Mama got me the first book from the “Sword of Truth” series by Terry Goodkind for Christmas last year. I started reading the series casually, an hour here, an hour there before I fell asleep. They are “okay,” definitely not so gripping that I can’t put them down, but they aren’t pulling teeth to read either.
Having said that, I just finished book 5 of 12 (Soul of the Fire) and man was it awful. So bad was it, in fact, that I had to blog about its awfulness.
I would go into detail, but on second thought, you may decide to read it so I won’t spoil the “plot” or go into why this was such an awful read in case you are also reading the series.
I was sufficiently disappointed with this book, but I can’t stop in the middle of the series. (It is a series after all). I think the only reason I’m continuing with it is because Terry Goodkind is a New York Times Best Selling Author and I’m hoping he redeems himself in the next few books. The previous books up to this one have been good. Not great, but good.
Check it out for yourself if you want, but don’t go in expecting Tolkien or Lewis. Book 1 of the series is called Wizard’s First Rule from which the TV series Legend of the Seeker is LOOSELY based. The TV show isn’t really anything great either.
In all fairness to Goodkind, I wasn’t really that impressed with JRR Tolkien’s latest release The Children of Hurin either. Not because the writing was bad, but because the story was simply depressing. I guess Tolkien had planned an ending to his Middle Earth stories which redeemed the characters in “Children” thus making a more satisfying ending but it never made it past its outline form before he died.
I guess I’m a bit of a harsh critic but there are books I do like as well.
I’m passing the time until Chris Paolini comes out with the 4th Eragon book (he had promised to wrap up the story in 3 books but apparently couldn’t do it)
Oh well, I’m hoping to eventually write my own and then I can criticize these fantasy novels with actual merit. Sometime in my life…keep you posted 🙂