Rating: 
Summary: Lame, derivative, puerile, and misogynistic
Review: I tried to like this as a student asked me to read it, but I kept feeling like I've read this story before. Characters in the book do stupid, unbelievable things, and I ceased to care if they were killed; in fact, I sort of looked forward to it with a few of them. Names of characters seemed derivative, and I could not stand Kahlan. Her name seems like an amalgam of floor wax product names, and she is not a very strong character. I'm not surprised that the book did well however; remember the rule: "People are stupid." Maybe this refers to the people who bought this book?
Rating: 
Summary: So awful it is entertaining
Review: To sum up WFR, it is written with all the sofistication of a pre-schooler, with even less orginality of a child. There is your typical farm-boy hero who meraculously turns into a macho-warrior, the token powerful female character (well, we are told she is powerful but she relies an awuful lot on male help for a so-called powerful woman), a quirky wizard, a conviently located dragon, deus-ex mechana galor, evil minions etc. This book reads like a serious version of Dianna Wayne Jones's Tough Guide to Fantasy Land. This is a very bad book. However, it gave me many chuckles and a feeling of superiority, hence my rating. I might have wished to give it one star, but it did entertain me by how bad it was. As a hopeful fantasy writer, I find this book very useful, however, because it provided me with plenty of things one should not do in a fantasy book. If you are a beginning fantasy reader, please do not turn away from fantasy because of Goodkind. There is much better stuff out there. If you want to cut straight to la creme de la creme of fantasy, I'll point you in the direction of Robin Hobb and George R. R. Martin. Read those two first before making a judgment on the genre.
Rating: 
Summary: Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth, Book 1
Review: I saw another review on this book and did not like what it had to say. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so now I will share mine. This book is very well written. It keeps you wanting to read more. The charecters are well developed throughout the story. You must keep reading to learn more. It brings back even the slightest details you may have found un important earlier in the book, and make them very important later. I was given this book by a freind who said it was the best book he read, until the next in the series. I have passed this book on to three other individuals, who also like it as much. Terry Goodkind is a very entrapping writter. It is hard to put the book down, even when you must. The charecters continue developing in the next book as well. The plot is a good one, and the review that I read saying that the interesting points where with secondary charecters was way off. Then the person took it further to make those encounters seem borring. The whole book is exciting, and some of those secondary cherecters beome main cherecters in the next book. Some of the secondary cherecters return as secondary charecters in the second book. One of the main cherecters from this book, becomes a secondary in the next. It is ever changing with Terry Goodkind. The plot is original, the review that I read may have been talking about one peice of the whole plot that was not original, but the plot as a whole is original, and very well written. I would suggest to everyone to read this book, even if you do not like fantasy type books. I would also say that the whole set is worth getting. One person I gave this book to, does not even like fantasy novels, but loved this one and now owns the set. I give this writter and this whole set a very high mark, and as for this book it is great. So you have read the other guys review, and mine. It can't hurt to try it out. I think you will like it, I did.
Rating:
Summary: Truly a Masterpiece
Review: While I'll admit that it is not the most original concept in the world; Evil wizard, exotic women, magic sword; He takes such basic concept and makes them his own. But thats not the strength of this book. Goodkind is a master philosipher and really relays a powerful message in all of his books. He makes you really feel for the characters. All in all Goodkind is a master in the genre and doesn't get the respect he deserves.
Rating:
Summary: buffy, my dog, can write better
Review: when you write a conventional fantasy plot which bases itself upon the worn out concept of "THE ONE" who is destined to save the world from the dark and evil forces , you better have something else going on for you other than originality.
for example: a sweeping love story for the more romantic reader, epic fights for the blood thirsty, humor, belivable and LOVABLE characters and so on .
i fear this book has none of it. it's boring and it follows every convention the fantasy genre has to offer.
Starting with the mystery woman appearing out of nowhere in desperate need of help, continuing with our hero who rescues her. what a surprise, we'll later find out he is destined to do just that.
On their dark and perilous way to save the world from ( again, what a shocker ) an evil magician, they will encounter many idiotic characters, and overcome unmeasurably borring difficulties.
To make a long story short, a really Bad book.
Rating:
Summary: Predictable, Awful and Ridiculous
Review: To repeat others ..If I could give it a ZERO I would, negative would be even better. You immediately know who the "secret" wizard is, who the Seeker will be and that Richard's brother is already corrupted. DO NOT waste your time or money on this book.
Some of the more PUHLEEZE plot points? Richard's father entrusts him with memorizing a very important magical book but doesn't bother to tell him ANY of the history of the three lands and the barriers to prepare him for what may come? PUHLEEZE. The TIME sequence in the book seems totally wrong. It hasn't even been a full generation since the barriers went up but the people in Richard's homeland know NOTHING of the other lands. The story itself tries to imply that the barriers and separation of lands are old, long ago but that just isn't the case and to repeat myself makes NO SENSE. And further more how does the son of a ?Trader? definitely not someone even middle class or political reach the highest position possible in the land as Richard's brother did?? Richard's brother mauls Kahlan the first time he meets her, at a formal function. How realistic is that? The first of many hints that Goodkind DOES NOT LIKE women. Kahlan is supposed to be a very powerful and feared woman in her land but everything turns her into a bawling mess. Was Goodkind afraid of a strong female character?? He constantly talks of women being raped, maybe raped or disposable and unimportant in one way or another. The bad guys are truly, stereotypically evil. A child molester who also kills his victims and Darken Rahl who also willy nilly slaughters people. Between him and his friend they will have killed ALL of the younger men that they would need in the future to be their military force.
I expect intelligence and thought in the books I read. It may be fantasy but it should still be intelligent and well written. This book is neither.
Rating:
Summary: The worst fantasy book ever?
Review: This book is abysmal - it makes a parody of the fantasy genre. I can only think that somehow the author has paid a load of people to log on to this site and give it 5 stars as there is no way I can imagine that anyone could read this book and call it good. I managed to get to the second last chapter of the first book before I finally gave up and realised that life is too short to waste it reading rubbish like this. I didn't even bother to read the last chapter. There is nothing to recommend the book - the plot, characters, writing style are all cringingly awful. If people are looking for something to satisfy their thirst for fantasy after Tolkien then there are dozens of excellent authors to try out: George R.R. Martin, Stephen Donaldson, Raymond E. Feist, Robert Jordan, David Gemmel, etc, etc. Even Harry Potter is far more compelling reading than this. To echo others on the thread - I wish I could give it a zero - please don't read this book.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite fantasy book
Review: This book was amazing. It had so much character development, and it really kept you reading till the last page.
The next few books in the series were pretty good, the second equally as, but then it started to drag on a bit...
The main character Richard started to seem a little too perfect. So if you want to start reading a complete series, I wouldn't reccomend this book, but if you want to just read a great fanatsy, then this is the one for you.
Rating:
Summary: Writers First Rule
Review: With approximately 80 pages left in the book I was able to predict the exact ending. I owe this ability to having watched extremely lamely written television. Thankfully, this was easily translated over to the analysis of Goodkind's writing. It is difficult to believe that this author was able to write 800 pages from the rather simple kill the evil wizard plot, any even more difficult to comprehend once you finish the book. Another suggestion, you should probably write some clever dialouge to convince us that your character is witty and intelligent instead of telling us this every three pages. If you feel you must read this book enjoy the story! (and the other 650 pages of filler)
Rating:
Summary: Fun, but badly written
Review: Goodkind knows how to construct and unspool a plot, and it would be disingenuous of me to say that this is not a brisk and engaging read. But it's also pretty dreadfully written, full of cringe-inducing prose, unrealistic characters, and unintentional silliness. I was particularly bothered by the Bone Woman's single, inexplicable linguistic tic that serves no purpose but to say to the reader "Look! A quirky ethnic person!"; by Rachel's syrupy tear-jerker scenes (how old is she supposed to be? 5? 8? 12?) and the author's liberal use of the word "bestest" in them; by the way the main characters are always obsessing over how they have to be prepared to slaughter their best friends if they think they might be hindering the pursuit of their geopolitical goals; and by the fact that things that should sound awe-inspiring and mystical always come off sounding dry or silly or chatty or overly technical -- consider Richard's communion with the spirits of the Mud People, or his first meeting with Darken Rahl, or the excerpts from the Book of Counted Shadows. But the worst part is something Richard does near the end of the novel which completely wipes out whatever goodwill or sympathy I had been feeling for him. I don't want to spoil it, but it happens when he's with Mistress Denna, and I suppose we're meant to cheer for him when he does it, but I found it to be one of those things that you can't justify or applaud no matter what the circumstances. You'll know what I'm talking about when you read it. This is just a sampling of the missteps in this book; previous reviewers have recounted others, and touched on additional problems, like the fact that WFR is terribly derivative of Star Wars, Tolkien, and the Wheel of Time series. I wouldn't begrudge anyone for enjoying it, but let's be frank, here -- this is literary junk food; the fantasy genre's answer to John Grisham or Danielle Steele. Entertaining and readable, but full of empty calories.
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