| Thrown into anguish by the death of his father, the young woodsman and guide Richard Cypher seeks solace in his oldest friend- the forest. However, a search for solace turns into the struggle of a lifetime when he comes across a mysterious woman named Kahlan being menaced by a quad- a group of four killers. Richard saves her, then ultimately brings her to Zedd, an aged wizard who determines that she has seen dispatched to find the Seeker- one who can deliver the world from the evil of Darken Rahl, a monstrous king of phenomenal magical power. One by one, the illusions that Richard has held all his life melt away, and he is soon battling his way across three kingdoms. Darken Rahl has procured the three Boxes of Orden, which if opened in the proper order, could give the power to dominate all life in the world. Richard possesses the knowledge of the Book of Counted Shadows, which provides the key to using the Boxes properly.
While the plot is fairly conventional and the characters fairly predictable and almost stereotyped, some highly innovative ideas raise this tome to its heights. The supporting characters are fascinating, such as Rachel, an abused, ten-year old servant girl, monsters who use bloosucking flies to drive out their prey, as well as the Sword of Truth, which instills the bearer with a potent rage. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book - very upbeat FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past Coming of age Yes Youngster becomes - great warrior Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Descript. of chases or violence - 30 % planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20 % Main Character Identity: - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's If magical mental powers: - super strength - is very quick Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - long-lived adults Profession/status: Has magical powers? Yes Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can cast all sorts of spells Eccentric: Yes How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - Genius (really!) Setting Terrain A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a primitive/fantasy society - very controlled society Planet outside solar system? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - very explicit references to deaths and torture scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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