Shroud of Eternity: Sister of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles, Book 2 by Terry Goodkind
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Summary
The formidable sorceress Nicci and her companions-the newly powerless Nathan and the youthful Bannon-set out on another quest after driving ruthless Norukai slavers out of Renda Bay. Their mission: restore Nathan's magic and, for Nicci, save the world.
I won't be reading any more books from this author after "Shroud of Eternity: Sister of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles, Book 2". The excessive amount of violence, brutality, sexual assault, arrogance, and unpleasantness in this series was overwhelming for me. The inconsistencies with the established lore of Terry's world and the narration were enough to make me lose interest. Surprisingly, I found myself sympathizing with the antagonists more than the protagonists, which says a lot about my experience. Christina, the narrator, possesses great talent, but her attempt at male voices fell short for me. Nathan's voice lacked life, while Bannon's voice came across as unintelligent. I apologize to the team behind this book and to loyal readers of the author, but I've reached my limit.
I've been a fan of Terry Goodkind since Wizards First Rule and I've really enjoyed the Sword of Truth series. However, I must say that this book was a bit excessive in terms of wordiness. It's understandable to repeat something a few times to drive the point home, but repeating something 10-20 times felt unnecessary and even disrespectful to the reader. This book could have easily been half its size without losing any substance.
Additionally, it was painfully obvious how the book would end. There were no surprising twists or unexpected turns. Right from the beginning, it was clear what would happen. What's more, there were numerous unresolved half plots, which seemed to be set up for the next obvious book in the series. Unfortunately, I won't be venturing there.
I've been a hardcore fan of Terry Goodkind and his sword of truth series for more than ten years now. Let me tell you, these books are just as amazing as the original ones. Seriously, once I start reading, I can't bring myself to put them down.
I had a hard time getting through this audiobook. I couldn't help but notice a lack of the typical sound judgment that Terry Goodkind usually brings to his writing. It was a bit disappointing. :-(
I had to give this book back. The SOT series is one of my top picks, but the narrator gave each character a disinterested, annoyed monotone voice. I couldn't bear to listen to it. So, I'll have to opt for reading it instead of listening.
The main characters stumble and struggle their way through numerous battles against formidable wizards and their malicious allies. Ultimately, they manage to triumph, although it feels like luck rather than their own cleverness plays a greater role in their success. At certain points, reading the book becomes quite challenging.
The author's work up until "Faith of the Fallen" was great, but everything after that has been lacking. The dialog seems repetitive and never seems to go anywhere, and there is a lot of unnecessary content that feels like filler. However, I must give credit to the narrator for maintaining a high energy level throughout the audiobook.
The narrator in this audiobook is really not up to par. She didn't manage to capture my interest throughout the entire story. The only reason I stuck with it was because I'm such a big fan of the Sword of Truth series.
Nicci, the supposed powerful sorceress, keeps reminding us of her immense power, but all she seems to do is conjure fire balls or blow puffs of air. And let's not forget the constant reminders that she's "doing this for Richard!" The obsession with nipples throughout the story feels unnecessary and resembles poorly written fan fiction, which is just plain weird. The repetitive retelling of the story every few pages makes the book unnecessarily long, and overall, it's just not a good read. Don't even get me started on the lackluster portrayal of the morazeth, it's truly disrespectful to the reader. The characters show no growth or development, and they continuously stumble into disastrous situations without learning from their mistakes. If I had to hear "sweet sea mother" or "keepers crotch" one more time, I would've dropped the book for good. It's poorly written and completely ruins the essence of a character who used to be one of my favorites.
I hope the author will eventually break away from retelling the same story through different characters. It would be a nice change for readers not to hear about Nicci's love for Richard once again. Towards the end of the book, Bannon finally undergoes some character development, but it's puzzling how he just stands around during chaotic moments. I've read or listened to all the books in the Sword of Truth series, but they're starting to become almost unbearable. I suggest reading the books instead, as you can easily skim over the parts that the author keeps repeating. The action scenes have some plot holes, where the main characters never seem to learn until it's already too late.
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