Book Review: Phantom

Sword of Truth Book 10

The only thing Khalan knows for sure is that she is the slave of the Dark sisters. Big problems occur when the sisters drag Khalan to an inn to pick up Tovi and the last box of Orden. The inn keeper can see and remember who Khalan is. The sisters act as dark sisters are wont to do. Commence death and destruction.

Shota shows up with the seer Jebra to make Richard understand what he is fighting.

I kind of stopped caring; I still do not understand why we wasted so much of the book on getting Richard to “understand”. He’s never not understood. Having Jebra tell of the horrors of the order is stupid. We get it WE GET IT!!!! If the rest of the book is like this I am going to start kicking things.

There is a new witch woman who has taken over Samuel and wants Shota’s territory.

Don’t we have just one more book? Shouldn’t we be wrapping crap up?

Samuel also stabbed Chase and kidnapped Rachel. I think Samuel is due for a smack down.

I was going to say this book was totally boring me and rehashing crap that has been rehashed before….but then…we get to see what’s going on with Rachel and I TOTALLY did not see this coming.

Book Review: Chainfire

Sword of Truth Book 9
Our story begins dear reader with blood, lots and lots of it. Near death, Richard you crazy kid. Dance too long with a crossbow and you are going to get bit. The first chimes of doom are heard on pg 7 right before Richard passes out. He asks for Khalan. Neither Nicci nor Cara has ever heard of her.

Now let’s get something clear RIGHT THE FRELL NOW. If this turns into a Newhartian dreamscape I am going to go on a slapping frenzy the likes the world has NEVER seen.

Luckily Anne and Nathan come across a trove of prophecy books, many that they have never seen, or heard of as just rumor. What’s funny is that with the prophecy’s dealing with Richard, there are blank lines, and pages. There is even an entire book of prophecy that is blank. Anne used to love this particular prophecy because it was so romantic. But can not recall a single thing about it.

Meanwhile there is more blood and body parts and an invisible beast and Richard who if he were me would have bitch slapped Nicci over the patronizing way she is talking to him. He is a far better man than I.

Oh yea, the Imerial Order is on it’s way to Altur’Rang to crush the resistance. And Richard is leaving them to their own devices after painfully pointing out what this really means. So he can go look for a woman that only he remembers.

Good Times!

Book Review – Naked Empire

Sword of Truth Book 8
Finally I want to slap the shit out of someone. It’s been awhile but I am glad that this series doesn’t disappoint me. Although surprise surprise, it isn’t Kahlan this time. It’s Richard. Damn this boy gets on his soapbox and just does not get off. The story picks up right after the Pillars, so Jennsen, Tom, Friedrich, Cara, Richard and Kahlan are trying to figure out what to do next. “When out of the darkness clearer and clearer, the sound of sobbing comes nearer and nearer”…sorry, reading this with my son, and this phase is just stuck in my head. So out of nowhere appears Owen, and everyone has a bad feeling, drink. Owen wants Richard and team to come liberate his people, the order has come and he needs the savages to come and get rid of them. His are an enlightened people that do no violence. Richard sends him packing. Soon after meeting up with Owen, Richard who has been getting headaches due to his magic, starts feeling even worse. But it’s not until a group of the Order soldiers try to take them out and Owen weasels his way back to the group that we find out that Richard has bee poisoned and must go with Owen and get rid of the Order before he gives him the antidote. Wacky high jinks ensue.

Where does my slapping Richard come in? When he meets up with Owen’s insurgents he starts to wax poetic on the philosophy of life and freedom, for like hundreds of pages. I am not sure why this annoyed me so much, but it did and I have come to accept it and move on. We do find out more on where the folks invisible to magic went.

All is not slapping, Zed and Adie are kicking about and damn I just enjoy them, even when there is torture about.

Book Review – The Pillars of Creation

Sword of Truth Book 7

What an interesting read and my slapping tendencies were at an all time low. We are introduced to Jennsen, Darken Rahl’s bastard daughter. She has just watched a Quad kill her mom because the Rahl’s have been hunting Jennsen her whole life. She is saved by Sebastian, a man working for Jagang the Just. Jennsen is also haunted by a voice that speaks only to her in her mind who constantly demands that she surrender. Jennsen and Sebastian start an adventure that will take them throughout the midlands, old world and beyond to try and kill the man responsible for all of Jennsen’s problems Richard Rahl.

We also meet Oba another of Darken Rahl’s bastard kids. Is it just me or does it seem like Richard is the only boy child that isn’t a whacked out murderer? Oba has delusions or grandeur that has to be read to be believed.

Jennsen and Oba are holes in the world, magic can not find them, they have no magic and magic has no effect on them; although they both have some of that special Rahl personality. We meet up with a new (or not so new) cast of characters including Tom, a bumbling wine seller. Nyda – have I ever told you how much I love the Mord-Sith? I hope we hear from her again. Lethea and Althea, sorceress sisters. We also find out where Nathan has been, don’t hear from him a lot and I hope he is back in the next book.

Finally a Sword book I haven’t read before, there were moments that I was expecting I would be disappointed, but that never paned out. I actually enjoy when a long series branches out a bit.

Now I am really looking forward to Book 8 (that I have)

Book Review - Faith of the Fallen

Sword of Truth Book 6 C
hrist on a cracker, I read this bastard before. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just…I was looking forward to something I hadn’t read before. Although…I’ve only read it once and really don’t remember what is going on or going to happen so that is pretty cool.

Kahlan, Richard and Cara are off to give the mother confessor a place to heal. Conflict and strife, minor…at first. Sister Nicci shows up and she is the bad ass of bad asses. We learn her story and come to realize that it is always the mothers fault. Damn crazy byotches. Although Nicci brings crazy to a whole new level She captures Richard and makes him trot at her heals as her husband to learn “something” before she kills him. You may be shocked to learn that I want to slap the shit out of her too. She is wacked.

Kahlan on the other hand I LOVE. I like her best when she is taking no prisoners. When she is a battle leader, or just kicking ass and taking names, she shines like the superstar she is. There are a couple of quotes that just made the book for me. One is when Kahlan first reaches the army after Richard has been taken. Zedd asks if she has a plan to get Richard back.
“It’s simple. I plan on killing every Imperial Order man, woman and child until I get to the very last one left alive, and then if she doesn’t give him back, I’m going to kill her too.”
The other is what General Baldwin the commander of the Keltish forces says when Kahlan asks,
How many men did you bring?
Baldwin replies
Why…all of them. One hundred seventy thousand men. When my queen asks for an army, I bring her one.

Richard is in the old world working on a palace for Jagang who has decided that to be taken seriously he needs to have more toys than anyone else. I enjoy how Richard’s richardness shines through no matter what Nicci throws at him. I got distracted by wanted to slap the shit out of everyone in the old world, especially those in Altur’Rang. I don’t think I am cut out to be a sheep. Richard is able to fall in pretty much anything and come out smelling like roses. He makes nare do wells better citizens, helps drive a faltering economy and turns into a craftsman of unsurpassed skill…oh he starts a revolution too.

Book Review - Soul of the Fire

Sword of Truth Book 5
When is a chicken not a chicken? When will the mother confessor not piss me off? Is anyone keeping track of how many times I want to slap the shit out of her? I’ve lost track. We start this story off with Richard and Kahlan celebrating their day after the wedding. They are happy. I will confess it is nice to have them happy every once and awhile. It doesn’t happen often. Soon enough trouble rears its head; Richard and Zed don’t even get a chance to chat before death and mayhem start. Zed and Ann send Richard and Kahlan back to the keep for some busy work. When will Zed learn to trust Richard? Magic is draining from the world due to Kahlan’s saving Richards life. Good news Jagang’s magic is draining, bad news; subtractive magic is still going strong.

I have found a whole new country of people that I want to smack the crap out of. Anderith. How that land fills me with a seething hatred. They treat their slaves/servants like crap because they once were at war. Women are less than nothing and everyone sleeps around. Except for the minister’s aid Dalton who is a smart snake. You want to like him but he is EEEEEEEEEVile, not Jagang like evil, more fascist pig evil. The Anderith have this kick ass weapon the Dominie Diritch. A line of carved bells that once rung will kill anything within eyesight, in fact it sloth’s the skin right off a person. Guess where Jagang wants to set up his headquarters?

Du Chaillu is back with her team of sword masters and so is Cara, who I love more and more. We meet some new folks as well, some we like and some…not so much. I had trouble with this book and wanting to put it down for long periods of time. I think I have a really hard time when I know or think I know that someone is about to do something stupid. Damn I hate that, brings back all sorts of jr. high and high school memories.

Next up is book 6 something I haven’t read

Book Review – Temple of the Winds

Book four of the Sword of Truth.
Nadine you whore. You make it almost impossible to like you, and every time we get close you act like a clam. Shoata, I want to strangle you, I know you might mean well, but you are screwing with the kids and that in turn makes Kahlan act like a 13 year old. Kahlan, as much as I love you, I just want to slap the shit out of you sometimes. I know love makes you do stupid things, but girl you really take the cake. Jagang is such a prick. I really hope he gets what’s coming to him. Although I do like how he is an equal opportunity prick. He smites the worthy, unworthy, he don’t care as long as he is smiting. I am thinking I might have rage issues as I constantly want to smack someone in this series.

Let’s look at the folks I didn’t feel like smacking…this time. I can’t get enough of the Mud people, they just rock. Grandfathers back! Bring on the toads. Zed and Ann are still chasing after Nathan and getting into all sorts of trouble. Nathan, I am so glad they are spending more time with you. You get more and more interesting. Never doing what is expected, and a horn dog to boot. Well I guess if I had been kept locked up for a few thousand years I might be a bit…frisky myself. Cara, Raina and Berdine, those crazy byotches are at it again, gaining more humanity and yet still willing to kill at the drop of a hat. How do you punish these girls? You have to read it to believe it. Did I mention libraries? More books? Finding answers….where? In books.


All this plus the plague, serial killers, pig riding and marriage.

Book 5 is just around the corner…and I can’t wait

Book Review - Blood of the Fold

Book three of the Sword of Truth. I love Gratch, I just want to give him a snuggle. I really like how the Mord-Sith are coming along. They are still crazy byotches, but now they have a sense of humor. Funny how intolerant I am; Richard seems to be a bit squeamish about same sex couples. I seriously wanted to slap the shit out of him. Richard is still making it up as he goes along. We meet more enemies and more crazies that are all hell bent on capturing, killing and torturing. The Prelate is having a fine time for herself, we find out a bit of back story on Warren and Verna. The Sisters of the Dark learn that sometimes it sucks to be them.

I had an epiphany while reading the other night. I think the reason I like this series so much is because Richard is a Reader. He loves books. He walks through hell and back. Why? To get a book. He stays up all night. Why? Reading a book. Who hasn’t done that?

Zed you wacky wacky boy.


Onto book 4

Book Review - Stone of Tears

Onto book two of the Sword of Truth series. The book starts off with Rachel, the foundling that Chase adopted, watching something that made her very nervous. When she tries to tell Chase about it he pats her on the head and tells her not to worry. He and Zed are busy discussing the boxes of Orden and what should be done about it. Of course this is the time that some demon like killing machine makes his appearance kicks the crap out of Chase, knocking Zed over and proceeds to smack Chase to within an inch of his life. Rachel being the kick ass kid that she is remembers Wizard Giller’s magic fire stick and torches the demon like thingy. I hope we get to see more of Rachel. I like this kid. Mayhem ensues. Lots of death and destruction commence.

I like how the D’Harans are more fleshed out. One of my favorite quotes is from a D’Hara commander who when being told what the former Load Rahl was up to stated. “Bloody fool. He’s supposed to serve us, not take us into eternal night. Someone should have killed him.” My thoughts exactly
We meet up with the Mud people again and gain some new enemies as well as new friends. Damn Richard can be a dumb ass.

I had trouble reading this book. Even though I have read it at least 4 times once I got to the Sisters of Light I had to force myself to keep reading. I don’t know what it was. Perhaps it was Kahlan’s sacrifice? Lord knows I have no issue with the fighting. I really enjoyed Sister Verna and Richards trip together. I can just see now how much I am going to want to strangle Spotty Chop in the future. Nathan the prophet is an interesting character and as they say, there seems to be a method to his madness.

I don’t want to say too much about Kahlan, but girl has gonads of steel. One thing I like most about strong fantasy writers are how female characters are generally portrayed. They don’t make them perfect, but they can kick ass with the best of them.

Great read, can’t wait to read the 3rd one.

Book Review - Wizard's First Rule

I am a re-reader. Before Spotty Chops was born I had a 2 hour a day commute via the train so I got a ton of reading done, I could easily get through 2-3 books a week (or one really big book). At one point had a $100 a month habit. Now my commute by train is only 30 min each way and that really screws up the reading time, because just when you are getting into the story, you have to get up and go to work.

I do not bother buying a book that I do not think I will reread and I especially love to buy series. I refuse to read the latest in a series without re-reading the older ones, this way I have even more books to read. Unless you tend to lend your books out and not remember what/where/or who and purchase the 2nd and 3rd books in a series because you loved the first one and then once the other books come in, go looking for the 1st one so you can re-read it and get on with things. Not that this has happened to me, I mean who would be so stupid to purchase 6 books and not be able to find the first of any of the 3 series? I will also only buy paperbacks (well, for the most part, sometimes it’s hard to wait 2 years for what happens next) and prefer to read them that way, mainly due to the commuter mentality. Hard covers are HEAVY.

I am currently re-reading Wizard’s First Rule I just realized that I am far behind in this series. I am caught up on the Wheel of Time (and by god I will finish it if it kills me) and I never bought into the “well so and so copied the idea”. Let’s face it, in fantasy writing everyone is copying everyone. The format is fairly standard. Young boy/man/girl/woman is downtrodden/hunted/orphaned/ but meets up with an older person who has the key to everything/key to something/food. Young person finds out they are the missing/heir/prince/princess/wizard/messiah. They must battle evil/their father/mother/demons/monsters/EEEEVIL/system to save the world. There is usually a group of friends from when the youngster is growing up/met along the way. They fight the good fight, sometimes winning, sometimes loosing. There may be intelligent animals/sprit guides. There will be lots of magic, and a good time will be had by all.

Back to the book – it looks like there are 10 or 11 books out there, and I have only read up to book 5 or 6, and I have up to book 7, so I have weeks of reading ahead of me, which makes me very happy. I find I get a bit cranky if I don’t know what I am going to be reading next. Anyhoo I really like this book. Richard seems like a decent guy, it sucks that his parents are dead, but he grew up with his dad and his brother, there was no evil step mom in the picture so he lead a pretty normal life for awhile. I like his relationship with Zed. Everyone needs a wacky friend of the family. I like that when we meet Darken Rahl for the first time we get some insight that he is a FREAK. Granted anyone that tried to gain global dominance by cutting open other peoples abdomens and reading their entrails isn’t playing with a full deck, but his tribute to his dad is a bit over the top. I love the Mud people, I love how they are not perfect and like to eat their enemies, hmmm sounds like a few people I know. The Mord-Sith…damn have you ever read about a crazier bunch of byotches? Kind of sexy, but not soft pornish, not that there is anything wrong with that…Well, Richard is about to take care of his mate, if you have read the book, you know what I mean, and if not, give it a whirl and find out.