Wizard's First Rule

Author-Terry Goodkind
Publisher-Tom Doherty Associates, LLC (Tor)
Copyright-1994

    Enter the marvelous mind of Terry Goodkind. In this, his first novel in
his renowned Sword of Truth series, he will captivate your imagination
while subtly exposing you to his viewpoints on the world today. His
sublime technique is something I believe more artists need to find within
themselves and I don’t solely mean authors.

    Meet Richard Cypher. This tall, dark and handsome man goes beyond every
woman’s dream. His self-control, caring, and courage embody the hero of
novels, with one exception. Richard embraces his faults in the drive to
make himself stronger. In this tale of travels, adventures, woes and joys,
Richard will gain the trust and friendship of Kahlan Amnell, uphold and expand on his feelings for long time family friend Zedd, as well as make many new acquaintances. The plot of this novel is like that of any fantasy/adventure, save the world. But ah, how this plot thickens.

Named as the Seeker of Truth and granted the Sword of Truth, the weapon of the Seeker, Richard is sent into a world that has been cut off from his own. He relies on Kahlan to guide him through his ignorance of cultures and traditions. Together they must track down and collect the three Boxes of Orden to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands, the hands of Darken Rahl. Out to gain control over Westland, the Midlands, and D’Hara, the three empires of the New World, Darken Rahl is also searching for the three boxes. In a race against time, magic, and Darken Rahl’s cruelty, Richard and Kahlan face trials beyond the greatest imagination.

Unknown to Richard is Kahlan’s title in the Midlands. Known as the Mother Confessor, she is feared by all for good reason. The powers of a confessor are irrevocable and devastating. As Richard battles his growing feelings towards Kahlan and this secret he knows she is withholding from him, he becomes trapped by the Mordsith Denna, through his magic in the Sword of Truth. Once captured by a Mordsith, a prisoner is tortured and ‘trained’ in a process to gain information and the only way to escape alive is to kill the Mordsith.

While he is captured, Kahlan and Zedd gain the third and only remaining Box of Orden. They travel towards the People’s Palace, home of Darken Rahl, the keeping place of the other two boxes, and where Richard is being held captive. But unbeknownst to Kahlan and Zedd is the strength of Richard’s power. He deprives Denna of his whole mind and in doing this, deprives Darken Rahl of much wanted knowledge. Denna, recognizing that she has failed in her duty as Mordsith, gives herself up to Richard who, in an unexpected twist, is able to kill her and escape to search for Kahlan and Zedd.

As the events come to a head, forces keep the trio from uniting. Richard, unable to communicate with Kahlan and Zedd, must take matters into his own hands. In the process Darken Rahl gains possession of the last needed Box of Orden while Richard is touched by Kahlan’s power. How will the heroes and heroines overcome these last devastating developments? Will they be able to defeat Darken Rahl and what will happen to Richard after being touched by a confessor? All these questions and more are answered in the twisting events that are guaranteed to be page turners.

Overall I greatly enjoyed the novel Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind. It was a way to not only escape the world we know but to expose me to events that have been happening in our world at that point in time. A contradiction in itself but one pulled off amazingly by Goodkind’s mastery of words. It is a thriller and holds surprises to uncover with each flip of the page. To read this book once is not enough. You must be able to devour it word for word, again and again in order to expose yourself to the true quality and emotions the characters experience. I urge each and every one of you to read this book and to take your time. Don’t speed read and miss some delicate piece information that may come in handy later on.

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