Yeah how many dudes read The Sword of Truth novels. That shit is pulp romance with swords and magic.
I read most of that series because an idiot friend recommended them highly. Those books are amazing, but not in a good way. Terry Goodkind is batshit insane. No, wait, Let me rephrase that: Terry Goodkind is a fucking
maniac. The first two books? Not so good, but there is worse shitty fantasy out there. It's cliched as all hell, but he paces things OK, some gratuitous S&M action happens and the bad guy eats children's testicles, so at least you can't really accuse Goodkind of pretension.* Unfortunately, that all changes. Well, no wait, it's still creepy and sadistic, but as the series goes on, it becomes clearer and clearer that Goodkind actually IS pretentious and also has a great big ol' stiffy for Ayn Rand. I mean, shit, the first book in the series is named after the "Wizard's First Rule," which states that people are stupid and only believe what they're afraid to believe or want to believe. The hero of the series, Richard Rahl, dissolves the series equivalent of the UN and takes over for everyone's own good. You know, because only brilliant dictators can save the world since most people are too stupid and sheeplike to know what's good for them. Another book involves the sad tale of an industrious man who is undermined by his shrewish wife and daughter who insist that he uses his wealth to help poor people (who promptly just take advantage of him, of course). Later in the series, good ol' Richard orders his men to slaughter a crowd of pacifists because they won't fight for him.
Here's an excerpt:
Men behind Richard hit the line of evil's guardians with unrestrained violence. People armed only with their hatred for moral clarity fell bloodied, terribly injured, and dead. The line of people collapsed before the merciless charge. Some of the people, screaming their contempt, used their fists to attack Richard's men. They were met with swift and deadly steel. I guess you can say that I'm not a fan.
*God, I love damning things with faint praise. I am patting myself on the back SO hard right now.