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The Children of D'Hara picks up immediately after the conclusion of the Sword of Truth series. This is the story of Richard and Kahlan and their children.

'The Sword of Truth series was my masterwork. Yet, life for these characters goes on after the conclusion of that series. For years readers have been asking about Richard and Kahlan's children. This is that story' TERRY GOODKIND.

In 1994 Wizard's First Rule introduced Richard Cypher, a young woodsman seeking answers and vengeance in the aftermath of his father's murder, and Kahlan Amnell, a mysterious young woman pursued by a bloodthirsty tyrant's assassins.

The Sword of Truth is one of the most ambitious fantasy series ever written. It was a decades-long masterwork that has been translated into 20 languages and sold 26 million copies. After 16 volumes and one novella, it concluded in 2016 with Warheart .

The Children of D'Hara picks up immediately after the conclusion of the Sword of Truth series. The story will be told in installments, as novella-length episodes published every three months. Witch's Oath is the fourth novella

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

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About the author

Terry Goodkind

277 books12.3k followers
Terry 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.

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5 stars
988 (45%)
4 stars
727 (33%)
3 stars
348 (16%)
2 stars
80 (3%)
1 star
29 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
Profile Image for Twila.
134 reviews143 followers
January 10, 2020
Here it is. My first disappointing read of the year. Didn't take too long, either. 😞

2.5 stars

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

After the cliffhanger ending of the last novella, I have been eagerly awaiting this day for months now! It has the size of a full-length book, so it's like I have an entirely new Sword of Truth novel to read and I am very excited!!

Crossing my fingers none of my people die 🤞🤞
Profile Image for Victoria.
261 reviews29 followers
December 8, 2019
Starts off where we left Richard, Kahlan, Vika and the other mord-sith in Michec's torture room with the glee waiting for a turn. I don't want to spoil anything but we get some similar things from Warheart, and there is a boundary again somehow. Poor Kahlan is still in peril and there is only one more book to go so damn Mr. Goodkind! Give them a break!

Is it just me or does Shale get on everyone's nerves? Always with the constant questions. I don't trust her.

Thank you Edelweiss for the ARC! I can't wait for the last part of the series! I'm glad more Nicci comes out next month to help with the wait.
Profile Image for itchy.
2,940 reviews33 followers
February 25, 2020
brief synopsis:
Richard and his eight other companions overcome Michec's trap and continue with their planned journey to Aydindril.

setting:
the People's Palace
on the road Aydindril (generally west from the People's Palace)

named personalities:
Kahlan - the Mother Confessor
Richard Rahl aka Richard Cypher - a lord; a mere woodsman; a war wizard; the Seeker of Truth
Moravaska Michec - a witch man
Shale - a sorceress from the Northern Waste
Vika - a blond Mord-Sith who was gravely wounded by Michec; Richard's favorite
Darken Rahl - Michec's late boss
Hannis Arc - Vika's late owner
Sulachan - a late emperor
The Golden Goddess - a goddess (quite possibly the ultimate antagonist of the Children of D'Hara arc)
Berdine - a short Mord-Sith who belonged to Michec
Rikka - a Mord-Sith
Cassia - a Mord-Sith who is good with direction
Zedd - no background given, but it is mentioned that Richard's grandfather was a great wizard and had been the caretaker of the Sword of Truth
Nyda - a Mord-Sith
Vale - a Mord-Sith
Shota - a witch woman who put vipers on Kahlan (Wizard's First Rule)
Keeper - of the underworld
Shar - Kahlan's companion when she came through the boundary (Wizard's First Rule)

titular line:
p11: "I appreciate your loyalty in trying to warn me of danger, but you underestimate me. The famous and powerful Lord Rahl is quite helpless against me. No one escapes a witch’s oath."

series name:
p34: "You 'think'?" Shale held up a hand to stop him right there. "First of all, I can't imagine what you are talking about, but more importantly, you and the Mother Confessor have a responsibility to the two children of D'Hara she is carrying. Our job is to protect her from danger, not put her in it.'

Richard mercifully dispenses with the long-winded explanations but literally goes in circles on the road to Aydindril. Plot-wise, this looks to be way worse than a deus ex machina.
Profile Image for Luíza Carvalho.
124 reviews4 followers
May 10, 2020
what's up with the endless need to keep explaining and explaining and explaining. The plot uses so much deus ex machina that the only way to make it sound less absurd is with endless explanations that make no sense whatsoever. He keeps trying to explain the inexplicable in the worst possible times.
I really miss the awesome writing of the first books. Wizard's First Rule is a masterpiece and one of my favorite books to date.
The series continues with solid world building and great storytelling for another 4 or 5 books. And then, the Goodkind's Manifesto starts in Naked Empire (still in a bearable way) and it never stops.
I kind of enjoyed the omen machine trilogy. But only in a nostalgic way. But the novellas are really awful.
I'll give the Nicci Chronicles a try, but I'm prepared to be disappointed.
581 reviews2 followers
January 7, 2020
Once again a great book to get.

The book is great as it always is that he does and he doesn't lose a step in his writing, great job on the book.
One thing you leave me wondering how in the world is going to get out of trouble that you left him in. But that is the magic of the author is writing.
Profile Image for Gabrielle Duncan.
1 review
January 7, 2020
Got home at 10pm, ate dinner, said I'd only read for a bit before heading off to bed for work tomorrow. It's now 1:30am and with a couple long breaks in between to scream silently I have finished. And jesus the cliffhangers are killing me Terry! This series is amazing from beginning to end and I cannot wait for the next installment.
Profile Image for Vagabond of Letters, DLitt.
593 reviews408 followers
January 22, 2020
2.5/5.

Very slow in the first 100pp compared to the other installments - feels like a second first book in the series, but without the worldbuilding depth or payoff of other fully-orbed second first books, like 'Memories of Ice' (Malazan 5). By the halfway mark, after the defeat of Moravec, the book takes on a more traditionally Goodkindian character of quality.

Downgraded a star because it's fiction. I normally read and review nonfiction, and in nonfiction, a strong ending can make up for weakness throughout the main text. In fiction, the journey is supposed to be enthralling, which is the entire point of nondidactic fiction. This one was not. However, I just gave a flat 2 stars to the equally-boring but more nonsensical and completely politically abhorrent 'Freeze-Frame Revolution', and this one isn't quite as bad - but it's not as imaginative or evocative, either.

Hopefully the longeurs are edited out of the final Children of D'Hara novel.
Profile Image for Dale Russell.
441 reviews9 followers
January 21, 2020
Captured...powerless...at a powerful enemy's mercy...or lack thereof. That's where this story begins!!!

The Golden Goddess and the Glee still seek Richard and Kahlan with the intent to end their lives... destroy magic...and rule the world. Their only hope is to find their way to a safe place where they - and their children to be - can be protected. Yet, every breath they take, every move they make someone is watching them. And now, they must find their way free from this new enemy who not only has power's of their own, but has the ability to bend the Mord-Sith to their will. An enemy who is not only powerful but is sworn by a Witch's Oath to destroy the royal family...an Oath that is more than it seems.

This is the 4th book in the CHILDREN OF D'HARA series and Terry Goodkind, with all the twists and turns he is famous for building into his stories, has yet to unveil all of them. In this new chapter in the series he uncovers threads thought buried in the Underworld and new threats that were not forseen. Goodkind sits at his loom, weaving new dangers and new threats that he continues to form into the huge tapestry that is the world of the Sword of Truth.

This book should be read in order from the previous three chapters in order to fully grasp and understand all the intricacies and pieces that make up this chapter.
Profile Image for Donna .
96 reviews12 followers
January 15, 2020
The way Authors cut off the END of the storylines..

Are like waiting until after the Commercial to see the results of the a favorite Game Show.. LOL... BUT I DO enjoy the way I can just pick up each New Book IN every series that TERRY GOODKIND writes and immediately I'm taken back to what I was reading about in the Previous book. It's just like waiting until after the Commercial to end. So YOU can pick up where YOU left off. .Ya know what I mean. I Personally think his books are GOOD for most any age that understands the mystical powers and the difference between life and death Majic and Non Magic. AND also the significance of the TRUTH in ALL things living. So no little kids (12 years & under)should be reading without Adult supervision. But that's just MY Opinions OKAY. Can't wait to see what happens with the Twins. I hope they survive long enough to have a series of their own. Please 🐸❤🎨
Profile Image for Melissa McCrackin.
194 reviews28 followers
September 7, 2020
I'm really not sure how many stars to give this book because while I couldn't put it down - I was highly annoyed by the constant questions of one of the main characters. I have rarely wished for a main protagonist to be killed off but I did wish for that a couple times throughout this book. How this person could run and fight for their lives while asking questions and complaining about the answers was starting to make me wonder if their powers were superior to Richard in some way (please let there be a plot twist that explains and justifies this annoying character). Aside from that, as usual with Goodkind the interesting complexities of the world/magical mechanics are well done and well thought out (and exhaustingly explained thanks to the at times blockheaded character Shale).
Profile Image for Μυρτώ-Σωτηρία Οικονομοπούλου.
Author 1 book14 followers
January 20, 2024
Η ιστορία συνεχίζεται με τη δράση να προχωράει αλλά όχι με ουσία... Είναι η τέταρτη από τις πέντε νουβέλες για να τελειώσει η ιστορία του Ρίτσαρντ και της Κέιλαν, ελπίζω το φινάλε τους να μην με απογοητεύσει...
Profile Image for AndrewP.
1,656 reviews45 followers
January 12, 2025
The end of the side quest/mystery but leaves more questions unanswered. Now the party of nine must travel to the Wizards Keep to be safe from the alien invaders. This fourth story is a full length novel at 336 pages and is a continuation of the story with a sort of minor conclusion. The final book after this is longer still so I hope for the sort of conclusion that made the Sword of Truth so good.
25 reviews
January 15, 2020
Mr. Goodkind at his best as usual. With the 3 months in between books I tried to pace myself to make it last but failed miserably. As with the Sword of Truth series I hope this lasts a good long while. Only complaint is now I got to wait 3 months to find out what happens next. Loved it. Thank you for another wonderful journey with some of my best friends.
Profile Image for Rutger Gerrits.
221 reviews2 followers
January 16, 2020
Part 4 of his mini series that return to the characters Richard and Kahlan, and every part of the series is simply amazing, we go from one cliffhanger to the other and it leaves me wanting only more. Can't wait untill then next one drops!
Profile Image for Heather(Gibby).
1,474 reviews30 followers
May 1, 2020
Wow, these Children of D'Hara really like to end in cliffhangers. Can't wait until the next one.
Profile Image for Kelli.
754 reviews1 follower
January 18, 2021
I enjoyed this one immensely. The characters in it I felt tied up questions that the main series never fully addressed. But the ending! Oh the ending sucks...onto the final book now I go.
Profile Image for Véronique Laplante Grenier.
1,216 reviews8 followers
January 13, 2020
The fourth book in the children of d'Hara novella pick right after the third one left us. Terry Goodkind still have write another great book. I always have love the sword of truth series. With the new cliffhanger that Witch's Oath left us I really can't wait for the fifth books.
9 reviews
September 21, 2024
The plot moved as slow as the time-warped forest the characters found themselves in.
29 reviews
January 12, 2020
Action packed. Not a minute to take a breathe without the next plot begins. Enjoyed the continued story and got right back in with the characters.








Good reading. As usual.

Beloved characters and how everything seems to work out. Good verses evil and of course good wins most of the time. Can't wait for the next one.


601 reviews5 followers
November 3, 2021
Another short installment. My real issue with this one, is all the repetition. Questions are asked over and over and answered in the same manner. Richard had to remind people to be very quiet at least 3 times while they were hunting. It was almost like he had a word count requirement, but not enough story so he had to repeat himself.
Profile Image for Ron.
12 reviews
January 11, 2020
Great book

I’ve read every book in the series starting with wizards first rule. This series started me reading and I’m now over 1000 books in print and ebooks. I have enjoyed every book by this author. Can’t wait for the next adventure of Richard.
4 reviews
January 10, 2020
Of they didn't die in the first books

They will be back and with a vengeance it seems. Richard and company continue to battle evil for the greater good while trying desperately to save their unborn children. They fight New enemies and old. Same problems.
Profile Image for Marie.
3 reviews
January 9, 2020
Awesome as always.

Terry never disappoints. Love his writing and his story's. Been. Fan since his 1st books. Looking forward to more. On the way to more.
Profile Image for Theresa Dickenson.
21 reviews2 followers
January 7, 2020
These books are amazing. Read/listened to this book in less than 2 days which is a feat for me. My only issue is the cliffhanger endings. I’m so mad I have to wait until June to find out what happens!!!
Profile Image for Andrew.
58 reviews1 follower
February 28, 2020
Amazing! From the first page until the last it never let's you go. I Have been reading Terry Goodkind books since I was a kid in high school and to me this is some of his best work. This series has been amazing and if this is any indication of what the last book will be like we are all in for a fantastic ride.
28 reviews4 followers
January 8, 2020
Little progress to the story

Nothing much happened. References to the twins in every page, magic that doesn't make sense, and random baddies that take 9 people to kill. Despite the fact that Richard is the most powerful and most special. Honestly boring.
Profile Image for Melinda.
2,049 reviews20 followers
June 24, 2020
I love being back with Richard and Kahlan but I found the over long describing describing explaining explaining to be very tedious. Seriously, if we are reading these books it’s most likely because we’ve been invested in this series since Wizards First Rule way back in 1994. I dont need the constant descriptions and explanations about how the world and the magic work.

And then there was Shale. OMG she drove me nuts with her “always questioning Richard” routine...he’s the lord Rahl, a war wizard, a tracker, and he’s beaten several big baddies in his lifetime. Just once - could you just say “ok” when he says you need to do something?

So sadly it’s only two stars from me...not because of the plot but because Shale made me angry!! And the cliffhanger endings...I kind of feel these novellas could have been condensed into one or two books...

So now we wait for book 5. Will I read it? Damn straight I will...I do love the sword of truth world. And I do want to find out what happens to Richard and kahlan!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews

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