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Wizard's First Rule - Sword of Truth 1 Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Wizard's First Rule - Sword of Truth 1


Richard Cypher discovers he is the seeker and is needed to protect Westland and the Midlands from D'Hara's takeover. Richard Cypher, a simple woods guide, finds himself in a sticky situation when he comes to the rescue of an unknown girl who had just crossed the magical boundary.
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Years ago Richard's homeland, Westland, had separated themselves from the magical world. They put a boundary in place to keep magical users out, and those without powers in. However, one day a girl named Kahlan Amnell passes through the boundary in search of the seeker.

Noticing a woman being chased by several men Richard quickly came to her rescue, not realizing she had magical powers. Thinking she was defenseless he fought off her attackers and established a friendship with her.

Soon she discovers he is the seeker she was searching for and needs to convince him to go through the boundary and save the Midlands from D'Hara's ruler, Darken Rahl, who is trying to take over the other lands.

After Richard witnesses the evil of D'Hara's empire and sees his own kind parish to their cruel ways he agrees to go back to the other side with her.

In order for him to get to D'Hara's empire he enlists the help from an old friend, and apparent wizard, Zedd.

Together the three of them struggle through D'Hara's army, torture, and learn to trust one another. When they reach D'Hara's palace Richard is fully capable and ready to put an end to the empires cruelty.
Best part of story, including ending: This story was really great because it showed how even those with powers and gifts can struggle with understanding who they are. It shows that good doesn't always win, but will put up a good fight.

Best scene in story: My favorite scene was the ending. Richard is faced with the decision to trust the girl he had only met, Kahlan, or to continue a long struggle with the ruler Darken Rahl. In the end he chose to trust her, and shocked everyone when he allowed Kahlan to use her powers on him.

Opinion about the main character: The main character is very realistic. I like and dislike this. He works hard to overcome evil, and faces difficult choices like anyone else. However, he tends to act like his way of thinking is more righteous than others.

The review of this Book prepared by Alexandra a Level 1 Blue Jay scholar

Thrown into anguish by the death of his father, the young woodsman and guide Richard Cypher seeks solace in his oldest friend- the forest. However, a search for solace turns into the struggle of a lifetime when he comes across a mysterious woman named Kahlan being menaced by a quad- a group of four killers. Richard saves her, then ultimately brings her to Zedd, an aged wizard who determines that she has seen dispatched to find the Seeker- one who can deliver the world from the evil of Darken Rahl, a monstrous king of phenomenal magical power. One by one, the illusions that Richard has held all his life melt away, and he is soon battling his way across three kingdoms. Darken Rahl has procured the three Boxes of Orden, which if opened in the proper order, could give the power to dominate all life in the world. Richard possesses the knowledge of the Book of Counted Shadows, which provides the key to using the Boxes properly.

While the plot is fairly conventional and the characters fairly predictable and almost stereotyped, some highly innovative ideas raise this tome to its heights. The supporting characters are fascinating, such as Rachel, an abused, ten-year old servant girl, monsters who use bloosucking flies to drive out their prey, as well as the Sword of Truth, which instills the bearer with a potent rage.   
The review of this Book prepared by Robert Stiles




A young man in a pre-mechanical fantasy age is drawn into a battle of good versus evil. He must learn who he is and defeat an evil wizard to save a people and win his true love. (Quest theme.)
The review of this Book prepared by Amy Wilson




Richard Cypher is a young woods guide, and all of a sudden is thrown into a fight for the freedom of the lands known and unknown to him. Cypher begins understanding that he is the most dangerous man because of his title "the Seeker". He must learn who he is, and face many hardships before he can complete his fight against darken rahl.
The review of this Book prepared by Paul T Zamora




Richard Cypher, a young woodsguide, saves a young woman, little knowing that this good deed would change his life forever. Struggling to control his newly discovered powers, he sets off with a wizard and the mysterious young woman he rescued from the clutches of death, on a quest that would change the world.      
An epic fantasy which leaves the reader enthralled and seemingly spellbound to the wonderful workings of Terry Goodkind.
The review of this Book prepared by A Johnson




0A simple woods-guide, is unsuspectingly given great power and finds out he is one of the most powerful magicians in thousands of years. He is given a quest against nearly impossible odds- to kill a great wizard and save the world from slavery or destruction. But he, a strange girl he met and his grandfather have no other choice...
The review of this Book prepared by Daniel Smith




Sword of Truth is a poorly written, highly derivative story about a forest guide who is given the titular weapon. It has an excessive, prolonged section of torture. Redundant writing and a lack of originality plague this book.
The review of this Book prepared by Rebecca Davis




Ordinary person being chased by Wizard and king of country for a magical book. With book can control world.Finds magical women. Gets magical powers and learns about himself while finding components to book. Countries got to war. Hero gets captured. Escapes, kills bad guy.
The review of this Book prepared by Drew Dismukes




WIZARD'S FIRST RULE

Tor, Jun 2001, 17.95, 573 pp.
ISBN: 0765300273

    The evil Darken Rahl is succeeding in making a grab to possess the three boxes of Orden in order to control the magic that is contained within them. Darken Rahl's strategic goal is conquering the three kingdoms (Westland, The Midlands, and D'Hara) currently separated by a seemingly impenetrable mystic boundary.

    To stop Darken Rahl, the wizards send Kahlan Amnell across the barrier to find the “Seeker of Truth” somewhere in Westland where magic is outlawed. She meets Richard Cypher who immediately takes her to his teacher Zedd, who he believes is the great wizard who can identify the Seeker. The last things Richard expected were to fall in love and learn he is the Seeker. With the aid of a wizard and his beloved, Richard must fight Darken. Richard realizes he uses the very weapons that make his foe so malevolent for without them he cannot win, but using them can easily turn him into a darker Darken.

    WIZARD'S FIRST RULE is a reprint of the fabulous first tale in Terry Goodkind's “Sword of Truth” saga. The story line remains a powerful epic fantasy that never slows down though like most opening genre books leaves threads for the next novel. The characters, especially the “good guys”, are engaging as they struggle to contain the evil within themselves from turning them into Darken clones. The WIZARD'S FIRST RULE does not apply to anyone who reads this book because this mesmerizing novel is worth the time and money.

Harriet Klausner

The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner




First book in a series of 5 (soon to be 6).

"Twilight had fallen upon the Three Kingdoms: a grey time that could foretell either dawn or descent into bitter night. Richard Cypher, a woodsman and warrior, is chosen to bear the Sword of Truth, but his enemy, Darken Rahl, is a royal mage who commands armies, hideous beasts and--more terrible by far--a twisted magic."
The review of this Book prepared by Aven




This is Book 1 of the sword of truth novels. You do not have to read them in any order because they are all pretty much self contained though they revolve around the same main character, Richard. Richard is a woodsguide who gets appointed as the seeker by being given the magical sword of truth, to stop a wizard who rules one of the 3 lands. This evil wizard, Darken Rahl, is trying to open the box of orden which will give him control of all things in the universe. I highly recommend this book
The review of this Book prepared by David




A woods guide must accept his destiny to prevent a power-hungry wizard in ruling the world. He travels to the land of magic along with the Sword of Truth and loyal protectors.
The review of this Book prepared by Jan Skritek




A woods guide is given the duty of stopping an evil ruler from taking over the world. He has to get across a world of magic to do this before time runs out
The review of this Book prepared by Thomas Howe




A forest guide becomes a hero when a distant threat makes him leave his home into a land of magic through the Underworld. He uses a Sword of Truth to destroy an evil wizard.
The review of this Book prepared by Jonah Fabricant



Chapter Analysis of Wizard's First Rule - Sword of Truth 1

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence 20.7%planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 29.3%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 30%Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places 20% Tone of book    -   very upbeat FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?    -   fantasy world/fantasy past Coming of age    -   Yes Youngster becomes    -   a powerful magician Magical Beings/Mental/Magical/Powers    -   Yes magical powers:    -   magical powers (general) Is this an adult or child's book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character

Identity:    -   Male Profession/status:    -   champion of justice Age:    -   20's-30's

Setting

Terrain    -   Mountains    -   Forests A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body:    -   humans in a primitive/fantasy society Planet outside solar system?    -   Yes

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   very explicit references to deaths and torture Sex in book?    -   Yes How much dialogue?    -   roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

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Terry Goodkind Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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