Wizard's First Rule

In Wizard's First Rule, Terry Goodkind creates a wonderful world, but more importantly, fascinating characters and a dramatic story. This is a fantasy world, but Goodkind creates his own magical creatures (with the exception of dragons--well, one dragon; no elves and trolls here, just gars and heart hounds) and his own brand of magic.

But far more interesting are his characters and their stories. Goodkind is a master of creating dramatic conflict that arises from the relationships of his characters and the choices they make.

It might take a while to get into if, like me, you're not a big fan of fantasy as such. Goodkind's writing, at first, is a bit amateurish in places, though mostly competent, and it improves greatly through the book show more and the next several books in the series. But stick with it. I was hooked 100 or so pages in, and two-thirds of the way through (when Rachel is bitten by a blood fly) it got so good that I literally could not put it down until the end and stayed up the entire night to finish it. And Goodkind goes on from there to create probably the best fantasy series out there.

The major complaint about this book seems to be the violence, but with one exception it is really not that graphic or explicit. The fact that people are so disturbed by it speaks to the power of Goodkind's writing, and anyway I think adults can handle it in a fantasy novel. If it is a flaw, it is so outweighed by the book's many virtues that it seems almost nitpicky.

Typical fantasy fans don't seem to like this series too much for some reason, but it appeals to the more intelligent reader who likes general fiction, so if you're looking for an adventure story that can also make you think, give this series a look. show less

This book is useful, at least.
Looking at it as an outline of a cookie cutter, impossibly generic popcorn fantasy can give you some direction into knowing exactly what not to do when writing a fantasy story. It reads as someone's fever dream of what the '90's nerd kids would like and I suppose it does that well. It's not boring, it's just breathtakingly generic. The whole crew is here, Marty Sue, Mary Sue, The Great Object, The Dark Lord, The Powerful Wizard, The Spooky Skeletons.
All in all, Terry Goodkind wrote a good generic fantasy bare-bones skeleton of what he thought a book in this genre should be, and probably what the mainstream audience thinks that fantasy is, so use this as a reference point to something so awe-inspiringly show more unoriginal you could never write something like it yourself. show less

7/10
Traditional fantasy, book one in a series that seems to have grown rather unwieldy. It made quite a splash when it was published back in the 1990s, although I never read it until now, and it has aged fairly well.

Author Goodkind weaves some enduring themes into his story—love, sacrifice, intention, forgiveness—but perhaps none as intriguing as the Wizard’s First Rule: People are stupid.

I would have given it 4 stars because I liked it much more than I expected, but the duration and detail of the torture that Richard endures at Denna’s hands was just too much. Even though I understand how crucial it was to both Richard’s growth and to the overall plot, it still felt gratuitous.

The first entry into Goodkind's Sword of Truth universe.

First off: Don't watch the show. It changes too many critical points. Come in with a fresh perspective.

As a series, it is very, very uneven- the worst books are full-novel length Scouring of the Shire/Tom Bombadil pointless, with the added boredom of Ayn Rand-style lecturing on individualism.

The best books, though, are absolutely incredible and I would not fail to recommend.

As a personal opinion- and I say this as someone who eagerly grabbed each installment as a teen- I think Goodkind's voice and talents as an author weren't aligned with what he wanted to write, and that this caused that seesaw effect.

This opening entry is, in my opinion, the third-best of the series- and that show more marks it as very, very good.

Be warned: Goodkind has some background BDSM tendencies and is absolutely unafraid of graphically described violence. The former happens suddenly here and there throughout the series, the latter is fairly common.

Goodkind's strengths are absolutely gripping action, an interesting main character, and making everything seem obvious at the end with identifiable foreshadowing throughout on a review. His weaknesses are a tendency to lecture, and an almost pathological avoidance of doing world building ahead of time- large, powerful nations suddenly appear midway through the series as if they had always been there, just never talked about. He's a bit obsessed with keeping the books fairly self-contained in that manner.

The core conceit of this book is one of the best in modern fantasy- during times of need, the wizards appoint a Seeker and give them the Sword of Truth. The Sword gives them magical teeth, as it were, and a Seeker is a law unto themselves, free to follow their conscience, execute who they believe they need to execute, and seek out what they decide to seek out. It's a bit reminiscent of the Green Lanterns in DC Comics- the wizards identify the right kind of person, someone who asks the right kind of questions, has to find out for themselves, and is incorruptible- the kind of person who makes a bad enemy and peerless friend. These people bring the power to the position- the wizard, as an old wizard notes- just makes it "official" by granting the sword.

When there is an unsolvable problem, and the world is at threat, a Seeker is unleashed to find the solution. That is their strength: They find solutions, they don't solve problems. It is a really novel take on a heroic characteristic, and Goodkind writes that side of the series with exceptional talent.

The title derives from the Wizard Rules- one revealed in each book. The First is the first because it's the most important: People are stupid. They'll believe any lie because they want it to be true or are afraid it might be true.

The humor is of the first order, the magic interesting, the Seeker a wonderful concept; Goodkind manages to balance his magic with a kind of unintended consequences that makes it engaging and not overpower the series. This entry is highly recommended, and it does exceptionally well as a standalone. show less

*eyes other reviews and wonders if she can get that cute actor from the series to come read it to her and perhaps act out the racier parts of the books..* :D
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ETA 2 Sept 2011 -- well now I'm in a quandary. I've just read Stephen's scathing review of Vol 8 and while I've got this on my TBR for this weekend I'm not sure I should begin this series now. Apparently it is just terrible after the first volume and I've watched the TV series (well parts of it) Not to mention that apparently Richard and Kahlen get married somewhere between Vol 6 & 7 as well (isn't that like verboten?!). Now I don't know whether to waste the time or not...

So many books.. so little time...

I decided to take the plunge. So far it is engaging and quite a decent show more read. (p 140)

ok.. I've read this. *cough* *double cough* there are interesting bits and the writing flows easily for the reader. There is cheesy and angsty teen type romance between Richard and Kahlen (seriously.. they might not have much experience but they aren't THAT young), there are some seriously steamy scenes.. and then there's the end bit with Denna.. *raises eyebrow* Working off some tension, and BDSM fantasy were we Mr. Goodkind?

Overall it was an easy simplistic read. Some characters stood out - Rachel comes to mind. Others tread along in the usual veins. Which isn't to say they don't have their moments. I'd say for a first novel his character development is fairly good. (However that bit with Following the guy [not Samuel] into Shota's place however is just stupid - I mean seriously his characters must have drunk the idiot water on the prior page) There is some interesting inventiveness, and lots of cliches, and some neat philosophical insights for the characters.

Why is Darken Rahl blond? That was a surprise. I mean.. it's. it's.. Ok I just giggled over that image for way too many pages... (it didn't help that I also gave him funny eyebrows)

Because I have high standards for Fantasy novels this gets a 2.8. I've been spoiled by great writers. I'm going to venture on at some point because
A - I was given the novels and
B - I'm curious to know how Richard and Kahlen manage to get hitched with that confessor thing and all.
C - and well let's face it imagining the cute actor as I read isn't half bad either. ;)

Now.. Who remembers what the Wizard's First Rule is? :D show less

I've pretty much given up on writing "real" (read: semi-coherent) reviews of books that I don't have a commitment to review. It's easier to just tell you all the random thoughts running through my head, and my pure elation at having found a new Fantasy series that actually captured my attention. I really missed being so absorbed in a new world, that nothing else existed outside of it. I'm just head over heels in love with Richard, Kahlan, and Zed.

Wizard's First Rule is lush. It's vividly written, with that perfect amount of description, that never falls over the line into obnoxious. Terry Goodkind's writing quickly pulled me into the world that he wove for me. The line in the sand, between the magic free Westland and the magic riddled show more Midlands, made me giddy with excitement. If there's one thing I know, a place with no magic that borders its exact opposite, always ends in some kind of war. I hoped for a deliciously evil villain, and I wasn't disappointed.

Which brings me to characters, who impressed me just as much as the plot itself. I fell hard for Richard, and his chivalrous personality. Let's be honest, I have a soft spot in my heart for perpetual "good guys". The ones who might have to make some hard decisions sometimes, but never lose their inner spark. That's Richard, plain and simple. Kahlan had to grow on me a bit, mostly because she's shrouded in mystery for a fair bit of the beginning of this story. As the story progressed though, and I understood her better, I started to fall for her too. By the end of the book, my heart bled for these two. Kahlan and Richard forever, and I don't care who knows it.

I could go on and on about the other amazing characters, especially that deliciously evil villain. I could wax poetic about how Goodkind has mastered the art of the grey area. He manages to write characters who aren't fully evil, or fully good, but somewhere in between. It makes for a much more interesting story. Wich prompts me to warn you that there are a fair amount of torture scenes in a portion of this book. They're important to the story, but also tough to read.

Anyway, If I wrote about all of that though, this review would end up as long as this book. It's testament to how much I loved this that I listened to 36 hours of this story on audio, without blinking an eye. I was actually sad when it was over. Book two has been borrowed, and is in my possession! Let's hope it's as good as the first. show less

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Title: Wizard's First Rule
Series: Sword of Truth #1
Author: Terry Goodkind
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 852
Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

Richard Cypher, still dealing with his father being brutally murdered, and forbidden from investigating by his elder brother who is about to become the most powerful man in Westland, rescues a young woman from the clutches of four men. Her name is Kahlan.

Kahlan is from the Midlands, a land where magic show more abounds and that is cutoff from Westland by the Border, a magical construct. But the Border between the Midlands and D'Hara has already fallen and Lord Rahl, lord of D'Hara, has taken over the Midlands. A prophecy says that Kahlan will find the Seeker, the wielder of the Sword of Truth, in the Westlands. This Seeker can only be appointed by the last remaining wizard, a wizard so powerful that he cast a spell that made everyone in the entire world forget his name and his face.

Richard takes Kahlan to his old friend Zed, a rascally old man who has trained Richard throughout the years in woodcraft and various other skills. Richard does something or other that makes it obvious that he is the Seeker Kahlan is looking for, but where will they find an unkown wizard who has the Sword of Truth to give to Richard? Oh wait...

Richard, Kahlan and Zed are on the run, as Lord Rahl is able to send magical creatures across the Border to hunt down Kahlan. Richard has memorized a secret book and Lord Rahl has done some magical stuff with some magical boxes. These boxes will either give Lord Rahl complete power, certain death or the destruction of all living things. Only Richard knows the correct box to pick.

Lord Rahl pulls shenanigans and ends up with everybody at his castle. Everyone is so busy trying to protect everybody else that they give Lord Rahl exactly what he wants. He opens a Box of Orden, only Richard, being such a super smart Seeker, tricked him. Lord Rahl dies and it is revealed that Richard Cypher is actually the son of Lord Rahl and the grandson of the Wizard Zeddicus. Long Live the Good Lord Rahl!

My Thoughts:

Awwwww man! This went from a 5star read in '04, on my Loved side of the 100 books of Bookstooge down to a 2 star! Folks, that is a crushing blow. I am not sure that Life itself is worth continuing. With a blow like that, my confidence is shattered, my ego destroyed and my ham-handed self-righteousness has been shish-kebabed.

Where do I start?

Well, the writing I guess. It was bad. It was clunky. It was choppy. It did not flow. When I read the words I felt like I was in a wagon going over a cobblestone road. Richard did things. Richard said things. Kahlan also did and said things. Zed AND Lord Rahl both said and did things. It felt like watching a marionette show. I have no memory of the writing being this unskilled 14 years ago. Guess I've matured in that time. Thank goodness!

The characters. Most of the issues with the various characters stems from the writing skill (or lack thereof) and not because of any inherent flaws in the characters. They are mainly flat without any real individuality. The romance between Richard and Kahlan has all the texture, flavor and excitement of drying cement. Zed, for being a wizard of great strength and age, is as much an idiot as Richard.

The Mord Sith. This was just disturbing this time around. A group of women broken in every single way so that pain is pleasure to them. Lord Rahl then somehow makes them able to control any magic used against them and the Mord Sith can torture the magic user until they are the Mord Sith's slave. This was gone into in way more detail than was needed and I just felt dirty after reading it.

Everything is resolved because Richard is the golden boy. I usually like a protagonist who is capable and smart and able to handle everything thrown at him. This time though, Richard didn't work that way for me. He's so golden King Midas would be envious. It didn't encourage me, it made me nauseous. It didn't help that Goodkind uses Richard as a mouth piece and Goodkind blows the trumpet loud and long.

Overall, a very bleh read that really crushed me with how disappointed I was because of my memories.I will be removing this from the Bookstooge in 100 Books once I find a suitable replacement to go on the “Loved” side. Way to go Goodkind, make MORE work for me almost 15 years after I read your book. You're a real peach...

★★☆☆☆ show less