Author | Terry Goodkind |
---|---|
Cover artist | Keith Parkinson Unknown Female with lead character |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Series | The Sword of Truth |
Genre | Epic fantasy |
Publisher | Tor Fantasy |
Publication date
|
April 1999 |
Media type | Print (Hardback) |
Pages | 512 |
ISBN | |
OCLC | 40545453 |
813/.54 21 | |
LC Class | PS3557.O5826 S68 1999 |
Preceded by | Temple of the Winds |
Followed by | Faith of the Fallen |
Soul of the Fire is the fifth book in Terry Goodkind's epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth.
Richard and Kahlan are finally married and are enjoying their wedding night back in the Spirit house in the Village of the Mud People. Soon, sudden and unexplainable deaths begin to occur, and Richard comes to the conclusion that when Kahlan called forth "the chimes" in order to save him, they remained free, causing havoc. Zedd sends Richard and Kahlan off to the Wizard's Keep in Aydindril to get a special bottle that contains a spell that will stop the threat.
While en route, Richard, Kahlan, and their Mord-Sith protector Cara are sidetracked into dealing with the people of Anderith, who have a powerful weapon of mass destruction called the Dominie Dirtch. They find that the leadership of Anderith wishes to surrender to the Imperial Order rather than surrender to the D'Haran Empire. As Richard tries his best to convince the people of Anderith of the danger the Imperial Order poses, he becomes firmly convinced that the chimes are loose.
Continuing on from Temple of the Winds, the story begins after Richard and Kahlan's wedding in the village of the Mud People. Strange deaths and the appearance of a 'chicken-that-isn't-a-chicken' leaves Richard fearing the worst. Zedd confides in Richard that the chicken is a Lurk sent by Emperor Jagang's Sisters of the Dark. According to Zedd, the only way to destroy the Lurk is by smashing a bottle from the Wizard's Keep in Aydindril with the Sword of Truth.
However, Zedd is actually lying. He has surmised that a terrible magic known as "the chimes" has been accidentally released by Kahlan in her attempt to cure Richard. The chimes will eventually drain all magic from the world of the living, beginning with the additive magic. This would cause death to beings that require magic and possibly cause the destruction of the world if additive magic were to completely fail. Zedd determines that he must find a remedy, and wants Richard and Kahlan safely out of the way while he does so.
Richard, Kahlan and Cara, unaware of the truth, set out to accomplish the task of breaking the bottle. Meanwhile, Zedd and Ann set off in separate ways. Zedd recalls some lore that relates the chimes to Anderith and he travels there to attempt to banish the chimes. Ann infiltrates the Imperial Order in order to save the Sisters of the Light under Jagang's enslavement. However, the Sisters of the Light betray Ann to Jagang because they fear the wrath of Emperor Jagang, causing Ann to be captured.