Product Description
In Wizard's First Rule, Goodkind introduced the world to an ordinary forest guide, Richard Cypher, and the mysterious, powerful woman he comes to love, Kahlan Amnell. Learning his true identity, Richard accepts his destiny as the one man who can stop the bloodthirsty tyrant Darken Rahl. Hunted relentlessly, betrayed and alone, Kahlan calls upon Richard to reach beyond his sword and invoke something more noble within himself as the final confrontation with Darken Rahl looms.

The importance of Wizard's First Rule goes beyond these achievements. Goodkind took on the toughest of all literary challenges: to tell an electrifying story of action, violence, and adventure that would also make people think, and that would influence the choices and actions of its readers.
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Customer Reviews (1)

excellent book
I have wateched the television series and that is what led me to this book. I am glad that it did. The book (as most books are) fills in so much more of the world and gives more depth to the characters. If you have seen the tv series frett not the book is different enough, at no point did I feel the need to skip a chapter because I new what was going to happen. ... Read more

Product Description
In the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, Richard Cypher encounters a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, in his forest sanctuary. She seeks his help...and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence.

In their darkest hour, Kahlan calls upon Richard to reach beyond his sword—to invoke within himself something more noble. Neither knows that the rules of battle have just changed...or that their time has run out.

This is the beginning. One book. One rule. Witness the birth of a legend.

“Wonderfully creative, seamless, and stirring.” – Kirkus Review ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

Excellent begining for a series
I purchaced the audio version to use while working to pass the time. I thoroughly enjoyed the story from beginning to end. This book is more for a mature audience due to the graphic descriptions. I look forward to the next book in the "Sword of Truth" series.

Startlingly bad
This audiobook has one distinction: it motivated me to write my first-ever Amazon review, after being a devoted Amazon fan for a decade now.Of course, it's a negative review, but let that just be a clue as to how much I disliked this product.

No wait, it has a second distinction: it has the worst narration I have ever heard in a commercially produced audiobook.I spent the first several chapters trying to pin down exactly what the narrator's delivery made me think of, and went through several obvious choices like robot, computer, voice-recognition software... until I finally hit on it.He has the exact delivery of a 1950s/1960s safety film narrator.Like those horrid old reel-to-reel films I had to watch in elementary school (in the 70s) when the teacher was too lazy or hungover to give a lecture."How to Perform CPR," or "What To Do During a Nuclear Attack."

I made it through about 6 hours of this, and actually, it got slightly better when he began to voice the various characters, but still, it's truly shocking that someone who turns most lines into Don Pardo-esque pronouncements could ever get a gig reading a fiction book.

What finally made me stop listening, though, and the reason I gave this product only one star, was that after I finally became inured to the goofy narration, I realized that it wasn't a very good book.The characterization was slim and/or one-dimensional, the plot was highly derivative, and the ideas, while some were not bad, were ultimately formulaic for any regular readers of fantasy.

So, be aware that I never finished this book.But also be aware that this is the first time that the appallingly poor quality of the narration has caused me to stop listening to an audiobook.Perhaps the causes are too close to separate: with either a better narrator or a better book, I'd have kept listening for the full 32 hours.Put those two together, and I'm truly sorry I invested the 6 hours in it that I did.

Ah well.At least it got me writing on Amazon, which was long past due.

Great Story, Terrible voice
I loved this book when I read it the first time. But I swear this Jim Bond guy that reads this version is a robot. It totally sounds like a computer program, terrible pauses, inflection on the complete wrong spots. I guess on the plus side at least the sound is clear and such. If you can get past the narrator's lack of talent it's still a great book.

good story, awful voice
I bought this for my husband b/c he enjoyed listening to the Harry Potter's so much. Jim Dale is an awesome narrator. But, Jim Bond is terrible. It's hard to just focus on the story b/c his narrating is so bland. He puts no emotion into the story and no life into the characters. If not for him this audio cd would get 5 stars.

Wizards First Rule, Book1 of the Sword of Truth
Excellent story with twists and curves throughout.The reader was a bit distracting in his syle of presentation, articulating each word to a point of irritation.
But that aside, the characterization was good and the sound levels consistent across the story and all of the disks. ... Read more

Product Description
Trade Paper. Oversize Paperback. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not as good as Chainfire, but...
...does it ever set up for what will surely be a spectacular conclusion! I can't wait for the next (and, sadly, final) book in the series.

This book contains several great new characters and plot developments, including Richard's new foreign policy direction for the D'Haran empire (it's about damn time!) which is highly relevant to the real world today, and a shocking twist at the end.

Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Chainfire, Phantom, and ConfessorThe complete Trilogy ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great read
Do not doubt yourself and not purchase this book. This book is a great read and if you liked the first one (wizards first rule) then you will love this one. Like i have said in the other reviews, goodkind is great at building characters. You fall inlove with who you read about, or you hate them totally. I would recomend this series to any fantasy fan. I am on the sixth of the series and only one of those is not very good, but read this and you will like it. ... Read more

Product Description
11 Audio Books On 12 MP3 CDs - that's 290 Hours Of Listening Enjoyment From NYTimes Best Selling Author Terry Goodkind!!! Complete List of Included Titles Below.....NOTE:**This Is The MP3 CD Version. Please make sure your CD player can play MP3 CDs before buying! An MP3-CD can be played on any computer with MP3 compatible software such as Windows Media Player and Real Player. MP3 audio books are compatible with portable Mp3 devices such as iPod, Zune, Creative and portable PDA players.***COMPLETE LIST OF INCLUDED TITLES:Book 1: Wizard's First Rule (31 Hours) Book 2: Stone Of Tears (35 Hours on 2 CDs)Book 3: Blood Of The Fold (22 Hours)Book 4: Temple Of The Winds (30 Hours)Book 5: Soul Of Fire (24 Hours) Book 6: Faith Of The Fallen (27 Hours)Book 7: The Pillars Of Creation (23 Hours)Book 8: Naked Empire (23 Hours)Book 9: Chainfire (26 Hours) Book 10: Phantom (23 Hours)Book 11: Confessor (26 Hours)Each MP3 CD is labeled and comes in a poly-sleeve - the entire set comes in an attractive collector's case for easy storage.You Get a Complete Terry Goodkind Library - that's completely portable - at a Fraction of the cost of the books. ... Read more

Product Description
11 Books from Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series (only book missing is small prequel novel Debt of Bones). This is the series the popular Legend of the Seeker television series is based upon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great Series
Excellent series, similar to the TV series (they changed a lot). Very immersing, detailed world. Scattered graphically violent scenes in each book, I would caution parents with regards to young readers. Other series I have enjoyed include Wheel of Time, Edgar Rice Burroughs collection and Salvatore's collection.

good book
good book, as goodkind is a fabulos epic storyteller.my only complaint? the book gets a bit churchy.not necessarily in a bad way, just not interested as he was.fabulous continuatin in the series, and it all becomes more important as the series comes to a close.

i still liked it.
a lot of what the other reviewers are saying are understandable and valid, but i personally kind of liked this one. i liked the way it introduced and followed completely new characters, and those new characters are fairly interesting, especially obha. plus the anticipation is deadly when it comes to waiting for richard, and when he finally comes, it doesn't disappoint. maybe try to read it again?

An interesting departure
The fact that Goodkind follows a new set of characters in this novel instead of the main heroes of the series is not, by itself, a good reason to rate the book poorly, yet it seems to be the main reason given by most of the critics here.If anything, Goodkind should instead be praised for trying something a little different after the ambitious and successful Faith of the Fallen.

As for how successful he is here, it's true that this is not among the best books of the series--some of the new characters are better than others, and some parts of the story more engrossing than others--but it is still quite good.I especially liked Althea and her husband Friedrich, and Tom.Jennsen is a mixed case, but more good than bad.Oba was a bit annoying.Sebastian is one of the best new Goodkind characters, good or evil (perhaps in this case not obviously either), in a long time.The section when he takes Jennsen to meet Emperor Jagang for the storming of Aydindril stands up to almost anything in the series thus far.

And, as usual, Goodkind's story illustrates important political and philosophical themes.Here we have a novel about the crucial need of, appropriately enough in light of 9/11, good intelligence agencies (though this is hardly an Ian Fleming novel), and more deeply of using your own judgment rather than relying on what others tell you is the right or wrong thing to do.A worthy message well told.

worst Goodkind book
This is the only book in the series I read for a long time. It was so boring I couldn't read it more than 10 minutes! And once I read it for the time 8s book arrived I couldn't remember the story of Pillars of Creation. So I had to read it once more. This is my unfavourite book in Goodkind's series! ... Read more