Witch’s Oath

The battle-heavy fourth novella in Goodkind’s Children of D’Hara series (after Wasteland) brings the story to a crisis point but follows a formulaic plot. Goodkind opens in the middle of the action—with wizard Lord Richard Rahl; his pregnant lover, Kahlan; Vika, an elite female warrior; and their allies imprisoned and tortured by the malevolent witch Moravaska Michec. Vika provokes Moravaska with pointed barbs, opening a window for Rahl to get the upper hand and the heroes to make their daring escape. The subsequent series of bloody action sequences as Rahl and company fight their way to freedom takes up the majority of the book. As the heroes fight Moravaska and the legion of creatures known as the Glee, Goodkind delivers the action fans expect, but neither the universe nor the characters develop. This relentless fantasy will have limited appeal for new readers. (Jan.)