The Third Kingdom

Sword of Truth, Book 13

By: Terry Goodkind

Narrated by: Sam Tsoutsouvas

Length: 17 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

"Richard saw the point of a sword blade sticking out from between the man's shoulder blades. He spun back toward Richard after throwing the woman out of the opening, ready to attack. It seemed impossible, but the man looked unaffected by the blade that had impaled him through the chest.

"It was then, in the weak light from the fire pit off to the side, that Richard got his first good look at the killer.

"Three knives were buried up to their brass cross guards in the man's chest. Only the handles were showing. Richard saw, too, the broken end of a sword blade jutting out from the center of the man's chest. The point of that same blade stuck out from the man’s back.

"Richard recognized the knife handles. All three were the style carried by the men of the First File.

"He looked from those blades that should have killed the big man, up to his face. That was when he realized the true horror of the situation, and the reason for the unbearable stench of death."

Sequel to the #1 New York Times best seller The Omen Machine.

©2013 Terry Goodking (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Slow to start but gets good.

What did you love best about The Third Kingdom?

The first quarter of this book was really slow and drawn out.BUT the last half picked up and ended up being enjoyable.

What does Sam Tsoutsouvas bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The best part is the narration. Sam gives good impressions of all the characters. Lots of inflection and drama. Excellent !!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No laughter but did get teary eyed towards the end.

Any additional comments?

Not the best book of the series but not the worst either. Middle of the road. Better than the Omen Machine. Not as preachy as other books; however lots of repetition of the same thought or line of dialog. Needs some better editing and revision control.I know that I am anticipating the next book.

performance anxiety

Sam does not have the same talent as the performer of the first 9 books.

great adventure

this was an easy listen, with a great good-paced adventure and a great narrator. excellent

Outstanding Book!

Yet again, Goodkind delivers an engaging and exciting story! From the first word, the reader is wraped up in the expansive world they have come to love in this series. Can not wait for the next installment!

Its great to return to an epic story

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I have listened to Nick Sullivan on previous books in this series, and Sam Tsoutsouvas, loses the uniqueness of the character's, with his mono tone reading.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Have it read by Nick Sullivan

Would you be willing to try another one of Sam Tsoutsouvas’s performances?

yes of course

Did The Third Kingdom inspire you to do anything?

read the next book in the series

Amazing series.

Sam Tsoutsouvas... You're growing on me. You're not Nick Sullivan and that standard is so very high but he is also not you. The serious tone adds to the intensity of the story. You pronounce a few names differently and listening to all of the books, these differences are my only issue, yet they don't take anything from the story. You are indeed growing on me. 5 stars.

The book is a cliff hanger as is Terry Goodkind's way. So naturally the next book is downloading as I write this.

Terry Goodkind Returns With Vengeance

What did you love best about The Third Kingdom?

What can I say, this is Terry Goodkind at his best. "The Third Kingdom" is finally the return of the Goodkind we've all been waiting for: character driven, compelling, action pack, emotional-joy-ride, suspense, all these factors will keep you reading/listening far into the late hours of the night.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Third Kingdom?

The battle with the halfmen in The Third Kingdom during the escape. All I can say is "WOW!" Joyful, tear jerking, anger, despair, hope, hate, sadness, relief...'nuf said.

What about Sam Tsoutsouvas’s performance did you like?

Sam Tsoutsouvas does what he does best, he brings intensity and authority to voice of Richard Rahl. His narration, especially the battle scenes, had me on the edge of my seat as the intensity of them sent chills up my spine; I could feel the hot anger from the Sword of Truth, as though I was holding it, as Richard cut and cut and cut the enemies to pieces. lol.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. And there are so many questions left unanswered. I can't wait for the next book.

Any additional comments?

I got a little worried there towards the middle part of the book, it felt a little dragged out with the dialog between Richard and Sammy, but after that, wow, all hell broke loose. The intensity, which I didn't think was possible but Mr. Goodkind somehow did it, it reached another level.

If this was any other book from a different author, I would have given the story five stars, but because Terry Goodkind has spoiled me with such books as Wizard's First Rule, Stone of Tears, and Faith of the Fallen, I hold Terry Goodkind to a higher standard, so I only gave this book four stars because, although it is very good, it's still not as good as his earlier books and pales in comparison to "Faith of the Fallen" which I consider is a masterpiece.

As usual, Terry Goodkind delivers.

What made the experience of listening to The Third Kingdom the most enjoyable?

The narrator Sam Tsoutsouvas did a amazing job as ever with the reading.

What did you like best about this story?

The story was good as ever. It was the typical plot twist of TG laying all the elements out for the ending of the book for the reader to put together at the end.

What about Sam Tsoutsouvas’s performance did you like?

The narrator Sam Tsoutsouvas did a amazing job as ever with the reading.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I enjoyed the point in the book when Richard 1st drew the Sword of Truth to battle, The scenes surrounding this are always vivid and build the readers imagery of the situation up.

Rough Start, but Exciting Finish

Any additional comments?

This book is a great addition to the series. The only reason I rated the story down a bit is because Mr. Goodkind slipped back into some of the habits that detracted from the story. For example, the explanations and re-iterations of how things are done magically are a bit involved. Specifically conversations between Richard and Samantha tend to get a little long winded and re-iterate things over and over again. The Omen machine and The legend of Magda Searus got away from these drawn out scenes, which is one of the great parts about the books.

The story is amazing as always, just could have been edited down in parts. It felt like the first quarter of the book was drug out, then the action began and it totally became worth it.

The characters keep on coming

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Glad to see the continuation of Richard, Kahlan, and the "crew". Really can't wait for the next book (hoping it is longer ... not liking the shorten books). Great development of the characters and the story line. Have listened to all of Richard & Kahlan's books in the past year and am glad I started the series. Hope Samantha can join the "crew".

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Third Kingdom?

Richard losing his powers but still finding ways to beat MAGIC and helping others. Thought he did a very good job of trusting Samantha with his life and Kahlan's.

Which character – as performed by Sam Tsoutsouvas – was your favorite?

All of the characters were performed very well ... since I love the series I can't pick one that stood out the most.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were two moments that moved me ... the loss of Benjamin and Cara from Richad & Kahlan's "crew". We are going to miss them both. I really liked Benjamin, he was a very good "inner circle" friend/advisor/defender. And Cara was a trip to see develop from a Mord-Sith with strict rules to a woman that marries a man.

Any additional comments?

Must start from the beginning but can pickup up from any point in the series. But best done from the beginning and see how things and characters have developed. Plus you understand more about everyone and everything since each book is a building stone upon the previous ones.