The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

This fantasy series of books written by Terry Goodkind was built upon a familiar mythology. A baby is hidden away from his evil father, who would’ve killed the boy if he’d known of his existence and continued survival. The boy is raised in ordinary fashion, kept ignorant of his birthright, yet destined to challenge his father for the control of the empire. This is pure fantasy, full of wizards and witches, riddles and enigmas, ninja-like warriors and, of course, a sword of retribution. Or at least, it should be pure fantasy. The author, to his credit, has created this magical world, populated with interesting characters, both heroes and villains. His writing is very strong, the actions are bold, the plot line is complex and suspenseful. Or at least it was.

Goodkind has created two memorable heroes. The war wizard, the seeker of truth, the sensitive killing machine named Richard Rahl. And he has a female counterpart who is very bit his equal. Kahlan Amnell, the mother confessor, can enslave any man with a simple touch. Of course, the author finds a way to bring these two together in an impossible union of love. And then continually writes plot events to rip them asunder, making them struggle to keep their love alive and their empire out of the hands of their enemies. And the enemies are ruthlessly interesting as well. There’s the Sisters of the Dark, who serve the wrong side of the religious divide, the devil-like Keeper. And the Dreamwalker, a Napoleonic-type figure named Emperor Jagang who can inhabit the minds of other people, leads an army bent on ridding the world of all magic, and is symbolic of a godless communist hordes out to destroy all that is good and right and special.

The series is one part melodrama, one part blood-soaked action thriller, one part magic show and one final part philosophical treatise. It is this final part, this detour into philosophy, that is problematic. Goodkind’s fascination with Ayn Rand’s Objectivism leads him to plot and character developments that make little sense. And even less excitement. One novel features a villainous Sister of the Dark who abducts the hero in order to teach him a little socialist humility. This is a woman who has pledged her soul to the dark side. Another plot line highlights a misguided bureaucratic society that invites the enemy within its gates. Or a civilization that has embraced pacifism and doesn’t live to regret it. One gets the idea. But it seems Goodkind is intent on beating the reader over the head with these ideas, to the obvious detriment of his plots.

On his web site, Goodkind denies that his novel are intended to explain, advance or promote Objectivism. He would never sacrifice the reader’s enjoyment to his Randian ideals. Right. It makes me wonder why he needed to make that denial.

A series this long (the 11th novel is coming soon!) must certainly have its moments of repetition. Each novel seems to climax with the hero escaping a sure death, usually imprisoned somewhere in the underworld, spirit world, or just plain netherworld. And how many epic battles, ninja-like swordfests and extreme torture scenes can one read? Okay, I like the torture scenes, but still. And occasionally, it feels like Goodkind has taken the Stephen King express writing course for developing strange horror-inducing animals. Who can forget the blood-thirsty chicken that’s not really a chicken? Or the pet dragon-like animal who acts like a puppy, can pronounce a few misshapen words, and can kill ninjas like no one else (except for Richard)? Not me, that's for sure.