Goodkind, Terry (1948 - 2020)

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Fantasy novelist and artist Terry Goodkind was born in Omaha, Nebraska.-and first visited Maine the summer he graduated from high school. In 1983 he moved to Mount Desert Island where he built the house in which he and his wife Jeri lived. Prior to the publication of his successful series word of Truth, Goodkind was employed as a carpenter, violin-maker, hypnotherapist, wildlife artist, and artifacts restorer.

His first novel, Wizard's First Rule, was auctioned in 1994 for the highest price paid for a first fantasy novel to that date. The central characters of the novel and all other novels in the series are Richard Cypher (Lord Rahl) and Kahlan Amnell (Mother Confessor), a strong female character whom Richard first meets when she is fleeing assassins from her home country. Throughout the series, Richard, who learns of and accepts his wizard heritage, and Kahlan fight the evil forces that threatened their land and people. The series has been adapted for television as Legend of the Seeker

Selected Bibliography

  • Wizard's First Rule (1994)
  • Stone of Tears (1995)
  • Blood of the Fold (1996)
  • Temple of the Winds (1997)
  • Soul of the Fire (1999)
  • Faith of the Fallen (2000)
  • The Pillars of Creation (2001)
  • Debt of Bones (2001), revised edition of a novella which first appeared in Legends, a 1998 fantasy anthology
  • Naked Empire (2003)
  • Chainfire (2005)
  • Phantom (2006)
  • Confessor (2007), the 12th and final novel of the Sword of Truth fantasy series.