I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Blood of the Fold
by
Terry Goodkind
epic fantasy in a paperback edition that was published by Tor Books on August 1997 and has 623 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Wizard's First Rule, Stone of Tears, "Debt of Bones", Temple of the Winds, Soul of the Fire, Faith of the Fallen
Third in the Sword of Truth fantasy series revolving around Richard Rahl (the new Master Rahl) and Kahlan, once and future Mother Confessor and Queen of Galea.
My Take
He writes a marvelous story, I just wish that he gave me a bit more credit for being intelligent. If we could just cross this with Dorothy Dunnett, bringing her extremely intellectual story down a bit to merely very intelligent…I would enjoy it so much more!
Is there any way Brandon Sanderson could rewrite this? Okay, okay, I’m being rude. But so is Goodkind with his jerky sentences. He’ll have a stretch of lovely sentences and then short, juvenile statements crop up. I don’t know if he thinks I’m stupid and won’t notice or if he’s tired of writing. I wish Goodkind had been a bit more forthcoming about the yabree — its effects and purpose — and the effect of the cape. I’ll hope he plans to be more informative in Temple of the Winds.
I loved the scene where Richard dissolved the Midlands and gave ’em all what for! Just imagining the fear, anger, and frustration on all those countries who did not step up for Kahlan is…such a joy. Oh, too funny…I love Kahlan’s response to Berdine’s comments at the end about Raina’s hands! Hoist with her own petard!
We finally learn just how the book of magic got into George Cypher’s hands and why Richard was left in Westland. There’s an interesting interpretation of the Third Rule, passion rules reason. A twist upon the twist.
Brogan’s collapse and descent were too easy. Goodkind was doing such a great job having him start to question the “Creator” who appeared in his dreams, and then all of a sudden he goes nuts??
It’s wheels within wheels within yet more wheels and betrayals abound. It’s a bit like the sisters from the Wheel of Time, don’t trust a Sister of the Light to keep a promise. I certainly can’t wait to see what Nathan plans for Annalina now that he’s free. And with that little display Zedd makes…hmmm…seems Zedd has his own wheels turning.
The Story
Six Dark Sisters have fled the Palace of the Prophets and the Sisters of the Light must cremate the old prelate before they elect a new one, Kahlan has secretly escaped execution, and Richard has found his way back to Aydindril only to find it occupied by D’Haran troops working for the Imperial Order and mriswith invading the city in small bands.
Luckily, the Mord-Sith find Richard before he gets into too much trouble. – Never thought I’d say Mord-Sith and luck in the same breath! So, now all Richard has to do is conquer all of the Midlands and put down the Imperial Order. It seems that he’ll have a variety of magical help from a bond devised by a Rahl ancestor to a clever bit of economic sleight of hand to the secret of the mriswith. All delivered with a very firm hand.
The Characters
Master Richard (formerly-Cypher) Rahl has left his newly loyal troops behind in D’Hara. He has a duty as the Seeker, wearing the Sword of Truth, to protect the innocent. Gratch is the short-tailed gar Richard rescued and raised. Zedd Zorander is Richard’s grandfather and the First Wizard. Adie is with Zedd and Kahlan heading for Ebinissia until Gratch arrives with Richard’s letter.
Even though she is under a death spell, Kahlan Amnell is now Queen of Galea. At least until her sister Cyrilla can recover from the torture and rape she endured. Accompanying her back to Ebinissia are Orsk, Jebra, Ahern, Prince Harold, and Captain Ryan. They intend to reclaim Ebinissia and restore it as the capital of Galea.
The Mord-Sith are…
… The Mord-Sith are usually women unbearably tortured for years into becoming torturers themselves. They generally dress in red leather — doesn’t show the blood. They include Cara, Hally, Berdine, and Raina who have come with Egan and Ulic (D’Haran soldiers and personal bodyguards to Rahl) to find and protect Richard.
Aydindril, the Midlands, is…
…the former seat of power where the Wizard’s Keep and the Confessors’ Palace are located. Cathryn, Duchess of Lumholtz, is next in line for the throne of Kelton, but Brogan gets to her first. Valdora and her granddaughter Holly sell honeycakes in Aydindril, but it seems there is quite a bit more to Valdora than expected. Mistress Sanderholt is the head cook at the Confessors’ Palace.
General Reibisch is in command of the D’Haran troops for the emperor in Aydindril. General Baldwin leads the Keltan army; I can’t figure out if he was subtle in his leading Richard or was simply that blunt.
The Palace of the Prophets is…
…where the Sisters of the Light (sorceresses dedicated to the Creator — think God) live and work in the Old World.
Sister Verna Sauventreen is the one who collared Richard and took him back to the Palace of the Prophets for training. Nathan Rahl is an ancestor of Richard’s and about 1,000-years-old. His magical Gift is Prophecy, which has caused him to be held prisoner by the Sisters of the Light all this time. Warren is one of the wizards collared by the Sisters; turns out he has an unexpected Gift. Sisters Leoma Marsick, Philippa, Dulcinia, Maren, Phoebe, Christabel, Amelia, Janet, Becky, and the tormented Simona — some are of the Dark, and Annalina is expecting Verna to figure out which. Kevin is one of the Imperial Guards at the Palace who was befriended by Richard. Millie is the maid who cleans for the prelate.
The Keeper is…
…who we would think of as Satan, the creature to whom the Sisters of the Dark give their souls over to.
The Dark Sisters who fled include Ulicia, Tovia, Cecilia, Armina, Nicci, and Merissa. They use and abuse Captain Blake and sailors of the Lady Sefa upon which they’ve fled only to find themselves used and abused in turn. Not that it seems to engender any compassion in them.
Emperor Jagang is a dream walker. A being not seen in this world in over 3,000 years. It’s taken him 20 years to conquer the Old World. He doesn’t intend for his Imperial Order to take that long with the New.
Lord General Tobias Brogan leads the Blood of the Fold who are from Nicobarese. He believes all magic is evil, a tool of the Keeper, and casually accuses anyone he dislikes of being a baneling. His sister Lunetta has Han, and he abuses her even as he uses her. He believes that love means being willing to slit her throat himself. Funnily enough, Brogan may want to eliminate all magic, but he certainly uses it for his own purposes happily enough.
Han is the force of magic with Additive and Subtractive Magic. Mriswith are monsters who become invisible. The Sliph is another of those beings created during that long-ago war. “Kolo” is a long-dead wizard with a message.
The Cover and Title
Black fades in from the top and bottom along the front of the cover and the spine showcasing a wide band of a landscape. It’s so soft and dreamy with the peach and lilac tones with a mist on the other side of the lake softening what looks like a partially ruined wall in the background. The sun is just starting its rise as a very tiny couple, Kahlan and Richard, look out over the lake from where they stand on a narrow fingerling of land.
The title is the most immediate threat to the peace of the Midlands for the Blood of the Fold is more interested in an Imperial alliance.
