Stone of Tears - Terry Goodkind

For those of you that read my blog, it's been a few weeks since I actually posted a book review. This is because Stone of Tears is a whopping 979 pages long (and I have had a terrible addiction to the Olympics)! It took me about two weeks to read it, but it was well worth it. Beware that spoilers from the first book of the Sword of Truth series, Wizard's First Rule, will be included in this post!

The book picks up where Wizard's First Rule left off. Richard and Kahlan are returning to the Mud People and Zedd is still at the People's Palace where Richard has just taken over from Darken Rahl. Richard was able to defeat Darken Rahl using the Wizard's First Rule. Little does Richard know that the way he used the rule actually violated the Wizard's Second Rule causing a new threat to emerge.

As the story progresses, Richard learns that he is a wizard and must learn to control his powers. He and Kahlan's story diverges at this point as they each take a different direction to accomplish a common goal. Kahlan's journey takes her to Aydindril where she seeks to appeal to a council to help her fight the new threat. Richard's journey takes him to the Palace of the Prophets where he is taught how to control his wizard powers. Nothing is as it seems in the Palace of course and Richard is left to uncover another plot that could possibly destroy the land.

I have to admit that I think I enjoyed Kahlan's storyline more than Richard's. Terry Goodkind is a master of describing the horrors of war and battle. It is graphic, but I understand why he does it. In a lot of ways it makes it more real and shows the desolation that war has brought to the people. Kahlan has some Eowyn (from Return of the King--the movie brings a few thoughts to mind) moments where she just kicks a lot of butt. I love strong female characters and Kahlan is no exception! Richard's story is very important to the plot, but at times I found that it dragged on. I don't know if it's because I was feeling a little burned out on reading (I had two other books I had to read for book clubs this month that were not short and this was a 979 page book), or if I was just watching too much TV (those Olympics!!!). It became more interesting as time went on, but I felt like it took awhile to get there.

Still, I really enjoyed this book. Goodkind throws in some nice plot twists that I definitely wasn't expecting. I thought it really added to the book and at times made it really heart wrenching and difficult. I really did feel a little empty while I read this book because the characters go through such loss and betrayal. I like it when an author can really suck you into what the characters are going through and make you feel their emotions. I am thoroughly enjoying this series and am looking forward to the third installment, Blood of the Fold.


Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge

TV Show: Legend of the Seeker

I am still making my way through Legend of the Seeker. I am working hard not to watch the series too quickly because frankly, I have come to really enjoy it! Sure, it has very little to do with the Sword of Truth series even though it is "based on" it, but I find the show pretty entertaining and fun. I would probably compare it to Robin Hood (from British television) or less schlocky (but still with some schlock) Hercules. I know in my last review of Wizard's First Rule/Legend of the Seeker I was disappointed in the show, but it has really become quite fun to watch. I am taking my time to get through the show because I have noticed that they introduce characters from the books that I haven't read about yet. In other words, the story on the show isn't going in the same order as the books. However, if you decide to read the books and watch the show, it doesn't really matter because the characters are fairly different from the book. I just don't want to ruin any major plot points by watching the show too fast. I'll definitely keep posting my thoughts on the series as I read the books and watch the show, but I am changing my mind from my last review and giving the show my thumbs up.