Product Description
Descending into darkness, about to be overwhelmed by evil, those people still free are powerless to stop the coming dawn of a savage new world, while Richard faces the guilt of knowing that he must let it happen. Alone, he must bear the weight of a sin he dare not confess to the one person he loves…and has lost.

Join Richard and Kahlan in the concluding novel of one of the most remarkable and memorable journeys ever written. It started with one rule and will end with the rule of all rules, the rule unwritten, the rule unspoken since the dawn of history.

When next the sun rises, the world will be forever changed.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 3.0 based on 251 reviews)

No Loose Ends

For the record, I could never be a professional reviewer because I don't break the parts down and analyze each one. That said, I really enjoyed this final book in Goodkind's Sword of Truth series.

I first got hooked on the series after several of the books had already been written. Whenever I got to the next book, I "noticed" how he repeated facts and histories of prominent characters. I had wondered how people could forget those important details. This time, however, it had been almost 2 years since I finished Phantom, book #11. The reminders turned out to be pleasantly welcomed.

It was amazing to me how he pulled in characters and storylines from thoughout the series (some of which I'd almost forgotten) and tied them all off nicely. There was the same drama and adventure that this reader had come to expect in the story and, though they weren't there, the last two words could easily have been, "The End."

Thank you Mr. Goodkind for taking me on a great acventure.
November 25, 2008

Preaching, smugness, and panic abound

You probably already know that Goodkind is preachy. I knew it going in and I can deal with that, even though it kills the feeling of the book. It does bother me that an author will go to great lengths to try and tell a story and wrap the reader into a different world, and then just totally bash the reader in the skull with childish monologues that go for pages where I guess we are supposed to believe that all other characters just patiently wait for the speaker to finish and reach their point. It doesn't matter how many people are present for these tirades, or what the circumstances are (like maybe a tense moment with tempers flaring). We are just supposed to stay wrapped up in this story as if it's plausible. Sorry Mr Goodkind but it isn't. You might as well have said Richard pulls out a gun and starts firing at people because THAT is how plausible your character tirades are. How can you create this rich world and not get something basic like how people interact?

So anyway, I can skip those and keep going. I don't mind that much as long as I can keep the story going. And it worked for much of this book like his other recent books. But what really killed it for me was the ending. It has to be the dumbest ending ever. I can only think that panic sent in with a due date looming so Goodkind just whipped up something to get it done. In a manner of two or three pages Goodkind explains the entire secret to all the magic being used as "one thing was wrong because it was after a key date" but "the correct thing was correct even though it was after the key date".

Why you ask? Well the first thing was wrong because it was illogical because how could it be part of the solution if the timeline was wrong. So how could the second thing be correct if the timeline was also wrong? Ahhh dear reader the answer is .... it was a trick. Yes folks, logic prevails until the author gets tired head and decides that logic won't work so we fall back on "it's a trick".

You know, that might work if there were some space between these revelations, like maybe a book or two or even a few 100 pages. But no, it all comes in a one or two page span.

Let that sink in a bit. It's the last 5 pages of the book dear readers. XZY was false because of a date, simple logic. But ABC is true even though it falls under the same date, because it's a trick.

A trick. Really Terry? Really?

So yes, I enjoyed the book even with the smug speeches and preaching. But I feel so ripped off because of the ending. I'm ashamed I read the book and gave Terry money.
November 18, 2008

It's over..... It's finally over!!!!

I'll keep this short and sweet. Goodkind knows how to weave an intriguing tale, no question. Even if he is very repetative and formulaeic, it is still a great story with characters whom you genuinely care about. This last book was not a story, though. It's a manifesto! I have never read such a preachy book in all my years. 10 pages of monologue and 2 pages of action or conversation is not my idea of a good time. Goodkind took something that I thought of as an annual treat, and turned it into a poorly structured lecture. I graduated college and grad school. If I want to be lectured, I'll go for my doctorate. I read these books to have fun, and he ruined the previous 10 books for me. Unfortunately I don't think that he'll refund my $.
November 13, 2008

You know what to expect by now

If you're reading this review, you know what to expect and you're probably willing to live with it. Yes, Richard is preachy and reiterates the same message over and over. Yes, he's still flawless and never makes mistakes or suffers from any bad emotions like hate, jealousy, or anger. Yes, there are long explanations about magic that don't seem to serve much point except to show us how proud Goodkind was about his own system of magic. And yes, people are saved by weird coincidences and deus ex machinas.

But...

Like I said, if you're reading this review, you've likely already read most of the series or have read other reviews and know about this. So on to the good of the book. For starters, the entire second half is pretty darn good. There really is some good action. As well, Goodkind isn't afriad of killing off some big characters. Kudos. Most authors suck at that. Just about everything big gets wrapped up pretty well and the ending is satisfactory, if a bit rushed. If you're a fan of the series, you know it's a love story at heart and you want to see that prevail. Great. Goodkind delivers. Lastly, there are some amusing - if superflous - tiebacks to older bits.

So I give it 4 stars. I don't regret reading it because it was honestly entertaining. A classic of fantasy? No, not really. But at the same time, it wasn't the steaming load so many other reviewers seem to think. If you're willing to look past Goodkind's faults as an author, there's actually a decent story here. And hey, there honestly aren't many long running epic series' that don't have pretty big flaws after 3 or 4 books.
November 12, 2008

Confessor ( The Sword of Truth)

My nephew read this book as soon as he got it and he enjoyed reading the book.
November 10, 2008

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Phantom: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 2 (Sword of Truth, Book 10)
by Terry Goodkind

Debt of Bones (Sword of Truth Prequel Novel)
by Terry Goodkind

Chainfire: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 1 (Sword of Truth, Book 9)
by Terry Goodkind

Sword of Truth, Boxed Set III, Books 7-9: The Pillars of Creation, Naked Empire, Chainfire (Sword Of Truth)
by Terry Goodkind

The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara)
by Terry Brooks