Rating: 
Summary: Series runs off track
Review: Okay, before this book, Temple of the Winds was what I thought was the worst book in the series, but now it is this one. Unlike others, the sex in the book didn't really bother me, I've been so bombarded by that sort of thing on tv and movies, that I just read through it, hardly noticing it. The toughest thing I had to get through was Richard's long torture scene(80-100 pages) in the first book, Wizard's First Rule. I could see what the author was trying to do with the social commentary in the novel, but it just wasn't that interesting to me. The characters were dull and uninspired, and if I had had to read once more about Dalton's web, and his pulling the strings, I would have been sick. The very worst scene is the one played out by Cara and the two boys running around in the Keep, keeping the sword from her. I was laughing as I read that, mainly because of how absurd it was, almost like I was watching a slapstick movie. It was just such a ridiculous moment. I don't mind laughs in a fantasy novel, some of my favorite scenes have been moments of levity and banter between Richard and the Mord-Siths, but the scene in the Keep was beyond ridiculous. Also, what was the deal with the vote? Richard has been demanding other lands surrender to him, but then allows one to vote on whether or not to join with him. Now, I know there will be another novel, because nothing has been resolved in this one, and this series still has much going for it. There are also a lot story lines to wrap up, so I'm hoping that the next novel will get back on track, and start advancing the story again.
Rating: 
Summary: Blase` Yawner
Review: A mindnumbingly tedious book; although it doesn't begin to approach the exasperating blandness that became of Jordan's series. I don't know why insipid arguments between the main characters, which dominated a good sixty percent of the book, is supposed to pass for character development. A hundred and fifty page book would have encompassed the substance of the thing. The moral quibbling that was the only mar on what I thought to be an excellent series has now become its major facet. This is quickly going the way of Robert Jordan, where only an audience of sheep with nostalgia for previous good writing feel compelled to go along with a money-making exercise. It's too bad to see these interesting ideas lose their dynanism. Why Goodkind is compelled to constantly drudge through dialogue, "What to do, what to do?" When it is clearly telegraphed what is to be done, or what is going to happen. It's time for these characters to start perpetrating some good fantasy. Stop the, "But I don't wanna be a wizard," and start kicking some a**. Goodkind can write action, if he chooses. It doesn't need to all happen in the last ten pages of his missive.
Rating: 
Summary: the book was a social commentary
Review: Am I the only one who noticed the commentary on conditions in the US by the events and people of Anderith? Bertrand Chinboor and his wife seemed to me to be characters much like Mr and Mrs Clinton. The whole idea throughout the book of not being able to trust a liar, of the manipulation of the population of Anderith for selfish gain, the sanctity of life as we watched Kahlan struggle with whether to keep her baby, and the efforts of many in Anderith, along with the hordes of the Emperor Jagang to destroy magic seemed to me a fascinating and refreshing story, putting things and people in position for what is to come, but also making a statement. I was enthralled with the book.
Rating:
Summary: Fade to Black
Review: This book really disappointed me. No depth and no continuation. His first books have all taken a slight turn for the boring. I hope his last picks it up again. :-) Hopeful fan...
Rating: 
Summary: really 2.5 stars...
Review: Aside from the last sixty or so pages of the book I wasn't even sure that I was reading a Goodkind novel. It was not so much that the story line changed so, THAT I thought could be interesting but turned out to go no where. It was more that the book was very very flat. The characters seemed wooden, dull, the dialog boring. I almost gave up on the book, but the last part did make for enjoyable reading. Books 1,2 & 4 are excellent. This one I could have done with out. But I will read 6 if there is one. Terry did set the stage for what could be an interesting story and a new departure... .
Rating: 
Summary: Terry's stepping stone
Review: I believe that this book is slow, but I agree with some of the other reviewers. This book is a stepping stone into the next. yes, it was slow in some areas, but his style is still "Terry". His next book should by enlighting. I don't agree with most of the reviewers, he is still one of the best authors i have ever read, and I have quite the library, all of which is fantasy. I say, "keep the faith", he is not done with Richard,Kahlan,Cara,etc. Mr.Goodkind, if you read this, may I ask one favor? please include Zedd more. I miss his humor.
Rating:
Summary: MR.Goodkind has done it again..and theres more to come!
Review: Once again mr.G has proved himself as one of the best authors around..His imagery and characters surpass any other authors ability..A show of true talent and depth..I recommend This book to all lovers of fanasy!!!1
Rating:
Summary: Disjointed, slow, choppy
Review: This book is a disappointment, several hundred pages are wasted as we wait for something significant to happen, the Hakens seemed a waste of time. It looks like Goodkind was trying to stretch to 508 pages. The slow plot and the confusion do not make for entertainment,, sorry Terry
Rating:
Summary: no-one writes better
Review: It was a big step from Wizard's First Rule to Soul of the Fire. In his first book Goodkind wrote tighter than now, still SotF kept me reading to the end. Maybe there are some points to citizise him, for example the first half of the book, where few things of importance happen in comparison to the amount of pages. But I can't help myself, I read other authors, Jordan, Feist, and many more, and Terry Goodkind has by far the best characters of them all. He writes every scene interresting enough to keep you glued to it, no other author did this to me. In SotF there may be weak points in the storyline but the characters even this out and therefore this book is an excelent piece of writing that I can only recommend to everyone who likes fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Asleep At The Wheel
Review: I have to confess that I was waiting for this to happen. Feist did it, Jordan did it and now Mr G joins the club. What was it that he did, then? Lost the plot but kept on churning it out. Wizard's First Rule was a classic and Blood Of The Fold ran it close, but this fifth book in the series was a major disappointment. Kudos to the author for at least attempting a departure from his usual style, structure and scope. Unfortunately, it just didn't cut it. The fact of the matter is that fantasy, by definition, is epic in scope. This book was a shrunken, small thing, personalised to the point of breaking. By the Creator, we spent one fifth of the volume chasing chickens through mud-huts in the rain! Beyond this, the reader was forced into spending most of his or her time rubbing shoulders with a crew of new characters that from the outset, obviously had a limited shelf-life. It isn't just that (previously) major characters were almost forgotten about but unless the series was about to be renamed the 'Dominie Dirtch Of Anderith', we knew this bunch were going the way of all flesh before the last page was turned. That is not the way to engender a sense of connection to a character and the author should (almost always usually does) know better. This was no epic clash fought out across an alien plain. This was all quite trivial compared to what had gone before in the series. And there's another thing that was missing - an editor! This read like a draft, complete with repeated repetition, questionable grammer and run on sentences that quite frankly had me gasping for breath before I was half way to the period and I usually have quite a strong constitution for this sort of thing but I have to say, that this book really did it for me, and I am hard pressed to remember another... OK, so that's labouring the point (touche, I think), but this was not a stylish addition to the series. I don't know whether Mr G suffered at the hands of the dreaded deadline and as a consequence, the manuscript was rushed through the publishing house. I hope that that's the case because otherwise, we'll have to face the hard truth - he's run out of ideas and enthusiasm. Say it ain't so, Terry.
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