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UK Authors - Sci-fi & fantasy |
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Faith of the Fallen |
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 Faith of the FallenBy Terry Goodkind Orion Books - Victor Gollancz 539 pages, 2000 ISBN 0575070811 Reviewed by our UK Editor Rachel A. Hyde Richard and Kahlan are in trouble again. Kahlan is desperately ill following the attack at the end of the last book. As soon as she recovers in their woodland retreat, she faces a new peril from Emperor Jagang’s deadly assassin Nicci called "Death’s Mistress" by the Order. Richard finds himself getting kidnapped. Kahlan has to hold the fort while the New World is besieged by the Old, as they pour across the border to take over the world in the name of Jagang and his corrupt Order. The best way to describe Faith of the Fallen is to say "more of the same" - as fans of this series will know what to expect by now. The main problem with this sixth volume in the series is the lack of new material. But Goodkind is adept at creating atmosphere and describing places as though he had been there himself. The city of Altur’Rang in the Old World where Richard and Nicci find themselves springs instantly to life. This is as neat an attack on Communism and religious extremism as I’ve read anywhere. Descriptions of the downtrodden citizens queuing for food, having to give away their possessions to help the "needy", getting denounced and hauled off for torture is everybody’s nightmare of a hellish political system. Some serious editing would've been welcome, particularly in the early chapters. There is still a unique sparkle about Goodkind that lesser-known fantasists usually fail to achieve. It will be interesting to see what book seven has to offer; a few new places and people with a fresh twist would keep the magic alive. |
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