Rating: 
Summary: FANTASTIC BOOK TO START GREAT SERIES
Review: Wizard's First Rule was full of fast paced battles, inticate puzzles,an exciting plot line,and agreeable characters which blinded me from ever noticing the book's size. Richard,the main character,starts off as a normal woods giude when a conffesor crosses the boundary and changes his life,this starts thier heart pounding journey to save everyone from the merciless rule of Darken Rhal. This book contains all the great elements action,romance,drama,and even some comic relief. Terry Goodkind has woven a wonderful story that surpassess the writing of many of the great fantasy authors I have read.This is how Jordan should have written Wheel of Time series. Wizard's First Rule is for everyone to enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: SOME COMPETITION FOR TOLKIEN.
Review: I am a huge fantasy fan.I've read eddings,fiest,jacque,and many other great fantasy authors , but none can compair to the talents of Terry Goodkind.I just finished reading Wizad's First Rule it kept my attention so well I barly even noticed it's size.One thing I loved about terry's writing were th fast paced battles,the exciting plot line that kept the story going,and the intricate puzzles he weaved throught his fantastic book.This book ,I believe,can keep anyone's interest no matter what genre you read.Wizard's First Rule is the best fantasy I have ever read .
Rating: 
Summary: A traditional and entertaining fantasy series
Review: I have read all of the Sword of Truth volumes through Faith of the Fallen (6 books in all) and found them all to be good reads. The series is unusually consistent as opposed to many series which seem to wander off course (e.g. the Dune series). Goodkind provides a classic fantasy world with likeable characters filling the standard roles. He is adept at creating circumstances and conflicts which draw the reader in and make him or her care about the outcome - even if some of the situations are a bit artificially manufactured. The big negative in Goodkind's writing is a tendency to explain things in repetitious ways. In particular, he spends a lot of time inside character's minds explaining how torn up they are about something and then, in the next paragraph, he repeats the same thing in a slightly different way. This gets a bit tiresome. However, don't let this stop you from at least trying the first volume. Overall, I enjoyed all 6 books. Goodkind's work is not great literature, but it is entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: Ok story, telling is lacking.
Review: The main plot of the book and its main characters are perfectly intriguing. Where Goodkind fails is that he spends too much time on details that do not advance the main plot. By my calculations this added about 250 pages of description and dialogue that were not necessary. Whenever I found myself believing the characters and getting drawn into the story it seemed that the obvious filler text would creep in. There is a sequence in particular where Goodkind must show that the protagonist (Richard) can handle extreme pain, and he must learn two lessons. Goodkind spends about 100 pages on his torture. His torturer is the spitting image of a modern S&M bondage queen (which doesn't make any sense in the context of the book). This passage really only need about 10 pages to be effective and Goodkind spent 100. Some may say that this is a shortcoming of the genre, but to them I say, "Question the rules of the genre!" A novel stands on its own, and when it is filled with 250 pages of fluff (the size of most modern novels by gifted writers) it sort of makes the informed reader raise some serious questions about the skill of the writer. I give three starts for the story and no stars for the writing quality.
Rating: 
Summary: The parts that weren't bad were derivative
Review: My first reaction to the book was to wonder what insane experience poisoned Goodkind enough that he wanted to spend so much time talking about the Mord-Sith and other icons of sadism. Once I got over that, I was struck by how many elements of the story were positively generic. I soldiered on for a while, but the entire series just doesn't get better. I think the idea of the Seeker could be an interesting one, and that if Goodkind were to seek some therapy and start over, he might yet do some interesting work.
Rating:
Summary: Very good, but not the best
Review: I've got to first say that I'm a real sucker for fantasy. That said, I was very impressed by Wizard's First Rule. The elements of magic and gallantry are strong, with better romance than I've ever read. However, some elements of plot are just left hanging (ie how and when exactly did Chase give Michael the message? That might have led to some very interesting developments.). Also, though I hate to say it, I can detect some glaring ripoffs from Robert Jordan, my personal favorite (yes, 7 and 8 were slow, but they set up for Winter's Heart, which will clearly be the best in the series). For instance, Mord-Sith (and isn't the name a bit reminiscent of Star Wars?) are the equal of sul'dam, both of the male protagonists are temporarily in the dark about their fathers, and both are unknown chosen ones who rise from common nothingness into messiahs. However, since Jordan's was published 4 years before, I would have to say that Goodkind took some material off of him, if modified. Also, though I may be too used to Jordan's practice of exquisite detail, it seems that Goodkind has nowhere near enough background behind anything. The underworld is left a mystery, the magic system is completely untouched, and the world is somewhat vague. The magic is most frustrating-who knows what Zedd or Kahlan could really do? Maybe this was left unclear so they can unleash previously untouched spells (Blood Rage) but I would appreciate some insight to the single most important part in any fantasy-the magic. One last point-this book is really, truly sick in some parts. Darken Rahl's anthropomancy, the numerous accounts of testicle consumption, and the practices of the Mord-Sith are a bit overdone, though I must admit that they add to the mood. All in all, Wizard's First Rule was a satisfying piece of fantasy, and I'm a fairly sure bet to finish the series.
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding world with Characters to match.
Review: I've always loved to read novels that brought a different dimension to my life, so I mostly read Fantasy and Science Fiction. I didn't fully realize the extent of that otherworld escape until I read Wizards First Rule. In most Fantasy there is a main character that goes through some problems and at the end every nuance of the story ends up jovial, with Goodkind's first Sword of Truth novel I was shattered by the cunning display and total lack of regard for the traditional Fantasy story. Richard Cypher is the ultimate role-model for me and many others out there. Richard is the high water mark of what we should show each other as human beings, and he is an example of the way some people used to be and the way in which we should all aspire to live. Khalan is the same way, i have never come across a female charachter that shows more emotion, love, and sacrifice than her. You will come to love the characters with every word you read. Every mental breath you take will stagger your imagination. This is the ultimate in Fantasy, and as far as I'm concerned the best trip out there. The only thing that is better is the trips you will take in the future with the characters. Goodkind brings the "fairy-tale" Fantasy to a far different conclusion, one that not only stuns the reader but keeps him or her in tears waiting for the next installment. I reccomend this book and its sequels for all people who want to be somewhere else, if only for a short time.
Rating:
Summary: good, but not as good as Robert Jordan
Review: I was looking for a new fantasy series while awaiting the release of Winter's Heart (the ninth Wheel of Time book) when someone recommended this. It's good, classic long fantasy, with a little romance thrown in. While I liked it a lot, it didn't measure up to Robert Jordan's books. If you're looking for a new series, read Robert Jordan first. If you already have, then go ahead and read this.
Rating:
Summary: Wizard's First Rule
Review: I am not a huge science fiction/fantasy fan so I was not sure if I would enjoy this book...as it turns out I was pleasantly suprised. The book was very easy to read and the characters realistic. I found myself "sneaking" in pages everywhere I could just to find out what would happen next. Can't wait to get my hands on book 2 of the series!
Rating:
Summary: This book got 5 stars because Amazon wouldn't allow more!
Review: All I can say is that I've never read fantasy before. My husband had this book and was reading it faithfully DAILY! He kept making strange noises, i.e., chuckling, ROFL, gasping, saying things out loud like, "ooooooooh......oh-my-God!.........Oh no!............Wheeeeeeeeee!" It's kinda like someone cracking up laughing and you don't know the joke. Anyway, he dared me to read the first 50 pgs of this MASSIVE book. I thought, "Yeah, right". But he bet me that I wouldn't just put it down after that. And I didn't. This is probably one of the best books I've ever read, simply because it's the kind of book that pulls you INTO the story with the characters. Then once you're in, you're waiting for that next moment in your day just to be able to pick up the book again and find out what's going on in that world. I swear I've never felt more closer to characters or more "inside" a story than I did with this one. There's mystery, humor, torture, romance, suspense, horror, (even spiritual undertones, i.e., the sword and Seeker of Truth)........something for EVERYONE! This story will stick with you for months, if not years. It's definitely a "re-read". Okay, you don't have to take MY word for it. Go ahead......I dare you to read 50 pgs. Go ahead, treat yourself. :)
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