Rating: 
Summary: THIS IS A GREAT BOOK
Review: This is a great book.Goodkind explains all the chracters so well that you almost feel if you are in the story with them.It has a great plot and there is a lot of action in the book.The book keeps you reading till your eyes hurt.I would recommend the book to anyone who loves a great fantasy story.
Rating: 
Summary: Does Jordan know Goodkind's biting his gig?
Review: Advice to Goodkind: If you *must* imitate someone, it's best to imitate someone better than merely adequate. But this isn't a Wheel of Time review. No, it's about the tawdry little thing called Wizard's First Rule. The predictable Gandalf-clone mentors the predictable Rand-clone into the Full Use of His Awesome Powers (tm). There are a few (woefully rare) excellent stylistic moments, but the plot is strictly by-the-numbers and the characterization is down there with Larry Niven. I finished it, but it was a pretty boring slog through the last third, after I realized Goodkind wasn't going to really work with the relationship of overwhelming rage to good/evil at all, which was the one interesting core idea in the book. Still, Piers Anthony sells books, so I suppose *somebody* finds this worthwhile, and who am I to spit on their little pleasures? By all means, read W1stR, and get the rest of 'em if it appeals to you. It keeps Goodkind off the public dole, and I suppose someone would have processed that wood into pulp anyhow.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not great
Review: Personally I didn't think the torture was too much, but that may just be me being a sixteen year old male. This was an enjoyable fun book that kept me busy for a couple of hours a day reading it. But it definitly bears way too much resemblence to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Also Goodkind doesn't really include the same feeling of being in a completely different world that Jordan does. But I suggest that everyone who like's fantasy to read this. It's often exciting and suspensful, even when you know what's going to happen (I know that's an oximoron, but still...). Even with my biases towards writers who arn't Robert Jordan or Tolkien, I found myself going back and reading the sequels, then rereading the series again.
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining book
Review: I read all the comments from people pointing out the negative aspects of Goodkind's work: his lack of refinement in his writing, predictable storyline, empty setting, similarity to Robert Jordan, and over use of violence. While these things all may be true to some degree, they skirt the heart of the issue: the book is entertaining to read. Why else read a fantasy novel, if not for the excitement of not being able to put the book down and stop reading it because you are so engrossed in a great story? About the explicitiveness of the book. Anyone read one of Chris Bunch's fantasy novels? Read one of them, and you will see how it is difficult to critisize Goodkind for his torture scene. Yes, Goodkind's book does have many parallels with Robert Jordan's series, but so what? Simply put, this book is great.
Rating: 
Summary: Oh, please!
Review: If this is the standard of medocrity to which fantasy authors aspire these days, then God help us all. I think the previous review says it all about the type of audience to which this book caters. In the mood for stellar fantasy writing? Read George R.R. Martin. Read Katharine Kerr. Read the Feist/Wurts Empire Trilogy. Read anything but this!
Rating:
Summary: Great book !
Review: hmmm, I wanted to start off by talking to the people who say that "WE" who read the Wizards First Rule are stupid.....this is wrong and ignorant of all of you by saying this. And further those who cant handle the "torture" in the books and think that it is too long, well all I have to say about that is that well mabey you are to weak of mind and stomache to read these novels, strong people can overcome PRINTED torture, I think that Goddkind portrayed a vast and vivid scene that was a reality, torture WAS a way of making a person "give." Goodkind may have borowed similar ideas from other books, but that may or may not have been concious, when you read a good novel some of the work you do, verble or written, may aquire some charicteristics of the charecters from the book, in this case Goodkind put some of these charecteristics into his book. Dont be mad, dont be sad, it happened, there is nothing any of you can do, by whinning and complaining. email me if you like. I have more to say
Rating:
Summary: I liked it !
Review: I read this several years ago and I truly liked it. I was engrossed in the story and I did not pay any attention to writing style or grammar. The book held my attention and the pages kept turning. Had I written a review at that time I would have given this book five stars. No second thoughts.Now that I read all the negative reviews about the bad writing, I picked up my copy again to see if it really was that bad. I have to admit, it's certainly no candidate for the Nobel prize, but it's not "awful" either. It's a story being told in perfectly readable language. I find nothing wrong with that. Many reviewers said that this book takes too many ideas from other books. Maybe it does, but it also puts those ideas together to make a new and interesting story. If you get to the core of 90% of all fantasy novels it will turn out to be a story about an unlikely hero (occasionally heroine) with some mysterious powers or heritage embarking on a quest to fight the evil king/god/sorcerer and save the world. This is what I would call Classic Fantasy. I could read "Lord of the Rings" once a month, but I'd rather read different books from different authors even if they are based on the same storyline and their style may not be as polished as Tolkien's. Violence plays a big part in "Wizard's First Rule". I admit that I had to force myself to read through the torture bits. It made me sick and I am surprised that someone would give this book to an 11-year-old. I certainly wouldn't. It's okay to let the hero suffer once in a while instead of having him rush from one adventure to the next while he always prevails. But this went on and on and on. Less pages would have been necessary to get the point across. This book keeps getting compared to Jordan's "Wheel of Time". I read that as well and I also liked it. Being pushed hard to choose one over the other it would probably be Goodkind, but not by much. I like that each book has a satisfying ending so that I don't have to wait a year or even longer before I know what's going to happen. All in all I would recommend this book for those who read because they want a reprieve from everyday life, spend a few hours in a fantasy world and simply enjoy a good story. Read this book as if you would go to a "Lethal Weapon" or "Indiana Jones" movie. I decided to give this book four stars, so that no one mistakes it for the new bible of fantasy. It's good, but not that good. If you're looking for something more demanding, I suggest reading Guy Gavriel Kay, maybe "Tigana", which is the most intelligent fantasy novel that I have read to date.
Rating:
Summary: I found the more i read this book the more I loved it
Review: I am not a very easy persojn to amuse when it comes to book reading but onc3e i sarted reading the wisards first rule i found i could not put it down it was a wonderfull based fantasy book it takes place in the midevil times when men where men. the book takes you to places that you never thought you could go before no matter wat anyone tells you this is a book to cheack out
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, A little dark
Review: I have to say, taht this was my favorite book in the series, but terry did go a little far on the toture stuff. I still say that Terry kicks the pants off jordan though. People, stop comparing the two, yes, they have liknesses, but terrys books take on an almost physical aspect. A previous reviewer said that the torture parts were quite long, I think he said somthing like 50 pages, but, those 50 pages were well spent. I pick up any book that is 800+ pages, and immediatley I think, "well here goes useless rablings about somthing useless like the hair on peaches." Terry turned that into somthing intriguing. easily the best book in the series. If you are looking for an awesome epic of excitement, the buck stops here.
Rating:
Summary: Wake Up People
Review: I think many of the people reviewing this book need to wake up to themselves and read the book for what it is an appreciate the auther for who he is, not for what they want the book to be. The book is written as it is and thats what makes it brillant with excellent uses of description especially in the parts where denna tortures richard. After all why do you read fantasy if you are trying to run away from things suchas violence, ofcourse violence will be portrayed in such a fantasy novel. Either learn to accept the book and how the auther wanted it or make no comment and dont read it again. If you believe you have it in your capacity to write better then the auther then i will be pleased to buy your books, but untill then learn that it is the author writting the story - the way he wants it- Apart from that terry has proven himself to be one of the best authors of our time with use of excellent language, content and technique in making the book a masterpiece. I recommend that everyone should read one if not all of terry's books as they are all brilliant. Lets face it if your running from reality then in Terries fantasy books is the place to be!!!!
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