I decided to read this book because I watched the TV series which is based on it, Legend of the Seeker. I rather enjoyed that series, and I thought that I would enjoy the book also. I wasn't disappointed!

Be warned, this is a long book. I only have time to read about half an hour a day, so it took me over a month. I think that's a testament to how good it is, though, that I would stick with it for that long!

If you've watched the TV series, let me also warn you that the book is very different. I can understand why, though - there is so much in the book that simply wouldn't work on television, or that would make it impossible to tell neat little stories that fitted in one hour episodes.

The book is also quite a bit gorier than the television series. Darken Rahl and his servants and allies are evil to the core, and do things to each other and other people that I could never have imagined possible... and I can imagine human beings doing some pretty despicable things to each other! Still, every single character is richly detailed, and has hopes and dreams, goals and justifications. Because of this, when one reads about their private thoughts, one cannot help feeling justified right along with them, and one begins to think of them as human beings. That is, until they go off and do something even more despicable!

On the heroes' side, the relationship between Richard and Kahlen is a complex roller-coaster ride. Heroes aren't without their flaws, and our merry band of Richard, Kahlen and Zedd (along with several sometimes-companions) are no exception. Richard struggles with his anger and rage, and only by learning to control his emotions can he be victorious, and be with the woman he loves.

As other reviewers have mentioned, the book is sometimes reminiscent of a Dungeons & Dragons game, with multiple quests within quests, and still others who will only help our heroes if they complete even more quests. And yes, from time to time, one can almost hear the Dungeon Master telling Richard's player to roll a D20 to see if his actions succeed or fail. That may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it. It felt familiar to me, and gave me a feeling of suspense when I often couldn't quite predict what was going to happen next.

Should you read this book? Well, if you like classic fantasy, then I don't know. I never got through [b:The Fellowship of the Ring|34|The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)|J.R.R. Tolkien|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1298411339s/34.jpg|3204327], so I don't know if it's anything like that. I read [b:The Hobbit|5907|The Hobbit|J.R.R. Tolkien|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328953407s/5907.jpg|1540236] when I was in High School, and thoroughly enjoyed it... but this book is nothing like that!

If you're a fan of a good old fashioned epic story, where love and forgiveness triumph over evil, this book is for you!

P.S. A lot of people also bemoaned the so-called 100-page torture scene. I had enjoyed that scene in the television series, and so I was looking forward to it. It takes place a little later in the book's storyline, but it was amazing! 100-pages is a bit of an exaggeration, but it is long, and much better than it was on screen! It was quite easily the best erotica I've ever read, and there was actually very little overtly erotic about it. This man's got talent!