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Phantom: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 2 (Sword of Truth, Book 10) [Mass Market Paperback]

Terry Goodkind
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (314 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 29, 2007 Sword of Truth, Book 10 (Book 10)
On the day she awoke remembering nothing but her name, Kahlan Amnell became the most dangerous woman alive. For everyone else, that was the day that the world began to end.
 
As her husband, Richard, desperately searches for his beloved, whom only he remembers, he knows that if she doesn't soon discover who she really is, she will unwittingly become the instrument that will unleash annihilation. But Kahlan learns that if she ever were to unlock the truth of her lost identity, then evil itself would finally possess her, body and soul.
 
If she is to survive in a murky world of deception and betrayal, where life is not only cheap but fleeting, Kahlan must find out why she is such a central figure in the war-torn world swirling around her. What she uncovers are secrets darker than she could ever have imagined.

Frequently Bought Together

Phantom: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 2 (Sword of Truth, Book 10) + Confessor (Sword of Truth) + Debt of Bones (Sword of Truth Prequel Novel)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Exclusive Video
Watch author Terry Goodkind discuss how his own morality and sense of good and evil shape the chararacters and action in his epic ten volume Sword of Truth series.
'Phantom' video Clip featuring Terry Goodkind
Watch a video clip featuring author Terry Goodkind



--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

In the eagerly awaited second volume of bestseller Goodkind's Chainfire trilogy, which will wrap up his long-running Sword of Truth series, star-crossed Richard Cypher (aka Lord Richard Rahl) searches for his beautiful "phantom" wife, Kahlan Amnell, who lost her memory in 2005's Chainfire after the Sisters of the Dark cast a spell on her. Meanwhile, Richard has memorized a magical instruction book, The Book of Counted Shadows, which will help open the three boxes of the Orden, though the consequences could be dire for the Old World: "Open the correct box, and one gains the power of Orden-the essence of life itself, power over all things living and dead... Open the wrong box... and every living thing in existence is incinerated into nothingness. It would be the end of all life." Despite the simplistic good vs. evil conflict and bland prose, the author expertly juggles many complex plot lines and brings to life a host of colorful characters. Goodkind has recently made a deal with Sam Raimi of the Spiderman franchise to translate the series into film.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 673 pages
  • Publisher: Tor Fantasy; Reprint edition (May 29, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0765344327
  • ISBN-13: 978-0765344328
  • Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (314 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,165 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
522 of 589 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Read for an Alternate Opinion July 21, 2006
Format:Hardcover
Hear me out; everyone seems to be writing glowing reviews for this book and I am not going to be one of them. Read on though, at least try and appreciate a different viewpoint.

I have been a fan of Terry Goodkind from the start. I consider myself well read in this genre of fantasy and have bought each book the day it came out with great anticipation. The last few books have been, to say the least, mostly disappointing and have failed to capture the magic of the first few books. I kept my peace after reading them, hoping and expecting that he would come out with a book to redeem himself and set the storyline on course again. And so I eagerly awaited Phantom; Chainfire was good, not great, but good and I had hoped that Phantom would get to it again.

Not so. I have a number of issues with the book, so here they are.

First Minor Issue - Everyone is painstakingly, ravishingly beautiful. Got it Terry, no more needs to be said. If I read one more time how beautiful and heartbreakingly gorgeous (but deadly at the same time) that Nicci is, I will scream. Or put down the book and be very upset.

First Major Issue - Life is sacred. Got it. No really, I get IT! I am tired of the pedantic drivel that spouts out of Richard (and now other characters) at will. I thought Faith of the Fallen was a monumental piece of work, that was the truly last excellent, innovative and thought provoking book Goodkind wrote. In trying to continue to tirelessly hammer home his quasi-religious ideological "life is worth living" theology, the book really starts to lose drive. Every time Richard pauses for breath and talks to someone, I know that somewhere in the next few pages he is going to start preaching about how sacred life is and how people have the choice of living life free, blah blah blah. I can appreciate a theological tone to a fantasy novel, used correctly it can certainly be a vehicle for adding depth to literature. TG is driving it so hard though in this last few books, that it comes out as tired and fanatical - like something I would see on TV at 1:00 in the morning begging me to see the light of Jesus.

Second Major Issue - I have a guilty secret; I still enjoy when they discover new things about magic. But on top of that guilty secret is that TG is a very self serving writer and has destroyed his own credibility in the world he has created. I am tired (again) of having monumental odds placed before characters and they somehow find an obscure magical reference, are able to save the world (or the situation) and life moves on. This is not realistic. Magic in itself is not realistic! But the way in which magic is implemented and used should be realistic. Magic is not (and should not) be a catch all that can solve all problems, is the crutch in a time of need, etc. TG uses magic here as a crutch for moving the plot; he had some good plot twists in this book but whenever he seems to dig himself a hole and can't get out - Whala! A new form of magic, a new spell, a new way of looking at a thousand year old problem and Richard has his solution.

I would go on, but I won't. Overal (if you haven't read it yet) the book moved the plot forward towards a final batter/confrontation with Jagang and the end of the world (read Tarmon Gaiden), the characters rush around (it appears) aimlessly, but some grand finale is being planned. A ton of new magic is discovered, and hidden depths of the first Wizard Barracas are explored.

Interestingly enough I enjoyed the book. I was up late last night finishing it and couldn't put it down. Some of the old excitement has once again entered back into TG's work. But I felt I would be remiss if I didn't point out the glaring issues in his work. If people want to congratulate him on the best book ever written, have a ball. I hope you have an open mind when reading this, at the end of the day I am a Sword of Truth fan and have all of his books in hard cover and will continue to buy them when they come out. I think TG has some great energy and I am awaiting the last book to come out - but this does NOT excuse poor writing.
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158 of 186 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Terry Goodkind's latest novel in The Sword of Truth series is quite a bit shorter than the previous installments. Weighing in at a mere 587 pages it wouldn't even counter-balance a single gallon of milk. On the up-side, this means that he has given us roughly the same amount of plot as his other books (not counting Wizard's First Rule) by merely cutting back on his infamous 10-page-at-a-time interspersions of philosophical meanderings. Actually, if you want to skip the philosophical bits entirely, they were all lumped together between pages 114 and 215. The rest of this book is all action, and very exciting.

Let's see... Without spoiling the plot, here's the basics you'll want to know about. Scenes with Jagang remain as graphic and unpleasant as ever. Rachel makes a return appearance after too long an absence, and remember wicked little Princess Violet from Wizard's First Rule? She's back, badder than ever, and has a new tongue in her mouth.

Very enjoyable book, but I think the last sentence might have been the most exciting: "BE SURE TO LOOK FOR THE NEXT AND CONCLUDING BOOK IN THE SWORD OF TRUTH SERIES." I know - an 11-book series seems like a strange number to conclude on, but I need closure, so I won't complain.

To those readers not familiar with this series, I recommend going in order starting with Wizard's First Rule. However, Goodkind does insert enough backstory throughout Chainfire to make it possible to understand what's going on if you start with just the first book in this concluding trilogy. (*note* I had originally written that you could start with just this book, but on thinking about it, that would probably be a bit too confusing. The amount of backstory in this book was much less than Chainfire, and served mostly to help me remember the details I had forgotten since I last read a Sword of Truth book 1 year ago.)

In brief, the series goes as follows:

Wizard's First Rule (first and best in the series)
Stone of Tears
Blood of The Fold (plot of the overall series is introduced)
Temple of The Winds
Soul of the Fire
Faith of the Fallen (Best book other than Wizard's First Rule)
The Pillars of Creation (recommend skipping)
Naked Empire
Chainfire (first book in the concluding trilogy)
Phantom
Final Book (name not yet known)
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37 of 41 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Have I matured, or has it gotten that bad? August 2, 2006
Format:Hardcover
I started reading this series at the age of 18, when Wizard's First Rule was published in 1997. I thought it was wonderful; the pacing was brisk, the story was interesting, and the characters were, for the most part, likeable. The next few books were nearly as enjoyable, although Goodkind's seeming fixation on rape, torture, and domination got a little irritating after a while. Before I continue the review, I feel the need to elaborate on this point.

I am not a prude, and I don't have a problem reading things that make me feel uncomfortable, provided they have a purpose in the story. For example, rape plays a focal point in Stephen Donaldson's pioneering Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series, and it never really bothered me reading about it because it was absolutely necessary to the plot and added to the fallibility of the main character. In contrast, Goodkind uses rape to show us how "bad" the "bad guys" are. In this case, it becomes a clumsy tool, used to later justify atrocities committed in the name of liberty against these "very, very bad guys". In Goodkind's universe, if you put an attractive woman in a room (and ALL of the female protagonists in the Sword of Truth series are attractive, of course) with a man who is not working for Richard, she will be raped. To make matters worse, Goodkind will write just enough detail to make the reader feel a bit dirty, like a peeping Tom watching something he shouldn't.

In addition to constant references to rape, the violence that's been everpresent throughout the Sword of Truth novels is also here in Phantom. That is not to say that the book is overly graphic. It's just sadistic. In order to beat home the same tired point (that the bad guys in this book are bad, bad, bad!), Goodkind heaps extra helpings of abuse on Kahlan and Rachel, both of whom are in the hands of villians for most of the book. Again, I'm not opposed to violence in writing; indeed, George Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series is far more gristly than Goodkind's work, but it manages to be that way without feeling sadistic, without leaving the reader wondering whether the author tortured animals as a child. Oh, and let's not forget that most of Goodkind's anger is directed at women in this book (via rape and brutal beatings). I don't know if this is a coincidence, but it certainly is more than a little troubling.

On to the story. There actually isn't much plot movement here: as people have already stated, Richard is, once again, captured and emasculated, new plot elements are introduced seemingly at a whim (when writing himself into a corner, Mr. Goodkind need only wave his wand for solutions, as evidenced by his absurd treatment of the Book of Shadows, a plot twist that decapitates the first book of the series, rendering its events entirely without meaning), and we're served a heaping spoonful of very basic philosophy.

The philosophical component of Phantom is especially difficult to read because:

1. Goodkind rehashes what we've already read in Faith of the Fallen and Naked Empire, but does a poorer job of it. There is very little here we haven't seen before.

2. The philosphy is very, very simple, like something a high school freshman might write about after reading The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged. I'm sorry, but when you're dealing with ideas that are this simple (e.g. liberty is important!), you simply cannot sound insightful or profound. It's almost painful reading this stuff, knowing that Goodkind sees himself as some sort of visionary when he's reaching conclusions that most people reach when they're teenagers.

3. The Cold War is over. When Ayn Rand wrote her books, at least she was speaking against an ideology that she felt was threatening the fabric of individualism. Goodkind is setting out to wage war against a paper tiger. Thank you, Terry...we already know that Communism (e.g. The Imperial Order) is flawed. You're preaching to the choir.

4. It's blatantly hypocritical: the entire foundation of Goodkind's philosophy is used as justification for killing numerous innocent children in the Old World. Why is this okay? Because according to Jebra (via her description of Order soldiers teaching Dharan children to become merciless killers), The Imperial Order brainwashes people so absolutely that they become little more than animals and are unredeemable. Interestingly, the soldiers of the Dharan Empire, who were also little more than beasts/rapists before Richard became the Lord Rhal, are now paragons of virtue and liberty. For some reason, they were able to change completely after Richard gave them one speech, but the people of the Old World do not deserve the same treatment. It's baffling.

As the second book of a trilogy, Phantom closes leaving us with more questions than answers, but that's the nature of trilogies, and we can only hope that Goodkind ties things together in the final book.

Oh, and if it's possible, the protagonists of this book are less likeable than ever. Kahlan and Richard's relationship, which is so uninteresting that the author needs to constantly separate them in order to keep the book readable, continues to lack anything resembling depth (if you've watched the new Star Wars trilogy and squirmed uncomfortably through the atrociously-written dialogue between Anakin and Amidala, you'll know what I'm talking about). Furthermore (as some here have pointed out), Zedd, Cara, Nicci, Anne, etc. all now behave in one of two ways: either they question the validity of Richard's assertions, even though he has always been right and they never have, or they fawn over him tirelessly after coming to see how right he was all along. Richard is so self-confident and idealistic that he's become the archetypal "hero" figure that is indicative of derivative fantasy. Morally, he can do no wrong, which is unfortunate because it makes him far less interesting and believable than Richard the Boundary Warden from the first book in the series.

All of these problems would be a little more palatable if the book were well-written. Unfortunately, it's not. Borrowing the words of others, Goodkind has never been a great writer, only a good storyteller. Now that the story is quickly falling apart, there is little to enjoy. I guess this begs the question, have I gotten that much older and jaded, or has this series really descended so far?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars Really starting to suck
One freaking book left. I'll never buy Terry Goodkind again. Preach preach preach. Way past time this sorry series is over.
Published 16 days ago by travis desormeaux
5.0 out of 5 stars Intense!
This series in very involving. Every book has its own story that fits in the bigger story that is this series. Read more
Published 18 days ago by Anthony Lloyd
5.0 out of 5 stars Phantom
I have followed Terry Goodkind's entire series and have never cease to be amazed at his ability to draw the reader into his story in such a way that the entire experience is... Read more
Published 24 days ago by GlenWar
5.0 out of 5 stars Great series
Another review for a great series. What can I say more? I am in the third book and will keep reading. There are a lot more to go!
Published 1 month ago by J. Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars got here on time
have not read this book yet but it came in a timely fashion and would recommend this to most Terry Goodkind books
Published 1 month ago by richard lowry
5.0 out of 5 stars Up all night...
For some reason, this book of the series completely entranced me! I could not put it down. Having gotten this far in the series, I felt like I was going to know everything, it... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Una O'Connell
5.0 out of 5 stars loved it
love getting books on the ipad its fast and easy to get. to light to carry around, and was a great book. you will love this book
Published 1 month ago by SuperDan
2.0 out of 5 stars missing pages
This book is missing some 30 plus pages! from page 518 it skips to page 551, in between it repeats pages 487 through 518. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Angie
4.0 out of 5 stars good book - better series
This book was good but I found the other books in the series better. Still it is worth the read
Published 1 month ago by margo
5.0 out of 5 stars kept him quiet!
My husband was hooked on these books. He really enjoyed them and tells anyone who reads these types to get the series.
Published 2 months ago by T. Quintal
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Audiobook: Is it "Nikki" or "Neechee?"
I pronounce it Nikki
Aug 4, 2011 by Melissa D. Gomes |  See all 2 posts
Is this series more for woman readers?
Well, I do read Nora Roberts, when I need light and easy reading, but I never wait for her new books to come (I am not even sure I remember the titles of her books). In contrast, Goodkind and GR Martin (to name just two) are favourite authors for both my hysband and myself - something we can read... Read more
Aug 18, 2006 by Lena |  See all 7 posts
Communism vs Capitalism
Interesting idea, however your premise is flawed. In true communism, as Marx saw it, there is no state, therefore no dictators.

If you are talking about Cold War era Communism...i.e. post Lenin Russia & Stalinist Soviet Union (and after), this was a misrepresentation of the communism Marx... Read more
Aug 8, 2006 by Chones |  See all 6 posts
Nathan Rahl: What happened to Nathan the prophet???
Nathan was featured in Chainfire and is also in Phantom. However, he only has a minor part in Phantom, but Ann gets numerous lines playing devil's advocate against Richard's theories.
Feb 2, 2007 by Arthur W. Jordin |  See all 4 posts
trying to find a book I read
Dragon Venom by Lawrence Watt-Evans
Oct 7, 2007 by Joe W |  See all 2 posts
the sword of truth is dead
I would agree that it is not dead. I am very disappointed however to find out it's coming to an end. The sword of truth is best series I have ever read and it will be a dark day when it comes to a close.
I agree also that Pillars of Creation was a big disappointment. It was very well... Read more
Nov 25, 2005 by Wade Babcock |  See all 39 posts
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