History Literature / SwordOfTruth

* HappinessInSlavery: [[TheBaroness Mord-Sith]] to any Lord Rahl, due to brutal brainwashing from a young age, which includes being [[SelfMadeOrphan forced to kill their fathers]]. They still stick around even after Richard freed them (deciding that someone who would do that is worth following), and some were happier than most after he gave them more... [[SchoolgirlLesbians freedom]].

%% * RapeAsBackstory: Cara and maybe all the Mord-Siths; Darken Rahl raped them often.

The two first books, ''Wizard's First Rule'' and ''Stone of Tears'', are fairly standard fantasy fare, complete with dragons, an evil wizard out to rule the world, the discovery that he [[TheManBehindTheMan wasn't working for his own sake]], a potentially world-ending plot, a magic sword, a wise old wizard, a mysterious woman with strange powers, and a [[AuthorAppeal gratuitous S&M sequence]]. For a long time some people thought Goodkind was ripping off [[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Robert Jordan]], as his stories contained many things that had exact counterparts in Jordan's novels. From the third book on, [[DerivativeDifferentiation things get slightly less derivative]], with the introduction of a new BigBad and increasing focus on Richard's struggles as a leader. By the fourth book the plot is still pretty standard but at least going under its own power.

* BrotherhoodOfEvil: A {{gender flip}}ped example: the Sisters of the Dark in ''Literature/TheSwordOfTruth'', an organization of {{evil sorcerer}}s within the Sisters of the Light secretly serving [[GodOfEvil the Keeper]].

* RapeAsBackstory: Cara (and maybe all the Mord-Siths) in the ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'' series. Darken Rahl raped them often.

* BrokenAesop: The first few books have Richard being told that most people who end up doing great evil [[WellIntentionedExtremist honestly believed that they were doing the right thing]], and that unquestioning belief in the rightness of one's cause is the most dangerous thing in the world. Later on in the series, the author takes the opposite position: some things really are [[BlackAndWhiteMorality as simple as black and white]], and if you really are Right, taking [[KnightTemplar extreme measures]] when fighting against those who really are Evil is not only justifiable, but ''necessary''. However, the protagonists end up doing some, well, morally questionable things in the process, to the point where the protagonists can end up looking like [[AccidentalAesop textbook examples of what the first few books warned against becoming]]. ''Naked Empire'' spends a good chunk of time preaching that you have to work for things, and that knowledge doesn't just come to you when you need it. In the last pages of the book, Richard's dying of poison and the knowledge of how to make the antidote basically just shows up in his head. Another particularly obvious one is the repeated exhortation to live your own life and think for yourself - but if you don't think Richard is right you're wrong, probably evil, and are going to die. It's broken even before that, since Richard's explicit superpower is that things come to him without any effort (most obviously magic, but it's implied that everything from his skill with a bow to sculpture are just handed to him for free by the universe with no training, practice, etc. required).

* OnceAnEpisode: Every book, a new Wizard's Rule will be revealed.

* AuthorTract: The series is often accused by detractors of being nothing more than Objectivist propaganda, particularly the later books. These themes were always slightly present, but ''really'' begin to crop up later in the series: ''Faith of the Fallen'' is two-fifths desperate battles and {{angst}}, and three-fifths [[{{Anvilicious}} clangingly obvious]] pro-Creator/AynRand [[AuthorFilibuster soapboxing]] on how individuals working for themselves in a free market works far better than your broken, inevitably corrupt socialism. ''Confessor'' also stumps for atheism, [[FlatEarthAtheist despite incontrovertible evidence in earlier books]].

* NotSoDifferent: There's the fact that the Confessors, a faction of "good" women, have the same infanticidal tendencies as the House of Rahl, the leaders of the evil empire. Or how Emperor Jagang does all his horrible actions in the name of God while Richard does all of his horrible actions in the name of "Moral Clarity".

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Richard's bodyguards Ulic and Egan disappear entirely without mention after ''Temple Of The Winds'', and their sudden and [[BackForTheFinale conspicuous reappearance]] in ''Confessor'' seems to suggest Goodkind realized he'd forgotten all about them. There's also the seer girl from ''Stone of Tears'' who returns to tell the heroes ([[CharacterFilibuster at great length]]) about a city conquered by the Order in the last trilogy, then just wanders off later on, never to be referenced again.

* SexMagic: In ''Stone of Tears'' it's shown sorceresses and wizards can get each other aroused with magic, or it's implied enhance the experience while having sex. Jedediah uses his magic to arouse a sorceress this way, and before he has sex with her ([[SexyDiscretionShot off page]]) one does the same for him as well.

* OurWerebeastsAreDifferent: They include a werecat and [[spoiler: Brophy]], [[BalefulPolymorph a man turned into a wolf by a magical spell]].

%% * ActionGirl: Most of the female characters.

** Darken Rahl uses a kind blood magic in the form of consuming the brains and testicles ({{Squick}}!) of a young boy loyal to him to summon a creature of the underworld to ride and thus can travel anywhere very quickly. The journey books were introduced later in the series and did not require blood to operate.

* DemocracyIsBad: One Amazon review for "Soul of the Fire" notes much fantasy has this trope implicitly, and that that book makes it very very explicit, as the people of Anderith vote for neutrality, which then gets them slaughtered by the Imperial Order whom they won't/can't fight against.

* ChildSoldiers: Mord-Sith, the elite D'Haran women warriors, are selected from the gentlest girls, then they're broken through torture. After suffering it themselves, they're forced to torture their mothers being tortured fatally, then do the same with their fathers. Once that's done, they train to be full Mord-Sith.

* DarkMessiah: Jagang of the later books claims he's been chosen by the Creator to create a paradise where all the needy are taken care of, while everyone works for others' benefit. He can inflict mental torture on those who can use magic and whisper into the minds of those who can't. He's also a rapist and generally terrible human being and the leader of a horde of fellow ones. He even has his own false prophet guy who sets up the religion of evil and has a scheme so they can practically live forever, luckily [[spoiler: they both get killed and all their followers sent to another dimension.]] Most critics of the series would also view Richard Rahl, the "hero" as one of these too. He executes people without trial, coerces countries into submitting to his rule, massacres civilians, uses torture on prisoners and in general won't accept anything except people completely signing up to his side. [[SarcasmMode All in the name of liberty]], [[{{Hypocrite}} don't you know]].

* DemocracyIsBad: One Amazon review for "Soul of the Fire" notes much fantasy has this trope implicitly, and that that book makes it very very explicit.

* DirtyCommunists: The Imperial Order are a fantasy version, who use an insanely dysfunctional command economy and try to force equality on everyone [[ReligionOfEvil because of their religion]]. Given that the trope is played very, ''very'' straight, the reader should alsoexpect almost all senior figures to really be {{Straw Hypocrite}}s who merely use the rhetoric of "caring about our fellow man" to line their own pockets. However, [[spoiler:Sister Nicci]] is a true believer [[spoiler:until Richard converts her]].

** In ''Faith of the Fallen'' Nicci puts a spell on Kahlan, so she will suffer whatever Nicci suffers, but tenfold, and uses it to have Richard following her. After that, she first tries to seduce Richard then, since she fails, doesn't fight when a local thug, Gadi, rapes her, so that Kahlan with feel it. The fact that she lured him on purpose doesn't change the fact that Gadi is a rapist (since he didn't have to do it and ignored consent), but it does mean that Nicci is effectively raping Kahlan. It's never brought up again. May double as DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnFemale as well.
** A variation in ''Temple of the Winds''. While there is no direct magic compulsion, the condition to access said temple (which they must enter) are two arranged marriages (Richard with Nadine, Kahlan with Drefan) that have to be consumed immediately. The fact that they have no choice and are couples that would never have been together otherwise, making it rape by coercion, is never brought up (as an added bonus, there is a mundane BedTrick also involved that gets glossed over as well).

* ExpansionPackPast: Nicci gets one in ''Faith of the Fallen''.

* BlackAndWhiteMorality: The heroes are good and noble, and always right, while the villains all KickTheDog like they're in an international dog-kicking competition. Or at least, that's how the author intends it. To many readers, it comes off as more BlackAndGreyMorality, given how rutheless the heroes can be (using torture, massacring people etc.) if not EvilVsEvil at times.

* BlackAndWhiteMorality: The heroes are good and noble, and always right, while the villains all KickTheDog like they're in an international dog-kicking competition.

* BlackMagic: Magic is defined as Additive and Subtractive, with the "magic sand" for Additive magic being pure white and for Subtractive magic being as black as space. Subtractive magic can also be granted only by making a DealWithTheDevil by the time of the books, though in the past it was available to most mages and neutral.

* IRejectYourReality: The Bandakar are philosophical skeptics who believes there's no reality as our senses are not reliable. When something goes wrong, they start chanting "Nothing is wrong" (until Richard [[EasyEvangelism easily shows this view is absurd]]).

* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:Richard Cypher's real name is actually Richard ''Rahl''. He is a ChildOfRape by Darken Rahl, and has inherited his kingdom and magical powers]].

* VillainousIncest: While not outright stated, this is heavily implied to be taking place between Tobias and Lunetta Brogan.