Scan barcode
A review by weaselweader
Death's Mistress by Terry Goodkind
3.0
“Death’s Mistress? We have no need of further death.”
Seventeen novels (depending on who’s counting)! That’s what it took for Richard Rahl to subdue the evil Emperor Jagang and, presumably bring peace and stability to the world. But all is not as it seems. When Nicci, former merciless Sister of the Dark whose blood lust earned her the title DEATH’S MISTRESS, sets out with Nathan Rahl to find new challenges and to spread the good news of Richard’s peaceful world order, she finds herself charged – not once, but twice!! - with the impossible task of saving the world. And Nathan, by the bye, having completely lost his powers of magic when prophesy vanished from the world, must find the hidden city, Kol Adair, in order to make himself whole again.
Battles, magic, life versus death, good versus evil, hate versus love, a sprinkling of lascivious nudity and love-making, lost languages, bigger and better villains, a traveling “fellowship” (Where have I heard that before?) – DEATH’S MISTRESS is pretty standard stuff as epic quest fantasy goes. It’s entertaining but, for my money, I’d say it was overwritten, overwrought, melodramatic and , while not derivative, it doesn’t exactly plow any new furrows either. Lifedrinker is the first nasty on the prowl for world domination - DEATH’S MISTRESS’s version of Sauron, Voldemort, Grindelwald, or She Who Must Be Obeyed (wait … maybe not that last one!). And the second ugly on Goodkind’s world horizon is to Lifedrinker as Saruman is to Tolkien’s Sauron.
Some solid editing and winnowing of the novel’s length would make it considerably more palatable. I’d probably have held out for just 1- or 2-stars but, being completely honest, there were some definitely entertaining moments. The conduct of the young girl, Thistle, in the final few chapters leading up to the climactic battle is genuinely heartwarming. Soooo … DEATH’S MISTRESS gets rounded up to 3-stars.
Recommended for those fans of THE SWORD OF TRUTH series who want to complete the story and absolutely NOT recommended for those who haven’t read it. The characters and the references to the past simply wouldn’t make any sense to you.
Paul Weiss
Seventeen novels (depending on who’s counting)! That’s what it took for Richard Rahl to subdue the evil Emperor Jagang and, presumably bring peace and stability to the world. But all is not as it seems. When Nicci, former merciless Sister of the Dark whose blood lust earned her the title DEATH’S MISTRESS, sets out with Nathan Rahl to find new challenges and to spread the good news of Richard’s peaceful world order, she finds herself charged – not once, but twice!! - with the impossible task of saving the world. And Nathan, by the bye, having completely lost his powers of magic when prophesy vanished from the world, must find the hidden city, Kol Adair, in order to make himself whole again.
Battles, magic, life versus death, good versus evil, hate versus love, a sprinkling of lascivious nudity and love-making, lost languages, bigger and better villains, a traveling “fellowship” (Where have I heard that before?) – DEATH’S MISTRESS is pretty standard stuff as epic quest fantasy goes. It’s entertaining but, for my money, I’d say it was overwritten, overwrought, melodramatic and , while not derivative, it doesn’t exactly plow any new furrows either. Lifedrinker is the first nasty on the prowl for world domination - DEATH’S MISTRESS’s version of Sauron, Voldemort, Grindelwald, or She Who Must Be Obeyed (wait … maybe not that last one!). And the second ugly on Goodkind’s world horizon is to Lifedrinker as Saruman is to Tolkien’s Sauron.
Some solid editing and winnowing of the novel’s length would make it considerably more palatable. I’d probably have held out for just 1- or 2-stars but, being completely honest, there were some definitely entertaining moments. The conduct of the young girl, Thistle, in the final few chapters leading up to the climactic battle is genuinely heartwarming. Soooo … DEATH’S MISTRESS gets rounded up to 3-stars.
Recommended for those fans of THE SWORD OF TRUTH series who want to complete the story and absolutely NOT recommended for those who haven’t read it. The characters and the references to the past simply wouldn’t make any sense to you.
Paul Weiss