robin142857's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.5
carmony's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
katiecatbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Journey. Sorcery and magic. Slow paced.
Story: Nicci the sorceress and Nathan the wizard are roving ambassadors to the D'Haran Empire to spread the word of the new liberated free world.
Characters: Nicci is a sorceress, cold hearted and direct. Nathan is a wizard who has lost his powers of prophecy and is seeking to restore them.
Language: This is a slow-paced story and a tome at over 500 pages. The characters journey over land, encountering new people, friends and enemies, and spreading the word of the Empire far and wide. There are events throughout the story, each with its own buildup, climax and conclusion, but none of them are intense or deep or drawn out. So while this book is not suspenseful or a page turner by any means, it is written by a master of fantasy, and the story is so interesting that it is always a comfort and joy to return to the world and follow along. There is fantasy violence, but it is not very heavy or descriptive. There are scenes of sexuality, but despite that, this book would still be appropriate for mature teens and up. This would also be ideal for a reader new to fantasy, as it doesn't overwhelm with fantasy aspects and often explains things out, sometimes when things are already obvious.
Although this took me time to read, I really enjoyed this as a bit of lighter fantasy and I'm interested to follow the characters in book two.
Story: Nicci the sorceress and Nathan the wizard are roving ambassadors to the D'Haran Empire to spread the word of the new liberated free world.
Characters: Nicci is a sorceress, cold hearted and direct. Nathan is a wizard who has lost his powers of prophecy and is seeking to restore them.
Language: This is a slow-paced story and a tome at over 500 pages. The characters journey over land, encountering new people, friends and enemies, and spreading the word of the Empire far and wide. There are events throughout the story, each with its own buildup, climax and conclusion, but none of them are intense or deep or drawn out. So while this book is not suspenseful or a page turner by any means, it is written by a master of fantasy, and the story is so interesting that it is always a comfort and joy to return to the world and follow along. There is fantasy violence, but it is not very heavy or descriptive. There are scenes of sexuality, but despite that, this book would still be appropriate for mature teens and up. This would also be ideal for a reader new to fantasy, as it doesn't overwhelm with fantasy aspects and often explains things out, sometimes when things are already obvious.
Although this took me time to read, I really enjoyed this as a bit of lighter fantasy and I'm interested to follow the characters in book two.
catra121's review against another edition
3.0
This is no Wizards First Rule, Stone of Tears, or even really approaching the worst of the Sword of Truth books...but it's not terrible. VERY slow start but once things got going it was enjoyable enough. The writing just felt...meh...kind of reminded me of young adult because it was pretty shallow. But it was fine...just not great.
mariab06's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 actually.
The writing was good and i enjoyed the world and the magic of it immensely. however it was a rather slow book and i didn’t form any connections to the characters until the very end of the book, which made it quite difficult to motivate me to keep reading.
it felt too slow which can be common in first books of a series (even more when it’s a sequel), but there wasn’t any major flaw.
it just wasn’t what i was excepting.
The writing was good and i enjoyed the world and the magic of it immensely. however it was a rather slow book and i didn’t form any connections to the characters until the very end of the book, which made it quite difficult to motivate me to keep reading.
it felt too slow which can be common in first books of a series (even more when it’s a sequel), but there wasn’t any major flaw.
it just wasn’t what i was excepting.
bequibuho's review against another edition
4.0
Now that the war is over Nicci and Nathan have set out to spread awareness of Emperor Jagang’s death. Early on in their journey, Nathan discovers a way to regain his prophet abilities which leads them on an epic adventure where we meet new characters, find mermaids, and lost libraries.
Now I did receive this book in exchange for an honest review, so thank you so much @torbooks for providing me a finished copy.
I must confess I didn’t read the Sword of Truth series, but luckily I can assure you that you don’t have to finish that series to appreciate this book.
We follow Nicci who was once known as a Death Mistress. She is a very powerful sorceress, she has lived a long difficult life. Along with Nathan, a now ex-prophet but still skilled sorcerer, they aim to spread the news of Richard rising to power.
I really enjoyed the odd couple dynamic these two had. Nicci is far more reserved while Nathan has more of an playful outlook. They are joined later on by Bannon a young man who is setting out from home for the first time. Bannon is so naive about magic and the world around him. He was another great compliment to Nicci. I really enjoyed this trio of characters and I thought they offered a unique look at the world.
While I did enjoy the characters. It was the villains that really caught my interest. We had multiple bad guys throughout the book, pretty much a baddie for every leg of the journey. We had humans, creatures, and magic going askew.
This book completely captivated me. I read this 500+ page book over two days.
However, I am giving this book a B-.
There were so many graphic depictions of sexual assault, sex, and violence. I had a tough time reading some of those scenes, especially all the abuse that Nicci went through while she was in service to the old Emperor. Her sexual history both positive and negative was used to show how far she came as a character. And that really bothered me.
I am sure that Nicci had a lot of character growth over the Sword of Truth series. We catch glimpses of her darker side via flashback throughout this book. I just we could have seen more character development throughout this book. There was so much non stop action that the development took a back seat.
Now I did receive this book in exchange for an honest review, so thank you so much @torbooks for providing me a finished copy.
I must confess I didn’t read the Sword of Truth series, but luckily I can assure you that you don’t have to finish that series to appreciate this book.
We follow Nicci who was once known as a Death Mistress. She is a very powerful sorceress, she has lived a long difficult life. Along with Nathan, a now ex-prophet but still skilled sorcerer, they aim to spread the news of Richard rising to power.
I really enjoyed the odd couple dynamic these two had. Nicci is far more reserved while Nathan has more of an playful outlook. They are joined later on by Bannon a young man who is setting out from home for the first time. Bannon is so naive about magic and the world around him. He was another great compliment to Nicci. I really enjoyed this trio of characters and I thought they offered a unique look at the world.
While I did enjoy the characters. It was the villains that really caught my interest. We had multiple bad guys throughout the book, pretty much a baddie for every leg of the journey. We had humans, creatures, and magic going askew.
This book completely captivated me. I read this 500+ page book over two days.
However, I am giving this book a B-.
There were so many graphic depictions of sexual assault, sex, and violence. I had a tough time reading some of those scenes, especially all the abuse that Nicci went through while she was in service to the old Emperor. Her sexual history both positive and negative was used to show how far she came as a character. And that really bothered me.
I am sure that Nicci had a lot of character growth over the Sword of Truth series. We catch glimpses of her darker side via flashback throughout this book. I just we could have seen more character development throughout this book. There was so much non stop action that the development took a back seat.
jp1's review against another edition
3.0
For the most part okay! I was super excited to see where niccis future would lead us, but the side character of bannon farmer was annoying af. Also can someone explain why the woman who known for her signature black dress looks like a generic traveller on the front cover?
jdmitrijeva's review against another edition
2.0
Ja būtu varējusi audible atgriezt atpakaļ, būtu pēc pāris pirmajām nodaļām. Bet nu kaut kā turpināju, lai gan nebija vērts. Vai nu par daudz daļu šai fantāzijas sērijas pasaulē esmu izlaidusi, bet neviens no varoņiem īsti nelikās interesants. Lai gan bija daudzsološi aizmetņi - burve, kas no ļaunās kļuva par labo, burvis, kas dzīvo vairāk par tūkstoš gadiem...
happyocelot's review against another edition
5.0
A solid Terry Goodkind book. It was delightful being back in the Sword of Truth universe, but it was odd not having Richard and Kahlan there. If you enjoyed other Goodkind novels, then you'll find this one is very similar in terms of pace, storyline, plot twists, turns, and character development. It is clear that there will be more novels because some major story themes are unresolved by the end of the book.
vaderbird's review against another edition
2.0
This is like Terry Brooks, stop it already, with every new book you are destroying what you created.
Why I tried is beyond me.
Why I tried is beyond me.