomend this book and most deffinitely the whole series to anyone looking for a wonderful fantasy and adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Terry must be a republican!
Review: Alot of people have accused this book of being political. That is exactly what it was and what made this book so good! This book brought to life the pitfalls of overtaxation, income redistribution and government handouts for the sake of the "greater good." Those who were offended are obviously insulted by hard work,determination,pride in one's own work and all the things America is supposed to stand for. I thought it was one of the best books I ever read. Although the ending did wrap up a bit too fast...
Rating: 
Summary: Series Killer
Review: This is the book that killed the entire series for me. When I read the first book in this series I was excited by some genuinely new elements Goodkind introduced (the Mordsiths especially chilling). However, Faith of the Fallen is nothing more than a political pamphlet. Apart from the politics, the metaphors are so heavy handed it's like being belted over the head with a baseball bat. The ridiculous looking statue on the cover looks like something out of Hitler's Germany, and it's beyond me how anybody could be inspired by such a piece of ubermenschenesque, pseudo Classical claptrap (I teach art for a living, by the way, in case someone wants to accuse me of not knowing anything about art). The descriptions of people falling at its feet in spiritual transformation are laughable. Apart from all that, and probably it's biggest flaw, NOTHING HAPPENS!! At the end of the book everything is virtually as it was at the beginning. No advance in the plot has been made. The whole book is simply an excuse for Goodkind to lambast us with his political views,(even though I basically agree with them). Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed all the other books in the series, but this one has killed the whole series for me. I won't bother with book 7.
Rating:
Summary: A great book that may move you.
Review: I know that many fantasy writers tend to drag their series on as they get to the end of the struggle, but in this book Goodkind has a full story that moves along well. This book also has an interesting moral and I beleive it inspires emotion very well. This book is one of the best books, if not the best book, in the sword of truth series. This is more than I can say for his next book, however.
Rating:
Summary: astounding author creates mastrpiece series
Review: this series is the most recomended series out of my 15 years of reading! If you dont read it then its your loss and my gain because i have and i will probably read it again for you. twelve thumbs way way up dood.
Rating:
Summary: Completely unoriginal.
Review: My friend made a deal with me to read my favorite book if I read the SOT series. I admit Goodkind's books are pretty good...up to a point. Book 5 was tedious, and I struggled to get through it. Book 6 was 100x worse -- Kahlan's know-it-all attitude and constant nagging, plus Richard's cockiness is maddening. You'd think by the sixth book Kahlan would have learned to trust Richard's instincts. What happened to the strong, self-sufficient, independent woman from Book 1? What happened to the humble woods guide? Richard is still somewhat tolerable, but I'm hoping that Kahlan gets killed off in the next book.
Is it even possible for original fiction characters to act out-of-character? Must be, because Richard and Kahlan's personalities have done a complete 180. What the reader gets in Book 6 is a weepy, self-deprecating, needy woman that can't seem to go on living if she can't be with her man; because, somehow, being with her man means eternal happiness. And yet, at every available opportunity, she has to nitpick every single idea or thought that Richard voices. Being with Richard, or without, doesn't seem to make a huge difference -- she constantly finds something to complain about. Nothing satisfies this woman, and that's what makes this "new" Kahlan so tiresome. The "new" Richard isn't that much better. Goodkind seems to go against the whole concept of character development; what he does is the complete opposite -- almost a character regression. What was so interesting about Richard -- how his impulses and emotions influenced his reactions; that, above all, he's a fiery, passionate individual are concepts completely missing from FotF. "Book 6 Richard" is a subdued ascetic, with a talent (bordering on genius) for carving stone. This new Richard could care less when it comes to Jagang, the Order, or the D'Haran empire. He'd rather carve rocks. "Huh?" you say. My thoughts exactly.
But the worst thing, by far, about Faith of the Fallen is that its plot is so unoriginal. I probably wouldn't have noticed, if not for the fact that my favorite book happens to be Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead -- the same book which I recommended to my friend. Rand's philosphy of objectivism focuses on the importance of the individual vs. the collective. When I was reading FotF, there were several times where I thought "well, ok, this is reminiscent of The Fountainhead." But some parts of the book are way too similar to the The Fountainhead to be mere coincidences, such as the statue of Kahlan's spirit. The appearance of the statue, even the idea that it tries to convey are basically the same in both books. Come on! It's one thing to borrow an idea, but what Goodkind did was take Rand's book, change a few names and places, and add some sorceresses into the mix (just enough supernatural beings to make this a fantasy novel). The Fountainhead's Dominique Francon, the woman that loves, but wants to destroy the hero becomes Kahlan and Nicci in FotF. Howard Roark, the ascetic, introverted, visionary architect; and Mallory, a highly skilled sculptor of stone, become Richard Rahl. And we, as readers, are all supposed to go "Wow! What a great addition to the series. What innovative characters! And such a novel philosophy of the human spirit." I think not.
Goodkind could have at least had the decency to give credit where credit is due. A brief sentence indicating where the "inspiration" for FotF came from on the dedication page in the beginning of the book. A mention of Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead, or Rand's philosophy of Objectivism in the Author's Notes section at the back of the book. Either would have sufficed. But without either, what Goodkind is doing is trying to pass off someone else's work as his own...only with a shiny, new cover. That's plagiarism. Period. And it's not like Rand's book is an obscure work either. Goodkind's sheer audacity angered me to no end. Reading Goodkind's book left me feeling angry and disappointed. The characters that enchanted me in the first 3 books have completely vanished in this installment of the series. If you want to read a great book, read Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. Not this mediocre rip-off of a much better book.
Rating:
Summary: ...deep and philosophical (+ Nicci ).
Review: This book is yet another astonishing piece in the series. It is a story where the noble human spirit is put through a test of fire. It is up to Richard to save the world from the slavery of human spirit.
Terry did an incredible job developing Nicci's character in this book. I must say that, over time, I came to symphatize with her eventhough she represented everything evil. For those who dont remember Nicci from 'Stone of Tears' - she is one of the most powerful Sisters of the Dark. It was absolutely a breathtaking exprience to come to understand Nicci after all the evil she had caused. All this was by the virtues of Terry's powerful character development and story telling.
There is a lot more to the story, but i certainly don't want to spoil it for future readers.
All 6 books have been a great experience for me and I cherish my memories of them. They all have tried to shed Terry's philosophical perspective on readers. However, Faith of the Fallen is standing shoulders above the others in this aspect.
It would be a great read even outside the fantasy genre. Sometimes I want my social life back, but then again ...
I'm off to search for the Pillars of Creation.
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