The Sword of Truth (1 Viewer)

[JonathanM]

Did anyone else fall for this amazing fantasy series by Terry Goodkind?

It's been two years since I first read "Wizards First Rule" and a year since I read the final book in the series and I am still really missing it - I haven't found a fantasy series to rival it yet.

To those who haven't read it and are thinking, "pah! Fantasy/escapist, what fail," I know you won't believe it, but this series really was something. I'm a bit shamed in posting this, because I've been a critic of the fantasy genre myself (in a way still am), I'm traditionally into modern literature (shantaram, life of pi, this boys life etc.) and science fiction (by Issac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke etc.). But if you haven't read the series, I highly recommend it.

 

[Lazarus]

I completely agree.

My english teacher gave me Wizard's First Rule to read in year 8 and I re-read both it and Stone of Tears a number of times in later years while I had to wait for the sequels to be released. It was almost a shame when the series finally finished last year.

Truly gripping stories though - the extent to which you can empathise with the characters in this series is astounding - not like other fantasy series.

 

[u-borat]

I pity those who think that the Sword of Truth is great literature.
It means you probably haven't experienced the true greats in the fantasy genre.

Goodkind is a cliched hack of an author whose characters are wooden, writes flat mediocre storylines and has no mastery of the art of storytelling; rather his series is padded with Goodkind's own philosophical psuedo-wankery thoughts in a smug and "i art holier than thou" tone.

The man doesn't even think his series is fantasy ffs.

 

[JonathanM]

Can you recommend anything for me to read that would back that up?

I'd be happy to read anything if it exists

I actually liked the philosophical message Goodkind portrays in the series, as wanky as it was. And you can't deny that the battles in it were epic

 

[u-borat]

steven erikson
george martin
joe abercrombie
scott lynch
greg keyes
scott bakker
robin hobb
tad williams

list is long. and encompasses pretty much every fantasy book ever written.

and epic battles?
more like richard the superhero with his magic sword defeats his enemy.
like when he defeats the 30 baka ban mana by himself. these were warriors that trained everyday, all day. its said that a single one of them could take on 50 well-trained soldiers and live to tell the tale. now richard is no swordsman, so naturally his magic sword helped him defeat these amazing warriors. amazing storytelling right there.
terry goodkind has mastered the deus ex machina and no, that's not a compliment.

and heres another passage from goodkind's work. try and read it without laughing.


"Hissing, hackles lifting, the chicken's head rose. Kahlan pulled back. Its claws digging into stiff dead flesh, the chicken slowly turned to face her. It cocked its head, making its comb flop, its wattles sway. "Shoo," Kahlan heard herself whisper. There wasn't enough light, and besides, the side of its beak was covered with gore, so she couldn't tell if it had the dark spot, But she didn't need to see it. "Dear spirits, help me," she prayed under her breath. The bird let out a slow chicken cackle. It sounded like a chicken, but in her heart she knew it wasn't. In that instant, she completely understood the concept of a chicken that was not a chicken. This looked like a chicken, like most of the Mud People's chickens. But this was no chicken. This was evil manifest."

 

[Funky Monk]

u-borat nailed it. First few books i enjoyed, then it became self-indulgent, preachy wank on goodkind's part. Last two thirds of that series were ridiculously tiresome. If my old lady hadn't bought the books there is no way i would have bothered finishing it.

 

[RohanZ]

This series is epic.
I'm re-reading it now (upto the 3rd book), Sure, it has it's philosophy, but i couldn't careless. Still loved the plot and the whole cliffhanger moments.
But, i'll try and find some books by those authors that uborat mentioned.
Any particular books worth reading?

 

[u-borat]

hello

the first 3 names only have one series each; erikson, martin and abercrombie.