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

I've been a fan of Terry's for a number of years now and while I wasn't much a fan of the last two books, I, unlike a lot of people I know, was still undetered by the slump in the series, nor did I think Terry was losing his touch. This book proves me right. I may still be in the honeymoon phase after finishing this book but I'm leaning towards saying this book was even better than Faith of the Fallen, if not as meaningful. Faith of the Fallen was the only book ever that brought me to tears. I loved Nicci and I was sorely dissapointed when the next two books did not include her. This book however brought Nicci back front and center. In fact she essentially took Kahlan's role in this book. This book was the book I had expected to follow Faith of the Fallen. The final battle is finally upon the world, and Richard is called to lead as was proclaimed by prophecy that he must in order for the shadow of the Imperial Order (a devoutly collectivist and oppressive-christian ruling body) to be thrown back for good. Richard, however, has more important things on his mind, and says 'no'. Everyone believes the love of his life was nothing more than a dream and believe him to be delusional. He understands the problem better however and disregards all else to do as only a seeker can do; find the truth. Throughout this book there is a sense of eminent danger because of an underworld beast of random (and perhaps contradictory?) nature stalking Richard. This was the very first book of Terry's that has never let down even for a moment, every last bit of the story was entertaining and suspenseful. No previous book, even Faith of the Fallen, has kept me so thoroughly entertained in it's entirety. Getting to know Nicci in FotF drew on for me, but this book is full steam ahead from start to finish. This book continued to follow up on the trend Naked Empire started in bringing back old favorites. Chase and Rachel re-entered the story in Naked Empire, now all that remains are Gratch and Scarlet, who I hope to see back in time for the final battle by the end of the Chainfire trilogy, which will end the "never ending story" (oh was that a contradiction? hmm best check my premise) of Sword of Truth. And the Wizard's Rule... Probably one of the most important yet, but anyone who's read Part 1 of Atlas Shrugged will know Wizard's Ninth Rule hundreds of pages before it's named.

I made a couple of mistakes about this book. I read too many reviews before I read the book. I let some of the reviwers comments color my initial take on the book. Then I read the book and realized a number of the reviewers ... well, let's just say they must be differently gifted. Chainfire is an excellent next step in the Sword of Truth series. Most of the characters we've come to know and care about appear. There is some actual action in the book: it does contain a major battle scene; it progresses the SOT story instead of merely setting up the next book; it contains genuine emotion especially horror and humor; it leaves one anxiously waiting for the next tome instead of dreading the possibility that the next would be a dud. [Yes I mean Mr Jordan's books.] Yes, the author has a tendency to be "preachy" but that didn't dominate the book as some reviewers have suggested. My overall impression is buy and read the book without reading the reviews, oops, I guess that's a contradiction!

I'm one of those many who was not a big fan of the 7th and 8th books, so while I was hoping to be impressed I was not at all expecting it. But it is really truly good reading that has left me drooling for book 10. The stroy isn't as fast paced as the last book, and it's laden with little bits of goodness and food for thought all throughout. Goodkind said this was the first in a trilogy to end the series, and now all the loose ends are begining to come together. The characters once more have a nice depth of dimmension which just adds to the enjoyment. For those who reached a certain peak of disgust at all the preaching in previous books, this one is almost entirely story driven (the philosophy is still there; it's just worked into the plot like in the first part of the series). All in all, this has all the elements that made me love the series in the first place, and virtually none of what made me dislike later books.

First of all, I would like to say that this series is one of the finest I have ever read. The character's emotional levels and interaction are never over-exagerated and are down to earth and real! I love the fact that no matter who is the focal point of the chapter (or chapters) it is always fast-paced and exciting. I love reading each individual story to see how Richard, Kahlan, Cara, Nicci, and yes even Jagang will turn out. (Although if you've finished Chainfire you know what's coming.) This book has kept me riveted throughout the last 4 days and I can't wait until the next one comes out! This is one of my favorites so far in the series. I really am undecided about which one I like the best. This is, however, vintage Goodkind. I am glad to see him back writing the way he wrote the first four and the sixth. (The Faith of the Fallen). Mr. goodkind keep up the good work. On a final note. The philosophical interests of the author and his characters are his, and his alone. I don't want to get up on the soap box and preach, but my feelings are that if you really don't like what the author has to say, then don't read his works. It's just a waste of your time. Sorry for any hurt feelings, this is just the way I feel.

First, I must openly admit that I am a fan of the Sword of Truth series, and that my personal beliefs are often in line with those espoused by the author. However, I must also note that I have read other fantasy series with equally strong political and personal philosophical biases in the other direction and enjoyed them just as much. That being said, this book addresses one of my favorite philosophical quandries (one that I was discussing with a friend, in fact, the evening before the book was released): "what if you believe that you are the only person who knows the truth of a situation?" Chainfire is a very fast-paced, almost mystery-like novel with enough magic and intrigue to propel the plot effectively combined with the characters' usual philosophy (and I must admit that understanding the characters' motivation and the reasoning behind it has always allowed me to enjoy this series more than many others). In addition, it serves to flesh out the characters of Cara and Nicci very well. With the possible exception of Faith of the Fallen, I believe this to be his strongest entry in the series; he has finally achieved a near-perfect balance between plot and philosophy (granted, they are interconnected at every level, but they can be presented in different manners). I will warn you, however, that if you *understand* Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism and choose to reject it, then you will not enjoy certain aspects of this book, as has been the case with the entire series.