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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
I don't know what's worst about this novel (and the series that followed it):
Is it the horrible, clunky prose?
The ridiculous names that are meant dead-seriously?
Whole scenes that are blatantly plagiarized from more worthy series? (If you can't spot Gollum in this novel or the throne room scene from Return of the Jedi in the next book, I can't help you.)
Goodkind's constant, ridiculous soapboxing? (In contrast to his evil fantasy commies, even genuine cold war propaganda looks sane by comparison. The bad guys outlaw fire. FIRE!!!)
Or the author's genuinely disturbing obsession with sexual violence (and not the consensual kind, either)?
Heck, rape in this novel (and series) is like spam in that famous Monty Python clip. You could just add a chorus of bad guys singing "rape, rape, rape, rape, lovely rape, lovely rape!"
Sometimes, truly atrocious books become popular bestsellers for no discernible reason. This is one such case.
Is it the horrible, clunky prose?
The ridiculous names that are meant dead-seriously?
Whole scenes that are blatantly plagiarized from more worthy series? (If you can't spot Gollum in this novel or the throne room scene from Return of the Jedi in the next book, I can't help you.)
Goodkind's constant, ridiculous soapboxing? (In contrast to his evil fantasy commies, even genuine cold war propaganda looks sane by comparison. The bad guys outlaw fire. FIRE!!!)
Or the author's genuinely disturbing obsession with sexual violence (and not the consensual kind, either)?
Heck, rape in this novel (and series) is like spam in that famous Monty Python clip. You could just add a chorus of bad guys singing "rape, rape, rape, rape, lovely rape, lovely rape!"
Sometimes, truly atrocious books become popular bestsellers for no discernible reason. This is one such case.
Best quote.. "People are stupid, because they believe what they want to believe."
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hot take (apparently) but I'm a massive fan of The Legend of the Seeker tv series. I found this book, along with a good number of Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series through multiple sources at a bargain, and promised myself I'd read at least one one day.
First thing's first, yes, there's a number of typos throughout the book, but that's something I'd attribute to Tor's shitty editing and pubilshing. As for Terry Goodkind's writing itself, it's fairly simple, which makes its length and worldbuilding so much less daunting than one would think. This is where this series really excels at: the world, the magic, and the characters. Most of this is generic fantasy stuff, but has some unique and wholly original stuff such as anger being the main force and theme here, as well as the Mord-Sith are something I've never seen done anywhere else, with the latter being the coolest damn thing ever.
3 segments that really stand out:
- The Mud People section
- Rachel and Giller's story in Tamarang
- Richard and Denna's bond(age)
Nothing like the show, which I suppose is where most of the hate stems from but at their core, Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd are the heart of the series and is at least one thing the show got right. Not Chase though. Can't believe how they massacred my boy.
First thing's first, yes, there's a number of typos throughout the book, but that's something I'd attribute to Tor's shitty editing and pubilshing. As for Terry Goodkind's writing itself, it's fairly simple, which makes its length and worldbuilding so much less daunting than one would think. This is where this series really excels at: the world, the magic, and the characters. Most of this is generic fantasy stuff, but has some unique and wholly original stuff such as anger being the main force and theme here, as well as the Mord-Sith are something I've never seen done anywhere else, with the latter being the coolest damn thing ever.
3 segments that really stand out:
- The Mud People section
- Rachel and Giller's story in Tamarang
- Richard and Denna's bond(age)
Nothing like the show, which I suppose is where most of the hate stems from but at their core, Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd are the heart of the series and is at least one thing the show got right. Not Chase though. Can't believe how they massacred my boy.
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
In fantasy novels I want to have a choice in which characters I am interested in, but when the author only follows one character for the vast majority of the book it can be very frustrating, especially when there the 'traveling companions' fall for each other instantly, like they do in so many fantasy quest type novels. I would have like to have seen more of the world through different characters eyes and more from those not on this quest of our Hero Guy Richard. I could have done without the constant attacks by random enemies/demons/creatures.