My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
Phantom (Sword of Truth #10)
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 ...more
Mass Market Paperback, 673 pages
Published
May 29th 2007
by Tor Fantasy
(first published July 18th 2006)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
14,363)
Icarus
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
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 recountin...more
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 recountin...more
view all 8 comments
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
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
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. Wh...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
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...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 certa...more
If you have read all of the other books (like any logical thinking reader would do) than you will certa...more
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 no...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
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 tha...more
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 tha...more
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 va...more
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 va...more
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
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'...more
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'...more
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 endl...more
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 enjo...more
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 littl...more
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 littl...more
Book 10 and I'll have to admit, I certainly enjoyed it from the beginning. Terry Goodkind starts the book off leading right where he left off in Chainfire. Richard has begun to unravel much of the mystery that started previously, plus you get bits and pieces of The Imperial Order's philosophy thrown into the cauldron to show you just how distinct a belief in Life and Death is. The book finishes with a setup leading directly into Confessor.
This book started out very interesting, but the descriptions of the brutalities of the war bothered me. It's very graphic, and it turned out to be more than I could handle.
The story continued to be interesting, and I wanted to find out how it ends, so I tried to keep reading despite the horrors. I made it about a quarter of the way through, at which point it just got to be too much and I couldn't read any more.
Phantom is a well written book with an interesting plot, so if yo...more
The story continued to be interesting, and I wanted to find out how it ends, so I tried to keep reading despite the horrors. I made it about a quarter of the way through, at which point it just got to be too much and I couldn't read any more.
Phantom is a well written book with an interesting plot, so if yo...more
When I picked this book up I was not aware that it was one of a series and I kicked myself for doing so. However, as I began reading the book I became immersed in the story line and the characters in the book.
I do miss the first book but have been on the lookout for the second and finally found it.
This first book is obviously a battle of good vs evil and many other things but it is well thought out and the plot will keep you reading until you finish the book.
...more
I do miss the first book but have been on the lookout for the second and finally found it.
This first book is obviously a battle of good vs evil and many other things but it is well thought out and the plot will keep you reading until you finish the book.
...more
We meet several phantoms in this volume: the beast attacking Richard, as a bit player, and more importantly Kahlan herself, who learns that while she may be forgotten she need not be helpless and can control her own actions and reactions, and the D'Haran army, which denies Jagang his "final battle" to pursue guerrilla warfare against the evils of the Old World. A central theme, thus, is denying one's enemies the power to frame the battle, and rather to control it by choosing a paradigm...more
In the preceding book "Chainfire", Richard Rahl is the only person who remembers Kahlan existed. He spent the whole book trying to find proof to convince everyone that he wasn't insane and that something was dreadfully wrong.
Phantom carries on this story. Richard, after having proved that Kahlan is not a figment of his imagination, that she is his wife and also the Mother Confessor, to certain of his friends and family, now has to figure out a way of getting her back. At th...more
Phantom carries on this story. Richard, after having proved that Kahlan is not a figment of his imagination, that she is his wife and also the Mother Confessor, to certain of his friends and family, now has to figure out a way of getting her back. At th...more
I'm in it to finish it...not much of another reason beyond that. My god, I hate Kahlan and her perfection. It's over the top and yet still Goodkind tries to sell it over and over again in every single book.
I was finally happy to see Richard get the fact his love life is not as valuable as mankind, in fact to me it's pointless in comparison. I was sad to see it took so much for him to realize it, the Richard that was sold to me in previous books wouldn't have thrown such a pity party...more
I was finally happy to see Richard get the fact his love life is not as valuable as mankind, in fact to me it's pointless in comparison. I was sad to see it took so much for him to realize it, the Richard that was sold to me in previous books wouldn't have thrown such a pity party...more
I've just finished Phantom by Terry Goodkind, the tenth book in the Sword of Truth series. If you've been reading my blog, you may remember that I was not thrilled with the last book, Chainfire. This one made up for that.
I wasn't thrilled with the way it ended - it felt as if there was an awful lot left unfinished, but it's the second-last book in the series, so I guess it was intentional, so that the last book could wrap up all the loose ends. I'm glad that I didn't read this...more
Goodkind continues the extended adventure begun in Chainfire as Richard struggles to reunite with Kahlan in the face of the approaching Imperial Order. I enjoyed Phantom, because it finally has Richard acting on a scale grand enough to affect the plot in a way I haven't seen since Blood of the Fold. In the intervening novels, Richard usually gets drawn off on a tangential adventure that then loops back into the plot. In this trilogy, Richard's actions directly affect the main myth arc, which ...more
Keith
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
die-hard fans of the series
Recommended to Keith by:
Tony Rotoli
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. Grated, 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 keep repeating thin...more
You have no idea how annoying it can be to read something where the author keep repeating thin...more
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 ...more
On the less than benign side, the author does tend to ...more
This was an excellent continuation of the Sword of Truth series where Richard continues his quest for Kahlan and understanding what has happened/is happening to the world. He learns more about the Chainfire event, the title for the previous book.
Unlike his other books, which provide the reader with enough detail from previous events to almost stand alone, this book, and I imagine the final book in this trilogy, does not and cannot make sense without having read the previous title.
...more
Unlike his other books, which provide the reader with enough detail from previous events to almost stand alone, this book, and I imagine the final book in this trilogy, does not and cannot make sense without having read the previous title.
...more
Austin Peters
added it
I read this book and Confessor back to back so the lines between them are somewhat blurred. I enjoyed this book more than Chainfire, but something about a the series being extended through three books leaves something missing. I enjoy how old characters are reintroduced and contribute to the story, but it feels like some were just mentioned or make a short appearance for no reason. At least Goodkind doesn't take up the first 1/8 of the book explaining the entire back story of the series...
Not much to say about this one, except that it effectively bridges the gap between books 9 and 11. On the negative side, the formulaic nature of the series is getting a bit repetitive (would it surprise you to learn that the characters discover a new fact about magic, which changes everything--again? or that a major character almost gets raped--again?). On the plus side, that flaw didn't really bother me, because the plot is so riveting. On to the next one...
I read this out of order, little realizing it was 10th in a series I had read none of (but I had watched a few episodes of "Legend of the Seeker" on TV). Amazingly, I could follow most of the book. I am looking forward to reading books 1-9 and see what details I missed.
The horrors of war are masterfully detailed in yes, a fantasy book. There are also clearly the theme of religious/political tolerance vs. zealotry mixed in with the action and tension.
The horrors of war are masterfully detailed in yes, a fantasy book. There are also clearly the theme of religious/political tolerance vs. zealotry mixed in with the action and tension.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers Also Enjoyed
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.
More about Terry Goodkind...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Wizard's Tenth Rule
Willfully turning aside from the truth is treason to one's self.”
—
15 people liked it
Willfully turning aside from the truth is treason to one's self.”
“Kahlan stood quietly in the shadows, watching, as evil knocked softly on the door.”
—
8 people liked it
More quotes…
