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Jack Raines Thriller
Les Sanctuaires du mal
Quand son frère John est brutalement assassiné, le monde de Kate Bishop s’écroule : elle a échoué à sauver cet être si sensible qui voyait le mal partout. Et si sa mort était la preuve qu’il avait raison ? Impliquée malgré elle dans l’enquête, Kate découvre qu’elle partage ce don : d’un regard, elle sait reconnaître les tueurs. Jack Raines, un spécialiste du « dark web », prétend pouvoir la protéger. Mais Kate n’a qu’une envie : fuir. Car si elle peut voir le mal, le mal la voit aussi… et les yeux de Jack Raines ne lui disent rien qui vaille.
410 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2016
526 people are currently reading
3927 people want to read
About the author
Terry Goodkind
277 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 654 reviews
December 9, 2016
I'm not usually into spoilers, but I'm about to tell you what happens in this entire book.
Kate, you have a special ability.
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Stories from the past
Explaining
Mankind is awful and video gamers only play video games because they are a suitable substitution for killing people
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Stuff finally happens
The End
Would I recommend The Nest to Others?
No.
1.5 stars
Kate, you have a special ability.
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Stories from the past
Explaining
Mankind is awful and video gamers only play video games because they are a suitable substitution for killing people
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Stuff finally happens
The End
Would I recommend The Nest to Others?
No.
1.5 stars
November 23, 2016
Every time Terry Goodkind writes a new book I pre-order it. I do this because I have harbored some hope that his writing style will revert back to what it was like in The Sword of Truth series: mature, intelligent, complex, and emotional. He was an exceptional writer, and he probably still is an exceptional writer, but there has been a drastic change in something ever since Confessor. The first two thirds of Nest is what you'd expect it to be from the inside flap; a story of Kate Bishop, a detective with special powers that allow her to literally see evil in a person's eyes, and an author and secret agent named Jack Raines who is trying to save those of her kind and uncover the secrets of the Darknet. All is well and good until Jack shows up and starts making the same point to Kate ten ways to Sunday about how she needs to live and not die at the hands of the killers out get her, and that he's going to help her. I just saved you about fourteen chapters of that very point explained about a dozen times over. Quite frankly, the over-explanations are maddeningly frustrating to wade through when you've clearly been given the point pages ago. Terry Goodkind just won't stop explaining things, and honestly, it makes me as a reader feel like he has no faith in my ability to "get it" the first time. He's holding my hand when I don't need or want him to. He's smothering me. He leaves no room for any complex or imaginative thinking. And to make matters worse, in my opinion, the last third of Nest is Terry's political and scientific views, those of which have so little relevance to the story he's trying to tell. Terry has been known to be preachy, but never to this extent. It's heavy-handed stuff, and I both agree and disagree with him on many points. But it started to feel like a long-winded political Facebook rant. Terry can write what he wants because he's deservedly earned both respect and renown over a long and successful career. It's his book and I don't have to read it if I don't want to, but I guess I'm just a little tired of what I feel is a decline in his writing skill or lack of motivation, and I can't fathom for the life of me what the heck happened. He was so passionate about this book and it pains me to write these words, but he is so much better than this. For people who have read The Sword of Truth series, you know this! For people who haven't, well, that explains all the five star reviews I suppose. I won't make much of a dent in this book's praise, but if you're like me, you'll read the negative reviews first. I don't mean to bring Terry down, he gave me the gift of the joy in reading, but I may have to join those of you who have finally said "I've had enough."
February 10, 2017
Purely awful. I can't stand the way Goodkind writes books now. He's clearly just trying to reach a certain word count. This book is full of repetitive dialogue and chapters-long monologues. Kate is the most boring protagonist I've ever encountered. She literally has information force-fed to her through dialogue. There's even an agonizing scene in Chapter 47 where a character goes through a list of all the things that will fail due to hackitivism. This goes on for TEN paragraphs! We get it, Terry! You don't have to list every single thing in the world!
This is my last Goodkind book. I just can't do it anymore.
This is my last Goodkind book. I just can't do it anymore.
February 23, 2017
In all honesty I wasn't expecting much from this. I was a huge fan of the early 'Sword of Truth' Confessor/Rahl novels, starting with Wizard's First Rule, but Goodkind seriously lost the plot by the middle of that series. However, I won this in a Twitter competition with SciFiNow magazine so I thought i'd give it a shot.
And it was kinda fun. Pure thriller and more than a little silly, but if you're looking for something properly murdery to take you away from the world, this is your book. It's a little bit Mr.Robot, a little bit Evil Genes, a little bit psychic ability, a little bit intelligence agencies... There's some spoon-fed exposition about murder being part of our nature and how it affects periods of history that end up being darker than others (for information see: THE NEWS) so it's amusingly contemporary as well as being entirely fantastical. Plus, there's a super hot, 'good' guy with ALL THE SKILLS and an everlasting bank balance. Damn, i'm sold on this series and i'm there for the follow up.
And it was kinda fun. Pure thriller and more than a little silly, but if you're looking for something properly murdery to take you away from the world, this is your book. It's a little bit Mr.Robot, a little bit Evil Genes, a little bit psychic ability, a little bit intelligence agencies... There's some spoon-fed exposition about murder being part of our nature and how it affects periods of history that end up being darker than others (for information see: THE NEWS) so it's amusingly contemporary as well as being entirely fantastical. Plus, there's a super hot, 'good' guy with ALL THE SKILLS and an everlasting bank balance. Damn, i'm sold on this series and i'm there for the follow up.
April 11, 2017
What do I say about the Nest it was boring with a CAPITAL B Kate the main character was a bit to repetitive in her dialogue 'always explaining, explaining, explaining this went for quite a while then towards the end something finally happens.
Would I say it was readable? yes but would I recommend it NO!
Would I say it was readable? yes but would I recommend it NO!
December 26, 2016
A fascinating premise, a riveting opening, and then endless pages of monologue, explaining and re-explaining, over and over.
This book is marketed as a thriller. It is not. It's not even particularly suspenseful. This is more an exposition on society and killers.
The plot revolves around humanity's propensity toward violent crime, our evolution (or devolution), the darknet, and a unique ability to recognize a killer. Goodkind bases this all in real science. I've read a lot of nonfiction on these topics, and I could tell that Goodkind did his research. But the story's execution winds up reading like his research notes, and the leaps Goodkind takes from conjecture to fact are troublesome.
With the exception of Kate's brother John, whose part is quite small, the characters are flat, one-dimensional, and dull. They lack even the slightest spark of life.
Most of the story is told through dialogue, which is largely one-sided, with Jack Raines expounding uninterrupted for pages at a time, as he explains every single nuance of every single research point, along with his subjective conclusions, to Kate. Then he rearranges his words and explains again. And then Kate sums up what he said and regurgitates it back to him. At best, this comes off like a college lecture, with Jack being the kind of professor who speaks in monotone. At worst, it's tedious and ridiculous.
An example: At one point, Kate and Jack are in a computer store using a store model for access to the darknet so they can't be traced from their personal computers. Jack emphasizes that they need to be quiet and not call attention to themselves. Then they proceed to stand there and look at the horrors of the darknet on this store's computer, while Jack lectures Kate about humanity's evils. His monologue goes on and on... and on. Seriously, they'd have had to be standing in that spot, looking at that computer, for thirty minutes. All without drawing attention from salespeople or customers. Try that in Best Buy and see how far you get.
Then we have the interspersed political rants, where Jack tells Kate how we've been beaten down, as a nation no longer feeling we have a right to defend ourselves, and so we allow countries like North Korea and Iran to flourish with evil and control us. These passages are intermingled with Jack's warnings about how we've allowed police to steal our rights and, yes, control us. Oh, and the only people who play those first-person shooter video games are would-be killers. This gives the book a self-serving, alarmist feel, cheapening the actual research basis for the story.
When the story does move into action, the violence is intense and the details are graphic. This has the unfortunate feel of a bad horror movie, with the gory scenes tossed in to impact readers and force-feed the opinion that humanity is on a fast track to hell and, eventually, extinction.
And, so, when I at last got to the final page, I could only breathe a sigh of relief that it was over, along with a groan of irritation that I'd wasted my time.
*I was provided with a review copy in exchange for my brutally honest opinion.*
This book is marketed as a thriller. It is not. It's not even particularly suspenseful. This is more an exposition on society and killers.
The plot revolves around humanity's propensity toward violent crime, our evolution (or devolution), the darknet, and a unique ability to recognize a killer. Goodkind bases this all in real science. I've read a lot of nonfiction on these topics, and I could tell that Goodkind did his research. But the story's execution winds up reading like his research notes, and the leaps Goodkind takes from conjecture to fact are troublesome.
With the exception of Kate's brother John, whose part is quite small, the characters are flat, one-dimensional, and dull. They lack even the slightest spark of life.
Most of the story is told through dialogue, which is largely one-sided, with Jack Raines expounding uninterrupted for pages at a time, as he explains every single nuance of every single research point, along with his subjective conclusions, to Kate. Then he rearranges his words and explains again. And then Kate sums up what he said and regurgitates it back to him. At best, this comes off like a college lecture, with Jack being the kind of professor who speaks in monotone. At worst, it's tedious and ridiculous.
An example: At one point, Kate and Jack are in a computer store using a store model for access to the darknet so they can't be traced from their personal computers. Jack emphasizes that they need to be quiet and not call attention to themselves. Then they proceed to stand there and look at the horrors of the darknet on this store's computer, while Jack lectures Kate about humanity's evils. His monologue goes on and on... and on. Seriously, they'd have had to be standing in that spot, looking at that computer, for thirty minutes. All without drawing attention from salespeople or customers. Try that in Best Buy and see how far you get.
Then we have the interspersed political rants, where Jack tells Kate how we've been beaten down, as a nation no longer feeling we have a right to defend ourselves, and so we allow countries like North Korea and Iran to flourish with evil and control us. These passages are intermingled with Jack's warnings about how we've allowed police to steal our rights and, yes, control us. Oh, and the only people who play those first-person shooter video games are would-be killers. This gives the book a self-serving, alarmist feel, cheapening the actual research basis for the story.
When the story does move into action, the violence is intense and the details are graphic. This has the unfortunate feel of a bad horror movie, with the gory scenes tossed in to impact readers and force-feed the opinion that humanity is on a fast track to hell and, eventually, extinction.
And, so, when I at last got to the final page, I could only breathe a sigh of relief that it was over, along with a groan of irritation that I'd wasted my time.
*I was provided with a review copy in exchange for my brutally honest opinion.*
March 3, 2017
This has to be one of the worst books I've ever read in my life. I honestly do not understand how anyone could give this book more than two stars. It is a thriller that is almost completely devoid of thrills, for one thing. But there is so much more to be said about this book. Let's get started.
Pacing: This book is excruciatingly slow. Imagine a sloth who just ate an entire Thanksgiving feast laced with Valium and is trying to climb a mountain. That should give you an idea. From what I can recall, there are only about 5 "thrilling" scenes in this 428-page book. The majority of the book is dialogue and the main character internally processing said dialogue. One of the first serious conversations in the book is NINE CHAPTERS LONG. Prepare yourself for several of these. Maybe make some sock puppets and act these scenes out. Although your hands will probably permanently cramp into claws and there goes your dream of being a hand model/someone who doesn't scare children.
Dialogue: The dialogue may be more painful than the pace. If a character poses a question, you can be sure the answer will be exhaustive and belabored. Goodkind either believes his readers have substantially underdeveloped reading comprehension and he has to pound concepts into their heads whether they like it or not, or he gives himself the writer's version of an enema compounded with a laxative so he can excrete as much crappy dialogue as possible and he cannot stop himself.
Characters: The are bland and predictable. They are the plain mashed potatoes of the literary world. You have the heroine, Kate, who is analytical and a strong badass, obviously the polar opposite of the average woman, who is weak and emotional. Oh, and she's extraordinarily beautiful and has a talent that is extremely rare, which she isn't aware of until a "trigger event". Thereafter, our heroine recalls that she has always had this talent but thought that everyone else did, too. When she meets the hero of the book, she finds out that her talent is actually more amazing than anyone else's and she is absolutely unique. The hero, Jack (yup, yet another Jack) basically knows everything there is to know about this talent, as he wrote the only book on the subject. His talent is being able to look in people's eyes and recognizing their talent. He's rich, good-looking, a loner, haunted by his past and a love that might have been and convinced that he will never be loved. Anyone gagged yet? Go get some water, I'll wait for you.
Descriptors: Goodkind doesn't believe in them, apparently. You will know that characters have faces, hair and the general parts that form a human. Beyond that, you're screwed. No bumpy noses, scars, irises, moles, etc. The characters could be robots or animated mannequins for all I know. Scenery is the same; no wind chills, scent of grass, warmth of sun or horns honking. In dialogue, characters never smile ruefully or wryly or frown in speculation or disapproval. They simply frown, shrug, smile or raise an eyebrow, and I'm pretty sure that's the entire list.
There is so much more that could be said about this book, but my attention span is waning and I'm getting hangry from skipping lunch to write this review. If you enjoyed this book, I'm glad that there really is love out there for everyone.
Pacing: This book is excruciatingly slow. Imagine a sloth who just ate an entire Thanksgiving feast laced with Valium and is trying to climb a mountain. That should give you an idea. From what I can recall, there are only about 5 "thrilling" scenes in this 428-page book. The majority of the book is dialogue and the main character internally processing said dialogue. One of the first serious conversations in the book is NINE CHAPTERS LONG. Prepare yourself for several of these. Maybe make some sock puppets and act these scenes out. Although your hands will probably permanently cramp into claws and there goes your dream of being a hand model/someone who doesn't scare children.
Dialogue: The dialogue may be more painful than the pace. If a character poses a question, you can be sure the answer will be exhaustive and belabored. Goodkind either believes his readers have substantially underdeveloped reading comprehension and he has to pound concepts into their heads whether they like it or not, or he gives himself the writer's version of an enema compounded with a laxative so he can excrete as much crappy dialogue as possible and he cannot stop himself.
Characters: The are bland and predictable. They are the plain mashed potatoes of the literary world. You have the heroine, Kate, who is analytical and a strong badass, obviously the polar opposite of the average woman, who is weak and emotional. Oh, and she's extraordinarily beautiful and has a talent that is extremely rare, which she isn't aware of until a "trigger event". Thereafter, our heroine recalls that she has always had this talent but thought that everyone else did, too. When she meets the hero of the book, she finds out that her talent is actually more amazing than anyone else's and she is absolutely unique. The hero, Jack (yup, yet another Jack) basically knows everything there is to know about this talent, as he wrote the only book on the subject. His talent is being able to look in people's eyes and recognizing their talent. He's rich, good-looking, a loner, haunted by his past and a love that might have been and convinced that he will never be loved. Anyone gagged yet? Go get some water, I'll wait for you.
Descriptors: Goodkind doesn't believe in them, apparently. You will know that characters have faces, hair and the general parts that form a human. Beyond that, you're screwed. No bumpy noses, scars, irises, moles, etc. The characters could be robots or animated mannequins for all I know. Scenery is the same; no wind chills, scent of grass, warmth of sun or horns honking. In dialogue, characters never smile ruefully or wryly or frown in speculation or disapproval. They simply frown, shrug, smile or raise an eyebrow, and I'm pretty sure that's the entire list.
There is so much more that could be said about this book, but my attention span is waning and I'm getting hangry from skipping lunch to write this review. If you enjoyed this book, I'm glad that there really is love out there for everyone.
November 11, 2016
When I heard that Terry Goodkind was venturing into a new genre, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would like it as much as his other books. I like thrillers, so I had hope. But I had seen other authors fail when attempting to break into a new genre, so I was leery too. I’ll admit that my hopes were high—he is a very successful author after all, so surely it would be good… wouldn’t it? Well, as it turns out, yes! The answer is YES! The book is awesome! Plot twists, intrigue and oh so much brutal reality! Best of all is that it’s fresh and new. It’s not a tired old plotline revamped with new characters, but is instead truly unique. The premise is so insightful that you may never look at the world around you the same way again, which is exactly what I hoped for when picking up one of Mr. Goodkind’s books. That seems to be his specialty, and this book is one of his best. It’s an enthralling page-turner, and definitely thought provoking. I can hardly wait for the next installment.
November 21, 2016
Spine-chilling, gritty, and hands down one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year!
As most of you know fantasy and science fiction novels are not my favourite and anyone who’s anyone knows that Terry Goodkind is very successful in those genres, so I have to admit in the beginning I was a little hesitant about reading and reviewing this novel, but boy am I glad I did.
This is a gripping, often gruesome, intelligent thriller that takes us on a journey into the dark and disturbing criminal underworld and immerses us in violence, manipulation, murder, depravity, immorality, wickedness, and pure evil.
The characters are complex, unique, and well developed. And the story starts off with a bang and continues from there with an incredibly clever rollercoaster ride full of twists and turns, mystery, intensity and suspense that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
This truly is an extremely captivating novel that will not only shock, fascinate and scare you, but cause you to reflect on what “evil” really means and where it actually may come from.
What more can I say. This isn’t a good book, it’s a great book. Terry Goodkind you definitely have a new fan in me.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at http://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
As most of you know fantasy and science fiction novels are not my favourite and anyone who’s anyone knows that Terry Goodkind is very successful in those genres, so I have to admit in the beginning I was a little hesitant about reading and reviewing this novel, but boy am I glad I did.
This is a gripping, often gruesome, intelligent thriller that takes us on a journey into the dark and disturbing criminal underworld and immerses us in violence, manipulation, murder, depravity, immorality, wickedness, and pure evil.
The characters are complex, unique, and well developed. And the story starts off with a bang and continues from there with an incredibly clever rollercoaster ride full of twists and turns, mystery, intensity and suspense that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
This truly is an extremely captivating novel that will not only shock, fascinate and scare you, but cause you to reflect on what “evil” really means and where it actually may come from.
What more can I say. This isn’t a good book, it’s a great book. Terry Goodkind you definitely have a new fan in me.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at http://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
November 18, 2016
I am always nervous when an author writes in a different genre, some do this effortlessly, some fail horribly. Mr. Goodkind's journey into a new genre seemed effortless! I loved that this book transported the characters to our world. Nest plays on our own fears in a reality based way and the effect is chilling. The characters had true depth and the plot was filled with unexpected twists. The story moves along nicely and while you can hear Mr. Goodkinds signature voice, I loved seeing more from him. The book had me from the first page, intriguing me to the last. Bravo, Mr. Goodkind! Impatiently awaiting the next novel!!!
November 9, 2016
Readers,
I have such an amazing treat for you today. I recently obtained an advanced reader's copy of one of Fantasy's best-selling author, Terry Goodkind. There was a contest on a Facebook fan group page I follow of his Sword of Truth fantasy series, and I happened to be one of the lucky 150 people who received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I finished the book a few days ago, but I needed some time to let the book's events marinate with me before I wrote my review.
Terry Goodkind, like I said, is known for his series Sword of Truth. His known genre is Fantasy, but Nest falls under a Paranormal thriller. Goodkind sought to turn the genre on it's head, and provide a fresh new outlook. Goodkind is known for his political and religious juxtapositions within his tales, and I always found that his voice is very unique. You can always find a place in the story where a character will use their voice to speak to Goodkind's own personal thoughts on life, society, and everything in between. His characters are essentially his personal mouthpieces, and they always move and act with an agenda. Nest is no different.
As you see from the synopsis, Nest is a dark thriller that delves into what it means to be human. It speaks to the nuances between black and white, good vs. evil, and how we are actually living in a world very similar to that of Kate Bishop's and Jack Raines' world. Goodkind uses current events from the real world in order to grab the reader's attention, which in turn forces us to really question the very fabric and foundation of our society.
Kate Bishop works in cyber security for a well known firm, and has made plenty of enemies along the way. She's quick-witted, observant, and doesn't shy away from shady people or shady situations. She thrives in and around them. She becomes entertwined with a sadistic world of killers who are dead set on killing her and those like her. Kate Bishop can tell if a person is a killer just by looking in their eyes. A tragedy happens that forces Kate down the road to not only seek ways to survive, but to thrive, in a dark and twisted society that isn't very far from our own. Along the way she meets Jack Raines, an enigmatic author who seems to know about Kate and those like her who also have her abilities. It is under the tutelage of Jack, that Kate really seems to thrive and come into her own abilities and the potential she has always had.
I promised to keep this as a spoiler-free review so I would just like to discuss my initial thoughts about the world Goodkind has built, rather than discussing specific events of the book. It reminded me of one of the important individuals from the Enlightenment period of history, a time where science was about to discover many new and scary things. One of those philosophers was Hobbes, who believed that men were naturally brutish and short. It was a very pessimistic outlook on humanity, and Goodkind has sweeping moments of this throughout Nest. As Goodkind expressed in his Sword of Truth series, evil and good always seek a balance. When there is too much of one, the world seeks and produces a balance. Due to "nesting events" as Goodkind calls them, acts of evil that brew and become cataclysmic events, the world balances itself out by producing what it deems as a solution. In Nest's world, it produces an evolved being like Kate, who can see evil for what it is, exactly how it is. It seems as if anyone is capable of murder. Murder and violence is a common thread that seems to be woven within the very fabric of our society's foundation.
Nest provided me with a captivating tale that had me engulfed from beginning to end. It's a story that seemed to take a life of it's own and leaped right off the page. It was real. It was dark. And it had me scared. It's what I loved most about it. The very real feeling I got. It had me question whether or not if that's our own world. In a way, it really is. History is drenched in the blood of the victims from the regimes of dictators and elitist, hungry with the taste of conquest. Humans have always had a superiority complex, one we have no problem with acting on, especially among each other.
Nest is primal and it reveals the true dark recesses of the human mind, at it's most basic level. Strip humanity of all it's luxuries and you will have violence and murder in abundance. As Hobbes believed, it's in our very nature to be Brutish. A book that can make me question the world and have me question my own morals and thought processes, is a book I will love forever. Terry Goodkind is a master at weaving dramatic tales that are relatable to our very own world. It's entrancing, intoxicating, and sometimes just down right scary.
However, I would like to say a HUGE Thank You to Terry Goodkind and his camp for providing me the opportunity to dive into this amazing story ahead of it's original release. Nest is set to be released on November 15th, 2016 in all major stores and at any place you can buy a book. If I wasn't a fan before (which I am), I'm definitely am now. Terry Goodkind has proved to be a master in more than one genre, and can tackle any issue that society is plagued with. Go out and read Nest on it's release day, and also check out his Sword of Truth series. It's an amazing story that is just as captivating.
Happy Reading!
October 31, 2016
I NEED AT LEAST ONE MORE CHAPTER!!!!!! Better yet another book!!!! Still on the edge of my seat after reading this book. Best suspense thriller I've read. (I could really use the next book now). I've always loved his other series of books, how he just threw you right into their world and he doesn't miss a beat diving into the world of suspense thrillers. What more can I say, can't wait for is next endeavor.
October 31, 2016
When I received an Advanced Reading Copy of NEST I was eager to start reading.I have only read a few books that were thrillers and I'll admit that it's not a genre I usually read. My hopes were high that Mr. Goodkind would create a thriller that would be intriguing and intense. I definitely was not disappointed. This book grabbed me and kept me reading until I found myself on the last page. There are so many things in this book that left me curious and others that left me cringing. I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to readers of thrillers and fans of his other books.
November 11, 2016
Once again Terry Goodkind takes us on an amazing journey. I was hooked from the start of the book and at the end of each chapter I kept wanting to read more. The world of Nest is so close to the reality of our own world that it makes you wonder how much of the book could be happening. The character development was wonderful and I hope that there is a squeal so I can read more about the characters.
April 1, 2017
"Nest" is a thriller. Terry Goodkind is best known for writing fantasy novels. So, it this a fantasy -thriller? Yes, kinda, sorta. Maybe more like a horror/ fantasy thriller. I must confess I did not like this book. It started out well enough with a shocking murder, a plucking heroine and a mysterious dark knight ( echoes of a fantasy novel in a way) but then devolved into a lash-up of a story.
The premise seemed interesting. As one can read in the book blurbs, the heroine, Kate Bishop, has the uncanny ability to look into the eyes of a stranger and see, to know, that the other person is a heartless , cold killer. She shared that genetic trait with her mentally-challenged brother John.
The book began with John at home, terrified. He had the devil chained to the floor in his basement, but his fear was growing. As the phone rang with a call from Kate, John suddenly heard the stairs to the cellar creaking as the devil came for him. John yelled into the phone for Kate to run, just before he turn to see the horror come for him.
Problem: how did John, described as a gentle, timid soul, manage to get a vicious killer into the cellar and chained? No real answer was provided.
The author continued to develop the plot, but not without more problems. One Jack Raines, a vicious hunter of vicious killers appears on the scene to help Kate. He had been aware of her and other people like her, hoping to protect them against the predators. Goodkind tried to explain the process through a lot of exposition that involved Raines secret work for Israel, but that never quite had a real, convincing foundation.
The entire middle section of the book involved Kate being tutored in heightened self-defense by Raines. She had worked out in Karate ( who would have guessed?) but had to learn to go for the jugular, literally. She learned quickly , becoming proficient at the use of deadly force-all within a few short days. No doubt her quiet life as an auditor was a cover for her real identity as the female Jason Bourne.
Worse, Goodkind tends to drone on a bit more than necessary about the Big Evil Thing Out There. At one point, as they went into a computer store to access a demo laptop to search the web, Raines warned Kate to act casually, so as to not draw attention. So what did Goodkind have do but have Raines and Kate do, but Have a long Q&A discussion about computer hacking and the Darknet while standing in the middle of the store that lasted for 15 pages. Can you think of a better way to draw the attention of clerks and other shoppers? More like this padded out the book.
The book ended with a big slash- fest fight that displayed Kate's new-found battle skills against multiple attackers ( the super-Bourne thing again) . It was all very unreal. Also, uninteresting. And fantastic, not in a good way, either.
Advice to Mr. Goodkind: leave the thriller writing to Ben Coes, Brad Thor, Mark Greeeney, etc., and go back to writing about wizards and elves .
One star for trying.
The premise seemed interesting. As one can read in the book blurbs, the heroine, Kate Bishop, has the uncanny ability to look into the eyes of a stranger and see, to know, that the other person is a heartless , cold killer. She shared that genetic trait with her mentally-challenged brother John.
The book began with John at home, terrified. He had the devil chained to the floor in his basement, but his fear was growing. As the phone rang with a call from Kate, John suddenly heard the stairs to the cellar creaking as the devil came for him. John yelled into the phone for Kate to run, just before he turn to see the horror come for him.
Problem: how did John, described as a gentle, timid soul, manage to get a vicious killer into the cellar and chained? No real answer was provided.
The author continued to develop the plot, but not without more problems. One Jack Raines, a vicious hunter of vicious killers appears on the scene to help Kate. He had been aware of her and other people like her, hoping to protect them against the predators. Goodkind tried to explain the process through a lot of exposition that involved Raines secret work for Israel, but that never quite had a real, convincing foundation.
The entire middle section of the book involved Kate being tutored in heightened self-defense by Raines. She had worked out in Karate ( who would have guessed?) but had to learn to go for the jugular, literally. She learned quickly , becoming proficient at the use of deadly force-all within a few short days. No doubt her quiet life as an auditor was a cover for her real identity as the female Jason Bourne.
Worse, Goodkind tends to drone on a bit more than necessary about the Big Evil Thing Out There. At one point, as they went into a computer store to access a demo laptop to search the web, Raines warned Kate to act casually, so as to not draw attention. So what did Goodkind have do but have Raines and Kate do, but Have a long Q&A discussion about computer hacking and the Darknet while standing in the middle of the store that lasted for 15 pages. Can you think of a better way to draw the attention of clerks and other shoppers? More like this padded out the book.
The book ended with a big slash- fest fight that displayed Kate's new-found battle skills against multiple attackers ( the super-Bourne thing again) . It was all very unreal. Also, uninteresting. And fantastic, not in a good way, either.
Advice to Mr. Goodkind: leave the thriller writing to Ben Coes, Brad Thor, Mark Greeeney, etc., and go back to writing about wizards and elves .
One star for trying.
December 8, 2016
So very much dialogue and the writing style has clearly changed since The Sword of Truth series. Confessor was strike two for me and Nest is strike three. I'm out.
This is not a spoiler - promise. Pages 50 thru 97 could probably have been done in ten (is there a word count requirement?) and on page 92 it starts "AJ yawned again making Kate yawn." I started yawning around page 60.
You get the point so I'll stop here on Nest. If you've never read Goodkind start with the earlier stuff. Granted they are not "Thrillers" but then again...
Really, go read Sword of Truth.
This is not a spoiler - promise. Pages 50 thru 97 could probably have been done in ten (is there a word count requirement?) and on page 92 it starts "AJ yawned again making Kate yawn." I started yawning around page 60.
You get the point so I'll stop here on Nest. If you've never read Goodkind start with the earlier stuff. Granted they are not "Thrillers" but then again...
Really, go read Sword of Truth.
October 29, 2016
*** Spoiler-free review for NEST ***
This lethal thriller is not for the faint of heart. NEST shattered writing taboos and had me looking over my shoulder and second guessing before every closed door I chose to open. It took as much courage to read NEST as it must have taken the author to write it. When I finished, I found myself begging for it to be fiction but somehow knew that much of it resonated TRUTH. To sum it up in one sentence; NEST is the book that Evil fears.
This lethal thriller is not for the faint of heart. NEST shattered writing taboos and had me looking over my shoulder and second guessing before every closed door I chose to open. It took as much courage to read NEST as it must have taken the author to write it. When I finished, I found myself begging for it to be fiction but somehow knew that much of it resonated TRUTH. To sum it up in one sentence; NEST is the book that Evil fears.
December 1, 2016
Picked up this book because it was a new book by Terry Goodkind, but was a little hesitant cause it wasn't his usual fantasy and The Sword of Truth series is when of my favorite series's. Was an enjoyable enough story, maybe a little rushed (can you say that about a 428 page novel?) and bogged down in some parts. Don't know if this is just a stand alone novel or is gonna be a series but I will read read the sequel if it is.
October 30, 2016
Got an advance copy of this book and am looking forward to and hoping for a sequel. It was an easy read and Terry Goodkind does an awesome job of pulling you into the story and making you root for the Heroes.
November 14, 2016
This book has that familiar feel...as a long time reader of T.G. I'm quite happy that it does and like all Goodkind books, the further into the book you get the harder it is to put down.
When writing about a world of Wizards and Witches...and magic as found in 'The Sword of Truth' series there isn't a lot that can go wrong from an accuracy standpoint...when writing about 'our' world as T.G. calls it there is a lot of risk...many TV shows have done a terrible job at articulating things as they really are and were very misleading...I want to be careful not to give away any spoilers so I will just say that I was very pleased to find either T.G. is very knowledgeable about many things...or more likely he did his homework while writing this - and for that I'm thankful.
I can see that it was setup to be a long running series and from the Facebook videos Terry Goodkind has posted I believe that his enthusiasm about this new venture will continue to show in future installments.
I'll end this saying I am looking forward to what will be coming next.
When writing about a world of Wizards and Witches...and magic as found in 'The Sword of Truth' series there isn't a lot that can go wrong from an accuracy standpoint...when writing about 'our' world as T.G. calls it there is a lot of risk...many TV shows have done a terrible job at articulating things as they really are and were very misleading...I want to be careful not to give away any spoilers so I will just say that I was very pleased to find either T.G. is very knowledgeable about many things...or more likely he did his homework while writing this - and for that I'm thankful.
I can see that it was setup to be a long running series and from the Facebook videos Terry Goodkind has posted I believe that his enthusiasm about this new venture will continue to show in future installments.
I'll end this saying I am looking forward to what will be coming next.
November 15, 2016
Let me start by saying that I'm not a big reader when it comes to thrillers. That being said, I've been a fan of Terry's for the last 17 years. So when I heard that his new book was going to be a thriller, I was skeptical to say the least. But determined to give it a chance because of who the author was, and I'm so glad I did. I was honored to receive an advanced copy of Nest, and stayed up most of the night to finish it. Nest captured me from the very first sentence and never let me go. It made me think about our world, good vs evil, and the human race in a way I never had before. I am a different person thanks to this book. Terry's unique voice and vision are in every word of this book, lending a sense of familiarity amidst a totally different scenario.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!!!!!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!!!!!
September 4, 2017
Terry Goodkind has long been a favourite author of mine as a result of reading his fantasy series "The Sword of Truth". I tried his last thriller, The Law of Nines, and did not manage to finish it, so it was with some trepidation that I gave this one a go. I'm glad to say that I loved it. Great characterisation and an intriguing premise that kind of edges away from realism to a slight extent.
It wasn't quite up to his best, so I'm giving it 4.75*
If you're looking for something a bit different, check it out. Beware though, I was hooked from the first sentence.
It wasn't quite up to his best, so I'm giving it 4.75*
If you're looking for something a bit different, check it out. Beware though, I was hooked from the first sentence.
November 14, 2016
Terry Goodkind steps into a new world of fiction and knocks it out of the park. Captivating from the first to last word. Edge of your seat action and in depth look at the minds of killers. A world of evil explored to the deepest depths. A test of personal will and survival. The tentacles of evil are everywhere and Kate Bishop is right in the middle of it. How will she handle it? Does she have what it takes? Fight or die. Find out in this epic thriller, "Nest" by Terry Goodkind
March 4, 2022
Kate Bishop führte bisher ein recht entspanntes Leben. Doch wie aus dem Nichts erhält sie die Nachricht, dass ihr Bruder brutal ermordet worden ist. Die zuständige Ermittlerin teilt Kate mit, dass sie ihren Bruder sehr gut kannte und dieser eine besondere Gabe aufwies. Er konnte Mörder sehr gut identifizieren. Kurze Zeit später wird die Protagonistin von einem Mann kontaktiert, der all ihre Fragen beantworten kann. Der Mann ist Schriftsteller und arbeitet mit zahlreichen internationalen Geheimdiensten zusammen. Er hat was rausgefunden, was Kates Leben auch belasten könnte.
Goodkind entwirft mit seinem Buch „Teufelsnest“ einen spannenden Thriller, der eine mysteriöse, nicht direkt auffallende, Stimmung aufweist. In das Buch bin ich leider mit vielen Startproblemen eingestiegen. Ich empfand den Anfang als recht träge, da man auf den ersten 150 Seiten handlungstechnisch sehr langsam vorankommt, da man anhand von Gesprächen zwischen den wichtigen Figuren, in die Thematik eingeführt wird. Natürlich kann man damit argumentieren, dass ein thematischer Input für das Verständnis essentiell ist. In diesem Fall vertrete ich aber die Meinung, dass dieser Input viel kürzer gehalten werden könnte.
Doch dann nach der Einführung entwickelte sich die Handlung rasant. Es passierten Schlag auf Schlag Ereignisse, sodass man kaum hinterhergekommen ist. Ein sehr auffälliger Kontrast lag somit zum Anfang vor. Spannung war reichlich vorhanden und diese hielt sich bis zum Ende des Buches auf einem hohen Niveau. Es hat Spaß gemacht, immer tiefer in die Thematik anhand der Handlung einzutauchen, da besonders hier, die mysteriösen Elemente noch stärker zu Geltung kamen.
Hinsichtlich des Erzählprinzips kann man sagen, dass wir die Geschichte durchgängig an der Seite von Kate erleben. Dadurch erhalten wir nur ihre Perspektive und wissen nicht, was im Hintergrund passiert. Dadurch erwarten den Leser viele Wendungen, die der Autor an der richtigen Stelle einbaut. Zu der Figurengestaltung kann ich sagen, dass ich Kate, aber auch die weiteren Figuren wie AJ und Jack sympathisch fand. Nichts desto trotz fand ich ihre Charakterausarbeitung an manchen Stellen ausbaufähig.
Fazit: Das Buch „Teufelsnetz“ hat mir – unabhängig vom Anfang und der schwächelnden Charakterausarbeitung – gut gefallen. Es lag dann nach dem Beginn eine tolle Spannung vor, die dafür gesorgt hat, dass mich die Geschichte gecatcht hat. Wer also auf der Suche nach einem guten Thriller mit einer mysteriösen Unternote ist, sollte sich dieses Buch anschaffen. Zudem lässt sich sagen, dass noch weitere Werke aus diesem Setting bald publiziert werden. Ich bewerte das Buch mit starken 3 Sternen.
Goodkind entwirft mit seinem Buch „Teufelsnest“ einen spannenden Thriller, der eine mysteriöse, nicht direkt auffallende, Stimmung aufweist. In das Buch bin ich leider mit vielen Startproblemen eingestiegen. Ich empfand den Anfang als recht träge, da man auf den ersten 150 Seiten handlungstechnisch sehr langsam vorankommt, da man anhand von Gesprächen zwischen den wichtigen Figuren, in die Thematik eingeführt wird. Natürlich kann man damit argumentieren, dass ein thematischer Input für das Verständnis essentiell ist. In diesem Fall vertrete ich aber die Meinung, dass dieser Input viel kürzer gehalten werden könnte.
Doch dann nach der Einführung entwickelte sich die Handlung rasant. Es passierten Schlag auf Schlag Ereignisse, sodass man kaum hinterhergekommen ist. Ein sehr auffälliger Kontrast lag somit zum Anfang vor. Spannung war reichlich vorhanden und diese hielt sich bis zum Ende des Buches auf einem hohen Niveau. Es hat Spaß gemacht, immer tiefer in die Thematik anhand der Handlung einzutauchen, da besonders hier, die mysteriösen Elemente noch stärker zu Geltung kamen.
Hinsichtlich des Erzählprinzips kann man sagen, dass wir die Geschichte durchgängig an der Seite von Kate erleben. Dadurch erhalten wir nur ihre Perspektive und wissen nicht, was im Hintergrund passiert. Dadurch erwarten den Leser viele Wendungen, die der Autor an der richtigen Stelle einbaut. Zu der Figurengestaltung kann ich sagen, dass ich Kate, aber auch die weiteren Figuren wie AJ und Jack sympathisch fand. Nichts desto trotz fand ich ihre Charakterausarbeitung an manchen Stellen ausbaufähig.
Fazit: Das Buch „Teufelsnetz“ hat mir – unabhängig vom Anfang und der schwächelnden Charakterausarbeitung – gut gefallen. Es lag dann nach dem Beginn eine tolle Spannung vor, die dafür gesorgt hat, dass mich die Geschichte gecatcht hat. Wer also auf der Suche nach einem guten Thriller mit einer mysteriösen Unternote ist, sollte sich dieses Buch anschaffen. Zudem lässt sich sagen, dass noch weitere Werke aus diesem Setting bald publiziert werden. Ich bewerte das Buch mit starken 3 Sternen.
November 15, 2016
I absolutely loved this book.It caught my attention and had me sitting on the edge of my seat from the first sentence.The characters are so real that I found myself feeling for them and with them, all the heartache and suspense,pain and fear that Terry Goodkind is so adapt at portraying.He brought to life these new characters in the modern world with a few surprises we love from this author.I anxiously await the next in this new-hopefully-series TG has begun.I am not a paranoid person,but this story opens your eyes to the possibility of there being more to this world than the eyes can see ;and ,if you are a paranoid person,this story confirms all your beliefs that this world holds deeper dark world connections than some people can ever conceive.You have to read to believe!
March 2, 2017
The concept is interesting. What if you could tell someone was a murderer by looking in their eyes? The method is wordy, repetitive and seemed contrived.
November 15, 2016
As I sat eagerly awaiting this anticipated new venture from Terry Goodkind, I wondered, will he manage to pull this off. As a well known and much loved author of fantasy series The Sword of Truth. Can he change genres to a modern day thriller. And the answer is YES. OMG yes, nest is a chilling ride. This first instalment of this new series was amazing. I was gripped from the first chapter. The storyline was amazing and fresh, the characters likable. The twists and turns chilling I was thoroughly captivated by the gruesome scenes that were so vivid in description they were hair raising. Loved it!!!
December 9, 2016
Well I was a hundred and fifty pages in and quit if that tells ya anything. Extra disappointing because I thought I liked Goodkind. I may have to rethink that...
November 14, 2016
I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of Nest by Terry Goodkind, the book will be released on the 15th of this month, I can not begin to say how much I enjoyed this read. I have been a fan of the Sword of Truth for more years than I can count. I did not know what to expect when I started this new genre, but I can promise I was not disappointed. Once I started reading it, I had a very difficult time putting it down. I had several late nights that I should have gotten more sleep than I did because I just could not stop reading it. This book is awesome. It says a lot about how things are and could be in the world today and really makes you think about the reality that we live in. It is totally believable. I wonder if maybe the book is about things that have already happened. The ending was great, and left open the opportunity for many more sequels to the story that makes me believe the story is not over yet.
August 8, 2022
I've really only associated Terry Goodkind with fantasy fiction, so when I found that he had written a thriller I had to check it out! I wasn't disappointed.
Kate Bishop has a rare gift. This gift also puts her life in danger from a group of killers who want her and others with her gift eliminated. This story takes twists and turns through dark places and even the darknet. It's full of suspense and I never could have guessed how it turned out.
Kate Bishop has a rare gift. This gift also puts her life in danger from a group of killers who want her and others with her gift eliminated. This story takes twists and turns through dark places and even the darknet. It's full of suspense and I never could have guessed how it turned out.
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