Product Description

One man, Richard Cypher, holds the key to the fate of three nations, of humanityBut until he learns the Wizard's First Rule his chances of succeeding in his task are slim. And his biggest problem is admitting that magic exists at all...A novel of incomparable scope and brimming with atmospheric detail: in a world where heart hounds stalk the boundaries for unwary human prey, blood-sucking flies hunt on behalf of their underworld masters, and where artists can draw more than your likeness, there is no place to hide, nowhere safe. Here magic makes love twice as sweet, betrayal and loss twice as bitter.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23243 in Books
• Published on: 1995-10-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 798 pages

Review
The magical boundaries between the three lands of forest guide Richard Cypher's world are crumbling: Strange beasts from the Midlands, where magic still exists, appear in his Westland forest. And so does Kahlan Amnell, a young woman with some interesting powers and four assassins on her trail. She is in search of the great wizard who left the Midlands not long after he set the boundaries. He is the only one who can possibly thwart Darken Rahl, an evil wizard who has set in motion a process that will result in the enslavement of the three lands. When Richard's eccentric friend and mentor, Zedd, is sought out for advice about finding the great wizard, Kahlan identifies Zedd as the object of her search. The process that Darken Rahl has initiated requires him to obtain the three boxes of Orden, and, within one year, to open the proper box. As time grows short, Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, and a border guard, Chase, go in quest of the one box that the evil wizard still lacks. Among the truths that Richard learns along the way is the wisdom of the Wizard's First Rule: People are stupid and will believe almost anything. A wonderfully creative, seamless, and stirring epic fantasy debut. (Kirkus Reviews)

Synopsis
One man, Richard Cypher, holds the key to the fate of three nations, of humanityBut until he learns the Wizard's First Rule his chances of succeeding in his task are slim. And his biggest problem is admitting that magic exists at all...A novel of incomparable scope and brimming with atmospheric detail: in a world where heart hounds stalk the boundaries for unwary human prey, blood-sucking flies hunt on behalf of their underworld masters, and where artists can draw more than your likeness, there is no place to hide, nowhere safe. Here magic makes love twice as sweet, betrayal and loss twice as bitter.

About the Author
Terry Goodkinds first novel, Wizards First Rule immediately established him as one of the worlds bestselling authors. Each subsequent book in the Sword of Truth series sold better than the one before and some twenty million copies of books in the series have now been sold. He lives in the USA.

Customer Reviews

Keeps you gripped
As a first book in a set this is amazing. There is no slow start to this book as very soon in the main character Richard faces a few enemies that are chasing after Kahlan.

This is the start of a set of books i'm still half way through and i must admit they are very enjoyable. This one only scratches the surface and has quite a basic plot compared to the later books which is that Richard must defeat Darken Rahl.

Though i do find the book slows down near the end but it is needed for the later books but this is the only bad thing i can say about this book.

Well worth the read

A captivating take on high Fantasy
Terry Goodkind is to be commended. Not only for writing a wondrous piece of literature (and make no mistake, this IS wondrous) but for managing to both challenge and entertain consistently over the course of an extremely large novel. One or two may consider the almost extreme length a little too "hardcore" for their tastes, but trust me this isn't just for fantasy die-hards. Actually, in the end you'll find yourself wondering where all of those pages went as you whittle away countless hours lost in the magical world Goodkind has created.

Much of this strength can be found in the writing itself, which is so good it almost compares to other novels as a fine wine would to cheap vodka. Admittedly, Goodkind is clearly aware of this, and at times he is prone to over-writing certain scenes; do not be surprised if a single movement dominates an entire page of prose. But in the end, is too much of a good thing ever really bad?

The characters are another plus point, showing off hugley likeable traits and quirks mixed perfectly with human flaws. You'll find yourself chastising them for poor decisions throughout, yet will never waver in your support of them. To be fair, Richard is perhaps a little saintly at times, but that's hardly rare for the genre, and as for the reviewer who pointed to Kahlan being "weak", well...let's just say he/she must have been reading a different book from me.

The story is the sort of grand sweeping arc you'd expect from such a series, and it'll keep you coming back for more. To be honest, it has a borderline drug-like quality; it sinks it's hooks into you early, and you'll find yourself a prisoner for quite some time.

Note: The graphic violence may offend some, so it's probably better keeping it away from children and maybe even the more sensitive adults.

Apart from those that may fall into the above category, I'd recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone. Enjoy the ride!

sword of truth series by terry goodkind
I picked up the 1st of the sword of truth series wizards first rule in a charity shop for my son. I started reading it and it was so compelling i finished it in 3 days. I have now read the entire series at one book a week. Terry Goodkind has surpassed all expectations in this spellbinding series. The books were very well written and the story line was really good, it really drew you in so that you became part of the story. The series is an absolute must read, once you start you cannot stop. I feel very sad that the series has come to an end. I am sure anyone reading this series will be as delighted as i was.