Faith of the Fallen by Terry Goodkind

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Submitted by Andrew Broering 
(Jun 20, 2004)

I have read many novels in the fantasy genre and after having read all of the Sword of Truth series can honestly say that this is my favourite book ever. The themes in this book are many times clearly stated and they have brought new meaning to my life. No other story that I have ever read has displayed love and individual value to the extent that this one accomplishes. I was actually changed by this book and nothing has ever had that much impact on me. I can only say that in times as troubled as these people are constantly searching for hope and i have found that. Mr. Goodkind's words are forever engraved in my heart.
"Your life is yours alone. Rise up and live it."

Never have I read a book so compelling as this one. Mr. Goodkind, the outstanding author that he is, portrays the value of life and as people, our ability to change it. The characters, realistically, bring forth their will for freedom and serve as an example of how ordinary people can believe incredible things, how but one person's determination can change a world. I have yet to finish this book, but the overwhelming effect it has made on my will to strive for whatever is expected of me, to give what it takes, is unbelievable.

Richard Rahl, once a simple woods guide, and Kahlan Rahl, are presently (for that is where I've paused in the reading of this book) achieving the impossible for something in which they believe. This book can teach one to know their limits, but to not doubt faith, will, and "power of the human spirit."

I can simply say, "WOW!" to this awesome novel and all its truth.

I have been reading the Sword of Truth series for some time now, and above all the Faith of the Fallen novel is my favorite. I love it for the fact that it takes you so far into the human soul and teaches you about the human spirit and why you should fight for it. There were endless little details which make this a perfect book to read at any time. It was very easy for me to connect spiritually with Goodkind's words and characters.

This IS a rather belated review of Faith, but... oh well.

Faith of the Fallen, being the 6th book in a series of (so far) 8, is also one of the most controversial chapters of Goodkind's fantasy Magnum Opus. From talking about it in various book clubs, talking with friends, and reading a number of reviews on both Amazon and this very website, it seems that a lot of people who read it were upset by

a) the blatantly antagonistic view of communism,
b) The unrealistic portrayal of Richard as a superhumanly good character
c) The relationship which is at the core of the book, Richard and Kahlan, being torn apart (again) for most of the book

and

d) The cyclical nature of Goodkind's plots (i.e., Rich is captured, great evil threatens, Kahlan is bitter, Rich escapes, conquers, learns new powers, and is reunited with Kahlan. Wash, dry, and repeat.)

I would like to adress those issues. Remember, this is all just my own opinion.

First of all, the cycling plot and the Kahlan/Rich relationship problems
- It works. What a lot of people don't seem to pick up on, and I may be wrong here, is that the SoT series is more character study than epic, tolkienesque fantasy. Granted, there are many plots Goodkind could have used, but this plot actually works for me as the best way to espouse his views on character and the human condition. Richard represents something, which I will go into later, and that something will get its message across most effectively in the manner whihc Goodkind has decided.

Secondly, the communism.
- Again, communism here serves to underline the great message which Richard himself delivers. Is it a false perception of communism? Perhaps, Perhaps not. But, either way, it is NOT communism as we know it. Just because it SYMBOLIZES what communism itself symbolized, it is not the same thing. I appreciate the pain that communists or even political scientists out there feel about communism being maligned in this book, but it still stands that FotF is NOT bashing communism. It is bashing the evil PARTS of communism, and therefore must push them to the fore in order to better contrast them with Rich's heroic ideal.

Lastly, Richard himself.
- Richard is a hero. He's not the tragically flawed hero of Hamlet. He's not the anti-hero of Taxi Driver. He's not the introspective, brooding, regal hero of Aragorn. He's not even the hero cut along the lines of King Richard the Lionheart.

He is the hero called man. The heroic IDEAL of man. The man we all aspire to be, realistic or not.

He is Howard Roark.

To those unfamiliar, Howard Roark is the principal hero in Ayn Rand's masterpiece, The Fountainhead. To keep a beautifully long story short, Fountainhead was about one man, Roark, facing a world in which "heroism" was being a mindless sheep following the will of a mindless majority. It was about Roark climbing for the ideal, he became a hero by sticking to his principles, by realizing that one need not listen to the cries of the masses for guidance, but to his own inner, heroic, voice. Roark espoused the idea that man's supreme goal is himself. There's more, but that's another story.

Richard and Roark. Similar, eh?

Should Ayn Rand's estate sue for plagiarism? Heck no. Goodkind did not steal any of Rand's sentences. He assumed her philosophy. And isn't that what Rand was trying to do in the first place? Spread her philosophy?

Goodkind simply did what Rand wanted, by taking Roark and transforming him into a fantasy hero, Richard Rahl.

Being a faithful fan of Terry, both his devious plot turns and the beautiful depiction of the main characters, I was utterly shocked reading "Faith of the
fallen." Being nothing like he has ever written before.
Faith of the Fallen is most of all a political book and a comment on the 'mass' being more important then the individual, carrying the political and philosophical heritage of Ayn Rand and her Objectivism.
Whether you sympathize with this or not, it is a literary masterpiece, simple and devious.
It is a philosophical manifest, yet it tells of its
principles through examples in human life rather then just stating them in a list.
The plot turn involving the statue and Nicci was amazing at it actually made me cry.
I truly hope that "Naked empire" will live up to this
breathtaking book.