Rating: 
Summary: A bit unsettling
Review: This book took a turn for the worse if you ask me. Goodking has been very loyal to his characters up until now as well. Suddenly he decides to add new ones and then kills them off for the hell of it. I just wish he'd get back to his original story
Rating: 
Summary: Ho Hum.
Review: This series grabbed me and hooked me good right from the start. That being said, wow! What a let down. I will continue to read this series but I really think the next book needs to pick it up a bit. In 'Soul of the Fire' we spend time getting to know new characters which could have been great. TG really can bring characters into the story in a masterful way. You want to cheer for them. The problem in this book is that all of them are basically discarded like they were never important anyway. So I end up wondering why did we spend half the book on things that didn't matter anyway. Maybe I am missing the point that these are examples of the futility of the Ander people in general or something but I was left wanting more. I started reading the series because of the magic involved. This book had little to none and I was disappointed. Right now I feel very much like TG is getting lessons from Robert Jordan. Ho, hum.
Rating: 
Summary: Confused and Disturbed
Review: I do so adore Terry Goodkind and have fallen in love with the characters and world he has created. I have admired his talent of weaving and connecting plot and character and have marveled at the deep symbolism and often satirical references to our world today. Which is why Soul of the Fire left me with an almost sick, empty feeling. First of all, Fitch. A character that was vaguely remniscent of Robin Hobb's Fitz, right along with the same sort of 'castle society'. He was a good character and gave us insight into many aspects of Anderith society and Haken history so WHY WERE HIS BRAINS SMASHED OUT FOR NO GOOD REASON and his character used for nothing but to bring the Sword of Truth across a distance? A feat Cara could have easily accomplished. I personally hated Fitch with all my heart when he stole that sword. At that second he was transformed into an ignorant, selfish, hateful little boy. Characters like Berdine, Adie, Nathan, Verna, Warren, Shota, Jagang etc. could have had some fun in the billions of pages devoted to a character who never amounted to anything. And where was the big connection between Richard and his world and Chanboor becoming soveirgn? The vote, right? Again I felt pages could have been saved and devoted to any of the following: the development of Joseph Anders history, the exploration of the creative magic concept, any characters previously mentioned, the chimes (whose connection with Joseph still seems a bit vague, as does their entire being) the war, and of course the ending! I have never felt more forlorn at the end of a book. I could swear Richard stepped from the pages and spat in my face. Everything I had respected him for, loved him for, admired... learned from... he practically denounced! He is the one to lead D'Hara, he has the ability, talents, smarts. And he leaves them to their own fate. Without the leader they love, respect and need. His people would sacrifice their very souls for him and because one village of isolated pompous people reject him he goes to pout in his woods? WHERE ARE THE RICHARD AND KAHLAN I LOVE?! And of course I understand and appreciate a book is very wonderful and moves nicely when it isn't action packed, gory and graphic with fancy battles, obscure magic and the like. There are messages and intrigue to be found in books like Soul of the Fire, but am I wrong to desire just one teensy little fun display of raw power, intricate magical designs or even for the love of all I hold dear a little more background just for fun in such an integral spot as Richard banishing the chimes, destroying the most powerful weapon in history, supposedly taking a huge poisonous toll on the evil army and pretty much saving the world again? A page just didn't seem to do it for me. Maybe I'm crazy. I love Terry Goodkind but there was something quite unsettling here. I choose to believe it was aliens taking over his mind. I wish not to lose any of my adoration for his works.
Rating:
Summary: He took the story in a new direction...
Review: I was prepared by the latter books for another tale of wonderous places, interesting characters, needlessly graphic descriptions of the rapes of innocent women, and the super evil badguy whose personal goal is to rape and torment Kahlen. If it isn't obvious, I find the rape storylines excessive, needless, disturbing, and cruel (especially to the reader). Well in this book, Goodkind writes an expository on the power of the manipulation of the media, the gullibility of the common folk, the greed and ambition of politicians, anti-abortion, etc -- mostly without using the main characters. Was anyone else annoyed with the giveaway (Chanboor) and throwaway (Morley, Rowley) names? On the plus side: compared to last book, there is only a fraction of the rapes, and Kahlen is only the target of a murderer, not a rapist. I wanted a witty and clever book with interesting characters, like Richard and Kahlen in Wizards First Rule. I didn't get that. Parts of the book reminded me why I read this series. Much didn't. Kahlen was weak, Richard pulls the solution completely out of nowhere, and too much of the book is devoted to new characters -- most too awful to like or care about. That said, I have hope for the next book. Some of the subplots were interesting. Goodkind is trying to be more cerebral. The graphic violence is being toned down (but not enough). And the ending of this book leaves open the possibility for a return to the tone of the first book.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The previous books in the series were visionary with a build up that kept me going hour after hour. This book seems to take a 'back seat' and ignore the flow of the other books to which I was spell bound. The mere anticipation of the battle with Jagang that had been brewing was put on hold. We were introduced to a character 'Fitch', pages and pages of useless information went into this little world of his, and finally all of a sudden he dies. What's up with that? Fitch escapes out of Ander only to return back with the Sword of Truth and at the same time Cara is trekking all across the place hunting him down. After all that effort of creating a character just to get the sword of truth, Richard doesn't even use it. My point being that there could have been a lot less unimportant events and more focus on other more intricate plots and emotions that had been accumulating. The ending I am sad to say was all a bit sudden and quite an anti-climax, it was as if Terry reached the allotted pages he wished to write and simply retired to a dull ending when it could have ended in a spellbinding battle. Nevertheless I'm still a huge fan of Terry, and cant wait until the cauldron with Jagang starts to bubble over.
Rating:
Summary: Lacks the depth and intensity of the previous books
Review: I just finished reading this book. I have to say I am a little disappointed. The story seems flat and rather one-dimensional. Many of the characters to which the author devotes so much time seem rather incidental to the full story. It is almost as if someone else wrote the book. It's still worth the read, but it's not as good as the first books in this series.
Rating:
Summary: A big disappointment
Review: I greatly anticipated the release of the 5th book of The Sword of Truth series only to find myself let down. It took me about a week to finish. The novel itself is great, but lacks the qualities that made the rest of his books a success. In the beginning, Goodkind repeatedly includes paragraphs detailing characters and events. I felt that this made the beginning of the book extremely boring. Goodkind seemed to get off track in this novel. He left out many important characters and developed many others that were insignificant and a waste in my opinion. In the end the conclusion was pathetically written and very brief. Goddkind tells briefly about how Richard solves the problems of the chimes and left me felling empty. There was little to no magic use and talk in the entire novel which made me all the more unfulfilled. Overall, the book was decent. I hope that the next novel will be a little more thought out and not drift into so much detail.
Rating:
Summary: something you can read
Review: I guess the main problem lies with the fact that there is lesser mysteries and intrigue dealing with the story. there are no more mysterious places or obscure prophecies. no big surprises, but if you ask me, it is quite a good continuation. But I agree that certain characters are very dready like Fitch and all the people in Anderith- quite whimpy lot. it is good that he has brought back the Baka Man people after such a long time. What has happened to Nathan, Adie, Verna,Warren and all? Their stories would interest me more, like what mysteries is Nathan hunting down, etc? Hope to have all these answered in the next book.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic read!
Review: This is a great book-- the kind you don not want to put down! Goodkind transports us into a world of complex characters and storylines that will leave you breathless. If you are a fan of fantasty fiction, this is a must read!!
Rating:
Summary: A great continuance of the sword of truth fantasy series!
Review: Terry Goodkind really does well in continueing his series with the kind of storytelling that had me always looking forward to reading in any of my spare time that I had. I was only disapointed by one thing though, where is Adie, did she disappear or what?
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