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

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

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.19
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Amazing, Creative, and Gripping
Review: This book was AMAZING! I could not put it down! It is extremely creative and Terry Goodkind creates a world inside your head. For fantasy readers, this is a must. There is nothing wrong with it with the exception of one thing and it's only wrong to those who are not avid fantasy readers; the themes are similar to other stories, though they are well written. Overall, it was a fantastic book, however, I still hold true that Tolkien is better, but this comes 2nd.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Fantasy Novel , better than Tolkein.
Review: I know this may seem like blaspemy, but I thoroughly enjoyed this novel better than Tolkein's Lord Of The Rings trilogy. (Which I might add is my favorite movie(s)) A friend recommended the sword of truth series to me and I must admit I was skeptical at first. But Goodkind is a great storyteller who hits you with surprises at every turn and never lets up. You WANT to know what happens next. I found myself having a hard time putting it down even when sleep was starting to overcome my eyes. If you like epic fantasies and have an ideal that good should always triumph over evil you should read this series. I am into the third book of the series as I write this and it is only getting better. Sure some of the themes are familiar; good vs. evil, unwanting hero, true love, friendship, compassion, doing whats right. But it is told in such a new and inspiring way it grips you , pulls you in and never lets go.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Wizard's First Rule A Mediocre Book
Review: Terri Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule is a mediocre fantasy novel. The book doesn't really differ from any of the other fantasy books out there that I've read. The story seems to go a bit slow at first. It takes some reading to finally get to know the characters found within the story. However by the time you get close to finishing, you will find yourself dying to find out what happens at the end. I gave this book a three out of five because despite it taking place in a fantasy world, it really didn't impress me all that much. There was nothing new about it that made it stand out from other books.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Fun, yet formulaic
Review: This book created quite a stir in the fantasy genre. Some people loved it and some hated it. I wanted to give it a fair chance and just finished it. I can't tell you whether you'll like it or not, because this is a book where it really depends on what you want from a story. So I'll tell you what it offers and where it comes up short.

First you need to know it follows an over-used fantasy theme. An unknown man who doesn't want to be a hero, finds out he is very special and needed to save the world. He ends up being a fierce warrior who wins the heart of the beauty. The bad guy is super evil, and the good guys are super pure. There is an old man who serves as the mentor and he's wise yet spunky.

Many of you will be turned off at this point. But hold on. As formulaic as it is, Goodkind really does string together a nice adventure. Just when I would begin to think it was getting mindless, he would have a really beautiful scene.

There are torture scenes that are vivid, and I was wary of that going in. But he doesn't use them for shock value as some may think. He has a point and makes it very well. It was one of the only scenes that really gripped my emotions. It was quite inspiring.

The female roles in the book are fairly weak. The leading lady is often controlled by her emotions and love for the main character. Lots of crying.

The world Goodkind has constructed, the different creatures, and the way he uses magic are unique and creative. He often explains why magic works the way it does, and it isn't too way out there.

And while this book is one in a series, you can read just this one and it ends well enough so you don't feel you have to read the next one. So it doesn't hurt to give it a chance. If you like this kind of story, you will certainly enjoy this book. I think it is a good one. However, if you're tired of this storyline, you may want to check out something else. I hope this was helpful.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This book is simply FANTASTIC. I really could not put it down. I love all the books in this series. I look forward to reading the seventh and eigth parts.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: one of the best books ive ever read!!!
Review: this book deserves five stars period. it is one of the best books I have ever read. even though I havn't quite finished it I keep looking ahead to see how an event turns out. So far this book is adventureous, slightly romantic, full of wizardy, fear, and tons of courage. I believe this book deffently deserves a 6 star count but there are only 5 sadly.

Rating: 4 stars
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: 5 stars
Summary: My First Rule - Read it!
Review: This book was superb. Granted, the first few chapters weren't terribly thrilling as the beginning chapters of the book had to push to get momentum going. But just like trying to start a wave, it's slow-going at first, but then it picks up with astounding force. This book was no different. Once it captures your attention, it barely falters. This book weaves a tale about love, hunger, surprises, triumph, and the list goes on... Richard's character is wonderfully done, never failing to keep the character true to self. His missions are somehow real, even though they are buried in ficticious actions. You can truly begin to feel where he is coming from and really get to know his character through all of the adventures he goes through.

There are some disappointing parts where the main female character strays slightly from her normal, rigid sense of right versus wrong. The reader may find themselves somewhat disappointed that her character begins to show weakness, but in the end the reader will not be disappointed. She stays true to her self as only someone who stays true to the series will realize. Her falterings only make her seem more human, more real, which brings this book closer to heart. This book is excellent. I have never been so spellbound by a book before (pun, perhaps, intended). The book becomes no less bland as you wear the pages from your reading. A true treasure - I cannot emphasize that enough.

I have also read the second book as of now and can tell you that it is just as wonderful. The transition from the first book to the second book is well-done and the pace of the story isn't diminished in the slightest. The second book certainly didn't take much time, if any, to get the wave moving - more like the wave never stopped from the first book into the second. I look forward to reading the remainder of the series.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: SERIOUSLY disappointing
Review: I listened to the unabridged audio version of this book. Kudos go to the narrator, who does a fabulous job of emoting and expressing a wide range of characters. His performance truly is impressive.

That said, the writing is HORRENDOUS. The book lurches from one scene to the next, leaving threads hanging everywhere. The characterizations are flat and inconsistent. Richard (the protaganist) has more modd swings than a drunken manic-depressive. It's sad that this book did well enough to force a series on the world, when there are far, far better authors getting far less attention.

Rating: 2 stars
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.


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