13books
Sword of Truth
epic fantasy
Series · epic fantasy
Richard and Kahlan
The Richard and Kahlan series by Terry Goodkind has 4 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Omen Machine (2011).
- Books
- 4 books
- First published
- 2011
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: The Omen Machine (2011) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Omen Machine
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Omen Machine - Book 2:
The Third Kingdom
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Third Kingdom - Book 3:
Severed Souls
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Severed Souls - Book 4:
Warheart
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Warheart
About the Richard and Kahlan series
Richard and Kahlan picks up immediately after Confessor, the eleventh Sword of Truth novel, following the same two protagonists -- Richard Rahl, Lord Rahl and War Wizard, and Kahlan Amnell, Mother Confessor -- as they rule and defend the newly unified D'Haran Empire. Where the original eleven-book run built toward the defeat of the Imperial Order, this shorter four-book sequence turns to new, more contained threats: a mysterious machine that begins issuing eerie, impossible prophecies in The Omen Machine, an expedition into an uncharted realm plagued by hostile magic in The Third Kingdom, a cult of undead-worshipping fanatics in Severed Souls, and a fight against creeping despair and a magic-draining plague across the final volume, Warheart.
The tone stays close to the parent series -- long philosophical passages on freedom and self-determination sit alongside brutal set-piece violence and Goodkind's increasingly baroque magic system -- but the scale narrows from empire-spanning war to a tighter, more focused set of dangers, giving Richard and Kahlan's marriage and rulership more room on the page than the original war-footing books allowed. Warheart, published in 2015, is the final Richard and Kahlan novel and the last Sword of Truth book Goodkind completed before his death in 2020.
How to read this series
Start with Confessor, the eleventh and final numbered Sword of Truth novel, before picking up this series -- Richard and Kahlan assumes you already know their full history, the D'Haran Empire's politics, and the magic system built up across the original eleven books. Once you've read Confessor, read these four in publication order: The Omen Machine, The Third Kingdom, Severed Souls, then Warheart. Each book's central threat mostly resolves within that volume, but character arcs and a few plot threads -- particularly around Kahlan's magic and the state of the D'Haran Empire -- carry forward book to book, so reading out of order will cost you context rather than being genuinely optional.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to read Sword of Truth before Richard and Kahlan?
Yes. This series continues directly from Confessor, the eleventh Sword of Truth novel, with the same protagonists, world and magic system already established.
How many books are in the Richard and Kahlan series?
Four: The Omen Machine (2011), The Third Kingdom (2013), Severed Souls (2014) and Warheart (2015).
Is Richard and Kahlan the same series as Sword of Truth?
It's a direct continuation by the same author with the same lead characters, published under its own series title rather than as numbered Sword of Truth sequels.
Is Warheart the last book in the series?
Yes, Warheart (2015) is the final Richard and Kahlan novel, and the last Sword of Truth-universe book Terry Goodkind completed before his death in 2020.
How does Richard and Kahlan relate to the Nicci Chronicles?
They're parallel sequel series set in the same period after Confessor -- Richard and Kahlan follows the title characters directly, while the Nicci Chronicles follows the sorceress Nicci on a separate storyline.
Reading order last verified .