dramxarama's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 to be precise. it was good if I'm honest but the pace of it was kinda off to me. the different "adventures" had too many similarities in some way. the book felt like a repetition of itself throughout and well that gave no real character development... and I don't know Nicci's pov weren't my favorites, they felt weird and also her physical descriptions throughout the book made me cringe a little to be honest.
but well, I still live this universe, the description of it, the magic and the people. maybe next will be better in terms of pacing and character development and Nicci's pov (I thought she was always speaking/thinking the same things)
and you know, it was the first of this new series/chronicles, so let's hope that's everything is set, sort of, and that the next one is better.
yeah so, overall, once used to it I read it faster, the first quarter of it was hard, after that I read it easier. i look forward for the second one anyway.
but well, I still live this universe, the description of it, the magic and the people. maybe next will be better in terms of pacing and character development and Nicci's pov (I thought she was always speaking/thinking the same things)
and you know, it was the first of this new series/chronicles, so let's hope that's everything is set, sort of, and that the next one is better.
yeah so, overall, once used to it I read it faster, the first quarter of it was hard, after that I read it easier. i look forward for the second one anyway.
simiray's review against another edition
5.0
I have always loved Nicci. Even when she captured Richard all those books ago and tried to turn him into a good little Imperial, there was something that drew me to her.
Goodkind always knows how to draw the emotion out of a person, and I am so glad that I have stuck with the Sword of Truth series for so long, it has wrought so many benefits.
I hope this means that Goodkind is not done with the magnificent characters I've grown to love over the last decade and a half of my life..I really hope that Richard and Kahlan come back in the later Nicci chronicles.
Goodkind always knows how to draw the emotion out of a person, and I am so glad that I have stuck with the Sword of Truth series for so long, it has wrought so many benefits.
I hope this means that Goodkind is not done with the magnificent characters I've grown to love over the last decade and a half of my life..I really hope that Richard and Kahlan come back in the later Nicci chronicles.
mariaeb06'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.
iamkarla's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh. This was a traditional fantasy story and while they normally aren’t my jam, this one was very much not. The characters were as flat as a sheet of paper and the plot was as straight as an arrow. The author was so incredibly repetitive and so obviously an older white dude. The only descriptions he ever gave women was for how long their hair was, what color their eyes were, and how big their boobs were. That’s it. They were never described in any other way. And the part with the 3 acolyte “scholars”? No, just no.
weaselweader's review against another edition
3.0
“Death’s Mistress? We have no need of further death.”
Seventeen novels (depending on who’s counting)! That’s what it took for Richard Rahl to subdue the evil Emperor Jagang and, presumably bring peace and stability to the world. But all is not as it seems. When Nicci, former merciless Sister of the Dark whose blood lust earned her the title DEATH’S MISTRESS, sets out with Nathan Rahl to find new challenges and to spread the good news of Richard’s peaceful world order, she finds herself charged – not once, but twice!! - with the impossible task of saving the world. And Nathan, by the bye, having completely lost his powers of magic when prophesy vanished from the world, must find the hidden city, Kol Adair, in order to make himself whole again.
Battles, magic, life versus death, good versus evil, hate versus love, a sprinkling of lascivious nudity and love-making, lost languages, bigger and better villains, a traveling “fellowship” (Where have I heard that before?) – DEATH’S MISTRESS is pretty standard stuff as epic quest fantasy goes. It’s entertaining but, for my money, I’d say it was overwritten, overwrought, melodramatic and , while not derivative, it doesn’t exactly plow any new furrows either. Lifedrinker is the first nasty on the prowl for world domination - DEATH’S MISTRESS’s version of Sauron, Voldemort, Grindelwald, or She Who Must Be Obeyed (wait … maybe not that last one!). And the second ugly on Goodkind’s world horizon is to Lifedrinker as Saruman is to Tolkien’s Sauron.
Some solid editing and winnowing of the novel’s length would make it considerably more palatable. I’d probably have held out for just 1- or 2-stars but, being completely honest, there were some definitely entertaining moments. The conduct of the young girl, Thistle, in the final few chapters leading up to the climactic battle is genuinely heartwarming. Soooo … DEATH’S MISTRESS gets rounded up to 3-stars.
Recommended for those fans of THE SWORD OF TRUTH series who want to complete the story and absolutely NOT recommended for those who haven’t read it. The characters and the references to the past simply wouldn’t make any sense to you.
Paul Weiss
Seventeen novels (depending on who’s counting)! That’s what it took for Richard Rahl to subdue the evil Emperor Jagang and, presumably bring peace and stability to the world. But all is not as it seems. When Nicci, former merciless Sister of the Dark whose blood lust earned her the title DEATH’S MISTRESS, sets out with Nathan Rahl to find new challenges and to spread the good news of Richard’s peaceful world order, she finds herself charged – not once, but twice!! - with the impossible task of saving the world. And Nathan, by the bye, having completely lost his powers of magic when prophesy vanished from the world, must find the hidden city, Kol Adair, in order to make himself whole again.
Battles, magic, life versus death, good versus evil, hate versus love, a sprinkling of lascivious nudity and love-making, lost languages, bigger and better villains, a traveling “fellowship” (Where have I heard that before?) – DEATH’S MISTRESS is pretty standard stuff as epic quest fantasy goes. It’s entertaining but, for my money, I’d say it was overwritten, overwrought, melodramatic and , while not derivative, it doesn’t exactly plow any new furrows either. Lifedrinker is the first nasty on the prowl for world domination - DEATH’S MISTRESS’s version of Sauron, Voldemort, Grindelwald, or She Who Must Be Obeyed (wait … maybe not that last one!). And the second ugly on Goodkind’s world horizon is to Lifedrinker as Saruman is to Tolkien’s Sauron.
Some solid editing and winnowing of the novel’s length would make it considerably more palatable. I’d probably have held out for just 1- or 2-stars but, being completely honest, there were some definitely entertaining moments. The conduct of the young girl, Thistle, in the final few chapters leading up to the climactic battle is genuinely heartwarming. Soooo … DEATH’S MISTRESS gets rounded up to 3-stars.
Recommended for those fans of THE SWORD OF TRUTH series who want to complete the story and absolutely NOT recommended for those who haven’t read it. The characters and the references to the past simply wouldn’t make any sense to you.
Paul Weiss
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.
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.