From the mind of Terry Goodkind who brought us the amazing Sword of Truth series comes the THE LAW OF NINES that unlike the aforementioned fantasy series takes place in the modern world. The protagonist behind The Law of Nines is Alex, a struggling artist in Midwestern United States who just turned 27.

However for Alex, things begin to change and when he inherits a large expanse of land. It seems that this inheritance was cursed and to compound the situation, our protagonist may follow the same path of his mother in this supernatural thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Interestingly enough, The Law of Nines is a strange parallel spin-off from the Sword of Truth series. For those readers who have not read the Sword of Truth novels will not be disadvantaged whatsoever but it's a great nod of the hat to fans. Nonetheless the plot and characters are quite easy to relate to. Unlike the previous novels from Goodkind, this book is considerably darker and dare I say more realistic.

As a fan of the Sword of Truth series, I thoroughly enjoyed the Easter eggs littered through this novel regarding elements from the Sword of Truth, more particular "magic" or the existence of "magic" thanks to our everyman Alex.  Apart from Alex, another interesting character was Jax which was the love interest in the book who really added something unique to the story. The book also read quite well and I finished this novel in 2 sittings as everything flowed so well. My favourite aspect was visualising Alex interpret the strange occurrences that have commenced in our world, especially when Jax tells him she is from another world.

Final Chapter

In conclusion, the action in the book is quite fast paced, especially when Alex learns of his diverse history as he is forced to take on an enemy that he never knew existed. Apart from Jax, Alex does have a few things to assist him in surviving such as his Glock and his new found fighting skills that were never needed when he was an artist. As you read page after page, The Law of Nines is a thoroughly enjoyable read that although clichéd at times, it creates some very interesting parallels to his Sword of Truth series. Thankfully Alex is his own man as was Richard Rahl.