Book Review - Wizard's First Rule

I am a re-reader. Before Spotty Chops was born I had a 2 hour a day commute via the train so I got a ton of reading done, I could easily get through 2-3 books a week (or one really big book). At one point had a $100 a month habit. Now my commute by train is only 30 min each way and that really screws up the reading time, because just when you are getting into the story, you have to get up and go to work.

I do not bother buying a book that I do not think I will reread and I especially love to buy series. I refuse to read the latest in a series without re-reading the older ones, this way I have even more books to read. Unless you tend to lend your books out and not remember what/where/or who and purchase the 2nd and 3rd books in a series because you loved the first one and then once the other books come in, go looking for the 1st one so you can re-read it and get on with things. Not that this has happened to me, I mean who would be so stupid to purchase 6 books and not be able to find the first of any of the 3 series? I will also only buy paperbacks (well, for the most part, sometimes it’s hard to wait 2 years for what happens next) and prefer to read them that way, mainly due to the commuter mentality. Hard covers are HEAVY.

I am currently re-reading Wizard’s First Rule I just realized that I am far behind in this series. I am caught up on the Wheel of Time (and by god I will finish it if it kills me) and I never bought into the “well so and so copied the idea”. Let’s face it, in fantasy writing everyone is copying everyone. The format is fairly standard. Young boy/man/girl/woman is downtrodden/hunted/orphaned/ but meets up with an older person who has the key to everything/key to something/food. Young person finds out they are the missing/heir/prince/princess/wizard/messiah. They must battle evil/their father/mother/demons/monsters/EEEEVIL/system to save the world. There is usually a group of friends from when the youngster is growing up/met along the way. They fight the good fight, sometimes winning, sometimes loosing. There may be intelligent animals/sprit guides. There will be lots of magic, and a good time will be had by all.

Back to the book – it looks like there are 10 or 11 books out there, and I have only read up to book 5 or 6, and I have up to book 7, so I have weeks of reading ahead of me, which makes me very happy. I find I get a bit cranky if I don’t know what I am going to be reading next. Anyhoo I really like this book. Richard seems like a decent guy, it sucks that his parents are dead, but he grew up with his dad and his brother, there was no evil step mom in the picture so he lead a pretty normal life for awhile. I like his relationship with Zed. Everyone needs a wacky friend of the family. I like that when we meet Darken Rahl for the first time we get some insight that he is a FREAK. Granted anyone that tried to gain global dominance by cutting open other peoples abdomens and reading their entrails isn’t playing with a full deck, but his tribute to his dad is a bit over the top. I love the Mud people, I love how they are not perfect and like to eat their enemies, hmmm sounds like a few people I know. The Mord-Sith…damn have you ever read about a crazier bunch of byotches? Kind of sexy, but not soft pornish, not that there is anything wrong with that…Well, Richard is about to take care of his mate, if you have read the book, you know what I mean, and if not, give it a whirl and find out.