I don't know why I do it to myself anymore. Goodkind brought a real gem into the world of fantasy novels when he wrote Wizard's First Rule. Unfortunately, as with most novel series I have read, it was all downhill from there. The most common complaint in the reviews I have read seems to be that Goodkind's novels have become thinly-veiled philosophy essays, and I concur with that. I'd also add that the story is predictable, the characters behave foolishly, and (how can I put this in a way that won't spoil the ending?) things just seem to work out a little too conveniently. After this one, I don't think I'll continue to torture myself with any more of Goodkind's work. I no longer care what happens to Richard and Kahlan, and as much as I liked them in the first book, that's pretty depressing.