Terry Goodkind (God bless his soul) did an outstanding job with the Sword of Truth series. Contrary to what many fans think, it remains one of the best works of fantasy ever written.
And, although the Legend of the Seeker adaptation did not reproduce the source material faithfully, it is still an enjoyable TV series that’s worth watching, regardless of the cliches.
Craig Horner, Bridget Regan, Tabrett Bethell, and Bruce Spence brought life to what might have been a very poor TV adaptation.
While a lot has been made of the book’s overly graphic and sometimes disturbing imagery, credit must go to the cast, especially Craig Parker, whose cold demeanour brought to life the Darken Rahl we know in the books.
Tabrett Bethell was Cara in the flesh, with every look and every gesture reflecting the unwavering loyalty of the Mord Sith. Bridget Regan brought beauty and compassion to her character as the Mother Confessor, while Craig Horner, still your typical fantasy hero, was a pretty convincing Richard Cypher.
Legend of the Seeker gets a lot of flak for being cliche and diverging significantly from its source material. But, as far as the casting goes, especially for the major characters, it’s pretty close to perfect.
The love between the Mother Confessor and the Seeker is an entire theme of its own in the Sword of Truth series, and the producers of the Legend of the Seeker chose the best two characters to reenact that connection for TV.
And they were perfect together.
Right from where they stumbled into one another in the Hartland woods, the chemistry was palpable, the on-screen sparks inevitable, the sexual tension of their unconsummated relationship hovering like a time bomb to intrigue fans of real romance.
It wasn’t just about the Mother Confessor and her mate-to-be. It was the union of two extremely likeable and compatible personalities that had fans rooting for them against all odds.
Whether or not you found the idea and depiction of the Mord-Sith in the Sword of Truth series disturbing or downright sexist, it’s hard to deny that the show’s producers stayed true to the author’s original portrayal of this all-female, elite sect of royal bodyguards.
From the skin-tight blood-red leathers to the stunning actresses donning them, you can literally see wisps of steam rising up from the Mord-Sith in Legend of the Seeker as they combine deadly ruthlessness with irresistible sexual appeal in service of the Lord Rahl.
Communism versus capitalism. Free market enterprise versus a centrally planned economy. Good versus evil. Much of the Sword of Truth comprised endless philosophical ramblings that, if eliminated, would cut the entire series down by almost half. While I didn’t mind reading about it, most readers found it boring to read, which is perfectly understandable.
Legend of the Seeker does away with the ideological debates and focuses on the fast-paced, adventure-filled storyline. While this was a significant divergence from the source material, it likely would have translated into a poor TV series if it had been included in the adaptation.
The story lacked the character ensemble depth to imitate the political intrigue in other adaptations like HBO’s Game of Thrones. So, while such a choice was undoubtedly a literary evil, it was certainly a necessary one. And, the Legend of the Seeker benefited from this trajectory.
True, fantasy rarely gets as trope-ey as Sword of Truth. We’ve got everything from farmboys finding super swords to dark wizard-tyrants, magical cabals, and special artefacts. We’ve got bounty hunters, quest companies, and a race against time to avert the world’s impending doom.
In all, it’s the classic good versus evil story where the forces of good triumph. And, in many ways, Legend of the Seeker‘s adherence to this trend is part of what makes it such an enjoyable TV series. It’s predictable, yes, but the adventures are many, as are the obstacles that the heroes need to surmount to achieve their goals. There are side quests along the way, but the overall objective never changes: to defeat the forces of evil.
It’s cliche. But it’s rapid. It’s predictable. But it’s enjoyable. For lovers of the classic tropes, Legend of the Seeker is a worthy watch.
The Legend of the Seeker is ideal for younger audiences, while the source material, Sword of Truth, is peak adult fantasy replete with explicit scenes and deep themes.
The TV series eliminates much of what most readers found unappealing about the books, while retaining enough of the original elements to make it a much better adaptation than it’s given credit for.
What did you think of the books and TV series? Let me know in the comments.
