Wizard's First Rule [Terry Goodkind]

Title: Wizard’s First Rule

Author: Terry Goodkind

Pages: 836

Date Completed: 10 November 2009

First Sentence: It was an odd-looking vine.

Favorite (Main) Character: Richard Cypher

Favorite (Non-Main) Character: Denna

Rating:

☆

☆

☆

☆

☆ (out of 5)

This book is a fantasy story about a boy who has to save the world. In a typical fashion, the boy doesn’t know he has to save the world, he’s just a humble woods guide living a normal life. It’s your classic good versus evil - Richard Cypher, the Seeker (of Truth) has to stop Darken Rahl from assembling the Three Boxes of Orden and thus becoming the ruler of the world (well, the ruler of their world). Richard meets Kahlan, a Confessor (a woman who, with her touch, makes a person fall so deeply in love with her that he will tell her anything or do anything for her. This power is used sparingly and only to extract the truth from someone.), and then brings her to Zedd (a wizard of the First Order). He becomes the Seeker, and thus begins his journey.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I will admit it was a little daunting, turning to that first page and having 835 left to go. You can’t even crack the spine with that many pages until you’re a good third in (this is a big deal for me, I love breaking in my books. I love knowing that they look read because I read them), but it’s worth the wait. You’re introduced to Richard from the first moment of the novel and Kahlan almost as quickly. This duo (soon to be trio, once Zedd joins the party) is infectious and believable. I think Goodkind did an excellent job creating believable characters. I hate when the heros of a story are perfect; I like to see them have flaws, to fail from time to time. It makes a character one you can connect to, one you can believe in. Richard is that character for me; he’s not quite sure of himself, but he’s willing to make mistakes to grow and to complete his task.

I’ve read a few reviews by people who claim that the fight scenes and the torture scenes are too vivid for their tastes. I admit that they’re very strong scenes, but if they had been glossed over I believe the book would have suffered greatly. It is within these scenes where you learn what Richard is made of and what he can become. This was certainly not a children's fantasy novel(and maybe not even a young adult).There are topics discussed as well as character traits (particularly those of the “bad guys”) which are weighty issues and may repulse you. But, I promise, it’s all for the better of the book. Remember, they’re bad guys for a reason.

If you need something fun and interesting to read, I would whole heartedly recommend this one. I personally cannot wait to pick up the second in the series while I’m home over Christmas (maybe even the third, just in case). I want to see where Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd are off to next!