Rating: 
Summary: Start Respecting
Review: Ok I am not going to try and compare this to the Wheel of Time series. The main reason being that I have never read the Wheel of Time series, although I plan on it. I have heard of the similarities and all I say is I don't care. This is hands down one of the best books I have ever read. I can't say it is my favorite because there are 6 books in the series and they are all equally fantastic. I have never cared about characters in a book as much as I care about these characters. I could not stop reading it. I read the last 600 pages in one day. I was hooked. As for Dragonlance, I think is is a great series, but nowhere close to SoT. This book has action galore, it is intelligent, and it never loses its focus. You find yourself rooting for the characters and holding your breath as you turn the page. You have to view this series apart from Jordan's. Even if he did borrow ideas, who cares? These books are so great I would reccomend them to anyone. Go read it, you will not regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: GOOD, BUT DERIVATIVE
Review: THE GOOD: This book flows pretty fast, with only a few exceptional areas. Some of the dialogue is really witty and fun to read. Characters are very distinguished, if a bit stereotyped--the handsome hero, the beautiful heroine, the buff companion, the old but powerful wizard, etc. THE BAD: Map is NOTHING compared to Robert Jordan's map of the world. Just three rows of mountains, sprinkle some towns here and there, and call it good. Mr. Goodkind tells us how dangerous the Midlands are, then, when the characters DO get to the Midlands, he jumps them many miles ahead to the Mud People. They go all that way without meeting ANY opposition? Get real. Finally, the ending was a let-down. Not much of a reward after reading several hundred pages. THE UGLY: Comparing Eye of the World to this book, EOTW wins, hands down. What really detracted from me giving this 5 stars is that so much of it is STOLEN from Robert Jordan. The leash idea, the confrontation between the wizardly figure and the villagers, the man in the village who is the ONLY one who can save the world, etc. Then there's this 40 page torture scene that really slows the book down. I want entertainment, not torture. The part where Richard falls for the "I'm your dead mother" trick is really lame, especially when he falls for a similar trick 5 pages before! Finally, the book says that the reason why the antagonist doesn't go after the protagonist is because "he's like a fly--you don't swat it until it bothers you." Excuse me? Are all bad guys that stupid? There is one GLARING flaw with that analogy--FLIES CAN'T KILL YOU, HEROES CAN. If the fly had malaria, well, maybe, but this is a WIZARD we're dealing with. OTHER NOTES: For those of you who say this book is disgusting or gross, get real. You obviously haven't read as much as you think you have. I've read FAR worse stuff, making this only mild in comparison. Finally, if it weren't for so many spin-offs of RJ's works, then this would have been a good book. I would definitely say it's worth reading once, but I'll disagree with anyone that it's better than EYE OF THE WORLD, which was written 4 years prior.
Rating: 
Summary: A total flatliner...
Review: After having read the long line of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books, I decided to start reading a new series while waiting for book ten to emerge. So I picked up Wizard's First Rule. From the beginning, and all throughout the book, I kept getting the feeling that Goodkind doesn't know a thing about humanizing his characters. Their dialogue is so formulatic and flat, I thought it was written by a ten year old. As for the world itself, I was hoping for something more akin to a tapestry of different customs and cultures. Sure, there is a whole variety of different folk in this book, however, they were like cardboard cutouts. The only character where Goodkind shows a spark of complexity was with the Mord-Sith Denna, but the repeated torture scenes were beginning to lose their last breath very quickly. I found nothing remotely original, and the ending played out like the conclusion to a Scooby Doo episode. And there was a lack of continuity with Richard's transformation between a bumbling woodsman and a super warrior type. There wasn't enough of the moral struggle that wasn't spurred on by the effects the sword has on its user. And I could see from a mile away the betrayal of his brother Micheal from the very first scene. Richard was apparently so intuitive throughout the entire book, but he could not bridge the gap between Darken Rahl's desire to have the boundaries broken and the outlawing of fire, and the same things his brother was spouting in his speech in the first quarter of the book? I can't say exactly what drove me through this book. It was either my dislike for leaving things unfinished. It could also have been that I was a victim of Wizard's First Rule- people are stupid. And I guess Terry Goodkind has a point there, as his publishers seems to have fallen victim to the same rule.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing fantasy!
Review: Wizard's First Rule is the first in an ongoing series by Goodkind. This is a truly wonderful book on many different levels. Our hero Richard is a well developed character with a mysterious lineage. His grandfather Zed is also an enigma but an enjoyable character with his magical antics. Being a woodsman, Richard stumbles across a beautiful woman who is being attacked by 4 large men. That is where the story begins and takes the reader through some interesting adventures with Richard, Kahlan and Zed. It's definitely worth reading if your a fantasy fan. I recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Great!!!!
Review: This is the begining of a great series. Right now there are six books, and they are all amazing. Goodkind's books are completly diffrent then Tolkins, or Robert Jordans, or J.K. Rowling. They are much better, which is hard to belive. The first book immeditly hooks you with its fast paced action, and a love story entwiend with a fight against evil. Goodkind shows a great understanding of the way that fantsay books should be written. He does not put too much or too little magic into his books. The main charecter is wonderfuly done, as are all the other charecters. One of Goodkind's streanghts is that unlike almost any other Good/Evil fantasy book, he makes the bad guy not totaly evil. There are times when you want Richard (the main charecter) to join him (the bad guy), because he is so cool. The bad guys in the books, also unlike others are made so that you know that they think that they are doing good, and the good guy by your perspective is bad. These twists, and all the other things that make this book so good are well done. Almost anyone would like this book. I know that I sure did. :-)
Rating: 
Summary: Bad at what it does, good at everything else.
Review: An unforgettable book, al;though a tad cliched at times. Goodkind has a go at creating his own fantasy world, but falls short by an inch. He "creates" everything from his own mind, but it is mostly the same things we've always seen, with new masks painted on. Same err.. poop?... different laxative. His wizards can use "additive" or "subtractive" magic, adding onto, and subtracting from what already exists. Thats just mentioning one of the many detailed creatures in his world. A very good book from front to back, even if it may be a bit repetitive in some locations. The bottom line: Good book, but not quite Tolkien
Rating:
Summary: An original work
Review: I had been reading fantasy for quite a while, and I got this book at the local library. it hooked me from the first page, and I never let go till I reached the end. Goodkind manages to turn upside down most of the clichés of fantasy ( the hero ususally turns out to be a secret heir to some crown or another, but i had not expected Richard to be the villain's son), and to deliver an original plot in a genre that has been much overworked. One drawback,though: it can sometimes get a little too violent. I am not particurlarly squeamish, but there were times when it was too much violent, too much reminiscient of a horror story. Those were the points when I was tempted to put the book down. But on the whole, the book is definitely on my list of 'must-read'
Rating:
Summary: Wizard's First Rule-A Magnificent Work
Review: To read Terry Goodkind's work, is to read of a world as equally real and more enthralling than that which we live in. As the pages turn, you see what the characters see, feel what they feel, and you are truly there with them every step of the way. I have read the entire series now, lacking only Faith of the Fallen, and I can barely wait to get my hands on that one. If you don't read this book, and the others by Goodkind, you miss a rare opportunity to find an astonishingly real world. Excellent Work!
Rating:
Summary: Not a Tolkien Ripoff
Review: What I liked best about this 1st novel in a series is that as fantasy series go, this one is not a slavish imitation of Tolkien. You know the formula, group of questers from multiple races, a child or small creature who will show great power, immense unstoppable evil. The villain of the piece reminded me of some Ian Fleming Villain with a bent for magic. There's no innocent waif bonding with a magical creature as depicted in Norton or McCaffrey (with style) or Lackey (with none). I just found it to be an exciting fantasy with original touches. Yes, as pointed out, there is some sex but given the total lack of it in fantasies until now, it was bound to happen. Give it a try.
Rating:
Summary: I can't wait for the next books in the series to arrive
Review: I am new to fantasy novels. When a friend recommended "The Hobbit" I read it and loved it. I then read "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and thought that it was OK. This book blew them away by far. I read about 2 hours a day while I sit on a commuter train. This book caused me to miss my stop more than once. I actually have found myself looking forward to the commute because I know that I have the book in my bag waiting for me to delve back into it. I have never read anything like it. This is a book that some day I will pass down to my children for them to enjoy the way I am.
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