Sword of Truth series (Terry Goodkind)

It's like I said before, I'm still only reading the first book, I only decided to read the books because mum introduced me to the series, but I do agree about Zedd... theres just something about him. He looks really Frail and broken if you know what I mean. And his eyes look like they're about to pop out of his head, I mean, that's just creepy!

And with the book Khale said, where Richard comes into it in the end; isn't thsat the one about Zedd and its quite small in comparisson with the other books?

And with the other books, I'll just have to take all your words for it, I mean, I'll still read them because Im a total sap and love the quest/love adventure kind of stuff.
 
Khale said:
I enjoyed the series but I think it was more a matter of having invested time in the first few books that I just wanted to see what ultimately happened.

The later books became somewhat painful whenever Goodkind wrote about Richard's love for Kahlan. Wow, stop the madness. Why do I need 100 pages in every darn book to explain to me how important Kahlan is to Richard? Seriously, I got it the first or even twentieth time.

Then there was the one book that Goodkind could just cut out of the series. I think it was Pillars of Creation. I think Richard showed up in that book on the last page (well, at least he wasn't pining for Kahlan throughout the book - so that is a plus).

Edit:

On the TV series, it is entertaining if there is nothing else on. Oh, and I agree with the other poster that said the series needs a new Zed. I don't like that guy for some reason.
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Possible Spoiler

I agree with everything you said here..yeah it was Pillars I think...It was Jenssen...trained to kill Lord Rahl. The only time we say Richard was at the end when she was trying to kill him. Actually it was pointless but may have been a little better than the rest because at least the story was different. Kind of a neat idea though...the Pillars of Creation were holes in magic...I liked how they couldnt be sensed by magic. I guess Goodkind had a few interesting ideas.

By the end I was so happy to never hear another as your said 100page rambling about Kahlan. If he cut out half the dialouge and Richard missing Kahlan non-relevant material I think a lot more people would have acutally enjoyed these books.
 
Couldn't get through the first book - I think I was really turned off by the length of Wheel of Time (got to book 9 of that series and gave up), so when I found Wizard's First Rule to be completely uninteresting, I just stopped right there.
 
When I read the first book of The Sword of Truth I thought 'what the hell sort of writer is this', he had the most uncanny way of writing and some sort of need to spell everything out for the reader. Later in the book I found the story becoming enjoyable once I got used to his unorthodox and might I say fairly poor writing style.
Going on to books two to four I found the series quite enjoyable but I still had problems with certain aspects of the books (some problems being very fundamental), the biggest one being an uncanny resemblance to Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time.
Once I hit book five and six the series had really started to go downhill, in book five I can just remember thinking 'this is so stupid', mostly in relation to the completely unrealistic scenarios that kept occurring, one being an evil chicken.
Book six I enjoyed on one level but I had finally had enough of the damn Richard and Khalan getting separated plot and also Goodkind really started to pile on his story destroying philosophy that started to become too big an aspect of the series.

From book seven on the series was a shambles, I kept going with it because it was the same series that I had previously enjoyed. There was some enjoyable parts in the later books mostly revolving around the characters Richard and Zedd who I enjoyed alot (although Richards perfectness was a bit of a buzz kill). I think I managed to read each of his last three books in four or five hours since I page skipped so much, I'm not actually 100% on what they were about.

The prequel book Debt of Bones was a nice insight to a young Zedd and I enjoyed it.

The biggest problems with these books was Goodkinds seemingly perverse pleasure in describing torture scenes that spanned chapters (I'm not squeamish or easily appalled but this was just overkill) and his ability to completely derail his books by preaching his philosophy over and over.
Also at around book eight I came across Goodkind interviews and was really turned off the author by his inability to accept that he was a fantasy author and also the fact that he insulted people who didn't like his books.

I have to say though I like the magic system he created especially that related to Richard (i.e. war wizard/seekers magic), I found some of the characters to be well done if not well rounded, I like how his writing style is very unique although it isn't particularly sophisticated and I liked the wizard rules although in the later books the rules became downright idiotic.
 
I read the books, found the first one a solid "not bad". As the series went on the "let me educate you about my own very special beliefs and wisdom which are so much better than yours" content got fairly nauseating. I bought the first few, and then wised up. The last few I got from the liobrary...and practiced my "skimming skills" on them. At least one I didn't even bother to finish. The last book and its ened are (in my humble openion) pathetic. I assume that Goodkind is capable of writing a good book, as he has done some creditable work...but a lot of this series, "ain't it".
 
I think most of Goodkind's SOT books are excellent. I will admit he began to run out of things to write about by the fourth book and then picked it up again later with "Faith of the Fallen," and the Chainfire trilogy to end the series out. His characters are alive and exciting to read about and you soon become very attached and protective of them. I have read alot of fantasy novels in a very short amount of time and most characters are not necessarily very likeable or as developed and they certainly don't possess the extra dimension to them Goodkind gave Richard. I also find that Goodkind is very good at creating suspense. Another element which often seems to be missing from alot of fantasy novels. So what is there not to like? So many complaints on here are so biased they're on the point of laughable.
 
So many complaints on here are so biased they're on the point of laughable.
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People have the right to be biased as its their opinion. That very same comment could be directed at your post.
 
i agree with simple simon on that. most opinions are bias either way. you like something, you're going to see the good, you don't, you're going to see the bad. very few people are complketely objective, or have any need to be. if we were writing reviews, then yes, we'd have to say both good and bad, if we want to do a good job, but we're not. we're discussing what we thought of something.
tho to be honest, if i was to write a review, i'd have a hard time finding something good to say, bcause i didn't like ANYTHING in the four books i read. adn that's not really being bias, that's just the series not appealing to me, not having anything to offer me in what i look for. and that's just how tastes run. people like different stuff

and personally, i thought the chicken scene was hysterical :) that's something good i could say. the chicken scene was uniquer :)
 
This sort of stuff is what I think of when I think of fantasy. Wizards, magic,dragons etc and a quest, and the reason I vote SF in the poll. They always come in huge series and all look and sound the same! I'd like to think there was much more to fantasy than this.
 
What is even more interesting is how very rude he can be to anyone who raises legitimite questions to him, such as: Why did most of your books come out a year or two after Robert Jordan's and always seem to be very similar?

He told one fan, "If you see any resemblences between my work and Robert Jordan's, then you aren't old enough to read my books."

And another favorite: "I don't write fantasy. I write stories with important human themes."

Seriously, WFR was great when I was in High School and didn't understand what I could be reading besides his garbage. I decided to give him another go a few months ago and picked WFR up second hand. It was horrible. I can't believe I thought it was a good book once upon a time.
 
Reading back over my original post, I realize that I need to clarify something.

I don't want to discourage anyone, specifically the original poster, from trying his "work". My extreme dislike for his "work" is a reflection of my taste, and of my not wanting to support such a snob.

But to each his own, and if anyone around here enjoys it, more power to ya.

I can't.
 
Hmm, I have to weigh in once again and state that his stuff, to me, reads as fairly immature. By immature I mean the way he writes. His characters do not have their own motivations, and his hand as an author is very, very heavy. Characters come across as true to what he wants and not what they would want if they were actual characters. His stuff was the kind of fantasy story I thought I would enjoy, until I read it. Then it ended up as one of those books you want to pitch through the window or put in the bathroom to use in emergencies as tp.

I've never met the man but from reading interviews and other such stuff he gives the impression of having a fairly high opinion of himself and his abilities. I think that is very good, because, honestly, somebody should.
 
The Hitler video is brilliant. Dead brilliant, because it is so very funny, and very, very true.

I share Saeltari's view. 'Nuff said, 'nuff time spent.
 
Watched the first episode of the series and my wife has sky+ the series. Not sure if I will watch it, I read the first three books I think and then just didn't bother buying anymore. Funny thing was I didn't realise what the programme was at first, I was playing on my computer while my wife was watching it and I suddenly thought this seems familiar, then Zed was mentioned and I realised what it was. Seeing the reactions to the mere mention of Goodkinds name on various sites he really seems to be a marmite author.
 
If you enjoy it keep on reading/watching

If it makes you happy ignore the negative posts on here

I read and enjoyed the SOT and if the series comes out in the Uk I will see what I think and make my mind up without being swayed by a bunch of lovely people on a forum

However, I will also keep in mind that this isn't the only fantasy series ever written or in deed the best, I will endeavour to read lots of others to compare before making a judgement even if said author does not admit to writing fantasy..

I will also take the goodly/saintly/perfect character of said writers characters with a pinch of salt like I do that righteous tale the bible
 
I like the sixth book of Goodkind's SOT series the best. I am currently reading the first book of chainfire series half way. I got bored with it, and moved on to read George R.R Martin's books. Will come back to goodkind after I am done with some other fantasy/science fiction books I borrowed from the library.
 
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