To summarize in one paragraph: playing Magic on a video game console against the computer is akin to playing against the biggest jerk you associate with.

Read the full story

Every now and then a game comes along that, while designed and marketed for a younger market, captures my interest and imagination in a uniquely satisfying way. No, I’m not talking about Barbie Horse Adventures. I’m talking about one of Activision’s E3 offerings, Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure. Read the full story

Confessor is the eleventh, and final, book in the Sword of Truth series.  Terry Goodkind brings his story to its ultimate conclusion in this gripping finale.

Confessor is the final book in the Chainfire trilogy, as well as the Sword of Truth series.  Richard has been captured by the Imperial Order, but they are unaware of his identity, thinking he is only a common individual.  Richard manages to escape, however, after causing a riot in the army camp.  Kahlan recovers her memory of who she is, but not of her past.  The Imperial Order has conquered all of the New World except for the final fortress of D’Hara, Richard’s capital.  Richard must find Kahlan, find the Sisters of the Dark and the magic of Orden, and defeat the military forces of the Old World before magic, and life, are stamped out.

-[insert revolutionary thinking here]

Phantom is the penultimate book in the epically long Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.  The plot of the previous book, Chainfire, is continued and expanded upon in the tenth book of the series.

Phantom continues Richard’s search for his missing wife, Kahlan.  The Chainfire spell discovered in the previous book is still in effect, but Richard discovers that the spell form has been corrupted, as has all magic to some extent.  At the same time, Richard sees that the direct confrontation battles between the New World and the Old World are futile, since the Old World has supplies and troops far beyond those of the New World.  Richard orders his army to break into multiple, small armies, and sends them into the Old World to wreak havoc and destruction.  Meanwhile, Kahlan, having no memory of who she is, travels with the Sisters of the Dark to gather the items needed to cast an all-powerful magic that would give the Sisters immortality and unparalleled power.

-[insert revolutionary thinking here]

With the ninth book, Chainfire, the Sword of Truth series starts the final story arc, that will continue through the final two books to the conclusion of the series.

Chainfire is the beginning of a trilogy of books that completes the Sword of Truth series.  After a battle, Richard awakes to find Kahlan gone.  Even more disturbing is that nobody seems to remember who Kahlan is, or that Richard was ever married.  It is as if Kahlan has been erased from the world without ever having existed.  While desperately trying to convince the others that Kahlan is real, he tirelessly searches for her and for the enemies that have taken her, setting a dark plan into motion.

-[insert revolutionary thinking here]

Eighth in Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, Naked Empire brings the regular characters back to the forefront in their continuing efforts to defeat the Imperial Order.

Naked Empire picks up right where The Pillars of Creation leaves off.  ”The Gang”, as I’ll be referring to the group of heroes from here on out, encounters an individual named Owen, who begs for their assistance.  He gets The Gang’s assistance by poisoning Richard, with the promise of an antidote once he has freed Owen’s people from the Imperial Order.  Richard soon finds out that the Bandakar (Owen’s people) are all pristinely ungifted, with no spark of magic, like his half-sister Jennsen.  He reasons that the Imperial Order’s motives for conquering the Bandakar, as out of the way as they are, are to use them as a weapon against magic, as magic has no effect on them.  Richard must find a way to expel the Imperial Order from Bandakar, and win the allegiance of the Bandakar people before his time runs out.

-[insert revolutionary thinking here]

The Pillars of Creation, the seventh installment of the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind, is the first in the series not to prominently feature the regular characters of the first six books.

In The Pillars of Creation, we are introduced to some new characters whose storylines will dominate most of the book.  Jennsen and Sebastian are first escaping the assassins of “Lord Rahl”, then joining Jagang and the Imperial Order, setting out to assassinate Richard Rahl.  Oba is discovering that he has a great deal of strength and power, and is seeking answers and riches.  Though neither knows it, Jennsen and Oba are half-siblings to each other, as well as to Richard Rahl.  It is discovered that Jennsen and Oba are known as “Pillars of Creation”, meaning that they have no spark of magical ability in them whatsoever.  This is a rarity in a world where almost every living being has at least a miniscule spark of magic within them.  This story sets up for the eighth book in the series, Naked Empire, which delves deeper into the world of the ungifted.

-[insert revolutionary thinking here]

The sixth book in Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, Faith of the Fallen, drastically alters the course of the overall story.

Richard and Kahlan have removed themselves from the world after Richard’s faith in the ability of the people to stand up for themselves and choose freedom over tyranny.  They are unable to stay away, however, when Nicci, an incredibly powerful sorceress who has had dealings with Richard before, captures him and takes him into the heart of the Old World.  She wants to make him understand the idealogy of the Imperial Order by making him live in the capital of the Old World.  He is forced to live without magic, and without his identity.  After many months, Richard, however, simply by his nature, unknowingly converts Nicci into a follower and ally, opening her eyes to the oppression and degradation of the Old World and the Imperial Order.  With the many followers he has managed to acquire simply by being himself, Richard is able to oversee the fall of the capital of the Imperial Order.  Faith of the Fallen is easily one of my favorite books in the Sword of Truth series.

-[insert revolutionary thinking here]

Soul of the Fire, the fifth book in Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, continues moments after where Temple of the Winds left off.

In Soul of the Fire, the magic that Kahlan (Richard’s wife) uses to save Richard’s life releases a terrible scourge into the world known as the Chimes.  The Chimes slowly begin draining magic out of the world, which could lead to apocalyptic consequences.  Richard and Kahlan discover the Chimes after Zedd (Richard’s grandfather) has started trying to banish the Chimes from the living world.  While the heroes pursue their objective, another story is taking place.  The land of Anderith is a strategic military point in the battle between Richard Rahl and the Imperial Order.  Political intrigue in Anderith has a large effect on the lives of Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, and many others.  Soul of the Fire is very well written, and one of the more enjoyable books in the series, in my opinion.

-[insert revolutionary thinking here]

The history of the war that Richard Rahl now finds himself in is fleshed out in more detail in Temple of the Winds, the fourth book of the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.

The Emperor of the Imperial Order, Jagang, has forced Richard Rahl into following a prophecy with only two endings, both of which hold death.  A magical plague spreads across the New World with the intensity of a hurricane as Jagang’s armies advance further.  Meanwhile, Richard learns a great deal more about the Great War 3,000 years past from the journals he has found of a wizard from that time.  Richard Rahl must deal with betrayal while holding off the forces of the Old World and the Imperial Order.

By the way, Richard defeats one enemy by ripping his spine out through his stomach.

I won’t say who, but that’s pretty awesome.  That’s Roadhouse awesome.

-Because I said so