Naked Empire

Sword of Truth, Book 8

By: Terry Goodkind

Narrated by: Jim Bond

Length: 22 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

"'You knew they were there, didn't you?' Kahlan asked in a hushed tone as she leaned closer. Against the darkening sky, she could just make out the shapes of three black-tipped races taking to wing, beginning their nightly hunt. That was why he'd stopped. That was what he'd been watching as the rest of them waited in uneasy silence.

"'Yes,' Richard said. He gestured over his shoulder without turning to look. "There are two more, back there." Kahlan briefly scanned the dark jumble of rock, but she didn't see any others. Lightly grasping the silver pommel with two fingers, Richard lifted his sword a few inches, checking that it was clear in its scabbard. A last fleeting glimmer of amber light played across his golden cape as he let the sword drop back, in place. In the gathering gloom of dusk, his familiar tall, powerful contour seemed as if it were no more than an apparition made of shadows.

"Just then, two more of the huge birds shot by right overhead. One, wings stretched wide, let out a piercing scream as it banked into a tight gliding turn, circling, once, in assessment of the five people below before stroking its powerful wings to catch its departing comrades in their swift journey west. This night they would find ample food."

Epic edge: listen to more in the Sword of Truth series.

©2003 Terry Goodkind (P)2003 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"Jim Bond's narration imparts a mythical quality while transporting the listener to a world of wizards, soul-stealers, potions, and magic." ( AudioFile)

Continued Excitement

The story line as always is gripping and in the unabridged version you always get those little bit of extras I love the story line can't wait to read the next one.

It’s good

Not sure what’s up with the negative reviews. I almost listened to them and I’m so glad I didn’t.

Needs a new reading.

Jim Bond is garbage. He sounds like he’s reading each word separately and doesn’t remember what he’s read 2 pages ago.

Overall the reader was okay. book was great!

Overall the reader was okay. book was great can't wait to see how Richard and Kahalan take out the emperor.

One of the best book series EVER!

The author is very good at highlighting flaws in human nature (or thinking) and exposing them in a way that shows the virtue of the right way of doing things... as opposed to how certain charcters in the story, including the lead character, were handling things. All of that in the middle of an engrossing story filled with amazing charcters. I highly recommend the series.

love this book!!

these sword of truth books are thought provoking and literally have changed the way I look at the world and life and the way I think. love them!!

great

"Our understanding of reality, rather than being enhanced by, is instead limited by, our flawed senses. Our bias causes us to mistakenly think we know what is unknowable-don't you see? We aren't equipped with adequate senses to know the true nature of reality, what is real and what isn't. We only know a tiny sampling of the world around us. There is a whole world hidden from us, a whole world of mysteries we don't see-but it's there just the same, whether we see it or not, whether we have the wisdom to admit our inadequacies to the task of knowing reality, or not. What we think we know is actually unknowable."
Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

"A truly enlightened man admits his woeful ineffectiveness when confronting his existence."
Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

"Reality is in the realm of fate, and we, in this place we think we know as the world, cannot know it in full truth."
Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

"In matters of morality or truth, there can be no compromise."
Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

"Right and wrong are not the product of consensus"
Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

"After reading it he knew better than before that he was not mad. Being in a minority, even a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad. A yellow beam from the sinking sun slanted in through the window and fell across the pillow. He shut his eyes. The sun on his face and the girl’s smooth body touching his own gave him a strong, sleepy, confident feeling. He was safe, everything was all right. He fell asleep murmuring ‘Sanity is not statistical,’ with the feeling that this remark contained in it a profound wisdom."
George Orwell 1984

"Duty. The polite name put to the chains of servitude."
Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

"That concept-duty-was no less a poison than that which these men had given him… a call to sacrifice himself."
Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

"Richard felt trapped by the deluded convictions of these people"Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

"Man is the only creature who willingly submits to the fangs of a predator. Only man, through continual indoctrination such as you've been given, will reject the values that sustain life."
Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

"A moonlit flash of Richard's sword brought measured death."
Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

"With hate in my heart… vengeance without mercy."
Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

"Men behind Richard hit the line of evil's guardians with unrestrained violence."
Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

Kalhan

the last book was just a break from the unbearable Kalhan, she has alot of nerve to talk to Jensen the way she did when all the problems Richard has ever had have been caused by her

Love Zed

The Saga continues, and Terry Goodkind keeps the story exciting with new twists! This time Wizard Zedicus Zoul Zorrander shows what magic he can muster!

I liked this...

I almost didn't download this after the terrible reviews but I did because I want to finish the series. I actually liked the story WAY better than the last one. Yes, Richard does go off a lot on the whole freedom at a price thing BUT he is dealing with people that are used to being enslaved so it takes a little more to convince them to fight for it. If you like the series this is more on line with it than the last book so I wouldn't skip it.