Audiobook Sample
Listen to the sample to experience the story.
Please wait while we verify your browser...
- Title: Soul of the Fire
- Author: Terry Goodkind
- Narrator: Buck Schirner
- Length: 24:21:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 16/05/2017
- Publisher: Brilliance Audio
- Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantasy
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
The first time I pressed play on Buck Schirner’s narration of “Soul of the Fire”, I was winding through the misty roads of Vermont’s Green Mountains, where the autumn foliage burned as fiercely as the magical conflagrations in Goodkind’s world. There’s something about experiencing fantasy epics while moving through dramatic landscapes that makes the listening experience transcendent – the way Richard Rahl’s struggles with the unleashed Chimes mirrored my own navigation of hairpin turns through the fog.
Goodkind’s fifth Sword of Truth installment unfolds like a traditional folktale told by firelight, if that fire occasionally spat embers that burned down entire civilizations. The central dilemma – magic run amok threatening to undo all Richard and Kahlan have built – reminds me of stories I’ve collected from indigenous healers in Peru, where the misuse of sacred power always carries devastating consequences. Goodkind understands this universal truth at a bone-deep level, weaving a narrative where every magical solution births new problems, much like the unintended consequences I’ve witnessed when modern tourism collides with ancient cultures.
Schirner’s narration is a masterclass in oral storytelling that would make my Oaxacan grandmother nod in approval. His Richard carries the weight of leadership in every gravelly inflection, while his Kahlan balances steel and vulnerability like the Mayan women I’ve met who command respect through quiet strength. The way he handles the Chimes – giving each a distinct, unsettling vocal quality – creates an aural uncanny valley that lingered in my ears long after stopping the audiobook.
What makes this performance exceptional is how Schirner mirrors Goodkind’s thematic depth. As someone who’s documented how cultures preserve identity under threat, I appreciate how the narrator subtly emphasizes the tension between preserving tradition and embracing change – a central conflict as the Chimes threaten to unravel magic itself. His vocal shifts during philosophical debates between characters reveal nuances I’d missed in my initial reading, particularly in Zedd’s warnings about the arrogance of power.
The audiobook’s 24-hour duration might daunt some, but like the epic journeys I’ve taken from Patagonia to the Himalayas, the length becomes a virtue. Schirner’s pacing allows space to appreciate Goodkind’s worldbuilding – the way a D’Haran market’s spices practically waft from the narration, or how battle sequences achieve cinematic clarity without visual aids. It’s an immersive experience that spoiled me; I found myself taking longer driving routes just to continue listening.
Compared to other fantasy audiobooks, Schirner’s work here stands with the best of them – Roy Dotrice’s “Game of Thrones” narration or Michael Kramer’s “Wheel of Time” performances. Yet there’s a distinctive quality to his delivery that feels more intimate, as if he’s recounting personal history rather than fiction. During Richard’s climactic confrontation with the Chimes, I actually pulled over to a rest stop, too captivated to divide attention between road and revelation.
For all its strengths, the audiobook does demand patience. Goodkind’s tendency toward philosophical digressions (which Schirner delivers with admirable commitment) might frustrate listeners craving constant action. And the female character voices, while serviceable, lack the dimensionality of Schirner’s male portrayals – a common audiobook challenge that reminds me how rare it is to find narrators like my Oaxacan host family’s matriarch, who could embody an entire village’s voices with equal authenticity.
As someone who’s spent years collecting oral traditions, I can say this: “Soul of the Fire” works better in audio than print. Schirner’s performance elevates Goodkind’s sometimes workmanlike prose into something approaching the epic bards of old. The magic feels more tangible when heard, the stakes more visceral. I’ve added several scenes to my personal ‘great audiobook moments’ mental library, right alongside listening to García Márquez in the Atacama.
If you’re new to the Sword of Truth series, I’d recommend starting earlier in the sequence. But for returning travelers to D’Hara, this audiobook is like revisiting a familiar foreign city with an expert local guide – you’ll discover alleys and perspectives you never noticed before. Just be prepared for the occasional emotional pothole; some turns in this story hit with the suddenness of a mountain road’s blind curve.
With stories yet to discover, Marcus
Marcus Rivera
