Wizard's First Rule - Blood of the Fold

I ordered the books after having seen the television series, which was very enjoyable to watch. This is the first time in my life that I am saying that the production was better than the books. The books are overly long with unnecessary details of things like cultural differences among the characters and acts of stomach churning cruelties. The TV series, on the other hand, stream-lined much of the narrative, and had a good cast for the characters, so that while the good guys were brave, noble, and charming, the villains were well rounded characters as well and came across as real people, too.

Knowing what I know now, I'd recommend skipping the books and going right for the TV series.

honestly, this has got to be one of the best series i have ever read. from book one to book twelve my nose has been constantly stuck to those pages. hehe you should hear my wife complain! Anyways all said and done, Goodkind's style just "clicked" for me. Whether a person wants to admit everyone has at one time or another fantasized about being a hero in there own little fantasy world. I think back to those boring sundays in church as a kid and day dreamed my stories. Believe me when i say his world he created was rapture to read. So many key elements and intertwining events that keep you on your toes...eyes reading faster and faster.

As that my be my speel on the subject most people are interested in pros and cons only, so here are mine:

PROS: while keeping one main protaginist TG puts the perfect amount of "other" characters in the storyline. I didnt find myself once rushing through a page to get back to the "main story" of the protaginist. The series also installs some really good values on life and the appreciation of it. the author, in my opinion, perfectly mixed up the "sword and soceress" of epic fantasy. While it was a fiction of fantasy it seemed to follow the reason of reality; making it all the more enjoyable to read.

CONS: When i read epic fantasy, or stories for that matter, there are always key elements i lock on to that keep me captivated. In this series the element which i locked onto failed to fulfill itself throughout the story. However, i think its remarkable, that with how picky i am, the author manage have me saying at the end of the series, "By gosh, i am definitley going to be re-reading this for years to come!" Even though there are serious depictions of rape, corruption, evil, and torture (as there are in reality) it shows how the righteous and compassionate prevail.

The setup of the world was fantastic, and reading through the first several books was fast and very entertaining. Right around Pillars of Creation the story-line started to get repetitive, and I lost interest quickly. The formula of (1) Introduce two lovers (2) Get then together (3) Split them apart and rob them of power (4) Bring them back together
is overused anyways, but to put it SO MANY TIMES in one series is just lazy. Read the first several storylines, and just pretend the series ends there, you'll be better off.

I had never read fantasy before, but was interested in it. A friend recommended this set to me and by the time the first chapter had ended I was hooked! I absolutely love the series. The character development is wonderful and thorough. Yes the characters are a bit cliche, but in no way does that hinder the story or make you less interested in them. Some people I have talked to have a hard time finishing the first book because of some sexually preverse scenes near the end. I would not suggest skipping this part because I feel it gives a lot of insight into the person Richard becomes. So if that sort of thing is disturbing to you, I would either try to get through it or perhaps find another fantasy series.

The sword of truth is an incredable serie that is very disputed about. there are mainly two schools of thought: this is a great, original series that is worth reading many times; or, this is a very overused and cliched idea and nothing really worth reading.

I think that it is the first, and not the latter. I basiclly read only one gnerea of books and that is the sci-fi/fantasy novels and more the fantasy. I just soak up all the fantasy books I can get my hands on. That being said I know original ideas when I see them in my opion this is a orininal idea.

this is the story about a man named Richard which is funny becuase he is the only person is the book who has a normal name. anyways Richard turns out to be the seeker which is this guy who gets the sword of truth, which has magical powers, and is saposed to find answers to questions the seeker wishes to know, hence the sword of TRUTH.

throught the book he is trying to thwart the bad guy Darken rhal because rhal is tring to access this ancient magic over life itself.

the second book and the third have equally bad things that Richard Kahlen and all the other charachters have to overcome.

anyways wizards firt rule is a great begining to a great fantasy series. and I would give this series ten stars if i could the first book i read so fast and bumbed it up to my favortite book and then i read the second and third books and they were even better.

this is a great series and i would recomended it to anyone with the exception of a younger person mabye ten or eleven or younger.

I say this not because it is especially difficult to read. I am 14 and me and some of my SAME AGE FRIENDS loved it. i say that because this is a true to life book one of the reasons i loved it. when i say true to life i mean there was everyting from tortureing and sadeism to lesbian lovers to rape all descriped in more length than an average fight sence.

like i said, i enjoyed it because i thought that it was more true to life and not watered down when most books are. this is not to say don't read this book all the stuff mentioned above is not the main part of the book. one of the main themes throughout the book is a love between Richard and Khalen. and friendships aswell.

this is a great begining and i can't wait to get the fourth book and start it.

Wonderful series, can't say enough about Terry Goodkind's books. Towards the middle of the series his main character gets too preachy.... I mean pages of the stuff. I'd just skip over it and get to the good stuff. The last book didn't contain all of that, so that was a big plus.

I've let several people borrow these books and they were all different ages, and all of them have liked them. I have never met someone who didn't like them.

I absolutely love this series. Once I picked up the first book "Wizard's First Rule" I
was on the most incredible journey with Richard and Kahlan that continues right up
through the newest book "The Third Kingdom." Terry is an amazing writer and I sit on
the edge of my seat waiting for his next book! If you love fantasy adventure these
are a must read.

Although I was a fan of the television series, "Legend of the Seeker" I was not fully aware that they were based off a series of books. When I finished another series by someone else, and lacked new reading material, I was in need of a new favorite author. I stumbled across these in a Barnes and Noble and almost did a 'happy dance' in the middle of the store!! His writing is incredible, which many authors seem to forget how to do. Each character is fully described down to the simplest facial expression. I wish I had found him sooner before school started taking up my life!!

Terry Goodkind writes amazing stories in this set of books and as a writer, I have studied his skills at crafting a layered tale with many turns, twists and a realistic characters. Characters, monsters and descriptions you see inBbook 1 that seem minor details and scenery turn out to be important elements later in the series. Excellent job at crafting a story!!!

Writing is an interesting topic of debate. While we all agree that story is paramount, there are several different viewpoints on an author's prose. While some feel prose is not so important, others believe that it is essential for a good story, and for those of you who feel that way, I am sorry to say that Terry Goodkind will be a slight disappointment; his writing is very safe, and he does not extend beyond the vocabulary of a high school student. Furthermore, many of his sentences are simply nonsensical and poorly worded. This becomes increasingly more prevalent as the series progresses, and hits its highpoint just before the final trilogy (where, thankfully, Goodkind gets his act together by creating a gripping finale with wonderful description that will invoke the deepest of emotions). If this is a problem for you, do not read this series, it will only upset you.

However, I have always been adamant that story matters more than presentation. Not too much, mind you, but as long as the sentences are structured, get a point across, and are not senseless drivel, the storyline is oh so more important, and it is here that Goodkind trumps other authors. His story is rich and it progresses well over the 11 novels, despite a slight road bump around Faith of the Fallen. However, it can be argued that each book is relevant, and I would definitely agree with anyone who said so. Each one contributes to the story as a whole, just as a great story should do, and just where other authors (Robert Jordan, with his concentration only on details) have failed. Story first, details second. Even a story with minimal details but a great story will best a story with vivid imagery but no story.

Basically, if you are looking for a great read, these books are for you. But if you are one of those people who complains about lack of prose, go read a lousy Jordan novel and leave the real fantasy fans alone to real fantasy business.

Great story, so-so prose.

Rated R for the plentiful rape scenes and crude humor and violence.

I started this series a few years ago, and had some stuff going on in my life so had to leave off after Debt of Bones. I have recently picked it back up, with Chainfire, and am reminded how much I love these books. On the one hand I want to go back and re-read from 1st Rule, but I wrestle with wanting to go forward because I want to know where Kahlan is. LOL I get so wrapped up that I have found myself crying for characters, thinking of them like they are my friends throughout the day, not to mention the laundry that sits waiting because I can't tear myself away from the pages. So I try to "think of the solution"...I need therapy...or maybe the world could stop just for a month or so so I can read without having to worry about work, shopping, you know, annoying stuff like that! LOL This is a must read for all gamers, geeks, and fantasy lit buffs...and even those who aren't but are looking for a great adventure with deep characters that are in a dynamic world and situation, with a little humor thrown in. Must read for all...or I'll sic my MordSith on you.

Mr. Goodkind has written a trophy of a book, this book has something for everybody. There is romance, humor, anticipation, and much more. I usually am able to predict the ending to most novels, however this book kept me on the edge and I was constantly suprised. This is one of the longest books I have read in such a short time, I was elated that it was as long as it was. I never wanted it to end. Long live Zed!

Let me start by saying that I love these books. They have changed the way I look at the world, and myself. However... I will say that they are not going to be for everyone, and they are not books that you will fully appreciate unless you have the desire and ability to understand symbolism, politics, religion and human nature. You will also be confronted with some ugly truths about prejudices, desire for power, and fear of those who are different. All of these are thought provoking and difficult to read at times. I don't agree entirely with all of Goodkind's philosophies, but I kept an open mind and enjoyed the books. It is a series that takes ALL things to the extreme to make a point.

Below are some prominent areas:

1. Politics - These books are rife with strong arguments for working to make your way and not taking hand outs. For those more 'fortunate' it is their duty NOT to help the needy, but rather they should enable them to help and respect themselves. Providing hand-outs only makes people more dependent and robs them of their ability to know the feeling of pride in accomplishment and self reliance. There is corruption and violence, fed by selfishness and a lack of using logic to reason for yourself what is right. The entire series serves as a warning against blindly following those in power. Those who do not think for themselves are the worst sort of people. Reading about the Old World is a morbid glimpse into what the world would look like if everyone depended on everyone else to do everything for them. Extreme socialism) Those who tried to prosper above others (capitalists) would be "corrupt", "evil" and "selfish" while laziness, hatred and ignorance would run unchecked. This is most evident in Faith of the Fallen

2. Religion - Imperial Order followers, the Sisters of the Light, The Blood of the Fold... even those who devote their lives to prophecy are depicted as religious zealots, and as such they are an insult to free will and rational thinking. Those who are of a different "religion" are the enemy, but it is possible, while reading these books, to be both angry and sad for people on both sides of the fight. It is an extreme example of what would happen if people accepted their religion entirely on faith, without the checks and balances that reason offer. I find it ironic that dedication to sheer logic and reason almost becomes a religion in-and-of-itself before the books end.

3. Human Nature - At our worst, humans can do some pretty awful things, but much of that is held in check by the society and expectations around us. What would happen if those things were to erode, and everything became acceptable; nothing was off-limits and each man was for himself? You would have The Imperial Order. When those who are obscene, selfish and brutish become idolized and are heroes, what is left? Even more jarring is the thought that perhaps we are not really so far away from it in our society right now, where we reward people for acting like jerks and make celebrities out of criminals. Even the main characters do things that are very human and make terrible decisions based on what they feel. Goodkind has an ongoing protest to following your feelings to make any kind of decision, arguing that you can be swept away into a frenzy of mob-sized idiocy. The results of decisions like this do not go unpunished.

4. Symbolism - This list is too long to put on here. : Suffice it to say that each book has example upon example of the highlighted 'Wizards Rule' at work in it. Each book is a different Rule). I feel like I could do an entire study on the intricacies at work here.

Overall:

I felt at times that the story line began to drag (especially 3/4 of the way through the series where the story is suddenly told from the POV of totally new characters) and even many of the individual books didn't feel as though they really picked up until about half-way through, at which point they were on a rapid rush to wrap things up that sometimes felt as if it was 'too perfect'. Each book seemed to spiral into disaster, followed by a small pick-me-up at the end before they nosedived at the beginning of the next book. It was almost depressing to read because there seemed to be no end in sight to the terrible situations he put his characters into. The books can be very consuming, mentally and emotionally.

I did notice, as others have mentioned, the women as inferior/weak-minded/feelings-driven entities, which grated on my nerves occasionally while reading. There are three types of women in the book: Those who are inherently smart (rational) and are thus respected (Kahlan, Adie), those who are misled but open-minded and are able to be led into making smart choices by the men around them, and those who are the mindless followers who end up being used only for pleasuring men or end up dead, which is a seemingly 'fitting' place for them in the authors' opinion if they are not able to think for themselves. Just to bring the point home, a main character is brutally and suddenly face to face with her fate while trying to persuade Niki to seduce Richard and make him fall in love with her "for his own good". Her irrational meddling did not go unpunished, after all, she had been given many opportunities to see the error of her ways. I tried to ignore these for the sake of the story-line, but this is definitely a male-centric series. That isn't to say that there aren't powerful women in it, but that there is an underlying current of disdain toward them.

Lengthy diatribes about the same things showed up over and over (especially near the end of the series) and I found myself skipping over them because I was sick of hearing them. The point was received and I just wanted the book to move forward. Overall it didn't take away from the series that much, it was just a bit annoying.

The only honest to goodness gripe I had though was with the way the whole thing ended, which seemed like a completely alternate direction from what it should have been and almost as if someone else had written it. I was not satisfied with it and have since envisioned my own ending for the saga :P

Overall I would say that these are a very worthwhile read (it remains one of my favorite series, second only to Lord of the Rings). The characters are very human and will evoke deep feelings of adoration and hatred, pity and outrage, disgust and pride... every range of emotion exists in these books. This is the only series I've ever read that both horrified and enthralled me.

The books look nice, especially inside the container.
The negative is that the pages are printed poorly. The text runs to within 3 millimeters from the binding in the crease, which makes it irritating to read the book. I don't know if I happen to have a manufacturer defect, or just a poor decisition by a printing company.

The books are still good, but I should've just bought the hardcovers since it can be irritating to read these due to the above.

As far as the book content, it's great. Love the story, not appropriate for some younger readers as there are sections of the book (not overly graphic...) that deal with rape and torture. Just an FYI.

For fans of adult action-packed Swords & Sorcery thriller/romances this is the saga of the decade! If you want marvelous characters, complex plotting, edge-of-your-seat drama, heart-pounding combat, true heroism, frightening evil, agonizing suspense, cosmic magic, human and non-human conflicts which threaten the very existance of reality itself... Then you owe it to yourself to read all of the voumes of this magic-driven epic! The continuing theme and driving force of this wonderfully lengthy saga is a true-love romance between two of the most extradordinary fantasy heroes ever gifted to readers of action fantasy. The fact that the laws and traditions of two worlds forbid this love match is only one of the many, many obstacles to be overcome. This is definitely adult reading, with fully developed adult characters and themes which can stun you with their power. Very little turns out as you think it will, and not always as you would like, but it is never, ever, boring. Best of all, this is a huge multi-volume work which is still a 'work in progress' for Terry Goodkind.

Terry Goodkind is an outstanding writer! If you are looking for a series with a ton of great heroes and villains this is the one. I wont devulge any of the story because its something to experience for yourself. However, I will say that if you begin this series, you will be far from dissapointed. The Sword of Truth Burns Brighter with every new reader! Expand your mind.

Terry Goodkind is my favorite author. I can't tell you how many nights I've lost sleep because I couldn't stop reading. The stories are inspiring and engrossing. I'd recommend reading all of his work. If you like fantasy novels, then look no further...there are plenty to keep you entertained for a good long while. I don't read too many books more than once, but I've read every one of Terry Goodkind's novels at least three times. Highly recommended!

The first 3 books in The Sword of Truth series are a fantastic example of how to pull in an science fiction audience, I was enthralled while reading all 3 of these books! the story is always exciting with a few rare moments when the book can drag on in excess, although it pulls itself through to make up for any dry parts. I must say that the ending in book 2 was a little rushed, and the story seems to repeat itself, but Mr. Goodkind has a skill to tell this in a way that pulls you in and just wont allow you to put the book down, and by halfway through the first book you feel you know the characters as your own friends, and anytime after you feel for them. I recommend these books full heartedly to anyone.

Terry Goodkind has produced a very exciting series of books. The characters are described in such depth that you can almost recognise their character traits in others. I just hope Chase the boundary warden from " The Wizard's First Rule" makes an appearance in "Soul of Fire". Mr Goodkind please continue the fantastic work!!!

This is a great series! :-) Some may not like the end to this series, but I found it to be rather good. I don't like a lot of loose ends at the end of my stories. Case in point "The Lady and the Tiger". I had to read that stupid thing in School and then you are supposed to "Write your own ending." This series is wrapped up well, and you aren't left hanging on anything. I love it. :-)

I was very pleased with this fantsy series. It actually got better as it went along. The first book was a little weak I thought but it definitly picks up as you go though the books. And the best part is the author has actually finished the series (unlike some great fantasy series where you wait forever for the conclusion). I would highly reccomend this series to fans of Robert Jordan, Tolkien or George R.R. Martin.

I have just recently read Terry Goodkind's, Wizard's First Rule. It was entrancing. I could not put it down. All of my emotions and feelings were captured by Terry's amazing writing abilities. I am only too willing to read his next book, and I am sure that I will continue reading until he can no longer write any more.

I recommend the first 3-4 volumes of this serie to every fan of good fantasy-literature.
Very creative story, fascinating characters, a lot of suspense, a lot original ideas!
It`s too bad that after "Temple of winds" the whole story started to lose its grip, logic and tended to repeat itself.
Nevertheless, as said before, the first 3-4 volumes are excellent!

I wasn't into the whole fantasy thing and read this book on a tip from a friend of mine. I was amazed how much I loved it. It's a great start to a fantastic journey. Terry Goodkind is just a flat out amazing author who really gets you connected to the characters. I ended up reading the whole series and talk about consistency.... I could not put any one of the 10 books down. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great adventure and great writing. I thought after reed this series I'd try the Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series because everyone seems to think they are on the same level, well let me tell you there not! Let me save you a whole lot of time.... Don't bother with the Wheel of Time. I read the whole series and writing is confusion and very boring. The sword of Truth series is on a WHOLE OTHER LEVEL. Right up there with J.R.R. Tolkien's epic masterpiece.

I read all three books (over 2500 pages) in about two weeks. I got sucked into the storyline and the fast paced action. At times, tough to read because of the many typos and grammatical errors, also I would get a big headache after reading for a few hours. Sensory Overload. Terry Goodkind is also annoyingly repetitive with concepts, descriptions, etc. All in all, I enjoyed the books, but I don't think I can endure reading the whole series. I'll miss the characters, but I won't miss the much else.

For a while now I have been looking for a new SFF series that will catch my interest and the Sword of Truth series is what I have been searching for. Any lover of SFF will love this trilogy.

I read through the first trilogy in 2 days, I just could not put it down. Thank goodness for overnight delievery on the rest of the series. The latter part of the series does tend to slip a bit and it has taken me months to get through the rest, but these don't miss.

Each novel is has its own story line, so you feel a since of closure at the end of each novel. So read as many, or as few, of the series that you want!

I have read every single book in this series and once you get deeper into it the depth of what happens is amazing! It's hard to put them down I won't ruin the story for any one but I highly recommend this series if u are like me and read quickly. ?

I HAVE A WONDERFUL IMAGINATION, BUT I WAS SWEPT AWAY FROM PAGE ONE OF WIZARDS RULE THRU BOOK 11. WILL YOU
WRITE MORE ABOUT MAGDA SEARUS AND MERRIT - THAT STORY WAS MOST RIVETING. DOES SHE TIE INTO KAHLAN'S HERITAGE
AT SOME POINT? I'M ANXIOUS TO HEAR MORE ABOUT IT. THANK FOR BEING SUCH A WONDERFUL IMAGINATIVE AUTHOR. I LOVE YOUR WORKS!!!!!

SHERRY SHORT

I discovered Fantasy early on when I was about 12 or 13 when a friend of mine introduced me to The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I have been hopelessly addicted ever since. Unfortunately, even though it very well may be my favorite genre I have been unable to find very many authors who wrote with the *Style* that just clicked with me the proper way. Tolkien was one, and on a whim, I bought Wizard's First Rule some 8 years ago or so and I was captivated from very nearly the first page and I've been hooked ever since.

Now this series has grown and even though some have accused Goodkind of suffering a little 'Jordanitis' when they believed the storyline didn't advance as far as hoped (and I admit that I have wondered this myself after reading 'Soul of the Fire' and 'Pillars of Creation') -- but when all is said and done, Goodkind has done what Robert Jordan has either refused to do, or simply cannot do: come back with utterly captivating stories. Since this boxed set contains the first three books in the series, I should limit my comments to them specifically, so here goes...

I cannot find fault with a single page of all three of these books. I just can't. I admit that after finishing 'Blood of the Fold' the first time, I was a bit disappointed -- although I cannot recall why these many years later I did. All I can say about it is I went ahead and re-read it about 4 years ago and simply couldn't figure out why I hadn't loved every page the first time around. Maybe because it was much shorter than the first two...but suffice it to say that this series contains a great deal of controversy regarding the plotting and it would seem that you either love it or you don't. Most who have finished the first three books however and dislike some of the novels that followed agree that the absolute best came first. I don't think that Goodkind has been able to equal his first outing with WFR -- in MY opinion he has come close a few times, most notably with 'Stone of Tears', 'Faith of the Fallen' and most recently with 'Chainfire' but again, that is just my opinion. If you take any time to read the individual reviews of the 'Sword of Truth' series you will discover a hotly debated group of books that some have dearly loved, and some associate with pure drivel. But if I could leave you with anything, if you haven't read any of the books just yet, give them a try and judge for YOURSELF and not because you believed any one person's review over another...because you know what they say about opinions don't you? Read what YOU like...I personally love the series, but YOUR opinion may vary. Good luck!

I ordered the first of the Sword of Truth series after watching the New Zealand filmed series. I enjoyed the TV series and figured the book had to be better, right? Unfortunately, while the plot is excellent, the writing itself is not very good. I skipped entire pages of unnecessary descriptive narrative... When an author spends a great deal of time describing what his characters are feeling, instead of letting their actions speak for themselves, it can become very wearisome. However, I believe this was the author's first novel, and as such it is a very good debut. I'll give the next one a try - hopefully, he honed his craft as he went.

I picked these up because a friend noticed I liked Stephen King & Sci-Fi/Fantasy. This is a great set so far. I've read books 1&2 and am looking forward to the 3rd. They have some gore written in, though not bad. The author carefully dodges the more sensual parts which I appreciate having a 7yr girl. I would say Harry-Potter meets Stephen King. (but I am sure many would be able to describe it better)

Unfortunate that I started reading this series. Now I will have to finish.

Books 1 to 4 = Enjoying this series. Has potential.

Book 5 = Starting to skip over paragraphs

Book 6 = Skipping through a few pages at a time to find something happening.

Book 7, 8 = Occasional stops to read to finally find something happening.

Book 9 = Skipping through most of book, words and words and words and words and repetition with nothing happening.

After Book 4:
The amount of repeating what was already previously written gets pathetic.
Traveling from one door to the next door takes pages of narrative with descriptions to attempt to leave no room for your imagination to create the scenario.
Leaving out early book "good side" creatures without introducing more creatures or standout characters that added to the story.

I liked some of the ideas, though they were ruined by repetition, not introducing or creating new likeable main creatures or characters instead of repeating blah blah blah.

If the first books were not good to draw in the reader this writer would not be a million seller.

Feel like I was promised a good series then had thousands of useless words shoved at me to extend the series.

I loved this whole epic story. Its a fun read, all 11 of the books.
Any fantasy enthusiast should give it a go.

The budget books themselves are exactly that, budget. The paper quality is like newspaper and the print is small, but its fine enough to read through the book several times. It did not detract from enjoying the story.

For anyone who loves fantasy, or even those who are not keen on fantasy, will love this book series. The characters are without a doubt some of the very best ever written. The over all storyline keeps you guessing whilst still giving you a feeling that you are somehow apart of the journey as well. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who wants to escape to a world full of love, friendship, trust, loyalty, and more... or for those who just want a good read!

I love this story. Just finished Wizard's First Rule and immediately started Stone of Tears. This guy is a wonderful story teller! How did i go so long without knowing about him? Btw, these are stories for older teens and adults. The tv show has changed the story alot but did keep Richard, Kahlan, Zedd and Chase intact. I'm very happy with the special price of the 3 box sets and will be happily working my way thru them so that i can order more! prompt shipping, nicely packaged. very good value and the enjoyment of a well told adventure...priceless

I have had a few friends recommend this series to me when I was younger, but I shrugged it off, as I wasn't a huge fantasy-genre fan. I found Tolkein (Lord of the Rings & Hobbit) a bit tedious, taking too long to get anything said, even being... a little boring sometimes. I tried to read Robert Jordan's book (1st one in the 'Wheel of Time' series), but ran into the same problems, just compounded: A whole lot a weird fantasy names and places, all thrown at you at the beginning. This almost alienated me, making it hard to get into the storyline (one of the main reasons I'm not a huge fantasy fan).

When I started reading the first book, it began wonderfully with one character, named Richard (that was easy to remember!), who knows as much as the reader does about the world. As you read, you immerse yourself in the world with him, learning and discovering this fantastic world of magic, adventure, romance, etc.

I've read all ten now, and as the last three or four came out, I re-read all of them to refresh myself. That's right, RE-READ. This was the first book(s) I've ever re-read, and if you can believe it, they were just as good (in some places much better) the second and third time around.

The first three were flawless. If you want some books that are perfect for the rainy day (with some tea), the day off (also with tea), or the summer afternoon (with iced-tea), these books were the most enjoyable I have ever read. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. (note: some sections not appropriate for readers under 13-14)

The only downside is that there will only be 11 books.

Why did I do that to myself? Why did I read all 11 of them? WTF is wrong with me? Why did I buy them?

Because it's human nature to stand, slack-jawed, and watch a train wreck? And I just HAD to see that poor little red caboose splinter in blood and gore? With my "raptor gaze" I did just that.

Read the other 1-star reviews for more details of why I hated it. And I did hate it. The true sadomasochist was, apparently, me. Indeed, the only reason I'm adding my one star is to make clear one reason which the other reviewers I think left out (being focused as they were on the other 99 reasons to hate it I guess):

Goodkind is one of the most relentlessly, tiresomely, pedantically, repetitive authors to ever see ink put to paper. Seriously. Over and over and over again he repeats the same facts and plot points -- often within the same scene and chapter. He's a bad writer. It's badly written. The writing is poor. You might think I'm being repetitive, but I'm not being as repetitive as Goodkind is. Goodkind repeats everything. And Goodkind hates pronouns. And he repeats himself. Ad nauseum.

Seriously. Why did I read them all?

I would say that this book is amazing. I had some people who recommended it and some who said it sucked. I followed my heart and read this book, I felt sorry for the people who said that this book sucked because it is amazing. You have to read it to actually judge it. Our taste in books are different.Don't take my word or anybodies word for it, Read it and the know how the book really is by yourself.

I just read the three books in one month. I couldn't stop reading. I ended up wishing such a world existed so I could meet those great characters and go to those wonderful places. It's just very well written and you can picture every scene and place without the usual long and dull descriptions of other fantasy books. I absolutely love it. Great start for a very good series of story books.

If you like adventure, fantasy, magic, metaphysic and want to be entertained, you can't lose! Terry Goodkind is an excellent author. Detailed characters and settings, make you feel as you are there. Enjoy.

I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of these books and would recommend them to any ADULT. But, while these books show many of life's most estimable traits, there remains a darker vision. The books mirror a stark reality which, in my opinion, seem too vivid for younger minds. Between the bloodshed and villainy there also lie scenes of rape and sado-masochism. While not EXPLICIT, I would not allow my nephew of ten years to read it until he's much more matured. Just my two cents, enjoy the books.

I will admit the first 3 books were ok, you get sucked in and then everything falls apart in the worst way. What starts out as your typical village boy with sword transforms into a sizzling mess where (i) said village boy adds a new superpowers in every book, (ii) the world becomes a rapetastic mess of rapey rapes topped with rapesauce and a rape cherry on top and (iii) you realize that what started off as a fantasy series has become an awful political propoganda piece for Goodkind's Ayn Rand objectivist philosophy. At some point during the series you will stop, put the book down and ask yourself, "I bought a fantasy novel, why am I reading The Fountainhead?"

Also, in case I haven't mentioned it, there is a lot of rape. Not rape because it is part of the story, but rape becomes the raison d'etre of this series. There is rape upon rape upon rape because apparently, that is what happens to every single woman in Goodkind's world; either you are on the side of Ayn Rand and Richard Rahl, or you love rape and will probably start raping everyone yourself. Every other page will be met with a disbelieving sigh of 'another gangrape huh?'.

Buy a fantasy series and separately purchase Atlas Shrugged if that is your cup of tea.

Terry Goodkind's books are often engrossing, with detailed, rich plot lines. He is a master at stringing the reader along, giving just enough information to keep you guessing and interested. However, I have difficulty reading his books due to the clumsy, expositional writing. If you're looking for a good, long ride, these books will deliver. But if clarity and elegance is what you want, then Goodkind's books may not be for you.

I am horrible about buying books for the silliest of reasons, but this time it payed off. I have devoured these books, reading one right after the other. And there are still 8 more books in the series...

I would recommend this item to anyone who enhoys audio books and fantasy. Its a wonderful series and the narrators of the three books do a pretty good job. Though a big reason for the 5th star was the customer service by Brilliance Audio. Best customer service i have ever dealt with in my life!!!

This epic traps you into a world of magic and conflict. When you finally think that nothing else worse could happen to the main characters, something does. Being hopelessly lost in the struggle, Richard Cypher (or later Richard Rahl), Kahlan Amnell, and his freinds amazingly find answers to solutions and become the true hope for all when an even greater threat emerges. I recomend this series to anyone.

A great, enticing read. This series befits all who enjoy a little fantasy escape from their everyday lives. All books in the series "The Sword of Truth" are delightfully written and ever enthralling. Not recommended for children (due to some frequent adult themes which may be inappropriate for young readers).

So, what does The Sword of Truth series and Battlefield Earth have in common? They are the only books I have thought bad enough that I had mercy on other readers by throwing them in the garbage rather than donating them to my local library book sale.

Other reviewers have already probed the depths of horrible writing, completely inconsistent characters and unrealistic relationships in this book. To be honest, I don't know why I finished reading the first three books. All I know now is that I regret my decision.

Considering the books are written at a young adult reading level (heavy handed foreshadowing, simplistic interpersonal relationships, hollow characters) some of the themes and situations are completely inappropriate. Either this is the best writing Mr. Goodkind can do or he has a strange sense of what is appropriate for young adults. I will probably never know as I will never read any more of his work.

If you are looking for epic fantasy, try Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, Boxed Set I, Books 1-3: The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn Wheel of Time series or Robin Hobb's The Farseer Trilogy: 1. Assassin's Apprentice, 2. Royal Assassin, 3. Assassin's Quest. These series are not without their own flaws but anything is better than The Sword of Truth series.

"Standing there, erect, masculine, masterful in his black war wizard outfit, he looked as if he could be posing for a statue of who he was: the Seeker of Truth..." - Terry Goodkind, `Faith of the Fallen'

Terry Goodkind's 12-volume fantasy series The Sword of Truth is included in Wikipedia's list of the best-selling books in history, with 25 million sales claimed by the publisher as of 2010. I've been reading my way through the list, and when I noticed that Goodkind's series was loosely the basis of the lighthearted cotton-candy fantasy TV show Legend of the Seeker, I thought it would be a fun, breezy read.

My goodness, was I surprised! Picture if you will Ayn Rand and the Marquis de Sade frenetically rewriting Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, in a week-long amphetamine-fueled bender, each inserting astoundingly long digressions on the joys of Objectivism and sadomasochism, you'll have a near-perfect picture of what to expect.

The first volume did have a few elements I enjoyed: It was easy-to-read, Goodkind is obviously sincere in his beliefs, and he clearly enjoyed himself immensely while writing the book. His enthusiasm sustained me through the entire 836 pages.

Despite these positive elements, overall I found the novel exceptionally derivative, poorly written, and the "heroes" are ultimately revealed to be just as evil as the villains, even by Goodkind's rather dubious standards. As with the work of Goodkind's idol Ayn Rand, I find myself baffled as to why these books were even published, let alone beloved by millions of readers.

Am I missing something?

1. Derivative

All works of art build on earlier works, and the charge of "derivative" is admittedly subjective. This is particularly true of best-selling modern fantasy books, nearly all of which borrow rather openly from Tolkien (the one glorious exception being George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire). Having made those admissions, Terry Goodkind's `Wizard's First Rule' remains the single most derivative book I have ever read.

* Critics often compare Goodkind's work to `Star Wars': Mord-Sith are elite guards of the dark lord, a bit like Sith, and Richard the main hero turns out - surprise! - to secretly be the dark lord's son (and to go Lucas one better, the hero also turns out to secretly be the wizard Zedd's grandson).

* Goodkind mentioned in a 2003 interview by KUSP that he enjoyed the Shannara fantasy series by Terry Brooks. The Sword of Shannara has the power to reveal truth, which may have influenced Goodkind's Sword of Truth (which has the power to reveal truth).

* The Mord-Sith might borrow a bit from Michelle Pfeiffer's portrayal of Catwoman in `Batman Returns': Both wear the standard form-fitting dominatrix outfit (on the TV show Mord-Sith always wear red, but in the books they usually prefer the black Catwoman-style outfit). More tellingly, during the climax of `Batman Returns' Catwoman puts a Taser in her mouth and kisses Max Schreck, electrocuting them both. Goodkind writes a very similar scene in which the Mord-Sith Denna puts an agiel (magical pain-inflicting dildo) in her mouth and kisses Richard, inflicting pain on them both.

* Goodkind considers himself an Objectivist, and Ayn Rand the greatest philosopher since Aristotle, so it's no surprise that his books have many similarities to hers. Notably, Goodkind's heroes often make incredibly long speeches on the virtues of Objectivism, reminiscent of John Galt's climactic 70-page speech from Atlas Shrugged. In The Fountainhead Howard Roark builds a temple "dedicated to the nobility of human spirit," also carving a statue in it, and in Faith of the Fallen Richard carves a statue "dedicated to the nobility of the human spirit" in a temple. Roark dynamites his own building and Richard destroys his own statue rather than seeing their principles compromised. Rand's John Galt character withdraws his Awesomeness from an undeserving world, and Richard abruptly abandons his own troops, explaining "It is not I who must prove myself to the people, but the people who must now prove themselves to me." Goodkind sometimes even quotes Rand verbatim, as in `Faith of the Fallen' when Kahlan says "Pity for the guilty is treason to the innocent" (a quotation from Rand's 1969 `The Romantic Manifesto').

The Wheel of Time

Both stories open when our hero (Rand al'Thor/Richard Cypher) meets the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, who also has powerful magic abilities (Moiraine Damodred/Kahlan Amnell); she is pursued by evil minions of the dark lord while visiting the hero's remote village in search for the latest incarnation in a line of legendary heroes (the Dragon Reborn/the Seeker of Truth), who according to prophecy will defeat the dark lord (The Dark One/Darken Rahl). Will our perspective character turn out to be the legendary hero she's looking for? Will he ultimately defeat the dark lord? If you've ever read a fantasy novel you already know the answer, but why not read another 12,000 pages just to make sure?

Robert Jordan's `Wheel of Time' series appears to be the primary influence on Goodkind's series. In particular, Goodkind's Confessors have many similarities to Jordan's Aes Sedai:

* The Aes Sedai/Confessors are an all-female monastic order with great magical abilities, who are more powerful than kings or queens
* They can magically bond with another person who serves as their bodyguard (Warders), and in some cases can magically compel the subject to absolute, unthinking obedience
* Aes Sendai novices and White Ajah (a subgroup of Aes Sendai) always wear a long white dress as a symbol of office (as do all Confessors)
* A male born with their power is unusually powerful, considered an abomination, and by long tradition must be hunted down and killed (in Jordan's world they are either killed or at least "gentled," meaning their power is removed)
* The Black Ajah are a sub-group who live within the Aes Sendai sisterhood but secretly serve the Dark One (Satan); Goodkind's Sisters of the Dark are a sub-group who live within the Sisters of the Light sisterhood but secretly serve the Keeper of the Underworld (Satan)

Other elements from `The Wheel of Time' which appear to be borrowed in `The Sword of Truth' (this is only a small sampling, not an exhaustive list):

* Both include a magic sword which increases the wielder's strength (Callandor, aka the Sword That Is Not a Sword/the Sword of Truth), has a blade that illuminates/turns white, and proves that the main character is the hero of prophecy (The Dragon Reborn/The Seeker of Truth).

* A collar and bracelet set collectively called an A'dam, usable only by women, controls people by magically inflicting tremendous physical agony when the wielder wishes it (similar to Goodkind's magic weapon the agiel).

* The Dark One (the ultimate evil, explicitly named as Shai'tan, an Islamic name for Satan) is the enemy of the Creator, magically imprisoned in the Pit of Doom (Hell), but influences the physical world towards evil, has human servants called The Forsaken, and repeatedly comes close to escaping; Goodkind's Keeper of the Underworld is also the enemy of `The Creator,' trapped in the Underworld, has human servants called Banelings, and repeatedly comes close to escaping.

Was Goodkind influenced by Robert Jordan? When asked this directly by USA Today, Goodkind responded: "If you notice a similarity, then you probably aren't old enough to read my books."

Jordan implies otherwise in a 2006 post to his blog, writing: "... I have never discussed anything whatsoever with Terry Goodkind. I suggest that you check the publication dates of his books and mine. Of course, he says he has never read me, or so I'm told, and I would never contradict a statement like that. Just check out the pub dates on his books, and the pub dates on mine, those that contain the similarities you speak of."

Reviewers often perceive common elements between Jordan's books and Frank Herbert's Dune series, which also has a messianic hero referred to as "The Mahdi" (Paul/Rand), a tribe of fierce desert warriors who view water as sacred (the Fremen/the Aiel), and a mystic sisterhood who possess devices that can inflict unbearable pain at their command. So the Confessors and the Mord-Sith are both probably to some degree third-generation descendants of Herbert's Bene Gesserit.

The Lord of the Rings

Like nearly all modern fantasy, Goodkind's work follows Tolkien's template: The young hero, his wizard mentor, and his band of friends must spend hundreds of pages walking through forests (even though horses exist in this universe), in order to ultimately prevent the Dark Lord from getting his hands on the Magical Thingy (the One Ring/the Boxes of Orden) or the entire known world will become Sucky Forever [tm].

The strongest common element between the two stories is Sméagol & Samuel:

* Sméagol/Gollum is physically deformed due to his long possession of the magical One Ring, which he desperately wants back. The magic item has physically and emotionally deformed him. He has disproportionately large feet & hands, little body hair, and is pale from many years without sunlight. He has large bulging yellow "lamp-like eyes." He speaks ungrammatically ("We hates it"). He is covetous ("Mine, mine!"), and walks in an odd waddle. He is the only one who can guide the hero through Mordor, so the hero leads him around by a rope tied to his neck. His goal is to lead the hero to his "mistress" (Shelob the giant spider), who he believes will eat the hero, at which point he will be able to re-acquire his magical treasure (the One Ring).

* Samuel is physically deformed due to his long possession of the magical Sword of Truth, which he desperately wants back. The magic item has physically and emotionally deformed him. He has disproportionately large feet & hands, little body hair, and is pale from many years without sunlight. He has large bulging yellow eyes that "shone like twin lanterns." He speaks ungrammatically ("No cook Samuel"). He is covetous ("Mine, mine!"), and walks in an odd waddle. He is the only one who can guide the hero through Agaden Reach, so the hero leads him around by a rope tied to his neck. His goal is to lead the hero to his "mistress" (Shota the witch), who he believes will eat the hero, at which point he will be able to re-acquire his magical treasure (the Sword of Truth).

Did Goodkind borrow ideas from Tolkien? When asked "How much was J.R.R. Tolkien an influence on your stories?" Goodkind responded "He was zero influence. I've never read any Tolkien." Not only that, Goodkind famously proclaimed "I don't write fantasy. I write stories that have important human themes." (Not like that loser Tolkien.)

2. Poorly written

For what possible reason did the ancient wizards create the Boxes of Orden, which can either destroy the world, destroy the user, or make the user the tyrant-king of the world? If the ancient wizards' goal was to prevent lying, why not simply give the Confessors the ability to detect lies, rather than the ability to turn people into their lifelong mindless zombie slaves (who must incidentally now tell the truth)? Since Zedd knows that Richard must eventually face Darken Rahl, and Rahl is surrounded by elite bodyguards who can magically enslave anyone that uses magic against them (the Mord-Sith), and given that Richard has a magic sword, why didn't Zedd think to mention this to Richard even once? Since Richard's magic sword cannot be used against Darken Rahl, but the whole point of the quest is for Richard to kill Darken Rahl, why doesn't Richard purchase a non-magical backup sword?

Good and bad writing are largely subjective, but one can make a case that certain elements will doom a story to inarguable badness. Putting aside the blanchingly-terrible coincidences, putting aside the clumsy parody of former president Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary (Sovereign Bertrand Chanboor and his wife Hildemara, who ultimately die in agony from venereal disease they contracted via adultery), Goodkind commits both cardinal sins of storytelling: he solves all four major challenges in the first book by abruptly changing his own rules, and his hero's supposed moral triumph is counterfeit.

All four major challenges are solved by abrupt changes to The Rules

Imagine reading a murder mystery novel, and on the last page the murder is solved by blaming it on a never-before-mentioned character based on never-before-mentioned evidence. If you do manage to make it to the last page of `Wizard's First Rule', be prepared for the quest-fantasy equivalent of that. (Speaking of which, since all the wizards agree on which rule comes first, shouldn't the title be `Wizards' First Rule'? Because plural?)

Challenge 1: Richard and Kahlan can never be intimate, because according to The Rules, if they ever did she would inadvertently "confess" (magically enslave) him.

Resolution: Surprise! Goodkind solves the problem by abruptly introducing a previously-unmentioned exception to The Rules: if the man truly loves the Confessor, the magical enslavement doesn't work. Yep - The Confessors have been around for almost 3,000 years and apparently not a single one of them has ever found a man who genuinely loved her before Richard & Kahlan. (Later in the series we learn that the only other exception was the original Confessor, Magda Searus, and the wizard Merrit.)

Challenge 2: Kahlan is about to be raped by four men (she is nearly-raped in almost every book in the series). Zedd cannot help because he is magically paralyzed. Her powers cannot help her because according to The Rules the men are protected from her powers by a spell cast by Darken Rahl, plus she needs to touch people to enslave them, and in any case she needs a few hours to recharge her powers after each person she magically enslaves, and incidentally she has no power which could free Zedd.

Resolution: Surprise! Goodkind solves the problem by abruptly introducing a previously-unmentioned exception to The Rules: In extreme circumstances a few of the strongest Confessors can enter a Con Dar or "blood rage," and so gain the ability to enslave multiple people at a distance without touching them or needing to recharge, and by sheer luck also the ability to magically free people from magical paralysis at a distance with simply a gesture.

Challenge 3: Richard must escape imprisonment and torture by Denna the Mord-Sith, but cannot because according to The Rules she has absolute magical control over him.

Resolution: Surprise! Goodkind solves the problem by abruptly introducing a previously-unmentioned exception to The Rules: if the victim can view their Mord-Sith tormenter with compassion rather than hatred, the Mord-Sith lose their magical control over the victim.

Challenge 4: Richard must tell Darken Rahl the truth, because according to The Rules he must do whatever Kahlan commands, since she has magically enslaved him.

Resolution: Surprise! Richard wasn't really enslaved, but was only pretending (see Challenge 1, above). Also, Richard explains that he hadn't *really* lied, but slyly committed a lie of omission.

Solving major story problems by suddenly changing the rules is not limited to `Wizard's First Rule,' but pervasive throughout the series. Richard often solves insurmountable problems by suddenly realizing he's Even More Awesome[tm] than previously believed: First he's The Seeker, then the Keeper of `The Book of Counted Shadows,' then he's the only Seeker who can turn the Sword of Truth's blade white. As the surprise son of Darken Rahl he becomes the lawful hereditary ruler of the Empire of D'Hara (which is cool with Goodkind, because as he points out in an interview, "There's no goodness [inherent] in democracy. Gang rape is democracy in action.") Turns out Richard is the grandson of Zedd, the Wizard of the First Order, and so also a wizard himself. In fact, he's the first War Wizard born in 3,000 years, making him the most powerful person in the world. He's also the Fuer grissa ost drauka (the Bringer of Death), and to top it off he's the best athlete in the world (recruited against his will to play Ja'la), the most handsome man in the world (according to nearly every woman in the series), and at his very first go trying to carve a statue, he makes one so beautiful that when his enemies see it they fall to their knees weeping, realize that any belief system to the left of fascism is de facto evil, and switch allegiance to Richard.

Richard's ever-escalating Awesomeness[tm] reaches apotheosis in 2007's `Confessor,' in which Richard uses the Boxes of Orden to gain the power of a god. He then creates an entire new universe in which magic does not work, erases the memory of the millions of idiots who still disagree with him, and banishes them forever to the new non-magical universe. In Goodkind's 2009 book The Law of Nines we learn that the new universe Richard created is the same reality you and I live in. Why? Because Ayn Rand.

Hero's supposed moral triumph is counterfeit

The magic of the Sword of Truth, by enhancing the user's rage, ultimately transforms them into pathetic, grasping, Gollum-like creatures. To avoid this horrible fate, Richard must undergo moral growth and learn to feel compassion even for his enemies. However, Richard's supposed moral triumph has a few obvious gaps.

A quick overview of the evil sisterhood of Mord-Sith: Darken Rahl's men scour the land to find young girls who are unusually kind and compassionate. The girls are horribly tortured, then forced to watch their mothers being tortured and killed, then are forced to torture and kill their own fathers, all using a magic pain-inflicting dildo called an agiel. The girls spend their rest of their days clad in form-fitting leather catsuits and live only to inflict pain using the same agiel which was used to torture them and their parents.

On page 640 Richard is captured by a Mord-Sith named Denna, and is then tortured, including genital torture, for an astounding 70 pages. For me at least, abruptly dropping a prolonged sadomasochistic dominatrix fantasy into an otherwise blandly standard quest fantasy novel makes zero sense, but to judge from the popularity of the series I am in the minority. What rings false is that the reader is expected to join in the pretense that the sequence is anything but a boilerplate S&M sex fantasy: Goodkind tells his readers about Richard's "desperate lust" for the "childlike beauty" of Denna, who is "breathtakingly, stunningly attractive" and ultimately has sex with him. The sequence is without exaggeration ten times longer than it would need to be if the purpose were only to advance the plot.

The Mord-Sith magic causes Richard to feel pain whenever he thinks negative or hostile thoughts about Denna, so he trains himself to focus instead on her attractive auburn hair. Ultimately he discovers that if he can reach past his hatred of Denna and feel only compassion for her, that short-circuits his magical enslavement and frees him. Learning to feel compassion for his enemies turns the blade of the Sword of Truth white, which Goodkind earlier explained will prevent Richard from becoming a Gollum-like creature like the former Seeker Samuel.

The idea that compassion for one's enemies frees one from becoming the slave of rage is actually a good idea -- my favorite in the entire series. However, I feel that Goodkind defeats his hero's central moral transformation in two ways: first, Richard is able to muster compassion for Denna, who is tall, slender, "breathtakingly, stunningly attractive," has awesome hair, and for whom he feels lust and with whom he has sex. Goodkind explicitly tells us that Richard is incapable of feeling that same compassion for Constance, the dominatrix who is short, less-attractive, has "dull brown hair" and is "stout" (in Goodkind's universe anyone falling along the stout-plump-fat spectrum is automatically evil and needs killin'). Goodkind's idea here is that Richard can feel compassion for Denna because, even though she told him to his face that she lives only to torture him, he senses a flicker of compassion in her; he does not sense this same flicker of compassion in the shorter, stout, less sexually attractive dominatrix. Both girls were identified as unusually-kind-hearted, both were abducted into a life of torture, but even in his moment of emotional enlightenment, Richard can still only muster compassion for the hottie. If Goodkind had identified the short, stout, non-pretty girl with lusterless hair as the one deserving of compassion, the moral lesson would feel 1,000x more authentic.

The larger issue is that Goodkind tells us Richard can feel compassion for Denna, but definitely not for Constance or his turncoat brother Michael. Since Richard is unable to view them with compassion due to their foul acts, and Darken Rahl's acts are unambiguously fouler, we may infer that Richard would be unable to muster compassion for Rahl either. So Richard experiences a moral triumph so great that his magic sword turns white to show that he has overcome the snare of hating one's enemies ...but only the slim, tall, sexually-attractive enemy with a face of "child-like beauty" who he has sex with, not his three primary enemies. This makes his moral triumph unambiguously counterfeit.

3. Heroes are really villains

Goodkind's books repeatedly make the point that people can do evil things while under the impression that they are doing good things, and those people are particularly dangerous because of their conviction that they are right. That sounds pretty good in the abstract, but then Richard, Kahlan, Zedd and their allies behave in increasingly questionable ways, ultimately murdering the innocent non-combatant wives and children of enemy soldiers, slaughtering a crowd of unarmed anti-war protesters, and forcing a military dictatorship upon unwilling subjects under pain of torture, rape & death. Goodkind frequently spells out his somewhat dubious Ayn Randian rules of right and wrong, but then his own characters break even these rules repeatedly, until ultimately it's hard to see any moral difference between his heroes and villains.

* Richard has no hesitation in lying to get what he wants. He repeatedly tells Kahlan that all he wants from her is friendship, while the reader is repeatedly told that he actually has constant sexual thoughts about her and his goal is a lot more than friendship. Richard tells the Mud People that all he wishes is their friendship, while the readers know that Richard really wants them to reveal the location of the Boxes of Orden. Richard and Zedd both explain that committing a lie of omission isn't *technically* lying. Gradually the heroes' lies become more serious, like when Kahlan tells her soldiers they are free to leave, then orders them hunted down and murdered.

* In `Phantom,' Richard's army of D'Harans is smaller than the army of the Imperial Order. Therefore, Richard orders his men to slaughter the wives and children of the Order's soldiers, and bring Richard their severed ears. He explains: "From this day forward, we will fight a real war, a total war, a war without mercy. We will not impose pointless rules on ourselves about what is `fair.' Our only mandate is to win. That is the only way we, our loved ones, our freedom will survive. Our victory is all that is moral." In short, Richard agrees with Niccolò Machiavelli's idea that the ends justify the means.

* In `Faith of the Fallen,' Kahlan orders her soldiers to murder anyone travelling nearby roads, on the off chance they might be enemy spies.

* In `Faith of the Fallen,' Kahlan has a plan for her army to take off all their clothes, paint their naked bodies white to pose as ghosts, and then attack a much-larger army. She tells them "you may speak your mind freely, without retribution." A group of soldiers led by William Mosle say they do not wish to follow her into battle. "Go, then," Kahlan commanded. "Before you become caught up in a battle you do not believe in." After allowing the men to leave peacefully, Kahlan orders her captain to hunt down, intentionally deceive and slaughter them, then threatens to murder him too if he disobeys:

"They must be killed. Send a force with instructions that they are to pretend to join with Mosle's men, so they don't scatter when your men approach. Send your cavalry behind, but out of sight, in case they're able to take to the woods. When they are surrounded, kill them. There are seventy-six. Count the bodies to make sure they are all dead. I will be very displeased if even one escapes."

...Captain Ryan tensed in near panic. "Mother Confessor, I know those men. They've been with us a long time. You said they were free to go! We can't..."

She laid a hand on his arm. He suddenly recognized the threat that represented. I am doing what I must to save your lives. You have given your word to follow orders. She leaned a little closer. "Do not add yourself to those seventy-six."

He at last gave a nod and she removed her hand. His eyes told it all. Hate radiated from him.

"I didn't know the killing was to start with our own men," he whispered.

...Kahlan came to a stop before the tent. "If you think I may be making a mistake about those men, I assure you, I am not. But even if I were, it is a price that must be paid. If we let them go, and even one of them betrays us, we could all be killed in a trap tonight. If we die, there will be none to stop the Order for a long time. How many thousands would die then, Captain? If those men are innocent, I'll have made a terrible mistake, and seventy-six innocent men will die. If I'm right, I will be saving the lives of untold thousands of innocent people."

* Nicci (friend of Richard & Kahlan) tortures people, but it's okay because she's torturing for ultimately noble reasons (from `Chainfire'):

Nicci had no compunction about what she was doing. She knew that there was no moral equivalence between her inflicting torture and the Imperial Order doing what might on the surface seem like the same thing. But her purpose in using it was solely to save innocent lives. The Imperial Order used torture as a means of subjugation and conquest, as a tool to strike fear into their enemies. And, at times, as something they relished because it made them feel powerful to hold sway over not just agony but life itself ...The Imperial Order used torture because they had no regard at all for human life. Nicci was using it because she did.

...so in Goodkind's view, it's okay to torture people, but only if one is doing it to save innocent lives. Even if you accept Goodkind's "the ends justifies the means" idea, his "heroes" repeatedly behave in exactly the way he defines as evil, torturing people even when no important information is sought or gained. For instance, in `Wizard's First Rule' Kahlan magically enslaves child-molester Demmin Nass and, after Nass is no longer a threat to anyone, cuts off and forces him to eat his own testicles. In `Faith of the Fallen,' Kahlan's subordinate Verna orders that a captured enemy soldier be tortured to death for an entire night while Kahlan watches approvingly ("Fair? What isn't fair," Verna said with terrible calmness, "is that your mother ever opened her legs for your father").

* In `Wizard's First Rule,' Zedd explains to Richard and Kahlan that "Every living thing is a murderer." So if you kill someone to steal his money, or in self-defense, or one tree out-competes another for sunlight, apparently that's all 100% morally equivalent. [See comment section for full text.]

* In `Naked Empire,' a village of unarmed pacifists stage a peaceful anti-war protest. Richard and his men slaughter an entire crowd of men, women and children who are "armed only with their hatred for moral clarity." What Goodkind calls "moral clarity," psychologists call "splitting," a hallmark of morally- and empathically-dissociative disorders including borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder and sociopathy. [See comment section for full text.]

The above list is by no means exhaustive. Goodkind's primary heroes (Richard Cypher & Kahlan Amnell) and his primary villains (Darken Rahl & Emperor Jagang) all run absolute military dictatorships which control an unwilling populace through war, torture and mass-murder, and they all believe that there is no moral limit on how much they can lie, kill and torture because they all feel certain that the ends justifies the means and their own ultimate goals are just. So what's the difference?

Ultimately, the biggest problem with the series isn't the bad writing, over-dependence on other people's ideas or the author's open contempt for world-building; the problem is that Goodkind's heroes are really villains.

This series compares to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Plenty of action, magic and love. Great series by a great author, who can make boring details stand out and seem interesting. Great twists and unknowns like Star Wars. A must have for any fantasy lover.

Unless you've already read the series and just want to replace your copies, don't buy this set. I made the enormous error of purchasing this set without reading any of Goodkind's novels first. I forced my way through Wizard's First Rule and realized that I wasted my money. I have no intention of ever reading Blood of the Fold or Stone of Tears.

I have very, very few positive things to say about the Wizard's First Rule. So I'll just get the positives out of the way now. Zedd is a very likable character. Not very original, certainly, but he's kooky and funny and hard not to like. The character Giller, too, is likable after a fashion.

Well, that's about all I can say thats positive about the novel. So lets get to the negatives.

1. It's poorly written. The narrative is clumsy, the dialog is repetitive and unrealistic. Not only is the language poor, but Goodkind is unable to logically construct even a simple paragraph, let alone an entire chapter. He has a habit of meandering in his paragraphs so that the first sentence of the paragraph has absolutely nothing to do with the last sentence. This would be understandable were he writing in stream of consciousness, but, alas, he is not. He also has the annoying habit of changing the perspective of the narrator from paragraph to paragraph without informing the reader, making it difficult to sort out who thinks what.

2. The characters are detestable. As I already said, Zedd and Giller are good characters. But they are minor characters. The hero, Richard, is one of the most immediately dislikable protagonists I've ever seen. He's arrogant, whiny, awkward, stupid and completely intolerant of other people and their cultures. Which leads me to my third major criticism.

3. Inconsistent character development. Goodkind frequently changes the personality of his characters to suit the chapter. In one chapter, Richard throws a tantrum because he cannot use his right hand to do something because it is against the culture of a tribe he is visiting. A chapter or two later, he willingly eats the flesh of another person because the culture dictates he must. In addition, Richard (and the other characters) range from mind-bogglingly stupid to brilliant and back something within a couple paragraphs. Goodkind makes his characters smart when he needs to in order to advance the plot, then makes them stupid when he needs to. Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, etc., all do enormously stupid things, and then are brilliant the next chapter. And its not just one character, every character is in turns brilliant and stupid. And it seems that there is always one brilliant character and several stupid characters at any given time so there is always enough intelligence to advance the plot. What's the point of having 800 pages of character development if you just throw it away to advance the plot?

4. And speaking of the plot, the story of the Wizard's First Rule is pretty poorly devised and highly predictable. There are two major secrets in the novel, the first being the identity of the Wizard (which is readily apparent within the first 15 pages of the text) and the identity of the Traitor (which is apparent as soon as it is learned that Richard was betrayed). And despite how painfully obvious who these characters are, Goodkind painstakingly devotes hundreds of pages to discovering their identities. It's terribly painful clawing your way through this book when you already know how all the big secrets and how the book is going to end within the first few chapters.

5. Plot-lifting. In a lot of ways, Wizard's First Rule is a dumbed down version of Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time. Richard is essentially Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, though he is purely a good character and destined only to help the world. Kahlan Amnell and the Confessors are utterly identical in every way to Jordan's Aes Sedai. The torture and training Richard endures is identical (and often down to the very wording) to the training Egwene Al'Vere endures. Darken Rahl is a very poor rip off of Shai'Tan, the Dark One (and, for that matter Darth Vader of Star Wars fame). There is very, very little of Goodkind's original thought in the Wizard's First Rule, and what original thought there is is very poor.

6. Convenient Writing. Goodkind is the King of making crap up as he goes. Due to his inability to write his way out of a wet paper bag, Goodkind is constantly having to make up new powers or abilities to get his characters out of a seemingly impossible situation. The best example for this is one scene in which Kahlan, Zedd and Chase are ambushed by Darken Rahl's minions. For whatever reason, Zedd and Chase are incapacitated and Kahlan, for some other stupid reason, can't use her powers and is being raped. Suddenly, Kahlan develops a new ability that 1. has never been mentioned before, 2. she admits that she had never been able to do before, 3. must be taught by an expert, as stipulation Kahlan never met. Yet somehow, Kahlan is able to use this power and miraculously defeats the enemy. Goodkind's writing in these situations is so bad that he flat out admits what the character just did is impossible, but goes with it anyway.

In truth, I could list another dozen or so criticisms of this book. But I doubt anyone is going to read that much. My advice: If you've never read Terry Goodkind before, read him before you blow the extra money on this set. If you're an intelligent, well-read reader, you will likely hate the series and regret spending the money, as I did. You are more likely to enjoy this book if you are a child, say 10-12 years old, or you have never read a fantasy book before. If you fit into either of these categories, the cliches will not seem so bad, and the new world of fantasy will blind you to the very poor writing and storytelling. But in either of those circumstances, I would still advise against buying the set. Make sure you like Goodkind before you drop the money for three of his books. Go to the library and read a chapter or two first. There's a very good chance that you will despise this novel like most other experienced readers.

I gave this set two stars, by the way, for the reasons listed in the previous paragraph. If you're an inexperienced reader or are new to the fantasy world, this series will work well for you. In addition, Mr. Goodkind CAN write, and can write well. The Wizard's First Rule features one or two chapters that are marvelously written. But this is an extreme exception to the rule. Perhaps the later books are better, but after Book I, I will work very hard to ensure that I never read another word of Goodkind's writing.

This series is a must for any fantasy lover. The characters and world they inhabit is fully explained in this on going novel. I hope everyone at least takes a moment to look at the first book and find this out for themselves.

Beware of these books for young readers. Each book becomes more and more obsessed with erotic, dragged out descriptions of women being raped, skinned alive, brutalized for days. All the women are big breasted, beautiful and constantly getting stripped naked. I can only hope that Goodfind does not have any children. Especially girls. He obviously has some serious problems. I would hate to see his images planted in the heads of young men developing their own sexual template in life. IF RAPE, MISOGYNY AND SADISM BOTHER YOU, DO NOT READ THESE BOOKS. THE AUTHOR LOVES THESE SUBJECTS WAY TOO MUCH!!!!

It is very nice for us SciFi-Fantasy fans when these paperback boxed sets are released and economically priced, however, if we are embracing technology and using the store's product (Kindle) it would be nice to be able to get bundled selections for kindle with comparable price breaks.

I love this series, the shipping was very quick, the only thing I disliked was the quality of the novels themselves. They seemed just like a mass produced paperbacks with missing words and misaligned pages.

The Sword of Truth series is an excellent series of books in my opinion, written by the masterful Terry Goodkind.

This box set comes with the first three books of the series, including the must-read Wizard's First Rule.

Really if you like reading science-fiction or fantasy, and have respect for the quality of literature that you deposit into your head, then you'll avoid this series all together. The first book is really bad, quite cheesy, and jumps plot very quickly. The second and third books are actually very good, even the fourth is a nice read but all the others are atrocious. By the 3rd book you'll realize that Goodkind would be better suited to righting grocery store passion books for stay at home mothers. The story picks up pace and never settles which is something I would commend the author on but it is otherwise without any forethought, it's extremely predictable and you never feel like there's a chance you will lose your hero. All in all, I'd say just avoid these books and read Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy instead, he is a quality writer who knows how to put a new spin on Fantasy, and you can feel the suspense on every page. A very worthy read those books. I'm sorry to those who enjoyed reading these books, but I can get more stimulating political commentary on communist values from the daily humor. Oh, and if your like me and you feel like if you started this series so you have to see it through to the end, don't. The last book is horrible, and the end of the series is just about the worst thing I have ever put my self through, put it down and walk away.

I'm a long time reader of fantasy. I've been itching lately to get my hands on a good, engrossing fantasy series to embed myself in. Based on the reviews here, I decided to give this series a try. I read the first four books and have been so sorely disappointed that I've been moved to write my first negative review.

1. Not only was the writer obviously heavily influenced by Robert Jordan, but in many cases he has blatantly stolen organizations/characters/details directly from Jordan's stories. A sisterhood of magic wielding women bonded to the light who seek out men who can use magic? A circle within that sisterhood that has sold their souls to the dark one/devil/whatever he wants to call it? A city built up around the keep where these women live? To any Jordan fan this will be an obvious ripoff of the Aes Sedai and Tar Valon. A metal choker that can keep magic wielders from being able to use their magic? Would this be a reference to an a'dam? And then there's the Blood of the fold vs Children of the Light. Goodkind's work is not an homage to Jordan the way Jordan's is to Tolkien, but an unimaginative co-opting of Jordan's story elements.

2. Since I've brought up Jordan as a counter-point, I'll stick with him here too. Jordan's characterization is horribly lacking. He seems to fall into the camp of men who don't understand women at all and themselves only slightly better. There are only so many times that one can hear a male character complain that "I'm just not good with women, not like so and so" and a female character complain about how angry she is with a particular male character who's done something stupid/annoying/aggravating and doesn't know it. If you believed Jordan, you would think that we all lived in a sitcom where men were idiots and women were smart but mercurial as hell. If Jordan is bad in this regard, Goodkind is abysmal. There is not a single character in his work that is likeable. His men are brutish and stupid, and his women are manipulative or weak. At least (with some extra empathizing) Jordan's characters are moderately likable.

3. If Jordan's female characters are there to be idolized and to baffle their men, it appears as if Goodkind's female characters are there to be raped. He makes more references to actual/intended/threatened rape than any author I've ever read by far. By the fourth book, it feels as if there is an actual/intended/threatened rape every chapter. These are true rapes, not the "no no no, oh yes" rapes that we've come to expect in our entertainment. These rapes are meant to be brutal and savage. Generally, when there's a brutal and savage rape in other works, it is usually a singular event and an important plot point. In Goodkind's books, it is used by men as a means of rewarding other males and disciplining women. To be honest, it really creeps me out. There is an underlying and intense hatred of women in his books and it was really for this reason that I stopped reading them.

4. Lastly, if I wanted to be exposed to the works of Ms. Ayn Rand, I would read The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged. As the series goes along, his views become so in your face that I wanted to scream. I suppose if you really want to read a book that promotes your political ideology and you happen to be a Randian or an extreme right wing libertarian, then these would be good books for you. They are not for me.

The series starts out promisingly. The first book is actually pretty enjoyable, if a little simple and quite badly written. By the fourth book, I actually began wondering if I could return the books to the bookstore just to make a statement. I would never recommend these books to anyone. I would, however, recommend to Mr. Goodkind that he see a psychiatrist.

If I can save just one person from falling into the pit of reading this series, I have done my duty to society. Save yourself from a hard fall.
The ending, 'Confessor', most awful ending I ever read in my life! A Deus ex machina!! I couldn't believe it. He might as well had it all been a bad dream because that is what it felt like! What made it worse is because many of his books in this series were so awesome. I really loved most of his books. But, I just read finished the last book last night. I got it from the library. I'm thanking God I didn't buy it. When I got it from the library, I noticed the spine was all broken and torn. I was intending to fix it, but now I realize it must have been because the last reader threw it against the wall. I was tempted to as well, but didn't.

It was as monotonous and amateurish.

Where the heck was his editor??

I should have listened to other reviews and not read the book and just made up my own ending. The one thing I think I hated the most was the way he ended it the whole boring slog!! It was COMPLETELY obnoxious.

His over all themes in most of the books were protesting religious zealotry and government oppression. Very good themes I think. Those in the Order where following some misguided notion that they were killing in the name of the creator and lived under very communistic totalitarian conditions.

But, as I read "Confessor" the preaching and reminding got so irritating I ended up simply skipping pages and pages of 'reminders'. Gone where his vivid detail of places and emotion. He seemed to slap the thing together. Through out the rest of series there seemed to be an acknowledged basic natural(and good) desire to connect with the Creator and the spiritual connection in all of us. And that there was indeed an afterlife and he seemed to be pointing out that those killing in the name of the Creator are wrong. Goodkind spends many chapters explaining the 'theology' of his fantasy world: how magic works and is connected with the underworld etc etc. But then he completely trashes all his own fantasy rules AND connects his fantasy world to OUR universe!!! The whole effect was disconcerting and took away from the 'fairy tale ending' because now you know in this ending (in our universe)the Creator is dead, or consigned to some corner and told not to bother anyone ever again.

In the end Richard destroys the entire afterlife for those banished to the non magic world, where he conveniently alludes to those formally of the Order are now the 'building churches'!!! What?) Not mosques, not temples, not circles, but CHURCHES!

Excuse me? Is Terry Goodkind really this ignorant, did HE write these books or some 14 yr old ghostwriter? Or is he just another patsy for the secular order that is encroaching with the culture of death? I think both.

Does anyone want a link to pictures of happy young jihadists brandishing the hands of Christians and other kafirs they collected for allah???? Those of the Order where more like militant islam and the Saracens of history and militant communism and nazi's all rolled up in one!! Knowing that as of this minute while I write this thousands of Christians are being executed for 'blasphemy' and oppressed with well documented Sharia dhimmi laws in muslim countries or as in communist China's case, having children ripped from their wombs because they value life and would want to welcome a new child among them, but it's against the godless of laws of China. Or what about the mass graves of Orthodox and catholic priests and nuns from Communist Russia and it's former satellites like in the Ukraine where millions were starved to death under communism????

What an insult to those really truly have and are suffering on behalf of the values of life and liberty.

Ugh. I was completely irritated that I even read the series to begin with. I will not bother to watch the TV series.

My advice is save yourself aggravation and money and skip this series.
It's a garden path to nowhere. The ending is so horrifically, badly written, disjointing and boring after so many really good books, you come out of it feeling like you were slapped...hard.

M~

Wow...terribly bad. Where to start? I'll start with the stupid names. Darken Rahl? The bad guy is named Darken?! His father is Panis Rahl? One letter away from... oh well. How about the Wizard's name? Some three Z type name like : Zander Zoo Zlander or something, whatever.

Apparently there is a lot of soup eating going on in this world. Its everywhere, and the characters sometimes go on about how different the soup is compared to their homeland and how they will have to exchange recipes when all this Fantasy business is over with. I kid you not.

What exactly did the editor cut out of this huge 800+ manuscript? Maybe it was over 900 or a thousand pages when the editor decided to cut all the exposition of the main characters taking dumps in the woods delicately and meticulously described. Maybe something like: "Cypher heard the turds clatter softly to the ground. A satisfying sound. A sound that signaled to Richard that he would not have to turn around and look at his work as they would be sitting right there in the soft grass where he heard them fall."

Characters do stupid things in this novel. It seemed to me that the author forgot what he just wrote a few paragraphs up sometimes. Case in point: the chick that is torturing him wants him to spill the beans about the magic book Richard has memorized, then a few paragraphs later, puts a magic pain device in his ear and tells him that if he jerks his head away in pain that he could be brain damaged, or even killed!! Stupid. How would she explain to Darth rahl that she accidentaly labotamized Richard, thereby sealing his fate by destroying the book he sought?

In conclusion, I should have taken the time to read a review or two before buying this trilogy, (that continues in another umpteen books), and saved myself some time and money.

Well these are the books that the T.V. series "Legend of the Seeker" is based on but i can't say it's the best paper material I have ever seen. I am talking about the material and not the inside of the books(story). The worst paper stock ever........

Please learn from my 1,000 page mistake and save yourself the time and frustration. This is pure rubbish. Goodkind is indulging in the most childish wish-fulfillment and one dimensional writing I have seen. But if you like sexist, masochistic, predictable, objectivist, preachy, crap... go right ahead.