I have to admit, I did enjoy this show, despite what I am about to say about it. I think this show is two different things: first, a travesty; second, a decent show. I know these opinions conflict, so some explanation is due. This show is based off the books in the Sword of Truth series, authored by Terry Goodkind, and even had the author consulting with the writers on the show. However, this being said, the show has very little to do with the books, and fans of the books will notice the huge, unnecessary changes. For example, in the books, Richard's father George had the Book of Counted Shadows, and forced Richard (in his childhood) to perfectly memorize the contents of the book before it was eventually burned. In the series, Kahlan simply gives the book to an adult Richard that has never before heard of it. Also, Richard's mother in the book was Zedd's daughter, a woman who was raped and impregnated by Darken Rahl, crossed the Boundary and married George Cypher. In the series, Richard's mother was some unnamed young girl that died in the slaughter in Brennidon, and Zedd carried her child alone across the Boundary; George married a woman that was not Richard's biological mother. In the books, Darken Rahl raped Zedd's daughter, thus Richard was his son, but in the show, Darken Rahl is Richard's brother. Wizard Giller was a kind and noble wizard in the books, even sacrificing his own life to protect the Box of Orden (and its carrier, Rachel) from being found; but in the series, Giller is Darken Rahl's personal wizard, and thus contributes directly to Rahl's evil actions. So much was changed between the two forms of media that they are practically unrecognizable as being the same material.
That being said, the show does have its own merits. A decent fantasy title with all the normal mainstays: magic, epic battles, betrayal, deceit, love, honour, loyalty. To someone unfamiliar with the books, the show can stand by itself as an enjoyable experience, but for someone that read the books before watching the series, it might be a bit of a challenge to overcome all the ridiculous changes. I was initially very excited to see a live-action adaptation of a book series I love, but I had to separate the two in my mind and think about them as two separate entities, otherwise I likely would have hated the show.
That being said, the show does have its own merits. A decent fantasy title with all the normal mainstays: magic, epic battles, betrayal, deceit, love, honour, loyalty. To someone unfamiliar with the books, the show can stand by itself as an enjoyable experience, but for someone that read the books before watching the series, it might be a bit of a challenge to overcome all the ridiculous changes. I was initially very excited to see a live-action adaptation of a book series I love, but I had to separate the two in my mind and think about them as two separate entities, otherwise I likely would have hated the show.
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