Rating: 
Summary: Awesome!
Review: I got this book a few years back and I still have fond memories of the storyline in it. This book is what started it all and got me hooked on the series. You get really attached to the characters richard and kalan early on in the story, and you get swept away as you live through their pains and joys. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fantasy read.
Rating:
Summary: Swept Away
Review: It's been over a year since I first read this book. Actually, I read it after I read "Stone of Tears", because thats the book I first found. Anyways, after the first page I was captured, and after the first book I was in desperate need to read the rest of the series, of which I have done- several times in fact.
It is hard for me to find fantasy books worth reading, over all I've only read a handful of fantasy books that were worth my time- Goodkind's is one of them. The way he writes sweeps me off into his world, I become a part of his characters, I see what they see and feel as they do. When I read fantasy I want to be brought to tears, anger, and laughter time and again and never be weary of it, I get this from his books, especially this one. I highly recommend it to anyone who has brains enough and is open-minded enough to see the awesome talent in front of them. You see, Terry doesn't just write about magic, adventure, or love, he writes about human nature. The struggles that each of us go through, the wants, the needs, hopes and dreams. He writes about our fears just as much as he writes about our happiness. Richard and Kahlan, the main characters, despite their fantasy qualities, are not so unlike us, and I think this is what connects us to them. But I say all of this on my own opinion, and while I recommend it, I do not recommend it to those out there who only see the world in black and white. While it is their choice to do so, you will not grasp the full meanings of these books and therefore will be not only a waste of your time, but a waste of money and a waste of a book that someone else would surely have enjoyed better. Can you accept what is?
Rating:
Summary: Book of Truth
Review: This book is fantastic. The entire series is brutaly awe inspiring. Richard Cypher, a Woodsguide, becomes tangled in a world of trechery, romance, and adventure when, after his father dies, he meets the beautiful and mysterious Kahlan. I have recommended this book to all of my friends, and each of them have loved it. I must say that Goodkind's series has been truely insperational to my life, and has forced me too look at life through a totally different perspective. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't completely enjoy this book, they are missing something truely wonderful.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent writing, overused plot ideas
Review: Yes, if you've ever read a fantasy book before, you can almost tell the story before you read this. The story was very predictable, and I was able to predict each twist before it happened. I seriously sat down for a few minutes and wracked my brain because I thought maybe I must have read this before. !!!!!!BUT...... the writing is EXCELLENT. I have rarely come to identify with and love any characters so quickly and completely as I did with this book. It is true that there was not a single twist in the story that wasn't a surprise to me, BUT I would have been upset if there had been, because I REALLY wanted the characters to have a happy ending. And the rest of this series only gets better. I highly recommend that any serious fantasy fan read this book, if only to become acquainted with the characters so that you can better enjoy the rest of the books in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Mind blowing!!!!
Review: I am an avid fantasy fan. All these people who say that the book is unoriginal, boring, and stupid are too thick to understand the meanings of things. I started this book, and at first it seems like any other fantasy novel. Then as you read, the plot thickens so much that it really is mind blowing. Goodkind weaves a story so deep that it is in a class all of its own. Ever get tired of not fully understanding how things work, especially magic? Well, this book completely helps you understand how the magic in this world really works. And the guy that talks about the good guys being angelic, and bad ones completely demonic didn't read the entire book, or has a 5th grade reading IQ. As you get farther into this series you come to understand that both sides are doing what they completely deem as right. I am currently on the 8th book, Naked Empire, and the books seriously just get better and the story line just becomes so deep, that you have to stop and think about the meanings of the smallest details. Ive read almost all of the Dragonlance novels, Tad Williams books, Tolkien, Robin Hobb, and the WHeel of time series. Not even Tolkien compares, who is a kindergarten writer compared to Goodkind (seriously), who was the first writer that caught my attention and kept it for more than two books (all 8 have left me wanting more) Just trust me, it is the best series on the market, contrary to popular belief.
Rating:
Summary: wizards first rule
Review: I loved this book I would have to strongly disagree with the people who said that this book is stupid. I personaly liked the story line and everything about the book. I plan to read and buy the entire series.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, no way around it!
Review: Okay, okay, I understand where some of the previous editorials are comming from, BUT to say the book is stupid, bad, or a rip off from other books is just plain wrong! I will not bore you with a long winded explanation of the book, if you are reading this, you have ether already read the book, or are thinking about buying it ( dont want to spoil it for you). Anyway, the book is a very good read, the storie is entertaining, and I thougth very origonal (at least there were no dwarfs, elves, or trolls). I would recomend this book to anyone that is a lover of fantasy novels. I enjoyed the second book in the series just as well, and am eagerly looking forward to the third.
Rating:
Summary: LOOK!!!
Review: All of you who say the book is stupid are obviously not looking at the book as what it is. The book has underlying meanings wich most of you probably dont even notice. As for those of you who yell that Terry Goodkind hasnt read Tolkein, he doesnt even like fantasy. He belives it should only be used to convey philosophical meanings. As for you who say that none of it is original, its the most original book in a long time. You think Tolkien's work is original? Thats a joke! The Lord of the Rings books are boring. I couldnt even bring myself to finish the first one. His story is the most unoringinal thing I've ever seen. Goodkind's work is original in every way possible.
Rating:
Summary: Not a Classic but it's a Fun Popcorn Fantasy Read
Review: Like some of the other reviewers for this book, I hit a crossroads in the beginning. I wasn't sure the story was going anywhere and the characters weren't exciting enough to keep me reading. I drudged on and pretty soon, the book started getting better, especially when the author began to introduce more characters. A lot of reviewers are giving this book a bad rap when it doesn't sound like they ever got past page one hundred. Terry Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule is by no means on the same level of J.R.R. Tolkien's classics or even contemporary fantasy authors such as Robert Jordan and George R.R. Martin. If I could compare him to anyone it would be the better Dungeons & Dragons authors like R.A. Salvatore. Sometimes, the story even feels like a pen and paper D&D adventure gone awry with confusing character motivations, predictable outcomes and bland writing. While there aren't a lot of original ideas in Goodkind's fantasy world, I think some people have gone too far accusing him of stealing everything from other authors. The one blatant rip off in Wizard's First Rule is that he steals the idea for a side character (Samuel) directly from Tolkien's Gollum character. Luckily, that character doesn't play a critical enough role in the book to ruin the story. If you'd like to read popular fantasy novels that steal HUGE plot ideas from Tolkien, check out Terry Brooks' Sword of Shannara instead. I've spent so much time talking about the negatives let me give you a few positives about Goodkind's first novel in The Sword of Truth Series. The man can write action! In exciting moments, I was just as riveted with Wizard's First Rule as I was with other fantasy novels. In particular, I loved his writing about fights (and horrors) in the underworld and the barriers. I also enjoyed how his characters thought about the implications of death and murder a little more than some fantasy novels. His philosophies on life and death and good and evil in the book were sometimes too black and white but there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes all I want to read about are good guys winning the day. Enough bad guys win in real life so it's nice to have a fun popcorn fantasy read to take me away for a few days. Also, if you have no desire to read the many novels in the series, you don't need to worry because book one has a satisfying ending which alludes to possible sequels but it's not as sudden as Tolkien's first Lord of the Rings novel which ends mid-adventure. I think I'll buy the second novel in The Sword of Truth series. I've become attached to the characters and would like to see what happens to them in the next book. It doesn't seem like the type of series though that will hold a reader's interest more than three books. Robert Jordan was a much better writer and I couldn't endure his classic Wheel of Time series past book five. Sometimes, you need to plan your "epic" series with a definite ending in mind and judging by the reviews of Goodkind's later novels in this series, it seems he's fallen into the same trap other popular authors enter when their franchise becomes a cash cow.
Rating:
Summary: A Creative, fresh breakthrough
Review: Goodkind's first book in the sword of truth series sets the standard. His novel ideas set in Richard Cypher's world of fantasy keep the reader turning pages. Amongst its peers in the world of Science Fiction and Fantasy literature, Wizard's First Rule is a cut above the rest.
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