The Pillars of Creation (Sword of Truth, Book 7)
by Terry Goodkind
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Book Summary Information
Author: Terry GoodkindEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-11-18
ISBN: 0765340747
Number of pages: 736
Publisher: Tor Books
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780765340740
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Pillars of Creation (Sword of Truth, Book 7)
Book Review: Better than Faith of the Fallen, actually
Summary: 4 Stars
While the general opinion in these reviews seems to be that this book is terrible, I actually found it pretty good by Sword of Truth standards. Sure, it's no Wizard's First Rule, but it's definitely better than the preach-fest known as Faith of the Fallen.
Goodkind starts by taking his story in an entirely new direction. Instead of following Richard and Kahlan, he jumps away and focuses on a new protagonist for this book: Jennsen. As such, the plot becomes somewhat more original compared to the other books. Of course, since Goodkind doesn't consider a book complete unless Kahlan gets kidnapped at least once during it, that old setup has to happen.
The reason why I liked this book is probably because Goodkind managed to find his greatest strength, creating likeable characters, and then capitalizing on it. I found Jennsen, who was more of an anti-heroine than a pure white or pure black character, to be a refreshing change. Especially considering that basically, we're seeing the world we've so far seen only through the eyes of Richard/Kahland/Zedd through the eyes of a new party, with many things flipped on their head. I was a bit reluctant to focus on a new character, and I got a little bored at times waiting for the heroes to show up, I enjoyed Jennsen's story.
The other new POV, that of Oba, was less awesome. He's another sadist, with a very low I.Q. He likes to kill things and watch their eyes as they die, imagining what they're thinking. As dumb and strong as a drunk gorilla, he murders his abusive mother and a sorceress who caused him grief over the years, joins forces with the Keeper of the Underworld, and goes off to try to become the leader of D'Hara. While he is just another pervert, what makes him interesting is his bizarre way of thinking, and his odd sense of self-justification.
The plotline was an interesting take on things. Richard, the Hero of the Journey, has now become the villain. The rest of the plotline was throughly enjoyable, especially the attack on the Confessor's Palace. Jagang's face, when he found Brother Narev's severed head, was priceless. If only there had been a picture in that chapter . . .
There are a couple of problems, though. Despite that we're journeying deeper into the Old World, seeing more of it, there are still no improvements to the map whatsoever. Sad, isn't it?
Also, there is a little too much preching in this book, though not quite as much as Faith of the Fallen. In seems that every single character, except those on the "evil" side, takes at least one opportunity to tell us what Goodkind believes. Even minor characters, like a certain Raug'moss healer, mentioned offhandedly something along the lines of "charity, when expected, is simply another word for slavery" which was basically the whole point of Faith of the Fallen. Even Jennsen, the anti-heroine who is not really alligned with the good side, pauses at the end of the book to rant Goodkind's philosophy to Mr. Sebastard. (Oops, I meant Sebastian.)This is a horrible flaw because the characters do not sound like they are actually speaking the way normal humans would, but rather pausing to dutifully preach whatever point Goodkind wants to get across in this novel.
Finally, the ending left much to be desired. It was not quite as anti-climactic as Temple of the Winds or Soul of the Fire, but I still felt that it was resolved far too quickly. The confrontation between Jennsen and Richard was handled too quickly and casually. If she's been waiting her whole life to get a shot at the Lord Rahl, wouldn't she have a little more conviction when confronted him in the final showdown other than to timidly mutter about all the wrongs he'd did her?
This is not the best Sword of Truth book by any standard, but it is far from the worst. If you want the worst, allow me to recommend to you the sequel, Naked Empire.
Summary of The Pillars of Creation (Sword of Truth, Book 7)
Sequel to the New York Times bestselling Faith of the Fallen
New York Times bestselling author Terry Goodkind has created his most lavish adventure yet. Tormented her entire life by inhuman voices, a young woman named Lauren seeks to end her intolerable agony. She at last discovers a way to silence the voices. For everyone else, the torment is about to begin.
With winter descending and the paralyzing dread of an army of annihilation occupying their homeland, Richard Rahl and his wife Kahlan must venture deep into a strange and desolate land. Their quest turns to terror when they find themselves the helpless prey of a tireless hunter.
Meanwhile, Lauren finds herself drawn into the center of a struggle for conquest and revenge. Worse yet, she finds her will seized by forces more abhorrent than anything she ever envisioned. Only then does she come to realize that the voices were real.
Staggered by loss and increasingly isolated, Richard and Kahlan must stop the relentless, unearthly threat which has come out of the darkest night of the human soul. To do so, Richard will be called upon to face the demons stalking among the Pillars of Creation.
Discover breathtaking adventure and true nobility of spirit. Find out why millions of readers the world over have elevated Terry Goodkind to the ranks of legend.
New York Times bestselling author Terry Goodkind has created his most lavish adventure yet. Tormented her entire life by inhuman voices, a young woman named Lauren seeks to end her intolerable agony. She at last discovers a way to silence the voices. For everyone else, the torment is about to begin.
With winter descending and the paralyzing dread of an army of annihilation occupying their homeland, Richard Rahl and his wife Kahlan must venture deep into a strange and desolate land. Their quest turns to terror when they find themselves the helpless prey of a tireless hunter.
Meanwhile, Lauren finds herself drawn into the center of a struggle for conquest and revenge. Worse yet, she finds her will seized by forces more abhorrent than anything she ever envisioned. Only then does she come to realize that the voices were real.
Staggered by loss and increasingly isolated, Richard and Kahlan must stop the relentless, unearthly threat which has come out of the darkest night of the human soul. To do so, Richard will be called upon to face the demons stalking among the Pillars of Creation.
Discover breathtaking adventure and true nobility of spirit. Find out why millions of readers the world over have elevated Terry Goodkind to the ranks of legend.
Seven books into his Sword of Truth series, author Terry Goodkind continues to expand and enlarge the fantasy realm D'Hara. But with the Pillars of Creation he takes a detour from his usual approach, leaving his primary protagonists in the background to spin a story of one woman's battle to discover the truth of her heritage.
Told in vivid and often gruesome detail, Goodkind's fable grabs the reader with a familiar archetypal theme: a young woman, Darken Rahl's illegitimate daughter Jennsen, flees her home in the wake of murderous forces rising from her lineage. She runs in the shadows of Lord Richard Rahl's domain with a spy sent by Emperor Jagang, the enemy of D'Hara. With his help, she journeys across the entire realm, chasing rumor and misinformation to ultimately discover the truth of her heritage.
Loyal readers, who know the truth that Jennsen seeks, may find this book tedious as they wonder when Lord Richard Rahl and Mother Confessor Kahlan are going to swoop in and save the day. But Goodkind appears to be challenging readers, and perhaps himself, to see the benevolent administration of Richard Rahl from its underside and from an opposition perspective. The change in perspective works up to a point. Goodkind has created a fast-paced adventure story that might be appreciated by diehard fans if they can leave their longing for the status quo at the door. --Jeremy Pugh
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