Book 6, Faith of the Fallen: Sword of Truth

someone, i think it was harlan ellison but am perhaps mistaken, once noted that all fantasy literature is necessarily fascistic. this is not so unusual as it may initially sound; people crave strength, they crave inspired leadership of the sort that is all too rarely found in life. mythology provides that, anyone who reads fantasy fiction is obviously an escapist (myself included). what is to be absolutely avoided in fantasy literature is the urge to be didactic. my chief complaint is that goodkind has turned what was, in the first book, a remarkable world, into a platform for ideological warfare. furthermore, had mr. goodkind been intent on being remotely artistic about this unfortunate process, he would have done so in such a way that his own obvious opinions regarding the matter didn't distort the narrative. if you think this is impossible i suggest you re-read 1984. in addition to this i feel compelled to add that it is truly saddening when a friend whom you've come to love and deeply respect begins to do foolishly wicked things. what was initially a rather lovable rugged provincialism/individualism in richard cypher has morphed into an authoritarian madness which in turn, through some utterly implausible twist of the plot, turns into a sort of selfish apathy. mr. goodkind has given us a hero who is no longer heroic, a heroine who is no longer sympathetic, and a world that, now so steeped in a war of ideologies that it closely resembles our own, is no longer magical. just thank the good spirits that you still have dune.

Once again Terry Goodkind just keeps adding more and more to the already brilliant series of the Sword of Truth. Although not as focused on magic as previous books, this title is a refreshing change from the previous books. A detailed view at the world of the Order is provided, making us able to understand it better. This story takes palce right after kahlan got assaulted in the last book, and takes us through her long and painful recovery.
Certain characters come back, including Zedd, Adie, Verna, Warren, Ann, Richard Kahlan and Cara. Nathan the prophet doesnt come up, and neither does Gratch.
I was very pleased with this book and would recomend it to any1 who read the previous 5 books, and is anxious to read the rest of the story of our hero.
A few flaws include one mistake about the spell Nicci casted, towards the end of the book, the lack of Richard's growth in his magic, other than the discovery of the Wizard's Sixth rule, and once again, a book way too short leaving you begging for the rest of the story. (Unfortunately, it'll be another year before we get book 7. )
One regret? yes, certainly, the first 5 books focused on a specific threat of magic, to be coutnered by magic equally powerful and unknown.
This book focuses more on moral issues, and enlightnement. Im not that fond of Jagang and the order, and wouldnt mind to see them disapear after the next book.
Basically, GREAT BOOK! When can we expect the next one?

Terry, I have to disagree with most of the posts I have read. I believe this volume is the best of your books thus far. Yea, you pounded your political views enough and then some but... It is your book. I'll read the next one. My chest was tight with nervousness as I read the grand finale. Man, it was intense. A bit too short and jam packed though (I wished the ending had another 50 or so pages.) I have read some real duds lately so I am not just a cheerleader for everything I read. My wife called me to do a house duty at the very instant that Nicci said, "Richard make love to me." I wanted to yell because I had to put the book down at that moment. Life is so unfair. Then when I got back she did that vindictive thing. Man, that was so wrong. Hat's off to you for that twist. Even though it would have been out of character for Richard to get phisically tender with Nicci. I am sure that I am not alone with many of your readers in wanting to see Richard emotionally connecting more with Nicci. Be it just trying to connect with Kahlan through Nicci or a moment of weakness from being so darn alone and needy because of his situation at the time. It wasn't there... probably all the better. I really got pumped when the blacksmith said "I am a freeman, a free man!" That was oh so powerful. I got goose bumps and still do when I think of it. I truly got completley lost in the story.
If you are wondering whether you should read this book or not I say yes, do it. It is worth it. The biggest mark against this book is that it had to end. I loved it.
Terry, I hope you are busy writing!
P.S. I can't wait to read the look on Jagang's face when he gets to Aydindrl.HAHA!!!

I have to admit, I've been getting more and more disappointed with Goodkind's later books in the Sword of Truth series. It's fun to read, but it's been getting a bit ridiculous the way Richard always becomes the deux ex machina and complete hero with a god complex. I mean, this man can do anything! From getting people to confide in him and creating masterpieces to--whatever else he does fabulously well, Richard as a believable character is diminishing. Also, Goodkind's ubiquitous preaching about free will and love, etc. etc. through Richard and associated characters is getting pretty tiresome.

All in all, though, it's not a bad book. I rooted for Richard and enjoyed the way he was such a man about town. It's a feel-good book for when you're down. However, I wouldn't recommend buying it in hardcover; wait for it in paperback...from the library.

I was probably one of the many waiting in line to give Terry Goodkind a (in my opinion) well deserved, swift kick in the pants after Soul of the Fire. It was so humiliating to stand up and proudly proclaim myself as a "Goodkind-ite" after it. Why? Because i just COULDNOT buy the whole whiney, Richard "Oh, they took a vote and didn't want me, I'm gonna go crawl in a whole and DIE." combined with the senseless beating Kahlan recieved AFTER the book was over made me throw my hands in the air and ask HIM what the hell HE was doing. I was so glad when FoTF came out and, at least, set the record straight on why Richard left. I prayed for Goodkind to redeem himself with the next book. Terry, man, you came through in spades, brother. FoTF is, if not my favorite of all time, right up there with them. As an aspiring author, the way he used the language in some areas, while they seem simple (the chapter that ends about not looking into Nicci's eyes, and the then the next that starts with "Look into my eyes, child.") were amazing. I really love the argument Richard and Nicci get into about self worth when he makes everything she held to be true seem like a lie. Although, I read the review for PoC and... I think I'm gonna be disapointed.

This is a great book, and would have earned 5 stars, except that it is pretty boring. Mostly it is the same as Soul of Fire, except that Richard dosnt have a change (the plauge, darken rahl, the chimes) ect. All he needs to do is excape from a sister of the dark. However the plot is much more completcated. Overall, this is a good book. If you liked any of the first five books, then you should buy this one. It can be read more then once, and so it is a good deal. :-)

I have read all of Goodkind's books from the first and I have to say that they were all fantastic, execpt this one. While I fully understand the plot behind this, I think it could have been portrayed a little differently. It was most definelty like re-reading Stone of Tears with a new twist, Richard is abducted, Khalan leads a small army against a larger one, they get reunited and live happily ever after, until the next book. This book seemed to be missing something, I found myself skipping over pages of boring Imperial Order philosophy and Nicci's childhood(which was mostly unnessary, I picked up on everything i skipped just by reading the rest), in search of the meat of the story. It seemed to me that this book needed to develope some new characters, and kill off more of the old ones. It just seemed to be stagnant as far as that went.
I recommend this book to those who are fans of Goodkind, but I just thought you should know what you're in for.

Faith of the Fallen falls far short of expectations for this series. While it is true that since Jagang has been in the picture the story has declined somewhat, and it is also true that since he has been a character in the story there have been a number of rather unvague allusions to the glory of freedom and capitalism over tyranny and communism/socialism, Faith of the Fallen takes the propaganda a bit too far and the quality of the story suffers greatly for it.
Furthermore while, as a devout agnostic, I found some pleasure in Terry Goodkind railing against the teachings of Christianity, I felt it was superfluous and the story could have done without the anti-christian sentiment that has become all too popular in american culture.
The story in essence flings the main character into the evil communist country that wishes to take over the world, he then proceeds to change those around him with his divine capitalist spirit, and makes the community he lives in better. The leaders of this communist country find his meddling, and being stupid as they are evil, assign him the task of carving a gigantic statue to stand in front of their temple which is currently under construction. I won't spoil the ending for those who still wish to read on, but be rest assured, it is as much tripe as the rest of the story.
I for one intend to read the next book -- I am willing to give this author another chance before discarding the series entirely, but if I were you I'd wait until this book comes out in paperback before reading it.

This is definetly the best book in the whole series. The whole story of how Niki was brought up and how her mother twisted her thinking into not caring about yourself was interesting.
The way that Richard prevails again in this book without magic is one thing that Goodkind can make happen unlike other authors who just have some hero using thier magic to kill something. Richard uses his ideals and his passion for living to make others understand that their live is thier's alone. This is one thing that i really admire about Goodkind,he understands that his life is precious and wouldn't give it up for anything.
The one thing that isn't the best is the conflict of Richard and Kahlan being separated and will never see each other again. Sure it is repeating what has happened before, but its not like it wouldn't be plausable, or that Goodkind is going out on a limb here to explain the strength of the human spirit. Richard and Kahlan are the most important people in thier world at this point in time, so it is concievable that other people would try to get them apart or in some way hurt them.
Other than the repetition this book is a must read. Goodkind really shows off his talent for writing and imagination. There is nothing i would change about the book.

The socialist world presented was too extreme to be believable, and the story degraded into sounding like the rantings of distrubed bitter old man. The ineptness of the leadership and councils was too extreme, and the evil too intentional to make sense for such a large movement. The side of good's evil wasn't addressed well, though at least it was more complex than pure evil against pure good. The whole nature of the story was distorted by the idea that a simple woodsman, could so easily outperform all the locals in a business he had no prior knowledge of. Again, a little more work justifying the sequence of events would have helped.

Goodkind ran out of ideas with the last book and ended up taking a big detour with Soul of The Fire. With this book he gets back to what he likes best and what has worked several times before........Richard gets captured by a beautiful (but extremely evil) babe, and taken away from his true love, Kahlan. Sound familiar......it will if you have made it through the earlier books in the series.

If you have made it this far, you have to be wondering what sex toys are in Goodkind's bedroom. Take a look at his photo on the back cover of all the books. Come on, the only thing that this guy likes better than being tied up and tortured sexually is being the one doing the torture.

Goodkind also uses this book to defend capitalism and put down the evils of a socialist society. He should be defending capitalism if he can actually sell books like this one!

Ok at least this book does get the series back on track to some extent, and Richard does take a bite out of the Imperial Order, through an attack to their rear. He even kills the empire's head zealot (which is bound to really piss off Jagang when he finds out). Unfortunately you have to read through a political debate to get to the good stuff, as Richard has to convince the downtrodden citizens of Jagang's home town to revolt.

Richard shows his artistic side in this one. He is definitely a "jack of all trades". Of course the ending is no surprise. Richard and his merry band save the day and Richard is reunited with his true love. Of course there is lots of hacking, blood and death.

Goodkind overcomes the vast distances that were so hard to overcome in the first books by ignoring them in this one. Characters criss-cross the old and new worlds with amazing speed and no difficulties. You may also be amazed by the seemingly endless numbers of sister's of the dark. It seems that for every one killed at least 5 new ones even more evil and powerful pop up. Originally there were only around 12 and 6 of those are out of the picture.

As bad as it sounds this one was better than the last one.

Although I've found Goodkind's series a little easier-to-digest and faster-moving than Jordan's, I've continually been disappointed in what seem to be blatant [copies] of the Wheel of Time.
This one goes a different direction. If you were to take The Fountainhead, rename the characters to match the Sword of Truth series, and fiddle with events to match the going plot...you would have Faith of the Fallen.
Now, this story is totally enjoyable. And I'm a huge Ayn Rand fan who has always wished to see someone continue in her footsteps. I'm just not sure I wanted to see it done in replica form.

I loved the recent book. Terry Goodkind kind of deterred from his original style of writing but I think that it came out great! i love all of his other books too. every one should read them. i love how he makes the characters seem so real. He introduce interesting conflicts though a few of them are a little coincidental like havac is released accross the new world and Richard is the only one who can stop it. That part can be a little cheesy but the rest of it is great. The villains are portrayed better than I've ever read before. most authors just say that the villain is bad and they don't say why. Terry Goodkind gets int the mind of the villain and exlains why the villain thinks what he does and why he does what he does. i definately do not recommend this book for anyone who is not into fantasy at all, nor do i recommend as a nightime reading for kids. There's sex and other nasty stuff that is not appropriate for younger kids but i think teenagers would love this book if they give it a chance. Plus i also am wondering if Terry Goodkind is coming out with another. I hope he does. I highly recommend this book for hard core fantasy readers such as myself. Great job terry Goodkind!!!!

I love this author. The way he peddle the ideals of freedom and self worthiness is great and something that had been waning from society. Although I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as some of his previous books in the series, it was still a great book. The last 20 or so chapters definitely made the book great. Can't wait to start reading the next one!

i would have to agree with a number of other reviewers in saying that, if this book has one fault, it is that Terry Goodkind tends to bash teh reader over the head with the concept of communism-bad!, individualism-good! However, the plot is so masterfully woven that for the most part i was able to overlook or ignore the more preachy aspects of the book. This novel managed to not only maintain the suspence created thus far in teh series, but to buil on it, adding new dimensions, charactors, resolving aspects of the plot while simultaniously adding a dozen more. the charactors also grew, most notably that of Kahlan. And, although Nicci's reform was predictable, i found it quite intriguing as to the opportunities it creats for her charactor in future instalments. Also, i must say that the death of a main charactor, while tragic, was a nessesity to the series, for it prevents a ring of charactors to form whom the readers know cannot be harmed, it leaves everyone open to attack, thus adding the suspence of the novels, making it more important to keep reading the series. over all, an excellent instalment in that it managed to develope all aspects of the saga without re-using a plot.

The Plot: Richard is "kidnapped" from his wife Kahlan after living in seclusion in the forest with her for several months. He has sworn off leading his people against Jagang, emperor of the Old World, until they understand how badly they need the freedom they will be fighting for. (yeah, that was a long sentence.)He is led into the Old World, straight to the heart of enemy territory. There he finds people who truly need his leadership, and finds himself powerless to help them. But for Richard, nothing is impossible... I LOVE TERRY GOODKIND! I am very partial to him, so you may take this as a biased review if you like. But...wow. I loved this book. I find it hard to believe that anyone did not like this book. It far surpasses The Soul of Fire (which, I must say, is the worst of them, but even that one is wonderful)and definitely equals the Temple of the Winds in it's brilliance. If you gave up on this series during Soul (as I did for a short time) return to it for this one. I was absolutely blown away by this book.

Well, yet another Sword of Truth book with the same old cookie cutter pattern. We have the remnants of problems from the previous book along with the thrice used - Richard is captured against his will and forced to go somewhere with a women who intends to dominate him. And for some strange reason, I find myself going back to that well that Goodkind dips his bucket in so frequently. In Wizard's First Rule, I couldn't put the book down. I really couldn't. Beyond the obvious male tendencies to enjoy the idea of a women in skin tight red leather abusing the heck out of you, there was something about it that defined Richard. It also defined Deena, who in retrospect, plays an important part in the ongoing arc. As mentioned, for some reason, I saw the recycled pattern that Goodkind uses, things are bad, things get worse, things get even more worse, things continue to go down hill, until two thirds of the way through the book (roughly) the climax hits and Richard figures out how to prevail even in the darkest hours. (Ok, he's the Seeker of Truth and should be able to.)

One of the other reviewers mentioned Goodkind's objective philosophical view of capitalism. It does come out strongly in this book in the sense that I almost felt like Goodkind was standing at the pulpit in the Church of Capitalism, preaching directly to me through the pages. All that aside, it was an interesting view of the faults in communism, just as there are faults in capitalism. I can't help but remembering one of Frank Herbert's lines from the Dune series (don't ask me which book or which character said it, I just remember the line) - The difference between capitalism and communism is who counts the money. As I sit back and think of the imagery present over the first six books, I think Goodkind was using Richard to say that people need to truly embrace their freedom in order to have it. I also think he was saying that the New World in this series was as corrupt as the Old World, just in different formats. I.E. they had to prove themselves to Richard for him to lead them. So I don't feel that Goodkind's analysis was solely directed at communism, but at the pure ideological concept of pure freedom and the ability to control your life as you see fit, which doesn't blend well into a capitalist society in many respects. However, I really only saw this after I thought about where Khaylan, Richard and the tantalizing Cara have taken us. (I hope in the upcoming books Goodkind does more with Berdine. I thought she was a great character.) Obviously, Goodking is pontificating on his views of society, the real question is what are his views? I'm not so sure in retrospect that they are what they appear to be on the surface. If that is the case, I truly commend Goodkind for his slight of hand. If they are what they are on the surface, I would be greatly disappointed, not because of what they are, but that they were so easy to find.

From a technical perspective, I enjoyed most of the book. I felt after the first setup, which felt a little slow, things paced well. I enjoyed the battle scenes, but am drooling for the day when the War Wizard Richard stands on the battlefield with Zedd and releases the full fury of his power against Jagang's troops. In this book, we get a bit of the recycled Khaylan leading. Ok, but we need more there. Also, I found the final trip of Cara and Khaylan to be a bit out of place from the ability to slip by so many troops. Goodkind covered the idea from a marginal perspective, but I felt if Jagang could recognize her when he first met here, then anybody along their route would have known instantly that the Mother Confessor was on the move.

Otherwise, it was good book. I would recommend it.

I've been reading a lot of reviews trashing Goodkind for the stronger emphasis on philosophy and social commentary. I could accept these arguments if his work wasn't well done. While Faith of the Fallen isn't quite as entertaining as Wizard's First Rule or The Stone of Tears from an action and suspense standpoint, this is still fine work. Instead of action, he focuses more on a character study of the real psychological damage that can be inflicted by misguided parents and societies. Yes, this takes up a lot of pages but I found it interesting and thought provoking. And, by the way, he also takes up a lot of other pages throwing in a lot of really good action and building up a Empire Strikes Back-like sense of hopelessness for the good guys. All in all, a very satisfying read.
So, the bottom line is this: Mr. Goodkind exercised his free will in deciding to shift his focus to social commentary, even though he had to know that in doing so he would alienate some of his readers. So, it's now up to those of us who have enjoyed the Sword of Truth series to decide to continue reading or to find something else that suits us better. But please don't call such finely written books "bad" just because the author has decided to move in a different direction than you would like.

After thoroughly enjoying the first few books of this series, I have been steadily disappointed as time has worn on. I debated whether or not to even buy this one, and unfortunately curiousity got the better of me. I read the first 200 pages, put the book down and have no desire to pick it up again. It's awful. The characters are predictable and annoying. The grace and wit of the writer is long gone. Too bad. Another good Fantasy series sunk by greed and burn out. That's it for me. I'll stick to reading Robin Hobb. At least she knows how to END a book.

I've just read several reviews of Mr. Goodkinds new book and am sincerely saddened by the vacancy of thought and absence of imagination in the negative reviewers opinions of this fine work. Faith of the Fallen was one of the best reading experiences and a fluid passport to another world which we can only hope exists in some reality somewhere, though existing in book form in this world. As always, Mr. Goodkinds words create a visual picture in my mind of these characters and the situations they face which is certainly a quality severely lacking in many of the books on shelf that perhaps the negative reviewers absolutely enjoyed. This book is like its story for it is a piece of art that can be pleasurable only by those open enough and with hearts willing to savor its incredible seamless freedom and beauty. This is a rewarding story and my wait for his next book will be difficult.

Bottom line: Terry Goodkind lost his edge after Stone of Tears. Sure his stories kept up, but they were nothing like the first two. Instead, Kahlan and Richard are perpetually apart, only put together long enough to be sent away from each other once more. In FOF it happens again. Kahlan has to get better from being beaten to a bloody pulp and Richard doesn't get to use any magic. There's a whole lot of death that really shouldn't have happened and a lot more misery. Still there are amazing fight scenes, good wizard stuff (from Zedd and Warren) and theres even a promise of Nathan but don't get your hopes up. No Shota either, or any mention of the Mud People. Goodkind removes any interesting characters that might have added light to an otherwise dark, depressing, and very very sad book. On a lighter note, it gives you good insight on what happens when Communism goes all wrong.. but don't take my word for it... Read it anyway, it proves to satisy, but not satiate.

It is somewhat amusing to read the negative reviews on FOTF. Two that come to mind are that Nicci's epiphany is without merit and that Goodkind's views on the Imperial Order's politics are misguided. Let's deal with Nicci first.
Some have written that Nicci's conversion at the end is unbelievable since she was so evil (evidenced by her sister of the dark status), that no amount of soul searching and challenging circumstances, is adequate to pull her away from the gravitational attraction of evil. If this is true,then none of us are safe, not just Nicci. This means that if one strays from the path of good, they can never change course again. Goodkind's developement of Nicci, makes clear that it is never too late for one to redeem themselves. Nicci is one of richest and deepest characters introduced in this series. It is obvious she will have a big role to play as the series concludes.
Now as for the people criticizing Goodkind's views on communism/socialism, and religious fanaticsm-get over yourselves. His treatsie on the flaws of a political system based on "Old World," beliefs are not only intriguing, but also on the mark. One needs only to refer to recent history ie; the fall of the Soviet Union, the chaos in Afghanistan, to see the evidence of Goodkind's political acumen.
Faith of the Fallen is a must read for sci/fantasy fans.

Terry Goodkind appears to be in the midst of a problem, we'll call it "Jordan's Disease" for lack of a better term. This problem involves stringing out a popular story over a long period of time without actually advancing the plot or characters the way they should.
In the sixth installment to the Sword of Truth series, it appears that Goodkind is now firmly infected by Jordan's Disease (see reviews of the latest Wheel of Time novel) and so far does not show any signs of getting out of it. While the book itself is indeed a page turner, and contains an engaging plotline, it is clear that Goodkind has done this before, several times in fact. Again we see Richard captured (by women-- a Goodkind fantasy perhaps?) and again we see him rise above the situation to win freedom.
Fortunately, Goodkind's writing style and imagery are engaging enough to keep the reader glued to the book, however this formula that the author is using has now become tiresome. Hopefully the next installment will present a fresh viewpoint.
My recommendation is to purchase the book, but keep in mind that the story will feel very similar.

Terry Goodkind ought to be ashamed of himself. One of the great things which really made me a fan was after the 1st 2 books there was a final confrontation and conclusion to the story. I started getting annoyed after Temple of the Winds when he still hadn't fought Jagang. After Soul of the Fire I was angry. The Chimes and the mystery of Joseph Ander were cool but he still hadn't fought Jagang and he devoted half of the book to some moronic kid and his background. I thought he was introducing a new character so all of this was necessary but they end up running a sword through him towards the end of the book. That's when I knew he was just dragging this story out to rake in more money from his loyal fans. Faith of the Fallen is even worse. He drags Richard off on some silly side quest just to avoid a confrontation with Jagang. This novel goes nowhere and nothing of any importance happens. You could skip this book and pick up the next one and never notice you had missed anything. I take that back, 1 important thing did happen. He took Jagang, the most evil, exciting and intimadating bad guy to come along in years and turned him into a wimp. Yeah, he serves the creator now and gets pushed around by women. He did this just to put off the final conflict so he could make more money on books that go nowhere. When the final conflict does eventually happen nobody is going to care because he's ruined the character. Richard vs the Almighty Jagang could have been 1 of the greatest clashes in history but Richard vs a wimp is something nobody cares to read about. Terry Goodkind better start remembering what got him to where he is today and stop trying to screw his fans over because he's greedy.

As an avid science-fiction and fantasy reader, I am always glad to find an engaging series or author to keep me checking bookstores for new releases. Terry Goodkind's newest addition to his remarkable series was no letdown. After reading the first chapter between classes in a busy schedule, I knew that I was in for a treat. His writing style is fantastic; transitions, characters, and plot are thoughtfully woven together to produce some of the best fiction I have read in years. As for the plot rehashing, it is simply a preservation of continuity. If the plot dramatically changed, the series would no longer be a continuous series. Readers have come to expect the separations, fights, and tortures. Each of the components develops the characters further and introduces new ones, like Nicci, to draw the reader fully into the stories. Each character, even small ones, get some attention. Goodkind's storytelling reaches a new height in this novel, introducing ideas and ideals to make this a worthy novel outside the genre. It is a must read, especially if you are into the series already. If not, why not give it a try?

Unlike the other five books which slowly but inevitably built up a world of numerous factions, powers, and people, "Faith of the Fallen" takes a slightly different approach by approaching a rest stop in the nonstop action of the previous couple. After having just finished two books in a row (Book 4 and Book 5) that have greatly expanded the world of Richard and Kahlan at a cost of focus on the main characters, Goodkind reasserts Richard and Kahlan's role as the protagonists of the book. He returns to the original book's comfortable and directed telling of the main event without diverting on such a multitude of side stories that the main plotline gets obscured. Everything comes together in this book. Just the right amount of characterization, thrilling chapter enders, and action combine to offer a satisfying successor to the previous five. Lastly, unlike the deeply unsatisfying "Soul of the Fire," this book has an ending that is paced, careful and stable, offering closure of a limited sort for having finished such an engaging book without the tantalizing prequel of another in the works. The only problem that resulted from finishing this book is "WHERE'S THE NEXT ONE???"

i know a lot of people have been putting this book doen, calling it a "political pamplet" or "a series killer." all i have to say to them is if they want lots of meaningless violence like the kind of thing a ten year old boy enjoys, thats your choice. what goodkind rights is deep and meaningful. it is inspiring and beuatiful, but it still manages to be exciting.
as for the politicial side, i can't really talk. im only fourteen, and i read the book for the first time one or two years ago. it may be that im just reading with what some call child like innocence, or in this case ignorance. but honestly, who cares if goodkind decides to include his political views? he doesn't really include anything other than inciteful views, which if you think about them, are true. it doesn't exactly harm the story.
this is my favorite book of all time. i admitt that book 7 was rather dull and book 8 seemed to just be a repeat of old plots, but Faith of the Fallen took my breath away. so keep it up terry.

k first i'll talk to the people who have never read any of the sword of truth books. terry goodkind is an excellent writer and when you buy the first 2 books you think he is the best there is. on the 3rd book he made it short which sorta counted as a minus. the fourth was by far the best thing i have ever read. the fifth was great though some people called it a little preachy but i personally loved it.
this is the 6th book and i liked it too. but there is a reason i only gave it 4 stars instead of 5. that's because in this book i didn't see much of his usual action. instead [you should be able to tell be the cover] he sculpts a statue. though there was tons of action in-between. that's not to diss terry in any way, in fact i've read every book in the series at least twice and the fourth book [temple of the winds] 4 times. this book ive only read twice. but the fact that i did read it again should be enough to tell you that i loved this book as well as any of the others.
buy it, read it, love it.

I started reading TG's works, thanks to a student of mine. Since I teach English to Special Education Students (SLD), I could not bring myself to reprimand a student who was READING in my class instead of listening to my discussion. After class, however, I asked to see the book that had my student reading instead of paying attention in class. He assured me it was the best. Since I was not much of a fantasy fiction reader, I told him that it had better be. It was! He was reading the second book in the series, "Stone of Tears". Anyway, my student lent me his copy of book 1, "Wizards's First Rule", and I have been an avid TG reader since. This last book though has left me with little anticipation for the next in the series. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it just wasn't up to Goodkind's talents. Maybe it was do to the lack of Magic in the story, or the overdone kidnapping. It just seems to me that with all the marvelous treasures that Richard and Kahlen have at their disposal they should be able to use them to aid in their cause. As I read, I wanted Richard to be able to use his powers against the underlying political references Goodkind interwove into the story. This whole series is Good-vs-Evil. I may be a romantic at heart, but I DON'T want Evil to win. This book made me feel as if maybe Goodkind did. Where's the faith and hope this series instilled in my student with that first book? You got a high school special education student, with a 6th grade reading leval, to READ!!! Don't loose him now; he may never recover. I might not either.

I have read all six of the Sword of Truth series books. It was my first fantasy series to read and I thought it was incredibly imaginative and original. There were flaws of course. One of them was when Richard flew away on scarlet's back right after he had droped the barrier thingy that kept the new world safe from the old world. right before he flew away sister Verna said she had a sister of the light for over 200 years which can't be right because before she had said that she and Warren a only one year apart in age and he was 156 years old and to become a sister of the light you must train wizard which takes a minimum of 200 years so in that case she wouldn't have even been a sister of the light. Also he kinda had a thing about all the people. The thing was that everyone is supposed to be incredidbly goodlooking! there are no people that are ugly of just look regular eccept a few. After I read the Sword of Truth series I read the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan which surprised me a whole lot and made me realize that Terry goodkind had copied a lot of things from the Wheel of Time. How did i know that Terry had copied from Robert and not robert from Terry? all i had to do was look at the date of publication. one of the things that was copied was the color changing cloak that Richard obtained which is just like the warders cloak in the Wheel of Time. althought it was copied just a bit it still has an incredible story line,characters,plot developement,and magic which allows it to still be one of my favorites series

The Order presses its advantage in ever-burgeoning waves of soldiers and the Gifted striking hopelessness, fear, and despair into the hearts, minds and souls of its chosen enemies. The reluctant yet resolved heroes of the Midlands stand against the tide as they must. This is the action-packed backdrop for the story, which to me, is more about the evolution of individuals and the choices that they make as they evolve and learn more about themselves, the world around them, and life in general.
Very little is black and white. Hard choices must be made. Individuals take surprising directions in their internal development and thus their outward choices. The love between individuals, love of community, love of nature, and more (agape, eros, and philios) are all explored and illustrated beautifully. Goodkind manages all of this with excitement and beautiful writing. Goodkind now joins my small pantheon of writers in this genre who have earned automatic respect.
I despair of waiting how many ever months I must wait for the sequel.

The latest installment is a definite improvement on its predecessor. I've read a lot of the other reviews and they all make valid points: Similar story, boy has girl, boy loses girl, boy gets beat up, boy gets girl back. But if you are paying attention, it seems that Mr. Goodkind is taking a close look at the rise and fall of communism. The story is very well written and it kept me interested from cover to cover. It does advance the story, as we find more of the Midlands falling to the enemy, and we learn a lot more about the Order and its goals/reasons for what it does. Nikki is a great character, but she becomes a little frustrating after a while. Well worth the money and time to read. PS. I hate to see reviewers tearing a book apart when they obviously have a weak grasp of the written language themselves!

This is the BEST Sword of Truth book that Goodkind has written so far. Goodkind shows just how diverse a war wizard's talents are. Even without being about to openly use his magic, Richard uses his gift in an unexpected manner.
His portrayal of the kind of society over which Emperor Jagang rules is a realistic portrayal of a Communist state. All work must be shared equally. Productivity is discouraged. Workers are encouraged to use sick time on a regular basis. I thought that Temple of the Winds was the best when I initially read the series (FOTF had not yet been published at that time). Now, I consider TOTW as the 2nd best book. Read the series. Goodkind has established himself as a master of the Fantasy genre!

I am a new Fan to the Terry Goodkind series. With each book I've picked up beginning with the first, I was awestruck each time. He places himself in the top spot of fantasy literature with each word he develops on the page. With the character development in the new book, I agree! Terry Goodkind has definately sharpened his pencil.
I couldn't believe the fire that he lit behind Khalan's fury at Richard being taken away from her. With each page turned you could feel the pain of it. Her ire blazed its way across the story!! The virtue of Richard's love burned brightly with each word read. Of course the end, where they struck right in the heart of the matter. The answer to Nicci's question which was not quite alluded too near the beginning but slowly made a burning curiousity grow. I loved the book. You will not be wasting any money here.
One more thing, this is not a story convoluted out of Jordan's material. In fact, Jordan is stale in comparison.
If your new to Goodkind, Even this sixth book in the series would be a great place to start. I love that fact. Give's a reader options!! When is the next one coming? I want to know!

I am like many of the viewers here who gave TG 1 star for this book. I become tired of the same thing in each book, for example, Richard being captured and Kahlan off doing her own little thing against richard's wishes. I like most viewers, like to see Richard dominate, destroy, crush, and eliminate all of his enemies in the most violent gruesome way possible, be that by magic or sword. So i was dissapointed when he was captured in this book, but i promised myself i would keep a open mind about the book.
I use to not be a TG fan, i just liked his books but didnt rate them as good as the Wheel of Time series. Faith of the Fallen is one of the best works of fiction i have ever read. The emotion and characterization he integrates into this novel makes it shine. I really dont care about themes in novels, i know they are there and acklowledge them, but i really don't give credit to them. The way he portrays the theme of this book, especially towards the ending, is incredibily inspiring. Im not the type of person who watches a movie or reads a book, and all of the sudden im inspired to become a spy or a powerful wizard, ect, ect, ect. But this book seriously inspired me to better my life, and to live each day to the fullest. Enjoy life.
This book is a masterpiece.

Folks, I have read them all...Jordan, Tolkien, Brooks etc. etc. and T.G. is the man. I know everyone was disappointed in the last book, but compared to book XXV and counting on the dragon reborn series, goodkind is still kicking all their butts in my opinion. I love this guy and everything about his books. My only gripe is I wish Gratch would still luugg richard!!! and he would occasionally take a trip on a dragon that would like to eat him. I thought he was going to find them to see if they were still alive to see if the chimes killed them, but I guess goodkind is saving that for later, Terry Gookind if you ever read this keep em coming and we want all you have to offer. thanks and I know this was not an overview of the book, read it you don't need my version of how it goes read Wizard's first rule and you won't care about anything else except when you are going to get the next one.

First of all, I'm new to the Sword of Truth series, this is only the second book I've read in the series, the other one being the Wizards First Rule.
All I can say with this book is that it's worth the price. You really get to see the unfailing FAITH of those that are in dire situations. Never have it in the book written that Richard will win a head-on battle with the DreamWalker. It started with a very low note on the situation being so HOPELESS that the great Lord Rahl preffered to run away from the battle.
However, as you read the book you see that in the darkest of times, HOPE might just make life afloat. I really like the back cover saying that the book is a testament of our Humanity. It offered perspectives that would really get you thinking.
Compared to the waning Wheel of Time Series, I encourage you to take up the Sword of Truth Series because it will surely open up your MIND.
Happy reading...

Faith of the Fallen, while being slightly slow in its introduction, more than makes up for it as the book progress through Richard's struggles in the heartland of the Order and Kahlan's fight against the Imperial Order. Whereas Blood of the Fold and Soul of the Fire (both good books into and of themselves) felt like bridges between greater parts of the story, Faith of the Fallen feels like one of those greater parts--it brings old characters to new dimensions, and tells a good story, full of context and thought, while doing it. However, parts of the story feel slightly recycled: Richard is captured (Wizard's First Rule, Stone of Tears); Kahlan goes off to fight in his absence (S.O.T); Richard and Kahlan join together in the climax (Blood of the Fold). None of his stories have had quite the magic and intensity as Wizard's First Rule did, but despite Faith of the Fallen's flaws (which really are very few), it comes closest out of the series to matching the original's particular style of magic.

Despite reading some very critical reviews of this book, I still think it's definitely one of the best in Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. It deserves 5 stars as although the 'Richard and Kahlan have to save the world from evil and get separated along the way...again' storyline is getting a bit repetetive now, I still think it's a really good read.

The plot was quite simple and there wasn't as much action as we've seen in the earlier books. Even so, the the story was well-paced and kept my interest - even though some of the anti-socialism focus in the Old World got just a bit pretentious. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the battle in the New World (but am still in shock at the death of one of the characters - I won't say who as I don't want to spoil it).
Terry Goodkind did a wonderful job of getting what are obviously his own beliefs across, how we should believe in the nobility of man,our own self-worth, etc. etc.

Faith of the Fallen is a really uplifting, inspiring book, and although some people might say that Terry Goodkind has no right to be preaching his views of life at us in what is just a fantasy book, I totally agree with his ideas and morals (take the Wizard's Rules for example).

Having said that, hey, it IS only a fantasy book so I guess I shouldn't start getting too high-minded about it. Even if you don't agree with the stuff Terry Goodkind says in this book, you will have to admit it is a brilliant read and in a completely different class to most other fantasy series that we see on the shelves. Go on, read it...!

I loved this book! His writing has become so well defined. His great usage of vocabulary, description, and character interaction is what made this book so spellbinding. Now I'm no specialist when it comes to history or relgion, but do I have to be to enjoy this fine piece of literature. I'm reading many negative reviews of Mr. Goodkinds writing because people feel he's "preaching" too much and trying to "brainwash" his readers. Did it ever occur to anybody that maybe Mr. Goodkind is just writing a Fantasy Fiction novel to help people be wisked away into another world so we can forget about the dull one we are living in now. So what if Richard and Kahlan are the perfect couple, and they display all the quality characteristics that we don't. Maybe people in Altur'Rang are that stupid. Who cares? It's not real, so don't try and review it as if it were competition to the bible. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the story. I did.

I have a question for you why does every author with a series over three books, has to devote at least a quarter of the new book to rehashing? I really hate that, it's not like people are so stupid that they would pick up a book that says "book 6 of the sword of truth" and expect not to have to read the other five first. But the funny thing is that we dont have to read the other five, Goodking, Jordan, and others always retell, way past the point of tedium. I think, if you have stuck with an author for six books he should at least have the decency to not rehash every plotline and charecter. That being said, the book was good. If you can struggle through the constant rehash, that is. I really like where he has taken the book. I saw a comment earlier that this series had no progression, i disagree. I think this is a logical step for richard, faced with the staggering numbers the order can summon up, he has to destroy them from the inside out. So all in all, a good book.

Let's be honest. There are very few fantasy writers like Terry Goodkind. This book was one of his best. In fact, it is my second favourite, with Wizard's first Rule being my favourite. Some people will say that Goodkind is being too idealistic with this book. Come on! This is not a political science textbook! If Terry wants to give us some hope even if it may be a bit naive, it is fine with me. Also, some have complained that he paints the Order as unrealistically evil, and that the people there would not be so lazy or hopeless. Look people, if you want realism... don't read fantasy! The core of a good fantasy book is an unimaginable evil that must be crushed and some shining hero(s) that have to save us all! Plus, don't get too upset that Richard is such an unwavering pillar of virtue, since Kahlan is the real main character despite what the back covers say. Face it, Goodkind writes from her point of view over Richard's when they are in the same scene. Anyway, I'm off the point. This book was amazing- definitely worth it!

Oh Terry! Bags man! I hate to see a writer of your potential failing to learn from his Creator given gift. I got it man; Richard loves Kahlan; Kahlan loves Richard - do you really need to tell me that in 30 pages every damn book. It drives me mad to see, what is ultimately a great loves story, brought to the level of a petty romance book "a la" Sandra Brown or worse, just because you, as dear Richard, fail to understand your gift. I know you live in the woods but do you really need to make it that obvious; stop describing the Midlands as if you doing it for the National Geographic. It's the nature of the craft but think of all those trees man. Go plant one for every needless page of description you write. Writers Second Rule: More writing is never better writing. You create great characters, full of life and bound to trigger the imagination, but you scatter them all over the place. Intimacy! None. Terry! Terry! You've been a bad boy. And the worst; you became soooooo predictable. Prophecy: Richard will be kidnapped again by an unfortunate women (as if 3 times is not enough). Writes Third Rule: Prophecy is our worst enemy.

Terry Goodkind has dazzled me once again. Faith of the Fallen is one of the most well written explorations of religious and political thought I have ever read in my life. Best of all, Goodkind makes his points subtly with nothing more than the telling of a mighty yarn. Any author who can take me on such an introspective journey deserves my continued loyalty. Goodkind succeeded in making me questiong the very nature of good and evil. As I read, I found myself cheering for the villainess before I realized what I was doing, and then turning right around and screaming for the triumph of the hero and heroine. Goodkind continues to make war a fascinating and horrifying experience, and his dialogue continues to make me laugh while his plot twists make me wince with pain as my insides tear to pieces. Terry Goodkind is an author worth watching, and the Sword of Truth is a series more than worth following. Furthermore, Faith of the Fallen proves to me that this series just keeps on getting better.

While this book was fairly entertaining it left me somewhat dissapointed. I, like many other fantasy junkies, love larger than life characters who overcome the odds by their prodigeous skills and courage. Goodkind's latest left me wondering whether he still has the same vision for his characters. Example, Kahlan beats Richard in a mock sword fight? What!?!?! Isn't this the same guy who defeated all those blademasters earning the title "bringer of death"? Also, Richard STILL doesn't know how to use his magic. After 6 FAT books he ought to know at least something about how to use it.
Anyway, I realize that this review might sound a little jaded and might be taken as a warning not to read the book. Not so. Read it and find out for yourself. My suggestion to Mr. Good kind... Give us the original Richard back. Not the OVERLY esoteric and moody Richard who for some odd reason seems to be and expert in Philosophy. I still don't get that.

The people posting 1 star here are ignoring the Wizard's Sixth Rule, as well as the Fourth. This book is not a 'political platform' any more than any other fantasy book. It portrays reality and existence as the author sees it, as a growing number of people see it. The book is inspiring. Don't look at the statue and cover your eyes because it is too beautiful. Have the bravery to look the beauty in the face.
The book is a sublime statement of what it is to be human, what it should be to be alive. Goodkind finally has a coherent theme to tie the book together, setting this apart from his other offerings. The other books, though excellent in and of themselves, only act as set-up for Faith of the Fallen. I read it, and I flipped it to page one and started again.
Read it.

Best book of the series. Fresh, funny, magical, action-pack --everything you would expect from a Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth series.

I think this is the book when Terry brought his magic and philosphy together and weaved it into a beautiful tale that would leave you certain to turn the page until the end, and leaving you with the desire for more.

This book makes me wonder if Terry read Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead (and maybe We the Living for good measure) for the first time before starting it. While kahlan's bits are still his normal style, the whole thing with Richard and Nicci in the Old World was like reading Rand's books all over again. Hank Rearden's mother is reborn in Nicci's mother, and Nicci herself... all the most unpleasant characters in Rand's novel are reborn in Faith of the Fallen, and Richard has suddenly become an amalgamation of Hank Rearden, Francisco d'Anconia, Jon Galt, and Howard Roark.

Thankfully, Kahlan only channels Dagny/Dominique on occasion.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Atlas Shrugged for what it was... and I can see that the plot needed a bit of what it had... but Terry lays it on somewhat clumsily, with a very thick trowel. Maybe he should have hired Richard to edit, instead of one of the old world carving folks who "needed the work".

I made the mistake of reading all of David Gemmell's books before moving on to any other fantasy authors. Because of this everything else I read was a disappointment because nothing came close to Gemmell in terms of gritty realism and action. That was until I started reading the Sword of Truth series.
Goodkind's strength is that he'll do the unexpected, who would have thought Warren would be killed off soon after his wedding? Granted this book was a little more predictable than his others, possibly due to the cover which is a bit of a give-away. Goodkind isn't afraid to do things differently, the reasons others give this book a bad review is that it's not 'fantasy' enough, it's more like David Gemmell's style. Some people seem to need the same old stereotypical rubbish but I found this book very refreshing because it avoided these pitfalls.
As for the series not progressing, this I don't understand, Jordans series has crawled to a halt but this one is still in full flow. I recommend to anyone who wants a refreshing change from the sometimes dull world of fantasy and those who like their books realistic to give this a go, they wont be disappointed.

Many have said that this book is by far the best book of the Sword of Truth series and by all means i believe so. It is always hard to outdo the 1st book in a series but in this book, Terry Goodkind has more than accomplished this. Having all the components that made his previous 5 books great, this book has everything from emotional strife to bloody combat. As i've been reading over the years ive always been frustrated with the skipping of plots over different chapters. I've always found one to be more interesting than the other and i would just skip over the boring one. This book is entirely different. Each side plot kept my attention and i found myself reluctant yet excited to reach an end of a chapter. This book is definately a good read and all those who push it to the side are definately missing out in a great book. I can't wait till the next one comes out.

When concluding his previous installment in the Sword of Truth series (#5, Soul of the Fire), I had a bleak feeling there were a lot of loose ends that needed mending. His next book would make it all OK again, I was quite sure. Reading the reviews here at the store, many of you seem to have thought the same.
Well he did and I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and felt being captivated as I was before in the first 4 books. It really deserves a 5 star rating. Beware to buy and read it, because it may cost you your social life, your performance at work and your night's rest for as long as you are busy reading it! Can't wait for the next one, although a year of waiting between the volume releases is very long. But I understand that Mr Goodkind needs this time to complete his creative process so as to produce such a shining example of a fantasy masterpiece as this book.
PS: Nice cover art!
-Harry-

I enjoyed this book although the "Richard being captured" angle is getting a little tedious now. I thought the middle of the book was drawn out at times and that the "fire" in Kahlan's heart was good to see-finally. I thought that the book didn't deal with any of the issues from the previous one and was just a fill-gap book even though it was entertaining. Sometime the "Meat" of the storyline is going to have to be dealt with.

The latest book in the Sword of Truth series takes us on a journey through the Old World under the watchful eye of a powerful sister of the dark. I can't remember the last time I was so moved by a piece of literature. Usually, I'm one for intense fighting and many displays of mystical might, of which this book has only a limited amount. Nonetheless, the deep exploration of the brainwashing of an entire people, seen through both the eyes of a believer (a sister of the dark) and a non-believer (Richard) was truly an enlightening and moving experience. And, of course, lets not forget Kahlan, who suffers her own trials and travails and must come to a realistic conclusion about her situation. I love these characters, I have since Wizards First Rule, never have I felt so deeply connected to them as in this book. Terry Goodkind, you are a master, I applaud you.

As we've come to expect from Goodkind, dear old Richard can do anything and everything... and do it better than anyone else.
Kahlan was developed a bit in the book, showing her flaws and frailities. In others, being human.
Goodkind beat us over the head again with the Communism Is Bad(tm) stick.
I always feel robbed after reading one of these books.. Goodkind tantilizes us with intriguing villains, but fails to follow through with them. Same head true in this book with Nicci, Jagang, and Narev. Why is Narev such a zealot, Jagang so polar, Nicci so dispassionate?? The author just glosses over these aspects of the characters.

I thought Faith of the Fallen was a wonderfully written story. I loved the first part that delt with Kahlan's recovery. I especially loved her recount of the struggle she had to regain her will to live. I also loved the battle scenes - Kahlan comes across as a true leader. The character of Nicci was one I came to like as well. Her backstory is interesting and the payoff at the end made the journey worth it. This series continues to impress me. I hope after it is over we will have another chance to revisit some of the characters!

Nicci saves this book. Richard (the hero) and Kahlan (his wife) are one-dimensional. Richard is noble and self-sacrificing. Kahlan is brave and good. Nicci is evil and well-meaning. She loves pain yet lives to save others. She also kidnaps Richard, drags him away from his wife, and holds Kahlan's life over him like a club. Way to go, Goodkind by developing Nicci.

FotF is easily the worst book in the series. Not only does it needlessly repeat previously elucidated ideas (the whole capturing thing and the tyranny), but it spends too long on insignificant themes. The conclusion is abrupt and unsatisfying. Also, Goodkind had led us to believe in previous books that Warren would one day be a great prophet; evidently, he changed his mind rather quickly. The whole Imperial Order/ Altur'Rang concept was a carbon copy of communist rule - I was hoping the author could be a little more creative. It seems that Goodkind simply ran out of steam for Faith of the Fallen. The series to this point has been wonderful but this book was simply a letdown.

At a much slower pace than the first 4 novels, but similar to Soul Of The Fire, this novel gradually gains pace as you read it.
I have to admit I initially found the concentration on Nicci slightly tiresome, but I could not have been more wrong. The full portrayal of her character was necessary to reveal the 'thinking' behind the 'unthinking' life under the rule of the Imperial Order. I was utterly apauled by the awful life, attitudes and hopelessness of the people in Altur 'Rang, and I doubt if I would have believed in it quite so much if I hadn't recently read a couple of books about life in Maoist China during the Cultural revolution. These things really happened there.
In conclusion, an excellant read, worthy of your attention, but for God's sake let's get on the final chapter...we are desperate!

I agree somewhat with a previous author who wrote that he enjoyed the novel, yet at the same time was disappointed by it. However, my disappointment overshadowed my enjoyment of his writing style. As an ardent Goodkind fan, yet one who has the books in soft cover, I patiently awaited the softcover release so that I could continute the saga. Unlike some other readers, I often enjoy plot more then character development. This ultimately led to some disatisfaction with this novel. The final mighty blow to the novel came with the last half of the novel, where Goodkind quickly diverges from the fantasy genre and enters the realm of philosophical fiction.
With Kahlan half-dead at the end of the second novel and the entire plot in ruins, I was eager to attack this plot ressurected. However, the plot essentially stagnates the entire novel as a newly healed Kahlan wages a losing war and Richard goes in search of faith. In fact, these are the only key plot points of the novel, with the characters finally appearing together in the end for a final victory to end the book on a high note.
The characterization in the novel is top-notch, as can be expected from Goodkind. His characters are real and there motivations are as well. I also like that even the evil side is characterized through the eyes of evil characters themselves. Richard, in his Richard-like way however, becomes even more unrelatable as a character as he descends, through the eyes of the other characters, into a perfect philosophical hero. This is the major flaw of the novel.
Goodkind must have just finished reading Foutainhead because the parallels between the ideals of this novel and those of any good disciple of Rand are uncanny. Richard is the Jesus figure hero of this ideal anti-Socialist world. Capitalism is good. Even when he does things wrong, they turn out to be right. Capitalism is good. His understanding of the world is beyong even that of the greatest wizard. Capitalism is good. He is an artist, a lover, a wizard, and a mighty sworsdman. Capitalism is good. It's amazing that with all of the propaganda in there, there was a moment to include some actual action or maybe a bit of fantasy.
This book did not meet my expectations of the fantasy genre it was marketed in. He clearly had a philosophical epiphany as he was planning this book and it overwhelms the plot that while drying up recently, had shown so brightly in the first novels of the series.
I will read the next novel, he has earned that much; but if it ever becomes as steeped in philosophical rhetoric as the end of that novel did, I will discard it and my love for Goodkind.

I enjoyed this book more than the previous couple, but I am getting a bit tired of the preachiness of it all. I mostly agree with Mr Goodkind's sentiments (Black and White though he portrays it), but I have read it all before ala Ayn Rand's Fountainhead. We still have a pretty good series going on, but I am hoping for a resolution pretty soon. Or at least a draw back from proselityzing mode.