Customer Reviews

The Sword of Truth, Boxed Set I, Books 1-3: Wizard's First Rule, Blood of the Fold ,Stone of Tears

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of these books and would recommend them to any ADULT. But, while these books show many of life's most estimable traits, there remains a darker vision. The books mirror a stark reality which, in my opinion, seem too vivid for younger minds. Between the bloodshed and villainy there also lie scenes of rape and sado-masochism. While not EXPLICIT, I would not allow my nephew of ten years to read it until he's much more matured. Just my two cents, enjoy the books.

I have had a few friends recommend this series to me when I was younger, but I shrugged it off, as I wasn't a huge fantasy-genre fan. I found Tolkein (Lord of the Rings & Hobbit) a bit tedious, taking too long to get anything said, even being... a little boring sometimes. I tried to read Robert Jordan's book (1st one in the 'Wheel of Time' series), but ran into the same problems, just compounded: A whole lot a weird fantasy names and places, all thrown at you at the beginning. This almost alienated me, making it hard to get into the storyline (one of the main reasons I'm not a huge fantasy fan).

When I started reading the first book, it began wonderfully with one character, named Richard (that was easy to remember!), who knows as much as the reader does about the world. As you read, you immerse yourself in the world with him, learning and discovering this fantastic world of magic, adventure, romance, etc.

I've read all ten now, and as the last three or four came out, I re-read all of them to refresh myself. That's right, RE-READ. This was the first book(s) I've ever re-read, and if you can believe it, they were just as good (in some places much better) the second and third time around.

The first three were flawless. If you want some books that are perfect for the rainy day (with some tea), the day off (also with tea), or the summer afternoon (with iced-tea), these books were the most enjoyable I have ever read. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. (note: some sections not appropriate for readers under 13-14)

The only downside is that there will only be 11 books.

I discovered Fantasy early on when I was about 12 or 13 when a friend of mine introduced me to The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I have been hopelessly addicted ever since. Unfortunately, even though it very well may be my favorite genre I have been unable to find very many authors who wrote with the *Style* that just clicked with me the proper way. Tolkien was one, and on a whim, I bought Wizard's First Rule some 8 years ago or so and I was captivated from very nearly the first page and I've been hooked ever since.

Now this series has grown and even though some have accused Goodkind of suffering a little 'Jordanitis' when they believed the storyline didn't advance as far as hoped (and I admit that I have wondered this myself after reading 'Soul of the Fire' and 'Pillars of Creation') -- but when all is said and done, Goodkind has done what Robert Jordan has either refused to do, or simply cannot do: come back with utterly captivating stories. Since this boxed set contains the first three books in the series, I should limit my comments to them specifically, so here goes...

I cannot find fault with a single page of all three of these books. I just can't. I admit that after finishing 'Blood of the Fold' the first time, I was a bit disappointed -- although I cannot recall why these many years later I did. All I can say about it is I went ahead and re-read it about 4 years ago and simply couldn't figure out why I hadn't loved every page the first time around. Maybe because it was much shorter than the first two...but suffice it to say that this series contains a great deal of controversy regarding the plotting and it would seem that you either love it or you don't. Most who have finished the first three books however and dislike some of the novels that followed agree that the absolute best came first. I don't think that Goodkind has been able to equal his first outing with WFR -- in MY opinion he has come close a few times, most notably with 'Stone of Tears', 'Faith of the Fallen' and most recently with 'Chainfire' but again, that is just my opinion. If you take any time to read the individual reviews of the 'Sword of Truth' series you will discover a hotly debated group of books that some have dearly loved, and some associate with pure drivel. But if I could leave you with anything, if you haven't read any of the books just yet, give them a try and judge for YOURSELF and not because you believed any one person's review over another...because you know what they say about opinions don't you? Read what YOU like...I personally love the series, but YOUR opinion may vary. Good luck!

First off, I'm enjoying reading the series. I've blown through WFR and SOT, and am making progress through Blood of the Fold. I typically read to relax at the end of the day, before bed, and this series has delivered nicely for relaxation and enjoyment purposes.

I'm not new to the genre. I began with David Eddings in the early 90s, and have made my way through most of the predominant contemporary authors: Robert Jordan, George R R Martin, Raymond Feist, Tad Williams, Terry Brooks, C. S. Friedman, of course Tolkein, even Michael Moorcock, and numerous others I can't remember. Bottom line, Goodkind's stuff is somewhere in between them all. Not something I'm likely to read a second time, as I have with several other books and series, but certainly something I'll read to the end.

What I was most troubled by though was the surprising number of similiarities between Goodkind's work and Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Many themes are common throughout; not just the 'Common Man turned Reluctant Savior' theme, or the Sword and Magic battle of good versus evil. Those are staples that any reader must accept if they're going to participate in the fantasy genre.

No, I'm referring to the almost blatant commonalities between Goodkind's fantasy aspects and Jordan's content. The simplest, of course, is the dual nature of the magical forces represented in the world. Perhaps not unique, but definitely similar. On to the controlling neclaces/leashes, the Sisters of Light (who even have a hierarchy of Novice/Sister), Sisters of Dark, even the concept of The Flame and the Void, or the Oneness. There are numerous others, and each time I encounter one in Goodkind's work, I chuckle to myself a little.

However, I don't let it detract from the experience of these books. I'm reading these for enjoyment, and if there are some common themes, well, so be it. I did however, just out of curiosity, look up the first edition publication dates, and discovered that Jordan's work was published many years prior to Goodkind's. So, at least I know who put this stuff down first.

All that being said, this series is a good read, providing many hours of entertainment at a very affordable price. Probably not the series you'd want to go out and buy all hardcovers of for display, but cost effective entertainment if you go the boxed set route.

If you've got the time, enjoy the genre, and want a good read that doesn't involve a ton of brainpower, this is definitely a good pick.

As the title says... at times these books are great, bad, and flat out ugly. The ugly and the great parts are subjective of course but the bad parts are undeniable. But I digress let me explain in full working my way in reverse.

First the Ugly:

These books are graphically violent at times. If these books were movies it would most certainly be NC-17 for the violence. It's not cover to cover and not without context, however, it's there and it's extreme. I think it's too intense for anyone under 18. For me this nearly ruins the story, especially since it's not necessary. All the passion and emotion is already in the story it doesn't have to take that step to make the story compelling. But I understand this is going to come down to your personal taste, and to be honest I can't decide myself. I had decided to stop buying these books after I finished the second book but then decided to buy the next three after finished the third book. I guess my final word on this issue is to simply skip these books if graphic descriptions of violence and rape disturb you. The story is very good but this will be a deal breaker for you...

The Bad:

The ugly aside there are some other issues with these stories that will put off some people. It's a series, and it would seem that series authors tend to drag the story out a bit. And these are no exception. The "Stone of Tears" is the worst offender of this. At the beginning of the SOT you learn that the ending events of the Wizards First Rule have triggered an even bigger emergency. And after a few chapters of establishing the urgency of the situation the problem seems to be forgotten for 600 pages. The author throws in some shoe string dialog to explain why the eminent danger isn't so eminent. Then suddenly with 100 pages to go, it becomes an all or nothing situation again. So basically at times you feel like you're being lead by the nose with no true direction or exploring unimportant details just to extend the story longer. Unfortunately when the author is "wondering" are some of the most violent parts of the story so it's like a double whammy. And while I'm piling on I might as well point out how he's very repetitive. He likes to repeat factoids far too frequently. I found that I was rolling my eyes a few times saying to myself... "Man! You just said that!"

The Great:

Now that all that garbage is out of the way... The core story is great. The characters are very interesting and dynamic. There is a strong love story and sweeping adventures that will hold any fantasy fan's imagination. The story is so great in fact I feel compelled to read more even though the bad and ugly part would normally be an instant turn off for me. One criticism I've read is that stories seem derivative. And to some extent they are. But really what story isn't? If your name isn't Asimov or Tolkien your story is probably derivative in some way. To me it's noticeable only in the first book and then it really comes into its own after that. For those that have watched the show, you might be disappointed at first since Kahlan takes a while before she becomes someone to take matters into her own hands but she does get there, so stick with it... The story would be five stars if not for the "bad and ugly" but they warrant at least a one star deprecation. (and I understand if someone would take away more)

Unless you've already read the series and just want to replace your copies, don't buy this set. I made the enormous error of purchasing this set without reading any of Goodkind's novels first. I forced my way through Wizard's First Rule and realized that I wasted my money. I have no intention of ever reading Blood of the Fold or Stone of Tears.

I have very, very few positive things to say about the Wizard's First Rule. So I'll just get the positives out of the way now. Zedd is a very likable character. Not very original, certainly, but he's kooky and funny and hard not to like. The character Giller, too, is likable after a fashion.

Well, that's about all I can say thats positive about the novel. So lets get to the negatives.

1. It's poorly written. The narrative is clumsy, the dialog is repetitive and unrealistic. Not only is the language poor, but Goodkind is unable to logically construct even a simple paragraph, let alone an entire chapter. He has a habit of meandering in his paragraphs so that the first sentence of the paragraph has absolutely nothing to do with the last sentence. This would be understandable were he writing in stream of consciousness, but, alas, he is not. He also has the annoying habit of changing the perspective of the narrator from paragraph to paragraph without informing the reader, making it difficult to sort out who thinks what.

2. The characters are detestable. As I already said, Zedd and Giller are good characters. But they are minor characters. The hero, Richard, is one of the most immediately dislikable protagonists I've ever seen. He's arrogant, whiny, awkward, stupid and completely intolerant of other people and their cultures. Which leads me to my third major criticism.

3. Inconsistent character development. Goodkind frequently changes the personality of his characters to suit the chapter. In one chapter, Richard throws a tantrum because he cannot use his right hand to do something because it is against the culture of a tribe he is visiting. A chapter or two later, he willingly eats the flesh of another person because the culture dictates he must. In addition, Richard (and the other characters) range from mind-bogglingly stupid to brilliant and back something within a couple paragraphs. Goodkind makes his characters smart when he needs to in order to advance the plot, then makes them stupid when he needs to. Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, etc., all do enormously stupid things, and then are brilliant the next chapter. And its not just one character, every character is in turns brilliant and stupid. And it seems that there is always one brilliant character and several stupid characters at any given time so there is always enough intelligence to advance the plot. What's the point of having 800 pages of character development if you just throw it away to advance the plot?

4. And speaking of the plot, the story of the Wizard's First Rule is pretty poorly devised and highly predictable. There are two major secrets in the novel, the first being the identity of the Wizard (which is readily apparent within the first 15 pages of the text) and the identity of the Traitor (which is apparent as soon as it is learned that Richard was betrayed). And despite how painfully obvious who these characters are, Goodkind painstakingly devotes hundreds of pages to discovering their identities. It's terribly painful clawing your way through this book when you already know how all the big secrets and how the book is going to end within the first few chapters.

5. Plot-lifting. In a lot of ways, Wizard's First Rule is a dumbed down version of Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time. Richard is essentially Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, though he is purely a good character and destined only to help the world. Kahlan Amnell and the Confessors are utterly identical in every way to Jordan's Aes Sedai. The torture and training Richard endures is identical (and often down to the very wording) to the training Egwene Al'Vere endures. Darken Rahl is a very poor rip off of Shai'Tan, the Dark One (and, for that matter Darth Vader of Star Wars fame). There is very, very little of Goodkind's original thought in the Wizard's First Rule, and what original thought there is is very poor.

6. Convenient Writing. Goodkind is the King of making crap up as he goes. Due to his inability to write his way out of a wet paper bag, Goodkind is constantly having to make up new powers or abilities to get his characters out of a seemingly impossible situation. The best example for this is one scene in which Kahlan, Zedd and Chase are ambushed by Darken Rahl's minions. For whatever reason, Zedd and Chase are incapacitated and Kahlan, for some other stupid reason, can't use her powers and is being raped. Suddenly, Kahlan develops a new ability that 1. has never been mentioned before, 2. she admits that she had never been able to do before, 3. must be taught by an expert, as stipulation Kahlan never met. Yet somehow, Kahlan is able to use this power and miraculously defeats the enemy. Goodkind's writing in these situations is so bad that he flat out admits what the character just did is impossible, but goes with it anyway.

In truth, I could list another dozen or so criticisms of this book. But I doubt anyone is going to read that much. My advice: If you've never read Terry Goodkind before, read him before you blow the extra money on this set. If you're an intelligent, well-read reader, you will likely hate the series and regret spending the money, as I did. You are more likely to enjoy this book if you are a child, say 10-12 years old, or you have never read a fantasy book before. If you fit into either of these categories, the cliches will not seem so bad, and the new world of fantasy will blind you to the very poor writing and storytelling. But in either of those circumstances, I would still advise against buying the set. Make sure you like Goodkind before you drop the money for three of his books. Go to the library and read a chapter or two first. There's a very good chance that you will despise this novel like most other experienced readers.

I gave this set two stars, by the way, for the reasons listed in the previous paragraph. If you're an inexperienced reader or are new to the fantasy world, this series will work well for you. In addition, Mr. Goodkind CAN write, and can write well. The Wizard's First Rule features one or two chapters that are marvelously written. But this is an extreme exception to the rule. Perhaps the later books are better, but after Book I, I will work very hard to ensure that I never read another word of Goodkind's writing.

I had never read fantasy before, but was interested in it. A friend recommended this set to me and by the time the first chapter had ended I was hooked! I absolutely love the series. The character development is wonderful and thorough. Yes the characters are a bit cliche, but in no way does that hinder the story or make you less interested in them. Some people I have talked to have a hard time finishing the first book because of some sexually preverse scenes near the end. I would not suggest skipping this part because I feel it gives a lot of insight into the person Richard becomes. So if that sort of thing is disturbing to you, I would either try to get through it or perhaps find another fantasy series.

Well, in general it's a good series. I read a lot of fantasy and SF books, and these are special books that can be read over and over. Terry Goodkind kept the action going through the first 5 books.

This epic traps you into a world of magic and conflict. When you finally think that nothing else worse could happen to the main characters, something does. Being hopelessly lost in the struggle, Richard Cypher (or later Richard Rahl), Kahlan Amnell, and his freinds amazingly find answers to solutions and become the true hope for all when an even greater threat emerges. I recomend this series to anyone.

Writing is an interesting topic of debate. While we all agree that story is paramount, there are several different viewpoints on an author's prose. While some feel prose is not so important, others believe that it is essential for a good story, and for those of you who feel that way, I am sorry to say that Terry Goodkind will be a slight disappointment; his writing is very safe, and he does not extend beyond the vocabulary of a high school student. Furthermore, many of his sentences are simply nonsensical and poorly worded. This becomes increasingly more prevalent as the series progresses, and hits its highpoint just before the final trilogy (where, thankfully, Goodkind gets his act together by creating a gripping finale with wonderful description that will invoke the deepest of emotions). If this is a problem for you, do not read this series, it will only upset you.


However, I have always been adamant that story matters more than presentation. Not too much, mind you, but as long as the sentences are structured, get a point across, and are not senseless drivel, the storyline is oh so more important, and it is here that Goodkind trumps other authors. His story is rich and it progresses well over the 11 novels, despite a slight road bump around Faith of the Fallen. However, it can be argued that each book is relevant, and I would definitely agree with anyone who said so. Each one contributes to the story as a whole, just as a great story should do, and just where other authors (Robert Jordan, with his concentration only on details) have failed. Story first, details second. Even a story with minimal details but a great story will best a story with vivid imagery but no story.


Basically, if you are looking for a great read, these books are for you. But if you are one of those people who complains about lack of prose, go read a lousy Jordan novel and leave the real fantasy fans alone to real fantasy business.



Great story, so-so prose.


Rated R for the plentiful rape scenes and crude humor and violence.