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Children of D'Hara #1-5
The Children of D'Hara
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. This is the first collected volume of the series, featuring episodes 1-5: The Scribbly Man , Hateful Things , Wasteland , Witch's Oath , and Into Darkness.
912 pages, Hardcover
Published February 4, 2021
224 people are currently reading
2665 people want to read
About the author
Terry Goodkind
278 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 65 reviews
April 20, 2023
This was five books all put together in one kindle book, so it has taken me a while to wade through it.
I enjoyed a number of his Sword of Truth books, but I didn't find this final series that he wrote to be as enjoyable. My favourite characters from his earlier books were not in this series so that might explain my feelings. It didn't seem to have the same depth to it as his original series and then ending felt a bit rushed.
I'm glad that I read them, and I'm sad that there'll be no more.
R.I.P
I enjoyed a number of his Sword of Truth books, but I didn't find this final series that he wrote to be as enjoyable. My favourite characters from his earlier books were not in this series so that might explain my feelings. It didn't seem to have the same depth to it as his original series and then ending felt a bit rushed.
I'm glad that I read them, and I'm sad that there'll be no more.
R.I.P
December 26, 2025
Mah...avevo aspettative molto alte per la fine di una saga epica come La spada della verità, speravo che dopo le débacle degli ultimi libri, con questa raccolta di racconti si tornasse alle origini e la storia si concludesse in modo degno della Prima regola del mago. Mi sbagliavo completamente, una grande delusione.
***
I must admit I had very high expectations for the final novel of an epic saga like The Sword of Truth, I hoped that after the débacle of the last books, with this collection of short novels we would return to the origins and the story would end in a way worthy of Wizard's First Rule. I was completely wrong, I'm very disappointed.
***
I must admit I had very high expectations for the final novel of an epic saga like The Sword of Truth, I hoped that after the débacle of the last books, with this collection of short novels we would return to the origins and the story would end in a way worthy of Wizard's First Rule. I was completely wrong, I'm very disappointed.
July 7, 2021
Good story, annoying writing
As always, the story is very entertaining. But you have to sift through mountains of superfluous babble to find it. He’s become a master of fifth grade essay puffing. The way you try to force as many extra words into every sentence, and then repeat every sentence multiple times using different words, in order to meet a minimum word count.
As always, the story is very entertaining. But you have to sift through mountains of superfluous babble to find it. He’s become a master of fifth grade essay puffing. The way you try to force as many extra words into every sentence, and then repeat every sentence multiple times using different words, in order to meet a minimum word count.
January 30, 2021
http://viaggiatricepigra.blogspot.com...
Ero così curiosa di legger questi romanzi che li stavo tenendo d'occhio da un po'. La notizia di una stampa che li avrebbe riuniti a Febbraio mi aveva entusiasmato parecchio ed ero carica per buttarmi in quest'avventura, nonostante io e l'inglese non siamo proprio affiatati.
E poi, miracolo:
La Mondadori ne ha preso i diritti e ne ha annunciato la traduzione e stampa.
Inutile dire che ero in estasi!
(Se mi seguite su Instagram avete già visto alcuni livelli della mia follia, visto che dall'annuncio vi sto stressando per questa cosa)
Ho approfittato anche della ristampa de "Darken Rahl" (sempre edito Mondadori, ma tenendo la traduzione precedente Fanucci) che contiene i primi due volumi della saga La Spada Della Verità, appunto: "La Prima Regola Del Mago" e "La Pietra Delle Lacrime", di cui stiamo facendo un 'triplo' evento dedicato a loro, sperando di incuriosire nuovi lettori ad approcciarsi a Goodkind (che merita una fama estremamente maggiore in Italia).
Ve ne parlerò meglio quando saranno le mie tappe (trovate i link per le opinioni già inserito nei nomi dei volumi ed invece quello del BlogTour qui).
Mi era davvero mancato questo mondo ed i suoi protagonisti dopo "Cuore Guerriero" che devo assolutamente rileggere poiché lo feci in lingua e temo di aver capito poco (la Fanucci ai tempi non rilasciava a dichiarazioni ed era molto lunga coi tempi...quindi mi dissi 'a mali estremi').
Ma torniamo a questa storia.
«Sono venuto ad accettare la tua resa.»
Richard aggrottò le sopracciglia appoggiando un gomito sul bracciolo
di pelle imbottito del massiccio scranno. Era più incredulo che turbato.
Sicuramente è ambientato dopo gli eventi che hanno chiuso il ciclo "Le Terre Oscure", probabilmente dopo un periodo (fin troppo breve) di pace.
Quando Richard e Kahlan credono di aver messo fine alle minacce contro la loro vita ed il regno, qualcosa di insinua fino a loro e pretende una resa incondizionata.
Si tratta della Dea Dorata che, parlando attraverso uno dei sudditi di Lord Rahl, pretende ciò ed in cambio darà una morte rapida ai due sovrani.
Sarà l'inizio di svariate battaglie che metteranno a rischio la vita di Richard e Kahlan, che devono riuscire a sopravvivere per mantenere forte il potere della magia in quel mondo. Infatti si rendono conto che senza di loro sarebbe troppo debole a pericoli esterni.
Legato a questo aspetto, devono restare in vita per portare a termine una missione estremamente importante per il futuro di tutti: proteggere i figli del D'Hara.
Garantendo la sopravvivenza della magia (e chi ne è portatore) per le generazioni future.
Un romanzo che mi ha lasciata spesso perplessa.
La minaccia della Dea Dorata, quando comprendiamo chi sia davvero lei ed il suo esercito, è un elemento davvero stiracchiato e che mi ha lasciato parecchi dubbi in merito.
Sicuramente originale, ma forse troppo azzardato.
Resta l'elemento che fa da sfondo a tutta la vicenda, sebbene nel frattempo saltino fuori molte altre minacce più urgenti e pericolose, che attentano alla vita dei due.
Infatti ci saranno altri nemici che sfrutteranno il caos e la violenza, scatenata da quest'orda violenta e sanguinaria, per farsi avanti e sfidare il potere dei Rahl e delle Depositarie.
Per eliminarli in quanto nemici ed approfittare delle proposte che la Dea Dorata ha fatto loro.
Anche se non tutti hanno in mente questo come obiettivo principale.
Senza la Dea Dorata troviamo ciò a cui eravamo già abituati.
Sfide impossibili a cui l'astuzia di Richard riesce a trovare una scappatoia, la determinazione sua e della Madre Depositaria, il loro coraggio e la loro forza nell'affrontare l'ennesima battaglia senza potersi tirare indietro.
Ci saranno personaggi che faranno ritorno, come le Mord Sith che non lasceranno mai Richard e Kahlan soli; ed alcuni nuovi, come Shale, una strega che arriva dalla Desolazione Settentrionale.
Fin da subito si dimostra molto disponibile nell'aiutare i due sovrani a distruggere la minaccia, ma è davvero la donna giusta capitata al momento giusto per caso?
Una lettura piuttosto veloce e ben ritmata, anche se spesso ci sono ripetizioni di concetti che risultano fastidiosi. Ma ho il forte dubbio che questa sensazione mi sia dovuta all'aver appena riletto i primi due volumi, quindi aver freschi a mente alcuni passaggi chiave che qui devono esser rispiegati (ed è in questi casi che la figura di Shale ci fa da "Dante", poiché non conosce la magia del mago guerriero né ciò che hanno affrontato e che ha dato loro consapevolezza per affrontare certe sfide; infatti in molti punti mi ha rinfrescato la memoria su cose che non ricordavo).
Considerate che sono stati stampati circa tre anni dopo la chiusura di Cuore Guerriero, e a distanza di alcuni mesi l'uno dall'altro. Credo fosse "necessario" un recap ogni tanto ai lettori.
Ho apprezzato molto il fatto che è stata tradotta e racchiusa in un volume unico, ciò permette di leggere tutto subito:
L'Uomo Scarabocchiato [The Scribbly Man (2019)]
Cose Terribili [Hateful Things (2019)]
Landa Desolata [Wasteland (2019)]
Il Giuramento Della Strega [Witch's Oath (2020)]
Nell'Oscurità [Into Darkness (2020)]
Anche perché i primi due romanzi sono davvero minuscoli, un centinaio di paginette (davvero una cosa strana per Goodkind), che regalano solo dubbi in attesa di continuare per colmarli.
Una piccola saga che, ahimè, lascia tante domande al lettore ed un finale con un ottimo potenziale, che avrebbe potuto regalare una continuazione alle vicende.
Infarti, il finale è stata una mazzata.
Allo stesso tempo mi sono sentita esaltata e felice, triste e sconsolata.
Le ultime righe sembrano lasciate lì, come puntini di sospensione, per "altro" che avremmo potuto leggere, ma di cui non sapremo mai nulla.
Purtroppo Goodkind ci ha lasciati a settembre dell'anno scorso, poco dopo aver concluso questa saga.
È davvero brutto saper di non poter legger altri di suo, in particolar modo di questo mondo così straordinario che ha incantato i suoi lettori. Personalmente, mi mancherà moltissimo.
Spero che i suoi scritti portino avanti il suo pensiero e le sue idee ancora per tanto tanto tempo.
Nel complesso, un romanzo azzardato che forse non riesce nell'incantare al 100% il lettore, ma ha comunque il coraggio di osare.
Mi erano davvero mancati Richard e Kahlan e molto probabilmente, quando avrò finito di rileggere tutta la saga, riprenderò in mano a che questo per dargli una seconda lettura e capire se il mio giudizio viene modificato o no.
In ogni caso, vado a rannicchiarmi in posizione fetale mentre il mio cuore piange, poiché da adesso so se sono davvero finite le loro avventure.
Sapevo che sarebbe successo, ma non ne ero pronta.
Non credo lo sarei mai stata, coscientemente.
Ero così curiosa di legger questi romanzi che li stavo tenendo d'occhio da un po'. La notizia di una stampa che li avrebbe riuniti a Febbraio mi aveva entusiasmato parecchio ed ero carica per buttarmi in quest'avventura, nonostante io e l'inglese non siamo proprio affiatati.
E poi, miracolo:
La Mondadori ne ha preso i diritti e ne ha annunciato la traduzione e stampa.
Inutile dire che ero in estasi!
(Se mi seguite su Instagram avete già visto alcuni livelli della mia follia, visto che dall'annuncio vi sto stressando per questa cosa)
Ho approfittato anche della ristampa de "Darken Rahl" (sempre edito Mondadori, ma tenendo la traduzione precedente Fanucci) che contiene i primi due volumi della saga La Spada Della Verità, appunto: "La Prima Regola Del Mago" e "La Pietra Delle Lacrime", di cui stiamo facendo un 'triplo' evento dedicato a loro, sperando di incuriosire nuovi lettori ad approcciarsi a Goodkind (che merita una fama estremamente maggiore in Italia).
Ve ne parlerò meglio quando saranno le mie tappe (trovate i link per le opinioni già inserito nei nomi dei volumi ed invece quello del BlogTour qui).
Mi era davvero mancato questo mondo ed i suoi protagonisti dopo "Cuore Guerriero" che devo assolutamente rileggere poiché lo feci in lingua e temo di aver capito poco (la Fanucci ai tempi non rilasciava a dichiarazioni ed era molto lunga coi tempi...quindi mi dissi 'a mali estremi').
Ma torniamo a questa storia.
«Sono venuto ad accettare la tua resa.»
Richard aggrottò le sopracciglia appoggiando un gomito sul bracciolo
di pelle imbottito del massiccio scranno. Era più incredulo che turbato.
Sicuramente è ambientato dopo gli eventi che hanno chiuso il ciclo "Le Terre Oscure", probabilmente dopo un periodo (fin troppo breve) di pace.
Quando Richard e Kahlan credono di aver messo fine alle minacce contro la loro vita ed il regno, qualcosa di insinua fino a loro e pretende una resa incondizionata.
Si tratta della Dea Dorata che, parlando attraverso uno dei sudditi di Lord Rahl, pretende ciò ed in cambio darà una morte rapida ai due sovrani.
Sarà l'inizio di svariate battaglie che metteranno a rischio la vita di Richard e Kahlan, che devono riuscire a sopravvivere per mantenere forte il potere della magia in quel mondo. Infatti si rendono conto che senza di loro sarebbe troppo debole a pericoli esterni.
Legato a questo aspetto, devono restare in vita per portare a termine una missione estremamente importante per il futuro di tutti: proteggere i figli del D'Hara.
Garantendo la sopravvivenza della magia (e chi ne è portatore) per le generazioni future.
Un romanzo che mi ha lasciata spesso perplessa.
La minaccia della Dea Dorata, quando comprendiamo chi sia davvero lei ed il suo esercito, è un elemento davvero stiracchiato e che mi ha lasciato parecchi dubbi in merito.
Sicuramente originale, ma forse troppo azzardato.
Resta l'elemento che fa da sfondo a tutta la vicenda, sebbene nel frattempo saltino fuori molte altre minacce più urgenti e pericolose, che attentano alla vita dei due.
Infatti ci saranno altri nemici che sfrutteranno il caos e la violenza, scatenata da quest'orda violenta e sanguinaria, per farsi avanti e sfidare il potere dei Rahl e delle Depositarie.
Per eliminarli in quanto nemici ed approfittare delle proposte che la Dea Dorata ha fatto loro.
Anche se non tutti hanno in mente questo come obiettivo principale.
Senza la Dea Dorata troviamo ciò a cui eravamo già abituati.
Sfide impossibili a cui l'astuzia di Richard riesce a trovare una scappatoia, la determinazione sua e della Madre Depositaria, il loro coraggio e la loro forza nell'affrontare l'ennesima battaglia senza potersi tirare indietro.
Ci saranno personaggi che faranno ritorno, come le Mord Sith che non lasceranno mai Richard e Kahlan soli; ed alcuni nuovi, come Shale, una strega che arriva dalla Desolazione Settentrionale.
Fin da subito si dimostra molto disponibile nell'aiutare i due sovrani a distruggere la minaccia, ma è davvero la donna giusta capitata al momento giusto per caso?
Una lettura piuttosto veloce e ben ritmata, anche se spesso ci sono ripetizioni di concetti che risultano fastidiosi. Ma ho il forte dubbio che questa sensazione mi sia dovuta all'aver appena riletto i primi due volumi, quindi aver freschi a mente alcuni passaggi chiave che qui devono esser rispiegati (ed è in questi casi che la figura di Shale ci fa da "Dante", poiché non conosce la magia del mago guerriero né ciò che hanno affrontato e che ha dato loro consapevolezza per affrontare certe sfide; infatti in molti punti mi ha rinfrescato la memoria su cose che non ricordavo).
Considerate che sono stati stampati circa tre anni dopo la chiusura di Cuore Guerriero, e a distanza di alcuni mesi l'uno dall'altro. Credo fosse "necessario" un recap ogni tanto ai lettori.
Ho apprezzato molto il fatto che è stata tradotta e racchiusa in un volume unico, ciò permette di leggere tutto subito:
L'Uomo Scarabocchiato [The Scribbly Man (2019)]
Cose Terribili [Hateful Things (2019)]
Landa Desolata [Wasteland (2019)]
Il Giuramento Della Strega [Witch's Oath (2020)]
Nell'Oscurità [Into Darkness (2020)]
Anche perché i primi due romanzi sono davvero minuscoli, un centinaio di paginette (davvero una cosa strana per Goodkind), che regalano solo dubbi in attesa di continuare per colmarli.
Una piccola saga che, ahimè, lascia tante domande al lettore ed un finale con un ottimo potenziale, che avrebbe potuto regalare una continuazione alle vicende.
Infarti, il finale è stata una mazzata.
Allo stesso tempo mi sono sentita esaltata e felice, triste e sconsolata.
Le ultime righe sembrano lasciate lì, come puntini di sospensione, per "altro" che avremmo potuto leggere, ma di cui non sapremo mai nulla.
Purtroppo Goodkind ci ha lasciati a settembre dell'anno scorso, poco dopo aver concluso questa saga.
È davvero brutto saper di non poter legger altri di suo, in particolar modo di questo mondo così straordinario che ha incantato i suoi lettori. Personalmente, mi mancherà moltissimo.
Spero che i suoi scritti portino avanti il suo pensiero e le sue idee ancora per tanto tanto tempo.
Nel complesso, un romanzo azzardato che forse non riesce nell'incantare al 100% il lettore, ma ha comunque il coraggio di osare.
Mi erano davvero mancati Richard e Kahlan e molto probabilmente, quando avrò finito di rileggere tutta la saga, riprenderò in mano a che questo per dargli una seconda lettura e capire se il mio giudizio viene modificato o no.
In ogni caso, vado a rannicchiarmi in posizione fetale mentre il mio cuore piange, poiché da adesso so se sono davvero finite le loro avventure.
Sapevo che sarebbe successo, ma non ne ero pronta.
Non credo lo sarei mai stata, coscientemente.
January 26, 2022
*Disclaimer: I was kindly gifted a copy of this book by Jonathan Ball Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
"Our lives have all changed - mine included. Life is about change. Change has both good and bad elements to it. You can either deal with the way things have changed and move forward, or you can let bitterness about what's lost in the past rob you of your future."
Originally published as 5 books, now combined, the reader embarks on a journey of 893 pages. Do not be intimidated by this book's size, a whole world is laid between these pages that will leave you with a feeling of comfort and familiarity. As you get to travel, the dust of D'hara covers your feet and you begin to feel at home. Across mountains and worlds, faced with danger, fear and victory, the story of Richard (Lord Rahl) and his wife Kahlan (the Mother Confessor) will have you entranced.
Even though the book has a slow pace, the story is character-driven and the reader gets attached to each of the characters and gets to know more of them. The slow pace is necessary to absorb all the details; there are times when information is repeated which I feel could have been skipped, but the author ensures that the reader is keeping up. I found Vika to be a favourite, she is part of the Mord-Sith; a group designated to protect Richard and Kahlan. Vika is always by Richard's side and ready to lay down her life to protect him and his wife.
The title plays a huge role in this book, since the entire journey plays down to the children of D'hara, a threat to The Golden Goddess but the future of D'hara. The reader is introduced to new creatures and magic as well as a threat to the world, possibly an extinction. I expected more from the fight between Lord Rahl and a certain important character. I don't want to spoil anything but this character is the reason the whole journey takes place. I found a few scenes interesting and was gripped to find out what happens next. If you're in the mood for a fantasy with a side of action, a fight for survival that pulls you into the pages, this is the book for you.
3.5 stars
"Our lives have all changed - mine included. Life is about change. Change has both good and bad elements to it. You can either deal with the way things have changed and move forward, or you can let bitterness about what's lost in the past rob you of your future."
Originally published as 5 books, now combined, the reader embarks on a journey of 893 pages. Do not be intimidated by this book's size, a whole world is laid between these pages that will leave you with a feeling of comfort and familiarity. As you get to travel, the dust of D'hara covers your feet and you begin to feel at home. Across mountains and worlds, faced with danger, fear and victory, the story of Richard (Lord Rahl) and his wife Kahlan (the Mother Confessor) will have you entranced.
Even though the book has a slow pace, the story is character-driven and the reader gets attached to each of the characters and gets to know more of them. The slow pace is necessary to absorb all the details; there are times when information is repeated which I feel could have been skipped, but the author ensures that the reader is keeping up. I found Vika to be a favourite, she is part of the Mord-Sith; a group designated to protect Richard and Kahlan. Vika is always by Richard's side and ready to lay down her life to protect him and his wife.
The title plays a huge role in this book, since the entire journey plays down to the children of D'hara, a threat to The Golden Goddess but the future of D'hara. The reader is introduced to new creatures and magic as well as a threat to the world, possibly an extinction. I expected more from the fight between Lord Rahl and a certain important character. I don't want to spoil anything but this character is the reason the whole journey takes place. I found a few scenes interesting and was gripped to find out what happens next. If you're in the mood for a fantasy with a side of action, a fight for survival that pulls you into the pages, this is the book for you.
January 22, 2024
Ένα μεγάλο κεφάλαιο της αναγνωστικής μου ζωής έφτασε στο τέλος του χτες τα ξημερώματα. Ένα ταξίδι που ξεκίνησα από την εφηβεία μου ολοκληρώθηκε χτες και μου έχει αφήσει μια γλυκόπικρη αίσθηση.
Λυπάμαι που αυτό το ταξίδι τελείωσε και είμαι ευγνώμων για όλα όσα έμαθα στη διάρκεια του...
Terry Goodkind σε ευχαριστώ πολύ!
Λυπάμαι που αυτό το ταξίδι τελείωσε και είμαι ευγνώμων για όλα όσα έμαθα στη διάρκεια του...
Terry Goodkind σε ευχαριστώ πολύ!
May 17, 2021
There's no question that Terry Goodkind is my favourite author. I've read everything he's written and seriously doubt that any series I read will ever eclipse the Sword of Truth. With his passing last year, this was the final time I will read something new from him. I wanted to read slowly and take in every detail - but the pacing is such, you can't help but want to read and read as you get taken along for the ride.
I thought The Nicci Chronicles books were his best work since "Confessor", but I think this tops it. I suspect Mr Goodkind had more Richard/Kahlan stories to tell, but alas it's the end.
I've thoroughly enjoyed the characters and worlds he's created over the years and will go back and re-read from Wizard's First Rule. He leaves such a wonderful legacy with his books, which hopefully has been, and will continue to be, a comfort for his family. Mr Goodkind, thank you for many hours of enjoyment, may you rest in peace.
I thought The Nicci Chronicles books were his best work since "Confessor", but I think this tops it. I suspect Mr Goodkind had more Richard/Kahlan stories to tell, but alas it's the end.
I've thoroughly enjoyed the characters and worlds he's created over the years and will go back and re-read from Wizard's First Rule. He leaves such a wonderful legacy with his books, which hopefully has been, and will continue to be, a comfort for his family. Mr Goodkind, thank you for many hours of enjoyment, may you rest in peace.
January 7, 2023
Reading this has been a bittersweet experience, knowing there will be no more from Mr Goodkind. Although I discovered his Sword of Truth series quite late on, it's become one of my favourite fantasy series.
Delving into this book is like being reunited with old friends. Several of the familiar characters from the previous novels appear, alongside some interesting newcomers. All the characters are well-developed, even the annoying ones.
The world-building is superb as always. The descriptions of the various settings are vivid, helping to anchor the reader fully in the story world.
The final conflict did seem to be resolved a little too easily after all the build-up and brooding menace. I would have preferred a longer encounter between Richard and the Golden Goddess, but overall the story was excellent.
Delving into this book is like being reunited with old friends. Several of the familiar characters from the previous novels appear, alongside some interesting newcomers. All the characters are well-developed, even the annoying ones.
The world-building is superb as always. The descriptions of the various settings are vivid, helping to anchor the reader fully in the story world.
The final conflict did seem to be resolved a little too easily after all the build-up and brooding menace. I would have preferred a longer encounter between Richard and the Golden Goddess, but overall the story was excellent.
January 17, 2023
Dany - per RFS
.
Care Fenici, purtroppo l’autore di questa lunghissima serie, La Spada della Verità, è venuto a mancare da un po’ ma, almeno, è riuscito a dare un giusto finale alla saga. Questo è quello che si dice nelle recensioni su Amazon, anche se, per quanto mi riguarda, il finale in questione, seppur bellissimo, è ben lungi dall’aver chiuso. Semmai apre tante di quelle strade di cui, forse, non sapremo mai nulla e ciò mi fa venire voglia di farmi un giro nel Mondo Sotterraneo per riportarlo qui a scrivere. Ho un po’ di odio e amore per questo autore, capace di aver scritto una serie magica e bellissima e subito dopo averne scritta un’altra cupa e odiosa in cui tanti meravigliosi personaggi perdono la vita. Tra Benjamin, Cara, Warren e addirittura Zedd lo avrei strozzato personalmente.
Premessa importante e di vitale importanza: il romanzo non può essere letto se non avete finito le altre due serie, altrimenti non capite una cippa. Non sono certa che mi sia piaciuto questo volume, o meglio, ho amato rivedere i personaggi rimasti vivi, con l’amara assenza di Nicci, ma per il contenuto della storia ni. Mi spiego meglio. Richard e Kahlan governano l’Impero Dhariano in pace e armonia, spalleggiati dalle indomite Mord-sith e dai fedelissimi soldati della Prima Linea, ma tutto d’un tratto questa splendida pace viene rovinata da una minaccia di guerra da parte della Dea Dorata. Chi è? Nessuno la conosce, ma strane creature cominciano ad apparire tra le mura del palazzo, degli esseri senza forma, come una specie di “scarabocchio” dotati di artigli e zanne capaci di perforare e uccidere qualsiasi forma vivente. Come arrivano vanno via e poi appaiono e scompaiono, niente sembra funzionare con loro tranne la magia, di cui hanno una gran paura e per questo minacciano Richard, il baluardo della magia del Dhara e Kahlan, la Madre Depositaria. Si sa che le sfortune vengono in coppia, dato che questa non è l’unica minaccia all’orizzonte. Anche Shota tesse i suoi incantesimi nell’ombra, con l’idea di tradire gli amici di un tempo per impedire un futuro profetico disastroso per tutti. Kahlan è incinta di due gemelli, entrambi con il dono, temuti dalla Dea Dorata e aborriti dalla strega.
È un bel casino, eh?! In verità, a parte la faccenda di Shota, la storia della Dea Dorata è una gran ciofeca, una volta risolto il mistero nella testa resta: “tutto qui?”. Ed è un peccato, perché in tutta franchezza la vicenda della strega bastava e avanzava, il resto è solo un qualcosa in più già visto e ripetuto per fare scena. La vera cattiva è Shota, e ammetto che un po’ mi è dispiaciuto, mi piaceva come figura.
Vengono introdotti nuovi personaggi, rivediamo qualcuno di quelli vecchi e assistiamo a un emozionante lieto fine, di non chiara natura. Rivedere Richard e Kahlan, quella sì è la vera magia, salvo il libro solo per loro. La trama regge poco, la noia, soprattutto all’inizio, è forte, poi, come sempre, si scatena il delirio proseguendo in una corsa impennata e sostenuta. Però mi è piaciuto ritornare con l’immaginazione al Palazzo del Dhara, rivedere le amiche Mord-sith e respirare l’aria di quello che è uno dei mondi meglio costruiti del genere Fantasy. Consigliatissimo per tutti gli amanti della saga!
.
Care Fenici, purtroppo l’autore di questa lunghissima serie, La Spada della Verità, è venuto a mancare da un po’ ma, almeno, è riuscito a dare un giusto finale alla saga. Questo è quello che si dice nelle recensioni su Amazon, anche se, per quanto mi riguarda, il finale in questione, seppur bellissimo, è ben lungi dall’aver chiuso. Semmai apre tante di quelle strade di cui, forse, non sapremo mai nulla e ciò mi fa venire voglia di farmi un giro nel Mondo Sotterraneo per riportarlo qui a scrivere. Ho un po’ di odio e amore per questo autore, capace di aver scritto una serie magica e bellissima e subito dopo averne scritta un’altra cupa e odiosa in cui tanti meravigliosi personaggi perdono la vita. Tra Benjamin, Cara, Warren e addirittura Zedd lo avrei strozzato personalmente.
Premessa importante e di vitale importanza: il romanzo non può essere letto se non avete finito le altre due serie, altrimenti non capite una cippa. Non sono certa che mi sia piaciuto questo volume, o meglio, ho amato rivedere i personaggi rimasti vivi, con l’amara assenza di Nicci, ma per il contenuto della storia ni. Mi spiego meglio. Richard e Kahlan governano l’Impero Dhariano in pace e armonia, spalleggiati dalle indomite Mord-sith e dai fedelissimi soldati della Prima Linea, ma tutto d’un tratto questa splendida pace viene rovinata da una minaccia di guerra da parte della Dea Dorata. Chi è? Nessuno la conosce, ma strane creature cominciano ad apparire tra le mura del palazzo, degli esseri senza forma, come una specie di “scarabocchio” dotati di artigli e zanne capaci di perforare e uccidere qualsiasi forma vivente. Come arrivano vanno via e poi appaiono e scompaiono, niente sembra funzionare con loro tranne la magia, di cui hanno una gran paura e per questo minacciano Richard, il baluardo della magia del Dhara e Kahlan, la Madre Depositaria. Si sa che le sfortune vengono in coppia, dato che questa non è l’unica minaccia all’orizzonte. Anche Shota tesse i suoi incantesimi nell’ombra, con l’idea di tradire gli amici di un tempo per impedire un futuro profetico disastroso per tutti. Kahlan è incinta di due gemelli, entrambi con il dono, temuti dalla Dea Dorata e aborriti dalla strega.
È un bel casino, eh?! In verità, a parte la faccenda di Shota, la storia della Dea Dorata è una gran ciofeca, una volta risolto il mistero nella testa resta: “tutto qui?”. Ed è un peccato, perché in tutta franchezza la vicenda della strega bastava e avanzava, il resto è solo un qualcosa in più già visto e ripetuto per fare scena. La vera cattiva è Shota, e ammetto che un po’ mi è dispiaciuto, mi piaceva come figura.
Vengono introdotti nuovi personaggi, rivediamo qualcuno di quelli vecchi e assistiamo a un emozionante lieto fine, di non chiara natura. Rivedere Richard e Kahlan, quella sì è la vera magia, salvo il libro solo per loro. La trama regge poco, la noia, soprattutto all’inizio, è forte, poi, come sempre, si scatena il delirio proseguendo in una corsa impennata e sostenuta. Però mi è piaciuto ritornare con l’immaginazione al Palazzo del Dhara, rivedere le amiche Mord-sith e respirare l’aria di quello che è uno dei mondi meglio costruiti del genere Fantasy. Consigliatissimo per tutti gli amanti della saga!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2022
Many thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers for #Gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Sword Of Truth has been my absolute favourite series ever since I first discovered Wizard's First Rule in my early twenties (which I must have read about 10 times now, at least) and I have followed these characters since day one. Needless to say, this has been a journey that has covered many, many years and Terry Goodkind has been the first of my auto-buy authors - my shelves literally cannot fit all the books of his I own, lol.
Sadly, his later books, especially, have become a mire of repetition and, as a result, I have become a little disenchanted with them...
Regardless, inquiring minds need to know (and since Richard has been my book husband since book 1) and I love this world and its people, so no hesitation on my part. It took a little while to get to this, though, but I had to finish the main story first, didn't I?
The Omnibus
Since I enjoy reading a series in full (most times) I read the omnibus, so this review focuses mainly on the omnibus and the story as a whole.
Please note: The omnibus is not (like most others that I have read) set out as individual parts but rather as one whole thus trying to determine where one book starts and the other ends, is practically impossible. Since JBP also sent me a couple of the little hardcovers in the series, I used those to determine where the last three books would be in relation to the story.
Firstly, when I first heard about this "series" and specifically due to the title (also because I don't really read the blurb on the back of books much...), I really hoped that this would, in fact, be about Richard and Kahlan's children; but alas. it actually isn't...
Starting almost directly where TSOT ended, the first half of the book, which covers most of the first four books in the series, by the way, is basically the introduction and is a little boring with intelligent characters playing dumb and doing silly things; however, around chapter 65 (Witch's Oath) the story picks up a lot more and even drops a little (not a lot, but definitely noticeable) of the repetition.
Once the story opened up, it was Goodkind in all his glory - complex ideas, atmospheric landscapes, intense situations. Of course, since I've literally been living in this world my whole life, there is also joy, despair, sadness; Terry will play on your heartstrings as if they were of no consequence, like a harp.
BUT REMEMBER: This book is effing huge and heavy, I had to crack the spine in order to read this monster more comfortably. I ended up having a sore wrist for week...
The Series
Basically, the publishers have taken one huge story and just randomly split them wherever in a rough semblance of series, or whether Goodkind planned it like this from the beginning or maybe he added some elements to the books to accommodate the series (I don't know) but the cuts themselves leave much to be desired. I feel that they should have just left well enough alone and not cut the story down, but since they did, they really could have done a much better job at it.
I recommend getting yourself the omnibus; it will save you money and space on your shelf. The only reason to get the Hardcover editions, in my opinion, is because they're very pretty to look at and would look lovely on your shelves.
The Sword Of Truth has been my absolute favourite series ever since I first discovered Wizard's First Rule in my early twenties (which I must have read about 10 times now, at least) and I have followed these characters since day one. Needless to say, this has been a journey that has covered many, many years and Terry Goodkind has been the first of my auto-buy authors - my shelves literally cannot fit all the books of his I own, lol.
Sadly, his later books, especially, have become a mire of repetition and, as a result, I have become a little disenchanted with them...
Regardless, inquiring minds need to know (and since Richard has been my book husband since book 1) and I love this world and its people, so no hesitation on my part. It took a little while to get to this, though, but I had to finish the main story first, didn't I?
The Omnibus
Since I enjoy reading a series in full (most times) I read the omnibus, so this review focuses mainly on the omnibus and the story as a whole.
Please note: The omnibus is not (like most others that I have read) set out as individual parts but rather as one whole thus trying to determine where one book starts and the other ends, is practically impossible. Since JBP also sent me a couple of the little hardcovers in the series, I used those to determine where the last three books would be in relation to the story.
Firstly, when I first heard about this "series" and specifically due to the title (also because I don't really read the blurb on the back of books much...), I really hoped that this would, in fact, be about Richard and Kahlan's children; but alas. it actually isn't...
Starting almost directly where TSOT ended, the first half of the book, which covers most of the first four books in the series, by the way, is basically the introduction and is a little boring with intelligent characters playing dumb and doing silly things; however, around chapter 65 (Witch's Oath) the story picks up a lot more and even drops a little (not a lot, but definitely noticeable) of the repetition.
Once the story opened up, it was Goodkind in all his glory - complex ideas, atmospheric landscapes, intense situations. Of course, since I've literally been living in this world my whole life, there is also joy, despair, sadness; Terry will play on your heartstrings as if they were of no consequence, like a harp.
BUT REMEMBER: This book is effing huge and heavy, I had to crack the spine in order to read this monster more comfortably. I ended up having a sore wrist for week...
The Series
Basically, the publishers have taken one huge story and just randomly split them wherever in a rough semblance of series, or whether Goodkind planned it like this from the beginning or maybe he added some elements to the books to accommodate the series (I don't know) but the cuts themselves leave much to be desired. I feel that they should have just left well enough alone and not cut the story down, but since they did, they really could have done a much better job at it.
I recommend getting yourself the omnibus; it will save you money and space on your shelf. The only reason to get the Hardcover editions, in my opinion, is because they're very pretty to look at and would look lovely on your shelves.
Read
January 4, 2022This sequel to the famed Sword of Truth series follows after peace prevails in the Midlands and other territories ruled by Lord Rahl. But it won’t last for long, not when the monstrous Glee pop into sight intent on eating humans and destroying everyone on the planet. They can come and go at will, so there’s no predicting when they’ll show up. Even worse, they mean to kill Kahlan’s unborn twins. The Mother Confessor, wife to Lord Richard Rahl, views her gifted children as the only hope for their people to keep magic alive. She must protect them at all costs. But it isn’t until Lord Rahl makes an ultimate sacrifice that the threat can be diminished. Meanwhile, they have plenty of other enemies to subdue. Another exciting installment in this series that I wish didn’t have to end. RIP, Mr. Goodkind.
February 15, 2021
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February 14, 2023
1.5 stars
I was frustrated beyond belief by the terrible writing style of this book. I remember the previous books being well written, even if I had to sit through a lot of sudden coincidences that were forced only by the plot, and a lot of explanation by the characters trying to do the right thing. This book takes that and multiplies it tenfold. Richard has to explain everything to everyone, and even when he’s not doing it in dialog, the narrator will repeat his thoughts multiple times within the span of a couple of pages. The Mord-Sith were completely wasted here –none of them could use their power to capture any magic user in this entire story. Even Kahlan can’t use her power for “story reasons”, until a very satisfying moment when she does. And that’s the big problem with this book. There’s not much to say, though the author says a lot to tell the story –but when he finally gets down to the important details, there is some satisfaction. Unfortunately, it’s the satisfaction of having something done that should have happened dozens of pages ago. The book also forgets itself partway through. Kahlan insists on sitting on the throne to entertain beggars though she is grievously injured, because it’s *most important*, though she parades around the secret passages of the Palace a day later just to see a pile of bodies, or magic users, and doesn’t give a thought to those people for the entire rest of the book, whether they are in the palace or not. There are several examples of this (including the sudden reversal of Richard’s sword with the sliph near the end), which make me think the story should have gone through several more drafts, or at the very least, an editor. There were some good ideas and satisfying moments in this book, but they were hard to get to.
I was frustrated beyond belief by the terrible writing style of this book. I remember the previous books being well written, even if I had to sit through a lot of sudden coincidences that were forced only by the plot, and a lot of explanation by the characters trying to do the right thing. This book takes that and multiplies it tenfold. Richard has to explain everything to everyone, and even when he’s not doing it in dialog, the narrator will repeat his thoughts multiple times within the span of a couple of pages. The Mord-Sith were completely wasted here –none of them could use their power to capture any magic user in this entire story. Even Kahlan can’t use her power for “story reasons”, until a very satisfying moment when she does. And that’s the big problem with this book. There’s not much to say, though the author says a lot to tell the story –but when he finally gets down to the important details, there is some satisfaction. Unfortunately, it’s the satisfaction of having something done that should have happened dozens of pages ago. The book also forgets itself partway through. Kahlan insists on sitting on the throne to entertain beggars though she is grievously injured, because it’s *most important*, though she parades around the secret passages of the Palace a day later just to see a pile of bodies, or magic users, and doesn’t give a thought to those people for the entire rest of the book, whether they are in the palace or not. There are several examples of this (including the sudden reversal of Richard’s sword with the sliph near the end), which make me think the story should have gone through several more drafts, or at the very least, an editor. There were some good ideas and satisfying moments in this book, but they were hard to get to.
March 20, 2022
The description of the book says "For years readers have been asking about Richard and Kahlan's children. This is that story.'"
Only, it isn't.
The children don't even enter the story until the very end.
It'd have been more accurate to say this is the story about how the children were born.
Anything else is just plain false.
Did I like the story? Sure.
Would I read more in the series if there were more to read? Sure.
The only thing is: according to the description, I expected a story about the children, maybe their growing up, maybe their adventures as they learned their powers, or perhaps what it means to be a shield against magic in the new world.
This book covered none of that.
If you're a fan of the series, you'll want to read this book anyway, and you'll want more when you're done (sadly, probably not happening), but if you're reading this story to see what happens to/with the children, don't bother, the story doesn't have anything to do with them, except (as mentioned above) how they're born, and how things occurred while gestation occurred. That's it.
Nothing about the children at all until the final chapter, and that too was only to wrap up loose ends, though I do like the names they were given.
Overall, a decent enough read, just not what was advertised.
Only, it isn't.
The children don't even enter the story until the very end.
It'd have been more accurate to say this is the story about how the children were born.
Anything else is just plain false.
Did I like the story? Sure.
Would I read more in the series if there were more to read? Sure.
The only thing is: according to the description, I expected a story about the children, maybe their growing up, maybe their adventures as they learned their powers, or perhaps what it means to be a shield against magic in the new world.
This book covered none of that.
If you're a fan of the series, you'll want to read this book anyway, and you'll want more when you're done (sadly, probably not happening), but if you're reading this story to see what happens to/with the children, don't bother, the story doesn't have anything to do with them, except (as mentioned above) how they're born, and how things occurred while gestation occurred. That's it.
Nothing about the children at all until the final chapter, and that too was only to wrap up loose ends, though I do like the names they were given.
Overall, a decent enough read, just not what was advertised.
December 19, 2021
I liked being with Kahlan and Richard and the Mord-Sith again. Especially Berdine and Vika. (Still miss Cara, though.) The Glee was a fearsome bunch, and Moravaska Michec was nasty - ich ich ich. Shale was a new and interesting company.
Quite a few repetitions, but somehow lacking in thinking of previous experiences. I would have thought Richard would have, so many times, reflected on his time with the Sisters of Light, with Du Chaillu, with the Mud People, with Scarlet the dragon and with Grratch. Almost none of these were even mentioned as the company was trekking in the mountains, doing this and that. And what Zedd had taught him, the Wizard's rules - got pulled out once. Not enough in a book of this size. I wanted more.
But keeping in the gist of Terry Goodkind. Long time walking in some sort of forest or mountains, really bad people, difficult situations, the special smile and the green eyes (yes, we know what color they are - believe me), and the possible nastiness of witch women. Yup yup.
All in all, a good ride. Not the best - but a good ride, and a big book.
Quite a few repetitions, but somehow lacking in thinking of previous experiences. I would have thought Richard would have, so many times, reflected on his time with the Sisters of Light, with Du Chaillu, with the Mud People, with Scarlet the dragon and with Grratch. Almost none of these were even mentioned as the company was trekking in the mountains, doing this and that. And what Zedd had taught him, the Wizard's rules - got pulled out once. Not enough in a book of this size. I wanted more.
But keeping in the gist of Terry Goodkind. Long time walking in some sort of forest or mountains, really bad people, difficult situations, the special smile and the green eyes (yes, we know what color they are - believe me), and the possible nastiness of witch women. Yup yup.
All in all, a good ride. Not the best - but a good ride, and a big book.
July 5, 2021
The last installment of the 'Legend of the Seeker' series. I would have given this 4 stars but it is Goodkind's last is this series and last book he wrote so for that reason I'll give it 5 stars as a "thank you" for entertaining me with your stories of D'Hara. I'll miss these, they were fun.
December 10, 2021
I had a rather difficult time with this book and I'm not sure if it's because I had pre-existing expectations, or I'm finally becoming weary of this series. For some context, I have been following the Nikki chronicles for the past couple years, peripherally aware that Mr. Goodkind had been writing this children of D'Hara series at the same time. I wanted to wait until there was an omnibus of these 5 books so I could binge them, as it were.
To finally be back in the thick of things with Richard, Kahlan and Co was such a satisfying rush compared to, what I felt, was the slightly forced narrative following Nikki and Nathan.
When I initially heard that Richard and Kahlan would finally be allowed to have kids, and given the title of these books, I thought that we would get to see the pair of lovers at the end of a few years' rest and peace after everything that happened with the omen machine and numerous wars. This hope was twofold: first, these characters have suffered so much and had so little peace, that I honestly wanted to see them at the end of a long rest, with their kids running around creating mischief. The second reason was I thought it would be profoundly interesting to see what kinds of abilities their children would have.
Imagine my disappointment, then, to see Richard and Kahlan IMMEDIATELY thrown back into the fires of strife and suffering with absolutely no peace. Don't get me wrong, I thought the new enemy was properly terrifying, and the struggle felt appropriately grandiose and epic. The problem is that the narrative dragged in several places, as formerly strong women were suddenly relegated to the "damsel in distress" archetype, and half of the series was spent with the savior Richard having to solve the issues of his female harem... It was a disappointing change from Goodkind's previous works, and I felt it cheapened the events considerably.
Finally, the children were born at the very end of the series, and with the unfortunate passing of Terry, it's slightly distressing that I won't get to see the impact these kids play on the world. Not to mention the events that tie into the Nikki Chronicle series never came to pass, so those will forever be a mystery.
At the end of the day, the narrative was compelling, the new conflict was gripping, and it was nice to be back with these characters that I've spent so much time with. However, the writing was not up to the level that previous entries were, and the female characters were greatly neutered and had to be rescued by Richard. The last issues are my biased expectations as to how I thought the story would go and a lack of tie ins with the Nikki Chronicles. Ie, why did the glee not show up in the Old World? Why did Richard only send a constructed spell to help Nikki in her battles? Overall, I'm slightly disappointed and underwhelmed unfortunately.
To finally be back in the thick of things with Richard, Kahlan and Co was such a satisfying rush compared to, what I felt, was the slightly forced narrative following Nikki and Nathan.
When I initially heard that Richard and Kahlan would finally be allowed to have kids, and given the title of these books, I thought that we would get to see the pair of lovers at the end of a few years' rest and peace after everything that happened with the omen machine and numerous wars. This hope was twofold: first, these characters have suffered so much and had so little peace, that I honestly wanted to see them at the end of a long rest, with their kids running around creating mischief. The second reason was I thought it would be profoundly interesting to see what kinds of abilities their children would have.
Imagine my disappointment, then, to see Richard and Kahlan IMMEDIATELY thrown back into the fires of strife and suffering with absolutely no peace. Don't get me wrong, I thought the new enemy was properly terrifying, and the struggle felt appropriately grandiose and epic. The problem is that the narrative dragged in several places, as formerly strong women were suddenly relegated to the "damsel in distress" archetype, and half of the series was spent with the savior Richard having to solve the issues of his female harem... It was a disappointing change from Goodkind's previous works, and I felt it cheapened the events considerably.
Finally, the children were born at the very end of the series, and with the unfortunate passing of Terry, it's slightly distressing that I won't get to see the impact these kids play on the world. Not to mention the events that tie into the Nikki Chronicle series never came to pass, so those will forever be a mystery.
At the end of the day, the narrative was compelling, the new conflict was gripping, and it was nice to be back with these characters that I've spent so much time with. However, the writing was not up to the level that previous entries were, and the female characters were greatly neutered and had to be rescued by Richard. The last issues are my biased expectations as to how I thought the story would go and a lack of tie ins with the Nikki Chronicles. Ie, why did the glee not show up in the Old World? Why did Richard only send a constructed spell to help Nikki in her battles? Overall, I'm slightly disappointed and underwhelmed unfortunately.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2024
Milde spoilers ahead...
So first of all I gave this book 2 stars out of 5 because of nostalgia, and because even if it was badly written I couldn’t stop reading it (apart from the last 150 pages, that was torture). In reality it deserves 1 out of 5. I know that Terry Goodkind wasn’t that great fantasy writer but I started reading his books in my college days and I fell in love with Richard, Kahlan and other characters like Cara, Zedd and Nicci. That being said, most of the mentioned characters Mr. Goodkind killed in his previous works. Why? I guess because during that time (2010 to be correct) a TV show (Legend of the Seeker) was made upon his work, and even though he finished his books with great conclusion in Confessor (book 11) he decided that he can probably earn some more money from their suffering. During this time Game of thrones started to become a popular thing so in that fashion he killed off many of his beloved characters in a really badly written books (4 books to be exact - Omen machine to Warheart) and without any particular reason.
Now to start with Children of D’Hara, if this book was written after book 11, where instead of Shale there was Nicci, instead of Vika there was Cara, and at the Wizard’s Keep was Zed waiting, than this book would make sense (well it would off make sense, if he omitted that ridiculous end arc with Glee). But, like this, it just didn’t work for me. The story was ok-ish on some parts, but unnecessary on most parts. Everyone was constantly repeating themselves, Richard was constantly being questioned and half of the book he explained the things he did, but in reality he didn’t know how he did them. He explained it like: I felt it was the right thing at the moment / or: I did it because I am a war wizard. There was constant mention of the Law of Nines, that thing was never mentioned before, now suddenly it was crucial throughout most of the book, and repeated by the characters at least 50 times. (Yes, we know that Mr. Goodkind wrote a book called the Law of Nines, and no, as much as it is repeated in this book I will not read it.)
Kahlan a kick ass woman and one of my favourite characters ever, was really badly written and most of the book out of character, compared to previous books. The only bright moment she had was when she was fighting the witch women, and that was horribly written. I mean come on, she killed two witches by tossing them in the pond!?
In conclusion, I will forget that I read anything farther than Confessor and be content with that ending.
So first of all I gave this book 2 stars out of 5 because of nostalgia, and because even if it was badly written I couldn’t stop reading it (apart from the last 150 pages, that was torture). In reality it deserves 1 out of 5. I know that Terry Goodkind wasn’t that great fantasy writer but I started reading his books in my college days and I fell in love with Richard, Kahlan and other characters like Cara, Zedd and Nicci. That being said, most of the mentioned characters Mr. Goodkind killed in his previous works. Why? I guess because during that time (2010 to be correct) a TV show (Legend of the Seeker) was made upon his work, and even though he finished his books with great conclusion in Confessor (book 11) he decided that he can probably earn some more money from their suffering. During this time Game of thrones started to become a popular thing so in that fashion he killed off many of his beloved characters in a really badly written books (4 books to be exact - Omen machine to Warheart) and without any particular reason.
Now to start with Children of D’Hara, if this book was written after book 11, where instead of Shale there was Nicci, instead of Vika there was Cara, and at the Wizard’s Keep was Zed waiting, than this book would make sense (well it would off make sense, if he omitted that ridiculous end arc with Glee). But, like this, it just didn’t work for me. The story was ok-ish on some parts, but unnecessary on most parts. Everyone was constantly repeating themselves, Richard was constantly being questioned and half of the book he explained the things he did, but in reality he didn’t know how he did them. He explained it like: I felt it was the right thing at the moment / or: I did it because I am a war wizard. There was constant mention of the Law of Nines, that thing was never mentioned before, now suddenly it was crucial throughout most of the book, and repeated by the characters at least 50 times. (Yes, we know that Mr. Goodkind wrote a book called the Law of Nines, and no, as much as it is repeated in this book I will not read it.)
Kahlan a kick ass woman and one of my favourite characters ever, was really badly written and most of the book out of character, compared to previous books. The only bright moment she had was when she was fighting the witch women, and that was horribly written. I mean come on, she killed two witches by tossing them in the pond!?
In conclusion, I will forget that I read anything farther than Confessor and be content with that ending.
July 20, 2022
FULL REVIEW AT:
https://aicpod.com/review/the-childre...
When it comes down to it, this book is largely about Richard and Kahlan and their fears of becoming parents as they get set to welcome their first children into the world. Will they be good parents? How can they keep their kids safe? All of the usual fears new parents to be will have. Of course there IS the threat of these reptilian Glee monsters trying to take over the world as well as what seems to be some nasty faces from their past trying to wrest control from Richard and Kahlan. But ultimately, it’s one giant action filled, new parent drama set in a fantasy setting.
We are treated to a decent magic system, even though half the time no one knows how their own power works or that they could even do what they just did.
The action sequences, while not AMAZING amazing, are fun and well done.
But the pacing of this omnibus edition is a slog. It’s a roller coaster of speed up, slow down nonsense that made me wish I was reading the stand-alone novels instead. Not to mention that Goodkind falls into the Stephen King territory for me at times, where he’s spending pages upon pages just describing the world around our characters or some menial task they are doing that didn’t need to explained to move the story forward.
Overall, it’s an ok fantasy story that feels a bit bloated and full of miraculous moments when the characters unlock an ability or find an item that they previously weren’t aware of so they can get out of the predicament they find themselves in. A little TOO lucky to not feel forced or contrived.
If you want to check this one out, I’d recommend finding the individual novels as I think it would be a more enjoyable experience and largely eliminate the issues with pacing.
I didn’t hate it, enjoyed large parts of it, but was let down by the predictable ending.
https://aicpod.com/review/the-childre...
When it comes down to it, this book is largely about Richard and Kahlan and their fears of becoming parents as they get set to welcome their first children into the world. Will they be good parents? How can they keep their kids safe? All of the usual fears new parents to be will have. Of course there IS the threat of these reptilian Glee monsters trying to take over the world as well as what seems to be some nasty faces from their past trying to wrest control from Richard and Kahlan. But ultimately, it’s one giant action filled, new parent drama set in a fantasy setting.
We are treated to a decent magic system, even though half the time no one knows how their own power works or that they could even do what they just did.
The action sequences, while not AMAZING amazing, are fun and well done.
But the pacing of this omnibus edition is a slog. It’s a roller coaster of speed up, slow down nonsense that made me wish I was reading the stand-alone novels instead. Not to mention that Goodkind falls into the Stephen King territory for me at times, where he’s spending pages upon pages just describing the world around our characters or some menial task they are doing that didn’t need to explained to move the story forward.
Overall, it’s an ok fantasy story that feels a bit bloated and full of miraculous moments when the characters unlock an ability or find an item that they previously weren’t aware of so they can get out of the predicament they find themselves in. A little TOO lucky to not feel forced or contrived.
If you want to check this one out, I’d recommend finding the individual novels as I think it would be a more enjoyable experience and largely eliminate the issues with pacing.
I didn’t hate it, enjoyed large parts of it, but was let down by the predictable ending.
July 19, 2023
I picked up this book even before I knew Terry Goodkind wrote the Sword of Truth series.
The Children of D'Hara series is a collection of five short novellas. Even without reading the Sword of Truth series, I was completely able to follow the plot. This book collection does continue the plot of the Sword of Truth series, so it would help to read it. It is fair to say that this was one of the more unpredictable books that I have read so far. It was interesting to see how the characters developed throughout the series. I was also surprised by the twists and turns in the plot. It definitely kept me engaged and invested in the story. The plot was still engaging and surprising, even without having read the Sword of Truth series. Even so, I think that having the background knowledge of the previous series would help to enrich the experience of reading this book collection. The characters had a lot of development and there were many unexpected plot points that kept the story interesting. There are a few terms I had to look up on the Sword of Truth fandom to find out what they mean.
I did enjoy Kahlan as the Mother Confessor, because I felt that she wasn't trying to be a damsel in distress. She was strong, independent and decisive. She knew how to take charge of situations and had a strong sense of justice. Even though Richard kept trying to defend her, she was determined to do things her own way. She was a great role model and definitely an inspiring character. Kahlan was a great example of a strong female character who didn't need a man to save her. She was capable of making her own decisions and standing up for what she believed in. She also showed that just because someone is in a position of power doesn't mean they have to abuse it. She was a great example of how to use power responsibly and for the greater good.
The Children of D'Hara series is a collection of five short novellas. Even without reading the Sword of Truth series, I was completely able to follow the plot. This book collection does continue the plot of the Sword of Truth series, so it would help to read it. It is fair to say that this was one of the more unpredictable books that I have read so far. It was interesting to see how the characters developed throughout the series. I was also surprised by the twists and turns in the plot. It definitely kept me engaged and invested in the story. The plot was still engaging and surprising, even without having read the Sword of Truth series. Even so, I think that having the background knowledge of the previous series would help to enrich the experience of reading this book collection. The characters had a lot of development and there were many unexpected plot points that kept the story interesting. There are a few terms I had to look up on the Sword of Truth fandom to find out what they mean.
I did enjoy Kahlan as the Mother Confessor, because I felt that she wasn't trying to be a damsel in distress. She was strong, independent and decisive. She knew how to take charge of situations and had a strong sense of justice. Even though Richard kept trying to defend her, she was determined to do things her own way. She was a great role model and definitely an inspiring character. Kahlan was a great example of a strong female character who didn't need a man to save her. She was capable of making her own decisions and standing up for what she believed in. She also showed that just because someone is in a position of power doesn't mean they have to abuse it. She was a great example of how to use power responsibly and for the greater good.
November 8, 2021
I, like many others started this series a long time ago. For the most part, I think I enjoyed aspects of it, but had to take a break as I found the books formulaic and a bit repetitive in style. Some years later I realize there are more to the series, and commit myself to re read them so I could check out the additions. I found I got really annoyed. It wasn't as I remembered. How can some of the 'smartest' minds and powerful people in these stories, be so stupid at the same time? With a bit more maturity under my belt, I realize it's the way they were written. I still enjoyed parts of the stories, and even come to like some of the new characters, (because they were really just old dead ones with different names)I don't know how to explain it, there is no growth? Or, maybe there is always a crisis, but the crisis is always the same? I don't know. When I get something good to read, I'm a voracious reader, but I had to keep stopping with this one. It could be I'm too stupid, that maybe I'm not getting all of it..is it inconsistency in the writing? It took too long to state some obvious things, on top of being repetitive? I was disappointed, and THAT was in itself, disappointing, lol.
I think the first go I had with this series, I gave a better rating on GR. The further into the series I went, (and the more times I read) the more mixed I began to feel about it.
In the end, I feel like a jerk. I wanted to give more stars, but couldn't. I finished this preparing to continue (completionist? It seems that is not a word) but did not realise Mr. Goodkind had passed away last year. The news never crossed my path until recently. RIP
I think the first go I had with this series, I gave a better rating on GR. The further into the series I went, (and the more times I read) the more mixed I began to feel about it.
In the end, I feel like a jerk. I wanted to give more stars, but couldn't. I finished this preparing to continue (completionist? It seems that is not a word) but did not realise Mr. Goodkind had passed away last year. The news never crossed my path until recently. RIP
June 8, 2023
Yet another winner
Terry Goodkind has done it again. It's one more engaging story featuring beloved characters Richard and Kahlan (though mostly Richard). It ties up some loose ends (notably the witch Shota) and gifts us with another great story. Shale, another witch, is probably the least well-constructed character, because she does not appear emotionally cohesive; that is, her character is both timid and bold, quiet but annoyingly frequently questioning loudly, and so on. While no one is all one thing or another, she seems almost bipolar without actually being "crazy" (apologies to the bipolar folks out there--this is not meant to dismiss the condition, only to describe the character in the book). Downside: I did figure out how Richard would (surprise!) save the day (although not the details, which were handled quite nicely) before it happened. I'd say more, but I don't want to reveal too much. Suffice to say, it's worth buying if you're into these characters and world (and even if you're unfamiliar with it). It can stand on its own if you haven't read the series, but if you haven't, I heartily recommend that you do. Terry, thanks for everything; you will be sorely missed. Hopefully, someone will take up the mantle and write some stories about the next generation, as well as continuing The Nicci Chronicles.
Terry Goodkind has done it again. It's one more engaging story featuring beloved characters Richard and Kahlan (though mostly Richard). It ties up some loose ends (notably the witch Shota) and gifts us with another great story. Shale, another witch, is probably the least well-constructed character, because she does not appear emotionally cohesive; that is, her character is both timid and bold, quiet but annoyingly frequently questioning loudly, and so on. While no one is all one thing or another, she seems almost bipolar without actually being "crazy" (apologies to the bipolar folks out there--this is not meant to dismiss the condition, only to describe the character in the book). Downside: I did figure out how Richard would (surprise!) save the day (although not the details, which were handled quite nicely) before it happened. I'd say more, but I don't want to reveal too much. Suffice to say, it's worth buying if you're into these characters and world (and even if you're unfamiliar with it). It can stand on its own if you haven't read the series, but if you haven't, I heartily recommend that you do. Terry, thanks for everything; you will be sorely missed. Hopefully, someone will take up the mantle and write some stories about the next generation, as well as continuing The Nicci Chronicles.
April 20, 2024
The third, but final, conclusion to the Sword of Truth series and
I think what really makes this stand out is Terry's attempt at sci-fi and cosmic horror! The introduction of the Glee, particularly in the first 100 pages is chilling and a lot of fun. Intertwining that with fantasy, especially with the concept of a species who fear and can't fathom magic rocks. Our crew this time around includes 6 Mord'Sith we've met throughout the series - shoutout to Berdine :) - and Shale, a witch-woman/sorceress who's clearly the Nicci of the group. Enjoyed our new crew which was a nice change of pace but man, are Zed and Cara's absence apparent and I really would have enjoyed seeing (or hearing) from Nathan and Nicci.
(view spoiler)
Overall, a fun damn time and easily in my top 5 of the series as a whole, which I realize ain't saying much, but I'm glad we got some actual closure and ended on a high note :) (Especially after the atrocity that was Warheart lmao)
Also no graphic r*pe or SA in this one! Only took Terry 17 books to realize how unnecessary and weird it is
I think what really makes this stand out is Terry's attempt at sci-fi and cosmic horror! The introduction of the Glee, particularly in the first 100 pages is chilling and a lot of fun. Intertwining that with fantasy, especially with the concept of a species who fear and can't fathom magic rocks. Our crew this time around includes 6 Mord'Sith we've met throughout the series - shoutout to Berdine :) - and Shale, a witch-woman/sorceress who's clearly the Nicci of the group. Enjoyed our new crew which was a nice change of pace but man, are Zed and Cara's absence apparent and I really would have enjoyed seeing (or hearing) from Nathan and Nicci.
(view spoiler)
Overall, a fun damn time and easily in my top 5 of the series as a whole, which I realize ain't saying much, but I'm glad we got some actual closure and ended on a high note :) (Especially after the atrocity that was Warheart lmao)
Also no graphic r*pe or SA in this one! Only took Terry 17 books to realize how unnecessary and weird it is
April 10, 2024
Era da tempo che non leggevo Terry Goodkind e ho deciso di fare ritorno nel mondo da lui creato per concludere la lettura della saga.
I libri che compongono questo volume sono stati originalmente pubblicati distintamente l'uno dall'altro. Questo fatto ha penalizzato il ritmo della lettura di questo volume dato che ogni storia contiene varie ripetizioni e un “riassunto delle puntate precedenti”.
Leggere delle avventure di Richard e Kahlan, nonostante dopo un po' le dinamiche si ripetano sempre identiche a sé stesse, è sempre avvincente e la scrittura di Goodkind risulta comunque accattivante. Peccato però che come conclusione dell'intera saga il tutto sia parecchio deludente e, in particolare, il finale troncato di netto lasci l'amaro in bocca…😕
I libri che compongono questo volume sono stati originalmente pubblicati distintamente l'uno dall'altro. Questo fatto ha penalizzato il ritmo della lettura di questo volume dato che ogni storia contiene varie ripetizioni e un “riassunto delle puntate precedenti”.
Leggere delle avventure di Richard e Kahlan, nonostante dopo un po' le dinamiche si ripetano sempre identiche a sé stesse, è sempre avvincente e la scrittura di Goodkind risulta comunque accattivante. Peccato però che come conclusione dell'intera saga il tutto sia parecchio deludente e, in particolare, il finale troncato di netto lasci l'amaro in bocca…😕
February 12, 2023
This is the last we will read from Terry Goodkind, unless they uncover something which is always possible, turning that last page was sad knowing that I won't get the chance to turn another.
Going to give this one 4/5, a decent enough story which I think would have been a better option to have read the novellas rather than the novel, you can just about make out the cut points between the books and every arc in the story had a tendency to drag out the overall plot.
One thing about Richard & Khalan I have found throughout is that sometimes they could really do with a slap, I know its fantasy but really, get over it. Married life just ain't like that, trust me.
Going to give this one 4/5, a decent enough story which I think would have been a better option to have read the novellas rather than the novel, you can just about make out the cut points between the books and every arc in the story had a tendency to drag out the overall plot.
One thing about Richard & Khalan I have found throughout is that sometimes they could really do with a slap, I know its fantasy but really, get over it. Married life just ain't like that, trust me.
July 23, 2021
The story was entertaining, but the writing was very poor. I have such found memories of Mr. Goodkind's past work, so I was surprised by how bad the writing was. I actually came here to do research to see if these books were published after his death which would explain the rough writing. However, I can't find where that would be the case.
I don't regret reading this "Series", but it is not something that I plan on rereading or recommending to someone who has never read Mr. Goodkind's other books.
I don't regret reading this "Series", but it is not something that I plan on rereading or recommending to someone who has never read Mr. Goodkind's other books.
July 11, 2022
This is an entertaining and engaging follow-up to Richard and Kahlan's story and picks up just shortly after the events of Warheart.
I found the story to be nicely paced, except for a short section around the middle which did plod along a bit, but the rest fairly speeds along.
Besides there being a whole new threat to contend with there are interesting callbacks to events in the Sword of Truth series and a few loose ends that are satisfactorily tied off.
If you enjoyed the Sword of Truth then this is a must-read to round the series off.
I found the story to be nicely paced, except for a short section around the middle which did plod along a bit, but the rest fairly speeds along.
Besides there being a whole new threat to contend with there are interesting callbacks to events in the Sword of Truth series and a few loose ends that are satisfactorily tied off.
If you enjoyed the Sword of Truth then this is a must-read to round the series off.
January 31, 2024
Enjoyed the story.
Author had a tendency to go into just excessive detail about the surroundings sometimes, to the point I just wanted to skip ahead a few paragraphs to get to something more important. Worse though, was having characters repeat a plot point two or three times within a couple of pages. I get that it's important, but I got it the first time.
Don't let these little problems drive you away though. It's a good story, particularly for followers of the associated Sword of Truth series.
Author had a tendency to go into just excessive detail about the surroundings sometimes, to the point I just wanted to skip ahead a few paragraphs to get to something more important. Worse though, was having characters repeat a plot point two or three times within a couple of pages. I get that it's important, but I got it the first time.
Don't let these little problems drive you away though. It's a good story, particularly for followers of the associated Sword of Truth series.
Read
June 1, 2024This was a beautiful way to end the series. Richard and Kahlan have to go through a whole bunch of challenges to bring their twin babies to the keep to protect them before they are even born. They have to fight a race called the Glee, they have to fight the witch woman Shota, and they have to fight the weather to get to Aydindril, where the Wizard's Keep magic can protect them all. I loved this book, and I know it is probably the end of the series, as the author is now gone, but I would still wish for more. I'm just going to have to spend the summer reading all of these again.
May 15, 2025
Review of series
I loved this whole series of books. I am a little disappointed in the ending. I feel like it had some unresolved questions, that I would like answered? What happened after? What was up with the hands and the gift at the end? Just casually putting it in there? Would have been nice with an epilogue of some kind to see how they ended up in the end, and what their gifts actually were?
I loved this whole series of books. I am a little disappointed in the ending. I feel like it had some unresolved questions, that I would like answered? What happened after? What was up with the hands and the gift at the end? Just casually putting it in there? Would have been nice with an epilogue of some kind to see how they ended up in the end, and what their gifts actually were?
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