Rating: 
Summary: Wizard's First Rule is OK
Review: As with most initial books in a series this one takes about 1/3 of its 800+ pages to establish the main characters and setting before really getting to the actual story.Having read all seven books in the series so for I feel that Mr. Goodkind tends to have his characters use language that is a little too contemporary for a fantasy novel. They sometimes seem to sound like teenyboppers with an attitude. Mr. Goodkind also tends to wrap up each story in the last few pages instead of building towards an exciting but logical ending. This can be suspenseful at first but gets a little repetitive after seven books. Otherwise he writes generally interesting characters and weaves a fairly captivating story around them. Richard, Kahlan and Zedd are the main characters and I did take an interest in their development. But Mr. Goodkind is also not affraid to introduce (and remove) many other long-running characters as the stories progress. None of these books are high literature but any of them is excellent vacation or weekend reading.
Rating: 
Summary: An easy read but a great one
Review: Put quite simply, I loved this book. I found it difficult to put down. Some of the same old elements are there, such as "hero goes on a quest" stuff, but I found that it didn't drive me crazy, unlike some other formulaic fantasy books I've read. Having read some of the other reviews and having also read Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series, I agree with the parallels that other reviewers have pointed out between the two series (although I won't bother restating them). It's difficult to imagine that Goodkind wasn't heavily influenced by Jordan. However, I found Goodkind's writing style so refreshingly simple and unpretentious that this didn't annoy me sufficiently to put me off - and I'm glad I persisted. I enjoyed the fact that Goodkind introduced BDSM elements that I haven't encountered in fantasy before, like the Confessors and the Mord-Sith - the latter being an interesting twist on The Bad Guys. I found this a great book to curl up with and let myself be taken somewhere else. It's a really pleasant read that instantly engaged me. Unlike some fantasy books I've read, I didn't have to wade through 100 pages before I became completely involved in the world before me. The only thing that gets up my nose about this series is that successive books are churned out so slowly that I have to reread the whole series when a new book is released, because I've forgotten how the last one ended!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing, despite bad reviews
Review: This book is an amazing use of fantasy and creativity. Many people have dismissed it as boring and having no plot. To those of you who understand, Wizard's First Rule (the rule, not the book) comes into play here. Anyway, the characters are also very well brought out and each have a personality of their own. Just the idea of Confessors makes me shiver! Not many books can do that. And the idea of Denna and the Mord Sith, though painful, was great as well.
Simply put, this book is probably one of the best I have read, and I do not understand the closed minds of those who did not like the book. Then again, everyone has their own opinions, however depressingly wrong they may be.
Rating:
Summary: Trying Too Hard?
Review: Having recently read the first two books in this series, I must say I was rather disappointed. I suppose I've been spoiled by Robert Jordan's epic series, "The Wheel of Time", but nevertheless, I just could get into this book. As other reviewers have said, the prose is simplistic and cliched, making this seem more like a formula novel than a fantasy adventure. The character's are underdeveloped, and their "amazing" escapes from numerous desparate situations always seem to involve some tacky loophole in the rules that Goodkind invented for this series. I gave it three stars simply because it's a rather easy book to read, something to keep you occupied without really involving too much thought. He leaves so little to the imagination that its almost like watching TV. My major peeve with this book, however, was the seeming [copying] of a lot of Robert Jordan's ideas. I think anyone who has read anything in the Wheel of Time series can see many similarities... the "Sisters of the Light," who don't actually come into play until the second book, are obvious parallels to Jordan's Aes Sedai. Many of the laws of physics and magic that Goodkind uses seem to be taken directly from Jordan, and the cross-gender banter may as well have been copied from one book to another. Unfortunately, Goodkind lacks Jordan's ability to tie all of these elements together into a convincing story. It's almost like it was written for grade school children, aside from the numerous graphic descriptions of murder, rape, torture, and child molestation. All in all, I would only recommend this book to readers who don't have the time or the inclination to delve deeply into a series. For everyone else, stick with Robert Jordan!
Rating: 
Summary: Length does not eqate to quality...
Review: I am aware that many people really love and enjoy the _Sword of Truth_ series; I am just not one of them. I was hunting for a new fantasy book and worked out an exchange with a friend. I loaned him a couple of books by my favorite author, and in exchange he loaned me this book and it's sequal, _Stone of Tears._ He highly recommended these and the rest of the series to me. I was excited and dove right in. The first 150-200 pages are spent introducing characters and the plotline. But so much of the story was apparent that by the time Zedd was introduced I already knew who would betray our hero, Richard. Although, I really liked the ideas of the boundaries and the purpose to them. There were so many ideas just bearley skimmed over. The dialogue was horrendous and virtually forgettable with one exception; Goodkind obdiously wants us to understand that for some reason, the female of the story has never had a friend. At the very least, once in every chapter we hear Richard say, "That's what it means to be a friend." Or something to that affect. By the time I did find out what this woman is, I just didn't seem to grasp WHY everyone fears her and therefore why she has never had a real friend. Mud People... Laughable at best. This term or name, I understand, is meant to help the reader to accept (or even to anticipate) that throughout the rest of this world/work the people of this tribal society will be seen by the characters that they interact with, as heathens and uncivilized. But there had to be a better way to explain or describe it. The other real problem that I had while tring to wade my way through this book was Goodkind's descriptions of violence. There are some some-what common elements in fantasy novels that are used to depict the villan to be evil, and that their plans need to end. This is fine, and I have no problem with them or with violence (to a degree). However, I was appauled that Goodkind devoted numerous chapters to describing in intimate details explicit torture sessions, disembowelment, molestations and rape. An author may use these elements to demonstrate just how evil the villan is, but a GOOD author sets up the premis and alows the reader's imagination to develop just how viberant the scene needs to be. Goodkind however, has left nothing to the imagination, and obviously feels that the reader will not see it vivedly enough without his detailing. The fact that this book is over 800 pages does not mean that the book is good writing. This story could have had it's length brought down by half and still have had all relavent information and plotline. Over all it seemed that the story lacked any kind of pace.
Rating:
Summary: An Epic Disappointment
Review: This book was riddled with grammatical errors as well as extremely obvious plot twist. Even worse was the dialogue. At times it was difficult to discern which character was speaking; much of the dialogue contained cliches. The characters, throughout most of the novel, remian two-dimensional then suddenly change or make unconvincing decisions. At times, Goodkind's characters seem "inhuman," which makes the novel difficult to read. I had to force myself to finish the 800 plus page novel. I was not impressed.
Rating: 
Summary: one of the dumbest storylines ever
Review: I just figured I'd share -- I tried five or six times to try and read this book because it has gotten such good reviews. However, the storyline and characters are atrocious. Clue 1: Richard's evil politician brother early on delivers a diatribe against the evils of fire and how they have to strive against it, and the people listening to him don't think he sounds like a dork, railing against fire? give me a break. Clue 2. After the aforementioned speech, the brother goes over and [touches] Richard's new woman friend Kahlan upon being introduced to her, and while Richard and Kahlan are naturally surprised, their reactions are very inauthentic, and the narration does not bother to point out how ridiculous it is for the brother to come over and [touch] a woman he's never met right in front of his brother. Clue 3: Richard, who is not the adventuring sort, gets the Sword of Truth; he and the woman Kahlan meet up with some ranger friend of Richard's, who despite knowing that Richard is not the adventuring sort, listens to Richard explain how he must go on a quest for about 2 minutes and then very solemnly declares that he will protect them -- as corny as it gets. Other clues -- there's very little originality in the book. Maybe if it had an original concept or magic this would redeem it, but it doesn't. Even the bad guy Darken Rahl has a very derivative name.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing else compares
Review: This book is as good a fantasy novel that you will ever find. While some author's may have better singlar achievements, Stanek comes to mind, Wizards First Rule is the best Terry Goodkind book and Mr. Goodkind does a much better job at pacing the books and the series. That makes this the best book in a series filled with good books. This book represents everything that is great about fantasy novels. Ok, Stanek may (rightly) have carved himself a nitch into Goodkind's audience, but at this point I bet on Goodkind to give readers a run for their money. I beg you to try the book! You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Poorly Written
Review: The first time I tried to read this book, I got to the third chapter and just couldn't take anymore. A few months later, I was hungering for a good fantasy book and tried again, figuring that so many people couldn't be wrong about a series...could they? Alas, they could. Every page I kept telling myself, "It's got to get better! It's got to get better!" The characters were two dimensional, the situations were unimpressive, and the dialog was like something from a dime-store novel. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't suspend my disbelief, and I couldn't care about the characters. I finally gave up around chapter 10 or 11. Maybe someday I'll try again, but I wouldn't count on it. If you aren't looking for good literature, but just a wild ride, then perhaps this is a decent book. If, on the other hand, you want something you can be proud of having read, look elsewhere. It's not the worst book I've ever read (hence two stars, instead of one), but it comes close.
Rating: 
Summary: Certainly has it's moments!
Review: For an author's first novel I was very impressed. Though this kind of epic fantasy certainly is'nt new...the genre is a well worn path for sure...WFR has moments which kick the characters and storyline up a notch or two. The human(?) creature called a Mord-Sith is truely frightening especially if you become it's "pet".The author has 20-30 pages devoted to this creature's method of torturing hapless victims using equally vicious S&M verbal interplay on the main character, Richard Cypher. It actually got a bit much to read,I felt trapped also.
All in all this book is somewhat more adult orientated than other series. I look forward to book #2.
| 
