Rating: 
Summary: Not a classic, but it has some interesting moments
Review: The most striking piece of Terry Goodkind's _Wizard's_ First_ Rule_ was the re-creation in prose of a Sam Peckinpaugh-esque cinematic device: the slow-motion death of a villain, described in vivid detail as the his head erupts in a spray of gore, courtesy of the protagonist's sword. It captured a phenomenon I have experienced in real life, temporal distortion. While some will find that sort of imagery offensive, the scene had me "inside the story." The same was true of some scenes near "the Boundary," an interesting device that is well thought out.Sadly, these gems are exceptions that highlight a long winded tale. The story lacks timing and punch, although I admire the sustained effort to capture the sarcastic banter common among team members sharing a difficult task. Magic is far too commonplace to allow any sense of connection to "reality" -- the suspension of deibelief required is too great. Contrast with Jordan's first WoT book, where the wonder of "magic" shows how rare it is, and how it intimidates normal mortals. In general, the characterizations aren't deep enough, and the contrived emotional tension between Richard and Kahlan is overdone. The vignette covering the abuse/brainwash/mutilation of a preadolescent boy seemed out of place in this story, a mere "proof" that the villain is thoroughly evil. We didn't need gratuitous child brutality to figure that out. Insofar as providing a setting/world/background, this book falls woefully short of many other works. Descriptions were eratic, and did not paint a very complete picture of the setting. Do I have the patience for the next three books of this series, hoping the style will tighten up? The size of the paper backs does not bode well for that outcome. I give Goodkind credit for energy and productivity, however page count does not equate to greatness. It is the quality of the paragraphs that make for enjoyable reading, not the quantity. For those entusiastic readers who gush about Goodkind being the next Tolkein, or on the same level as Martin or Jordan, you obviously have not read enough different styles or genres. Try some regular fiction, some non-fiction, some short stories. Read the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories, at the very least. You will see that a tight prose style is a key ingredient to successful story telling.
Rating:
Summary: Like starting a car on a cold morning
Review: I'd just like to start off with a header: I DID read the entire book. I cannot fully respect an opinion from someone who does not understand what they are criticizing - in this case, reading the entire book. I did not expect to have my life changed by this, but I did expect to enjoy it. Well, the first definitely didn't happen, and the second, well, it sort of faded in and out throughout the story. As my subject line says, this book behaves like a reluctant car engine on a cold morning - it coughts, it sputters, it wheezes, but if you're lucky, it eventually gets going. It took me 4 days to slog through the first 400 pages. I read the last 400 pages in one day. The first half, the exposition-heavy section, is necessary to understanding this world; but the actual meat of the story begins full force with the introduction of Princess Violet at the halfway point. After that, it held my attention enough, usually, to actually want to keep reading the book, rather than just keep at it doggedly because I am the type who must finish what is started. As many, many others have pointed out, the characters are pretty one-dimensional, the dialogue is some of the worst I've ever read (I can't imagine people actually saying these things), and many of the sub-sections seem half-formed, like the Mud People. I actually have no problem with the violence, although this is definitely the most merciless fantasy I've ever read; keep your children away unless they are very mature for their age. So I don't entirely hate this, but I can't say it makes me want to read the sequel. Who then do I recommend this to? If you are interested in modern fantasy, this might be a good place to start and move on from here. It's an easy read and is the start of a long series if it does capture your fancy. However, if you're already well-versed in the heavily populated fantasy genre of today, you may want to skip this and explore something completely different instead.
Rating: 
Summary: First time reading sci-fi series
Review: This is the first time I have read a sci-fi series. My fiancee is really into them, but I've been more into the fluff. This one intrigued me so I took a shot and bought it. I did enjoy the book, although in the beginning there were two major things that I figured out before the author revealed either one. Which didn't bother me in the least. What DID bother me about this book were the TYPO'S! I was amazed at how many typographical and grammatical errors there were in the book! I could not believe it! Anyway, I found the book to move along rather fast, although there were some spots (like when he was with the Mord-Sith) that could have moved along a bit faster as I didn't understand the need to go on and on about the torture. Other than that, I found it to be a good read, and finished within a few weeks. I have just bought the second book and look forward to starting that one soon.
Rating:
Summary: Could have been much more in the hands of a better writer
Review: I hate to really trash a book, but like many other reviewers, I found it derivative, inconsistent, and tedious. It seemed like it was someone's first novel... someone without any experience. The characters all seemed to speak the same way with the same dialogue... the child character was... how can I say... overly childlike, stereotypical. Everything was telegraphed in advance, such as the identity of the traitor, the 'climax' at the end, and so forth. There was really no writing style whatsoever... the kind of style you see in grade-school term papers. It was almost like the author had a bunch of really great ideas and he wanted to get them in print. You know the kind of person... "Hey, doesn't this sound cool? This is really going to be good!" You just nod your head politely and go on about your business. The only reason I finished the book was to bring closure to the tale as much as possible. The only truly interesting part was the sequence with the Mord-Sith. Despite the unoriginal name, most of that situation was very good except as it approached the end of that vignette. Other than that bit, reading the book was like doing chores... you know you're getting some benefit out of it but you don't really want to do it. I could go on at length about how tedious this novel was, but I won't. I'd say that if you accidentally start reading this book, go ahead and finish it if only for the Mord-Sith part. Otherwise, avoid this and find something written by a good writer.
Rating:
Summary: Got me back into the fantasy genre; good, solid book
Review: CONCEPT: A young woodsman is chosen as the Seeker, a long lost position of power given to a warrior of ultimate good in distant lands. Now, he must go to those distant lands to face the Evil controlling it, as well as to deal with issues of truth. Along his journey, his position is tested as his love for his new lady love. (This didn't hit me as big of a concept as say HUMA or THE HOBBIT. But, it attracted a lot of fantasy readers, who tend to be more thinkers, and it holds a great deal of promise). MARKETING APPEAL: This story dealt with archetypes and LEVEL ONE readers; it was above average of most fantasy novels; used archetypes and the mythical Hero's Quest to appeal; good characters and focus on context; less on plot and surprises. Richard was very noble and easy to anger when faced with lies or difficult appeal; I think this resonated with many readers who are tired of the BS in our society and desire simpler times; characters are interesting but only on a simple level; if you want gray characters and profound thinking and interactions, you won't get it in this series. I suspect this is a VERY HEAVY LEVEL ONE series. SCORING: Superb (A), Excellent (A-), Very good (B+), Good (B) Fairly Good (B-) Above Average (C+), Mediocre (C ), Barely Passable (C-) Pretty Bad (D+), Dismal (D), Waste of Time (D-), Into the Trash (F) DIALOGUE: B STRUCTURE: B HISTORY SETTING: A- CHARACTERS: A- EVIL SETUP/ANTAGONISTS: C+ EMOTIONAL IMPACT: B+ SURPRISES: B MONSTERS: A- PACING: B LITTLE THINGS: B OVERALL STYLE: B FLOW OF WORDS: B CHOICE OF FOCUS: B TRANSITIONS/FLASHBACKS/POV: B+ COMPLEXITY OF WORDS/SYMBOLISM/THEMES: B OVERALL GRADE: B+ OVERALL STRUCTURE: Spent a lot of time building up the characters. This is much more a story of context and characters than of plot or fast action. A great deal of time is spent playing off the character relationships, describing the landscape and people and monsters and also in laying out the History. And actually, the History is pretty interesting as are the monsters. There were several character revelations which weren't surprising in this novel since it was so character focused. A few surprises and such, too. Richard Cypher is a good and moral character. Perhaps a bit too much. He is the typical innocent yet good youth (from mythology) who sets out on a mission where the odds seem insurmountable. WHY IT WORKED FOR ME: As described above, the monsters were orchestrated nicely into the ecology. The dragon character was fresh enough and the description of the travels along the wilderness were interesting. The interplay between Richard and Kahlan kept my interest. Enough tug and pull and conflict. Zedd was introduced naked which was interesting and new. He wasn't stereotypical either and had enough of his own lines to make him stand out more. Also, he wasn't some big buffed dude. I liked the way he manipulated in a good sense towards other people to achieve some better end, but still felt bad over it. The viewpoint of using a child and changing the word usage was good, too. The villain wasn't different but interesting enough. The sexual debauchery made them even worse. No doubt this was to create moral outrage. Have to say Richard is no warrior in the first novel but that's okay. He seemed to get out of jams enough times. Not clever. More noble and good that he gets others to help him as in the case of the Dragon. Interesting how Richard went through pain whenever he took a human life and had to deal with the results. Magic, in other words, has its limitations. Great details of the world and History; in regards to the lands being divided into three areas; the red fruit that is poisonous in the magical lands; the illusions used to fool the hero and heroine; the limitation of magic users; the confessor development and History; the Seekers and info. on their creation; the ecology of the monsters was something new and entertaining (many fantasy books forget that there are so many monsters that the ecological system would be destroyed); great interplay between the lovers even though some of the dialogue was a bit simple at times on Richard's part (of course, he's supposed to be a simple character so I won't hold this against the author). Pay attention to some of the names: DARKEN RAHL (for evil) and Richard Cypher (for DECIPHER since he's a seeker of truth). Those are the main ones which come to mind but I'm sure there are others. Also interesting were the little phrases that permeated the storyline, giving it texture. For instance, Zedd the high wizard had the best ones: "Nothing is every easy." and "Bags!" (a swear word). One other thing I found interesting in relation to truth was Wizard's First Rule: "People are stupid and will believe what they want to believe." This came in handy during the story when many of the townfolk were told to blame the good people for their problems and used those good people as scapegoats. So too, Richard's people were told that the magic lands were dangerous to their well being and created an army to put an end to it. It's little points such as this, as well as blends with style, that pushed this up from a solid B to a B+. It would have gotten even higher if the themes of truth had been elaborated upon more so. Why not have someone who is compelled to tell the truth all the time in difficult situations to show the flip side of being honest? Psychologists tells us that our society couldn't exist if everyone told the truth b/c it would come across as tactless and because most people aren't good at taking conflict or criticism. While being honest with your intimate partner is an ideal, being honest in the workforce or with people you hardly know can sometimes be destructive. Too much self disclosure to such types looks bad and weak. Another area that I felt was missed on truth was to develop the local populace opinions on what they felt was right. While Goodkind did a good job with it, I felt he could have really mined this area more to make it more thought provoking. FLAWS: Too much introspection can turn some readers off. The discussion of truth wasn't taken far enough or really hammered into the them big time. The part about Richard being a bastard child of the villain was revealed a bit late and made it anticlimatic. Perhaps it was intended and the next book will tell. The story lacked surprises. There were certainly a few but not enough for such a long novel. As I said above, it was more of a page turned for appreciation of the characters than a great moving story with lots of surprises and mysteries to it. It tended to be formulaic in the quest and perhaps it would have done Goodkind well to hold back some of the information of the story rather than reveal too much up front as he did. COMMENTS: A lot of details to characters and somewhat of a hit on truth and what is truth. For those interested in such areas, it's an entertaining read. I wouldn't advise this for people who don't like innocent, good hearted youths (since Richard dominates most of the text), or people who are more interested in a plot driven fantasy GRADE REASON: I am giving this an at the cusp B+ (higher than I give most fantasy novels) for the reasons listed above). The fact that Goodkind followed the typical mold of the innocent, good youth on a quest doesn't really place it any higher because it follows a typical pattern that has been done over and over by fantasy authors. So too, the love story got melodramatic at certain points (losing the feeling of this being love than just effects) and there weren't as many surprises as I felt there should have been. However, it had some truly amazing characters in it, even if parts of the love story got irritating at times. Moreover, the history setting of the land divisions, the rules on magic, the History of seekers, confessors and wizards, as well as the ecologically sound monsters pumped it up pretty high. There were certain points where it lagged at times, but perhaps that is attributed to the required page count of novels at a 1000 pages now. Very long. Geesh. It probably would have gotten a solid B+ or even an A- if Terry had analyzed more issues of truth and really pushed the limits upon the characters. However, since there was so much story to cover, I can see why there were problems in doing so. Perhaps additional books will cover these matters in the future. Of course, he would have had to develop his Evil antagonist beyond a caricature, too. I think it should be mentioned that Goodkind is dyslexiac and spends something like 12 hours a day working on his books (6 or 7 days a week). The man is obviously driven. Some have claimed he stole many ideas from Jordan's WHEEL OF TIME (I only read the first book in the series and found the passive male characters and constant meandering not to my liking) but I don't see this as much as they claim. If anything, I would take Goodkind over Jordan since there's more thinking in the head. It is no surprise to me, however, that this book broke the record and Terry was awarded $275,000 for the first novel. Th
Rating:
Summary: Cliche and Drab, but promising
Review: Well, this is definitely someone's first book. Obviously Goodkind felt the urge to write a Fantasy novel and hacked together all the cool stuff he in Lord of The Rings, Earthsea, and maybe Wheel of Time. The thing is, I don't think he took a hard look at the book and failed to insert enough of his own unique vision into it.
This book hits almost every fantasy cliché: Old wizards, a blurry and ill defined magic system, prophecy that is conveniently vague, big, sweaty heroes, sexy and submissive women that fall in love with the men instantly as if they were walking gods of sex, villains evil to the point of silliness, magic swords only certain people can wield, and of course, dragons that are evil and capricious creatures of fire and magic.
His plotting is kind of retarded: You can see every twist coming and the heroes discover or reveal a new kind of magic every time they get into a fix.
Still, there are a lot of points in the book that are very cool and this makes his second book look promising. The bottom line is that if you really like the Fantasy Genre, especialy its hokey conventions, then you will tolerate or even like this book. But if you are unsure of fantasy or just tired of cliché, then skip this one for Eye of the World or Gene Wolfe.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but the sadism is intense and over the line.
Review: I have read fantasy by Brooks, Tolkien, Feist, Jordan, Weis and many others. Goodkind's first book was, to me, good but not great. While I do agree with many of the other harsh critiques, I still enjoyed the book overall. I was engaged with the characters and the plot. I could even handle the brutal torture (of the adults) and felt that, while excessive, IT did contribute to the characters' development. But there was one side plot that bothered me - almost enough to not buy further sequels. Innocent children were involved in sick torture and abuse. While this did make me loathe the characters involved, it also ripped away much of the enjoyment I took from the book. Really folks, it was over the line from my perspective. In scenes children are raped (rather it is hinted at) and in one scene motlen lead is poured into a child's mouth. They are so brutal that in the end, you may be haunted by the scenes. As a child psychologist who has seen lots of bad stuff, this still bothered me greatly. At times, I had to wonder about the author.
Rating:
Summary: Saturated in Sadism
Review: I have not read all 1,000 plus reviews of this book, but enough to be shocked that so few of the reviewers have commented on the disgustingly sadistic 84pages of unrelenting torture! In a novel which is otherwise a rather entertaining fantasy genre, the novel sinks into truely revolting abuse of the main character. The agiel, instrument of torture, was described vividly and could easily have been exhausted in a few pages, but no, scene after scene, the hero, Richard, is brutalized. In addition to the sheer sickness of this, it was utterly unrealistic even in fantasy, that anyone could survive a month of such unrelenting torure. He was coughing up blood after the first session and it went on a month!
I should note that this came after the most mind-numbingly cruel death of a child.
This otherwise engaging book was ruined by this viciousness. I can't imagine eight more novels of this kind of horror.
Rating: 
Summary: Best book in the series.
Review: This is one of the most amazing fantasy novels ever! I love the plot and I love the style of writing. The only problem with it is Samuel, he was to much like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. But it still was an FANTASTIC book! After this book the series gets a bit repetitive but its still one of the best series I've read.
Rating:
Summary: A decent start to a fantasy series
Review: I give this book (and the series) more credit than many do. I have read alot of fantasy, and after a while the genre does get a bit crowded and repetative...I might read a handful of books a year that seem to me to be very original and creative. If this is your first trip into fantasy reading, then odds are you will like it. If you have read lots of other series, then you may find it to be repetative or cliche. I think the importance of the series lies in the fundamental principles, philosophy, and psychology of the characters, and the underlying ideals brought out through them. There are alot of ideas here I have not read before, and that Goodkind does a great job of illustrating. I see a great deal of crossover from Robert Jordan, and some from Tolkein, probably at least some of which is not coincidence, and that bothered me, but aside from that, I had no major complaints. The series gets more original with time, and it's obvious by the writing style that this is his first book, so I give him credit where credit is due and will not bash Wizards First Rule into the ground for traits that most authors exhibit early on in something new.
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