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na_polce_renaty's review against another edition
3.0
„Miecz prawdy” Terry’ego Goodkinda absolutnie uwielbiałam, choć teraz już wiem, że częściowo dzięki bohaterom serii, a przez to jak topornie mi idą „Kroniki Nicci”, mam ochotę wyć z rozpaczy.
Troje bohaterów kontynuuje swoją podróż przez rozległe tereny Starego Świata z nadzieją dotarcia do miasta, które widzieli z Kol Adair. Nathan, napędzany chęcią odzyskania swojej magii, i Nicci zdeterminowana, by nieść ludziom wolność obiecaną przez Richarda, dostają okazję do wypełnienia swoich misji w mitycznym Ildakarze. Bannon tymczasem niespodziewanie będzie mógł naprawić prześladujący go błąd z przeszłości.
Ciężko mi się czyta książkę z której bohaterami w żaden sposób nie rezonuję – Nathan zawsze wydawał mi się napuszony, Nicci niemal ślepo podążająca za swoimi przekonaniami i ciągle wracająca do nieodwzajemnionej miłości Richarda, oraz zwyczajnie naiwny Bannon. „Całun nieśmiertelności” rozkręca się bardzo wolno. Zanim nasi bohaterowie podejmą jakiekolwiek działania, muszą się rozejrzeć, a tego nie ułatwiają im władcy Ildakaru, więc historia nabiera tempa dopiero w drugiej połowie. Jednocześnie ciężko nie zauważyć pewnych powtarzających się motywów z „Miecza prawdy”, jak np. Morazeth, dziwnie przypominających Mord-Sith. Sama końcówka drugiego tomu kończy się sceną, po której miałam ochotę natychmiast sięgnąć po trzeci tom, by dowiedzieć się, jak nasze trio poradzi sobie z nowym przeciwnikiem.
Lubię styl pisania autora, ale w „Kronikach Nicci” irytuje mnie ciągłe wracanie do ubiegłych wydarzeń – wspomniana już wcześniej miłość Nicci do lorda Rahla, życie Nathana w Pałacu Proroków i utrata magii, a w przypadku Bannona jego dzieciństwo. Jak dla mnie o pewnych rzeczach wystarczy wspomnieć raz na książkę, a nawet zaryzykuję stwierdzeniem, że raz na serię, o ile nie liczy kilkunastu tomów. Naprawdę nie ma co non stop wyciągać tych samych tekstów. W pewnym momencie zaczęłam na nie patrzeć jak na zapychacze treści – by objętość powieści była jak największa.
Trzeci i czwarty tom zdecydowanie przeczytam – niezależnie od tego, ile będę je męczyć. Nadzieja, że Richard i Kahlan jeszcze się pojawią lub będzie jakaś informacja o ich dalszych losach, jest mocniejsza od wszelkiej nudy i niechęci, którą mogłabym odczuć. Poza tym jestem ciekawa co zrobią z nową przeszkodą.
Moja ocena 6/10
Troje bohaterów kontynuuje swoją podróż przez rozległe tereny Starego Świata z nadzieją dotarcia do miasta, które widzieli z Kol Adair. Nathan, napędzany chęcią odzyskania swojej magii, i Nicci zdeterminowana, by nieść ludziom wolność obiecaną przez Richarda, dostają okazję do wypełnienia swoich misji w mitycznym Ildakarze. Bannon tymczasem niespodziewanie będzie mógł naprawić prześladujący go błąd z przeszłości.
Ciężko mi się czyta książkę z której bohaterami w żaden sposób nie rezonuję – Nathan zawsze wydawał mi się napuszony, Nicci niemal ślepo podążająca za swoimi przekonaniami i ciągle wracająca do nieodwzajemnionej miłości Richarda, oraz zwyczajnie naiwny Bannon. „Całun nieśmiertelności” rozkręca się bardzo wolno. Zanim nasi bohaterowie podejmą jakiekolwiek działania, muszą się rozejrzeć, a tego nie ułatwiają im władcy Ildakaru, więc historia nabiera tempa dopiero w drugiej połowie. Jednocześnie ciężko nie zauważyć pewnych powtarzających się motywów z „Miecza prawdy”, jak np. Morazeth, dziwnie przypominających Mord-Sith. Sama końcówka drugiego tomu kończy się sceną, po której miałam ochotę natychmiast sięgnąć po trzeci tom, by dowiedzieć się, jak nasze trio poradzi sobie z nowym przeciwnikiem.
Lubię styl pisania autora, ale w „Kronikach Nicci” irytuje mnie ciągłe wracanie do ubiegłych wydarzeń – wspomniana już wcześniej miłość Nicci do lorda Rahla, życie Nathana w Pałacu Proroków i utrata magii, a w przypadku Bannona jego dzieciństwo. Jak dla mnie o pewnych rzeczach wystarczy wspomnieć raz na książkę, a nawet zaryzykuję stwierdzeniem, że raz na serię, o ile nie liczy kilkunastu tomów. Naprawdę nie ma co non stop wyciągać tych samych tekstów. W pewnym momencie zaczęłam na nie patrzeć jak na zapychacze treści – by objętość powieści była jak największa.
Trzeci i czwarty tom zdecydowanie przeczytam – niezależnie od tego, ile będę je męczyć. Nadzieja, że Richard i Kahlan jeszcze się pojawią lub będzie jakaś informacja o ich dalszych losach, jest mocniejsza od wszelkiej nudy i niechęci, którą mogłabym odczuć. Poza tym jestem ciekawa co zrobią z nową przeszkodą.
Moja ocena 6/10
blimeburner's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
britamac's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
I was so happy to read Shroud of Eternity, with some trepidation I admit, I was worried dear Mr. Goodkind would slip into his old habits and this book would become a train wreck like some of his other books. I was blissfully proven wrong though. And Sister of Darkness: Nicci Chronicles so far is safe and is actually turning into a really good series and this second instalment is an excellent addition.
Shroud of Eternity starts with our ragtag pair of Nicci and Nathan trekking deeper into the Old World now past Kol Adair heading to the ancient and very mysterious city of Ildakar. We very quickly learn that this city is in tact, has been for over 15 centuries. Ildakar had protected itself with a very powerful enchantment. It is known as the Shroud of Eternity, this has actually taken the city not only out of time but also out of space. The Shroud has been developed as a protective measure against an invading army that has sought the destruction of this city.
Ildakar is ruled by a class of gifted nobles that are nearly immortal. They think that they have been able to create a Utopia, Nicci though finds that like all the typical Utopia's or what is considered a Utopia, there is usually something sinister simmering underneath the picture-perfect image the so called gifted nobles are trying to uphold.
For this novel it's actually the sinister element that actually draws you into the story and keeps you interested. Nicci is always careful of what she is walking into and Nathan the scholar seeks to find out everything that he can about a city and its inhabitants. Neither Nicci nor Nathan can forget that they are on a mission, one I am not going to reveal just in case you haven't read the first book, so they are hopping to find their answers in Ildakar.
The city is magical and yet it shows it rot at the same time when we see the fighting and we see the people fight to the death against each other. And its not only against each other. They also have to fight against magical creatures that were created with a magic called “fleshomancy”. AKA blood magic, slavery, but “fleshomancy” is more cunning and adds dark elements Ildakar.
In Ildakar it seems that humans are just dolls used to create new creatures through magical means. Through this process the girted nobles have created a new line of human cattle that are used for mere pleasure, hard labour, and sadly (I hate to say this) food. Yep, you read that right. I said CANABALISM!
Nathan on the other hand struggles to make a dominant presence in the book. He does nothing but complain and complain all the time.
He is fixated on fixing his problem and causes this causes nothing but a hardship for him because it gets him into sticky situation after sticky situation. Particularly with the one wizard who does “fleshomancy”.
He is fixated on fixing his problem and causes this causes nothing but a hardship for him because it gets him into sticky situation after sticky situation. Particularly with the one wizard who does “fleshomancy”.
In all of this Bannon ironically, the non-magical one in the group, manages to spot the rotten element in Ildkar before either Nicci or Nathan. And he finds a way to show them, despite being in a city full of powerful gifted without really being detected.
Nicci is the one who really struggles in this book in my opinion. She shows the most vulnerability. She's in a city full of men and women who can manage to overpower her easily, despite her having both Additive and Subtractive magic. It's the last few chapters though that really show her at her best though.
Nicci is the one who really struggles in this book in my opinion. She shows the most vulnerability. She's in a city full of men and women who can manage to overpower her easily, despite her having both Additive and Subtractive magic. It's the last few chapters though that really show her at her best though.
This book reminds us how power can corrupt and when left to its own devices, it can breed the kind of rot that you may never be able to get rid of. This book takes a great stride in being cohesive then any of the books that comes before it and we find our characters being more vulnerable then we have ever seen them before. This allows us as readers to see how far they have really come and we get to see that they still have growing to do.
Yes, we find that Shroud of Eternity ends on a Cliffhanger that's going to leave you reeling. Terry uses his devious antics to leave you with questions and for once sets up the next books perfectly and shows that the next book is going to be a great one.
raptorimperator's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Nothing will be as good as the original Sword of Truth series, which peaked with Temple of the Winds and Faith of the Fallen, in my humble opinion, but it is nice to continue reading of the expanding world as Nicci and her companions delve deeper into the Old World. While not much action really occurs until the end of book, there were intrigues and plots occurring that I could tell were setting up elements for the next book, so I wasn't surprised this one ended in a cliffhanger.
pip94's review
3.0
While I didn't enjoy this as much as the first book, I still thought it was an enjoyable read.
A full review will be up soon.
A full review will be up soon.
mxsallybend's review against another edition
4.0
Although Shroud of Eternity feels like a step backward from Death's Mistress, a retreat into some of the narrative the flaws that mired the later books of The Sword of Truth, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Terry Goodkind continues to follow the odd coupling of Nicci and Nathan deeper into the Old World, beyond Tanimura and Kol Adair, and into the ancient city of Ildakar. An interesting bit of fable and myth, it is a realm hidden from time and space by a magical shroud, raised at great cost over a thousand years ago to protect against an invading army. Its ruling class of magically gifted nobles are all but immortal, enjoying their glorious Utopia, but there is clearly something rotten beneath that perfection.
It's that rotten element that makes the novel so intriguing, especially with its corruption of magic and humanity. Blood magic and bloodsports, slavery and sacrifice, and fleshomancy are all dealt with over the course of the story, but it's the latter that is truly chilling. Human lives are mere playthings, raw material for magical experimentation, used to create monsters, super soldiers, and a race of human cattle. Goodkind uses those creations to explore some of his most familiar themes of social justice and social engineering, but somehow glosses over the question of cannibalism in a glaring fashion.
Nathan doesn't have a lot to do here, other than bemoan his lack of magic and desperately grasp at any the chance to restore his power. It sets him up as a victim, and leads to some foolish choices that are not in keeping with his character. Bannon fares much better, smelling the rotten underbelly of Ildakar long before the others, and coming around to a truly heroic role following a clichéd (but exciting) plot twist. It is Nicci who shines brightest here, and while it takes some time for her to do much more than sulk and skulk through the halls, she is a complete bad-ass in the final chapters.
The heavy-handed political and moral philosophy of The Sword of Truth makes an unfortunate return here, and it telegraphs some of the key plot twists in the second half. There were too many moments where I found myself thinking "Yup, saw that coming," but there were still some surprises.
Shroud of Eternity wasn't as solid as Death's Mistress, but it does have a fantastic cliff-hanger that promises some fun in the third volume.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Terry Goodkind continues to follow the odd coupling of Nicci and Nathan deeper into the Old World, beyond Tanimura and Kol Adair, and into the ancient city of Ildakar. An interesting bit of fable and myth, it is a realm hidden from time and space by a magical shroud, raised at great cost over a thousand years ago to protect against an invading army. Its ruling class of magically gifted nobles are all but immortal, enjoying their glorious Utopia, but there is clearly something rotten beneath that perfection.
It's that rotten element that makes the novel so intriguing, especially with its corruption of magic and humanity. Blood magic and bloodsports, slavery and sacrifice, and fleshomancy are all dealt with over the course of the story, but it's the latter that is truly chilling. Human lives are mere playthings, raw material for magical experimentation, used to create monsters, super soldiers, and a race of human cattle. Goodkind uses those creations to explore some of his most familiar themes of social justice and social engineering, but somehow glosses over the question of cannibalism in a glaring fashion.
Nathan doesn't have a lot to do here, other than bemoan his lack of magic and desperately grasp at any the chance to restore his power. It sets him up as a victim, and leads to some foolish choices that are not in keeping with his character. Bannon fares much better, smelling the rotten underbelly of Ildakar long before the others, and coming around to a truly heroic role following a clichéd (but exciting) plot twist. It is Nicci who shines brightest here, and while it takes some time for her to do much more than sulk and skulk through the halls, she is a complete bad-ass in the final chapters.
The heavy-handed political and moral philosophy of The Sword of Truth makes an unfortunate return here, and it telegraphs some of the key plot twists in the second half. There were too many moments where I found myself thinking "Yup, saw that coming," but there were still some surprises.
Shroud of Eternity wasn't as solid as Death's Mistress, but it does have a fantastic cliff-hanger that promises some fun in the third volume.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.
bodehoover's review against another edition
4.0
This book picks up immediately after the previous book. Nicci, Bannon, and Nathan finally reach Ildakar after their long journey. I was excited to see what this grand city was like and was not disappointed. Terry Goodkind described the city with extreme detail and made the city seem like a real place. The plot was rather predictable and unrealistic but the shocking ending made up for any shortcomings.
thejigglerreads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
simiray's review against another edition
Another great tale from Goodkind. I still definitely miss Kahlan and Richard.