Soul of the Fire: Book 5 The Sword of Truth: Bk. 5 - Softcover

Goodkind, Terry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1857989139 ISBN 13: 9781857989137

Publisher: Gollancz, 1999

Synopsis

The fifth volume of the internationally successful epic fantasy sequence from a man hailed as the future of the genre, and as the man whose fantasy fiction will become a classic in the tradition of Lord of the Rings. Goodkind writes fast-paced and atmospheric narratives aimed firmly at the adult fantasy reader, populated by a wealth of fully rounded characters living out their lives in a fully realised imaginative landscape.
This new novel continues the story of Richard Cypher - now known as Richard Rahl - Wielder of the Sword of Truth and the only mortal capable of combatting the malicious evil of the Old World and protecting the interests of his homeland, the Midlands, and all the New World. The forces of the Old World are lead by the infamous Emperor Jagang, aided and abetted by his emissaries in the New World the duplicitous Sisters of the Dark. Like the four volumes that preceded it, this new book will be a tour-de-force of imaginative fiction that grabs the reader's imagination and holds it fast to the page for hours at a time.

About this title

Review:

Each time Goodkind's hero and heroine save the world from supernatural menaces, there turns out to be a catch involved; what we learn, interestingly, from his particular take on fantasy is to be suspicious and cynical. Last time, in Temple of the Winds, the problem was a plague of supernatural origins; this time, it is beings of water, fire and air, who cause sudden and inexplicable death and are gradually eroding the very magic on which the structure of Richard's world depends. And there is still a crusading emperor, a variety of witch-hunters and the complex uncertainties of Richard's emotional life to deal with. It is typical of Goodkind's bleak take on the stock material of fantasy that when, after four previous volumes, Richard finally marries his beloved Kahlan, there should be terrible consequences. We get to see more of this ingeniously thought-out fantasyland--a doomsday weapon in the hands of dim young conscripts and a society whose corruption enables Goodkind to lecture us on the evils of democracy. Most heroic fantasy has an attachment to autocracy as one of its unspoken values--Goodkind is not least interesting because he tends to follow those values through to their limit. --Roz Kaveney

Review:

"Goodkind's ingenious world building will keep readers captivated". -- Publishers Weekly

About this edition

• Publisher: Gollancz
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 1857989139
• ISBN 13: 9781857989137
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 464