‘Law of Nines’ more of a sequel than genre switch
When I heard that Terry Goodkind, author of the “Sword of Truth” epic fantasy series, was releasing a thriller I was, well, thrilled.
As a big fan of fantasy, I’m more than familiar with Goodkind’s work in the genre. His series featuring Richard Rahl as the woodsman turned hero is set in a world of magic and follows a long battle of good versus evil. Though the books can get a little preachy at times and the Ayn Rand influence is everywhere, Goodkind did well for himself with the series, which also was turned into a TV show, “The Seeker.”
Now, in what is supposed to be a “new direction” for the author, comes “The Law of Nines.”
Alex Rahl (sound familiar?) saves the life of a mysterious woman who issues a cryptic warning before vanishing.
“Be careful of mirrors,” she said at last into the quiet. “They can watch you through mirrors.”
Indeed, “they” have been watching Alex — for a long time. When Alex runs into the strange but beautiful woman again he learns her name is Jax and he also hears of a prophecy. Jax tells him she is not from his world but from a world of magic — a land under threat that can only be saved by someone from Alex’s world. She needs his help.
While Alex is immediately smitten with Jax, he finds her story hard to swallow. But after a couple of nasty encounters, he doesn’t need further convincing. Jax explains more about the prophecy involving the House of Rahl and the connection between their two worlds, how 1,000 years ago those who did not want to live in a world of magic were sent to another realm.
“History says that long ago our world was engulfed in war. There were many people who didn’t want magic in their lives — didn’t want it to exist. They believed it was evil. ... They were unwilling to allow anyone with magic to live free. ... Because there could be no peace with them, they were granted their foolish wish to live in a world without magic. ... They were all banished here, to a world where magic didn’t exist.”
The banished included some of the Rahl line, who, because they weren’t born with the gift, chose to go to the land without magic.
Alex realizes those are his ancestors and that his link to the prophecy is true. He knows he must help Jax in any way he can, so suddenly the struggling artist becomes a hero on a quest.
Billed as a genre switch, “The Law of Nines” seems a bit like a bait-and-switch to me, even though I enjoyed it. Since I have read the “Sword of Truth” series I was surprised and happy to re-enter this world of Rahls and prophecy, wizards and magic, but all that doesn’t seem like much of a stretch for Goodkind. Perhaps if I hadn’t read his earlier work it would seem more like a thriller to me. It is set in the modern world, is packed with action and can stand alone for new readers. Ultimately, though, the book is a sequel, which should please his fans.
Though I’m not at all disappointed that “The Law of Nines” continued a story that I enjoy, it still left me looking for the big genre switch that’s being marketed. Maybe the publisher wanted Goodkind to make a slow change as to not alienate his fans, and the book probably will gain him some more mainstream readers. But I’m still waiting to see what Goodkind can do outside of the Rahl world, maybe “The Law of Nines” is just a small step in getting there.
