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Stone of Tears (Sword of Truth #2)

by Terry Goodkind

4.04 · rating details · 21,618 ratings · 633 reviews

An Epic of Awesome Power

Kahlan has at last gained the one goal she had always thought was beyond her grasp ... love. Against all odds, the ancient bonds of secret oaths, and the dark talents of men long dead, Richard has won her heart.

Amid sudden and disastrous events, Richard's life is called due to satisfy those treacherous oaths. To save his life, Kahlan must forsa...more

Paperback, 979 pages

Published August 15th 1996 by Tor Fantasy (first published 1995)

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Sep 07, 2010

Amelia rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: are-you-kidding-me-shite, fantasy, dragons

Okay, I'm going to have to give you all a little bit of background information before I can give my review of this book, so bare with me!

This last spring my husband and I decided to get another cat, a kitten to be exact. We already have two and knowing that this will probably label us the "crazy cat people" of the neighborhood we decide to go ahead and do it anyway. Our oldest cat is, well, a bitch and hates the sweet fat cat with a vengeance. Tas (aka The Fat Man) seeme...more

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May 08, 2008

Richard Houchin rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Richard: we've gone from children being brutalized to the very depths of psychosexual sadism and perversion, including copropilia and yes, a little bit of pedo/necrophilia too
Mike: pedo AND necro?
Richard: yeah
Mike: at... the same time?
Richard: yes. I feel genuinely guilty reading this book
Mike: .....
.......
Richard: it's unbelievable
Mike: Dammit amazon, why don't you have same-day shipping?
Richard: it's a book they would sell to children wit...more

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Jul 11, 2011

Jessica rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Stone of Tears, much like its predecessor in the Sword of Truth series, was an entertaining story written in mediocre words.

The whole of the book -- or at least every other page -- is filled with sensational imagery and description. Everything about the characters and the events is passionate, desperate, and extreme. It gets a little tiring.

Even so, I enjoyed reading how various prophecies unfolded in twisted ways, I loved the boyish friendship between Richard and Gratch,...more

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Jul 07, 2011

Michaela Anne rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: summer-2011

This book is monsterous - considerably longer than the first book of the series, Wizard's First Rule -almost 1000 pages long. Needless to say, I never once found it boring,dull,or droning on and on. Every page and chapter in the book added something to the plot and the continuing saga of Richard and Kahlan.

The story starts right from the same time when Wizard's First Rule ended, not having to explain months or years of events that the reader didn't get to, well, read about. That alw...moreThis book is monsterous - considerably longer than the first book of the series, Wizard's First Rule -almost 1000 pages long. Needless to say, I never once found it boring,dull,or droning on and on. Every page and chapter in the book added something to the plot and the continuing saga of Richard and Kahlan.

The story starts right from the same time when Wizard's First Rule ended, not having to explain months or years of events that the reader didn't get to, well, read about. That always annoys me when a series does that. So far, this series is made all the better because it hasn't done that.

In this book, even more than the first one, I noticed that Goodkind switches to the point of view of several other side characters - and in some cases, different villans. However, this really adds a lot more depth to the book. I like to have different perspectives on events - it just makes the book seem all the more interesting. Some of my favorite side characters were introduced - including Sister Verna, one of the Sisters of Light. I identified most with her because she is the tempermental, strong-willed kind of lady who is just trying to do her job, yet Richard (known as Richard With the Temper amongst the Mud People - and for good reason) is constantly been a stubborn ox and arguing with her about everything. Of course, I understand Richard's point of view as well. He's already half-denying that he has the magical gift,yet of course he does - but in addition he has to leave his love, Kahlan and journey to a far-off place without marrying her as planned!

Cutest character - a baby gar that Richard almost kills, but seeing the way it cries and looks up at him with those big eyes, decides to leave it be. He ends up befriending the gar, Gratch, who follows him around as a loyal friend. Awwww!♥

I also loved Warren as a character. He's the shy, mousy sort of guy who is always made fun of. However, Richard sees him as a friend and important ally, since Warren can decipher the confusing prophecies that name Richard as the "bringer of death".

And Richard certainly lives up to his title. He seems to be really accepting his role as the Seeker, and now a wizard, in this book. At times it seems like he is always intense, focused, sometimes insulting to people, and making threats to those who may count themselves as his enemies. But what really made the book interesting was how Richard seemed to be able to do everything, any challenge -including things that nobody else had done for thousands of years. Yet, he always attributes his accomplishments to luck, chance, or foolish superstitions and stories.

At the same time, I found Kahlan's story intriguing - especially with the addition of Chandalen as a stubborn and usually insulting side character. He becomes loveable though, especially when he and the reader are able to recognize how Kahlan is not only a strong woman, but a fierce war leader as well.

And the ending - well let's just say it was satisfactory - for the reader and the characters. I'm still in love with this series and am looking forward to the third book.(less)

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Jan 12, 2009

Jaye rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I liked the book. Although I couldn't put it down while reading, I do have some issues with it, that I can tell will bleed into the rest of the series.

1. Richard and Kahlan spend the entire book apart... This truly sucks. We spend all of WFR waiting for them to find a way to be together. They do. Then they are separated for an entire book and think the other dead. This is ridiculous, it's the exact same struggle that they go through when Richard is held by Denna. From beginn...more

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Jul 25, 2008

Ben Babcock rated it

Recommended to Ben by: Stephanie Chow

Shelves: fantasy, borrowed, 2008-read

This book was bad. I found parts of it way better than the first book, Wizard's First Rule, and parts of it abysmal. The only saving grace was the fact that I'm a sucker for crowning moments of awesome, and this book has quite a few.

Richard seems to be turning into a Mary Sue (or Marty Stu, if you have it that way). Don't get me wrong--I love to torture a character, rip away his world, and do bad things to him in general. But you need to make them stick. When you send someone th...more

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Apr 03, 2008

Rob Towell rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: have-read

This series as a whole is very good. I found that once I picked up the first book I flew through the whole series, stopping only when I read the last one out. I then continued reading as they came out. When I started reading them their was only five books, now that the series is complete we can set the whole thing into some perspective. I will be happy to see the TV show starting fall of 2008 and hope it is as good as the books.

On the less than benign side, the author does tend to st...moreThis series as a whole is very good. I found that once I picked up the first book I flew through the whole series, stopping only when I read the last one out. I then continued reading as they came out. When I started reading them their was only five books, now that the series is complete we can set the whole thing into some perspective. I will be happy to see the TV show starting fall of 2008 and hope it is as good as the books.

On the less than benign side, the author does tend to stop telling the story and start preaching pretty often in the books. The books were written by a Moral Relativist in the style of Ann Rand and he tends to spend what seems to be about 20% of each book preaching this message of Objectivism. As someone solid in my faith and not very sensitive to other view points it did not affect me and I was able to continue reading, however I have met people who hated it based solely on the authors preaching and others who loved it for the same.

The Books bounce from Great to below average and back up to great again as you read through the series. I found Wizards First Rule, Blood of the Fold and Faith of the fallen were all five star books worth every minute spent reading them. While Stone of Tears, Soul of the Fire and Naked Empire were a waste of time all together. The rest of the series I would consider a three star series worth the time to read, but nothing special.

A strength of the Author is that he has the ability to articulate well and balances the need to describe a setting whether it be a city tavern or palace with enough detail for you to feel like you are there while not rambling on forever without focus. His ability to engage you in the emotion of the character at the time and create exciting scenes of both political and martial nature is impressive. I plan to read his other books as soon as I get a chance.

A weakness of the author is he seems to give the Protagonist powers and abilities just so he can think of a way to take them away. It also seems that all the other characters in the book only exist as contrast for the Protagonist (Richard). Also the scope of power available to the characters varies greatly by plot and this can be very frustrating if you keep track of stuff like that. Or if you are like me and try to solve the problem in you mind before seeing what the protagonist does.

My only technical peeve with these books was the inconsistent nature of the way Magic/Powers worked and how they interrelate, which also focused heavily on every new power introduce was a trump over every other power.

All in all though there are good and bad things in these books they are overall very good.
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Feb 02, 2009

Andrew rated it

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Shelves: fantasy, high-fantasy

I honestly made it only halfway through the book before I had to put it down. The story was dragging on by the time I put it down. I already could tell that things like the marriage would not take place for a very long time. The return of Darken Raul I thought to be kind of lame. It seems the author is already trying to milk the story for more books, rather than push a stronger plot.

The final straw was the grotesque perverse explicit sex. I thought form reading the first that I ...more

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Aug 08, 2009

Kegel rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I like this better than the first book, although it still has some of the flaws of that one. It is really long and drags in the middle part (too much backstory, too much being 'on the way' to what I felt to be the main plot). It really picks up in the latter part, but then the resolution of the main conflict is done in the course of very few pages, which was a bit disappointing after I hadn't been able to put down the book before because it had become so suspenseful!
The writing itself is o...more

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Dec 03, 2008

Blake rated it

· review of another edition

Goodkind really knows how to weave a storyline with realistic characters in situations that build and build and build, seemingly with no end in sight. As in every great fantasy epic, the realms of the supernatural, the extranatural, and the purely human are explored in depth. Every book in this series rings with human experiences spiced with just enough action and intrigue.

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Jan 05, 2011

Brian rated it

· review of another edition

Book 2:

same flaws - very overly melodramatic for stupid reasons. Obvious plot twists to increase melodrama. Decent page turner. A little better than the first. Tries to blur good vs evil but fails miserably as people are still end up being good or evil and good always prevails. Not a lot of depth to the story or characters (no real intricate plotting??)�seems to be making it up as he goes. Not very original and rips off a bunch of stuff from other writers - very cliched. Seems really forc...more

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Feb 23, 2009

Nathan rated it

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+970 pages. Have you ever watched a movie that was paced and characterized well until the very end? Then it wraps-up so quickly you can't help but think the production team just ran-out of money?That is this book. 5 pages before the end, the protagonist still has no idea how to resolve the issues he's been coping with throughout the entire book. Ditto the secondary charcters. 5 pages out, no one has any idea how to resolve their problems, then suddenly the protagonist slays about a hundred ...more

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Dec 21, 2011

Kathy Davie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, urban

Second in the Sword of Truth fantasy adventure series (you may know it by its television series name, Legend of the Seeker).

<h2>My Take</h2>
It's one of those epic stories...979 pages is pretty epic! And, fortunately, Goodkind covers so much ground and we get a big chunk of resolution. Of course, he does set us up with two new challenges for future installments. I know it will be worth it though as Goodkind has created a huge cast of amazing characters with a wide rang...more

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Sep 27, 2011

Eric rated it

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I read this a couple years after the first book of the series, Wizard's First Rule, which I remembered enjoying very much. Unfortunately, Stone of Tears didn't live up to expectations. The dialog is wooden at best, and I endured many a scene of one character telling another in excruciating detail about something that other character already knows in order to bring the reader into the loop - a very poor technique, in my opinion. (Richard's point-by-point exposition of Kahlan's powers, TO Kahla...more

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Aug 05, 2011

C. Teresina rated it

Darker than the first, but there are some lighter moments, such as with the baby Gar that Richard befriends, Gratch.

Kahlan and Richard are about to be wed when they are torn apart by the Sisters of the Light and Richard's terrifying headaches. Kahlan journeys off to help stop a brewing war, casting Richard aside in a cruel manner to help protect him. Meanwhile, Zed has to keep everything under control when creatures of the Underworld begin to attack.

A long follow-up to the first novel.The endi...more

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Jul 28, 2011

Steve Cran added it

Richard Cypher aka Richard Rahl has defeated his evil father by using the Wizard's First Rule and having him open the wrong box of Orden. But all is not well. The veil between the living and the Underworld has been torn and the Keeper wants to take over our world. THe story opens in the People's Palace of Dhara. Richard is the new emperor but he is reluctant to assume the throne. In fact he is with the Mud people. Zed the wizard, Chase and his newly adopted daugthter are in the people's palace w...moreRichard Cypher aka Richard Rahl has defeated his evil father by using the Wizard's First Rule and having him open the wrong box of Orden. But all is not well. The veil between the living and the Underworld has been torn and the Keeper wants to take over our world. THe story opens in the People's Palace of Dhara. Richard is the new emperor but he is reluctant to assume the throne. In fact he is with the Mud people. Zed the wizard, Chase and his newly adopted daugthter are in the people's palace when a vile creature from the underworld called a Screeling is let lose in the people palace. It kills many people and injures them as well. It is is finally killed when Zed heats up the water and somehow freezes the Screeling. Only then can it be killed. After this episode Zed realizes that the has to travel all the way to Aydindril.

Kahalan the mother confessor and Richard end up with the Mud people. Scarlett a red Dragon flies them their. Richard can call upon the dragon any time. Scarlett hated Darken Rahl. While hanging out with the Mudpeople Kahlan and Richard formulate wedding plans. These get scuddled when the sisters of light show up offering Richard a way to deal with his heaqaches caused by his newly emerging subractive and additive magical abilities. THe headaches he is told could kill him. Wedding plans scuttled and Richard is collared with a Rada Han. Sister Verna escorts him through the lost desert, the land of the Majendie and Du Chaillu's land. Richard is rebelious at having to where the collar and fights it every step of the way.
Zed meets with his own adventure. He hooks up with an old freind Adie and both are attacked by a creature from the underworld called a Skrin. The bite makes them sick and the cure causes them to forget who they are. THey wont recover their memories untiol they reach Adydindril.

Kahlan after setting Richard off to the Palace of the prorphets heads to Aydindril. Along the way she must battle a new threat, the new inperial order wghich ravages any city that resists it. Kahaln and a stalwart army take the battle to the New world order but once in Aydindril kahlan is in for a surprise. She is accused of treason and murder and is publicly executed in front of everyone, or so they think. Richard eventually gets free from the Palace and the ending I wil leave to you to read.(less)

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May 07, 2011

Karen Brooks rated it

· review of another edition

Ok... deep breath. I confess, I didn't finish the book - I simply couldn't. The only other book I have done that too in recent memory (though there have probably been others) was Moby Dick! I came to four pages from the end and stopped. I think it was to stupidly and meaninglessly pay back the lecturer who would sit reading swathes of the book and scratching his balls in class, boring and horrifying us in equal measure. Between that and descriptions of whale killing, I'd had enough. :)

...moreOk... deep breath. I confess, I didn't finish the book - I simply couldn't. The only other book I have done that too in recent memory (though there have probably been others) was Moby Dick! I came to four pages from the end and stopped. I think it was to stupidly and meaninglessly pay back the lecturer who would sit reading swathes of the book and scratching his balls in class, boring and horrifying us in equal measure. Between that and descriptions of whale killing, I'd had enough. :)

Back to this book. I thought I might be the only one who was unable to complete it and so, quickly scanned down some of the other reviews on Goodreads and noted that there were people who felt the same way. I also thought I won't review it because, having left the book unfinished (and with no intention of returning to it) I thought I had no right to offer an opinion. But then, dammit, I thought, it's only fair to explain why I couldn't finish it because I am a huge lover of the genre, adored the first book, Wizard's First Rule and the fact that many, many people also enjoyed the book meant I couldn't hurt either the author or put off future readers if I wrote a review. I also made it through about 400 pages - so a sizeable chunk. So here goes... and yes, it has spoilers - sort of...

The book opens with a bloody attack by a vicious eldritch creature in Rahl's palace. Zed comes to the rescue. Told from the point of view of a child, it's a bit repetitive, but nonetheless literally, a ripper of an opening. There's so much blood and graphic descriptions of gore, I found myself questioning it. It seemed to be a little over the top. I'm all for guts and battle in high fantasy. Sure. But there was something about these descriptions that niggled at me in an unpleasant way. Realising that this creature was summoned or had escaped from the Underworld, Zed sets off to find Richard 'before it's too late' (no-one says that... that's just me explaining badly). From there, the story shifts, returning to Richard and Kahlan who, after defeating Darken Rahl and learning they can be together despite the fact she's the Mother Confessor, set off visit the Mud People and get hitched. Only, Richard has torn the veil between the world of the living and dead and creatures from the Underworld, including Rahl, return and life as Richard knows it is once more thrust into heartache and chaos... add to that the creepy Sisters of the Light/Dark, all of whom, for some reason, willingly serve the Keeper who will bring about the end of the world and untold pain including, presumably, theirs, and the stage is set for another saga...

Only, I just couldn't stomach it. There are some wonderful page-turning moments and I felt invested in Richard and Kahlan's well-being and their romance...to a point. So, perhaps it was because I cared so much that I had to skip ahead, speed-read and basically move through the book faster than I would otherwise have wanted to - which I guess is testimony to Goodkind's story-telling skills... but I'm not convinced it was due to this alone. Frankly, I found the graphic violence gratuitous and it often did nothing to advance the story - on the contrary, it dominated, adding no real value or depth. In the previous book, when Richard is captured and tortured by the Mord Sith, it's for a purpose, to bend The Seeker to Rahl's will, here the violence is simply sadistic and it left me cold and uncomfortable and unable to continue. I just didn't believe in it - it was like a bad movie - staged for no other purpose than to shock. I was so disappointed.

My son and another friend have told me for years how good these books are and I am so glad they managed to get what I clearly cannot out of them. I feel sad that I will leave Kahlan and Richard's world now and follow what happens through the reviews on this site (yes, I still want to know what comes next... but the truncated from will do :)) rather than read the books. (less)

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Apr 15, 2011

Paris rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

The fact that I read this book will just go to show how big of a nerd I really am. I do enjoy my fantasy, in fact the Dragonlance series is one of my favorites, and Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series is pretty decent work of fantasy. I originally picked up the first book, Wizards First Rule, because I had started watching the Legend of the Seeker tv series and I really liked it. There are a lot of differences between the books and the show (I personally like the show better and a lot of that...more

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Dec 28, 2010

liz rated it

· review of another edition

And I repeat:

I liked the idea of the story. The idea behind the plot is good, but it is lost in the telling and it just dragged on and on and on and on and on and on... you get the picture.

After five chapters of this I finally gave up and found the novel in MP3 so I could listen to it and just get it over with. I listened to the book while at work, and while listening to it I only had to devote half a brain to it. I got the important parts and anything I didn't find impo...more

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Nov 28, 2010

Tanabrus rated it

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Shelves: fantasy

Questo libro è strettamente legato al primo volume della saga. Se quello infatti poteva essere preso come libro in massima parte autoconclusivo, questo parte poche ore dopo la fine delle vicende narrate nel primo libro.
Troviamo così Zedd intento a confrontarsi con gli oggetti lasciati dietro sè da Rahl e con la gestione della situazione abbandonata nelle sue mani da Richard.
Chase è ancora lì con Rachel, mentre Richard, Kahlan e Scarlet stanno riportando Siddin dai genitori.
Le cose...more

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Nov 23, 2010

Noor Jahangir rated it

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The Stone of Tears is the second book in the Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind. Influence of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are still quite prevalent in the series, with the introduction of 'force' powers. The annoying thing about this book, as was in the case in the previous one, is that the characters seem to be on an emotional pendulum, with every show of love and hate over-emphasised, as if set on the stage of a pantomine. The other annoying thing is that the characters seem to get ev...more

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Aug 05, 2010

Brandann rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 30, 2010

Nicole rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 30, 2010

Sarah rated it

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I really liked Stone of Tears; the plot and situations facing Richard and Kahlan are very unique and creative. Let me go ahead and say right now, that I don't think this is a bad book, but a couple of things got under my skin:

1) Too much recap. I know Goodkind (or his editor) was probably not thinking too much for his future readers. What he (or they) had in mind was making sure his fans would be reminded what happened in Wizard's First Rule and could therefore grab it hot off ...moreI really liked Stone of Tears; the plot and situations facing Richard and Kahlan are very unique and creative. Let me go ahead and say right now, that I don't think this is a bad book, but a couple of things got under my skin:

1) Too much recap. I know Goodkind (or his editor) was probably not thinking too much for his future readers. What he (or they) had in mind was making sure his fans would be reminded what happened in Wizard's First Rule and could therefore grab it hot off the presses on its release date. But for someone like me (who, 15 years later, bought the boxed set and could immediately jump to the next book) that much recap was useless and frustrating.

2)Repetition of certain concepts. I don't know what the problem was but it seemed Goodkind felt his readers couldn't remember basic facts about Kahlan or Richard. I was reminded in almost every chapter focusing on Kahlan that she was THE Mother Confessor and it was HER responsibility to watch over the little people of the Midlands. I GET IT! I remembered that just fine from WFR. Thankfully, around halfway through the book, Goodkind must've felt it was hammered in well enough and moved on to telling the story. It also seems that Richard can't even touch the Sword of Truth without Goodkind throwing in that Richard "felt the word 'Truth' on the hilt digging into his palm". Cut the drama of useless detail and get on with it.

3) Way too much sap. And this is bad coming from a chick. I know, I know, "but they discovered they could love each other and not hide their feelings" blah, blah. Instead of condensing this into one or two effective, touching and poignant scenes, this drags on with every chapter Rich and Kahlan are together until they're separated, which is when I took a sigh of relief. I needed them to have some time apart!

4) Characters talking to each other as if they're stupid. This happened a handful of times between Zedd and Adie; Zedd is a wizard, Adie, a sorceress. There should be at least a base of common knowledge between the two. The best analogy I can make is to pretend that they both have Ph.Ds in physics, but one is telling the other how Newton formulated his theory of gravity, or explaining how sub-atomic particles work. That should not happen, ever! Goodkind should've thought of better ways to teach his readers this system of magic besides dialogue, especially between the two most skilled wizards of the story (so far) after Darken Rahl. It was forced, fake and boring.

Again, this is NOT a bad story, it was bad editing. I recommend reading it, but be aware of the crap you're gonna have to skirt around to finish it.

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May 24, 2010

Beth rated it

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I was dissapointed when I realised that this book is no where near as good as Wizard's First Rule. I found that I had to force myself to pick it up and start reading, which is frustrating because I didn't seem to be able to lose myself in the Sword of Truth as I had before.

One factor of this book that annoyed me was the seperation between Richard and Kahlan. Their relationship was by far the most interesting part of the book, and the fact that they were kept apart for most of the boo...more

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Apr 26, 2010

Bertrand rated it

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Shelves: fantasy, high-fantasy

L’Épée de Vérité, c’est la quintessence de la quête tolkieno-fantastique de 10,000+ pages sur fond de bataille rangée entre le Bien et le Mal. La recette est usée jusqu’à la corde, qu’est-ce que ces quelques milliers de pages de plus vont bien pouvoir ajouter ?
L’artisan Goodkind n’a pas grand-chose d’autre à son palmarès (et c’est un peu normal, ces milliers de page, ça ne se pond pas en deux jours), donc on ne retiendra que ça de lui pour l’instant.
Sur ce deuxième tome, la recette ...more

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Jan 10, 2010

Wade rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is my second time through the Sword of Truth series after about a ten year hiatus. I won't beat this review to death, as the plot of this book has already been summarized by other reviewers.

I love Terry Goodkind's books; yes, they are long; yes, they are wordy; yes, they often go into more detail than many people deem necessary - but those are some of the top reasons I love his writing. He is an incredibly talented story-teller, and he takes his time to develop a very multi-face...moreThis is my second time through the Sword of Truth series after about a ten year hiatus. I won't beat this review to death, as the plot of this book has already been summarized by other reviewers.

I love Terry Goodkind's books; yes, they are long; yes, they are wordy; yes, they often go into more detail than many people deem necessary - but those are some of the top reasons I love his writing. He is an incredibly talented story-teller, and he takes his time to develop a very multi-faceted story while paying excruciating attention to details.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was that it was so appropriately, yet subtly, themed. Being the second book in the Sword of Truth series on the heels of Wizard's First Rule, it makes sense that the sequel ought to present the Wizard's Second Rule. The definition of the second rule is not revealed until late in the book, however, and it is presented as something along the lines of "often, the best of intentions can result in the greatest harm". The story was filled with examples of this lesson, the most obvious being that Kahlan's decision to send Richard away in the Rada'Han nearly brought about the destruction of the world, even though she thought she was doing the right thing. Another example is when Kahlan stopped to assist the Galean troops in their fight against the Imperial Order. Again, she was trying to do her duty to the Midlands by doing what she thought was right in order to keep the Galean boys from being slaughtered, but the ultimate result was that she lost sight of her true mission, which was to get to Zedd ASAP to get his help.

Some other reviewers seem to find fault with what they call rehashed elements taken from other fantasy stories, which I feel is kind of ridiculous. The stories that Terry Goodkind tells are nothing short of masterful in their arrangement, and that, to me, is what is important - the depth and caliber of the story being created, not whether the name of an icon from the story sounds like the name of some icon in another story. Your missing the point if that's all that you're concerned with.

Great book, highly recommended. (less)

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Sep 10, 2009

Kristina rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was loooong... I feel like there was a lot of unnecessary stuff here that could have been easily taken out to make a more interesting book. Random scenes from Rachel's point of view, repeated passages of Richard crying over Kahlan, assorted preachy monologues etc. There was a lot more discussion of rape and massacre than I normally enjoy, but I guess I should have been expecting that from a book like this. And the other annoying thing was that the two main characters just seemed to wh...more

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Aug 06, 2009

Paul Schulzetenberg rated it

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Terry Goodkind wrote a good first novel. As with most first fantasy novels, it is intended to be able to be read on its own, while leaving the opportunity for sequels. Well, he got the chance to write his sequels, but he mostly squanders the momentum he had from his first book. It meanders, fails to develop the characters significantly, and introduces "Oh shoot, did I kill off the last bad guy, who I represented as the ultimate personification of evil? Just kidding, this new bad guy is ...more

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Aug 03, 2009

Ariela rated it

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“Stone of Tears” is the second book in Terry Goodkind’s “Sword of Truth” series and it is every bit as good as its predecessor, “Wizard’s First Rule.” After the big reveal about Richard’s heritage at the end of Book 1, the opening of Book 2 seamlessly moves forward with more magical intrigue and adventure.

It all begins with an unexpectedly brutal battle in D’Hara, where Zedd discovers that something magical has gone horribly wrong. He knows that Richard is the one who needs to get to...more“Stone of Tears” is the second book in Terry Goodkind’s “Sword of Truth” series and it is every bit as good as its predecessor, “Wizard’s First Rule.” After the big reveal about Richard’s heritage at the end of Book 1, the opening of Book 2 seamlessly moves forward with more magical intrigue and adventure.

It all begins with an unexpectedly brutal battle in D’Hara, where Zedd discovers that something magical has gone horribly wrong. He knows that Richard is the one who needs to get to the bottom of things, but Richard and Kahlan have left for the village of the Mud People. Their plan: to indulge in some much-needed relaxation and to prepare for their upcoming wedding. Everything is going well until Richard begins suffering from crippling headaches and three women known as Sisters of Light show up, warning Richard that his headaches are caused by his magical “gift.” As his power grows his headaches will become worse, eventually proving fatal unless he learns to control his magic.

The sisters claim that Richard must wear a Rada’Han – a magical collar that controls his gift – then follow them into the Old World in order to receive the training he needs. He is reluctant to agree to their terms, but eventually he’s left with no other choice. Kahlan stays behind with the Mud People and Richard leaves with the sisters, but unbeknownst to them this will put the fate of the entire world in jeopardy. During his battle against Darken Rahl in Book 1, Richard accidentally tore the veil between the world of the living and the underworld. According to prophecy, Richard is the only one who can seal the veil and place the Stone of Tears back on the Keeper, preventing the evil fiend from escaping into the world.

At nearly 1,000 pages long, “Stone of Tears” isn’t a light read but it is an engrossing one. Just as with the first book I read this story late into the night, even when I had to get up early the next morning. There were a few slow chapters but for the most part the plot moves right along, aided by relatable characters and the increasingly fascinating mythology of Richard’s sword, the Sword of Truth.(less)

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About Terry Goodkind

Terry Goodkind (born 1948) is a contemporary American writer and author of the best-selling epic fantasy series, The Sword of Truth, which according to his publisher TOR in an August 2006 press release has more than 10 million copies in print and has been translated into 20 different languages.

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Books by Terry Goodkind

Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth, #1)

Temple of the Winds (Sword of Truth, #4)

Faith of the Fallen (Sword of Truth, #6)

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“The Second Rule is that the greatest harm can result from the best intentions. It sounds a paradox, but kindness and good intentions can be an insidious path to destruction. Sometimes doing what seems right is wrong, and can cause harm. The only counter to it is knowledge, wisdom, forethought, and understanding the First Rule. Even then, that is not always enough.” — 83 people liked it

“We all can be only who we are, no more, no less.” — 52 people liked it

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Stone of Tears (Sword of Truth #2)

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