Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth, Book 1)

Rating:
Summary: Good essay on the morality of war
Review: I see all these complaints about the soap box of the author... Cha... That is the point of reading, to engage the mind! Now when a movie does that well, yes, that is irratating, when an author invites you to examine the way you think through his story he has done his job. Now if the characters don't generate your interest, simpathy, or antipathy, then you won't continue to read. Then you will have changed the way the author writes, or he/she will go broke.
That being said, I think that certain members of congress, and senate, not to mention our allies, could stand some of the preaching in this story. Now while I will admit, that some of the writing seems to be dumbed down, and that some is way too gruesome,(the whole details on the mord sith I could have done without), and it would be infinately more readable, if the author would take a class in being concise (it seems like he might get paid by the page sometimes),I have enjoyed each of the stories and started on each one since the third, the week they come out. And finally, as to the Jordan comparison, the wheel of time and the Sword of truth stories are basically the same story, no doubt about it. Guess what? The sword of Truth stories are better, precisely because of the preaching. So there you go.

Rating:
Summary: Wizard's first rule
Review: I absolutely LOVE this book! I've enjoyed fantasy books for a while, but this book really cemented my love of that genre. It's exciting, fun, intriguing... everything you could possibly want in a fantasy book! I got totally immersed in the world and couldn't put the book down. My only complaint is that it eventually came to an end!

And even better, the rest of the series is just as good!

Rating:
Summary: Read
Review: This is one of the best books ever written. The whole series is amazing. Unlike Tolkien, and other fantasy writers, Goodkind does not rattle on and on about one subject for ten pages. Him reiterating major points in other books gets annoying, but the books are way way more than mediocre

Rating:
Summary: Despite the reviews, this is a great series....
Review: Despite what others say about this book and the series that follow it, Goodkind does an amazing job of storytelling. There is a saying, "there is nothing new under the sun," and this holds true in writing fantasy as well.

There are only so many ways you can tell the story of one destined to discover himself and overcome evil. What sets books apart are the authors and their delivery of the story. In this book and the Sword of Truth series Goodkind writes in a style that doesn't drag the story down with too much detail (something Stephen King is bad about, and in the world of fantasy, something I couldn't get past in George R. R. Martin's first book) but he doesn't leave so much detail out that you dont have a connection with the book.

Throughout this entire series Goodkind makes a connection between the reader and the characters. I've tried reading all sorts of books only to find myself put off by complicated names of an author trying to hard to distance their book from reality, too much detail that bores me and drags the story down, and the like. George R.R. Martin is the latest offender in this. Granted it may be a great book and series but I cant get past the story jumping around every chapter and following different lines.

With all of that said, Terry Goodkind's works are the only books I've ever been so involved in that I go to bed much later than I should reading them, only to find myself waking up an hour or two earlier than I normally do just to get more reading in before school or work. Maybe this book doesn't appeal to older people, but I started reading this series when I was 16 years old in high school, and now I'm out of college and intensely in the middle of Chainfire, Goodkind's latest book in the series.

The ONLY thing that seems repetative about any of Goodkind's books is the constant folly that Richard faces through the series, but Goodkind pulls it off. Maybe those who think Goodkind is being preachy in his works have no morals or are of such a simplistic mindset that they cant entertain and appreciate thoughts and beliefs that dont parallel their own, but if you're an educated and open minded person who likes a great story that is a bit more "real world" with a twist of classic fantasy (magic and the like) then Goodkind's series should be right up your ally. Do yourself a favor and pick up Wizard's First Rule.