Debt of Bones (Sword of Truth Prequel Novel) [Paperback]

Terry Goodkind (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 8, 2002 | Series: Sword of Truth Prequel Novel

A short novel of immense scope that shows Terry Goodkind's story telling powers at their very best. In the days of the war against Panis Rahl a young woman presents the first wizard with an intractable choice and forces him into an encounter that could unleash a maelstrom of magic. Terry Goodkind's skill at showing characters struggling with free will and facing nightmarish dilemmas as their spirits are tested is shown to its best effect in DEBT OF BONES, as is his consummate world building.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Terry Goodkind (Faith of the Fallen) presents Debt of Bones, a prequel to his Sword of Truth series that involves series character First Wizard Zedd in the time before the Boundaries were drawn. Abby, a poor peasant who has an ancient claim on Zedd, asks the impossible of him to save her community, including her husband, child and father at the possible price of countless other lives. Illus.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

As the armies of Panis Rahl spread across the land, a young woman from a beleaguered town begs a boon from First Wizard Zedd, ignorant of the consequences of her request. This revised version of a novella that first appeared in the fantasy anthology Legends illuminates the period in history before the events of Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" series. The conflict between love and duty forms a central theme in this brief and touching tale of people caught up in events they cannot fully control. Keith Parkinson's pencil illustrations add a delicate touch to the story, highlighting key events in the narrative. Libraries wishing to complete their Goodkind collection will want this gracefully written story.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Orion Paperbacks (August 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 057507311X
• ISBN-13: 978-0575073111
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (103 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,254,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Terry Goodkind is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sword of Truth series, Richard and Kahlan stories, author of The Law of Nines, and writer of Legend of the Seeker, the Sam Raimi produced, ABC television series based on The Sword of Truth books.

Goodkind was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, where he also attended art school, one of his many interests on the way to becoming a writer. Besides a career in wildlife art, he has been a cabinet maker and violin maker, and he has done restoration work on rare and exotic artifacts from around the world -- each with its own story to tell, he says.

While continuing to maintain the northeastern home he built with his own hands, in recent years he and his wife, Jeri, have created a second home in the desert Southwest, where he now spends the majority of his time.

Join the fan community at TerryGoodkind.com for all of the latest.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

190 of 197 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a novel novella, October 29, 2001

By 

"foxechick" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Debt of Bones (Sword of Truth Prequel Novel) (Hardcover)

Terry Goodkind has become well-known amongst fantasy fans for his epic "Sword of Truth" series. Now, with "Debt of Bones", he revisits the world of his creation with a tale of old history.

This is a story about Zedd, the First Wizard of the Midlands. Readers of Goodkind's books will know some of the events that took place when Zedd's wife was killed and his daughter's life also at stake; now the story is revealed in detail. Grieving, bitter and disillusioned, Zedd closets himself from the world and its troubles. It takes a courageous young woman with a desperate need of her own to reach him and convince him to help her. The events that follow will change the world and shape the course of history.

Although I enjoyed reading this book- Goodkind's skill at weaving a convincing, enthralling story is as obvious as ever- I was somewhat disappointed with it. The book is quite short, more a novella than a novel, and is largely a reworking of a story by the same title that was previously published as part of an anthology, "Legends". Excellent novels can sometimes be produced in a similar manner, and many classic books (especially of the sci-fi genre) had their start as a short story. However, I feel that in this case, little has been added to the original in terms of quality or quantity.

In summary: I will always read Goodkind's books, but this one wasn't as worthwhile as I have come to expect.

7 stars out of 10

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An exciting prequel and a pleasant one hour diversion!, October 27, 2005

By 

Paul Weiss (Dundas, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Debt of Bones (Sword of Truth Prequel Novel) (Hardcover)

A most pleasant one hour diversion! In Debt of Bones, Goodkind has not only provided us with an excellent tale in its own right but has filled in some of the background to the war with the D'Harans, the Rahl dynasty, and the inside story on the history of the land outside the Midlands where no magic is allowed. It is quite astounding that Debt of Bones has all the requisites of a full length fantasy novel - good, evil, war, magic, epic battles, love, loyalty, treason, deceit and treachery - but he has managed to squeeze it into the size of a novella barely over 100 pages.

Goodkind, no doubt, achieved this brevity by omitting detailed explanations of some of the things that his fans would already understand - the devastating results of the touch of the Mother Confessor and the sadistic behaviour of the Mord Sith, for example. If you're a first-time Goodkind reader, my prediction is that you'll feel quite bewildered at times. Don't start here! Set this aside and go read the first three or four novels in The Sword of Truth series.

Then come back and pick this up again for a thoroughly enjoyable quickie!

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not as good but OK..., October 14, 2001

By 

KellyB (Altoona PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Debt of Bones (Sword of Truth Prequel Novel) (Hardcover)

This Terry Goodkind Novel was not as interesting as the original Sword of Truth books but it wasn't bad!I am a freshman in high school and it took me 2 1/2 hrs to read; so it is not nearly as long as the others.I really liked it because it was a chance to get reunited with Zedd. we learn what happens before Richard is born and how the war with Panis Rahl and D'Hara ends. The boundaries are created and some new caracters are even introduced. I recommend this book to someone who has already read the sword of truth series or to someone who has a new interest.