A Beginner's Guide to Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth Series

Richard Cypher, a young woods guide, lives a peaceful life until his father is murdered. Desperate to find the culprit, he ventures far for answers, stumbling into a woman named Kahlan Amnell, who is on the run from a group of assassins. She's searching for the First Wizard, who she believes has the power to name a Seeker of Truth who can confront the malevolent forces of Darken Rahl, the ruler of D'Hara. Whoever is worthy to wield the Sword of Truth can help to lead the Old World to a new era. If not, then they risk certain doom.

Once a simple woods guide, Richard is now coming to terms with his newfound life as the Seeker of Truth. It's his job to save the world from Darken Rahl, whose rule over the land has only grown more bitter and dictatorial. Aided by Kahlan and Zedd, the last of the great wizards, they were able to cast him into the underworld. But the veil between their worlds has been torn to shreds and Rahl has found a new means to wreak havoc on the people of the New World. If Rahl isn't stopped, he will free the Keeper itself, an evil entity whose power cannot be controlled or contained.

The New World, and all the freedom of humankind, is under threat from the Imperial Order. Richard, now a War Wizard, is struggling with the unbearable weight of his new responsibilities, and the guilt of having brought down the barrier between the Old and New World. The Imperial Order has already sent delegations and armies into the New World. Richard's only option to stop the invasion is to step up to his mighty legacy and unite all the free kingdoms.

The Imperial Order has only grown more dangerous, expanding in size and cruelty under the maniacal rule of Emperor Jagang and his endless army of demonic underlings. Desperate to rule all that he sees, Jagang unleashes a deadly plague. It's up to Richard and Kahlan to find a cure, and the only place that could possibly offer one is in the Temple of the Winds, a fortress of evil that's been sealed away for three thousand years.

Richard has worn many titles since his days as a young woods guide: Emperor of the D'Haran Empire, war wizard, the Seeker of Truth. Now, he can add "husband" to the pile, after finally wedding his beloved Kahlan. But their wedding inadvertently powers a key that unlocks a spell sealed away long ago in a faraway country. 

From there, a deadly force seeps across the land and threatens to rob everything it sees of life. Separated from the Sword of Truth and stripped of their magic, Richard and Kahlan must journey across the Midlands to discover a dark secret from the past that can help them stop what seems inevitable. But it could also tear them apart forever.

As his beloved Kahlan lies close to death, Richard is confronted by a vision: the future of the world lies in their hands, as hordes of soldiers prepare to invade their homeland, and he must take up his duties to stop them, even if it means leaving behind his wife. Amid the turmoil, Nicci, a woman from Richard's past, haunted by her memory of him, must deal with her own fate, one fuelled by a desire to understand Richard... and to destroy him.

Tormented her entire life by inhuman voices, a young woman named Jennsen will do anything to end this agony. There is one way to silence the endless noise, but with it comes terrible consequences for everyone else. Winter is descending across the land, with Richard and Kahlan's home now occupied by invading soldiers. They must work yet again to take on the forces of evil. To do so, Richard will be called upon to face the demons stalking among the Pillars of Creation. 

Richard Rahl has been poisoned. The sickness is seeping through his veins. The only cure comes with a mighty price. To obtain it, he must save the empire from destruction. Just another day for the Rahls. Richard is offered not only his own life but the salvation of a people, but for a terrible price: He must hand over Kahlan to the enemy.

After being gravely injured in battle, Richard awakes to discover Kahlan missing, but whenever he asks anyone about her, they all claim that she has never existed. Someone has gone to great lengths to erase his beloved wife from existence, and only he knows that she was real. His search for answers leads him to Shota, a witch woman who demands the Sword of Truth from him for her help. Kahlan's fate may lie in a place called the Deep Nothing, and with the Imperial Order's continued quest for domination.

On the day she awoke remembering nothing but her name, Kahlan Amnell became the most dangerous woman alive. Richard, her devoted husband, continues to search for him, even though he's the only person on the planet who remembers she existed. He knows that if she doesn't soon discover who she really is, she will, against her will, become an instrument of immense power and fury. But Kahlan learns that if she ever were to unlock the truth of her lost identity, then evil itself would finally possess her, body and soul.

Richard Rahl has been captured by an Imperial Order commander, who has forced him to be a point man for his unit. Kahlan is the prisoner of Jagang. Zedd discovers the Keep's warning that the Wizard's Keep is dying due to a contamination. A new dawn is on the horizon and a new wave of evil will overwhelm the world. Richard, so used to saving the day, knows that he must let it happen... 

Richard and Kahlan are contentedly enjoying Cara's marriage when a boy named Henrik offers an ominous omen of dark things on the near horizon. Bishop Hannis Arc of Saavedra is weaving a tapestry of lines linking constellations of elements that brings together the very language of creation. A book called End Notes is packed full of strange prophecies that are offer weird and terrifying predictions for the future. And a strange machine powered by something unseen until now may hold the key to it all.

Having survived their encounter with the Hedge Maid, Richard and Kahlan are stranded in the Dark Lands. Infected with the very essence of Death itself, Richard has been robbed of his powers as a War Wizard and must start anew to find a cure and stop their bloodthirsty adversaries. He has no magic but he still has his sword, his wits, and his soul. His friends and people are relying on him. And Kahlan, also touched by death's power, will die completely if Richard fails.

From the far reaches of the D'Haran Empire, Bishop Hannis Arc and the ancient Emperor Sulachan lead a vast horde of depraved creatures into the heart of the Empire. They plan to raise an army of the undead to take on the world of the living and conquer it for good. Meanwhile, far from home, Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell must defend themselves and their followers from the stain of death that has infected them all. 

All is lost. Evil will soon consume the D'Haran Empire. Richard Rahl lies on his funeral bier, having sacrificed himself to save his wife, Kahlan. But Kahlan knows that he’s not gone, and that hope is not lost. He is trapped in the underworld, suspended between life and death. 

To get him back, Kahlan and her allies will have to participate in the final battle of a three-millennia long war, the very war that saw the Sword of Truth forged. It could mean the end of everything they hold dear, but what choice do they have?