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Phantom (Sword of Truth #10)

by Terry Goodkind (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 19,679 ratings · 298 reviews

On the day she awoke remembering nothing but her name, Kahlan Amnell became the most dangerous woman alive. For everyone else, that was the day that the world began to end.

As her husband, Richard, desperately searches for his beloved, whom only he remembers, he knows that if she doesn't soon discover who she really is, she will unwittingly become the instrument that will u...more

Hardcover, 592 pages

Published July 18th 2006 by Tor Books

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Nov 10, 2007 Icarus rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Folks who agree with Ayn Rand, but don't like to read all those big words

Shelves: speculative-fiction

Goodkind imitates one of his characters, Jagang the Just, as he tortures this story and rapes his plot to the point where he stretches this one hundred page novella into a 673 page brick.

Almost nothing happens in this book. Mostly the characters talk. And talk. And talk. They tell each other things they've already told other characters. We've all heard of "Show, don't tell." Someone needs to tell Goodkind to "Tell, don't show." I don't need all this plot recounting. I don't need the same convers...more Goodkind imitates one of his characters, Jagang the Just, as he tortures this story and rapes his plot to the point where he stretches this one hundred page novella into a 673 page brick.

Almost nothing happens in this book. Mostly the characters talk. And talk. And talk. They tell each other things they've already told other characters. We've all heard of "Show, don't tell." Someone needs to tell Goodkind to "Tell, don't show." I don't need all this plot recounting. I don't need the same conversation to take place between different sets of characters in each book. At one point, they spend, no exaggeration, 133 pages on one single conversation! Seriously! Go count! 133 pages on just how evil the Commun--er, the libera--I mean, the Empire is.

I'm not the first to point out that every single novel in this series centers on Richard struggling to avoid losing his freedom and Kahlan struggling to avoid being sexually assaulted. In this novel, where Kahlan is invisible to most people, she is sexually assaulted or threatened by virtually every man who sees her! And the thirty pages of buildup to Jagang almost raping her should be wonderful reading to all the social misfits reading this series who can't get a woman into bed with them willingly. As usual with Goodkind, his lovingly detailed portrayal of the depravity of his villain is so over-the-top as to be comical--when I'm not wondering why Goodkind loves to focus on rape so much.

As for the quality of the writing itself, the most annoying thing here is Goodkind's use of anachronisms. The characters use a great deal of twentieth century slang that pops me out of Goodkind's world every time. This reads like a draft at times, not like polished copy.

The first chapter does a fairly good job of setting up suspense. The last one does a good job of setting up the next novel as the culmination of all this mess. In between, Goodkind could use a good editor, to cut out his anachronisms, shorten the interminable conversations, and slash out all the frustrated teenager wet dream fodder. Then he'd have a pretty tight novella.(less)

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Apr 27, 2012 Keith rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: die-hard fans of the series

Recommended to Keith by: Tony Rotoli

Shelves: library, fantasy, gone

I'm still committed to finishing the series, but this is beginning to get tedious. Undoubtedly Goodkind gets paid by the word, because he keeps repeating things. He repeats things over and over. Granted, in a series this long, one needs to repeat things that the reader may have forgotten. But one does not need to keep repeating things that were just repeated 30 pages ago in the same book.

You have no idea how annoying it can be to read something where the author keeps repeating things over and ov...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Die-Hard Goodkind Fans or Completists

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, novels

I think this is the worst book in the series, and the only one (other than the stand alone novella Debt of Bones) where I'm giving it one star. I actually used to love this series. I'd give the first one, Wizard's First Rule five stars. No, not because it's an undying classic, or I don't see flaws, but it was a terrific read I just sprinted through madly turning pages--I didn't feel its hefty length. I liked the characters, in some cases loved them, and was fascinated by Goodkind's world and the...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Robyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

While this suffers a bit from "middle in a trilogy" syndrome, where you're starting in the middle of something, and know that you won't get a full resolution at the end, it does stay interesting, and the story moves forward at a better rate than in previous books. As a long time reader of the series (and not always a fan, necessarily) I enjoyed the references to characters which had been left by the wayside long ago, who I thought were forgotten. But this book doesn't rely merely on nostalgia, i...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Michael Hannon rated it 1 of 5 stars

Richard is the smartest man in the world, do what he says.

The End.

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Nov 01, 2012 Gabriel C. rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, 2012

I have truly run out of things to say, just like Terry Goodkind. I guess I could point out how nice it was to read Judith Jarvis Thomson in counterpoint between Chainfire and this one. Over the course of the series (9/11?) Richard has become what the reasonable reader hates in Jagang; his thin gruel of "life is the highest value" has been being used for the last few books to justify the wanton slaughter of civilians, who are guilty by association. This incredibly naive understanding of what mora...more I have truly run out of things to say, just like Terry Goodkind. I guess I could point out how nice it was to read Judith Jarvis Thomson in counterpoint between Chainfire and this one. Over the course of the series (9/11?) Richard has become what the reasonable reader hates in Jagang; his thin gruel of "life is the highest value" has been being used for the last few books to justify the wanton slaughter of civilians, who are guilty by association. This incredibly naive understanding of what morality is and how it works stands in stark juxtaposition to Thomson's careful analyses of some of the very issues that Richard seems to have no problem cutting through with his idiot's sword. Goodkind has made up his mind what the right morality is, but he's a lot less careful than Thomson, who actually asks people and revises her ideas when it turns out they lack universality.

I guess, for that matter, The Book Thief deals with these themes too, with the cruelty of empire, with the injustice of death in war, with a bland dichotomy between good and evil. I will be so glad when these books end. These books and their relationship to me remind me of Denna's Agiel, of the collar of the sisters of the light, both on Richard and on Nathan, of Jagang's control of the dreams of the gifted, of Nicci's maternity spell, of Ulicia's captivity of Kahlan, of Richard's newfound captivity as a ballplayer, of all these things. But like Richard, like Kahlan, I plan for a day when Goodkind will lie decimated before me, when his monomaniacal vision for what is right will be cast down and ground to dust, when I will discard my shackles and walk free again (at least until it's time to start wading through Robert Jordan.

I think that Goodkind only really understands three or four modes of interaction. There is the language of physical control, which he has stripped down to two or three particulars, mostly related to sexual violence, and repeated like a drumbeat, like a tribal tattoo, like a dry heave. There is the language of monogamous pair-bonding, which he fundamentally misunderstands in a totally reasonable way. This is woven of strands of sparkling spun saccharine, bloodguilty in their mawkishness, cured in the rotting sewage that accrues to the control of female sexuality via demands for purity, There is the language of an uncompromising objectivist philosophy, almost explicitly anti-theistic in bent, expressed as pablum to slack-jawed yokels to inspire them to throw down their chains and often enough, act against their best interests.

There is finally, puzzlingly, the language of mathematics. Goodkind clearly knows a probability theorist, because every technical discussion of magic is accompanied by what reads to me as laughably, painfully misused word salad from that field. It seems evident that he both cares deeply about these passages and spends a lot of time trying to get them right, which makes his failure that much starker and more embarrassing. I suppose I'm not intended to read these. You'd have to be a masochist or unstable or extremely stubborn or (most likely) wildly vapid to make it this far into the series, and most people with the chops to understand the math aren't wildly vapid.

Well, back to moral philosophy for three books. I wonder how long I can stretch them before turning to the last local maximum in terms of Goodkind book length, presumably, hopefully, of my life.
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Oct 22, 2012 Steve Cran rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well it seems that this installment is an improvement over the last several books. The actions and story telling are compelling enough to keep the reader interested. There is less dwelling on the past that made his previous books very boring at times and caused them to lag. There is a suitable amount of action and surprises to keep the reader glued. I finished the book in 4 days. The book has many subplots brewing in this yarn and they all weave together quite nicely.

Kahlan Amnell is a prisoner...more Well it seems that this installment is an improvement over the last several books. The actions and story telling are compelling enough to keep the reader interested. There is less dwelling on the past that made his previous books very boring at times and caused them to lag. There is a suitable amount of action and surprises to keep the reader glued. I finished the book in 4 days. The book has many subplots brewing in this yarn and they all weave together quite nicely.

Kahlan Amnell is a prisoner to the sisters of dark. She has no memory o0f her previous life. The Boxes of Orden have been stolen by Kahlan and she is invisible to everyone except for a few people, most notably an inn keeper, Jillian the priestess of the bones and Jagang. The sisters take Kahlan to Coska where Richard found the chainfire book in the last installment. Along the way an innkeeper is dispatched and young Jillian is rescued. Jagang can see Kahlan because believe it or not he was inside the sisters of the dark's mind the whole time. Their false vow to Richard served them not. In Coska the sisters of the dark will face a nice surprise.

At the Wizard's Keep in Aydindril we learn that from a previous book that the Chimes witch where released into the world were destroying magic. Even once they were contained again their contamination befouled magic permanently and creatures of magic are dying out as are the memory of them. We learn that thousands of years ago Baraccus the first wizard put the chimes back in the Temple of the Wind but he knew that one day Lothain who is a wizard against magic would give rise to a dream walker. Richard was gifted both positive anhd subtractive magic to combat Jagang. Richard's army faces annihilation by the numerous troops of Jagang but Richard has a plan which involveds taking the offensive and fighting the old world without fighting the old world. Richard is still being attacked by the beast and he will lose his magic and bventure to the land of the Night wisps. Richard's adventures will lead him to the heart of Jagang's empire and right next to Kahlan.

Jebra and Shota inform Ritchard about the wiched witch named 6. She teams up with Violet to hatch a plot of vengeance against Richard with the help of a stolen sword of truth. I look forward to the last or supposedly last installment. Hopefully I will not be disappointed.

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Aug 15, 2012 Kahlan Rahl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Siamo quasi in dirittura di arrivo.
Tutti i libri della saga sono collegati tra di loro, ma si può dire che ogni libro sia una storia distinta che prende le basi dall'avventura precedente e traccia le fondamenta per quella successiva. Gli ultimi tre libri invece sono una trilogia classica e questo è il libro centrale.

In questo volume Richard ed i suoi amici continuano a cercare la soluzione al dilemma dell'incantesimo della Catena del Fuoco che non solo ha fatto scordare a tutti, quasi tutti, le...more

Siamo quasi in dirittura di arrivo.
Tutti i libri della saga sono collegati tra di loro, ma si può dire che ogni libro sia una storia distinta che prende le basi dall'avventura precedente e traccia le fondamenta per quella successiva. Gli ultimi tre libri invece sono una trilogia classica e questo è il libro centrale.

In questo volume Richard ed i suoi amici continuano a cercare la soluzione al dilemma dell'incantesimo della Catena del Fuoco che non solo ha fatto scordare a tutti, quasi tutti, le gesta di Kahlan, ma i Rintocchi che lei aveva evocato stanno continuando a fare danni corrompendo la magia. L'antidoto a questo incantesimo sono le famose Scatole dell'Orden che tutti vogliono, ma che nessuno sembra sappia veramente come si usano dato che nessuno sa dove sia il libretto delle istruzioni giuste.
In questo volume abbiamo una maggiore presenza di Kahlan che si ritrova prigioniera del Tiranno dei Sogni, nonostante la ragazza non ricordi niente del suo passato il suo carattere fiero e battagliero è sempre presente e fa di tutto per opporsi alla sua prigionia. Richard pur capendo che il bene del mondo viene prima del suo personale desiderio di trovare la moglie riesce comunque a tenere la ricerca di Kahlan fra le priorità.
Anche in questo volume sento la mancanza del personaggio di Cara, come nel volume precedente il personaggio c'è anche se secondo me ha perso di brillantezza. Forse mi mancano le interazioni tra Cara e Kahlan, mi manca la loro amicizia. L'autore lascia intendere che anche tra Nicci e Cara si è instaurato un forte legame, ma non lo sento solido e profondo come quello con la Madre Depositaria, forse perché l'autore ha avuto modo di descriverci tante avventure condivise tra Kahlan e Cara, mentre tra Nicci e Cara si limita a brevi affermazioni.
Se all'inizio trovavo Nicci un personaggio affascinante adesso inizia a starmi un poco sulle scatole, inizio a non sopportare più il suo struggente amore per Richard. Avrei preferito una reazione o di rabbia perché l'uomo che le ha permesso di apprezzare la vita è follemente innamorato di un'altra donna, o una fiera rassegnazione all'evidenza che vuol dire niente sospiri pensando al suo amato, ma una forte determinazione a trovare un uomo da amare e che ricambia i suoi sentimenti.
Tutti gli altri personaggi fanno da contorno, con alcuni ritorni dal passato come a voler giustificare una bella rimpatriata di tutti i personaggi principali.

La nuova strega Sei non mi piace e non perché è un personaggio negativo. Shota è stato un personaggio che ho trovato affascinante sin dal primo incontronto per la sua ambiguità, un personaggio che appare poco ma quando lo fa non passa inosservato. Questa Sei invece non ha ancora lasciato il segno. Forse lo farà nell'ultimo volume.

A proposito, non pensiate che i monologhi propagandistici sull'autodeterminazione e tutte le descrizioni ci come quelli dell'Ordine siano degli ipocriti cattivoni siano finiti. Io ora mai ho imparato a leggere questi paragrafi velocemente, ma devo ammettere che avrei preferito meno ripetizioni di come opera l'Ordine Imperiale (sono almeno cinque libri che l'autore ci ripropone gli stessi discorsi a proposito) per dare maggior spazio ad approfondire i sentimenti di personaggi come la Strega Sei, Nicci, ...
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Feb 28, 2011 Bob Milne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-epic

What is there left to say about Terry Goodkind and The Sword of Truth saga that hasn't been said before? At times, he has been nothing less than brilliant. Wizard's First Rule and Stone of Tears are classics of epic fantasy. They were fresh, they were original, and they were challenging. The 'Seeker of Truth' . . . the 'Mother Confessor . . . the 'Mord-Sith' . . . daring, creative, fascinating concepts, with believable characters behind them. The philosophical moralizing was heavy-handed at time...more What is there left to say about Terry Goodkind and The Sword of Truth saga that hasn't been said before? At times, he has been nothing less than brilliant. Wizard's First Rule and Stone of Tears are classics of epic fantasy. They were fresh, they were original, and they were challenging. The 'Seeker of Truth' . . . the 'Mother Confessor . . . the 'Mord-Sith' . . . daring, creative, fascinating concepts, with believable characters behind them. The philosophical moralizing was heavy-handed at times, yes, but still a welcome change from the typically 'spiritual' distinction between good and evil.

After that, the series began slipping downhill. Goodkind admitted that he was more interested in exploring his philosophies than in following the plotting of an epic fantasy - and boy did it show. Action gave way to talk, and talk gave way to . . . well, more talk. What was once original became boringly repetitive.

Ironically, it was a book that hardly featured Richard or Kahlan at all that recaptured my interest. Pillars of Creation was not what I expected after 6 volumes, and I couldn't have been more pleased. There was still more talk than action, but Lauren breathed new life into a stale series. Too bad Naked Empire couldn't sustain it.

That brings us to Chainfire. I generally loathe it when characters are stripped of their powers/identities, just to create tension and restart a sagging plot. It rarely works for me, and this was no different. Richard and Kahlan are great people, but it's hard to get excited when there's no seeking of truth and no explosive confessions. Not only that, but the plot felt . . . recycled. After all, we'd already dealt with the Boxes of Orden in the first 2 books of the series.

The only reason I picked up Phantom is because I'm curious to see how Goodkind plans to wrap everything up in this, the 2nd volume of the 'final' trilogy. Things don't start out well. Over 200 pages of talking, of saying the same thing over and over again, of bashing us upside the head with the obvious. I was about ready to give up when, suddenly, we rediscover the lost art of the plot.

Not to spoil anything for those who haven't read it, but there are some really interesting developments in this book. After building up the armies of the Order to the point where they truly are unstoppable, Goodkind deftly sidesteps the issue of confronting them with Richard's shocking advice to the D'Haran troops - and it absolutely works for the reader. We get a confrontation between Jagang and the Sisters of the Dark that beautifully resolves so many nagging questions, and sets the stage for a new conflict. Richard learns a lot more about himself and his role in the grand scheme of things, and all the myriad plot pieces finally begin coming together.

The ending is a shocker, and something I never expected to see. For the first time in a long time I am looking forward to the next book of the series. If Goodkind delivers on even half of what he seems to be promising, it will be well worth the wait. (less)

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Apr 12, 2010 Sheila rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, relationships

I like science fiction and fantasy, and I’d never read anything by Terry Goodkind until this month. How’s that for a confession? I think his books must have started coming out when I was avoiding series (due to kids, lack of finances… who knows). But Phantom sounded really intriguing, with a female protagonist who can’t remember who she is, and a husband who’s the only person left who knows she exists. Throw in a little magic and global annihilation and I’m bound to be hooked. I decided, with a...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Jo rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: terry-goodkind

I been religiously following "The Sword of Truth" series since 1994. For every book that comes out, I'm filled with excitement and anticipation. The story evoled dramaticaly and steadly. However by the time it reach the "Phantom", well as you can see, it's the very first low rating I gave. The reason is because, it's just filled with recap of the previous books, no new or not much improvements or developments with the characters and plot. So, yes it was quite disappointing. Frankly speaking, I'm...more

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Feb 04, 2009 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was amazing. I'm torn between it being a triumph and a defeat. The emotions I felt reading this varied. I was happy the characters began to believe in Richard. He is the bringer of death and has the prophecy set out for him, but the prophecy begins to change. Or does it? What was once clear for the Witches and Prophets to read and understand, has suddenly gone blank. Was there ever a prophecy for Richard?

The key to it all, Richard, knows of the books he must seek. What book is the cor...more

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Jan 30, 2009 Manda rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

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

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Sep 17, 2012 Jaimie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Terry Goodkind amazes me, in both good and bad ways. I am amazed (not in a good way) that he needed to use the word "phantom" on every other page! WE GET IT, THE BOOK IS CALLED PHANTOM BECAUSE IT'S A RECURRING THEME. Sorry for the caps lock, but come on, Terry Goodkind. Do you think no one will see themes unless you pound it into their heads for hundreds of pages? A little more respect for the reader, please. Also, I am fairly sure that no one is picking up the 10th book of a series without havi...more

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Jan 30, 2009 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars

Terry Goodkind is a superb author, and in my opinion, his "Sword of Truth" series is the best I have ever read. So good, in fact, that I have read the entire series three times in a row, back to back, non-stop. This series is *not* for children. The series covers many aspects of the dark side of humanity, in great detail, as the heroes try to overcome the evils in the world. Goodkind is not afraid to show his readers just what evil *really* is, that is, most often, people who perform acts of evi...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Anya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If I had to base this review upon the first 200 pages, I would have given only one star, if any at all. If you haven't read any of the previous 9 books (and let's face it, who on earth would read only the 10th book in a series of 11 books?!) than the first 200 pages of "Phantom" are an excellent way to get up to speed on all the important events that occurred in books 1 - 9.

If you have read all of the other books (like any logical thinking reader would do) than you will certainly share my opinio...more If I had to base this review upon the first 200 pages, I would have given only one star, if any at all. If you haven't read any of the previous 9 books (and let's face it, who on earth would read only the 10th book in a series of 11 books?!) than the first 200 pages of "Phantom" are an excellent way to get up to speed on all the important events that occurred in books 1 - 9.

If you have read all of the other books (like any logical thinking reader would do) than you will certainly share my opinion on the first third of "Phantom". It's boring. Maybe not the yawn-I-can't-keep-my-eyes-open kind of boring (after all, it is still Goodkind who spins the story and somehow manages to keep it just interesting enough) but it certainly is a very tedious bit.

I understand that because so much happened in the past books, Goodkind felt the need to recapitulate all important events just to make the reader really comprehend the philosophy of the Sword of the Truth series. But did he have to do it through talking? All the characters seem to do in the first part of the book is talk. They talk and talk and talk and talk and... You get the point. Just endless monologues and talking and discussing and some more talking. Like I said: a very tedious bit.

But once you get through those first 200 or so pages, you can sit back and enjoy the kind of tale only Goodkind can create. All of the characters are somehow thrown right into their worst nightmare. Rachel ends up in the claws of the queen who loves a good beheading (or torture, which ever one suits her most), Zedd has to deal with Richard's disappearance, there's a new witch in town (beware, Shota!), Kahlan ends up with Jagang and something happens to Richard's abilities. How very frighting, yet exciting!

The last parts of the book are the reason for this 4 star review. Goodkind is the only author so far who, with his stories, manages to creep me out, makes me want to put the book aside (because whatever I'm reading is too gruesome or horrifying to read about) but at the same time compels me to read on. I literally feel the disgust swirling in my stomach when I get to the icky parts.

It's frighting, yet exciting! It's one of the main reasons why I like his work so much and why I recommend the Sword of Truth Series to anyone and everyone.(less)

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Apr 11, 2013 Kurtbg rated it 3 of 5 stars

You know what? This is book 10 of the series and I just can't remmeber too much.
It looks like the author is setting up the final showdown between the pro and the ant-agonist a la Gladiator, and it makes sense based on the socio-politico themes he's been exploring. What can one person do in the face of a strong machine that dominates and can overrun everyone? The ideas of Richard the humble tracker cum Ruler of the new world takes on Jagang, ruler of the Old World. Jagang has numbers on his side,...more

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Nov 12, 2008 Jeffrey rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

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

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Feb 07, 2013 Al added it · review of another edition

SUMMARY: On the day she awoke remembering nothing but her name, Kahlan Amnell became the most dangerous woman alive. For everyone else, that was the day that the world began to end.As her husband, Richard, desperately searches for his beloved, whom only he remembers, he knows that if she doesn't soon discover who she really is, she will unwittingly become the instrument that will unleash annihilation. But Kahlan learns that if she ever were to unlock the truth of her lost identity, then evil its

...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What an ending! On the outside, once I got to that last page, I found myself nodding, silently congratulating Goodkind for a spectacular finish. But on the inside, I was shrieking at Nicci, "What did you just do?!"

To say that the ending on this book made up for the bulk of the story is an understatement. Of course I was disappointed to see that no forward progress had been made from Chainfire, and that Kahlan was still lost to Richard and (everyone else). And I was more than a little uncomfortab...more

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May 23, 2011 James rated it 4 of 5 stars

I cannot give these a 5, only because there are times when Terry spends a bit too much time restating information provided earlier in a book, or earlier in the series. To some extent this is needed due to the size of these books, but when reading them back to back to back over 5 months, it's a little off putting.

otherwise, this is a wonderful series, lots of twists and turns, some perhaps forced, but overall, very good. And some of the social discussions, the motivational aspects to various char...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This story continues where Chainfire left off, with Kahlan missing and Richard trying to find a way to reverse the Chainfire spell along with his cohorts. Emperor Jagang gains more of a foothold in the New World, and Kahlan suffers at the hands of the Sisters of the Dark who have enslaved her and erased her memory. This is the middle volume of a trilogy that ends with Confessor. Richard learns more about the origins of the Chainfire spell and the wizards who created it. He faces a new enemy in t...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Talia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Better. Book 10 captured my attention because we really got to see a lot more of Kahlan and her struggle to remember who she was on her journey with the Sisters of the Dark. By her story becoming the central focus, the reader wasn’t subjected to the overbearing speeches that have dominated the last 3 books in the series. It was a refreshing change.

Also, the side story of Richard going off to seek the book left by Baraccus was very good, as was the focus of Nicci. Her development as a character h...more

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May 08, 2012 Cyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

There's still lots of repetition (LOTS) and there's way to much talking and over-explanation again (i'm not an idiot, goodkind, I understood it three pages ago) but this is probably the first SoT book I haven't wanted to throw across the room out of sheer boredom, probably since Temple of the Winds.
As I said, way too much talking and arguing, and I did skip a few chapters during unnecessary debates or explanations or descriptions of how terrible the Order is (i get it: they're evil and rape a l...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Sebastien rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fan de la série Sword of Truth

Shelves: dark-fantasy

Donc nous continuons notre chemin vers la fin de cette série et encore ici on sent le dilué. L'auteur prend une histoire qui aurait pus se régler en maximum 300 pages et l'allonge vers le 700. Le livre précédent et celui-ci auraient pu être mélanger et donner un livre complet et plein d'action.

Cependant ce livre est de loin meilleur que le précédent car là on voit vers où l'histoire s'en va et le retour de Khalan est vraiment fort, plein de rebondissement et relance l'histoire. L'auteur envois R...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Joshua Silverman rated it 1 of 5 stars

Sigh. I wish things would've been different. But this is the second book in the mini chain-fire trilogy that just didn't make the grade in my opinion.

Honestly, these books are overly drawn out and way too long. At least one third of Chainfire, Phantom, and Confessor are basically the characters remembering the last 8 books. Okay, maybe that works for a paragraph or two, but Goodkind drones on and on about it. I don't need a synopsis of what I've read, I read it. All three of these books could be...more

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Feb 18, 2010 shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: liked

Ten books down! I really enjoyed this, but it's the first book in 10 that's felt like not a lot happened. It's gearing up for a big ending, and a few well-loved characters make a splash, but I felt it lost a little steam. Hopefully that steam was just donated to a whopper of a finale. No one wants to hear me go on about Richard and Kahlan being apart for another whole book, or gush about Rachel being a kick-ass guest star, or pick at Nicci's overwrought longing for Richard. Speaking of endless,...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Neil rated it 4 of 5 stars

A few years ago I'd started the Sword of Truth series, after finding cheap copies of many of them. I read them back to back, which is enjoyable, but serves to highlight whatever formula the author seems to be working from. I stopped reading the series because I didn't have Chainfire, and I held on to Phantom so I could read them in order.
But when I recently started reading Phantom anyway, despite not having read Chainfire, I think I enjoyed it more than I would have. Goodkind seems to give so mu...more A few years ago I'd started the Sword of Truth series, after finding cheap copies of many of them. I read them back to back, which is enjoyable, but serves to highlight whatever formula the author seems to be working from. I stopped reading the series because I didn't have Chainfire, and I held on to Phantom so I could read them in order.
But when I recently started reading Phantom anyway, despite not having read Chainfire, I think I enjoyed it more than I would have. Goodkind seems to give so much general information near the beginning of a book, that if you've just finished reading that book, it is really frustrating to be faced with a summary of it all. "Yes, yes, I know this already!"
But when you haven't read the previous book in the series, this recap works, and bridges the gap nicely.
There were other things in the book, throughout the book, that I enjoyed more because of the mystery of not having read Chainfire. For example, at one point we are faced with a young girl, and we are supposed to know or remember who she is from Chainfire, and because I didn't, the mystery of figuring out who she was and why she was important was a large part of why I enjoyed that segment of the book.
If you've read the whole series, you'll no doubt have your own pet peeves or observations about Goodkind's style of writing, or plot formulation. And whatever you think about the author, this is classic Goodkind, exactly what you would expect from him, with the same problems and foibles as the other books in the series, but with the same sense of tension, and, occasionally, surprise, that he can tap into.
I have to say that even though most of the way through I was thinking that I would soon be finished with the series, and half thinking that this might even be the last book (having forgotten Confessor until I looked it up afterwards), by the end, after I realized that things were not wrapping up after all, I found myself hooked by a few key, climactic scenes, which succeeded in making me want to finish the series with Confessor. I'll probably leave it a while, but I'll also probably one day come back to (hopefully) witness the end of Jagang and restoration of all is good in the world. (less)

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Aug 02, 2011 Charles rated it 2 of 5 stars

If you enjoyed the previous Sword of Truth novels, this one will continue to provide a measure of enjoyment. If you found Goodkind's longwinded subtle-as-a-brick-through-a-glass-window descriptions annoying or worth skipping, this book will provide the occasional page and chapter that you can ignore without fear of missing anything from the rest of the book. He does write stories that you want to see the resolution of (and as usual, does not actually resolve them), and characters that are enjoya...more

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Dec 14, 2009 Gabby rated it 2 of 5 stars

Overall I think the story in Phantom is good. What I don't care for ... the gigantic monologues the characters speak. Wow! Okay, sure, I write a lot of dialogue into my stories, but I at least make it simple.

In this book, everyone is extrapolating about math theories and magic theories and frankly it makes my mind go a little numb.

While overall I liked this series, I think Goodkind was overshadowed by The Wheel of time series. There are some similarities which are a little disturbing for them to...more

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About Terry Goodkind

Terry Goodkind is a contemporary American writer and author of the best-selling epic fantasy series, The Sword of Truth, creator of the television show The Legend of the Seeker, and writer of the self-published epic, The First Confessor: The Legend of Magda Searus (a prequel and origin story of the first Mother Confessor). He has over 20 million copies in print and has been translated into more th...more

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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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Quotes from Phantom, Limited Edition

“Wizard's Tenth Rule
Willfully turning aside from the truth is treason to one's self.” — 34 people liked it

“Over the millennia the seed of stories planted in the fertile soil of bits and scraps of facts was watered by wishes and began to take root and grow. Eventually, a bountiful fruit of rumors burst forth, to be spread on the wind of whispers that said we hid a fabled hoard of gold. Nothing could convince the believers that it was not true. The truth does not glitter for these people like gold does.” — 12 people liked it

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Phantom (Sword of Truth #10)

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