Terry Goodkind (1948–2020)

At least we got away from most of the sexual sadism and torture.
In many ways, this was one of my favorite books in the Sword of Truth series so far. We still have somewhat contrived situations simply because characters who are allies refuse to be honest with each other. But Richard and Kahlan, overall, are behaving a bit more like adults. I was glad to see Du Chaillu and the Baka Tau Mana return to the story. The story is more cohesive, with only a few side episodes away from the main action and characters. The finale is a bit of a fizzle militarily but satisfying from a magic point of view. And I had guessed the truth about the raven...… (more)

7/10
Traditional fantasy, book one in a series that seems to have grown rather unwieldy. It made quite a splash when it was published back in the 1990s, although I never read it until now, and it has aged fairly well.

Author Goodkind weaves some enduring themes into his story—love, sacrifice, intention, forgiveness—but perhaps none as intriguing as the Wizard’s First Rule: People are stupid.

I would have given it 4 stars because I liked it much more than I expected, but the duration and detail of the torture that Richard endures at Denna’s hands was just too much. Even though I understand how crucial it was to both Richard’s growth and to the overall plot, it still felt gratuitous.… (more)