Posted: December 18, 2020
Wizard's First Rule
A traditional epic fantasy book with strong character development
The story in Wizard’s First Rule starts - in the timed-honored tradition of most fantasy books - long after a lot of other things have happened in the world it is set in. Also, following yet another epic fantasy tradition, the main protagonist of this book , Richard, soon finds himself orphaned.
This is the story of Richard, the Seeker and wielder of the Sword of Truth and his struggle against a Dark Lord archetype, Darken Rahl.
A major strength of this work is character development, particularly of the three main characters: Richard, Kahlan, and the wizard Zedd. Goodkind is able to effectively build a bond between these characters and the reader. I also like details here and there like the description of a harrowing necromantic ritual conducted by Darken Rahl and descriptions about Zedd’s foodie tendencies.
This is also the start of the Richard-Kahlan romance subplot that will be one of the strengths of the series.
And now for something controversial: In the latter part of this work is a torture sequence. Honestly I found the sequence both unique and a guilty pleasure to read.
This is a book that borrows from The Lord of the Rings. It is part of a series that borrows from the The Wheel of Time..
The prose is workmanlike and average with occasional flashes of improvement that gives the read a nice flow.
This is a good book for those who don’t want any big surprises in their fantasy reading since it is full of tropes and fantasy stereotypes interspersed with the occasional creative additions by Goodkind. If this is you and you are in the mood for a thick tome that is part of an 11-book series then by all means give this book a chance.