Sword Of Truth

[X'Nedra]

I started reading WoT series, and couldn't drag myself past book 6 (although I will get to it, I promise!). Anywho... Last week I started reading the Sword of Truth series, and YES!!! I have had many moments where I thought they were quite similar.

SoT seems to be far more graphic in both it's violence and sex than what I have read so far of WoT. Perhaps not more graphic, but Goodkind seems to be able to rouse better imagery for me than Jordan has so far.

Come to think of it - there are also a lot of similarities between SoT and The Belgariad/Mallorean (which, you can probably tell by my name are my absolute faves!)

I also find it hard to swallow the way both authors portray women. With SoT the main female character seems to be always crying, and wishing some strong man (Richard) would come and save her, and Jordan's women do nothing but bitch and whine. At least Eddings' women were strong and capable... but I won't go off on a rant about that!!

 

[Petrifiedpat]

I read the entire sword of truth series before even hearing about the Wheel of Time. I have made it five books into WoT and I must say.. Knowing that wheel of time began first it is difficult to argue that Goodkind did not, at the very least, borrow heavily from the WoT. The relevant issue in my opinion is the tone of the two series. As early into WoT as i currently am I don't profess to be an expert, but from what i can gather it seems that Jordan mostly manages to maintain a focus on his overall narrative and is particularly adept at developing multiple characters while keeping the reader's focus on the larger conflict. In contrast Goodkind took what began as a satisfying and epic storyline and bent it tot the point of breaking so that he could shoehorn his political beliefs (repeatedly and relentlessly) into the narrative. Therein lies the most significant difference between the two series for me and why I continue to read wheel of time after having given up completely on the sword of truth. I realize that I ramble but this is an issue that has been weighing on my mind for weeks now.

 

[Clansman]

Petrifiedpat, you are preaching to the choir in this place! I gave up on Sword of Truth at Naked Empire, chucking it across the room. That series became hopelessly trite, and despite Jordan's problems with books 7 through 10 (you'll see what I mean shortly if you're starting book six), Jordan does manage to keep the reader focused on the big picture, as opposed to neo-Randian philosophy, but the story wanders quite badly in books 7 through 10. It gets back on track in book 11 (Jordan's last book), and Brandon Sanderson breathes amazing new life into it in book 12, The Gathering Storm (and in the process, ends a number of unprofitable sub-plots). Book 13, The Towers of Midnight, is out very shortly. The series will end next fall with A Memory of Light.

 

[X'Nedra]

I read the entire sword of truth series before even hearing about the Wheel of Time. I have made it five books into WoT and I must say.. Knowing that wheel of time began first it is difficult to argue that Goodkind did not, at the very least, borrow heavily from the WoT. The relevant issue in my opinion is the tone of the two series. As early into WoT as i currently am I don't profess to be an expert, but from what i can gather it seems that Jordan mostly manages to maintain a focus on his overall narrative and is particularly adept at developing multiple characters while keeping the reader's focus on the larger conflict. In contrast Goodkind took what began as a satisfying and epic storyline and bent it tot the point of breaking so that he could shoehorn his political beliefs (repeatedly and relentlessly) into the narrative. Therein lies the most significant difference between the two series for me and why I continue to read wheel of time after having given up completely on the sword of truth. I realize that I ramble but this is an issue that has been weighing on my mind for weeks now.

Yes! I dragged myself through the whole SoT series, and was so disappointed with the direction he took the books. In the first few I could see a great storyline but it kind of wandered off into a completely different tangent, and yes - became less about the characters and more about preaching... YUCK! The end was crap too.

I'm really pleased to be back into WoT, and although Jordan does ramble on a bit, at least it is part of the storyline and not just blabbing at me about living for myself and making my own choices and blah blah blardy blah like Goodkind's books did.

 

[chongjasmine]

I notice there are similarities, but it doesn't distract me from reading both authors. Although I prefer Jordan more than Goodkind.

 

[BAYLOR]

I read the first book in this seres and like it but , so e reason never got around to reading anymore.

 

[Boaz]

Obviously people can because so many people do. These authors seem to appeal to the same sort of readers, and have worn out their welcome with many of them at about the same rate -- while maintaining their popularity with many others.

I haven't read much of Jordan, and haven't read Goodkind at all, so it wouldn't be possible for me to make a comparison. But if all the similarities listed above are accurate, it looks like Terry Goodkind, who acts like he has totally reinvented the Fantasy genre, may only have succeeded in reinventing Robert Jordan.

I've read only the first book of each series.... but I see Tolkien, Tolkien, and more Tolkien. I immediately leap to the conclusion that Goodkind is ripping off Tolkien and Jordan is plagiarizing him. But intellectually, I know that they both must love Middle-earth.... that Tolkien must have set their imaginations on fire! I've posted about McKiernan's, Jordan's, and Brooks' similarities to Tolkien before... but in my gentler moments I think that their works must be homages in their minds.

 

[Toby Frost]

I believe Goodkind frequently pointed out that his books weren't fantasy and that all fantasy was rubbish.