Naked Empire

Unabridged
Author: Terry Goodkind
Narrator: Jim Bond
Genres: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Date: July 2003
Length: 23 hours
Ratings:
Formats:
  • CD

Overview

NAKED EMPIRE. It begins . . .
"You knew they were there, didn't you?" Kahlan asked in a hushed tone as she leaned closer.
Against the darkening sky, she could just make out the shapes of three black-tipped races taking to wing, beginning their nightly hunt. That was why he'd stopped. That was what he'd been watching as the rest of them waited in uneasy silence.
"Yes," Richard said. He gestured over his shoulder without turning to look. "There are two more, back there."
Kahlan briefly scanned the dark jumble of rock, but she didn't see any others.
Lightly grasping the silver pommel with two fingers, Richard lifted his sword a few inches, checking that it was clear in its scabbard. A last fleeting glimmer of amber light played across his golden cape as he let the sword drop back, in place. In the gathering gloom of dusk, his familiar tall, powerful contour seemed as if it were no more than an apparition made of shadows.
Just then, two more of the huge birds shot by right overhead. One, wings stretched wide, let out a piercing scream as it banked into a tight gliding turn, circling, once in assessment of the five people below before stroking its powerful wings to catch its departing comrades in their swift journey west.
This night they would find ample food.

Reviews (2)

Naked Empire

Written by Anonymous on October 6th, 2007

  • Book Rating: 2/5

This is the first in the Terry Goodkind, Sword of Truth series that I grew tired of. I am ok with the preaching that was present in the past books, but in this one, all of the new characters were as though they were ignorant children and everything was repeated in a painful and tired pace. I did get parts that I enjoyed out of the book, but had to work much too hard for those parts. This is one that you should read the extended story brief on Wikipedia and move on to the next book. Sorry Terry.

The Naked Empire

Written by Shannon Lowry on August 22nd, 2005

  • Book Rating: 2/5

I absolutely love this series with my favorties being book 1, Wizard's First Rule and book 6, Faith of the Fallen. This book is developing the plot that the previous book, The Pillars of Creation, was named for. I'm glad that the story has returned to Richard and Kahlan as the focus instead of others. This book is probably my least favorite because of one of the new characters. I am reading details explaining things similar to Richard's perspective in the first book when he didn't know anything about what was going on outside of Westland. This new character has to be brought up to speed on the events of the last 7 books and instead of sparing you it has been copy/pasted from previous books. Everytime Kahlan uses her power it is described in painful detail as though this were the first time the reader encountered it. My advice is to get a synopsis from someone who has already read it.

Author Details

Author Details

Goodkind, Terry

Terry Goodkind was born in 1948 and raised in Nebraska in the United States. Goodkind, slightly unusually for an author, suffers from dyslexia. He worked as a carpenter and a rare artifact restorer and painted some beautiful marine and wildlife paintings.

Whilst building his own home in the middle of a forest on Mount Desert Island, Maine, Goodkind began writing his first novel. The novel later became Wizard’s First Rule and was published in 1994. So began a series of books that formed the Sword of Truth series. The following year, in 1995, Stone of Tears was published and Blood of the Fold followed this in 1996. Of all of the Sword of Truth books only Wizard’s Rule and Stone of Tears have failed to reach the New York Times Bestseller List.

The series continued in 1997 with Temple of the Winds, with Soul of the Fire and Faith of the Fallen following in 1999 and 2000 respectively. The Pillars of Creation (2002), Naked Empire (2003), Chainfire (2005) and Phantom (2006) take the total number of books in the series up to ten so far. His latest book, Phantom, entered the New York Times Bestseller List at number one.

Each book in the Sword of Truth series has sold better than its predecessor and to date the series has sold over twenty million copies.

Terry Goodkind lists Ayn Rand as a huge influence on his writing. He has sold over twenty millions books and these have been translated into over twenty different languages. He also feels that while his novels are placed firmly within the fantasy genre, the philosophical and humane elements in his books take them into a different genre. He believes that the fantasy settings and themes of his books make it easier for him to get his ideas across.

Did you know? Terry Goodkind’s Wizard’s Rule holds the record for highest amount paid at auction for a first fantasy novel (over five times the price paid for any other). He now lives in another self-built house with his wife Jeri. The house is located in a desert region in the south west of the United States.

Goodkind’s main reason for writing fantasy novels is to inspire. If you wish to get a signed copy of a Goodkind book then please go to www.bettsbooks.com, this is only way to get a signed copy.