Volume II - Sister of Darkness - The Nicci Chronicles

It’s so wonderful to be back in this amazing world that Terry Goodkind created. Following Nicci, Nathan & Bannon on their mission is immensely enjoyable. And -- OMG! -- there are morazeths & agile knives!

Second book in the Nicci chronicles does not disappoint! This series reminds me so much of Terry's first series of books. There's so much detail and vibrancy to the world he creates it feels like you are there rooting them on the whole time. I particularly enjoyed learning where some of the tools in the WFR series had their origins. Does she save the world? Does Nathan get his powers back? Read on to discover the mysteries of the old world and what trouble they get themselves into next!

I really enjoyed reading the first book in this new series, the Nicci Chronicles. This book continues where the first one left off, so make read the last chapter before reading this one. I like to review some before starting sequels, to to remind me of what happened at the end. If you liked the first one, you will love this second book, I had a hard time putting it down. Have reading this !!!!

Another great book from TG. Very well written and an interesting story-line, parts of which will obviously continue in the next book. Very much looking forward to the next installment in this series! (and if you're not familiar with TG please go read Wizard's First Rule, that's the starting point for this grand adventure).

I had so missed The Sword of Truth series so I'm really happy to be back amongst some of my favourites . Nicci and Nathan and Verna especially . Brannon is becoming a force all his own ..I highly recommend this series . Can't wait for another one.

Terry’s legacy as a great writer continues in this new series. Well developed characters, plots,etc, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next ....and now I can’t wait for the next book to see what will happen next.

I waited a long time to travel back to visit the world of Lord Rahl. I was not disappointed with either of the Nicci Chronicles. Now I will wait patiently for the next installment, as long as it comes soon.

“Sweet Sea Mother, it’s shameful” - Bannon. Honestly, Goodkind has good stories and imagination, but his writing style has gotten atrocious. It’s like he writes for 5 year olds. If you could take his story, and have say Robin Hobb or even Brandon Sanderson actually write it, they would be really good

What do you get when you combine John Norman, Robert Newcomb and a 12 year boy? This book. I have been reading the Sword of Truth series from DAY ONE. Although the series started to get way to “preachy” later on (books 7+) I have still enjoyed them overall. This book seemed to enjoy the debasement of women WAY to much, hence my two authors listed above. I have all SOT books in HC 1st/1st so I am invested in this series. I can only hope the next book goes back to his earlier style.

I'm happy to bring to you my thoughts and musings about Terry Goodkind's latest book. Anyone who knows me he's my favorite author, so I try my best to give my most unbiased opinion. He wrote The Sword of Truth series and began his spin-off series now known as The Nicci Chronicles just last year. The first book in this new spin-off series is called Death's Mistress. Be sure to check out his entire catalogue of books because he's an amazing Fantasy writer.

Many have criticized Goodkind's later books due to his constant "preachy" spiel. I do concur with the masses that his later books in The Sword of Truth series were filled with religious rants and constant repetition. However, Goodkind seems to be taking a turn for the better and is showing some of his old writing prowess. Death's Mistress while a great start to this new spin-off series, I will admit Goodkind seemed to include too many different things which threw off the cohesiveness of the story. For one, there were too many "villainous" characters in the story which made it hard for a reader to take any of them serious. However, Goodkind rectified those few pitfalls from that book and completely transformed everything in Shroud of Eternity.

We find our ragtag pairing of Nicci and Nathan trekking deeper into the Old World, past Kol-Adair to the ancient and mysterious city of Ildakar. We quickly find out the city is in tact and inhabited with the wizards whose powers rivals of that of old, reason being their city has been around for over 15 centuries. Ildakar protected itself with a powerful enchantment known as the shroud of eternity, which took the city out of time and space. This shroud was a protective measure against an invading army that sought the destruction of the city. It's ruling class of gifted nobles are damn near immortal. They have created what they believe to be a Utopia, but like all Utopias, something sinister plagues the city underneath its picture-perfect image the gifted nobles try to uphold.

The mysterious sinister element is what immediately draws you to the story. Nicci as always is leery of what she has walked into, while Nathan, a scholar in every sense of the world, seeks to find out everything he possibly can about the city and its inhabitants. After all, Nathan and Nicci are on a mission (I won't reveal what it is just in case you haven't read the first book), so they hope to find answers in Ildakar. We see the magical city show it's rot when we see the fighting area where people are forced to fight to the death against each other and against sinister magical creatures that were created with "fleshomancy". We see blood magic, slavery, but fleshomancy seems to be the most cunning and dark element to Ildakar. Humans seem to be dolls, mere matter to use to create new creatures through magical creation. Through this magical creation the gifted nobles have created a race of human cattle that are used for pleasure, hard labor, and worse of all, food. YES! You read that right! CANABALISM! Goodkind uses these sinister world-building tid-bits to remind us of his views of social justice, social hiearchy, and social engineering.

Nathan for the most part struggles to make a dominant presence in the book. He complains about something (I won't say what, since it's a spoiler for book one), and bemoans the entire time. His obsession with fixing his problem causes quite a hardship for him because he gets himself into some sticky situations, particularly the wizard that does the "fleshomancy". Bannon ironically, the non-magical one, spots the rotten element of Ildakar a lot sooner than his magical friends. He finds ways to show his own form of heroism, despite being in a city full of powerful gifted. Nicci in my eyes struggled more in this book. She was the most vulnerable I have ever seen her. She's in a city full of men and women who easily overpower her, despite having both Additive and Subtractive forms of magic. However, the last few chapters are her redemption and are some of the best Nicci scenes.

Goodkind reminds us of his critiques on the world with this installment. Power corrupts and when left to its own devices, breeds the kind of rot that is hard to get rid of. Shroud of Eternity takes great strides in being more cohesive than its predeccesor and we find our characters the most vulnerable than we have seen, allowing for us as a reader to see how far they have come and how far they have to still grow. The cliffhanger at the end will have you reeling and make you curse Goodkind for his devious antics. It leaves readers off with many questions, but sets up the next book beautifully. It shall be a great book.

Very good read! Made me want to read the next installment as soon as possible. Some story lines were expected. Won’t give any spoilers here, but if you have followed the main characters throughout the Sword of Truth series, I believe that you will enjoy this, even if R&K are not present. Additional characters from SOT have been brought into the story. Classic Goodkind in jumping from character groups in different parts of the world, as things are occurring at the same time. Can’t wait for the next installment in Nicci’s story!

I tried to take my time with this book... tried! Mr. Goodkind’s world-building is incredible, and it continues further throughout this adventure. The thrills are always fun and infectious... sometimes making me feel like I need to root for all sides ? What an incredible journey, and Nathan’s return to true form is as glorious as the man himself. Leaving us with what feels like 15 million different cliffhangers, lol, I can’t wait to see where Mr. Goodkind takes us next. Hoo-rah and thanks again Mr. Goodkind, for the stoic characters, the sturdy memories, and of course the dashing adventure ?

This book gets better and better as it goes. There's plenty of action and much more magic than in his other books. The deviant nature of evil is explored in shocking ways that I never would have expected--something Goodkind always excels at. I enjoyed this book more than the first Nicci book, but I can't figure out how to explain why, without major spoilers. The ending is exciting and satisfying, while still leaving me hooked, craving the next book in that delicious way that only a great series can. I loved it!

Like most Terry Goodkind books, this one has it's share of troubles though far less so than some of his past Ayn Rand Resurrected, Recycled, and Ripped-Off books...

Nicci's ability to interact with others and effectively utilize her powers ranges from Omnipotent to Idiotic and emotionally there's just not a lot of places to connect with the character as she's already so been so rigidly defined and pigeon-holed. Like, isn't it a little early for Nicci to have given-up on ever finding someone that she could love as much if not more than Richard Rahl? Meanwhile, Nathan simultaneously continues to be theatrically larger-than-life fun and yet also the moderate voice of reason. Bannon meanwhile has the emotional system and self-restraint of a hormonally-charged adolescent drama queen and it's impossible not be disgusted by his very existence and continued presence in the story. My only regret where Bannon is concerned is that he wasn't beaten-up more and/or killed by the end of the book.

In terms of the larger issues, the book's antagonists are so overly simplified that they come across as completely caricatured and cartooney, you can't believe these people are in charge of ANYTHING, and the city of Ildakar itself basically makes no sense from an ecosystemic, economic, and sociological perspective.

This brings us round to Goodkind's continued use of magic to pave-over any plot-hole(s) he can't get over and through connectively and/or logically and it's as irritating here as whenever Richard does it in his books (usually at the 11th hour) where he's the protagonist.

A number of characters from previous books make appearances of various size and duration here and though I certainly don't want to return to Richard & Kahlan 4-Ever + Kept Apart Again centered stories I would at least like to know more about what has become of them.

Goodkind continues his process of splitting males into Heroic Good and/or Sadistic Evil categories when it comes to their respect for and/or interaction with women in that his characters invariably either behave as Sir Galahad Pure OR as Wife-Beating Serial Rapists.

The books ends with fairly solid resolution but also on a Let's-Set-The-Stage For What's Next Cliffhanger.

I do give him credit for finding a believable way to extend the viable life of the Sword of Truth series.

I started with the Sword of Truth series years ago and loved it. Bought every book, read them multiple times, watched the TV show ( which was pretty good IMHO.)

Unfortunately either success or longevity has ruined what was once a great author. I suffered through Mistress of Death but only got about 25% through Shroud of Enternity before I had to give up. The writing is laughably childish and the plot has so many holes it boggles the imagination. I have read many KU books that were better constructed. Mr. Goodkind is no longer an author on my “to-read” list.

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.

This is a tough one for me to write. . .

Goodkind has now written 21 novels and this is the first one that I feel is not a full five-stars. (Obviously there are some better than others, however I have always felt each book deserved five-stars, until now.)

This book just seemed to be highly repetitive. A lot of the storyline seemed rehashed. Perhaps my patience just wasn't there this time around, but more than once, I just wanted Goodkind to "get on with it" - to stop dragging things out.

With that said, there is still a lot to love about this book. When Goodkind nails it, he nails it!

Just to mention a couple of my favorite aspects, besides the ancient, fabled city of Ildakar (where everything is not as it appears); Goodkind has now introduced the Morazeth (while the Mord-Sith are more intriguing, I am looking forward to finding out more about the Morazeth). Also, you will be introduced to Ixax warriors - 15' high behemoths - each one capable of taking on 1,500 enemy soldiers. Good stuff!

This work is as contrived as his other books. Great cover art though, but that story. It's bad, it's laughably bad. Let's have some fun with it. Share your reasons on the store on why we all think it's pretty bad storytelling and the top ten get a no prize!

I am deeply disappointed in the version of Nicci presented in this book. Having read all of the Sword of Truth series, I always found Nicci to be characterized as intelligent and having precise control of her magic, which she used often in inventive ways. SPOILER ALERT HERE ... In this book and the initial book in the Sister of Darkness series, she seems unable to learn from previous experiences and her only recourse is blatant, blunt force magic, either using lightning bolts, gales of wind or wizard's fire. No longer does she seem to be capable of fine control with razor cuts of air, or imaginative uses of physical objects to overcome creatures immune to magical attack. I liked the old version of Nicci and had hopes for this series but they are fading unless Mr Goodkind rethinks his presentation of the character.

After reading all the previous books, even owning signed hard cover copies, very disappointed. Nicci and Nathan both have way too much experience to be so ignorant. What happened the the creative, common sense approach that was Terry Goodkind?
Next to zero creativity. When the two hero's try to solve problems they have encountered before and should have known how to deal with. No preparation, no backup ...simply bad writing.

I have only read the sample of this book because I refuse to pay $14.99 for a book on line. I loved the small part I read, would love to read more & I will as soon as the price goes down or I find it in a bookstore at a reasonable price!
SHARON WHEELER

I am happy to see that the story continues into the South. Nicci and Nathan each have their own demons to slay in this book. The story kept me reading long after I should have put it down. I was not disappointed with the progression of the story up to date.

I have read the entire Sword of Truth series, and was very interested in this spinoff series with Nicci and Nathan. Together, they have explored a whole new world. The first novel, Death's Mistress, was a powerful epic fantasy adventure, but it was like an opening act, spinning up a lot of plot threads and laying down a lot of necessary information. Now in Shroud of Eternity it's clear that Terry Goodkind has an enormous adventure in store for us. This novel builds the story and the crisis bigger and bigger and it's clear we have a lot more in store for these two great characters from SoT.

Of you have read the sword of truth it is time for the next adventure. These stories much like the previous ones will keep you coming back for page after page. You love the characters and can't wait to see how they can help the world. What a great read. Don't skip this story line it it's truly one of the best.

Nicci, Nathan and Bannon make a very good trio to make up a story about. This book does start out a little slow but catches your interest pretty quickly as the story progresses. I recommend this book to all fantasy lovers. You should read this.

I was skeptical when the Nicci Series first came out and I wasn’t expecting much but I have loved these 2 books!!

I love the characters! I love the new locations! This book drew me in, from start to finish. One of the main ways I evaluate a book is on whether it can make me care enough about the characters that I feel invested in what happens to them and i certainly did!!

Highly recommended!

A beautiful cover illustration that quickly gave way to 527 pages of pure garbage. Do yourself a favor and explore the far superior fantasy authors out there, including China Mieville, Joe Abercrombie, Sofia Samatar, Helene Wecker, and V. E. Schwab.

Actually Shroud of Eternity reads like a novel published for free on the web - and even if it would be published for free, nobody should waste any time with it. There are so many authors out there with good writing skills but TG is none of them. At least the cover looks good.

I haven’t read it yet but I bought this book based solely on the cover art. That is a lovely painting.
I’m going to start it tonight. I know I will be picturing the cover as I devour this book.
4 stars for the cover, I’ll give it 5 after I’m done reading, I’m sure.