Van Dyche

There is a lot of exposition in this story and quite a bit of redundancy. Not enough happens plotwise in and it plods out like a turtle, a long and weary task for the listener (but I am sworn to listen to them all even though I question if there really is enough "meat" to justify the existence of this piece as a separate book, at least not in the form that it stands now). I would advise Goodkind to "show not tell". There are a lot of talking heads in this book and way too much "explanation/conversation". Where are the characters that we fell in love with? {We want Gratch back!} Where is the chemistry? It also feels that this book was created more for the eye than for the ear. And how many times do we have to hear the word "engendered"? I would say unless you are bound and determined to make it through these books through listening (as I am), maybe you should buy the hard copy or e-book version and read it.

Not only does Richard Cypher/Rahl restore the liberty and faith of those enslaved in tyranny, but Terry Goodkind himself, restores our faith in his ability to write a compelling tale with well crafted characters and a throughline that never loses sight and balance. Book 6 pulls the wool off our eyes in his clever indictment of a government and populace that maintains that only one specifically oriented group of people (think democrats or republicans taken to the extremes of secular-humanists or religious zealots) have the capacity to make decisions capable of benefitting the common good of all. With great power, comes great responsibility, and great humility, and a demand for compassion for those individuals who have no voice among the "order" of the day. Not only does Terry Goodkind tell a good story, but he demands that we think for ourselves and continuously challenge the status quo. Thank you Terry Goodkind, for being a light in the darkness of our own enslavement. Namaste'!

Goodkind should have paid me to waste my time reading/listening to this book. I'm surprised his editors let him get away with putting out such poorly crafted fiction. It's like he had two different books, and tried to press them together in some coherent sense, but he only serves to lose the formerly secure sense of the personalities of his characters, as if not only his characters, but he himself was having an identity crisis. Don't waste your time with this. You'll want most of the characters to die as quickly as possible, but unfortunately it is a sloooooow, loooong, and maudlin melodramatic death. Save your money. This book will only annoy you.