Good to be Goodkind? (Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind)

Member Name: MShanks

Product:	Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind
Date:	08/12/00 (77 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent read

Disadvantages: None

Terry Goodkind is one of the best authors I have ever read. I like fantasy novels at the best of times, but even more than that, I like fantasy novels which allow for amazing things to happen, but still follow rules of their own. Without rules, fantasy can become anarchy; it leaves the reader floundering in a world they can’t understand.

The book starts simply enough : an ordinary woodsman (Richard) meets a beautiful woman. It turns out that she is being chased by three men intent on killing her. Richard defends her, and all three men are killed. The woman herself kills two by a method he doesn’t understand, and nor do we for a great majority of the book. We get tantalising hints by other people around them who know who and what the woman is but the truth only emerges about half-way through.

The book involves magic, prophecy, fighting and to some extent, politics. It covers people’s behaviour and also addresses issues to which Terry Goodkind has obviously given a great deal of thought. The beginning was slow going, but well-worth pursuing, there is a definite calm before the storm. The characters are well defined, both the heroes and the villains, which makes every scene gripping. I think my favourite part of the second book was when the woman, Khalen, discusses war tactics with an army of 5,000 soldiers about to attack a force of 50,000. Sounds boring, but I can assure you, it was not.

Towards the end of the book, I thought I was going to be disappointed. Richard is captured by some women known as Mord-Sith, and horribly tortured. I had the sinking feeling that this was going to be “torture for its shock value” and added nothing to story. However, this episode turns out not only to have consequence for the rest of the story, but also continues a theme throughout the rest of series.

The story start with “Magician’s First Rule”, and continues through “Stone of Te
ars”, “Blood the Fold”, “Temple of the Four winds”, “Sword of Fire” and “Faith of the Fallen”. I haven’t read the last book yet, I am impatiently awaiting the arrival of it in paperback version. A word of warning : If you decide to buy the books, make sure you get the small paperback version. I was annoyed by the fact that I bought “Sword of Fire” in the large format paperback, only to have it brought out in a smaller and cheaper version a couple of months later.

My only issue with the books would be the ending of part two. It was rather a contrived one and something of a let down. However, book three made up for it.

Summary: