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The First Confessor: The Legend of Magda Searus

(The Legend of Magda Searus #1)

Terry Goodkind

4.19 · Rating details · 14,841 ratings · 980 reviews

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Terry Goodkind comes The First Confessor, the prequel to the Sword of Truth, for the first time hardcover
In a time before legends had yet been born...

Married to the powerful leader of her people, safe among those gifted with great ability, Magda Searus is protected from a distant world descending into war. But when her husband, a m ...more

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Hardcover, 608 pages

Published July 21st 2015 by Tor Books (first published 2012)

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Jul 02, 2012 Terry Goodkind rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The first chapter of the book is now online:
http://www.terrygoodkind.com/theoracl...

I've had more fun writing this novel than any other title. It's a story that predates the entire SWORD OF TRUTH series and within it is the origins of key characters and the weapons they will become (or wield). These are foundational aspects of the books that I have wanted to share for a very long time. Readers already familiar with the SWORD OF TRUTH are going to love this novel. It will fundamentally shift your ...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Eric Allen rated it liked it · review of another edition

The First Confessor
The Legend of Magda Searus

By Terry Goodkind

A Review by Eric Allen

Over the last few years Terry Goodkind has been having... let's call them "issues" with his publishers/editors. There have been quite a few rumors of vicious fighting between them over his work. Not to mention the fact that he switched publishers after his contract with Tor was up, a clear indication that he was unhappy with his situation there, and has publicly whined about editorial influence like a spoiled bra ...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Michael S. rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-fiction

Ok, first the good:

It was great to re-enter this world for a while. Sort of like running into an old friend you haven't seen in years. It recalled a lot of great memories from Richard and Kahlan's world and their epic story.

I liked the character of Magda even though she was pretty much a carbon copy of Kahlan. (beautiful, strong-willed, brave)

It was really cool to see how confessors first began and to meet early war wizards and "makers."

Now the negatives:

Terry, stop preaching the same serm Ok, first the good:

It was great to re-enter this world for a while. Sort of like running into an old friend you haven't seen in years. It recalled a lot of great memories from Richard and Kahlan's world and their epic story.

I liked the character of Magda even though she was pretty much a carbon copy of Kahlan. (beautiful, strong-willed, brave)

It was really cool to see how confessors first began and to meet early war wizards and "makers."

Now the negatives:

Terry, stop preaching the same sermon! We know that life is valuable and worth fighting for. We know that truth is vitally important and everyone should have the courage to rise up and live their own life. We get it!! We got the message way back around book 3, I think. Then you pounded us over the head with it for several more books. We got it! You can stop now.
Terry, were you wrongfully imprisoned as a youth or something? It's ok; we understand dwelling on the importance of life, freedom, blah,blah, blah for a few books, but move on!

Second negative: The whole book takes place either inside the Keep or in the immediate vicinity. That's right---with all the cool settings used in The Sword of Truth series; in this book you get the one building and that's it.

Third negative: predictability. It was highly obvious who the bad guy was long before the reveal.
Also somethings didn't really fit. Like Magda jumping right into a new relationship so soon after the suicide of her beloved husband. Not saying it was wrong--just didn't feel realistic.

Terry, I love your work and I'll probably read the next one, but please give us something more like the first 3 books. The heroic quests, the epic love story, the interesting villain (Darken Rahl), the vivid descriptions of awesome landscapes, loveable characters like Chase (right name??)Give us more of that instead of page after page of pedantic dialogue describing minuscule details of additive and subtractive magic... or 12 chapters of "Your life is yours to live; so rise up and live it, etc, etc."

Despite all this...if you liked Richard and Kahlan's story in The Sword of Truth, this book is certainly worth reading. Just be prepared to do a little skimming like I did.

P.S. Haven't read The Omen Machine yet; maybe that's more of what I'm looking for but based on other reviews I'm not sure if I should. ...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Allison rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: dark, published-2010s, prequel, epic, fantasy, own-ebook, witches-wizards-mages

Gosh, this was awful. I was really hoping it wouldn't be, but it just was. It is actually possible to do this review in one word: repetitive. But that seems too weak. If I could have two words, I’d add te-di-ous. But those words are not going to be enough. I need to rant.

Wow, this could really have used a vigorous editor. It seems like Goodkind believes we need to hear everything three times in a row to comprehend it, and that we forget what we just learned after 10 pages. At 500 pages, I skimme Gosh, this was awful. I was really hoping it wouldn't be, but it just was. It is actually possible to do this review in one word: repetitive. But that seems too weak. If I could have two words, I’d add te-di-ous. But those words are not going to be enough. I need to rant.

Wow, this could really have used a vigorous editor. It seems like Goodkind believes we need to hear everything three times in a row to comprehend it, and that we forget what we just learned after 10 pages. At 500 pages, I skimmed at least 200 of unnecessary repetition and redundant phrases that were repeated too many times. Conversations and thoughts were explained over and over again. Concepts I had just absorbed were re-introduced in the very next paragraph so that I wondered if I was re-reading portions.

See how that just tripled my word count? Did your eyes start to glaze over with complete boredom? It almost became comical to note how many times the same information was repeated as I was skimming for anything that held a whiff of action or plot or any character actually being interesting.

Somewhere in there, there was a story I wanted to read, and towards the end it did begin to emerge. I was interested in the making of the Sword of Truth, and the first Confessor, and in the last 100 pages something actually happened with them. There are some other old familiars in there - references to the Boxes of Orden, the Temple of the Winds, the Sliph, and the world of the dead. But they are only talked about, not experienced like they would have been in the original series.

I had to trudge through so much extra exposition and junk dialog to get to the story, and the story was just not up to old standards. I honestly found it hard to imagine that the writing could be worse. I was bored out of my mind, and frustrated that just when I would start to get into it, I’d have to read/skim a couple of pages of repetition. Argh. It went way beyond the preachy exposition that he was fond of in the original series, and which I was able to ignore for the most part. The writing was just bad. It's the worst I've read in years and I'm amazed that I finished it. I feel as if I need to go re-read The Wizard’s First Rule to wash the memory of this away.

Nov 15, 2014:

Trying to decide whether to give a 2nd star or not. Maybe by the time I've written my review. ...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Richard Stickels rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a story that captivated me from the start and one I so wanted to be told, it did not disappoint in the least. From the Start, Magda Searus held my attention. If you recall Sprite, I believe Magda was the true embodiment of it. The things she goes through and her perseverance on her way to becoming the first confessor was astounding.
For those who have not read the Sword of Truth series, this is a good place to start as it will give you some insights into what ‘may’ come. As for those wh ...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Paul rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved The Sword of Truth novels. I eagerly awaited each massive volume and was disappointed when the story ended. This wasn't because of how the series concluded but because I was going to miss reading about Richard and Kahlan.

Now, Terry Goodkind has set the stage for an entirely new series with The First Confessor. The events in this novel predate those in The Sword of Truth by thousands of years. The reader is given insight to the origination of items integral to the original series includin ...more

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Jul 03, 2012 VL rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books, e-books

Here's the deal, this was my least favorite Terry Goodkind novel. I have to believe that my feelings were in part because Mr. Goodkind decided not to offer the book as a physical book to most of the general public. He decided to self-publish this novel which meant offering it as an e-book and having 300 collector's editions available as part of a $300 set. Guess what, your readers are not rich. Watching the comments on the fan page on facebook and twitter, it is easy to see that many of us weren Here's the deal, this was my least favorite Terry Goodkind novel. I have to believe that my feelings were in part because Mr. Goodkind decided not to offer the book as a physical book to most of the general public. He decided to self-publish this novel which meant offering it as an e-book and having 300 collector's editions available as part of a $300 set. Guess what, your readers are not rich. Watching the comments on the fan page on facebook and twitter, it is easy to see that many of us weren't happy with the options presented. $300 may not seem like a lot, but if the only thing you were interested in from that set was one book, would you really want to pay all that money for it? I hope more authors don't go this way. It is one thing if you consistently publish your books as e-books. It is entirely different to have published all of your books in physical format then take away that option from your readers without considering the difficulties. Many of Mr. Goodkind's readers commented that they dislike e-readers or don't own one so they feel punished. I have a Nook Tablet, but that doesn't mean I want to buy this book as an e-book. I have all of his other books in physical format and would have liked to add it to my collection. Don't try to say that this way of publishing makes it easier for readers if you never consulted your readers, that's just ridiculous.

On to the review of the book. This really was not as well written as the Sword of Truth series. I'm used to the long explanations and things having a round about way of working the way Goodkind wants them to. However, this book just didn't have "it," whatever that is. I just didn't feel connected to it at all. Having read the series, I knew the short version of what had happened so I had an idea of the ending. I don't think that took away from the book at all, but I just didn't think it was an important story to be told.

Magda Searus is an extremely strong female character. She lets no one get in her way of finding the truth. I found her to be very similar to Kahlan. The only complaint I had for Magda was her continual reference to being a nobody and the number of times people had to reassure her that she is a somebody. After the second or third time, it got to be quite old.

In all, I was happy to finish the book mostly to just be done with it. I never had the excitement while reading it that I had while reading the Sword of Truth series. ...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Jasmine M rated it it was ok · review of another edition

can't wait for it to come out, can't wait to read it

+++update+++

(view spoiler) ...more

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Oct 19, 2017 Kathrin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: high-fantasy, fantasy, witches

More like 3.5 stars but I decided to round it up.

Whenever I look at a series like Sword of Truth that comes with a lot of prequels and sequels I tend to get overwhelmed. Of course, it's great to get more books of your favorite series and I love to revisit a story world but sometimes the author isn't able to uphold the quality of a story. Let me tell you, this far, this is not the case with the Sword of Truth series.

As of now, I read book 1 and 2 in the original series. Both stayed pretty close More like 3.5 stars but I decided to round it up.

Whenever I look at a series like Sword of Truth that comes with a lot of prequels and sequels I tend to get overwhelmed. Of course, it's great to get more books of your favorite series and I love to revisit a story world but sometimes the author isn't able to uphold the quality of a story. Let me tell you, this far, this is not the case with the Sword of Truth series.

As of now, I read book 1 and 2 in the original series. Both stayed pretty close to the TV series that I watched beforehand. While I loved both books I had problems with the pacing. Somehow it felt like everything was happening at the same time while nothing really happened. Needless to say reading them was tedious sometimes but I like to think that the series will be better once the books overtake the TV series.
I was curious to see how 'The First Confessor' would be like. Firstly, the existence of Confessors is a favorite of mine and secondly, it's an author self-publishing release. Not sure what happened there exactly but aspects like this always get to me.

Starting the book I expected to see a difference to the rest of the series and my expectations were met - in a good and sometimes not that great way.
I wasn't familiar with the origin story of Confessors which means the book was a fast read that taught me a lot about the Midlands.

Magda is a great character although she was your typical damsel in distress more than once. I also liked Merrit. Their relationship with each other didn't work for me at all. Not sure if only to blame the writing for this but when two characters meet and there's half a page of description of someone's eyes I can't really take it seriously. They also remembered me strongly of Kahlan and Richard (although this can be intentional).

While I loved to get to know more about their world, I struggled with the many coincidences. Any kind of solution just happened to lie around. When there was no easy solution available another character was introduced to justify an info dump. I won't even go into people just meeting each other and declaring trust/friendship/love within a couple of hours. But if I remember correctly this is an ongoing problem with Goodkind's books.

To sum it up, 'The First Confessor' certainly is a fast-paced book but characters and relationships just moved too fast in my opinion. The characters were great but not that original if you already know other books in the series. Deus ex machina was a constant nuisance but (and this is a big one) the book entertained me. I loved to read it and I look forward to more books in the series. It's a great story world with an interesting magic system that I like to visit again.

...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Neal Simmons rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

This is Goodkind's redemption from mediocracy

Being a fan of the Sword of Truth series, I have been massively disappointed in his last two offerings before The First Confessor. The change of style from epic fantasy to more thriller in Law of Nines and The Omen Machine left me with such a bad taste that I almost swore off of his books entirely. Indeed, if The First Confessor had been of the same style, he would have lost at least one fan forever (not that is probably means anything to Goodkind).

Fo ...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Austin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, epic

Wow, really good. I like the way this story progressed. From Magda being a widow stricken with sorrow, to becoming the Confessor. All the characters that were involved (Magda, Isidore, Merritt, Naja, Quinn, Sadler, Lothian and others) became more important to the book as it progressed. Each character held an important place in this book. There were no problems with this story.

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Jul 18, 2012 Dave Crokaert rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

When it became apparent this book would only be available as an e-book I was a bit upset. I'm one of those traditionalists that, while occasionaly reading on pads, vastly prefers the feel of a paper hardcover edition. But after reading this book, I realize the choice for this format had some very good effects.

I've always been a fan of Terry, and I loved every single book he wrote. But while they were all awesome, I have to be honest and admit his last books while excellent never gave me that 'mu ...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Sandy Lu rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

July 2nd: Still trying to find this at B & N!
Yaay, just dl'd the book!

Another mesmerizing tale from Terry Goodkind and the first book read on Cleo, my new GlowNook! Yes, it's worth purchasing an e-reader just to read this book! Besides, if you experience joy from reading, any reader is a great investment.

If you've already finished this book (as of July 6th), you've already read the series and I recommend doing that first if you happen to be new to the story since the gradual unfolding of the st ...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Rich Zowaski rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: my-books

Terry outshines his own work once again! Readers will love seeing the origin of The Confessors and hearing the action-packed tale of Magda Searus. :D

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Jul 15, 2012 Carolyn-anne Templeton rated it it was ok · review of another edition

It may be my unfamiliarity with Terry Goodkind's offerings that prompts this review. I've read the first three novels of the Sword of Truth series, but Goodkind's writing, specifically his dialogue, struck me as pedantic and unbelievable, even though the setting was interesting, so I stopped reading.

I heard about this book on the Sword & Laser podcast recently, so I decided to give it a look. I admire Goodkind's interest in self-publishing/distribution. I thought it was a step in the right direc It may be my unfamiliarity with Terry Goodkind's offerings that prompts this review. I've read the first three novels of the Sword of Truth series, but Goodkind's writing, specifically his dialogue, struck me as pedantic and unbelievable, even though the setting was interesting, so I stopped reading.

I heard about this book on the Sword & Laser podcast recently, so I decided to give it a look. I admire Goodkind's interest in self-publishing/distribution. I thought it was a step in the right direction. I detest his response to the piracy of his ebook... It's one thing to ask your readers to consider the odds you're going up against. It's quite another to throw out a single individual as the representative of all piracy to your adoring fan-base. I've heard the argument that he's just 'defending his property.' Had he dealt with the matter by contacting the individual himself, or dealing with the matter legally, I'd agree. Instead, he sicced his pack of hounds after a lone fox while he sat back and took righteous pride in ferreting out the 'traitor' the the ideal of his book. Oh look, you can write a facebook post that ruins someone's life for a relatively small transgression... You must feel so proud.

That being said, I was drawn in to the first chapter of the book from the sample, so I bought it from Amazon (legally, mind you). The story started off well - the world and background were very interesting. I was curious to find out why the First Wizard had committed suicide. I was interested to learn how the magic then had led to the magic of his latter books. But as I read on, I realized that background was ALL the book was about. It's like a Silmarillion for a far less interesting world. At least Tolkein's work was formatted as a historical novel. No such concessions were made for The First Confessor. It tempts you with a semblance of a plot... Then it bores you with pages upon pages of exposition disguised as dialogue. For instance, when Magda went down to meet with the spiritist. Theoretically, Magda was in a hurry because, you know, bad things were happening and time is short. But rather than getting things done, she instead chooses to sit there an listen to the crazy lady ramble on forever without ever asking questions or interjections of any sort.

And then the haphazard romance with Merritt: Gag me. My synopsis: Hmm, you're hot, I'm hot and I'm now conveniently single. Oh no, I'm feeling a small itty bitty teensy bit of remorse. Oh wait, I don't actually care. Let's make babies.

It annoyed me even more because it lured me in. Don't buy it! It's a trap!
...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Josh rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Spoiler-Free Review:

First, If you haven't read through "Confessor" in the main series, do NOT read this book. It contains some pretty important spoilers for the series as a whole.

The First Confessor is an origin book, and it reads like one. Anyone familiar with the universe knows about most of what happens before even picking up the book. Goodkind banks on that, constantly referencing things in development that will ultimately affect the characters in the main series. Unfortunately in doing so, ...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Belle Ikaria rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I just want to start off with saying that I LOVED SoT series. I really loved the first 7 books...YES, that means I really did love Pillars of Creation. (that is another discussion in itself.)

Ok, on to the book review for The First Confessor. As I was reading halfway through the book, I kept wondering to myself, WHEN is the character going to get out of the keep and DO something. It wasn't until the very end of the book that she actually swings a sword and that's about as much action you get out I just want to start off with saying that I LOVED SoT series. I really loved the first 7 books...YES, that means I really did love Pillars of Creation. (that is another discussion in itself.)

Ok, on to the book review for The First Confessor. As I was reading halfway through the book, I kept wondering to myself, WHEN is the character going to get out of the keep and DO something. It wasn't until the very end of the book that she actually swings a sword and that's about as much action you get out of this book besides her running through a maze as a dead corpse chases her. I got so bored of her hanging out at the keep for almost the entire book I couldn't understand why Terry couldn't have part of her quest go outside the keep? (Merritt's house down in the city doesn't count.)

95% of the book is conversations. I know Terry has a tendency to write a lot of dialog in which I don't mind, but give me some action to balance it out! I didn't think he was as preachy as the Omen Machine or compared to the end of the SoT series, so I was somewhat ok with it. I don't mind his points on anti-collectivism but it can get long-winded.

Another thing that bothered me is that it felt like it was written for a junior audience. There were no surprises in the plot, the characters were REALLY flat (basically a bad copy of the SoT characters) and there was no struggle between the characters emotions. And, where is the sexual smut that usually ends up in his books? I'm not saying that it wasn't a bad thing to omit sexual content, but at least give us some sort of sexual/emotion struggle that Merritt wants Magda or vise-versa. Look at an example of Richard and Kahlan wanting each other so badly in the Wizards First Rule. Terry showed the struggle between those two character very well and it made the reader want the characters to overcome their struggle. With Magda and Merritt, I was feeling very empty. I'm not even saying the characters have to get dirty, but show SOME sort of emotion between the two. I also kept expecting Prosecutor Lothain to rape Madga or try to get frisky with her when she was alone with him, but it never happened. I kept thinking...Terry had a perfect opportunity to go into his norm sexual/torture scenes he likes writing when talking about Lothain. He just seemed more of a douche bag than an actual evil villian.

I think that the story would've helped with different point of views to progress the story better which it would help give opportunities for emotions all the characters and action sequences. (example, Merritt's struggle with the guard at his house.) Terry has done this before with his SoT books (PoV with Richard, Kahlan, Ann, Zedd, Chase....) it just got too boring with Magda being the only PoV. YES, I know the story is about Magda, but if you show multiple points of view it can still progress Magda's story.

At this point, after reading The First Confessor and the Omen Machine, I'm giving up with Terry's books. I'm sad to say it but I'm tired of talking heads with flat personalities, no emotions or zero action. I will always love Terry's earlier books and will re-read them, but I just can't go on with the new books any longer. ...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Adam Bigge rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I started this book with a bit of apprehension. I wasn't sure if I was ready to invest time into a new set of characters. I am glad I did. While I knew more or less how it was going to end (this being a prequel) I was thoroughly engrossed in the journey. Mr. Goodkind managed to take figures from the "history" of his Sword of Truth series and bring them to vibrant life. I had thought of these figures as ancient and majestic ancestors that painstakingly laid down the path that the SoT characters c ...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Ray Briggs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a book that I have long hoped to read, one that set in place the background for a series that has provided many hours of enjoyment.

The wonder and magic that has been the world around the Sword of Truth is enhanced by this book and some of the earlier characters are fleshed out. Many of the questions that I had throughout the series have been answered and a few added which leaves me wanting more.

If you are a Sword of Truth fan then this is a must read, if you are new to the series then y ...more

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Feb 26, 2017 Redfield Reads added it · review of another edition

DNF -

Really disappointed in this was hoping for more of a actual tale about how the Confessors came to be as well as what male confessors are like. Instead we get a tale about dream walkers who are boring. Magda is a tedious character and again I don't get why a Rahl would be involved in this story it really is kind of dumb.

There is proof that Goodkind can write a good book that is set in the same world as The Sword of Truth Saga but this is bad. ...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Angela rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: fantasy

Mr. Goodkind, thank you so much for releasing this beautiful story in its full, unedited version. I loved every moment of it. It was wonderful to finally find out what happened a thousand years prior to the Sword of Truth series, but this story was compelling all on its own. Beautifully crafted, and impossible to put down.

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Jul 09, 2012 T. Stranger rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Where do I begin?

Like most Terry Goodkind fans, I was really looking forward to reading this story. I've read Goodkind's work since I was a teenager and enjoyed his latest installment, "The Omen Machine". So my expectations for this book were fairly high. Afterall, in my own opinion, Goodkind always delivers a good story.

This book just didn't cut it. There are so many reasons to justify this that I don't really know where to begin. I completely understand Goodkind's desire to publish his own bo Where do I begin?

Like most Terry Goodkind fans, I was really looking forward to reading this story. I've read Goodkind's work since I was a teenager and enjoyed his latest installment, "The Omen Machine". So my expectations for this book were fairly high. Afterall, in my own opinion, Goodkind always delivers a good story.

This book just didn't cut it. There are so many reasons to justify this that I don't really know where to begin. I completely understand Goodkind's desire to publish his own book his own way; it's a smart move for such an established and well-known author. But I think Goodkind is suffering from the George Lucas phenomenon - there is no one around who will say "no" to his ideas. Therefore, Goodkind was given a free creative license to do what he wanted and how he wanted to do it (without those pesky publishers to tell him differently).

But this fact is why the book ultimately fails to impress.

The plot, first and foremost, is unflattering. It is very predictable and just solidified conclusions that long-time fans of the Sword of Truth series had already strung together by reading the fist twelve or so novels. But more importantly, there are critical errors within the text that aren't easy to ignore. For example, I came across two separate instances where "time" was inconsistent. Magda, on the bridge, greeted Sadlar "good morning", but later had to hurry off before it got "too dark". That's one long conversation. Another scene involved a lantern light being flashed in the faces of some guards, catching them unawares. However, the very next chapter, Magda and co. are running through a forest, guided by the moonlight. These inconsistencies grated at me as I was reading.

The pivotal moments in the plot fall flat. Most of the time I was merely grunting because I knew what was about to happen. However, the plot did shed some light of the Sword of Truth and the first Confessor. But it all seemed a bit artificial, designed to fit around the SOT series, rather than the other way around.

The characters are unimpressive too. Magda is Khalan; Merritt is Richard; Quinn is Zedd. There is no real fluctuation of personalities this time round. I was really disappointed that I wasn't able to experience an entire new culture, since it is set over a thousand years in the past. Everything seems like it could have happened the day before Richard's story began.

Another irking feature was the frequency in which "things" were stated, over and over again. I reached 45% of the ebook and suddenly thought to myself: "why didn't the book start here?" It just didn't make sense. Furthermore, I felt like I was being spoon-fed concepts the entire time; like Goodkind was assuming I was stupid and couldn't make my own connections. I'm talking about lines that look like this: "Magda knew she had to run, because saving *** was essential". I found myself thinking: "Um... yeah. That's pretty obvious." The book is littered with these lines.

I could go on and on, but I'll never be able to sum up my disappointment in one review. This book, unfortunately, may have spoiled my reading of future Goodkind novels. ...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Monica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. No matter how badly some things occur in my life, there is always a place I can go looking for comfort and strength to move forward. Goodkind is truly a master story-teller, he brings to life characters that are unforgettable and embed themselves deeply in our hearts.

This novel is about how to move on, through even the most trying and unthinkable of events in life: to find and hold on to courage in dire situations; to do what is right, in search of the truth; to embrace opportunities that are av ...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Jordan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I love the whole Sword of Truth series, and this book continues the brilliant tradition of following characters of immense integrity in really tough situations.

I'm a long time fan, so this review is biased. Even though I knew some of the things that were going to happen, there were a lot of surprises and it never felt predictable. It's really cool the way the old prophecies and references from the original 12 books are filled out and explained, especially with the Sword of Truth, the Boxes of O ...more

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Jul 11, 2012 lisa rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to lisa by: Samuel Lane

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Jul 05, 2012 Eva rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fantastic read! I like that Mr. Goodkind took the time to develop the story, and just as you've settled back to leisurely stroll through the plot -- OFF you go on a wild ride that leaves you breathless. ...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Krista rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

It was a nice glimpse into what I only read bits and pieces of in the Sword of Truth series. I missed Richard and Kahlan, but I came to care about the characters in this novel as well! Overall, a very good book.

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Nov 09, 2012 Marcus Lzuru rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Awesome.

Most don't seem to take into consideration that this is BEFORE the TRUTH series, and thus fundamentally altering the message would not have been conducive to the already published theme. It’s like people are asking for another Star Wars episode – where the technology and graphics of the prequel trump the primary trilogy. It’s ridiculous.

So taking into consideration the psychological and sociological limitations within the confines of the pre-established world (hinted to many times in the Awesome.

Most don't seem to take into consideration that this is BEFORE the TRUTH series, and thus fundamentally altering the message would not have been conducive to the already published theme. It’s like people are asking for another Star Wars episode – where the technology and graphics of the prequel trump the primary trilogy. It’s ridiculous.

So taking into consideration the psychological and sociological limitations within the confines of the pre-established world (hinted to many times in the previous er, later novels) I believe the work was powerful and well-delivered. The work itself was up to his normal high standard, and I will rate it so!

I’ve seen reviews that hitch their opinions on the fact that it’s a self-published e-book and that the paperback is an expensive edition. I feel ashamed that they base their judgments on that shallow fact alone. Self-publishing is a good direction, especially in an already established position, and risking the direction is worthy of applause. There are not many risk-takers in the world, but of the few that exist – they’re the ones who change the game, set the tempo, and layout the paradigm to which we inevitably become comfortable. Perhaps we become too comfortable of the framework in which we were raised.

It’s obvious that the emotions involved over the displeasure of its format directly affect their “feelings” on the book itself. I cannot grasp why one cannot differentiate between the emotional and reasonable cognition involved. We are all fans and readers of some sort, if you’re bothering with this review, and as such it should be approached in that manner. Different is what defines most artists, in their own peculiar way, and yet when the path that is ventured upon is too far from the main-stream perspective it is shunned. Does this not strike the reader as contrary? Human nature is very peculiar – perhaps a better way to observe it: Humanity thrives in contradiction.

I will admit that I was not happy about the pirating response, but that’s business and understandable. Putting myself in that position it would feel like theft, and most people do not read and then pay for the book if they like it – especially if it’s only in e-book format. They’d just keep what they download and go on with their day-to-day activities, not realizing that they’re losing the author money he earned through hours of link-diagrams, plot development, and editor harassment. I also understand the reverse logic – the free internet – the risk of digital formats. The current war waging between individual liberty and the encroachment of big government – it wages on all fronts between all lines, both white and black – the gray area is a dangerous place to venture. It seems that self-publishers will be shown no ounce of mercy, but can that be used to their advantage? I believe so.

My observation of the story that seemed off-key would involve the response to the dream walkers – it doesn’t seem to line up with the main series’ explanation. Hypothetically I understand where this could be going, perhaps a twist on history and long lost tomes – or it’s an abstract to serve the impulses of the author. Some seem to consider it a mistake, but it seems more calculated than mistake – so I’ll consider the weaving not yet completed.

Actually, if I could even make a request in such a review, what I would like to see is a parallel story – to give even greater depth to the existing SOT series. In this case I’m referring to a side-by-side such as Orson Scott Card’s Enders Game and Enders Shadow. Both reflect the same exact story from two different perspectives; however together they enrich the story by a hundred fold. Tendrils of depth reach out where they never existed before. The idea was rather fascinating – although I understand that it’s a difficult feat to conquer. In this series I couldn't even fathom how to pull it off.

Either way, if you’re not so focused on format and pirating issues – this is a good read. Give it your attention and pay attention to detail. That is where the story lies, in the subtleties of the future.
...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Brian rated it liked it · review of another edition

Alright, maybe Terry Goodkind just set the bar way too high for himself with his earlier books, but I honestly felt like it was a bit of a chore to make it through the First Confessor. Obviously, I read it through to the end, so there had to be some kind of satisfying substance to keep me going, but overall, I am disappointed in this book.

The story is fairly interesting, and it is nice to have some back story to accompany Goodkind's Sword of Truth Series. In this book, we learn about the origins ...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Kara Prem rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I love Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series as well as his other books that are tied to the series in one way or another. The First Confessor takes that tie in to a new level. We get a glimpse (not enough really - I'd love to read a whole series based in this time!) of the world during the Great War 3,000 years before the Sword of Truth novels open. Many of the characters in this novel have been mentioned in the Sword of Truth series, but now you get a chance to experience their world. It's ha ...more

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About Terry Goodkind

Terry Goodkind

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Terry Goodkind was a contemporary American writer and author of the best-selling epic fantasy series, The Sword of Truth, creator of the television show The Legend of the Seeker, and writer of the self-published epic, The First Confessor: The Legend of Magda Searus (a prequel and origin story of the first Mother Confessor). He had over 20 million copies in print and has been translated into more t ...more