Want to distill the essence of what Terry Goodkind's personal ethics were as reflected in his writing down from 30+ books to a single title? Start here. Mr. Goodkind artfully weaves the essence of the lessons passed on to us in his Sword of Truth saga as clever passages and quips in this departure from his traditional Fantasy format into a darker, visceral, more tangible world suited for those who may not enjoy his cardinal works. As a lifelong student of Mr. Goodkind's work, I highly recommend this title to anyone looking to dip their toes into the worlds created by the mind of this master storyteller.