Terry Goodkind
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By: Tor Books
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 369
Average rating: 2.5 of 5
How novel...intelligent fantasy 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 6 people found this review helpful.
In Naked Empire, Terry Goodkind weaves a plot that, through the action of the story, illustrates increasingly deeper themes with great relevance to our culture today. Politically, and most superficially, it is a story about the hopelessness of the doctrine of pacifism for establishing genuine peace, but that it rather leads to tyranny. Ethically, it is about whether people are justified in fighting for their values by retaliating against physical threats to them, or whether it is ever proper to turn the other cheek. Epistemologically, it is about whether genuine knowledge comes by revelation from another world, or by reasoning about our perception of this world. And metaphysically, it is about the doctrine of mind-body dualism versus that of mind-body unity, and the results of accepting each. (There is even a bit about esthetics, though not nearly as a much as in Faith of the Fallen, in which the nature of art played a much more central role.)
As usual, the plot advances the stories of the characters and the world in which they live, and Goodkind's characterization is excellent (though Owen is a bit obnoxious at first, but not as bad as Nadine in Temple of the Winds). It is true that Goodkind has begun using somewhat formulaic phrases to introduce familiar characters (but hey, if it was good enough for Homer...). So some of the criticisms about his writing at this point in the series are slightly valid. It is not one of the best books in the series, which is why I didn't rate it five stars. However, the kind of vitriol being spewed by the book's critics--many of whom seem to have a personal grudge against Goodkind--can only be explained by their unthinking bias against his theme, or, in the case of escapists, the fact that his books have themes at all.
Goodkind's work is both entertaining and thought-provoking--a rare thing. Ironically, it is perhaps those who find themselves so angered by his books that need his message the most.
Editorial Review:
Beginning with Wizard's First Rule and continuing with six subsequent fantasy masterpieces, Terry Goodkind has thrilled and awed millions of readers worldwide. Now Goodkind returns with a broad-canvas adventure of epic intrigue, violent conflict, and terrifying peril for the beautiful Kahlan Amnell and her husband, the heroic Richard Rahl, the Sword of Truth.
