Wizard's First Rule [Mass Market Paperback]

First you need to know it follows an over-used fantasy theme. An unknown man who doesn't want to be a hero, finds out he is very special and needed to save the world. He ends up being a fierce warrior who wins the heart of the beauty. The bad guy is super evil, and the good guys are super pure. There is an old man who serves as the mentor and he's wise yet spunky.

Many of you will be turned off at this point. But hold on. As formulaic as it is, Goodkind really does string together a nice adventure. Just when I would begin to think it was getting mindless, he would have a really beautiful scene.

There are torture scenes that are vivid, and I was wary of that going in. But he doesn't use them for shock value as some may think. He has a point and makes it very well. It was one of the only scenes that really gripped my emotions. It was quite inspiring.

The female roles in the book are fairly weak. The leading lady is often controlled by her emotions and love for the main character. Lots of crying.

The world Goodkind has constructed, the different creatures, and the way he uses magic are unique and creative. He often explains why magic works the way it does, and it isn't too way out there.

And while this book is one in a series, you can read just this one and it ends well enough so you don't feel you have to read the next one. So it doesn't hurt to give it a chance. If you like this kind of story, you will certainly enjoy this book. I think it is a good one. However, if you're tired of this storyline, you may want to check out something else. I hope this was helpful.

First things first, this is not a great novel. It is derivative, unimaginative, and full of stock heroes, stock villans, a stock quest, and every other fantasy convention you could think of. There is nothing original in the least.

However, I enjoy reading fantasy novels and do not have a problem with the fact that the story is neither original nor great. To be quite honest, the whole time I was reading this novel, I knew it was not "great" fantasy and I did not care the least.

If you are a fan of the genre, and looking for something to pass the time while waiting for the next Song of Fire and Ice novel, then this will serve. Decent, not great, but certainly not terrible.

I'm about two hundred and fifty pages into the first installment of the Sword of Truth series, and I must declare, this is by far one of the more cliche, used and abused fantasy titles I've ever come across.

It has, in fact, put a smile on my face, throughout numerous occasions, and I do believe the world he created around the characters is a beautiful, outset, and imaginative place.

The characters, however, are standard, boring, and suprisingly stupid. I couldn't believe how dull, and one sided each of the heros seemed to be, with absolutley no character development, or constructive behavior that builds personality, or attributes regarding the thickess of the plate they each hold. It's as if they hardly even realize what they're doing, and why they're doing it, the weight of the world seems to float on the finger tip of a confused boy named Richard, who fell clumsily into the posistion of the Seeker of Truth, now, it's on his shoulders, and the shoulders of a forever naive, and obnoxious girl who follows, not to mention an over-zealous and arrogant Wizard, that lacks cunning, and isn't very wise at all, but claims that he is the wisest of them all. Everything is so extreme with the characters, hot or cold, very good, or very evil. And the main character, is a bit of a push over, with his mean vixen Kahlan doing the majority of the dirty work.

This reminds me of a fantasy game, the dialogue, the story, the characters.

Pity.

.....I have three hundred and fifty pages to go.

If it gets any better, or if I even finish it, I'll come back and write another little review.

Don't hold your breath, chances are I'm only going to become more annoyed with his writings.

Sad, I was really looking forward to a good fantasy novel.

I suppose I'll stick with Robert Jordan from now on.