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Sword of Truth #3
Blood of the Fold
Blood of the Fold <> Hardcover <> TerryGoodkind <> TorBooks
640 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 1996
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About the author
Terry Goodkind
279 books12.3k followersTerry Lee Goodkind was an American writer. He was known for the epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth as well as the contemporary suspense novel The Law of Nines (2009), which has ties to his fantasy series. The Sword of Truth series sold 25 million copies worldwide and was translated into more than 20 languages. Additionally, it was adapted into a television series called Legend of the Seeker, which premiered on November 1, 2008, and ran for two seasons, ending in May 2010.
Goodkind was a proponent of Ayn Rand's philosophical approach of Objectivism, and made references to Rand's ideas and novels in his works.
Goodkind was a proponent of Ayn Rand's philosophical approach of Objectivism, and made references to Rand's ideas and novels in his works.
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April 28, 2015
Welcome to the next installment of WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST READ. Pull up a chair, and have a seat.
So before we get to the explication of weirdness, a couple of things of note that might lend context to this review:
1. With the exception of 2013, I’ve read one of these books a year. I can’t handle more than one in a 365 day period. I think I skipped last year because I ran out of time and also I didn’t care.
2. I spent all of last weekend finally watching season one of Legend of the Seeker, the TV show made by Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi (Xena: Warrior Princess), which is based very loosely on the Sword of Truth book series. The show is actually much better than the book. I did miss a couple of details here and there, but they cast the show very well, and they toned the weird waaaaay the hell down. They also made the characters talk like people instead of puppets with Goodkind’s hand up their asses. The biggest advantage of the show versus the book though is that you don’t have to suffer through Goodkind’s simple and repetitive style. Anyway, I’d had the DVDs of the series for years now after I bought them from a bargain bin at Barnes & Noble, but I’d held off watching until I’d reached book three because I didn’t want to spoil myself. I knew the show only lasted through two seasons, and that most of the stuff it would spoil the books for me would be in those two books. I shouldn’t have waited. The show is better. Anything I get spoiled for by watching season two is not a loss.
3. I also watched the special features and there was this cheesy talk with Terry Goodkind on it, where he gives a tour of his home, his office, and his nature paths that he walks every day for inspiration. I had opinions about the guy before (mostly that he was sincere and kind of deluded about the view of his own work and writing), but reading such bad writing for hundreds of pages tends to give one a negative opinion of an author. But after watching that interview . . . I just can’t bring myself to feel negatively about the guy. He’s just so EARNEST in his weirdness and wrongness and unknowing perversity. And he’s got all these paintings, and his head is SO BALD. (At one point he literally states that Richard and Kahlan, his main characters, are two of his best friends. And he was dead serious.)
Speaking of perversity, TO THE REVIEW!
Blood of the Fold is the third installment in the Sword of Truth series, which so far has followed Richard Rahl, the Seeker of Truth, as he overcomes evil and is subjected to all manner of torture and sexual deviance in his quest to defeat first Darken Rahl (his father, natch) and then basically prevent the Devil from coming to the living world and killing everybody. Also, he falls in lurrrrve. Blood of the Fold is actually the shortest book in the series so far by quite a large margin (hundreds of pages), and thank God for that. I don’t know what the heck could have happened if it was Stone of Tears length (1000+), but it wouldn’t have been good.
The main plot here is twofold: First, Richard fights to rally his father’s army behind him and take control of the Midlands in order to unify the area in preparation for a fight that doesn’t actually happen in this book, with an evil emperor who walks in people’s dreams, and who used to live behind a magical border, but WHOOPS Richard brought that border down last book, and evil emperor is out for conquering. And also there’s this army of idiots called the Blood of the Fold who are determined to kill everyone with magical ability, and the evil emperor is manipulating their leader by sending him visions where he pretends to be God. It’s fucked up. And second, there’s a plot down south with the magical nuns from the last book. The main magical nun has to ferret out the evil magical nuns from the good ones before the evil emperor can get to the magical nun palace, which is a place where you age verrrrrry slowly, so it is a perfect place for an evil emperor’s base of operations. HE CAN RULE FOR CENTURIES!!!!!!
If you like fantasy like I do, some of that might sound appealing, but DON’T BE FOOLED. Any promise in the story is lost or ruined by its execution. As stated previously, the characters don’t talk like people, and Goodkind tends to repeat himself endlessly, as if he doesn’t trust his audience to remember things that he wrote only a sentence earlier. Relationships between characters are also very simplistic and repetitive. Goodkind obviously thinks Richard’s friend Gratch, a dragon thing he raised from a baby, is the most adorable character ever, because he keeps having him show up and hug Richard and then say ‘Ggggrraatch lug Raaacharrg’ over and over again. I will admit it was fairly cute the first time because I do enjoy when animals in memes or babies have bad grammar, but it happened EVERY TIME.
Goodkind’s idea of adding conflict to his story is to bring it in from the outside, which is why Richard and Kahlan’s love story is an an endless parade of plots to keep them tragically separated. It doesn’t help that Goodkind writes Richard like he’s the most perfect human who ever lived. The only way to get drama out of a story like that is to continually subject your hero to lots of dramatic horrible things, and then have them find hitherto unknown magical abilities in order to get out of those scrapes. In this book alone, Richard: almost turns into a monster while at the same time being the only one who is able to detect the type of monster he’s turning into, which leads to lots of battles where he fights until he’s ragged because NO ONE ELSE CAN; spends half the book under what is basically a magical rape spell, but oh-so-heroically resisting the advances that no one ever in the history of ever has ever been able to resist before EVER; is the only one to be able to get into a very dangerous magical building because he ‘followed his instincts;’ is the first in 3,000 years to awaken a magical transport system; due to his magical genetics, he’s basically got a population of people devoted to him without choice; and it just so happens that the ONLY way to be safe from the evil emperor is to be truly loyal to Richard, and then voila! magical protection.
In terms of structure . . . this book is a mess. It’s called Blood of the Fold, but those guys are barely in it. In fact, I’m hard-pressed to identify a main antagonist from Richard’s half of the book. The magical nun half was much more engaging, probably because it did have identifiable antagonists and story arcs.
And then there’s the name thing. Here’s one of my status updates as an illustration:
And that’s just the lazy story stuff. Haven’t even gotten to the weird yet. I should have kept notes on it, honestly. I don’t know if I’ll be able to remember it all. Here are some highlights:
•The evil Blood of the Fold captain keeps his magical sister captive, which is bad enough, but while he’s busy shaming her and telling her she’s evil just for being magical, he also makes her use those powers to control people. He does this by having her cut off their nipples and then keeps them dried out in a special bag. Let me repeat that, HE CARRIES AROUND A BAG OF PEOPLE’S NIPPLES.
•Goodkind takes great care to describe a scene where this happens, including details about how the sister had to cup the poor woman’s breast whose nipple she’d just cut off in order to heal it, and how this guard dude watching got totally turned on watching it. But we’re not done! The Blood of the Fold captain notices, and rewards the dude by letting him rape the nippleless victim!
•Also, later he has his sister bewitch the victim into the rape spell thing I mentioned earlier with Richard. So the nippleless victim spends the last weeks of her life being raped, and being forced to try to rape someone else, and then she dies.
•Also also did I mention about how the Blood of the Fold guy sometimes has his sister put a glamour on herself and then he has sex with her? GAG.
•You know people are evil because of SEX YOU GUYS.
•Every time someone is tied up in this book, they are also NAKED. Why, Terry? Why do you write this? Can’t you for once have a character tied up with their clothes still on?
•The evil magical nuns from the last book get captured by the evil emperor, who gives them over to some sailors for rapey fun, and then he keeps them all as his naked sex prisoners.
•Oh, and Richard patronizingly tells his lesbian S&M bodyguards, after they have just confessed their relationship to him, that he may not agree with them but is their friend so he will support them anyway. This, after he forced them to let him touch their breasts to check if they were nipple zombies. (Like, okay, Terry. Is it sexy for you that he had to do that?)
•Also of note: one of the lesbian bodyguards constantly flirts with him and lets him put his hand on her boob as a ‘distraction’ from him finding out she’s gay . . . wha? How is that a thing that happens?
I could probably go on, but this review is already 1800 words long and I’m hungry. And let’s be honest: I would much rather eat a bean and cheese burrito than continue to talk about this book series. I will, however, be reading the rest of the series because I am dumb, and also an idiot. And some part of me likes it even though it’s horrible, and I can’t explain it leave me alone.
So before we get to the explication of weirdness, a couple of things of note that might lend context to this review:
1. With the exception of 2013, I’ve read one of these books a year. I can’t handle more than one in a 365 day period. I think I skipped last year because I ran out of time and also I didn’t care.
2. I spent all of last weekend finally watching season one of Legend of the Seeker, the TV show made by Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi (Xena: Warrior Princess), which is based very loosely on the Sword of Truth book series. The show is actually much better than the book. I did miss a couple of details here and there, but they cast the show very well, and they toned the weird waaaaay the hell down. They also made the characters talk like people instead of puppets with Goodkind’s hand up their asses. The biggest advantage of the show versus the book though is that you don’t have to suffer through Goodkind’s simple and repetitive style. Anyway, I’d had the DVDs of the series for years now after I bought them from a bargain bin at Barnes & Noble, but I’d held off watching until I’d reached book three because I didn’t want to spoil myself. I knew the show only lasted through two seasons, and that most of the stuff it would spoil the books for me would be in those two books. I shouldn’t have waited. The show is better. Anything I get spoiled for by watching season two is not a loss.
3. I also watched the special features and there was this cheesy talk with Terry Goodkind on it, where he gives a tour of his home, his office, and his nature paths that he walks every day for inspiration. I had opinions about the guy before (mostly that he was sincere and kind of deluded about the view of his own work and writing), but reading such bad writing for hundreds of pages tends to give one a negative opinion of an author. But after watching that interview . . . I just can’t bring myself to feel negatively about the guy. He’s just so EARNEST in his weirdness and wrongness and unknowing perversity. And he’s got all these paintings, and his head is SO BALD. (At one point he literally states that Richard and Kahlan, his main characters, are two of his best friends. And he was dead serious.)
Speaking of perversity, TO THE REVIEW!
Blood of the Fold is the third installment in the Sword of Truth series, which so far has followed Richard Rahl, the Seeker of Truth, as he overcomes evil and is subjected to all manner of torture and sexual deviance in his quest to defeat first Darken Rahl (his father, natch) and then basically prevent the Devil from coming to the living world and killing everybody. Also, he falls in lurrrrve. Blood of the Fold is actually the shortest book in the series so far by quite a large margin (hundreds of pages), and thank God for that. I don’t know what the heck could have happened if it was Stone of Tears length (1000+), but it wouldn’t have been good.
The main plot here is twofold: First, Richard fights to rally his father’s army behind him and take control of the Midlands in order to unify the area in preparation for a fight that doesn’t actually happen in this book, with an evil emperor who walks in people’s dreams, and who used to live behind a magical border, but WHOOPS Richard brought that border down last book, and evil emperor is out for conquering. And also there’s this army of idiots called the Blood of the Fold who are determined to kill everyone with magical ability, and the evil emperor is manipulating their leader by sending him visions where he pretends to be God. It’s fucked up. And second, there’s a plot down south with the magical nuns from the last book. The main magical nun has to ferret out the evil magical nuns from the good ones before the evil emperor can get to the magical nun palace, which is a place where you age verrrrrry slowly, so it is a perfect place for an evil emperor’s base of operations. HE CAN RULE FOR CENTURIES!!!!!!
If you like fantasy like I do, some of that might sound appealing, but DON’T BE FOOLED. Any promise in the story is lost or ruined by its execution. As stated previously, the characters don’t talk like people, and Goodkind tends to repeat himself endlessly, as if he doesn’t trust his audience to remember things that he wrote only a sentence earlier. Relationships between characters are also very simplistic and repetitive. Goodkind obviously thinks Richard’s friend Gratch, a dragon thing he raised from a baby, is the most adorable character ever, because he keeps having him show up and hug Richard and then say ‘Ggggrraatch lug Raaacharrg’ over and over again. I will admit it was fairly cute the first time because I do enjoy when animals in memes or babies have bad grammar, but it happened EVERY TIME.
Goodkind’s idea of adding conflict to his story is to bring it in from the outside, which is why Richard and Kahlan’s love story is an an endless parade of plots to keep them tragically separated. It doesn’t help that Goodkind writes Richard like he’s the most perfect human who ever lived. The only way to get drama out of a story like that is to continually subject your hero to lots of dramatic horrible things, and then have them find hitherto unknown magical abilities in order to get out of those scrapes. In this book alone, Richard: almost turns into a monster while at the same time being the only one who is able to detect the type of monster he’s turning into, which leads to lots of battles where he fights until he’s ragged because NO ONE ELSE CAN; spends half the book under what is basically a magical rape spell, but oh-so-heroically resisting the advances that no one ever in the history of ever has ever been able to resist before EVER; is the only one to be able to get into a very dangerous magical building because he ‘followed his instincts;’ is the first in 3,000 years to awaken a magical transport system; due to his magical genetics, he’s basically got a population of people devoted to him without choice; and it just so happens that the ONLY way to be safe from the evil emperor is to be truly loyal to Richard, and then voila! magical protection.
In terms of structure . . . this book is a mess. It’s called Blood of the Fold, but those guys are barely in it. In fact, I’m hard-pressed to identify a main antagonist from Richard’s half of the book. The magical nun half was much more engaging, probably because it did have identifiable antagonists and story arcs.
And then there’s the name thing. Here’s one of my status updates as an illustration:
“Mr. Goodkind . . . Terry, can I call you Terry? I’m doing it anyway. I just feel like I need to tell you, Terry, people in real life and in good fiction do not use each other’s names every other sentence when in conversation. We just don’t, Terry. Okay, Terry? So please, Terry, stop doing it. Terry. I beg you, Terry. I can’t take it anymore.”
And that’s just the lazy story stuff. Haven’t even gotten to the weird yet. I should have kept notes on it, honestly. I don’t know if I’ll be able to remember it all. Here are some highlights:
•The evil Blood of the Fold captain keeps his magical sister captive, which is bad enough, but while he’s busy shaming her and telling her she’s evil just for being magical, he also makes her use those powers to control people. He does this by having her cut off their nipples and then keeps them dried out in a special bag. Let me repeat that, HE CARRIES AROUND A BAG OF PEOPLE’S NIPPLES.
•Goodkind takes great care to describe a scene where this happens, including details about how the sister had to cup the poor woman’s breast whose nipple she’d just cut off in order to heal it, and how this guard dude watching got totally turned on watching it. But we’re not done! The Blood of the Fold captain notices, and rewards the dude by letting him rape the nippleless victim!
•Also, later he has his sister bewitch the victim into the rape spell thing I mentioned earlier with Richard. So the nippleless victim spends the last weeks of her life being raped, and being forced to try to rape someone else, and then she dies.
•Also also did I mention about how the Blood of the Fold guy sometimes has his sister put a glamour on herself and then he has sex with her? GAG.
•You know people are evil because of SEX YOU GUYS.
•Every time someone is tied up in this book, they are also NAKED. Why, Terry? Why do you write this? Can’t you for once have a character tied up with their clothes still on?
•The evil magical nuns from the last book get captured by the evil emperor, who gives them over to some sailors for rapey fun, and then he keeps them all as his naked sex prisoners.
•Oh, and Richard patronizingly tells his lesbian S&M bodyguards, after they have just confessed their relationship to him, that he may not agree with them but is their friend so he will support them anyway. This, after he forced them to let him touch their breasts to check if they were nipple zombies. (Like, okay, Terry. Is it sexy for you that he had to do that?)
•Also of note: one of the lesbian bodyguards constantly flirts with him and lets him put his hand on her boob as a ‘distraction’ from him finding out she’s gay . . . wha? How is that a thing that happens?
I could probably go on, but this review is already 1800 words long and I’m hungry. And let’s be honest: I would much rather eat a bean and cheese burrito than continue to talk about this book series. I will, however, be reading the rest of the series because I am dumb, and also an idiot. And some part of me likes it even though it’s horrible, and I can’t explain it leave me alone.
October 10, 2023
*** 4 ***
"...“Wizard's Third Rule
Passion rules reason, for better or for worse.” ..."
Book three and I am still enjoying the adventures of Richard Rahl and Confessor Kahlan, Wizard Zed and Sister of the Light Verna, as well as the bunch of other secondary characters who all play a part in the battle between Darkness (The Keeper), and Light (The Creator). Only this time there is a third player, the Emperor of the Old World and leader of the Imperial Order Emperor Jagang, the Dreamwalker. Tum-tum-tuuuuummmmm!!!! Yes, he is an unknown component, a wild card, a figure given help by both sides and playing by his own rules, another one of those who thinks they know best... Because, since we got rid of one of those in the Lord Rahl, our Ruchard gives him a run for his money with his talk about "uniting all the territories under the D'Haran rule" and being the benevolent leader, but stating that whoever is not with him is against him... This sound very totalitarian to me, dear noble and good Richard... If that is not what all tyrants ever have thought, I would be surprised...
"...“Richard rubbed his temples. He had a headache from lack of sleep. "Don't you understand? This isn't about conquering lands and taking things from others; this is about fighting oppression."
The general rested a boot on the gilded rung of a chair and hooked a thumb behind his wide belt. "I don't see much difference. From my experience, the Master Rahl always thinks he knows best, and always wants to rule the world. You are your father's son. War is war. Reasons make no difference to us; we fight because we are told to, same as those on the other side. Reasons mean little to a man swinging his sword, trying to keep his head. Reasons are the spoils of victory. When you've destroyed the enemy, then your leaders write down the reasons in books, and give moving speeches about them. If you've done your job, then there aren't any of the enemy left to dispute your leader's reasons. At least not until the next war.” ..."
I was many times angry with Richard's behavior in this book. He was so proud of himself for not sleeping with other women, when he almost did, despite swearing that Kahlan is all he ever wants and needs in that department... Really? Than not sleeping with other women should be just a par for the course, not some type of heroic effort. But beyond that, what pisses me off the most is that for a very judgmental man, he never stops to think before he acts and after screwing everything up, including stuff with major implications for the whole world and the lives of thousands, he only feels "bad" for a bit and then moves on... Which is a shame, since in the TV series I loved Richard and his personality there has very little to do with the person he has been in this book. The only characters who manages to soften his image for him is the Garr Gratch. I loved that creature, despite the very unlikely events in the end...
"...“Even a foolish old woman like me knows that lazy people don't think for themselves; they only think about themselves.” ..."
Despite all the maddening stupidity of Richards at times, I enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and interested until the end, often wondering how the hell are they going to get out of the tangled web that was woven... They had to deal with snake people, Sisters of the Dark, the DreamWalker and the legions of Red Capes with their insanely fanatic leader Tobias Brogan and his witch sister. We also had allusions to a ton of sexual behavior used as a way to overpower or control, as well as battles and chases, all keeping the action going and us appropriately disgusted with the bad guys. It is impossible to do a plot summary, so I would say, if this sounds like something you might enjoy, try it out and find the plot out for yourself:) I know I am in it for the long game and will be back next moth to discover another Wizard's Rule.
"...“Wrong doing must be punished. If not, it will proliferate until anarchy wears the robes of tolerance and understanding.” ..."
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!:)
"...“Wizard's Third Rule
Passion rules reason, for better or for worse.” ..."
Book three and I am still enjoying the adventures of Richard Rahl and Confessor Kahlan, Wizard Zed and Sister of the Light Verna, as well as the bunch of other secondary characters who all play a part in the battle between Darkness (The Keeper), and Light (The Creator). Only this time there is a third player, the Emperor of the Old World and leader of the Imperial Order Emperor Jagang, the Dreamwalker. Tum-tum-tuuuuummmmm!!!! Yes, he is an unknown component, a wild card, a figure given help by both sides and playing by his own rules, another one of those who thinks they know best... Because, since we got rid of one of those in the Lord Rahl, our Ruchard gives him a run for his money with his talk about "uniting all the territories under the D'Haran rule" and being the benevolent leader, but stating that whoever is not with him is against him... This sound very totalitarian to me, dear noble and good Richard... If that is not what all tyrants ever have thought, I would be surprised...
"...“Richard rubbed his temples. He had a headache from lack of sleep. "Don't you understand? This isn't about conquering lands and taking things from others; this is about fighting oppression."
The general rested a boot on the gilded rung of a chair and hooked a thumb behind his wide belt. "I don't see much difference. From my experience, the Master Rahl always thinks he knows best, and always wants to rule the world. You are your father's son. War is war. Reasons make no difference to us; we fight because we are told to, same as those on the other side. Reasons mean little to a man swinging his sword, trying to keep his head. Reasons are the spoils of victory. When you've destroyed the enemy, then your leaders write down the reasons in books, and give moving speeches about them. If you've done your job, then there aren't any of the enemy left to dispute your leader's reasons. At least not until the next war.” ..."
I was many times angry with Richard's behavior in this book. He was so proud of himself for not sleeping with other women, when he almost did, despite swearing that Kahlan is all he ever wants and needs in that department... Really? Than not sleeping with other women should be just a par for the course, not some type of heroic effort. But beyond that, what pisses me off the most is that for a very judgmental man, he never stops to think before he acts and after screwing everything up, including stuff with major implications for the whole world and the lives of thousands, he only feels "bad" for a bit and then moves on... Which is a shame, since in the TV series I loved Richard and his personality there has very little to do with the person he has been in this book. The only characters who manages to soften his image for him is the Garr Gratch. I loved that creature, despite the very unlikely events in the end...
"...“Even a foolish old woman like me knows that lazy people don't think for themselves; they only think about themselves.” ..."
Despite all the maddening stupidity of Richards at times, I enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and interested until the end, often wondering how the hell are they going to get out of the tangled web that was woven... They had to deal with snake people, Sisters of the Dark, the DreamWalker and the legions of Red Capes with their insanely fanatic leader Tobias Brogan and his witch sister. We also had allusions to a ton of sexual behavior used as a way to overpower or control, as well as battles and chases, all keeping the action going and us appropriately disgusted with the bad guys. It is impossible to do a plot summary, so I would say, if this sounds like something you might enjoy, try it out and find the plot out for yourself:) I know I am in it for the long game and will be back next moth to discover another Wizard's Rule.
"...“Wrong doing must be punished. If not, it will proliferate until anarchy wears the robes of tolerance and understanding.” ..."
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!:)
June 29, 2019
My 2019 reread of the Sword of Truth series has been a big success so far. I've quickly blasted through the first three books in the series and think this third book, Blood of the Fold, was another fun and engaging instalment in this typically 1990s style fantasy epic!
I've bleated about the flaws of the series in my review of Wizard's First Rule so I will not do so again in this review. If you have made it to this point in the series chances are you already know what they are. I can acknowledge the flaws for sure but I'm glad that I seem able to enjoy the series and the story despite them. I'm weirdly forgiving of this series and seem to be able to just roll my eyes at the worst of the Goodkindisms in the story and then press on with enjoying the happenings.
The story in this third instalment was a fun one. With the Keeper thwarted, at least for now, Richard and Kahlan had to deal with the rise of the Imperial Order as a new enemy and with the consequences of some of the things they had to do towards the end of Stone of Tears to defeat the Keeper's minions. With the boundary between the Old World and the New World gone nothing is stopping Emperor Jagang from spreading the rule of the Imperial Order into the New World. Jagang wants all magic in the world eradicated and has already found a few allies in the New World among the likes of the fanatical Blood of the Fold. Richard and Kahlan had to unite the lands in the New World to counter the threat but did not fight alone as Zedd, Verna, and Prelate Ann and their various allies all had roles to play in opposing Jagang!
The story was fast paced and fun. Richard and Kahlan remained the focus of the story but Zedd, Verna, and Ann all had solid POV segments dedicated to their story arcs in this instalment of the series. We also got a few villains in the POV cast with Lord General Tobias Brogan of the Blood of the Fold and Sister Ulicia, a Sister of the Dark! I felt like the balance was perfect as while we got plenty of Richard and Kahlan we also got to keep up to speed with what was happening elsewhere in this fun fantasy world. That added a bit of extra depth to the series and helped it feel that little bit more epic. It also really helped flesh out a few of the secondary characters like Ann and Verna which I really enjoyed.
I always feel like the SoT series turns out some fun magic and creatures and that was the case again in this 3rd book as we got introduced to the Slyph and learned more about the nature of both the mriswith and the gars. Those mriswith invisibility cloaks are especially fun!
The other fun part of this book was seeing Richard step into his fathers shoes and take up his role as Lord Rahl. I really enjoyed his interactions with the D'Haran characters and quickly warmed to his interactions with his main 5 bodyguards. The standout characters of the bunch ended up being Berdine and Cara. I was actually shocked that Berdine played such a prominent role in the story as I do not remember her at all from reading this series in my teen years while Cara was one of the few characters who I had strong fond memories about!
If I had a tiny complaint about Blood of the Fold it was its length. I did feeling like the pacing was perfect and the ending was better executed than the endings of the previous two instalments of the series but none of that changes the fact that at just 22 hours in length this book was a lot shorter than Wizard's First Rule, 34 hours, and Stone of Tears, 38 hours!
All in all I really enjoyed this third book in the SoT series and am having a great time with my 2019 reread of the series!
Rating: 5 stars. I'm keeping the 5 star nostalgia rating intact for this favourite of my teen years but in all honesty I liked it a lot during this 2019 reread so it was not far from justifying such a high rating even nowadays!
Audio Note 1: The official version of the audio is narrated by Buck Schirner. I felt like Jim Bond did a poor job with the first two books in the series but I was still not a fan of the change. Buck Schirner was not much of an upgrade on Bond and the lack of consistency is just plain annoying!
Audio Note 2: The NLD version of this series was narrated by Nick Sullivan. It is a good performance of the story. Why they never went with Sullivan for the official versions is beyond me. I'm going with the Sullivan versions for my 2019 reread and it is a massive upgrade on the commercial versions!
I've bleated about the flaws of the series in my review of Wizard's First Rule so I will not do so again in this review. If you have made it to this point in the series chances are you already know what they are. I can acknowledge the flaws for sure but I'm glad that I seem able to enjoy the series and the story despite them. I'm weirdly forgiving of this series and seem to be able to just roll my eyes at the worst of the Goodkindisms in the story and then press on with enjoying the happenings.
The story in this third instalment was a fun one. With the Keeper thwarted, at least for now, Richard and Kahlan had to deal with the rise of the Imperial Order as a new enemy and with the consequences of some of the things they had to do towards the end of Stone of Tears to defeat the Keeper's minions. With the boundary between the Old World and the New World gone nothing is stopping Emperor Jagang from spreading the rule of the Imperial Order into the New World. Jagang wants all magic in the world eradicated and has already found a few allies in the New World among the likes of the fanatical Blood of the Fold. Richard and Kahlan had to unite the lands in the New World to counter the threat but did not fight alone as Zedd, Verna, and Prelate Ann and their various allies all had roles to play in opposing Jagang!
The story was fast paced and fun. Richard and Kahlan remained the focus of the story but Zedd, Verna, and Ann all had solid POV segments dedicated to their story arcs in this instalment of the series. We also got a few villains in the POV cast with Lord General Tobias Brogan of the Blood of the Fold and Sister Ulicia, a Sister of the Dark! I felt like the balance was perfect as while we got plenty of Richard and Kahlan we also got to keep up to speed with what was happening elsewhere in this fun fantasy world. That added a bit of extra depth to the series and helped it feel that little bit more epic. It also really helped flesh out a few of the secondary characters like Ann and Verna which I really enjoyed.
I always feel like the SoT series turns out some fun magic and creatures and that was the case again in this 3rd book as we got introduced to the Slyph and learned more about the nature of both the mriswith and the gars. Those mriswith invisibility cloaks are especially fun!
The other fun part of this book was seeing Richard step into his fathers shoes and take up his role as Lord Rahl. I really enjoyed his interactions with the D'Haran characters and quickly warmed to his interactions with his main 5 bodyguards. The standout characters of the bunch ended up being Berdine and Cara. I was actually shocked that Berdine played such a prominent role in the story as I do not remember her at all from reading this series in my teen years while Cara was one of the few characters who I had strong fond memories about!
If I had a tiny complaint about Blood of the Fold it was its length. I did feeling like the pacing was perfect and the ending was better executed than the endings of the previous two instalments of the series but none of that changes the fact that at just 22 hours in length this book was a lot shorter than Wizard's First Rule, 34 hours, and Stone of Tears, 38 hours!
All in all I really enjoyed this third book in the SoT series and am having a great time with my 2019 reread of the series!
Rating: 5 stars. I'm keeping the 5 star nostalgia rating intact for this favourite of my teen years but in all honesty I liked it a lot during this 2019 reread so it was not far from justifying such a high rating even nowadays!
Audio Note 1: The official version of the audio is narrated by Buck Schirner. I felt like Jim Bond did a poor job with the first two books in the series but I was still not a fan of the change. Buck Schirner was not much of an upgrade on Bond and the lack of consistency is just plain annoying!
Audio Note 2: The NLD version of this series was narrated by Nick Sullivan. It is a good performance of the story. Why they never went with Sullivan for the official versions is beyond me. I'm going with the Sullivan versions for my 2019 reread and it is a massive upgrade on the commercial versions!
February 16, 2016
An Opinionated Look At:
Terry Goodkind's Blood of the Fold
By Eric Allen
This review is rated S for Spoilers.
That's right, I actually finished it, finally. So I've been going through the Sword of Truth series (very slowly) and reviewing each book to see if they are actually as good as I remember them, or if I've simply been looking back through nostalgia goggles. So far, there have been a few things that my younger self was too stupid to notice that annoyed me now, but for the most part, they have been as good as I remember them being. Is it the same with Blood of the Fold? Actually, this one was better than I remembered. I remembered this one being the silly, somewhat boring one that didn't really go anywhere or accomplish anything. Okay, but not great. I guess I have just gained a better appreciation for the sort of things that happen in this book in the years since I read it last.
We begin with Richard in Aydindril after executing the council and spending the night with Kahlan making sweet love down by the fire in the spirit world. (I miss you Isaac Hayes) This leaves Richard with a rather large problem, the city is occupied by a gigantic army of D'Harans and he sets out to do something about it, thinking that perhaps his father's name might sway them to his cause. Long story short, he takes command of the army, puts himself firmly in the position of the Lord Rahl, and tells all the leaders of the Midlands that they must surrender to him, become part of his empire, and help to fight the Imperial Order, or else.
Meanwhile Emperor Jagang, leader of the Imperial Order is coming to the Palace of the Prophets so that he can reign over his empire for centuries under the spell at the Palace, and everyone converges there for a pretty good finale that spreads back to a battle at Aydindril.
The Good? I like how Richard is completely out of his depth, and just sort of makes it work. He sees what needs to be done, doesn't really know how to get there, but muddles through. The vast majority of this book is about him trying to forge an empire out of unwilling participants so that he can stand against the Imperial Order. Goodkind gets a lot a flack for his incessant preaching, and I agree, his soapbox does get a lot of use. However, he manages to get his ideas across in this book without seeming like he's beating us over the head with it. Which, for him, is a veeeeery rare thing.
And that's really all this book is, Richard alone trying to pull things together the best he knows how. There are various things going on in the background, not really all that much. In Wizard's First Rule, we focused on Richard and Kahlan's quest almost exclusively. In Stone of Tears, we expanded to several different simultaneous plot threads. But here we've pulled back into one big main plot thread and I enjoyed the narrowing of focus. This book didn't really need much of anything else to make it work. Richard's story was enough, and the author made it work pretty well with a minimum of interruptions from the outside.
The Bad? This book is called Blood of the Fold. The Blood of the Fold is an army who hunts down those that use magic much like the Whitecloaks in the Wheel of Time. And yes, I'm aware of Goodkind's opinion of anyone that compares his series to Jordan's. He says that anyone who sees similarities is clearly not smart enough to enjoy his books for what they are. Which is a very arrogant stance to take, especially for someone who hasn't actually read Jordan's books and seen the similarities firsthand. I, on the other hand, believe that anyone who has read both series and doesn't see certain similarities probably isn't paying very close attention. I have no doubt that these similarities are unintentional, but saying they don't exist without even bothering to look for yourself, and insulting anyone who sees them, is not the way to go about addressing them. Two men can have similar ideas without them plagiarizing each other. That's not the problem here. The problem with the Blood of the Fold is that they don't really have much reason to be in the story, except to provide an army for Richard's to fight at the end. Tobias Brogan, the leader if the Blood of the Fold is a pretty pointless and ineffectual character who manages to do very little but take up space in the story. And the plot twist with him just sort of comes out of left field without any real setup. It kinda feels like Goodkind got to the reveal and was like "Hey, what if I... ...THERE! That is going to BLOW MINDS!!!" Yeah... not really. He clearly came up with it on the spot and no one bothered to tell him that it wasn't very believable.
And Brogan's assassination attempt on Richard is needlessly elaborate, somewhat nonsensical, extremely roundabout, and kind of uncomfortable, because it lasts FOREVER, and then it's just over and no one ever mentions it again. Now THAT is lasting impact. But yeah, the Blood of the Fold don't really do much. I mean, if you're going to name the book after them, could they maybe be a bit more central to the plot, rather than just sort of being there because reasons? It was a pretty cool battle at the end, but meh. They were pretty weak as an opposing force in the book.
The Ugly? Okay, Ladies, I'm gonna talk to the men here for a minute. Feel free to listen in, roll your eyes and laugh that someone actually has to explain this, and thank whatever god you believe in, doubtless for the hojillionth time in your life, that you were born a woman. By all means, keep on muttering those disparaging remarks about men under your breaths, because really, a lot of us deserve every one of them and more. It's a bit of a cliche, women telling men that they're idiots, but it's a cliche for a reason.
Men. *shakes head* Ah men... Guys. Here's a few tips for established authors, perspective authors, and amateur writers alike. When it comes to nudity and sexuality, before you write a scene of women doing something you think is sexy, ask yourself this one question. Would I ever do this? If the answer is no, chances are, there isn't a woman on earth in her right mind that would do it either. Women are not mystical, unknowable creatures. They're people, like you and me. While they might not always think the same way, or enjoy the same things, for the most part, if you find something uncomfortable or demeaning, so will any woman. Let me give you a few examples from this very book of exactly what NOT to do. The only place where women just sit around naked with each other, just because, is in your sex fantasies, and possibly a few billion pornos. Really? No one read this before it was published and said, hey, wait a minute...? You wanna know how I discovered this fact? I turned to my wife and asked her. Of course I really just asked to see her reaction, as I am not an idiot, and already knew what she would say. She rolled her eyes, laughed, and muttered something disparaging about men under her breath and thanked god for the hojillionth time that she's not a man. I know, right, a woman knowing what women think about things? Who'da thunk? I mean, it's not like they're actual people, with thoughts, feelings and insights all of their own that they will gladly share with you if asked or anything. (note: that was sarcasm) Here's another example. Women don't walk outside and then suddenly remember that they forgot to put clothes on. Again, the only place that happens is in porn. Yes. That actually happened in this book. Really. I'm not joking. So, come on guys, can we try to be a little less shallow and write real female characters that aren't stereotypes or extensions of our sex fantasies from now on. You know, women who act like people, rather than sexy, nude figments of our imaginations. Please? This shallow BS is getting more than a little old. Just remember, when you're writing a female character, ask yourself, would I do this in this situation? If the answer is no, than neither would anyone else. Find another way that doesn't demean your character, and yourself for doing it. Here's a good rule to follow. When in doubt, ask a woman what she thinks about it. When not in doubt, ask one anyway. As they make up slightly over half the human race, they're really not all that hard to find. You can join any number of online writing groups that exist for the sole purpose of other people reading your work and honestly telling you what they think about it, in return for honest opinions of your own.
Okay, that's it, back to talking to everyone. And I can't believe I'm actually saying this to women too, but I've read books written by women that treat the subject just as thoughtlessly and insensitively as men do. I'm looking at YOU Sabaa Tahir! Rape is not just one of those things that happens to women and then it's over and done with. It leaves deep emotional, and sometimes physical, scars. I feel that it's a horrible plot device to use, because very few writers, male and female alike, really delve into what it does to a person afterward, which trivializes something that is absolutely horrible. I get that Goodkind is trying to show how evil the Imperial Order is by all of the rape, but good GOD, can we find another way to do that please?
Much like Stone of Tears, Blood of the Fold is unrepentantly cheesy. There's some pretty corny dialog, some really silly antics, and the like. Where I felt it was part of the second book's charm, here it's kind of starting to get old, and does take away from book a bit.
Anyway, For the most part, I found this book to be a bit better than I remembered it being. There are some questionable choices made with Goodkind's portrayal of his female characters, and a whole lot of silly cheesiness, but the core story about Richard just trying to hold things together really works for me. The Blood of the Fold, which the book is named after, are pretty irrelevant, and only really exist as a shallowly disguised excuse to have a battle at the end of the book, but I still really enjoyed it. Is it a masterpiece of literary proficiency? Absolutely not. But, in my opinion, it is entertaining for what it is, despite its flaws. These books are not as well written as I remember them being, but that doesn't mean that they're not fun to read. Again, this series is NOT for everyone. There is a lot of graphic gore, violence, violence against women, and sex in these books. If you have a problem with any of these things, you might want to skip it. But if you enjoyed the first two books, you'll probably like this one as well.
Check out my other reviews.
P.S. I am absolutely baffled over the fact that Warheart and The First Confessor are BOTH rated higher here on Goodreads than Blood of the Fold. Ouch! That one hits me right in the faith in humanity.
Terry Goodkind's Blood of the Fold
By Eric Allen
This review is rated S for Spoilers.
That's right, I actually finished it, finally. So I've been going through the Sword of Truth series (very slowly) and reviewing each book to see if they are actually as good as I remember them, or if I've simply been looking back through nostalgia goggles. So far, there have been a few things that my younger self was too stupid to notice that annoyed me now, but for the most part, they have been as good as I remember them being. Is it the same with Blood of the Fold? Actually, this one was better than I remembered. I remembered this one being the silly, somewhat boring one that didn't really go anywhere or accomplish anything. Okay, but not great. I guess I have just gained a better appreciation for the sort of things that happen in this book in the years since I read it last.
We begin with Richard in Aydindril after executing the council and spending the night with Kahlan making sweet love down by the fire in the spirit world. (I miss you Isaac Hayes) This leaves Richard with a rather large problem, the city is occupied by a gigantic army of D'Harans and he sets out to do something about it, thinking that perhaps his father's name might sway them to his cause. Long story short, he takes command of the army, puts himself firmly in the position of the Lord Rahl, and tells all the leaders of the Midlands that they must surrender to him, become part of his empire, and help to fight the Imperial Order, or else.
Meanwhile Emperor Jagang, leader of the Imperial Order is coming to the Palace of the Prophets so that he can reign over his empire for centuries under the spell at the Palace, and everyone converges there for a pretty good finale that spreads back to a battle at Aydindril.
The Good? I like how Richard is completely out of his depth, and just sort of makes it work. He sees what needs to be done, doesn't really know how to get there, but muddles through. The vast majority of this book is about him trying to forge an empire out of unwilling participants so that he can stand against the Imperial Order. Goodkind gets a lot a flack for his incessant preaching, and I agree, his soapbox does get a lot of use. However, he manages to get his ideas across in this book without seeming like he's beating us over the head with it. Which, for him, is a veeeeery rare thing.
And that's really all this book is, Richard alone trying to pull things together the best he knows how. There are various things going on in the background, not really all that much. In Wizard's First Rule, we focused on Richard and Kahlan's quest almost exclusively. In Stone of Tears, we expanded to several different simultaneous plot threads. But here we've pulled back into one big main plot thread and I enjoyed the narrowing of focus. This book didn't really need much of anything else to make it work. Richard's story was enough, and the author made it work pretty well with a minimum of interruptions from the outside.
The Bad? This book is called Blood of the Fold. The Blood of the Fold is an army who hunts down those that use magic much like the Whitecloaks in the Wheel of Time. And yes, I'm aware of Goodkind's opinion of anyone that compares his series to Jordan's. He says that anyone who sees similarities is clearly not smart enough to enjoy his books for what they are. Which is a very arrogant stance to take, especially for someone who hasn't actually read Jordan's books and seen the similarities firsthand. I, on the other hand, believe that anyone who has read both series and doesn't see certain similarities probably isn't paying very close attention. I have no doubt that these similarities are unintentional, but saying they don't exist without even bothering to look for yourself, and insulting anyone who sees them, is not the way to go about addressing them. Two men can have similar ideas without them plagiarizing each other. That's not the problem here. The problem with the Blood of the Fold is that they don't really have much reason to be in the story, except to provide an army for Richard's to fight at the end. Tobias Brogan, the leader if the Blood of the Fold is a pretty pointless and ineffectual character who manages to do very little but take up space in the story. And the plot twist with him just sort of comes out of left field without any real setup. It kinda feels like Goodkind got to the reveal and was like "Hey, what if I... ...THERE! That is going to BLOW MINDS!!!" Yeah... not really. He clearly came up with it on the spot and no one bothered to tell him that it wasn't very believable.
And Brogan's assassination attempt on Richard is needlessly elaborate, somewhat nonsensical, extremely roundabout, and kind of uncomfortable, because it lasts FOREVER, and then it's just over and no one ever mentions it again. Now THAT is lasting impact. But yeah, the Blood of the Fold don't really do much. I mean, if you're going to name the book after them, could they maybe be a bit more central to the plot, rather than just sort of being there because reasons? It was a pretty cool battle at the end, but meh. They were pretty weak as an opposing force in the book.
The Ugly? Okay, Ladies, I'm gonna talk to the men here for a minute. Feel free to listen in, roll your eyes and laugh that someone actually has to explain this, and thank whatever god you believe in, doubtless for the hojillionth time in your life, that you were born a woman. By all means, keep on muttering those disparaging remarks about men under your breaths, because really, a lot of us deserve every one of them and more. It's a bit of a cliche, women telling men that they're idiots, but it's a cliche for a reason.
Men. *shakes head* Ah men... Guys. Here's a few tips for established authors, perspective authors, and amateur writers alike. When it comes to nudity and sexuality, before you write a scene of women doing something you think is sexy, ask yourself this one question. Would I ever do this? If the answer is no, chances are, there isn't a woman on earth in her right mind that would do it either. Women are not mystical, unknowable creatures. They're people, like you and me. While they might not always think the same way, or enjoy the same things, for the most part, if you find something uncomfortable or demeaning, so will any woman. Let me give you a few examples from this very book of exactly what NOT to do. The only place where women just sit around naked with each other, just because, is in your sex fantasies, and possibly a few billion pornos. Really? No one read this before it was published and said, hey, wait a minute...? You wanna know how I discovered this fact? I turned to my wife and asked her. Of course I really just asked to see her reaction, as I am not an idiot, and already knew what she would say. She rolled her eyes, laughed, and muttered something disparaging about men under her breath and thanked god for the hojillionth time that she's not a man. I know, right, a woman knowing what women think about things? Who'da thunk? I mean, it's not like they're actual people, with thoughts, feelings and insights all of their own that they will gladly share with you if asked or anything. (note: that was sarcasm) Here's another example. Women don't walk outside and then suddenly remember that they forgot to put clothes on. Again, the only place that happens is in porn. Yes. That actually happened in this book. Really. I'm not joking. So, come on guys, can we try to be a little less shallow and write real female characters that aren't stereotypes or extensions of our sex fantasies from now on. You know, women who act like people, rather than sexy, nude figments of our imaginations. Please? This shallow BS is getting more than a little old. Just remember, when you're writing a female character, ask yourself, would I do this in this situation? If the answer is no, than neither would anyone else. Find another way that doesn't demean your character, and yourself for doing it. Here's a good rule to follow. When in doubt, ask a woman what she thinks about it. When not in doubt, ask one anyway. As they make up slightly over half the human race, they're really not all that hard to find. You can join any number of online writing groups that exist for the sole purpose of other people reading your work and honestly telling you what they think about it, in return for honest opinions of your own.
Okay, that's it, back to talking to everyone. And I can't believe I'm actually saying this to women too, but I've read books written by women that treat the subject just as thoughtlessly and insensitively as men do. I'm looking at YOU Sabaa Tahir! Rape is not just one of those things that happens to women and then it's over and done with. It leaves deep emotional, and sometimes physical, scars. I feel that it's a horrible plot device to use, because very few writers, male and female alike, really delve into what it does to a person afterward, which trivializes something that is absolutely horrible. I get that Goodkind is trying to show how evil the Imperial Order is by all of the rape, but good GOD, can we find another way to do that please?
Much like Stone of Tears, Blood of the Fold is unrepentantly cheesy. There's some pretty corny dialog, some really silly antics, and the like. Where I felt it was part of the second book's charm, here it's kind of starting to get old, and does take away from book a bit.
Anyway, For the most part, I found this book to be a bit better than I remembered it being. There are some questionable choices made with Goodkind's portrayal of his female characters, and a whole lot of silly cheesiness, but the core story about Richard just trying to hold things together really works for me. The Blood of the Fold, which the book is named after, are pretty irrelevant, and only really exist as a shallowly disguised excuse to have a battle at the end of the book, but I still really enjoyed it. Is it a masterpiece of literary proficiency? Absolutely not. But, in my opinion, it is entertaining for what it is, despite its flaws. These books are not as well written as I remember them being, but that doesn't mean that they're not fun to read. Again, this series is NOT for everyone. There is a lot of graphic gore, violence, violence against women, and sex in these books. If you have a problem with any of these things, you might want to skip it. But if you enjoyed the first two books, you'll probably like this one as well.
Check out my other reviews.
P.S. I am absolutely baffled over the fact that Warheart and The First Confessor are BOTH rated higher here on Goodreads than Blood of the Fold. Ouch! That one hits me right in the faith in humanity.
March 31, 2009
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
This review refers to the SOT series through book 9.
Terry Goodkind’s first book Wizard’s First Rule was great! Except for the actual First Rule ("People are Stupid"), which was...stupid. The story had so many unique and fascinating characters (especially the secondary ones). I was in love with Richard; I wanted to be a Mord-Sith. The next couple of books of The Sword of Truth were pretty good, too.
Then...I don’t know what happened...it just TOTALLY lost it. The writing style became incredibly annoying and Richard was getting WAY too preachy (constant Ayn Rand-ish humanistic ranting). But, I kept going because I was really invested by this time. And each time I bought one of his $25 hardback books, I found myself rolling my eyes at every passive sentence and starting to fall asleep during the sermons (when did Richard hire a speech writer??).
And the plot really got ssslllllloooowwww (just look at the book covers for Chainfire and Phantom — you can tell we're not going anywhere). But the weirdest thing is that I kept buying these 1 star books! I can’t explain my behavior, except to say that Terry Goodkind is (was) a master at plot and characterization (truly, his secondary characters are so well done). So I kept thinking that things would get better, but they did not. How did he pull off that excellent first booK?? I've learned from this experience that I can put down a book if it's not good. There's too much good literature to read.
According to Mr Goodkind, those of us who have bailed out are ignorant and uneducated. Wow. That is something I have never been called before. I should have realized right from the start ("Wizard's First Rule: People are stupid") what kind of fellow Terry Goodkind is. Here is a quote from a chat session conducted with Mr Goodkind (this used to be on his website, but has now been removed. It is well-documented on the internet, however.):
"Why would they continue to read books they claim are bad? Because they hate that my novels exists. Values arouse hatred in these people. Their goal is not to enjoy life, but to destroy that which is good — much like a school child who does not wish to study for a test and instead beats up a classmate who does well. These people hate what is good because it is good. Their lives are limited to loathing and indifference. It isn't that they want to read a good book, what they want is to make sure that you do not. Ignore them." —Terry Goodkind
I say Terry Goodkind is the one acting like a school child having a tantrum. I regret that he got so much of my money. I hope you won't give him any of yours. If you really want to try a Goodkind book, I would recommend that you go to the library and check out the first few, and then trust me that you don't need to read any further. I will not read the last book. I'm not even tempted. What an ass.
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
This review refers to the SOT series through book 9.
Terry Goodkind’s first book Wizard’s First Rule was great! Except for the actual First Rule ("People are Stupid"), which was...stupid. The story had so many unique and fascinating characters (especially the secondary ones). I was in love with Richard; I wanted to be a Mord-Sith. The next couple of books of The Sword of Truth were pretty good, too.
Then...I don’t know what happened...it just TOTALLY lost it. The writing style became incredibly annoying and Richard was getting WAY too preachy (constant Ayn Rand-ish humanistic ranting). But, I kept going because I was really invested by this time. And each time I bought one of his $25 hardback books, I found myself rolling my eyes at every passive sentence and starting to fall asleep during the sermons (when did Richard hire a speech writer??).
And the plot really got ssslllllloooowwww (just look at the book covers for Chainfire and Phantom — you can tell we're not going anywhere). But the weirdest thing is that I kept buying these 1 star books! I can’t explain my behavior, except to say that Terry Goodkind is (was) a master at plot and characterization (truly, his secondary characters are so well done). So I kept thinking that things would get better, but they did not. How did he pull off that excellent first booK?? I've learned from this experience that I can put down a book if it's not good. There's too much good literature to read.
According to Mr Goodkind, those of us who have bailed out are ignorant and uneducated. Wow. That is something I have never been called before. I should have realized right from the start ("Wizard's First Rule: People are stupid") what kind of fellow Terry Goodkind is. Here is a quote from a chat session conducted with Mr Goodkind (this used to be on his website, but has now been removed. It is well-documented on the internet, however.):
"Why would they continue to read books they claim are bad? Because they hate that my novels exists. Values arouse hatred in these people. Their goal is not to enjoy life, but to destroy that which is good — much like a school child who does not wish to study for a test and instead beats up a classmate who does well. These people hate what is good because it is good. Their lives are limited to loathing and indifference. It isn't that they want to read a good book, what they want is to make sure that you do not. Ignore them." —Terry Goodkind
I say Terry Goodkind is the one acting like a school child having a tantrum. I regret that he got so much of my money. I hope you won't give him any of yours. If you really want to try a Goodkind book, I would recommend that you go to the library and check out the first few, and then trust me that you don't need to read any further. I will not read the last book. I'm not even tempted. What an ass.
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
October 30, 2019
Epic fantasy at its best! Original, exciting and a real page turner. For me, once I began to read "The Sword of Truth" series when they first came out I bought them one by one and read them all. Here I am reading each one of them all over again. Blood of the Fold continues the story of Richard the Seeker, grandson of Zedd the last true wizard and Kahlan the Mother Confessor.
June 30, 2009
I had to stop bringing this book to Junior High just so people would stop asking why I was reading a book about menstruation. Thanks Terry.
My Fantasy Book Suggestions
My Fantasy Book Suggestions
March 19, 2022
3.5 stars
This book is a little all over the place, but it was still fun to read. A lot happens and it feels like more of a setup book than other books in the series. Even though there is some level of plot resolution, the narrative is kind of messy and doesn't have a clear structure. There are also more noticeable plot conveniences. But again, I still had a pretty good time with it.
I had forgotten we get queer side characters in this book! And it's even handled reasonably well for when this book came out. Two of the Mordsith are lovers and Richard is confused, and even asks one of the women if it was trauma that made them hate men. The response is a definitive no, she has liked girls since she was a child. Later of course Kahlan thinks it's obvious that they love each other romantically and is surprised Richard didn't figure it out on his own. Because Kahlan is the best. All of which is surprisingly progressive for a guy writing fantasy in the mid-90's.
This book is a little all over the place, but it was still fun to read. A lot happens and it feels like more of a setup book than other books in the series. Even though there is some level of plot resolution, the narrative is kind of messy and doesn't have a clear structure. There are also more noticeable plot conveniences. But again, I still had a pretty good time with it.
I had forgotten we get queer side characters in this book! And it's even handled reasonably well for when this book came out. Two of the Mordsith are lovers and Richard is confused, and even asks one of the women if it was trauma that made them hate men. The response is a definitive no, she has liked girls since she was a child. Later of course Kahlan thinks it's obvious that they love each other romantically and is surprised Richard didn't figure it out on his own. Because Kahlan is the best. All of which is surprisingly progressive for a guy writing fantasy in the mid-90's.
January 2, 2009
I stopped reading the series after this book. I like the premise of the books and the world-building was pretty good. I would have continued reading the series were it not for the juvenile misogyny pervading these books. For such a supposedly powerful woman, Kahlan is assaulted and almost raped at least once per book. Not to mention the dominatrix-type chicks from the first book (hello, geeky teen boy fantasy). Is it too much to ask to have a normal woman somewhere? After seeing no improvement on the normal woman front by book 3, I gave up.
October 9, 2009
Richard loves Kahlan, Richard loses Kahlan...oh my magic will prevent Richard from ever being with Kahlan again....Richard does the impossible and he and Kahlan are reunited.
April 1, 2018
The signs were there, but when you are a blossoming lad, spreading your wings like a majestic pheonix just risen from the ashes of teenhood, they don't fully register, and you kind of miss the bigger picture. And it says, cardboard characters, shallow relationships, a ridiculously over-simplified world of politics and perverted sex, and loads of magic.
I loved it!
Twenty years ago.
Hence the rating.
It would make no sense for me to ridicule my past self. Tor's cover, with that red dragon, oh my. The chivalrious can-do-all Richard, also coming of age. Beautiful Kahlan. The slyph, the mriswith, the spandex-wearing Mord-Sith, the Agiel torture, tickle tickle, someone's fickle!
WILLKOMMEN TO KLUB RAHL VANDERSEXXXX!
Of course, Jagang's hordes ...
The Imperial Order is Coming, the Imperial Order is coming!
And we have the well-paced unraveling of ancient mysteries, all of which make for a very delightful, colorful, epic adventure. Splendid fun for when your age disqualifies you from drinking alcohol in most US states.
So a great book overall. No re-reads. No ragrets. Not even one.
P.S. I tried reading Stone of Tears a few years ago, and just couldn't. Also, the series deteriorates exponentially with each sequel. By the fifth book, I had hair on my chest and some skepticism in my loins. The sixth book had the sweetest fascist manifesto in the form of Richard's 72-page non-stop speech that made me slit my wrists with a piece of lego. And the downfall is long.
To wit, we have a song.
A whole song!
Turnaround, every now and then I get a little bit frisky
And you're never magicking around
Turnaround, every now and then I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the Stone of my Tears
Turnaround, every now and then I get a little bit nervous
That the best of all the pages have gone by
Turnaround, every now and then I get a little bit terrified
And then I see the look in your Rahl eyes
Turnaround Rahl son, but every now and then I fall apart
Turnaround Rahl son, every now and then I fall apart
And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than D'Hara
And if you only hold me tight
We'll be holding on Agiel
And we'll only be making it right
'Cause we'll never be wrong together
We can Mord-Sith to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on Aydindril (Aydindril)
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in Wizard's Keep and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Darken Rahl's gonna start tonight
Darken Rahl's gonna start tonight
Once upon a time there was Kahlan in my life
But now there's only sisters of the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of my ...
Once upon a time, I was young and naive
Now I'm gettin' tougher at heart
Nothing I could read
A total eclipse of my fart.
So long!
Igor
I loved it!
Twenty years ago.
Hence the rating.
It would make no sense for me to ridicule my past self. Tor's cover, with that red dragon, oh my. The chivalrious can-do-all Richard, also coming of age. Beautiful Kahlan. The slyph, the mriswith, the spandex-wearing Mord-Sith, the Agiel torture, tickle tickle, someone's fickle!
WILLKOMMEN TO KLUB RAHL VANDERSEXXXX!
Of course, Jagang's hordes ...
The Imperial Order is Coming, the Imperial Order is coming!
And we have the well-paced unraveling of ancient mysteries, all of which make for a very delightful, colorful, epic adventure. Splendid fun for when your age disqualifies you from drinking alcohol in most US states.
So a great book overall. No re-reads. No ragrets. Not even one.
P.S. I tried reading Stone of Tears a few years ago, and just couldn't. Also, the series deteriorates exponentially with each sequel. By the fifth book, I had hair on my chest and some skepticism in my loins. The sixth book had the sweetest fascist manifesto in the form of Richard's 72-page non-stop speech that made me slit my wrists with a piece of lego. And the downfall is long.
To wit, we have a song.
A whole song!
Turnaround, every now and then I get a little bit frisky
And you're never magicking around
Turnaround, every now and then I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the Stone of my Tears
Turnaround, every now and then I get a little bit nervous
That the best of all the pages have gone by
Turnaround, every now and then I get a little bit terrified
And then I see the look in your Rahl eyes
Turnaround Rahl son, but every now and then I fall apart
Turnaround Rahl son, every now and then I fall apart
And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than D'Hara
And if you only hold me tight
We'll be holding on Agiel
And we'll only be making it right
'Cause we'll never be wrong together
We can Mord-Sith to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on Aydindril (Aydindril)
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in Wizard's Keep and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Darken Rahl's gonna start tonight
Darken Rahl's gonna start tonight
Once upon a time there was Kahlan in my life
But now there's only sisters of the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of my ...
Once upon a time, I was young and naive
Now I'm gettin' tougher at heart
Nothing I could read
A total eclipse of my fart.
So long!
Igor
November 16, 2022
This book doesn't really have a clear focus or goal and might be too aimless for some, but I don't mind that and enjoyed getting so many different perspectives and threads. Next to Richard, who really gets to show off his wits in this one, it focuses a lot on Verna and what goes in at the Palace of the Prophets after the events of the last book, but we also get glimpses of the Sisters of the Dark and the new main villian Jagang. The only POV I wasn't that interested in were the actual Blood of the Fold, but their ending revealed a few messed up things about them that added a layer of depth.
Talking of depth, I love how this series looks a lot at consequences, weaves in darker themes and focuses on characters and what makes them what they are. This one isn't as great as Stone of Tears, but again there were so many amazing moments.
Talking of depth, I love how this series looks a lot at consequences, weaves in darker themes and focuses on characters and what makes them what they are. This one isn't as great as Stone of Tears, but again there were so many amazing moments.
April 11, 2024
Lost some momentum for me. Still love his writing!
January 24, 2008
Terry Goodkind, Blood of the Fold (Tor, 1996)
Back when I was a kid, I was crazy about the various exploits of Donald Sobol's pint-sized sleuth Encyclopedia Brown. There was rarely a week where I didn't have at least one Encyclopedia Brown book out of at least one library somewhere near wherever I was living at the time. A fine set of books, those. Each was a collection of various mini-mysteries solved by Brown (and, later, his gorgeous sidekick Sally Kimball; after all, every sleuth needs a gorgeous sidekick, right?) in the space of a few pages. Sobol's books had only one problem. Since the stories were collected from other sources, the first few pages of each were like a broken record, giving all the same details about how the "office" in EB's garage was set up, reintroducing the characters, etc.
For some reason, Terry Goodkind saw fit to pull a Donald Sobel in Blood of the Fold, book three in the Sword of Truth series. The first two books, each verging on the thousand-page mark, blaze the way for a fantasy series that, if there is any justice in the world, is destined to become a classic. Blood of the Fold, however, is barely two-thirds of the length of those first two, and Goodkind spends a good chunk of the first hundred fifty pages in reacquaintance. It would make more sense had there been some of it in the second book in the series, or if this book had an extra hundred fifty pages over and above what the first two have to compensate. But given the brevity, one gets the distinct feeling that the book was padded at the insistence of a publisher who wanted to keep Goodkind pumping out one book per year.
Not to say that Blood of the Fold isn't still a good book. Once you've invested two thousand pages' worth of time in any fantasy series, it's doubtful that re-reading stuff about what's happened before (no matter how much of it there is) is going to deter the reader from going on and finding the four hundred-odd pages of new stuff. And with Goodkind's usual readable style and almost nonstop action, the pages fly by here just as fast as they did in Wizard's First Rule and Stone of Tears. Of course, with only two-thirds of the bulk, that means you finish the book that much faster. Make sure you've got a copy of Temple of the Winds (book four) lying around before you start this one, or
you may find yourself looking for a twenty-four hour bookstore at three in the morning. *** 1/2
Back when I was a kid, I was crazy about the various exploits of Donald Sobol's pint-sized sleuth Encyclopedia Brown. There was rarely a week where I didn't have at least one Encyclopedia Brown book out of at least one library somewhere near wherever I was living at the time. A fine set of books, those. Each was a collection of various mini-mysteries solved by Brown (and, later, his gorgeous sidekick Sally Kimball; after all, every sleuth needs a gorgeous sidekick, right?) in the space of a few pages. Sobol's books had only one problem. Since the stories were collected from other sources, the first few pages of each were like a broken record, giving all the same details about how the "office" in EB's garage was set up, reintroducing the characters, etc.
For some reason, Terry Goodkind saw fit to pull a Donald Sobel in Blood of the Fold, book three in the Sword of Truth series. The first two books, each verging on the thousand-page mark, blaze the way for a fantasy series that, if there is any justice in the world, is destined to become a classic. Blood of the Fold, however, is barely two-thirds of the length of those first two, and Goodkind spends a good chunk of the first hundred fifty pages in reacquaintance. It would make more sense had there been some of it in the second book in the series, or if this book had an extra hundred fifty pages over and above what the first two have to compensate. But given the brevity, one gets the distinct feeling that the book was padded at the insistence of a publisher who wanted to keep Goodkind pumping out one book per year.
Not to say that Blood of the Fold isn't still a good book. Once you've invested two thousand pages' worth of time in any fantasy series, it's doubtful that re-reading stuff about what's happened before (no matter how much of it there is) is going to deter the reader from going on and finding the four hundred-odd pages of new stuff. And with Goodkind's usual readable style and almost nonstop action, the pages fly by here just as fast as they did in Wizard's First Rule and Stone of Tears. Of course, with only two-thirds of the bulk, that means you finish the book that much faster. Make sure you've got a copy of Temple of the Winds (book four) lying around before you start this one, or
you may find yourself looking for a twenty-four hour bookstore at three in the morning. *** 1/2
January 31, 2009
Terry Goodkind is a superb author, and in my opinion, his "Sword of Truth" series is the best I have ever read. So good, in fact, that I have read the entire series three times in a row, back to back, non-stop. This series is *not* for children. The series covers many aspects of the dark side of humanity, in great detail, as the heroes try to overcome the evils in the world. Goodkind is not afraid to show his readers just what evil *really* is, that is, most often, people who perform acts of evil feel justified in their minds as to why they are doing so, if for illogical reasons, and will that those that oppose them are the evil ones. Goodkind shows his readers that the only way to overcome evil in ourselves and in the world is through use of Reason. The series is *not* light reading, but if one is not afraid to confront the reality of evil (even within ourselves), and how to really defeat evil, the one will find this series extremely rewarding.
August 16, 2008
3.0 stars. Another solid installment of this epic fantasy series and the last of the truly good entries (apart from Faith of the Fallen). Richard and Kahlan are great characters and there are moments a real fun someone muted by the less then stellar prose.
October 19, 2023
La saga de La spada della Verità è composta da 11 volumi ma, leggendo questo terzo capitolo (a cui si aggiunge anche la delusione del secondo), ho già capito che non fa per me… ma, comunque, continuerò a leggerla solo ed esclusivamente per sapere come andrà a finire!
Che dire di questo terzo volume? Troppo prolisso, troppo caotico e troppo dispersivo (con la scena che si sposta continuamente in vari luoghi del magico territorio immaginato da Goodkind), e due dei protagonisti principali (mi riferisco a Khalan e Zed) completamente assenti, appena appena qualche piccola apparizione ogni tanto. Compaiono due nuovi nemici: il pazzo generale della Stirpe dei Fedeli Tobias Brogan (assistito da sua sorella Lunetta, l'unica del duo davvero pazza) e l'imperatore del vecchio mondo e tiranno dei sogni Jagang… ma non si capisce come quest'ultimo sia diventato così potente e, soprattutto, non si capisce perché, dopo la distruzione del Palazzo dei Profeti (di cui voleva impossessarsi), scompaia completamente dal libro.
Altra cosa che non ho proprio capito (ma che allo stesso tempo mi ha strappato un sorriso): c'era proprio bisogno di scimmiottare La spada nella roccia di arturiana memoria? Ad un certo punto del libro, infatti, Richard prende la sua spada (la Spada della Verità che dà il titolo a tutta la saga) e, prima di abbandonarla, la conficca nella roccia. Signori, per me è davvero troppo…!
[https://lastanzadiantonio.blogspot.co...]
Che dire di questo terzo volume? Troppo prolisso, troppo caotico e troppo dispersivo (con la scena che si sposta continuamente in vari luoghi del magico territorio immaginato da Goodkind), e due dei protagonisti principali (mi riferisco a Khalan e Zed) completamente assenti, appena appena qualche piccola apparizione ogni tanto. Compaiono due nuovi nemici: il pazzo generale della Stirpe dei Fedeli Tobias Brogan (assistito da sua sorella Lunetta, l'unica del duo davvero pazza) e l'imperatore del vecchio mondo e tiranno dei sogni Jagang… ma non si capisce come quest'ultimo sia diventato così potente e, soprattutto, non si capisce perché, dopo la distruzione del Palazzo dei Profeti (di cui voleva impossessarsi), scompaia completamente dal libro.
Altra cosa che non ho proprio capito (ma che allo stesso tempo mi ha strappato un sorriso): c'era proprio bisogno di scimmiottare La spada nella roccia di arturiana memoria? Ad un certo punto del libro, infatti, Richard prende la sua spada (la Spada della Verità che dà il titolo a tutta la saga) e, prima di abbandonarla, la conficca nella roccia. Signori, per me è davvero troppo…!
[https://lastanzadiantonio.blogspot.co...]
July 4, 2013
As a reader , I honestly feel insulted ! Why do events keep happening behind our backs ? And then all Goodkind gives us is a brief account on what happened !! Someone needs to tell him that when you read a book you expect to be "there" you know ?
And second , Emperor Jagang , the Keeper , the mriswith , and the blood of the fold ?? When did all this happen ??? Things keep popping up and names as readers we are not informed of to the extent that I keep thinking there's a book I missed!
Magically the keeper is defeated and Darken Rahl's spirit is banished to the underworld , and we find out because a sister of the dark chooses to mention it in a casual conversation!
And then there's Gratch ! I find the idea cute really but then at the end :
Gratch : I made some friends and I wanna go live with them
Richard : ok cool go live with them
Kahlan : but we love you! Plz come visit and bring your friends with you !
Bite me !!
But there was some suspense at some point I must say ...
And second , Emperor Jagang , the Keeper , the mriswith , and the blood of the fold ?? When did all this happen ??? Things keep popping up and names as readers we are not informed of to the extent that I keep thinking there's a book I missed!
Magically the keeper is defeated and Darken Rahl's spirit is banished to the underworld , and we find out because a sister of the dark chooses to mention it in a casual conversation!
And then there's Gratch ! I find the idea cute really but then at the end :
Gratch : I made some friends and I wanna go live with them
Richard : ok cool go live with them
Kahlan : but we love you! Plz come visit and bring your friends with you !
Bite me !!
But there was some suspense at some point I must say ...
July 6, 2021
In Band 3/11, in der Reihe „Das Schwert der Wahrheit“, erhält die Welt um Kaylan, Zed und Richard wieder einen „Bums“. Ich dachte, da geht nicht noch mehr, aber Terry Goodkind hat wieder eins drauf gesetzt.
Die Geschichte schließt direkt an den zweiten Band. Richard versucht in Aydindril Ordnung zu schaffen und sagt der Imperialen Ordnung den Kampf an. An seiner Seite, als seine persönlichen Bodyguards, hat Richard ab sofort Mord-Siths und zwei D’Haranische Kämpfer, welche ihm die Treue schwören. Da sich die Situation immer mehr zuspitzt und die Imperiale Ordnung alle Länder unterjochen will, bleibt Richard nichts anderes übrig als, als eine kuriose Idee in die Tat umzusetzen.
Parallel zu den Geschehnissen in Aydindril finden wir natürlich die Ereignisse um Zed und Kahlan, die Richard zu Hilfe eilen (möchten) und das Tun im Palast der Propheten. Verna wird als neue Prälatin ausgerufen und muss den Schwestern der Finsternis auf die Schliche kommen und sie besiegen. Doch die dunklen Schwestern kollaborieren mit Kaiser Jagang, der einen dunklen Plan hat.
Meine Meinung:
Der scheinbar unendliche Einfallsreichtum von TG geleitet uns auch hier durch das gesamte Buch. Die gesamte Geschichte zieht einen durchwegs in einen Bann. TG baut überall Plottwists ein, die einen atemlos staunen lassen (oder zumindest war es bei mir so). Er webt die Geschehnisse so ineinander, dass man keine Idee hat, wo die Reise hingehen könnte. Band 3 war flüssiger zu lesen, hat keine unnötigen Längen – dies war in Band 2 etwas nervig.
An manchen Stellen ist das Buch sehr brutal. Hier wären vielleicht Triggerwarnungen zu Beginn empfohlen. Mich persönlich stört oder schockt dies in Fantasybüchern nicht, da ich da meist mit Grausamkeiten rechne – überhaupt, wenn es auch Kriegsgeschehen und Machtgier beinhaltet. Aber ich denke, dass dies nicht jede*r so empfindet.
Ich freue mich tierisch auf Band 4 und hoffe, dass er bald eintrudelt - von meiner Seite eine Leseempfehlung!
Die Geschichte schließt direkt an den zweiten Band. Richard versucht in Aydindril Ordnung zu schaffen und sagt der Imperialen Ordnung den Kampf an. An seiner Seite, als seine persönlichen Bodyguards, hat Richard ab sofort Mord-Siths und zwei D’Haranische Kämpfer, welche ihm die Treue schwören. Da sich die Situation immer mehr zuspitzt und die Imperiale Ordnung alle Länder unterjochen will, bleibt Richard nichts anderes übrig als, als eine kuriose Idee in die Tat umzusetzen.
Parallel zu den Geschehnissen in Aydindril finden wir natürlich die Ereignisse um Zed und Kahlan, die Richard zu Hilfe eilen (möchten) und das Tun im Palast der Propheten. Verna wird als neue Prälatin ausgerufen und muss den Schwestern der Finsternis auf die Schliche kommen und sie besiegen. Doch die dunklen Schwestern kollaborieren mit Kaiser Jagang, der einen dunklen Plan hat.
Meine Meinung:
Der scheinbar unendliche Einfallsreichtum von TG geleitet uns auch hier durch das gesamte Buch. Die gesamte Geschichte zieht einen durchwegs in einen Bann. TG baut überall Plottwists ein, die einen atemlos staunen lassen (oder zumindest war es bei mir so). Er webt die Geschehnisse so ineinander, dass man keine Idee hat, wo die Reise hingehen könnte. Band 3 war flüssiger zu lesen, hat keine unnötigen Längen – dies war in Band 2 etwas nervig.
An manchen Stellen ist das Buch sehr brutal. Hier wären vielleicht Triggerwarnungen zu Beginn empfohlen. Mich persönlich stört oder schockt dies in Fantasybüchern nicht, da ich da meist mit Grausamkeiten rechne – überhaupt, wenn es auch Kriegsgeschehen und Machtgier beinhaltet. Aber ich denke, dass dies nicht jede*r so empfindet.
Ich freue mich tierisch auf Band 4 und hoffe, dass er bald eintrudelt - von meiner Seite eine Leseempfehlung!
June 21, 2019
Mr. Terry Goodkind, to start this I want to say how grateful I am that this series was recommended to me and remind you to please accept my friend request..? Pretty please? I kind of love you?
I honest to God do not understand why there are negative reviews and what the hell it is that people expect when they read fantasy.
Horrible series that are basically a copy and paste of one another are constantly getting 5 stars, awards and die-hard fans and books that have real talent and original plots are somehow boring…?
I can't get my head around how underrated this is!
Whatever, y'all can read the same shit over and over again, this is so up my alley and I will for sure get the fourth.
Terry Goodkind has managed to consistently maintain philosophy in his writing and he is so good at creating manipulating scenarios and twists on twists that page after page is turned and I had no idea how many I read in one sitting.
Instead of focusing so much on Richard, I enjoyed having shifted gears and really studying some ancient magic and getting deep with the corruption of the sisters.
In this volume, almost everyone had to give up something important to them for the greater good and a new villain was introduced. I like the Dream Walker's evilness. Even though I think I still prefer Darken Rahl it's interesting that they are so different and want such different outcomes, it really changed the story and opened many new doors plotwise.
At this point I need to take a moment and praise Zedd for being such a badass wizard, the scences with Ann and him gave me so many chills - you go Zedd, you tell her!
Also massive questionmark, WHAT the HELL is UP with NATHAN? Being as powerful, unpredictable as he is I think this is the plot I want to get more in the next book, let's have more Nathan time!
Also, I have to give props to Terry Goodkind for handling homosexuality so delicately in the fucking 90’s before all the forced diversity of today which confuses me so much I dont know what to believe anymore. Even here sir you are fantastic.
After the first two giant books I admit feeling a bit refreshed that this was a couple hundred pages less. In addition to being shorter it was also quicker than the other two.
It takes place in a shorter amount of time and everyone is in a rush to get their missions done so there's much suspense throughout the story.
Since I have found the same editions for the first three my insanity compells that I find the same one for the fourth and unfortunately will have to order and wait for it.
I have received scary comments that the fourth book has a slower pace but fret not Mr. Goodkind because for me, you are of the good kind, get it?
I am becoming a nerd and its awesome.
I honest to God do not understand why there are negative reviews and what the hell it is that people expect when they read fantasy.
Horrible series that are basically a copy and paste of one another are constantly getting 5 stars, awards and die-hard fans and books that have real talent and original plots are somehow boring…?
I can't get my head around how underrated this is!
Whatever, y'all can read the same shit over and over again, this is so up my alley and I will for sure get the fourth.
Terry Goodkind has managed to consistently maintain philosophy in his writing and he is so good at creating manipulating scenarios and twists on twists that page after page is turned and I had no idea how many I read in one sitting.
Instead of focusing so much on Richard, I enjoyed having shifted gears and really studying some ancient magic and getting deep with the corruption of the sisters.
In this volume, almost everyone had to give up something important to them for the greater good and a new villain was introduced. I like the Dream Walker's evilness. Even though I think I still prefer Darken Rahl it's interesting that they are so different and want such different outcomes, it really changed the story and opened many new doors plotwise.
At this point I need to take a moment and praise Zedd for being such a badass wizard, the scences with Ann and him gave me so many chills - you go Zedd, you tell her!
Also massive questionmark, WHAT the HELL is UP with NATHAN? Being as powerful, unpredictable as he is I think this is the plot I want to get more in the next book, let's have more Nathan time!
Also, I have to give props to Terry Goodkind for handling homosexuality so delicately in the fucking 90’s before all the forced diversity of today which confuses me so much I dont know what to believe anymore. Even here sir you are fantastic.
After the first two giant books I admit feeling a bit refreshed that this was a couple hundred pages less. In addition to being shorter it was also quicker than the other two.
It takes place in a shorter amount of time and everyone is in a rush to get their missions done so there's much suspense throughout the story.
Since I have found the same editions for the first three my insanity compells that I find the same one for the fourth and unfortunately will have to order and wait for it.
I have received scary comments that the fourth book has a slower pace but fret not Mr. Goodkind because for me, you are of the good kind, get it?
I am becoming a nerd and its awesome.
November 26, 2009
The third volume in the, from what I understand, now completed saga of the Sword of Truth. Another good offering from Mr. Goodkind. I find it interesting how confused Richard seems to be much of the time. He makes decisions based on information and reason and passion, but spends much of his time regretting the decisions he has made, only to finally accept that, yes, he did do the right thing.
I was elated at the end of the book when Gratch showed back up. I thought surely he had not died in the fight with the mriswith at the Wizard's Keep, but who knew? Not only did he survive, but he brought a whole bunch of buddies with him. And, about that time, we also discovered that Alric Rahl had actually created the gars to help fight against the mriswith! Wow.
Richard's relationship with Kahlan gets deeper, and finally, at the end of this book, the three of them (Richard, Kahlan and Zedd) are all back together! Along with a few mord-sith and D'haran guards. I got much amusement from the interaction of the three mord-sith, especially in the competition to be Richard's favorite.
I already have the fourth installment, but I'll be reading some lighter fare in between.
I was elated at the end of the book when Gratch showed back up. I thought surely he had not died in the fight with the mriswith at the Wizard's Keep, but who knew? Not only did he survive, but he brought a whole bunch of buddies with him. And, about that time, we also discovered that Alric Rahl had actually created the gars to help fight against the mriswith! Wow.
Richard's relationship with Kahlan gets deeper, and finally, at the end of this book, the three of them (Richard, Kahlan and Zedd) are all back together! Along with a few mord-sith and D'haran guards. I got much amusement from the interaction of the three mord-sith, especially in the competition to be Richard's favorite.
I already have the fourth installment, but I'll be reading some lighter fare in between.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2008
Since overcoming the nausea I had succumbed to over the romance between
Richard and Kahlan (it took a few years, no antibiotics were required),
I decided to take another step in the series. Like I've said in other
reviews for these books, this isn't such a huge commitment as these haven't been the types of books that hold you hostage to the series by ending with cliffhangers.
Blood of the Fold was OK. I really like the way Goodkind uses magic in
these stories, and I like the way he can keep a story interesting and moving along. It really doesn't feel like a 700 page exercise, and you're through before you know it.
However, I didn't find this book as good storywise as the first two.
But I was thankful that Richard and Kahlan were kept separated for
most of it.
I must say I think this may be my last outing with this crew.I really can't take Goodkind's sappy take on romance, or the cutesy encounters with Gratch the Gar.
There's got to be better fantasy out there that will wow an adult reader.
Help! Anyone?
Richard and Kahlan (it took a few years, no antibiotics were required),
I decided to take another step in the series. Like I've said in other
reviews for these books, this isn't such a huge commitment as these haven't been the types of books that hold you hostage to the series by ending with cliffhangers.
Blood of the Fold was OK. I really like the way Goodkind uses magic in
these stories, and I like the way he can keep a story interesting and moving along. It really doesn't feel like a 700 page exercise, and you're through before you know it.
However, I didn't find this book as good storywise as the first two.
But I was thankful that Richard and Kahlan were kept separated for
most of it.
I must say I think this may be my last outing with this crew.I really can't take Goodkind's sappy take on romance, or the cutesy encounters with Gratch the Gar.
There's got to be better fantasy out there that will wow an adult reader.
Help! Anyone?
September 8, 2023
This book is as good as the first in the series. There are a ton of really cool concepts and magical things that Goodkind throws at you in this book, and he does a really good job with them. This book basically consists of Richard and Kahlan's attempts to force the Midlands into a massive alliance against the Imperial Order.
One of Goodkind's better villains, General Tobias Brogan of the titular Blood of the Fold also makes his appearance in this book. This character is amazingly written, being both capable and evil. Brogan is a good taste of what enemies in the future books have to offer.
This book has the most insight into gaars, the flying demon beasts that Richard recruits to his side, as well as their opposite, the mriswith, two of Goodkind's cooler elements that are not really present after this.
One of Goodkind's better villains, General Tobias Brogan of the titular Blood of the Fold also makes his appearance in this book. This character is amazingly written, being both capable and evil. Brogan is a good taste of what enemies in the future books have to offer.
This book has the most insight into gaars, the flying demon beasts that Richard recruits to his side, as well as their opposite, the mriswith, two of Goodkind's cooler elements that are not really present after this.
April 19, 2009
I really liked this installment in the Sword of Truth series. Usually the third book is not the best but this one was better than the second I thought; more action, and plot and seemed to move more quickly. Even though Richard and Kahlan are separated through most of the book, there is enough action to keep it going and finally you feel like the Sisters of the Dark and even some of the Light get their commupance! The climax is very riveting and keeps you griping the edge of your seat----or pages as the case may be. And that Zedd, he is a riot, and Nathan is developed more as well. You even come it like Verna somewhat.
So all in all, a good read.
So all in all, a good read.
February 9, 2010
I wish I could give negative-star reviews. This was the worse book I've ever read. I had to finish it to rightfully declaim how insufferably terrible it was and now I can say Goodkind is by far the worse writer (any genre) that I've read. For those of you that enjoy this stuff, if you give it some effort you can actually find good fantasy if you look for more than twenty seconds in the bookstore, or superb fantasy if you look online. Try Jack Vance, Gene Wolfe, George R.R. Martin, T.H. White, Poul Anderson, Neil Gaiman, Ursula K Le Guin, or Roger Zelazny. Goodkind is horrific.
May 6, 2010
A horrible third edition to the sword of truth series. Boring antagonists, empty plot, and an overdone romance between Richard and Kahlan. I barely got through this load of crap. Then Goodkind throws in a random nipple fettish ?? Somehow I feel that Terry Goodkind projects his sick fantasies through the characters in his books. Garbage.
May 17, 2025
این جلد رو خیلی وقت پیش تموم کردم و میخواستم یه متن طولانی براش بنویسم اما هی پشت گوش انداختم و یادم رفته خیلی از چیزهایی که میخواستم بنویسم رو :))
تا جایی که یادمه دوست داشتم و سریع هم جلو رفتم کتاب رو وقایعش هم باحال و هیجانانگیز بودن و برای توضیحات بیشتر یحتمل چیزایی توی نقد کتاب ۱ و ۲ مجموعه نوشتم توضیح بهتری باشه 😅
تا جایی که یادمه دوست داشتم و سریع هم جلو رفتم کتاب رو وقایعش هم باحال و هیجانانگیز بودن و برای توضیحات بیشتر یحتمل چیزایی توی نقد کتاب ۱ و ۲ مجموعه نوشتم توضیح بهتری باشه 😅
March 4, 2024
Tecnicamente ne ho letto la metà per un esperimento ed è stata un’esperienza. Non positiva ovviamente. 🫠
2 ✨ per il caos
2 ✨ per il caos
November 19, 2024
I have finally found the time to finish Blood of the Fold. This is the third book in the Terry Goodkind series. This is the book that seemed to have gotten the majority of bad reviews in the series. I think it has to do with the religious undertone of the book. In case you are unfamiliar this is part of the Sword of Truth series that focuses around the main characters of Richard Cypher and Kahlan Amnell as they fight evil and try to restore faith in humanity and magic.
At the end of Stone of Tears, Richard is finally accepting the fact that he is a war wizard and that his magic is brought upon in times of need and instinct. When he gets out of his own way he is one of the greatest magicians with the most amount of power we have ever seen. Kahlan has run with Zedd after her beheading. The Dark Sisters have escaped on a ship. Richard had finally found a way to forgive Kahlan for forcing him to put on a collar and we have seen new friends from the Old World. We were introduced to the Imperial Army and have heard mention several times about the Blood of the Fold.
In Blood of the Fold, Goodkind delves us deeper into the psyche behind the current leader of the Blood of the Fold a man named Tobias Brogan. The Blood of the Fold are called such due to the crimson capes that they wear at all times and the trail of blood that they leave behind in their quest to root out banelings (the keepers minions in this world). Brogan is a true blue believer in his quest and finds ways to explain everything so that he is always the good guy at the forefront of his mind. If something doesn't add up he will find a reason for it to be acceptable to him (for example, incest with his sister). If anyone makes him angry or stands in his way they are immediately considered a baneling and must be killed, he will force a confession out of anyone under extreme measures of torture to get them to admit to doing the keeper's work. He finds that joining with the Imperial Army is in the best interest of the Blood of the Fold at this time.
I honestly think that Terry Goodkind did an amazing job capturing the zealotry that can be found in religion. The need to always have one's faith proven correct no matter what the peril even if it becomes a personal vendetta.... enter in religious wars...
We are also introduced to the leader of the Imperial Army: Emperor Jagang who is a dreamwalker. Which means that he can enter into the dreams of people and physically torture them or find other ways to force them to do his bidding. He is all about slavery and forcing people to his will.
With Jagang's dreamwalking ability we learn that the Rahl bond that was created by Richard's ancestor is the only line of defense to the dreamwalker entering someones mind when they are asleep. Of course we can't forget the ever persistent new bodyguards to include the Mord-Sith.
Many of our friends from the Palace of the Prophets stay with us in this story as we can follow along and get to know even more about Verna and Warren and also more about the dark sisters that fled the palace. We also become intimately familiar with mriswrith and learn more about the great war from the past that destroyed so many lives and so many wizards. Richard & Kahlan seem doomed to be separated through events and prophecies beyond their control.
Overall I have to say that this book was shorter than the others and took on a different book than the previous two. With that being said I do not in anyway think that it is a worse book. I think it was a very insightful book into an enemy that plays on the fear of people as a "religious body". I loved that Terry Goodkind was brave enough to take this on and think that he did an excellent job in showing how when ruled by fear, we can lose freedom and reason in life.
Click to view this and other books on my personal blog
At the end of Stone of Tears, Richard is finally accepting the fact that he is a war wizard and that his magic is brought upon in times of need and instinct. When he gets out of his own way he is one of the greatest magicians with the most amount of power we have ever seen. Kahlan has run with Zedd after her beheading. The Dark Sisters have escaped on a ship. Richard had finally found a way to forgive Kahlan for forcing him to put on a collar and we have seen new friends from the Old World. We were introduced to the Imperial Army and have heard mention several times about the Blood of the Fold.
In Blood of the Fold, Goodkind delves us deeper into the psyche behind the current leader of the Blood of the Fold a man named Tobias Brogan. The Blood of the Fold are called such due to the crimson capes that they wear at all times and the trail of blood that they leave behind in their quest to root out banelings (the keepers minions in this world). Brogan is a true blue believer in his quest and finds ways to explain everything so that he is always the good guy at the forefront of his mind. If something doesn't add up he will find a reason for it to be acceptable to him (for example, incest with his sister). If anyone makes him angry or stands in his way they are immediately considered a baneling and must be killed, he will force a confession out of anyone under extreme measures of torture to get them to admit to doing the keeper's work. He finds that joining with the Imperial Army is in the best interest of the Blood of the Fold at this time.
I honestly think that Terry Goodkind did an amazing job capturing the zealotry that can be found in religion. The need to always have one's faith proven correct no matter what the peril even if it becomes a personal vendetta.... enter in religious wars...
We are also introduced to the leader of the Imperial Army: Emperor Jagang who is a dreamwalker. Which means that he can enter into the dreams of people and physically torture them or find other ways to force them to do his bidding. He is all about slavery and forcing people to his will.
With Jagang's dreamwalking ability we learn that the Rahl bond that was created by Richard's ancestor is the only line of defense to the dreamwalker entering someones mind when they are asleep. Of course we can't forget the ever persistent new bodyguards to include the Mord-Sith.
Many of our friends from the Palace of the Prophets stay with us in this story as we can follow along and get to know even more about Verna and Warren and also more about the dark sisters that fled the palace. We also become intimately familiar with mriswrith and learn more about the great war from the past that destroyed so many lives and so many wizards. Richard & Kahlan seem doomed to be separated through events and prophecies beyond their control.
Overall I have to say that this book was shorter than the others and took on a different book than the previous two. With that being said I do not in anyway think that it is a worse book. I think it was a very insightful book into an enemy that plays on the fear of people as a "religious body". I loved that Terry Goodkind was brave enough to take this on and think that he did an excellent job in showing how when ruled by fear, we can lose freedom and reason in life.
Click to view this and other books on my personal blog
June 11, 2021
I'm not really sure why I've pushed on with this series. It's grown progressively worse with each instalment and with so much to read and so little time I should really be focusing on something that I enjoy more. I think it's the completest in me. Leaving a series unfinished hurts but there is just too much left in this one for me to push on with as unfortunate as it seems to be growing. I could forgive a bad entry but this seems to mark a trend for The Sword of Truth and I don't think I want to be here for it.
I was surprised. I had heard some really good things about Terry Goodkind and I thought for sure that it was just me. Maybe I wasn't in the mood to read fantasy at the time or maybe I was craving something with a fresher spin on things. The book was over two decades old by the time I got to it after all, but it's not just that the story lagged or that it didn't seem to be really adding anything new to the genre. There's a comfort that can be found in reading stories that are simply retreading old territory but not when the Hero of the story is so unlikeable. Richard (our "hero") is a flawed man, beyond that really. He does bad things, he monologues, and he is a bit of an ass if I'm being honest and the problem is that the author seems to be unaware of this. I love flawed hero's. I love villains as the protagonist. But Goodkind doesn't seem to be aware that he's writing a flawed hero. He seems to actually think Richard is the good guy here and between that and the constant monologuing of pseudo objectivist philosophy I just can't bring myself to read any further. It's a shame too because there were elements of this series that I did enjoy. The wizard Zed was always entertaining and Kahlan had her moments as well but I won't be pushing myself to continue on with them.
I was surprised. I had heard some really good things about Terry Goodkind and I thought for sure that it was just me. Maybe I wasn't in the mood to read fantasy at the time or maybe I was craving something with a fresher spin on things. The book was over two decades old by the time I got to it after all, but it's not just that the story lagged or that it didn't seem to be really adding anything new to the genre. There's a comfort that can be found in reading stories that are simply retreading old territory but not when the Hero of the story is so unlikeable. Richard (our "hero") is a flawed man, beyond that really. He does bad things, he monologues, and he is a bit of an ass if I'm being honest and the problem is that the author seems to be unaware of this. I love flawed hero's. I love villains as the protagonist. But Goodkind doesn't seem to be aware that he's writing a flawed hero. He seems to actually think Richard is the good guy here and between that and the constant monologuing of pseudo objectivist philosophy I just can't bring myself to read any further. It's a shame too because there were elements of this series that I did enjoy. The wizard Zed was always entertaining and Kahlan had her moments as well but I won't be pushing myself to continue on with them.
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