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mnyberg's review against another edition
3.0
Average at best. At least good enough to continue with the series. I am a big fan of the first 11 novels, but Goodkind really dumbed down the characters and made Richard into kind of a wuss in this continuation. I also hope the writing improves. "I need to do something, and fast" Kind of lame.
Also, the first 11 books were kind of gritty and rated R. This is PG13.
Also, the first 11 books were kind of gritty and rated R. This is PG13.
edgyirishcupcake's review against another edition
3.0
Better than most of the books in the series. Still wildly predictable and redundant. Can't wait to finish this series and read something that is thought provoking and interesting again.
sarina_langer's review against another edition
3.0
The Omen Machine begins a new plot line after the last one finished in Confessor, and it comes with some creepy new crawlers to boot! There's something unsettling about the idea of shadows watching you sleep and potentially tearing you to shreds at any given moment.
As the blurb above states, a machine is unearthed (literally, it was hidden and buried pretty well) which spits out omens. Unlike the prophecies which have been a big part of the previous books, these omens are very specific and come true within a short period of time. The most interesting factor for me was that the machine seems to be alive, in a sense, and is replying directly to Richard which implies that maybe the machine is more than a, well, machine. Not all questions were answered in this book and I'm dying to find out more in the next book. Dying, I tell you!!
The plot I loved, and the possibilities for the next book in the series have me excited to start reading, but I felt like the writing itself had taken a step back, as had the characters themselves. Has Zedd - or any of them, for that matter - always been so slow to grasp simple concepts? Why do we need to spend several pages discussing the obvious? Why did Richard have to explain to Zedd how a Confessor's power works? The man knows! Maker, he's known for longer than Richard but for some reason it had to be explained to him. So I don't know what happened but the characters were smarter before. I'm sure they were. There were also some unnecessary repetitions, but overall there were so few that it didn't ruin anything too much. It just put a damper on things here and there.
Don't get me wrong, though, it was a good book with a great plot and I'm not about to stop reading my way through this series now. It was a great read which I devoured, but it does feel like he could have done better and has done better in the past.
Then again, the man has written 17 books in this series. They can't all be as awesome as the first, and given that this is only the second I had any issues with I can't really complain. Even with its faults it was still amazing.
As the blurb above states, a machine is unearthed (literally, it was hidden and buried pretty well) which spits out omens. Unlike the prophecies which have been a big part of the previous books, these omens are very specific and come true within a short period of time. The most interesting factor for me was that the machine seems to be alive, in a sense, and is replying directly to Richard which implies that maybe the machine is more than a, well, machine. Not all questions were answered in this book and I'm dying to find out more in the next book. Dying, I tell you!!
The plot I loved, and the possibilities for the next book in the series have me excited to start reading, but I felt like the writing itself had taken a step back, as had the characters themselves. Has Zedd - or any of them, for that matter - always been so slow to grasp simple concepts? Why do we need to spend several pages discussing the obvious? Why did Richard have to explain to Zedd how a Confessor's power works? The man knows! Maker, he's known for longer than Richard but for some reason it had to be explained to him. So I don't know what happened but the characters were smarter before. I'm sure they were. There were also some unnecessary repetitions, but overall there were so few that it didn't ruin anything too much. It just put a damper on things here and there.
Don't get me wrong, though, it was a good book with a great plot and I'm not about to stop reading my way through this series now. It was a great read which I devoured, but it does feel like he could have done better and has done better in the past.
Then again, the man has written 17 books in this series. They can't all be as awesome as the first, and given that this is only the second I had any issues with I can't really complain. Even with its faults it was still amazing.
purplewidow's review against another edition
1.0
This is it. I'm done with Terry Goodkind.
As some reviewers mentioned before it, this book doesn't have TG's touch. It seems to me someone else wrote it and just tried to make it to 500 pages, even though it could've been done in 100.
Very disappointing.
As some reviewers mentioned before it, this book doesn't have TG's touch. It seems to me someone else wrote it and just tried to make it to 500 pages, even though it could've been done in 100.
Very disappointing.
michaelesch's review against another edition
3.0
Terry Goodkind is one of my favorite authors and Richard and Kahlan are by far my favorite characters of any story I have ever read. So my review automatically gets 2 stars (I dont know if that is fair, but its my review and therefore my rules).
If a story is suppose to have an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement then this story fails. It has great characters and exciting moments but then it goes dead. For the first 200 pages I was waiting for rising action. I thought I had found it with the introduction to who I thought was the villain. I was excited and thought this was the point of the Goodkind book where I cant put it down, staying up till 3 in the morning to finish. But it was not that and the story slowed down.
I felt like the story created more questions then it answered. Maybe the sequel that is coming out at the end of summer will help this one out. I hope that the Third Kingdom has more passion like the first confessor, and less like the omen machine.
If a story is suppose to have an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement then this story fails. It has great characters and exciting moments but then it goes dead. For the first 200 pages I was waiting for rising action. I thought I had found it with the introduction to who I thought was the villain. I was excited and thought this was the point of the Goodkind book where I cant put it down, staying up till 3 in the morning to finish. But it was not that and the story slowed down.
I felt like the story created more questions then it answered. Maybe the sequel that is coming out at the end of summer will help this one out. I hope that the Third Kingdom has more passion like the first confessor, and less like the omen machine.
joyful24's review against another edition
4.0
This is my second Terry Goodkind novel. Its been a while since I was consumed a 500 page book as quickly and thoroughly enjoyed as I read this novel. I appreciate the world development and character relationships. I like that the book is written in a way that engages new readers as well as keeps interest of established fans (yes, there is lots of repetition and explanation of backstory). I appreciate the way Goodkind weaves discussion about free will and choice into the plot. Lord Rahl, the Seeker has unified the D'hara and invited his people to just leadership.............. There is a wave of prophecy that's growing into a tsunami with major ramification for EVERYONE in the Kingdom.
raptorimperator's review against another edition
4.0
Omen, portents, and prophecy. Strange and baffling warnings foretell dark times ahead, and Richard and Kahlan are right in the middle of it all. Flush after the victory against the Imperial Order and the celebration of the wedding between Mord'Sith Cara and General Benjamin Meiffert, things for the Lord Rahl and the Mother Confessor begin to spin wildly out of control. Hannis Arc is bent on revenge for injustices in the past, not caring who gets in the way of him reaping his vengeance. A strange and dark being tied to death awaits like a spider, bringing everyone into her web, bringing them to death. And an ancient machine hidden beneath the Garden of Life seems to be at the center of all the chaos.
Another great addition to the world of Richard and Kahlan. Very much looking forward to the next installment, whenever Mr. Goodkind writes it.
Another great addition to the world of Richard and Kahlan. Very much looking forward to the next installment, whenever Mr. Goodkind writes it.
raeanne's review against another edition
1.0
I've tried 3 times to finish this book. I just can't do it and I'm the kind of reader who always finishes my book. I can count the number of books that I haven't finished on my fingers. Sadly, this book is now among them.
These are not the characters I grew to love in the SOT series. I was annoyed with the seemingly endless repetitive preaching in the last books of the SOT but still enjoyed the characters and loved the series. The Law of Nines book had an interesting premise but honestly fell flat for me. It was disappointing to see the author's libertarian beliefs just trumpet all over the book and take over. And now the author has just shat all over the once great series with this addition. I was so hopeful that this book would be a great return to the characters and place I've loved so much.
Unfortunately, I will not be reading any more if this series is continued.
These are not the characters I grew to love in the SOT series. I was annoyed with the seemingly endless repetitive preaching in the last books of the SOT but still enjoyed the characters and loved the series. The Law of Nines book had an interesting premise but honestly fell flat for me. It was disappointing to see the author's libertarian beliefs just trumpet all over the book and take over. And now the author has just shat all over the once great series with this addition. I was so hopeful that this book would be a great return to the characters and place I've loved so much.
Unfortunately, I will not be reading any more if this series is continued.
angelafrear's review against another edition
Not the best in the series, but I'm so glad he is continuing it!
overwrought_gastronaut's review against another edition
1.0
What happened here? This was so terrible it moved me to sign up on this website when I would otherwise have been content to continue reading other reader's reviews. Was this written by the same author as every other book in the Sword of Truth series? Shallow characters, thin plot, and paragraphs repeat the same thought 2-3 times with slight variations (because it must have gone over my head the first time?) I kept reading hoping it would get better, as the earlier books were so much better. Save yourself the time, allow yourself to remember the characters fondly, because this book will ruin it.