Book review: Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

Richard Cypher is a typical youth in a small town; little does he know that his comfortable life in the Westland is about to change when the barrier that separates his home from the east is about to fall leashing unimaginable evil on the world. With the help of a enigmatic young lady, and a rambunctious wizard, Richard must try and prevent the opening of three boxes of Orden which would potentially destroy all life and existence. Setting out on a quest that takes him into danger at every step, Richard must take hold of his destiny if he is to succeed….

Some may have seen the TV adaptation of this fantasy series, but the series has far more depth and is aimed more at an adult audience than the series, which is more of an action-adventure series. The book delves into the darkness of character, and really looks at the grayness between good and evil.

With excellent writing, detailed character development, and a combination of fantasy and action the books are exciting and also thought provoking. As you progress through them and tackle some of the very mature subjects including sado-masochism and other sexually tempered situations, you understand that this is more than your normal hack and slash adventure.

The series not only delves into the evil of the enemies, but also shows that often the choices that the good guys make aren’t always that easy. While there are many parts that are simply classic fantasy, there are other elements, including the different uses and types of magic that set this series aside from the normal run of the mill fantasy series.

Each book is a complete novel in its own right, but there is an underlying plot that develops the whole way through - I especially like the way that the subjects that are touched are often unique for fantasy, or take a slightly different look than the normal fantasy novel,

This series is deep, it is often puzzling and it is often aimed at a very mature audience - the overall effect is to give a very believable story with real and reachable characters. There are a few inconsistencies but these are minor and really do not detract from the overall effect.

Do not watch the series, but instead read the books!