By Terry Goodkind
TOR / Tom Doherty Associates Books 2003

Reviewed By Robert Thompson 11/22/03

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The Sword of Truth series is a sword and sorcery type group, somewhat different from the norm of that genre, and while often mentioned in the same breath as Jordan's Wheel Of Time Series and Martin's Song of Ice & Fire series, it does have a somewhat different tone & style.

I have only reviewed one of the previous books in this series, although I have read and enjoyed them all.  

Here is a brief summary of what has happened earlier:

The main  character is Richard Cypher grew up to be a simple woods-guide. He was raised in obscurity by his grandfather Zedd. As it turns out however, Richard is actually the son of the evil leader of the D'Haran Empire, Darken Rahl. His Grandfather Zedd is actually "The First Wizard", the head of the order of magick workers.

Richard is "appointed" The Seeker of Truth, and sets out on a journey to "do justice" across the lands. He meets and falls in love with Kahlan, The "Mother Confessor" of the Midlands. Together (and separately) they have many adventures, including an epic battle between Richard and his evil father, which Richard wins and becomes The Lord Rahl himself. He liberates the people ruled by the old Lord Rahl and becomes a loved and benevolent leader rather than a feared despot that the D'Haran's have had for generations.

Just as it appears that all will be well, the barriers between the Old World and the New World fall, and Emperor Jagang of "The Order" (another evil despot) invades with an army of millions. Richard attempts to rally all of the nations in the new world to stop Jagang's hordes, but many of the independent nations refuse to join, hoping for neutrality or actually joining Jagang.

In this book, Richard "discovers" a hidden country of pacifists who have been invaded by "The Order" which has killed everyone they haven't enslaved.  An "ambassador" of this land poisons Richard with a slow acting potion, and he will give Richard the antidote if Richard will rid the country of The Order.  The rest of the story is Richard, Kahlan and a few friends trying to do get the antidote and doing what they can to free the land from the Order.

There are a couple of concurrent stories covered: Zedd and Adie are kidnapped out of the Wizard's Keep by Jagang' agents and other of Richard's forces are trying to hold the main pass into D'Hara against the bulk of  Jagang's army.

In many ways though, this book is  Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged with swords and magick.  I would recommend it if only for that alone.  Anything that might get that message through to another kind of reader is OK in my book.

You may enjoy it more if you have read the previous seven books: WIZARDS FIRST RULE, STONE OF TEARS, BLOOD OF THE FOLD, TEMPLE OF THE WINDS, SOUL OF THE FIRE;  FAITH OF THE FALLEN, THE PILLARS OF CREATION.