Wizard's First Rule

I'm now well and thoroughly hooked on Legend of the Seeker, to the point that it was time for me to give the books a go. This extremely popular series was first published in 1995, and at that time I picked up the first book. I didn't get too far into it before it began to sound like Robert Jordan's fabulous Wheel of Time series, and I couldn't bring myself to continue reading. Fifteen years later, with the Wheel of Time series nearing its end, I find myself looking for a new massive fantasy series to grab. This could very well be it.

Wizard's First Rule introduces readers to Richard Cypher, Kahlan Amnell, and Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander. Richard is raised with no idea of his destiny in a land without magic. Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander is a wizard that helped erect a barrier between three core lands and has lived in the Westlands, keeping an eye on Richard and not using his magic for many years. Kahlan Amnell crosses the barrier from the Midlands into the Westlands at great peril to herself in an effort to find the last great wizard to name a Seeker, who will then defeat the evil despot Darken Rahl.

Terry Goodkind creates an extremely believable world. The forests where we first meet Richard are teeming with life. Each society he comes across feels well developed and real. Perhaps the best part is that the central characters - the heroes if you will - are constantly second-guessing themselves and making serious errors. They are in no way perfect, but do the best with the information they have at hand. They question consequences but do not shy away from the reality that innocent people will be effected if they do the hard work of eliminating the enemy. This is a very adult story, with a frank portrayal of what happens during war and the consequences of actions. Some passages were difficult to read, but they gave a strong sense of why the characters made the decisions they did.

I was pleasantly surprised to see there were fewer similarities to the Wheel of Time than I'd initially thought. When we first meet Rand, Mat and Perrin in that series they are in their late teens - Richard Cypher is a man grown, living and working on his own. This makes for a completely different tone to The Sword of Truth series. Rather than watching young men grow up, we get to see adults take the knowledge of their lifetime and apply it to practical situations.

Having checked out the first book from my local library, I was pleasantly surprised to find a copy at Half-Price Books for just $1.50. I'll most certainly be adding this series to my personal library.