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112-405: The Sword of Truth is a series of 21 sword and sorcery novels and six novellas written by Terry Goodkind . The books follow the protagonists Richard Cypher, Kahlan Amnell, Nicci, Cara, and Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander on their quest to defeat oppressors who seek to control the world and those who wish to unleash evil upon the world of the living. While each novel was written to stand alone, except for

224-464: A Howard-inspired gladiator adventurer, whose exploits took place in Central Asia in the first century CE. With the diminution of pulp magazine sales in the late 1940s, the focus of sword and sorcery shifted to small-press books. Arkham House published collections by Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith and Fritz Leiber that included some of their sword and sorcery work. Writer Jack Vance published

336-402: A Rada'Han, a magical collar, in order to control his headaches and the gift. They also explain that they will offer him their help three times, and, if he refuses each time, they will not be able to help him ever again. Richard refuses twice, and each time a Sister commits suicide. Seeking guidance on how to repair the veil, Richard and Kahlan request another "gathering"; this involves turning to

448-553: A TV live-action weekly series. According to the article, Raimi, Tapert and Joshua Donen planned to begin work on the Wizard's First Rule live-action weekly series in May 2008. Raimi & Tapert also wanted Goodkind to remain intimately involved with the project. The show was renamed Legend of the Seeker because the producers wanted to be able to continue the series beyond the first book, and they felt

560-562: A chance example from 1953, Fritz Leiber re-coined the term "sword and sorcery" in the 6 April 1961 issue of the fantasy fanzine Ancalagon , to describe Howard and the stories that were influenced by his works. In parallel with "sword and sorcery", the term "heroic fantasy" is used, although it is a more loosely defined genre. Sword and sorcery tales eschew overarching themes of "good vs evil" in favor of situational conflicts that often pit morally gray characters against one another to enrich themselves, or to defy tyranny . Sword and sorcery

672-676: A change of ownership in 1940, Weird Tales ceased to publish sword and sorcery stories. However, the pulp magazine Unknown Worlds continued to publish sword and sorcery fiction by Fritz Leiber and Norvell W. Page . Leiber's stories revolved around a duo of heroes called Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser , and dealt with their adventures in the world of Nehwon ("No-When" backwards). Leiber's stories featured more emphasis on characterisation and humour than previous sword and sorcery fiction, and his characters became popular with Unknown's readers. Page's sword and sorcery tales centred on Prester John ,

784-450: A good popular catchphrase for the field". He expanded on this in the July 1961 issue of Amra , commenting: I feel more certain than ever that this field should be called the sword-and-sorcery story. This accurately describes the points of culture-level and supernatural element and also immediately distinguishes it from the cloak-and-sword (historical adventure) story—and (quite incidentally) from

896-476: A heroic romance written in a mock-archaic style, was an inspiration to later writers of sword and sorcery such as Fritz Leiber. The "Poictesme" novels of James Branch Cabell (such as Jurgen: A Comedy of Justice (1919)) have been cited as a stimulus to early sword and sorcery writing. Cabell's novels depict picaresque exploits in imaginary lands, and were an influence on Leiber and Jack Vance. A. Merritt 's novels The Ship of Ishtar (1924) and Dwellers in

1008-685: A largely young readership. The commercial success of the Conan books encouraged other publishers to put out new and reprinted books in the style of Howard's work. From the 1960s until the 1980s, under the guiding force of Carter, a select group of writers formed the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA) to promote and enlarge the sword and sorcery genre. From 1973 to 1981, five anthologies featuring short works by SAGA members were published. Edited by Carter, these were collectively known as Flashing Swords! . Because of these and other anthologies, such as

1120-583: A mad judge who froze an entire population with a cursed necklace, meets the last dragon left in the Old World, and discovers an ancient archive of arcane magic. Shroud of Eternity , released January 9, 2018, is the second entry in the Nicci Chronicles series and is the 19th novel, chronologically, in the Sword of Truth universe. Picking up where Death's Mistress left off, Nicci, Nathan, and Bannon find Kol Adair,

1232-428: A magical power to force a person to become entirely devoted to them. People touched by a Confessor's power will do anything for her or truthfully answer any question she asks, hence the name Confessor. Westland, a land of no magic, is also ruled by a council of representatives. The Old World is not introduced until the second book in the series and its geographical features are described in less detail. The main character

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1344-555: A mistake, and with the revelation of Richard's true parentage. The series continues with Stone of Tears , which immediately follows the events that occurred in Wizard's First Rule . Unbeknownst to Richard, the opening of the boxes of Orden has torn the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead, allowing minions of the Keeper of the Underworld to come forth. Richard and Kahlan return to

1456-426: A more or less imaginary world, where magic works and where modern science and technology have not yet been discovered. The setting may (as in the Conan stories) be this Earth as it is conceived to have been long ago, or as it will be in the remote future, or it may be another planet or another dimension. Such a story combines the color and dash of the historical costume romance with the atavistic supernatural thrills of

1568-409: A mountain pass which leads to a field full of petrified soldiers. Nathan recognizes some of the soldiers' insignias, claiming them to be the army of a General Utros, a powerful military commander who served another would-be despot, Emperor Kurgan, 1,500 years prior. The following night, Nicci, Nathan, and Bannon encounter three strange young men who are destroying the statues. The three men lead them into

1680-628: A place they believe to be connected to the Chimes. As Jagang's army marches towards Anderith, Richard attempts to save its people by urging them to join the D'Haran Empire, but he fails to persuade them. Meanwhile, Ann attempts to save the Sisters of the Light enslaved by Jagang but is betrayed by them and captured. She escapes with the help of her former student, who is a Sister of the Dark. The novel ends with Richard banishing

1792-543: A repetition of the perils of high fantasy . So too does the nature of the heroes; most sword and sorcery protagonists, travellers by nature, find peace after adventure deathly dull. Sword and sorcery resembles high fantasy, but is darker and more jagged, at times overlapping with dark fantasy . The scale of the struggles depicted is smaller, and the main character usually pursues personal gain, such as wealth or love. The opposition between good and evil characteristic of fantasy also exists in sword and sorcery literature, but it

1904-424: A review of an L. Sprague de Camp novel. American author Fritz Leiber re-coined the term in 1961 in response to a letter from British author Michael Moorcock in the fanzine Amra , demanding a name for the sort of fantasy-adventure story written by Robert E. Howard . Moorcock had initially proposed the term "epic fantasy". Leiber replied in the journal Ancalagon (6 April 1961), suggesting "sword-and-sorcery as

2016-493: A strange society were influenced by adventures set in foreign lands by Sir H. Rider Haggard and Edgar Rice Burroughs . Haggard's works, such as King Solomon's Mines (1885) and She: A History of Adventure (1887) included many fantastic elements. Some of Haggard's characters, such as Umslopogaas, an axe-wielding Zulu warrior who encountered supernatural phenomena and loved to fight, bore similarities to sword and sorcery heroes. Haggard also wrote Eric Brighteyes (1891),

2128-515: A subgenre that would be called "sword & sorcery". Examples of these films would include The Beastmaster (film) (1982), The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), two Italian Hercules films starring Lou Ferrigno , Krull (film) (1983), a Conan sequel, Conan the Destroyer (1984) and Red Sonja , which, like the Conan films, also starred Arnold Schwarzenegger . One could potentially include

2240-605: A tentative deal struck between them, he sends Zedd and Ann , former Prelate of the Sisters of the Light, to destroy the prophecies found within the Jocopo Treasure. As foretold by prophecy regarding the plague, Kahlan betrays Richard in order for him to gain admittance into the Temple of the Winds, wherein he stops the plague. However, the spirit of Darken Rahl appears in the Temple and refuses to let Richard leave unless he willingly contracts

2352-583: A thousand years of his literal nightmares. After months at the Palace, Richard escapes after killing several Sisters of the Dark. Knowing he must save the world first, he travels to D'hara. At the Peoples Palace, Richard destroys a spell from a Sister of the Dark by using the black sorcerer's sand to corrupt the spell. He then avoids making a last moment mistake by placing the Stone of Tears on Darken Rahl. Richard returns

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2464-509: A threat but will not cut anything or anyone the wielder regards as innocent. The Sword also amplifies anger, thereby granting its wielder added strength, agility, and conviction. Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd journey to the Midlands in search of the last Box of Orden that Rahl needs to acquire before he can use the magic of Orden. Along the way, Richard and Kahlan fall in love. The first book concludes with Richard killing Rahl by tricking him into making

2576-774: A violent historical novel based on the Icelandic Sagas ; some writers, (such as David Pringle ) have stated that Eric Brighteyes resembles a modern sword and sorcery novel. Sword and sorcery's immediate progenitors are the swashbuckling tales of Alexandre Dumas, père ( The Three Musketeers (1844), etc.), Rafael Sabatini ( Scaramouche (1921), etc.) and their pulp magazine imitators, such as Talbot Mundy , Harold Lamb , and H. Bedford-Jones , who all influenced Howard. Mundy in particular, proved influential: early sword and sorcery writers such as Robert E. Howard, C. L. Moore and Fritz Leiber were admirers of Mundy's fiction. However, these historical "swashbucklers" lack

2688-545: A young woman by the name of Kahlan Amnell , the Mother Confessor who has come from the Midlands in search of the "Old One," a legendary wizard. He discovers that his best friend and mentor, Zeddicus Zu'l "Zedd" Zorander , is the wizard whom she seeks. Zedd appoints Richard the Seeker of Truth and gives him the Sword of Truth. The sword is said to work through perception; it will cut through anything that its wielder perceives to be

2800-401: Is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance , magic , and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy , the tales, though dramatic, focus on personal battles rather than world-endangering matters. The genre originated from the early-1930s works of Robert E. Howard . While there is

2912-599: Is a violent, self-respecting and emotional barbarian who values freedom. The main character often has the characteristics of an antihero. Although the main character mostly behaves heroically, he may ally with an enemy or sacrifice an ally in order to survive. A hero's main weapons are cunning and physical strength. Magic, on the other hand, is usually only used by the villains of the story, who are usually wizards , witches , or supernatural monsters . Most sword and sorcery heroes are masculine male characters, while female characters are usually underdeveloped. A recurring theme in

3024-430: Is a young man named Richard Cypher , a Westland woods guide whose simple life is forever changed after he becomes the Seeker of Truth, a champion of truth and justice. Over the course of the series, Richard learns about his heritage while seeking to stop the evil that others would unleash upon the world of the living. Because Richard refuses to sacrifice his values and lives his life as a free man, others begin to understand

3136-409: Is grounded in real-world social and societal hierarchies, and is grittier, darker, and more violent, with elements of cosmic, often Lovecraftian creatures that aren't a staple of mainstream fantasy. The main character is often a barbarian with antihero traits. The Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction records a chance example of "sword and sorcery" from 1953, where it appears in a headline of

3248-420: Is less absolute and the events often take place in a morally gray area. These features are especially emphasized in newer works of the genre. The stories are fast-paced and action-oriented, with lots of violent fight scenes. Sword and sorcery is by nature a light and escapist genre whose main purpose is to entertain the reader. There is usually no deep message or social statements in the works of this genre. It

3360-539: Is often regarded as the first true "sword and sorcery" tale, because it pits a heroic warrior ( Kull of Atlantis ) against supernatural evil, in an imaginary world of the writer's devising. Howard published only three stories featuring Kull in Weird Tales . He revised an unsold Kull story, " By This Axe I Rule! " into " The Phoenix on the Sword ", which introduced a new character, Conan the Barbarian . When "The Phoenix on

3472-553: Is the second novel in Goodkind's Richard and Kahlan series. Following an attack by the mysterious "half people" of the Dark Lands, Richard and Kahlan find themselves abandoned by their friends. Richard sets out on a quest to save his friends and meets the sinister Bishop Hannis Arc. The third novel in the Richard and Kahlan series, Severed Souls , was published on August 5, 2014. Following

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3584-461: Is their own to live. In addition to the novels, Goodkind wrote a short story titled Debt of Bones for the 1998 anthology Legends , edited by Robert Silverberg . It was published as a stand-alone novella in 2001. The story takes place in The Sword of Truth universe and is set a few decades before the events in the main series, focusing on the creation of the boundaries that separated Westland,

3696-449: Is treated lavishly, and given absurd amounts of gold, which are symbols of his status as a novice wizard, designed to make him not see value in personal wealth. Rather, he uses the money to bribe the entire staff of the Palace to his service, even hiring a brothel on retainer to service the guards. He discovers he is a war wizard: one who has the gift of both additive and subtractive magic. Later, he learns from Nathan Rahl , another wizard in

3808-461: Is typical for the topics that sword and sorcery deals with to be relatively limited. The genre has sometimes been criticized for excessive violence, misogyny and even fascist attitudes. In his introduction to the reference Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers by L. Sprague de Camp , Lin Carter notes that the heritage of sword and sorcery is illustrious, and can be traced back to mythology, including

3920-450: Is vastly outnumbered by Utros's stone soldiers. Utros makes a deal with Grieve to unite their forces and declare war on D'Hara. In 2019, Terry Goodkind began to release novellas following Richard & Kahlan after the events of Warheart . Richard promises Kahlan that they would help bring about a new Golden Age for their empire. The People's Palace is suddenly attacked by an amphibian race of beings from another dimension who call themselves

4032-512: The Ballantine Adult Fantasy series, his own fiction, and his criticism, Carter is considered one of the most important popularizers of genre fantasy in general, and S&S in particular. Despite such authors' efforts, some critics use sword and sorcery as a dismissive or pejorative term. During the 1980s, influenced by the success of the 1982 feature film Conan the Barbarian , many fantasy films, some cheaply made, were released in

4144-639: The World Fantasy Award -winning Amazons (1979) and Amazons II (1982) anthologies; both drew on real and folkloric female warriors, often from areas outside of Europe. Early sword and sorcery writer Robert E. Howard had espoused feminist views in his personal and professional life. He wrote to his friends and associates defending the achievements and capabilities of women. Strong female characters in Howard's works of fiction include Dark Agnes de Chastillon (first appearing in "Sword Woman", circa 1932–34),

4256-413: The cloak-and-dagger (international espionage) story too! The term "heroic fantasy" has been used to avoid the garish overtones of "sword and sorcery". This name was coined by L. Sprague de Camp . However, it has also been used to describe a broader range of fantasy, including High fantasy . Sword and sorcery stories take place in a fictional world where magic exists. The setting can be an Earth in

4368-518: The pulp fantasy magazines, where it emerged from " weird fiction ". The magazine Weird Tales , which published Howard's Conan stories and C. L. Moore 's Jirel of Joiry tales, as well as key influences like H. P. Lovecraft and Smith, was especially important. Lovecraft's fiction (especially his "Dream Cycle" of Dunsany-inspired fantasy stories) was a source of inspiration for the first generation of sword and sorcery writers. The 1929 Weird Tales story " The Shadow Kingdom " by Robert E. Howard

4480-457: The "ancestors' spirits" for help. But instead of being able to speak to the spirits, Richard and Kahlan are sent down to the underworld and are placed face-to-face with Darken Rahl. Rahl touches Richard with the Keeper's mark, making him unconscious and lets Kahlan know that Richard is only minutes away from death. As Kahlan desperately tries to save Richard, a glowing spirit emerges, Denna, who tells Kahlan that she has to force Richard into wearing

4592-598: The Barrier, and Richard is drawn to one of the black towers, and is compelled to collect some of the black sand he finds. Later, he is instructed to execute a captive woman as tribute to pass through tribal land, but refuses and chooses to free the woman instead, who promises to take them through the Baku Ban Mana lands. Despite a promise of safe passage, she forces Richard into a battle with thirty Baka Ban Mana blademasters as their oath dictates. Richard slaughters them by tapping in

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4704-659: The Chimes and deciding to return to Westland, where he will help Kahlan recover from injuries sustained in Anderith and wait until the people of the New World prove to him that they truly want freedom. The next volume in the series, Faith of the Fallen , chronicles more than one and a half years of the characters' lives. Nicci , a Sister of the Dark and a follower of the Imperial Order, captures Richard and forces him to travel with her to

4816-408: The Dark, Nicci, and former prophet, Nathan Rahl. Released January 24, 2017, Death's Mistress is the first entry in the Nicci Chronicles series and the 18th novel, chronologically, in the Sword of Truth universe. Following the events of Warheart , Nicci decides to take her leave of Richard and Kahlan for a time. Nathan Rahl chooses to accompany her. They go on a mission to the Dark Lands to visit

4928-549: The Fold are being tricked by Emperor Jagang, the leader of the Imperial Order, to do his bidding. After realizing that the Blood of the Fold have taken Kahlan and Adie to the Palace of the Prophets, Richard travels to the Old World to rescue them. He takes this opportunity to destroy the Palace, preventing Jagang from using the treasures it holds. While Verna , the new Prelate, leads the Sisters of

5040-750: The Fold; Last appearance—Confessor Appearance—The Nicci Chronicles: Death's Mistress First appearance—Wizard's First Rule; Last appearance—Confessor First appearance—The Children of D'Hara 1: The Scribbly Man; Last appearance—The Children of D'Hara 5: Into Darkness First appearance—The Third Kingdom; Last appearance—Warheart First appearance—Wizard's First Rule; Last appearance—The Pillars of Creation Appearance—The Omen Machine Appearance—The Nicci Chronicles: Death's Mistress Appearance—The Nicci Chronicles: Death's Mistress First appearance—The Nicci Chronicles: Shroud if Eternity; Last appearance—The Nicci Chronicles; Heart of Black Ice Sword and sorcery Sword and sorcery ( S&S ), or heroic fantasy,

5152-769: The Glee. They wish to hunt man for sport and follow the commands of their queen, known only as the Golden Goddess. They can possess humans and disappear at will but are confused and terrified by magic. The Glee believe that they will no longer have to fear magic if they eliminate Richard's bloodline because he is the most powerful wizard alive. Kahlan learns that she is pregnant with Richard Rahl's children—a pair of fraternal twins. In July 2006, Goodkind announced on his official website that he had entered into negotiations with The Evil Dead and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi and producer Rob Tapert to bring The Sword of Truth to life as

5264-511: The Imperial Order's invasion of the New World, led by Emperor Jagang. Upon reaching Aydindril, she discovers that her people have been swayed by the Order's corrupt morality; she is subsequently sentenced to death. Meanwhile, at the Palace of the Prophets (the Sisters' home in the Old World), Richard learns more about magic, prophecies, and his identity. He escapes the Palace and returns to D'Hara to stop

5376-422: The Keeper from devouring the world of the living. The novel ends with Richard discovering that Kahlan is safe outside Aydindril with her identity shielded by Zedd. Kahlan is reassured that Richard has returned to the New World. In the third novel, Blood of the Fold , Richard's plan to reunite with Kahlan is delayed by the arrival of beast-like assassins called Mriswith and by the advancement of Jagang's army into

5488-514: The Light and their students to join the D'Haran army, Richard and Kahlan return to Aydindril and defeat the Mriswiths, as well as the Blood of the Fold. The fourth novel, Temple of the Winds , tells of the struggles Richard, Kahlan, and their friends face as they attempt to stop a plague released by Jagang and to prevent him from seizing important items that will help him win the war. As Richard's ancestor Nathan Rahl receives books from Jagang under

5600-669: The Middle Eastern tales of the Arabian Nights , whose stories of magical monsters and evil sorcerers were an influence on the genre-to-be. Sword and sorcery's frequent depictions of smoky taverns and fetid back alleys draw upon the picaresque genre; for example, Rachel Bingham notes that Fritz Leiber 's city of Lankhmar bears considerable similarity to 16th century Seville as depicted in Miguel de Cervantes ' tale " Rinconete y Cortadillo ". Sword and sorcery proper only truly began in

5712-462: The Midlands, and D'Hara in Wizard's First Rule . Set millennia prior to the main Sword of Truth series, The First Confessor: The Legend of Magda Searus was initially released on July 15, 2012 as an e-book; it was published in print in July 2015. The First Confessor covers a wide variety of information including the Wizards' War, the creation of the Sword of Truth, Confessors, and information about

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5824-452: The Mirage (1932) have also been cited as influences on sword and sorcery, as they feature men from the then-contemporary world being drawn into dangerous adventures involving swordplay and magic. All these authors influenced sword and sorcery for the plots, characters, and landscapes used. Also, many early sword and sorcery writers, such as Howard and Clark Ashton Smith , were influenced by

5936-454: The Mud People (whom Richard and Kahlan befriend and defend in Wizard's First Rule ) and decide to marry. However, before they can, they are separated when Richard is captured by the Sisters of the Light, sorceresses from the Old World who train men to become wizards. Richard is taken to the Old World while Kahlan goes to Aydindril to ask Zedd for help. On the way, she witnesses the beginning of

6048-511: The New World and the Old World. The New World consists of three lands with Westland in the west, D'Hara in the east, and the Midlands between them. D'Hara is ruled by a magically gifted member of the Rahl family, while the welfare of the Midlands is decided by a council of representatives led by the Mother Confessor, who is also the leader of the Confessors. The Confessors are a group of women who each have

6160-490: The New World, some twenty or so years after two magical boundaries were raised to separate Westland, the Midlands, and D'Hara. The story deals with the growth of the D'Haran Empire under its leader, Darken Rahl , as he invades the Midlands, taking over its territories while seeking to gain control of an ancient power over life called the Boxes of Orden. The book begins a few weeks after the murder of Richard's father. Richard encounters

6272-516: The New World. Having accepted his identity as a war wizard - and as the gifted son of Darken Rahl—Richard decides to claim the throne of D'Hara as a means of unifying the fractured Midlands, which, in Kahlan's absence, has weakened to the point of being unable to resist the Order. Kahlan, along with the sorceress Adie, is captured on her way back to Aydindril by the Blood of the Fold, a violent group of zealots who oppose magic on religious grounds. The Blood of

6384-451: The Old World by using a magical spell that allows her to control Kahlan's life. Prevented from following Richard, Kahlan and Cara rejoin the D'Haran army in the Midlands. Kahlan assumes control of the army and stalls Jagang's army from capturing Aydindril, the seat of power in the Midlands. When Kahlan finally realizes that she can delay but not stop Jagang's massive army, she travels to the Old World with Cara in search of Richard. Meanwhile, in

6496-450: The Old World capital of Altur'Rang, Richard has begun to inspire its people, including Nicci, to reconsider their moral code and to challenge the Order. The people of Altur'Rang rebel against the Order and declare themselves free of its oppression. Repenting, Nicci removes the spell from Kahlan and joins Richard and Kahlan in their fight against the Order. While continuing on from Faith of the Fallen , The Pillars of Creation differs from

6608-505: The Palace of the Prophets and Richard's ancient ancestor, that he is the first to be born with such power in three thousand years. It is revealed that the Prelate brought Richard to the Palace to flush out the Sisters of the Dark, a secret society within the Sisters of the Light dedicated to the task of unleashing the Keeper into the world of the living. Kahlan embarks on a long trek back to her home of Aydindril along with three mud people. Along

6720-536: The Palace of the Prophets, decide to assist Nicci and Nathan. Released December 31, 2018, Siege of Stone is the third entry in the Nicci Chronicles and is the 20th novel, chronologically, in the Sword of Truth universe. After a joining a slave uprising and overthrowing the leader of Ildakar, Nicci, Nathan, and Bannon begin working to rebuild the city. Commander Maxim, husband of the city's defeated leader, goes missing, and shortly thereafter, General Utros's army of stone soldiers awakens and renews its war on Ildakar in

6832-500: The People's Palace, where Richard defeats the Sisters of the Dark and Jagang. To remove the Chainfire spell, Richard must use the magic of Orden. With that power, he not only restores Kahlan's memories and others' memories of her, he also creates an identical world or parallel universe, to which he banishes all people who refuse to cease their assault on individuality and prosperity. Jennsen and

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6944-403: The Sisters of the Dark kidnapped Kahlan and cast the Chainfire spell to erase everyone's memories of her, as well as most of Kahlan's memories of herself. However, Richard's mind was protected from the spell by the Sword of Truth. The Sisters use Kahlan to steal the boxes of Orden from the People's Palace in D'Hara, which they intend to use to unleash their master, the Keeper of the Underworld, into

7056-446: The Stone of Tears to the underworld and once again defeats the Keeper, he rushes to Aydindril to find Kahlan. Upon finding Kahlan has already been executed, Richard kills all the councillors who sentenced her to death. Finding Kahlan's grave, he realizes that Zedd has cast a death spell to make all believe that Kahlan is dead. Denna's spirit visited the both of them and they were reunited in a place between worlds. Stone of Tears reveals

7168-468: The Sword of Truth's collective knowledge of blade fighting. Killing them all, he is bound to marry the priestess, and Richard gives her his magic whistle of the Bird Man to attack the neighboring tribes' crops and force a peace between them. Arriving at the Palace of the Prophets, Richard threatens to kill anyone who prevents him from leaving, stating he is a prisoner, not a guest or a student. However, Richard

7280-487: The Sword" was published in 1932, it proved popular with the Weird Tales readers, and Howard wrote more tales of Conan, of which 17 were published in the magazine. The success of Howard's work encouraged other Weird Tales writers to create similar tales of adventure in imagined lands. Clark Ashton Smith wrote his tales of the Hyperborean cycle and Zothique for Weird Tales in the 1930s. These stories revolved around

7392-639: The TV series prepared to enjoy the show for what it is. The TV series ran for two seasons, concluding May 22, 2010 with a total of 44 episodes. A thread woven through the original series are the 11 "Wizard's Rules", which are practical teachings given to young wizards. The first rule appears in Wizard's First Rule. Further rules are mentioned on occasion, afterwards. Throughout the series, various magical creatures & beings were brought up, or made appearances. Some of them were from actual mythology, others were fictionalized by

7504-754: The Wizard's Keep in Aydindril is infiltrated by Bandakarian men that the Order has enslaved. The novel ends with Zedd and Chase reclaiming the Keep, and the defeat of the Imperial Order's army in Bandakar. Three novels of the series, Chainfire , Phantom , and Confessor , were written as a trilogy called the Chainfire Trilogy , which brings the story arc concerning Jagang's invasion to an end. After recovering from an injury, Richard wakes up to find Kahlan missing and that no one remembers her existence. Richard discovers that

7616-505: The antidote only if Richard agrees to help. Richard and Kahlan learn that the people of Bandakar are pristinely ungifted like Jennsen and Oba, and that they have been overrun by the Order because they have shunned all forms of violence, refusing to fight for their own lives. Richard eventually convinces them to rise up and drive the Order from their mountain homeland. In the process, Richard learns to restore his gift, which had failed because he misunderstood its true nature and purpose. Meanwhile,

7728-444: The army and organizes a series of guerilla attacks on what she now knows to be The Imperial Order. Victorious, Kahlan returns to Ayndindril, where she stumbles across Zedd and the sorceress Adie, both of whom had their memories deleted earlier. She returns his memory by telling him that Richard is with the Sisters of the Light. Enraged, Zedd tells Kahlan he will have her beheaded for what she has done, and that she has condemned Richard to

7840-508: The author & others were based on existing mythology, but with unique twists in the original idea. First appearance—Chainfire; Last appearance—Confessor First appearance—Wizard's First Rule; Last appearance—Confessor Appearance—Soul of the Fire First appearance—The First Confessor; Last appearance—The Children of D'Hara 5: Into Darkness First appearance—Wizard's First Rule; Last appearance—The Nicci Chronicles First appearance—Blood of

7952-425: The book The Dying Earth in 1950. The Dying Earth described the adventures of rogues and wizards on a decadent far-future Earth, where magic had replaced science. In the 1960s, American paperback publisher Lancer Books began to reissue Robert E. Howard's Conan stories in paperback, with cover illustrations by artist Frank Frazetta . These editions became surprise bestsellers, selling millions of copies to

8064-402: The book, it will not be able to follow the book exactly because there would be parts that would make an incomplete episode." He later confirmed: Sam Raimi and his team want to keep the TV series true to my vision, so rest assured that I am going to be intimately involved in the writing of each of the episodes. If you love the book just the way it is, then enjoy the book for what it is and come to

8176-550: The city of Ildakar which, an ancient city frozen in time. Recently, the shroud of protective magic around the city has begun to fail. Nicci, Nathan, and Bannon introduce themselves to the Ildakarians as official emissaries of Lord Rahl and begin trying to forge an alliance. They soon learn that Ildakar is a society ruled over by the gifted, who enjoy lavish lifestyles and enslave the ungifted. Prelate Verna Sauventreen and General Zimmer, having returned to Tanimura to lead an excavation of

8288-405: The collar and the sister reveals to them that the third reason for wearing the collar is to inflict pain on the wearer. He leaves, telling her merely to find Zedd. Devastated, Richard submits to the remaining Sister, and leaves with her to go to the Palace of Prophets. Richard travels with Sister Verna to the Palace of the Prophets, which is located in the Old World. Along the way, they pass between

8400-422: The collar; if he does not, the headaches will kill him and everything will be lost. Denna then takes Richard's mark, and is sent down to the underworld and the Keeper. As the third and final Sister returns, Kahlan tells Richard that he has to put on the collar. When he tries to explain his reluctance, Kahlan makes him believe that the only way to prove his love for her is to wear it. Richard reluctantly agrees to wear

8512-517: The comic book series Conan the Barbarian written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith . Red Sonja got her own comic book title and eventually a series of novels by David C. Smith and Richard L. Tierney , as well as Richard Fleischer 's film adaptation in 1985. The genre has been defined by Robert E. Howard's work, especially his tales of Conan the Barbarian and Kull of Atlantis , mostly in Weird Tales from 1932 and 1929 respectively. Other books and series that define

8624-410: The cover artist for all the novels of the first edition, apart from Wizard's First Rule and Blood of the Fold . New hardback and paperback editions of those two books were later published with new cover illustrations by Parkinson. Parkinson died on October 26, 2005, but not before completing the cover art for two more novels in the series. The series is set in a world divided into two major regions:

8736-407: The damage done to magic with the Temple of the Winds. Terry Goodkind's website refers to the book as the "foundation" of the Sword of Truth series. On April 2, 2010, a video went up on Terry Goodkind's official site and YouTube channel promoting a new Richard and Kahlan novel that was released on August 16, 2011. The Omen Machin e takes place immediately after Confessor, beginning on the night of

8848-496: The death of Darken Rahl and planning his wedding to Kahlan, Richard is afflicted by a series of painful headaches. He also learns from Shota that he is the bastard son of Darken Rahl and the grandson of Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander . Richard gets a visit from three Sisters of the Light, who inform him that his headaches are caused by the awakening of the gift within him and are fatal and unstoppable, unless he receives magical training. The Sisters tell him that he must go with them and wear

8960-678: The earlier releases of Hawk the Slayer (1980) and Clash of the Titans (1981) which whetted the public's appetites for such films and the live action adaptation of the Conan-inspired toy range (and subsequent cartoon series) Masters of the Universe , which essentially ended the subgenre's 80s run. After the cinema and literary boom of the early-to-mid 1980s, sword and sorcery once again dropped out of favor, with epic fantasy largely taking its place in

9072-616: The early modern pirate Helen Tavrel ("The Isle of Pirates' Doom", 1928), as well as two pirates and Conan the Barbarian supporting characters, Bêlit (" Queen of the Black Coast ", 1934), and Valeria of the Red Brotherhood (" Red Nails ", 1936). Introduced as the co-star in a non-fantasy historical story by Howard entitled " The Shadow of the Vulture ", Red Sonya of Rogatino later inspired a fantasy heroine named Red Sonja , who first appeared in

9184-504: The events of the previous two books, Richard must find a way to cure Kahlan and himself from the Hedge Maid's stain of death. Meanwhile, Hannis Arc and Emperor Sulachan march toward the heart of D'Hara. Warheart is the fourth and final entry in the Richard and Kahlan series, published November 17, 2015. Taking place after the events of the four Richard & Kahlan novels, The Nicci Chronicles follow further exploits of former Sister of

9296-480: The exploits of warriors and sorcerers in lands of the remote past or remote future, and often had downbeat endings. C. L. Moore , inspired by Howard, Smith and H. P. Lovecraft, created the Jirel of Joiry stories for Weird Tales , which brought in the first sword and sorcery heroine. Moore's future husband Henry Kuttner created Elak of Atlantis , a Howard-inspired warrior hero, for Weird Tales in 1938. Following

9408-432: The fantasy genre. There was, though, another resurgence in sword and sorcery at the end of the 20th century. Sometimes called the "new" or "literary" sword and sorcery, this development places emphasis on literary technique, and draws from epic fantasy and other genres to broaden the genre's typical scope. Stories may feature the wide-ranging struggles of national or world-spanning concerns common to high fantasy, but told from

9520-404: The final three that were intended to be a trilogy, they follow a common timeline and are linked by ongoing events that occur throughout the series. The series began in 1994 with Wizard's First Rule and Goodkind wrote eighteen more novels in addition to a novella titled Debt of Bones . The latest novel in the series, Heart of Black Ice , was released in 2020. As of 2008, 25 million copies of

9632-407: The genre is a damsel in distress . However, some sword and sorcery stories have a female protagonist, and the genre's traditional emphasis on male protagonists has declined since the last decades of the 20th century. In his introduction to the 1967 Ace edition of Conan The Barbarian , L. Sprague de Camp described the typical sword and sorcery story as: [A] story of action and adventure laid in

9744-461: The genre of sword-and-sorcery include: Other pulp fantasy fiction, such as Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series and Leigh Brackett 's Sea Kings of Mars , have a similar feel to sword and sorcery. But, because alien science replaces the supernatural, these books are usually described as planetary romance or sword and planet . They fall more in the area of science fiction. Despite this, planetary romance closely aligns with sword and sorcery, and

9856-497: The gradual disappearance of all magic and the leaders of the nation of Anderith, who are considering surrendering to the Imperial Order. In so doing, Anderith would hand over control of the Dominie Dirtch, a weapon of mass destruction. Richard and Kahlan discover that a terrible magic known as the "Chimes" has been released and is draining magic from the world, causing magic to fail and creatures of magic to die. They head to Anderith,

9968-517: The hero stays forever young and every day is like the first for him. The main character's victory over his enemies is not final, but in the next short story a new threat arises, against which the hero has to fight once again. The world has a wide variety of exciting and exotic locations designed to act as a stage for the main character's exploits. Many sword and sorcery tales have turned into lengthy series of adventures. Their lower stakes and less-than world-threatening dangers make this more plausible than

10080-461: The labors of Hercules , as well as to classical epics such as Homer 's Odyssey , the Norse sagas , and Arthurian legend . It also has been influenced by historical fiction . For instance, the work of Sir Walter Scott was influenced by Scottish folklore and ballads. But few of Scott's stories contain fantastic elements; in most, the appearance of such is explained away. Its themes of adventure in

10192-561: The leadership of Ildakar betray her and her allies, recreating the Shroud of Eternity and leaving them stranded. As the third Sliph, an emphatic supporter of old Emperor Sulachan, realizes that Nicci is her enemy, she decides to strand her alone in the ruins of the city of Orogang, somewhere in the mountains of the Phantom Coast. Bannon is captured and enslaved by the Norukai and the protagonists' army

10304-574: The literary critic Higashi Masao regarding Japanese works Guin Saga and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen , they were initially planned by their authors as novels that could be classified as belonging to the European sword and sorcery subgenre but had various major elements that distanced themselves from the typical novels in the genre. In the 1990s, sword and sorcery boomed in popularity in Britain and other parts of

10416-456: The mythical past or distant future, an imaginary other world or an alien planet. Sometimes sword and sorcery stories are influenced by horror , dark fantasy or science fiction . Sword and sorcery, however, does not seek to give a scientific explanation for miraculous events, unlike actual science fiction. The main character in sword and sorcery stories is usually a powerful warrior who fights against supernatural evil. The typical protagonist

10528-419: The name of an Emperor long dead. The Norukai King, Grieve, also begins planning assaults on Ildakar and the D'Haran Empire, hoping to conquer the world. Heart of Black Ice , released January 21, 2020, is the fourth and final entry in the Nicci Chronicles and the 21st Novel, chronologically, in the Sword of Truth universe. After Nicci travels north to warn the cities of the Old World of the impending attacks,

10640-460: The new Lord Rahl (Richard) by convincing her that the Order's beliefs are virtuous. She joins Jagang and his army as they launch an attack on the Confessor's Palace in Aydindril. After their defeat, Jennsen strikes a deal with the Keeper to surrender herself in exchange for Richard's death. Meanwhile, Oba follows the bidding of the Keeper, who is using him in his plan to enter the world of the living. In

10752-425: The nobility of man and what it means to be free. Each book is loosely themed around a Wizard's Rule, tenets by which all wizards should abide. The eleventh full-length novel, Confessor , concludes the series' central story arc regarding the invasion of the Imperial Order, an empire in the Old World led by Jagang . Warheart was the last novel in the series. The first book, Wizard's First Rule , takes place in

10864-482: The novel's climax, Jennsen sees through the Order's lies and chooses to help Richard in his quest against Jagang. In the eighth novel, Naked Empire , Richard and Kahlan are interrupted during their journey home to the New World when a man named Owen from the empire of Bandakar asks them to help free his people from the Order. Richard and Kahlan reluctantly refuse the request because they are needed elsewhere. In response, Owen poisons Richard and says that he will provide

10976-467: The other novels in the series in that its protagonists are not Richard and Kahlan, but new characters by the names of Jennsen Rahl and Oba Rahl , who are Richard's half siblings. Both are unaware that they are pristinely ungifted and immune to magic. Jennsen, who has spent most of her life hiding from the Lord Rahl (originally Darken Rahl), meets an Imperial Order spy named Sebastian, who fuels her hatred of

11088-452: The people of Bandakar voluntarily decide to go to this new world devoid of magic because, if they stayed and bred in Richard's world, magic would eventually die out. Richard then closes the gateway and separates the worlds. The series ends with the marriage of Cara and General Meiffert, and Richard's declaration that the traditional D'Haran devotions are no longer necessary, because everyone's life

11200-457: The plague. When Richard eventually returns, he and Kahlan forgive each other for their actions. With Nathan and Cara 's help, Kahlan is able to cure Richard. The book concludes with Richard and Kahlan's wedding at the Mud People's village, where they are reunited with Zedd and Ann. Directly following Temple of the Winds , Soul of the Fire revolves around Richard and Kahlan dealing with two threats:

11312-459: The point of view of characters more common to S&S, and with the sense of adventure common to the latter. Writers associated with this include Steven Erikson , Joe Abercrombie , and Scott Lynch , magazines such as Black Gate and the ezines Flashing Swords (not to be confused with the Lin Carter anthologies), and Beneath Ceaseless Skies publish short fiction in the style. According to

11424-399: The series' books have been sold worldwide, and the series has been translated into more than 20 languages. A television series adaptation of the novels, titled Legend of the Seeker , produced by ABC Studios and broadcast via syndication , first aired on November 1, 2008. The TV series loosely adapts the book series, mixing together elements of several volumes. Keith Parkinson served as

11536-568: The supernatural element (even though Dumas' fiction contained many fantasy tropes ) which defines the genre. Another influence was early fantasy fiction. This type of fiction includes the short stories of Lord Dunsany 's such as " The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save for Sacnoth " (1910) and "The Distressing Tale of Thangobrind the Jeweller" (1911). These works of Dunsany's feature warriors who clash with monsters and wizards in realms of Dunsany's creation. The Worm Ouroboros (1922) by E. R. Eddison ,

11648-463: The threat of rape or to gain revenge for same. Marion Zimmer Bradley 's Sword and Sorceress anthology series (1984 onwards) tried the reverse, encouraging female writers and protagonists. The stories feature skillful swordswomen and powerful sorceresses working from a variety of motives. Jessica Amanda Salmonson similarly sought to broaden the range of roles for female characters in sword and sorcery through her own stories and through editing

11760-407: The title Wizard's First Rule was too restrictive. It premiered on November 1, 2008. There are significant differences between the events of the novels and those of the series. In a February 2008 letter addressed to the fans, Terry Goodkind wrote, "The nature of TV syndication requires that each week's episode be a story in itself, meaning that while the TV series will follow the background story of

11872-477: The way, they come across a sacked city, Ebinissia, with the inhabitants' corpses filling the streets and the surrounding countryside. Kahlan and the three mud people race to catch up with a band of some five thousand troops that are trailing the enemy which sacked Ebinissia. She is shocked to realize that these soldiers are all teenagers and entirely undertrained and unprepared to attack the seasoned, well organized and vastly superior enemy forces. She assumes command of

11984-520: The wedding of General Benjamin Meiffert and the Mord-Sith Cara . A mysterious machine is found underground and it begins to give predictions, most of which are seemingly benign, but Zedd believes the machine must be destroyed until a prediction is given that scares him to death—one which, if true, will tear apart Richard and Kahlan's life as they know it. Published on August 20, 2013, The Third Kingdom

12096-429: The weird, occult, or ghost story . When well done, it provides the purest fun of fiction of any kind. It is escape fiction wherein one escapes clear out of the real world into one where all men are strong, all women beautiful, all life adventurous, and all problems simple, and nobody even mentions the income tax or the dropout problem or socialized medicine. The circular structure is common in sword and sorcery series:

12208-480: The witch, Red, who tells them of a vague prophecy that she will save the world. Nicci and Nathan's quest takes them across the known world and deep into a forgotten, unmapped region known as the Phantom Coast. Nicci saves a young sailor named Bannon, who joins them on their quest. Nathan begins to lose control of his magic, seemingly because prophecy itself has been eradicated. The trio crosses the Phantom Coast, fights off Viking-like Norukai and vicious sea monsters, stops

12320-598: The work of Burroughs, Brackett, and others in the former field have been significant in creating and spreading S&S proper. Sword and sorcery often blurs the lines between fantasy and science fiction, drawing elements from both like the "weird fiction" it sprang from. Another notable sword and sorcery anthology series from 1977 through 1979 called Swords Against Darkness , edited by Andrew J. Offutt , ran five volumes and featured stories by such authors as Poul Anderson , David Drake , Ramsey Campbell , Andre Norton , and Manly Wade Wellman . Stone of Tears After

12432-460: The world of the living. Unbeknownst to the Sisters, Jagang still has access to their minds and knows their plans. Meanwhile, Richard, using an alias, is captured by the Imperial Order, who are making their way to the People's Palace in D'Hara. Kahlan, who has also been captured by Jagang, sees Richard, and although she does not remember him, she feels encouraged to fight on and remember her past. After Richard and Kahlan escape from Jagang, they return to

12544-419: The world. Despite the importance of C. L. Moore, Leigh Brackett, Andre Norton , and other female authors, as well as Moore's early heroine, sword and sorcery has been characterized as having a masculine bias. Female characters were generally distressed damsels to be rescued or protected, or otherwise served as a reward for a male hero's adventures. Women who had adventures of their own often did so to counter

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