Richard must find a way to liberate these people from the Imperial Order, led by the brutal Emperor Jagang. However, he faces a significant internal obstacle: the Bandakar follow an extreme pacifist philosophy that forbids violence, even in self-defense, which Richard views as a dangerous denial of reality.
The story begins with Richard being poisoned by Owen, a man from the hidden Bandakar Empire. Richard is forced to help the Bandakar people in exchange for an antidote. He discovers that the Bandakar are "pristinely ungifted"—individuals born without any spark of magic, making them invisible to magical forces. Goodkind, Terry - Sword of Truth 8 - Naked Empire
Reviews of Naked Empire are notably polarized among fantasy readers: Naked Empire (Sword of Truth, #8) - Goodreads Richard must find a way to liberate these
The book serves as a sharp critique of unconditional non-violence. Richard argues that by refusing to acknowledge and fight evil, the Bandakar effectively enable it. Richard is forced to help the Bandakar people
Like much of Goodkind's later work, the novel is heavily influenced by Objectivist principles, focusing on individual reason, self-interest, and the objective nature of reality. Critical Reception