Customer Reviews

Phantom: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 2 (Sword of Truth, Book 10)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I started reading Goodkind back when "Wizard's First Rule" came out and eagerly awaited the release of each subsequent novel, that is until after I read "Naked Empire".

The series had been going through a slight decline up to this point, nothing major just the usuall what had been unique and original in the first few novels was now to be expected. There was a slight tendency in the later novels for Richard to break out in long speeches but the speeches were generally balanced out by some good action. (Pillars had broken this balance a little but to me Pillars is an aside book and not really a part of the main lexicon) Goodkind had wrote some of the best battles and fights. In "Naked Empire" this balance was shattered and has yet to be restored.

This isn't as bad as "Naked Empire", I actually like this book, and is a little better than "Chainfire". It still isn't great. The first half of the book is way too slow. I had to force myself through the first 250 pages. Richard is still making too many speeches and has now gotten other characters to join in, most notably Nicci. And the worst part is that they are the same speeches over and over again making the same point. Action was at a bare minimum. On the bright side, after the initial unpleasantness there is a return of greatness. The pace picked up, the speeches were once again balanced by action, and the plot began to move forward. This could have been a great book, if not for the first half of the book.

Other problems. Richard spending fifty pages on speeches then something occurs to him and he leaves telling everybody no time for explanations. No big deal except every time there has been. It creates unneccesary conflict with the characters. One character doing something because he didn't understand what the other character was doing. And when did Zed and Anne become stupid. They would have figured out after the five thousandth time that Richard said he could do something and did it that he knows what he's talking about, they wouldn't still be arguing with him every time you turn around. Once again this seemed to disappear in the second half of the book, Zed turned for the most part back into his old genius self but come on, enough.

I'm looking forward to the last book. Mostly so I can say goodbye to Goodkind forever. He is obviously no longer the author who wrote the first six books in this series.

The sword of Truth series has been a very imaginative series all in all, however the style of writing of Mr. Goodkind is perplexing to me.

The content of his novels seems to be targeted towards adults (rape, torture etc...), however the style of writing seems to be targeting 7 year old kids. It drives me crazy.

This latest book is no exception. I loved the storyline, it had me gripped from beginning to end, but why must he drive a point over and over again as if he's reading to a 7 year old? Why not leave anything to the reader's intellect?

Another thing that drives me crazy is the constant preaching, which in the past, was limited to the main character "Richard," but now seems to have infected other characters as well. Yes, we get it, life is valuable, say it once and move on!

As to this particular book though, it is definitely back to his best writing (in terms of storyline), I feel he drifted in the last few books and is now back on track to an interesting story.

This plot and dialog is as compelling as all of the other books, but do not expect the complex plot to be resolved. I don't know when the Sword of Truth series will end, but it will definitely be in some future book. I'm reporting this because, if you read this book, you likely have read the previous nine. I expected big resolutions of plot issues and they just did not happen. Great cliffhanger at the end, though.

This CD set continues the saga of Richard and Kahlin the chief Hero and Heroine. The story leaves Richard seeming as though he is losing his mind, and up against insurmountable forces.

True to the rest of the series, the story builds on previous novels. The one bad part is the way that it ends, leaving the reader hanging ...wanting resolution to the Kahlin question.

HE IS A GREAT SCI-FI WRITER. AND THIS BOOK IS JUST AS GOOD AS HIS OTHERS. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ONE. I AM GLAD THAT HE STILL PUTS THEM ON BOOK ON TAPE SO THAT I CAN LISTEN WHILE I AM DRIVING AND REWIND IF I HAVE MISSED A PART.

I love Terry Goodkind so I bought this latest audio book, but I can't even finish it. The reader is sooo boring. He has a monotone voice that you just pray will end.

For those of you that have listened to the previous books, throw out the first 7cds of this one and the rest is a great listen. The first seven cds were worthless info that did not add to the story.

imho

I am an avid Goodkind reader. This book was a little disappointing since I epected more. I am impatient to read the next set of books. The Sword of Truth is my favorite series.

I am seeing the same massive understatement from nearly everyone. The last four or five books, as well as phantom, are not "referring" to communism, they are nothing more than 50's style dystopia books. The worst part is that the first two books are probally the best fantasy novels I have ever read. The series then degrades into this Orwell-huxley ranting where capitalism is this glowing piece of heaven, and of course the order is hell on earth. Like the dystopia writers he emulates (and does not match) he pays no heed to the massive failings of capitalism, nor the successes of communism (as far and in between as they are). Goodkind is brilliant at painting a world, a religion, a magic, etc. but it is clear that he has taken it about three books to far with his ranting. I guess the word that I'm searching for is propaganda