Naked Empire

Naked Empire
Terry Goodkind, Tor Publication
June,01,2004

Judging from the readers reviews this series is losing some major steam as it progresses. Of course it was written 5 years ago and had I read it back then I would have said , wrap up this fight with Jagang and the Imperial Order, we the readers are getting tired of it" Mr Goodkind should learn from JRR Tolkien and keep his series contained to three book. A good story has a beginning, middle and end. This one drags on.

It is not a bad read by any means but there are some pretty major flaws. First off the novel are way too long. Reading fiction that goes beyond 700 pages for me is a turn off. Perhaps keep it around 500 pages and people like me would be more eager to read it up. Some phrases that describe the eyes inherited by members of the Rahl family are over used. I do not want to keep hearing about "raptor eyes or raptor gaze" enough find some new words. One thing I cannot stand when reading a book is having the history rehashed over and over again. Ok i read this back in the last book. I do not need a refresher course. If anyone is lost then maybe they should just break down and buy the earlier books.

Now let us be fair my high school aged son enjoyed these books and totally read them up. I blow through them in about a week. If it was boring I would never have been able to read it that fast. So it is enjoyable.

Lord Rahl and company now joined by Freidrich, Jensen and Tom are leaving the pillars of creation behind and are on their way back to Dahara. Of course there is a new threat flying right above them. Black racer, predatory birds keep following them and circling them. There are even a few skirmishes in which several of the birds are killed. Why are the birds attaacking? Simple a "Slide" named Nicholas can steal peoples souls and control them. He forces his captives into the bodies of birds and other animals. A "Slide" was created by the sisters of the dark for Jagang's use. Of course this slide has plans of his own.

Along the way they are met by Owen who come from the Bandarak Empire. The Bandarak Empire was sealed away by a great wizard long time ago. The denizens of Bandarak are the pristine ungifted. they have no magic and cannot be affected by magic. They also adhere to a philosophy of non violence and will not fight back against the tyranny of the Imperial Order. They want Richard to do it. They poison him to do it. So Richard joins their fight in order to get the antidote. Along the way he educates these people on how important it is to fight for freedom and that passivism is not effective in dettering aggressors.

At the battle front Zed the wizard get captured and rescued. Magic will kill a multitude of Jagang's men but what does he care he has plenty. Need less to say we all know the outcome, Richard is victorious until the next book. Mr. Goodkind seems to use his books to promote the idea that it is good to fight for freedom even to kill for it should someone strive to take it away from you. He also seems to be a firm beliver in capitalism. Is he using his book to indoctrinate. To this democrat he seems to have some very solid republican views. But I do think it is noble to resist oppression with force.