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| Continuing on from ], we begin the story after ] and ] wedding in the village of the ]. | Continuing on from ], we begin the story after ] and ] wedding in the village of the ]. | ||
Revision as of 05:51, 19 September 2006
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| Author | Terry Goodkind |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Keith Parkinson |
| Language | English |
| Series | Sword of Truth |
| Genre | Epic fantasy |
| Publisher | Tor Fantasy |
| Publication date | April 1999 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 512 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-312-89054-0 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
| Preceded by | Temple of the Winds |
| Followed by | Faith of the Fallen |
Soul of the Fire is the fifth book in Terry Goodkind's epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth.
Plot introduction
Richard and Kahlan are finally married and enjoying their wedding night back in the Spirit house in the Village of the Mud People. Soon sudden and unexplainable deaths occur and Richard comes to the conclusion that Kahlan when called forth the Chimes in order to save him they remained free and are causing havoc. Zedd sends Richard and Kahlan off the Wizards Keep in Aydindril to get a special bottle that contains a spell that will stop the threat. While enroute, Richard, Kahlan and their Mord Sith protector Cara are side tracked into dealing with the people of Anderith who posses a powerful weapon of mass destruction called the Dominie Dirtch. They find the leadership of Anderith wish to surrender to the Imperial Army rather than surrender to the D'Haran Empire. As Richard tries his best to convince the people of Anderith of the imamate danger the Imperial Order posses, he becomes firmly convinced that the Chimes are loose.
Plot summary
Template:Spoiler Continuing on from Temple of the Winds, we begin the story after Richard and Kahlan's wedding in the village of the Mud People.
Strange deaths and the appearance of a 'Chicken That Isn't A Chicken' leave Richard fearing the worst. Zedd confides in Richard that the chicken is in fact a Lurk sent by Emperor Jagang. According to Zedd, the only way to destroy the Lurk is by smashing a bottle from the Wizard's Keep with The Sword of Truth.
However, Zedd is actually lying, and a terrible magic known as "the chimes" has been released. The chimes, beginning with the additive magic would eventually drain all magic from the world of the living. This would cause death to the beings, which require magic and possibly cause the destruction of the world if additive magic were to completely fail.
Richard, Kahlan and Cara, unaware of the truth, set out to accomplish the task of breaking the bottle. Meanwhile, Zedd and Ann set off in separate ways. Zedd travels south to Anderith to attempt to banish the chimes, while Ann joins the Imperial Order in order to save the Sisters of the Light under Jagang's enslavement.
Elsewhere, we are introduced to the ways of Anderith. Both the Anders, black-haired people who govern the city, and the Hakens, red-haired people under the boot of Ander oppression, occupies Anderith. From an early age Hakens are kept under control and disrespected by the Anders, and are taught that this oppression is a necessity to protect the Hakens from their violent ancestral ways. Most Hakens have bought into this idea, and willingly subject themselves to the oppression.
Dalton Campbell, aide to the Minister of Culture, has a hand in most events within the Anderith nation. He uses his connections, along with his squad of messengers, to accomplish underhanded tasks to see that the Minister will receive the chair of Sovereign (a religious position similar to the real world pope) when the present one passes on. We are also given a glimpse at the Anderith Army's recruits, who are seriously under-trained, and little more than children. The Anderith Army guards the Dominie Dirtch, a series of giant bell shaped structures seemingly made from a solid piece of dark veined stone which kill anything in front of them when struck.
Elsewhere, Richard realizes the chimes are, in fact, loose, and so he sends Cara to Aydindril to retrieve the Sword of Truth while Richard, Kahlan and Du Chaillu (Richard's first "wife" and spirit woman of the Baka Tau Mana) head to Anderith to banish the chimes. In Anderith, Zedd attempts to banish the chimes by offering them his soul. This is the cause of the chimes' presence: they don't have souls, and by summoning them, Kahlan promised them Richard's soul. However, Zedd's attempt fails; it is not his soul the chimes want.
Richard and Kahlan arrive in Anderith and set out to look for the chimes but also work on joining Anderith with the D'Haran Empire. Word spreads and a vote is taken. While Richard makes a good plea to the people of Anderith, Dalton Campbell's interference sways the vote, leaving Richard defeated. At the same time, Kahlan struggles with the knowledge that she is with child, and the trouble that will come because of it.
Meanwhile, Ann meets with the Sisters of the Light and talks them into coming with her. Since magic is failing, Jagang's abilities as a Dream Walker are null, and Ann informs the Sisters of a bond to Richard, the Lord Rahl, that can keep them safe from the Dream Walker. However, the Sisters, fearful of retribution by Jagang, turn Ann over to the Imperial Order. She is left in her tent by herself, when Sister Alessandra, a Sister of the Dark, begins visiting her and bringing her food. She attempts to sway Alessandra, at first, to no avail.
Dalton Campbell, along with help from a Sister of the Dark, sets a group of his messengers on Kahlan when she is off by herself, pondering on whether or not to keep the child she finds she has conceived with Richard. She is beaten nearly to death, and when she's saved, Richard at first doesn't recognize her. When he finally does however, he realizes that he will be unable to heal her unless he manages to banish the chimes first.
Cara almost obtains the Sword of Truth, but is beaten to it by two Haken boys sent by Dalton Campbell. She kills one before chasing the other back to Anderith. When she catches him at the Dominie Dirtch, she loses the sword when Imperial Order scouts attack. The Order's soldiers collect the sword as a prize for the Emperor.
Around this time, Dalton Campbell manages to murder the Sovereign himself, instead of waiting for the feeble figurehead to pass naturally. This immediately pushes Bertrand Chanboor to the rank of Sovereign, allowing Chanboor to consummate his promotion by sleeping with Campbell's own wife, Teresa. Campbell pretends not to be disturbed by this betrayal and even seemingly "joins" the web of infidelity by sleeping with both Teresa and Chanboor's wife in turn. In reality, however, Campbell is livid and even kills an Imperial Order soldier (who had "shared" Teresa with Chanboor), gaining possession of the Sword of Truth in turn.
Having studied the actions of Joseph Ander, the ancient founder of Anderith, Richard comes to realize that the chimes and the Dominie Dirtch are connected. More specifically, Richard comes to understand that Joseph Ander enslaved the Chimes using them to power the Dominie Dirtch. Richard finally comes to understand that by using art as a form of intent he can alter the Grace and create a new pathway for magic. Thus Richard counters the magic Andre used to enslave the Chimes and calls them forth giving the chimes a choice: The Soul, his soul, they were promised by Kahlan or revenge on the spirit of Ander for enslaving them. The chimes choose vengeance, taking Ander to the underworld. Once he is successful in banishing the chimes, Richard sets off to heal Kahlan but is stopped by Du Chaillu, who tells Richard that his healing powers would kill her due to a hidden subtractive magic spell that has been placed with in her.
Alessandra eventually frees Ann, who reverts her faith back to The Creator and gives her oath to Richard. The pair soon sets off out of Anderith, and when Zedd's soul is returned to his body with the banishment of the chimes, he also departs.
Richard decides to leave for Westland, where he plans to let Kahlan recover from her wounds naturally. Dalton Campbell sees them off with his apologies and informs Richard that Campbell, Chanboor, and both of their wives have become stricken with an "unfortunate", incurable venereal disease and have doomed themselves to a slow, agonizing demise. He returns the Sword of Truth to Richard before they set off. Richard claims he will wait in Westland until the people of the world can prove to him that they truly desire freedom.
Characters in "Soul of the Fire"
- Richard Rahl
- Kahlan Amnell
- Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander
- Prelate Annalina
- Cara
- Emperor Jagang
- Dalton Campbell
- The Bird Man
- Nissel
- Du Chaillu
- Sister Alessandra
Wizard's Fifth Rule
In this book we discover the Wizard's Fifth Rule: "Mind what people do, not only what they say, for deeds will betray a lie."
| The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind | |
|---|---|
| Original novels |
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| Richard and Kahlan series |
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| The Nicci Chronicles series |
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| The Children of D'Hara series |
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| Additional novels | |
| Novella |
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| Related material | |