Naked Empired by Terry Goodkind

Fiction: Fantasy. Hardback from Tor. Published in 2003. 667 pages. On loan from The Kent District Library.

I did not look carefully enough at this tome before checking it out of the library, and thus inadvertently picked up book number eight. I did not suspect that it was part of a series until I was well into it and the author began to refer back to things that had happened in the previous books. Then, when I went to Amazon to get the picture of the cover to add to the "Current Read" sidebar, I found out it was not a stand-alone novel. (I really hate it when they don't prominently display on a book cover that a book is a part of a series.) Thankfully, the book was enjoyable even without having read the previous seven books. I don't think I'll go back and read the earlier volumes, but may look for any that have been written since this one.

As an aside, it was surprising coincidence to read Richard's (the main character) attempts to explain to a pacifistic people his reasons for justifying war after having just read Claiborne's discussion about feeling war is not acceptable. (Or at least this war in Iraq.)

Publisher's summary:
Now Goodkind returns with a sweeping adventure of epic intrigue, violent conflict, and terrifying peril for the beautiful Kahlan Amnell and her husband, the heroic Richard Rahl, the Sword of Truth. Richard Rahl has been poisoned. Saving an empire from annihilation is the price of the antidote. With the shadow of death looming, the empire crumbling before the invading hordes, and time running out, Richard is offered not only his own life but the salvation of a people, in exchange for delivering his wife, Kahlan, into bondage to the enemy.

Online book shopping:
Powell's: Naked Empire
amazon.co.uk: Naked Empire
amazon.com: Naked Empire
Audible.com: Not available as audio from Audible at this time.