Book 2 manages to be just as if not more gripping than its predecessor – a rare feat! As book 1 leaves us with ongoing/more danger than ever, Goodkind takes a swerve away from those events and introduces a whole other element on top, namely Richard’s need to learn to control his emerging magical abilities and his meeting with the Sisters of Light.

In this book we find out about a whole new part of Richard’s world, and also more about the Midlands, as the story splits in two.

I thoroughly enjoyed the (re-)read, with just two niggles: I was so enthralled with the new Old World that I found having to go back and spend several chapters with Kahlan a little frustrating. And more, after 1000-ish pages of build up, the whole denouement seemed somewhat rushed.

More than the first book, this leads very obviously into part three…