Stone of Tears (Sword of Truth, Book 2) - Hardcover

Goodkind, Terry

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312857063 ISBN 13: 9780312857066

Publisher: Tor Books, 1995

Synopsis

Terry Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule, Book One of A Sword of Truth, was "a wonderfully creative, seamless, and stirring epic fantasy debut." -Kirkus Reviews

Piers Anthony lauded it as "a phenomenal fantasy, endlessly inventive, that surely marks the commencement of one of the major careers in the genre. It starts in early and keeps hitting you with new magical wonders, building into a truly gripping adventure."

In Wizard's First Rule, Richard Cypher's world was turned upside down. Once a simple woods guide, Richard was forced to become the Seeker of Truth, to save the world from the vile dominance of Darken Rahl, the most viciously savage and powerful wizard the world had ever seen. He was joined on this epic quest by his beloved Kahlan, the only survivor among the Confessors, who brought a powerful but benevolent justice to the land before Rahl's evil scourge. Aided by Zedd, the last of the wizards who opposed Rahl, they were able to cast him into the underworld, saving the world from the living hell of life under Rahl.

But the veil to the underworld has been torn, and Rahl, from beyond the veil, begins to summon a sinister power more dreadful than any he has wielded before. Horrifying creatures escape through the torn veil, wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting world above.

If Rahl isn't stopped, he will free the Keeper itself, an evil entity whose power is so vast and foul that once freed, it can never again be contained.

Richard and Kahlan must face Rahl and the Keeper's terrible minions. But first, Richard must endure the ministrations of the Sisters of the Light, or die from the pain of magic that is his birthright and his curse. While Richard undertakes the arduous journey to the forbidden city of the Sisters, Kahlan must embark upon a long and dangerous mission to Aydindril, citadel of the old wizards, where she hopes to find Zedd and the help only he can lend to their desperate cause.

War, suffering, torture, and deceit lie in their paths, and nothing will save them from a destiny of violent death, unless their courage and faith are joined with luck and they find the elusive...Stone of Tears.

About this title

About the Author

Terry Goodkind is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. His books include the eleven-volume Sword of Truth series, beginning with Wizard's First Rule, the basis for the television show Legend of the Seeker. Goodkind was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, where he also attended art school. Alongside a career in wildlife art, he has also been a cabinetmaker and a violin maker, and he has done restoration work on rare and exotic artifacts from around the world -- each with its own story to tell, he says. While continuing to maintain the northeastern home he built with his own hands, in recent years he and his wife Jeri have created a second home in the desert Southwest, where he now spends the majority of his time.

Reviews

This satisfying sequel to Goodkind's powerful debut novel, Wizard's First Rule, has everything one could ask for in an epic fantasy. In the earlier book, Seeker of Truth Richard Cypher tricked the sorcerer Darken Rahl by using Wizard's First Rule (that people are stupid and can be easily misled) into opening the wrong Box of Orden. Though this saved humanity from the evil mage's tyrannies, it also tore the veil between worlds, so the diabolical Keeper of the Underworld can now reach through and seize permanent control of the living. To stop this from happening, Richard must now learn how to be a wizard. The Sisters of the Light promise they will teach him to wield his powers, but they require that he wear a collar of obedience, something he has sworn he would rather die than do. Events sweep Richard and his betrothed, the Mother Confessor Kahlan Amnell, apart from one another; later, in one of the most vigorous battle sequences written for a heroine in modern fantasy, Kahlan leads her underage troops against battle-hardened soldiers, the young warriors naked except for a spectral coat of whitewash intended to make them look like "spirits." Those who like their fantasy big and brassy will revel in this exemplar of the genre.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

After the death of Sorcerer Darken Rahl, Richard Cypher?a woods guide turned reluctant hero?finds that his responsibilities have only just begun. He seeks a teacher to help him control his magical gift but is caught in a difficult struggle to retain control over his destiny. Goodkind's talents for world building and characterization are again featured in this sequel to Wizard's First Rule (LJ 9/15/94). He explores not only the deeds but the innermost thoughts of his heroes and villains. Graphic depictions of sex and violence, though integral to the story, limit this powerful saga to mature audiences.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The second volume of The Sword of Truth continues the quest of Richard Cypher, reluctant hero turned magical warrior, and his beloved Kahlan Amnell, the last Mother Confessor. Twisting the traditional roles (now common enough in fiction but done particularly well here), it is Richard who has to handle the magical part of the quest and Kahlan who must lead armies against the surviving forces of the dead mage, Darken Rahl. Not as tightly written as it might be, this volume yet features plenty of action, some engaging characters, and world building full of nice touches and intelligence. Goodkind's prospective series may have been encouraged by Robert Jordan's successful Wheel of Time saga. Goodkind has not yet attained Jordan's level of performance, but he now has two big, well-told yarns under his belt, which bodes well for the forthcoming rest. Roland Green

Edition details

• Publisher: Tor Books
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312857063
• ISBN 13: 9780312857066
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 703