Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind

It was easier to read this book than I expected; the story came back to me fairly easily (after eight or nine years). I did remember why (in part) I stopped reading this series. I like the characters (especially Zedd), but there are a lot of didactic asides about when violence is justified, moral relativism, and achieving balance. If I wanted someone to lecture me on those topics, I'd register for a philosophy course.