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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
It is always curious to see fantasy authors who don't consider themselves to be fantasy authors. Case-in-point: Terry Goodkind. The former landscape painter has told us how he isn't a fantasy author in every interview he's ever given:
"The books I write are first of all novels, not fantasy, and that is deliberate; I'm really writing books about human beings."(1)
"To define me as a fantasy writer is to misunderstand the context of my books by misidentifying their fundamentals."(2)
"The stories I'm telling are not fantasy-driven, they're character-driven, and the characters I want to write about could be set in any world. I'd like to address a broader audience."(3)
""What I have done with my work has irrevocably changed the face of fantasy. In so doing I've raised the standards. I have not only injected thought into a tired empty genre, but, more importantly, I've transcended it showing what more it can be . . ."
Then the interview usually devolves into a discussion of Ayn Rand and 'the meaning of art', just in case you missed the pretension of declaring fantasy books 'not fantasy!'
The guy certainly has a chip on his shoulder, but it makes me wonder whether he has actually read any fantasy. He doesn't seem to realize that the things he claims separate him from fantasy are fundamental parts of how modern fantasy works. A novel that's fundamentally about character interactions with a magical setting? How droll. Goodkind doesn't reinventing the novel; he doesn't even reinvent the fantasy novel, he just twists the knobs to get a little more steam out of it.
Michael Moorcock critiqued Tolkien as a false romantic, which is rather apt considering that his love story takes place almost entirely in absentia (prompting Peter Jackson to infuse some extra loving with a hot, elven, psychic dream sequence). Most fantasy authors rectify this by having the girl come along for the journey. Goodkind likes to keep the separation for much of the story as our hero tries to seek her out across a continent (though she is often just in the next room! Oh! What a tragic coincidence!)
Actually, after the first time it's just an annoying and painfully artificial way to try to hold off the conclusion for another hundred pages. It's a good thing Terry doesn't have to rely on magical or artificial means to keep his stories fresh!
The rest of the time, the hero finds the girl and lovingly transfixes her on his mighty sword. No, really. I'm not sure why these authors always end up feeling as if they have to dump their sex fetish issues at this particular juncture: "Huh, I dig BDSM. Maybe I should confide my fantasies in a book for mass publication".
I cannot think of a single female character in the entire series who isn't either raped or threatened with rape. If you want to give me an example of one, remember: I'm counting magical psychic blowjob rape as rape. I wish I never had the opportunity to qualify a statement with 'don't forget the psychic blowjob rape'.
I don't mind actual BDSM literature, but I'd rather have my own reaction to it than be told "isn't it totally dirty and wrong!? (but still super sexy, right?)" Porn for porn's sake is fine, but remember, Goodkind isn't some escapist fantasy author, these are 'real stories about real people' so he has to act like his magic porn is somehow a reflection of real life.
Goodkind's books are cookie-cutter genre fantasy, but the first few aren't that badly done, and if you like people narrowly missing one another, bondage, masochism, rape, and dragons, it might work for you, but the series dies on arrival part-way through, so prepare for disappointment.
If you are enjoying the series, you should probably avoid reading any of his interviews, as he rarely misses an opportunity to claim that he is superior to all other fantasy authors, and never compare him to Robert Jordan, because
"If you notice a similarity, then you probably aren't old enough to read my books."(4)
Goodkind truly lives in his own fantasy world if he thinks his mediocre genre re-hash is 'original' or 'deep'.
Then again, I've never met an adherent of Ayn Rand who didn't consider themselves a brilliant and unique snowflake trapped in a world of people who 'just don't understand'. The Randian philosophies are also laid on pretty thickly in his books, but at least he found a substitute grandmother figure to help him justify his Gorean sex-romp as 'high art'.
All in all, he's just another guy who likes to hear himself talk. Despite what he says, nothing separates his work from the average modern fantasy author, and like them, his greatest failing is the complete lack of self-awareness that overwhelms his themes, plots, and characters.
My Fantasy Book Suggestions
"The books I write are first of all novels, not fantasy, and that is deliberate; I'm really writing books about human beings."(1)
"To define me as a fantasy writer is to misunderstand the context of my books by misidentifying their fundamentals."(2)
"The stories I'm telling are not fantasy-driven, they're character-driven, and the characters I want to write about could be set in any world. I'd like to address a broader audience."(3)
""What I have done with my work has irrevocably changed the face of fantasy. In so doing I've raised the standards. I have not only injected thought into a tired empty genre, but, more importantly, I've transcended it showing what more it can be . . ."
Then the interview usually devolves into a discussion of Ayn Rand and 'the meaning of art', just in case you missed the pretension of declaring fantasy books 'not fantasy!'
The guy certainly has a chip on his shoulder, but it makes me wonder whether he has actually read any fantasy. He doesn't seem to realize that the things he claims separate him from fantasy are fundamental parts of how modern fantasy works. A novel that's fundamentally about character interactions with a magical setting? How droll. Goodkind doesn't reinventing the novel; he doesn't even reinvent the fantasy novel, he just twists the knobs to get a little more steam out of it.
Michael Moorcock critiqued Tolkien as a false romantic, which is rather apt considering that his love story takes place almost entirely in absentia (prompting Peter Jackson to infuse some extra loving with a hot, elven, psychic dream sequence). Most fantasy authors rectify this by having the girl come along for the journey. Goodkind likes to keep the separation for much of the story as our hero tries to seek her out across a continent (though she is often just in the next room! Oh! What a tragic coincidence!)
Actually, after the first time it's just an annoying and painfully artificial way to try to hold off the conclusion for another hundred pages. It's a good thing Terry doesn't have to rely on magical or artificial means to keep his stories fresh!
The rest of the time, the hero finds the girl and lovingly transfixes her on his mighty sword. No, really. I'm not sure why these authors always end up feeling as if they have to dump their sex fetish issues at this particular juncture: "Huh, I dig BDSM. Maybe I should confide my fantasies in a book for mass publication".
I cannot think of a single female character in the entire series who isn't either raped or threatened with rape. If you want to give me an example of one, remember: I'm counting magical psychic blowjob rape as rape. I wish I never had the opportunity to qualify a statement with 'don't forget the psychic blowjob rape'.
I don't mind actual BDSM literature, but I'd rather have my own reaction to it than be told "isn't it totally dirty and wrong!? (but still super sexy, right?)" Porn for porn's sake is fine, but remember, Goodkind isn't some escapist fantasy author, these are 'real stories about real people' so he has to act like his magic porn is somehow a reflection of real life.
Goodkind's books are cookie-cutter genre fantasy, but the first few aren't that badly done, and if you like people narrowly missing one another, bondage, masochism, rape, and dragons, it might work for you, but the series dies on arrival part-way through, so prepare for disappointment.
If you are enjoying the series, you should probably avoid reading any of his interviews, as he rarely misses an opportunity to claim that he is superior to all other fantasy authors, and never compare him to Robert Jordan, because
"If you notice a similarity, then you probably aren't old enough to read my books."(4)
Goodkind truly lives in his own fantasy world if he thinks his mediocre genre re-hash is 'original' or 'deep'.
Then again, I've never met an adherent of Ayn Rand who didn't consider themselves a brilliant and unique snowflake trapped in a world of people who 'just don't understand'. The Randian philosophies are also laid on pretty thickly in his books, but at least he found a substitute grandmother figure to help him justify his Gorean sex-romp as 'high art'.
All in all, he's just another guy who likes to hear himself talk. Despite what he says, nothing separates his work from the average modern fantasy author, and like them, his greatest failing is the complete lack of self-awareness that overwhelms his themes, plots, and characters.
My Fantasy Book Suggestions
The main thing I have to say about this book: rape apology. Regardless of what I thought of the plot, the amount of rape apology and, quite frankly, support, was disgusting. It seems to only get worse every book and I can hardly believe I'm still reading this series even if I adore the main characters.
The chimes were interesting, though I don't feel I even got to know enough about them because most of my time was spent reading about this society I cared very little about given that it was thrust upon me suddenly. I found myself counting the pages until I was done reading about these people so I could get back to Richard and Kahlan.
Speaking of Richard and Kahlan, I would have liked more relationshipy stuff from them. After all, they're married now. I get it, I get it, no magic and much danger so sex is a no-no. But I mean. After the ending I can't imagine much in the next novel, so I'm a bit disappointed by that.
2.5 because what I did get from Richard and Kahlan I enjoyed and the chimes were inventive.
The chimes were interesting, though I don't feel I even got to know enough about them because most of my time was spent reading about this society I cared very little about given that it was thrust upon me suddenly. I found myself counting the pages until I was done reading about these people so I could get back to Richard and Kahlan.
Speaking of Richard and Kahlan, I would have liked more relationshipy stuff from them. After all, they're married now. I get it, I get it, no magic and much danger so sex is a no-no. But I mean. After the ending I can't imagine much in the next novel, so I'm a bit disappointed by that.
2.5 because what I did get from Richard and Kahlan I enjoyed and the chimes were inventive.
adventurous
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I actually have read this book a couple of times, and most recently last year. I'm trying to post reviews for books I've read & enjoyed in the past.
Because of the tv shows, I decided I wanted to reread the series & catch up on the books I hadn't read yet. The first book in this series is still one of my all-time favorite books, ever. Fantasy & a big, fat, long book starting a series? This makes my heart beat a little faster :).
Anyways, this is one of those books that start slow. There's a lot of character development in the first half. I enjoy the whole history aspect of the book & how it ties together at the end. I love the Sisters. I'm sick of Kahlan whining uncharacteristically, and after rereading this book, I remembered that that was why I gave up on the series the first time.
Because of the tv shows, I decided I wanted to reread the series & catch up on the books I hadn't read yet. The first book in this series is still one of my all-time favorite books, ever. Fantasy & a big, fat, long book starting a series? This makes my heart beat a little faster :).
Anyways, this is one of those books that start slow. There's a lot of character development in the first half. I enjoy the whole history aspect of the book & how it ties together at the end. I love the Sisters. I'm sick of Kahlan whining uncharacteristically, and after rereading this book, I remembered that that was why I gave up on the series the first time.
The final 20% of the novel was much more enjoyable than the entirety of the novel up to that point. Goodkind sets up impossible to overcome villians/ antagonists, but the novel always resolves very quickly. This just felt like a lot of filler with no purpose. Also, the explicit endorsement of aspects of rape culture really bothered me. There was nothing in the text to counteract what the main characters were saying. I enjoyed the series up to this point. It wasn't without its problems, but this makes me not want to read any more novels in the series. I may return to the series in a couple months, but for now I will read books that I actually enjoy.
Lent, long, douloureux... et j'ai envie de dire : "tout ça pour ça ?!"
medium-paced
A good continuation of the series. I was a little disappointed with the beginning, but once it got going, the story moved quickly.
Definitely one of the better books in the series (though the ending was a bit abrupt)!
I'm finding it more and more difficult to get through these Sword of Truth books. This one was better than the last but still felt rather slow. I suppose it didn't help that many chapters were dedicated to trying to get me to care about the Anderith and Hakens, two previously unseen races of Midland people. While that did happen eventually, it seemed like I didn't really care much until the end of the book. In fact, a lot of the tension and resolution in this book happened right at the very end. It felt like the story didn't pick up much until the final chapters. Again, this probably has a lot to do with the time it took to set up the new races.
I'll still continue reading the series, though I think it's time for a little break before I start in on the next.
I'll still continue reading the series, though I think it's time for a little break before I start in on the next.