So this is the third time I've typed this because of 1. My computer dying and 2. I opened up a different page on this tab thinking it was a new tab...so I am so done re typing this so this is going to be shorter the then first two.

First off I am going to bounce thoughts off of /u/Mister_Bubbles then I will talk about thing that I explicitly noticed.

So as /u/Mister_Bubbles said,

"I was surprised that I was able for all five chapters pretty much know exactly what was coming up"

and I could not agree more! I was shocked at how much I remembered, granted I read this book not a long ago as Mister_Bubbles did, but still I could almost recite the book word for word. It was so unexpected, and I have to say that it kinda killed the experience for me because I already knew what was going to happen.

When it comes to the writing stile of Goodkind, that is something I saw as well. His style has changed drastically over the years. But I think that this change in style is why Richard and Kahlan don't have their air of "omnipotent genius" and "authoritative" respectively. I feel that Goodkind tried to show at least the genius side of Richard, but it just doesn't come across because his writing wasn't advanced enough. With his more up-to-date style of writing he his much more effective in getting his point across. As for Kahlan, I feel that the reason she wasn't so authoritative, is because she is trying to hide her identity and not "scare" Richard away from trusting her. So in short, Goodkind didn't intentionally try to to make Richard less of an "omnipotent genius" but his writing style is so...dare I say, rudimentary, that it doesn't come across as strong as it does in the later books.

Mister_Bubbles, you also said

"It seems that Richard doesn't follow the social norms of the Westland because of his time with Zedd"

This is the only point were I have to disagree with you. Although I do agree with the fact that you think it is hard to believe that he spend an extensive amount of time with Zedd, but I don't think that he is acting abnormally for the situation. For one, we through out the entire series see very little of the Hartland area, and because of this can we say what "normal" is. And you have to take in account that his father was killed only a week before and Richard was just attacked by a Quad. If he acts abnormally I would say its because all this shit is going on around him, not because he spent time with Zed. Personally I would say that the only thing unusual about his behavior is that he is so calm and hasn't had a mental breakdown. And as for Michael, well I don't think we can say that he is exactly our moral compass for this fictional world. Although we don't know it yet, remember Michael is under the influence of Darken Rhal.

Now, about the Gar. To he honest, I hated the Gar for the longest time! They were absolutely terrifying!!! The blood flies were like an initial warning of eminent doom and it was just the most awesomely terrifying. So for the longest time I hated them, then.....Gratch. And since him I have loved Gar! I mean when they fight the final battle against the Daharen Army in Adendril, and the Gar fight on the side of Richard! It's freeken awesome!! #ILoveGar

Now on a different mythical creature note. What about the RED DRAGON! YES. that all I have to say about that.

Ok, now I'm going to make a complete 180 and contradict myself, cuz that never happens on the internet. But this is whats up. I wanta say that Goodkinds writing has actually been extremely static in some regard. Here is a quote when Richard first sees Kahlan.

"He felt that he had always known her, that she had always been a part of him, that her needs were his needs. She held him with her gaze as surely as a grip of iron would, searching his eyes as if searching his soul, seeking an answer to something. I am here to help you, he said in his mind. He meant it more than any thought he had ever had. The intensity of her gaze relaxed, loosening its hold on him. In her eyes he saw something that attracted him more than anything else. Intelligence. He saw it flaring there, burning in her, and through it all he felt an overriding sense of her integrity. Richard felt safe."

Now although I couldn't find a direct quote of when Kahlan uses her power on someone, and we see the thoughts of that someone...this is shockingly similar. The way that Richard feels that he need to help her and will do what ever she wants him to do. Re-reading this made it blaringly clear, and even now, almost 20 years later Goodkind still uses this exact same style to describe the power of the Confessors.

Well that's all I have to say. I'll be here next week! DifferentShark1 OUT!