Scan barcode
stargrace's review against another edition
2.0
You can read this review and others like it at The Nomadic Reader.
Disappointing. That’s what I thought of ‘The Third Kingdom’. I’ve happily read Terry Goodkind for years now, having fallen in love with Wizards First Rule way back when, but the Richard from these books is nothing like the one that I was familiar with. The book repeats itself from beginning to end and it feels like a whole lot of filler. If you’re looking for a story that involves Richard and Kahlan at all, you’re out of luck. Instead you get to meet another strong Goodkind female character, Samantha. This was probably the one bright spot in the entire book because Goodkind does write female characters very well.
It doesn’t become apparent until about mid way through the book what the link is between this book and the previous one, The Omen Machine. It’s filled with violence, and no one has an easy time of anything. It felt a little too over the top for me, but again I’m remembering Wizard’s First Rule and the writing style and characters that I initially fell in love with. What happened to the strong Richard, what happened to the proud Kahlan (oh, she got kidnapped, again..), how am I supposed to believe that Nicci and Zed are powerful wizards when their powers now mean nothing at all and they cannot help any situation?
I didn’t feel that I learned anything new from this book aside from within the final chapters, and I’m wondering if I should even continue reading the series because it is so lackluster.
2 / 5 stars.
Disappointing. That’s what I thought of ‘The Third Kingdom’. I’ve happily read Terry Goodkind for years now, having fallen in love with Wizards First Rule way back when, but the Richard from these books is nothing like the one that I was familiar with. The book repeats itself from beginning to end and it feels like a whole lot of filler. If you’re looking for a story that involves Richard and Kahlan at all, you’re out of luck. Instead you get to meet another strong Goodkind female character, Samantha. This was probably the one bright spot in the entire book because Goodkind does write female characters very well.
It doesn’t become apparent until about mid way through the book what the link is between this book and the previous one, The Omen Machine. It’s filled with violence, and no one has an easy time of anything. It felt a little too over the top for me, but again I’m remembering Wizard’s First Rule and the writing style and characters that I initially fell in love with. What happened to the strong Richard, what happened to the proud Kahlan (oh, she got kidnapped, again..), how am I supposed to believe that Nicci and Zed are powerful wizards when their powers now mean nothing at all and they cannot help any situation?
I didn’t feel that I learned anything new from this book aside from within the final chapters, and I’m wondering if I should even continue reading the series because it is so lackluster.
2 / 5 stars.
niratuer's review against another edition
1.0
ok at first i have to admit i kinda groaned out loud at the whole 'zombie' thing. like i haven't read enough of those already. also the amount of times richard had gone insanely angry with bloodshed was a bit over the top. i guess he was just really annoyed that he's come straight out of one war and into the next?
i didn't like the way he wrote the children. both henrik and samantha seemed too old for their ages, henrik especially. also, how could he have remembered so much detail?
the part where richard was in the prison and spoke to zedd for a few minutes actually got me sad. he sounded so weak omg
also why why why terry did you have to kill ben! he and cara were such sweeties, and if it was just to move the plot of cara leaving forward, then i kinda understand even though im not impressed.
overall, much better than the omen machine. and you should rename it to a richard novel because kahlan is hardly ever in it. speaking of her, where was the badass that was in faith of the fallen? why is she always put to the side she is so useful and awesome.
the part where richard was in the prison and spoke to zedd for a few minutes actually got me sad. he sounded so weak omg
also why why why terry did you have to kill ben! he and cara were such sweeties, and if it was just to move the plot of cara leaving forward, then i kinda understand even though im not impressed.
overall, much better than the omen machine. and you should rename it to a richard novel because kahlan is hardly ever in it. speaking of her, where was the badass that was in faith of the fallen? why is she always put to the side she is so useful and awesome.
oliviamnsnll's review against another edition
3.0
The Third Kingdom was a mixed bag for me. I wasn't as pleased with The Omen Machine as I would have liked, due to almost never seeing any of the other amazing characters in Goodkind's world bedside Richard and Kahlan, the fact that even they didn't really feel like the Richard and Kahlan from the first 11 books, and Goodkind's need to constantly re-explain everything from the first series.
But then I read The First Confessor, which was an amazing novel. The writing, story, and characters were all equally compelling. Suddenly I had hope that Third Kingdom would be another amazing entry.
I was wrong. While Mr. Goodkind is a wonderful writer, he has never mastered the art of writing for new readers and long time followers. For me the problem lies in the fact that The First Confessor explains the origins of the threat seen in TTK, and did a really excellent job explaining it too, but TTK needed to re-explain for the characters and new readers, and almost a full third of the book was dedicated to Richard reading about the half-dead and their ilk, in the most repetitive way possible.
Something would be read on one page, and then repeated almost word for word three or four times over the next 2-3 pages, sometimes within the same paragraph. The frustrating thing was I felt like I was having to edit the book as I was reading. There is such a thing as TMI Mr. Goodkind. And then there was Henrik's super repetitive explanation of what happened between Omen Machine and this one, that again took way longer than necessary.
It wasn't until the first Kahlan chapter, Chapter 53, that this stopped and it really felt like I was reading another excellent entry in The Sword of Truth. After that everything was amazing, and the ending left me in tears, eager for the next book.
But I felt like I had to wade through a sludge of crud to get there. :/
But then I read The First Confessor, which was an amazing novel. The writing, story, and characters were all equally compelling. Suddenly I had hope that Third Kingdom would be another amazing entry.
I was wrong. While Mr. Goodkind is a wonderful writer, he has never mastered the art of writing for new readers and long time followers. For me the problem lies in the fact that The First Confessor explains the origins of the threat seen in TTK, and did a really excellent job explaining it too, but TTK needed to re-explain for the characters and new readers, and almost a full third of the book was dedicated to Richard reading about the half-dead and their ilk, in the most repetitive way possible.
Something would be read on one page, and then repeated almost word for word three or four times over the next 2-3 pages, sometimes within the same paragraph. The frustrating thing was I felt like I was having to edit the book as I was reading. There is such a thing as TMI Mr. Goodkind. And then there was Henrik's super repetitive explanation of what happened between Omen Machine and this one, that again took way longer than necessary.
It wasn't until the first Kahlan chapter, Chapter 53, that this stopped and it really felt like I was reading another excellent entry in The Sword of Truth. After that everything was amazing, and the ending left me in tears, eager for the next book.
But I felt like I had to wade through a sludge of crud to get there. :/
leannecroft's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
amdame1's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I really like this series, but in some ways I am ready for it to be concluded. How many thousand page epic novels can you have in a series anyway? Some things just start to get too repetitive. Richard and Kahlan are battling evil once again, just in a different part of the kingdom and this time versus zombies! It's good and I'm sure I'll read the next one, too, but I hope that it brings a final conclusion with it.
I really like this series, but in some ways I am ready for it to be concluded. How many thousand page epic novels can you have in a series anyway? Some things just start to get too repetitive. Richard and Kahlan are battling evil once again, just in a different part of the kingdom and this time versus zombies! It's good and I'm sure I'll read the next one, too, but I hope that it brings a final conclusion with it.
chlsrddl's review against another edition
4.0
This wasn't as big of a let down as I feared it would be, like The Omen Machine was. New bad guy, new world threats for Richard to face. Again, he has to overcome seemingly impossible odds and everything still looks bleak and hopeless at the end as it does at the beginning, if not worse. I'm a dedicated fan, so I'll definitely read the next book. I'm just wondering how many books it'll take ol' Terry Goodkind to finish this newest threat. I love the Sword of Truth series, but seriously. Come on now. What book number is this? 18? I just wish he'd let the Richard and Kahlan story die already, he can't possibly make it any better than it already is. Why not pick up on the character he introduced in The Law of Nines?
andydcaf2d's review
4.0
Love this series although it does feel like there is a change in his writing style since he first started the series all those years ago. Still grateful to get my Sword of Truth fix!!!
torijama's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
prophecyrose's review
4.0
I am so sad that Ben died and Cara's reaction to it. I mean I get it. I totally get why she wants to leave, but WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO LEAVE? She is my favorite character besides Richard/Kahlan of course. I just hope she's still involved in the next book, because if she's not...well I'll probably still read it, but I won't enjoy it as much.
So, when does then next book come out?
So, when does then next book come out?