Publication Order of Sword of Truth Books
| Wizard’s First Rule | 1994 |
| Stone of Tears | 1995 |
| Blood of the Fold | 1996 |
| Temple of the Winds | 1997 |
| Debt of Bones | 1998 |
| Soul of the Fire | 1999 |
| Faith of the Fallen | 2000 |
| The Pillars of Creation | 2001 |
| Naked Empire | 2003 |
| Chainfire | 2005 |
| Phantom | 2006 |
| Confessor | 2007 |
| The Omen Machine | 2011 |
| The First Confessor: The Legend of Magda Searus | 2012 |
| The Third Kingdom | 2013 |
| Severed Souls | 2014 |
| Warheart | 2015 |
Publication Order of Nicci Chronicles Books
| Death’s Mistress | 2017 |
| Shroud of Eternity | 2018 |
| Siege of Stone | 2018 |
| Heart of Black Ice | 2020 |
Publication Order of Children of D’Hara Books
| The Scribbly Man | 2019 |
| Hateful Things | 2019 |
| Wasteland | 2019 |
| Witch’s Oath | 2020 |
| Into Darkness | 2020 |
Publication Order of Angela Constantine Books
| Nest | 2016 |
| Trouble’s Child | 2018 |
| The Girl in the Moon | 2018 |
| Crazy Wanda | 2018 |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
| The Law of Nines | 2009 |
| The Sky People | 2019 |
About Terry Goodkind
Terry Goodkind (1948 to 2020) was an American fantasy writer, born in Omaha, Nebraska, who is best known for The Sword of Truth, an epic fantasy series that began with “Wizard’s First Rule” in 1994. The series sold 25 million copies worldwide, was translated into more than 20 languages and was adapted for television as “Legend of the Seeker”.
Goodkind had dyslexia, which at first put him off any thought of writing, and he did not continue in formal education after high school. Before he became a novelist he built cabinets and violins and worked as a marine and wildlife artist, selling his paintings through galleries. In 1983 he and his wife Jeri moved to Maine, and it was in a house they built on Mount Desert Island that he began his first book in 1993. “Wizard’s First Rule” was auctioned to a group of three publishers in 1994 for a record price of $275,000.
The Sword of Truth follows Richard Cypher, a woods guide who becomes the Seeker of Truth, and Kahlan Amnell as they fight a succession of tyrants who threaten their world. Running through the original novels is a set of eleven Wizard’s Rules, practical teachings given to young wizards. Goodkind was a follower of Ayn Rand’s objectivism, and her ideas are most visible in “Faith of the Fallen” (2000). “Chainfire”, “Phantom” and “Confessor” form a closing trilogy, and “Phantom” entered the New York Times bestseller list at number one in 2006.
“Legend of the Seeker”, produced by Sam Raimi among others, was first broadcast on 1 November 2008 and ran for two seasons until May 2010. In 2009 Goodkind published “The Law of Nines”, a contemporary thriller with ties to the fantasy series. He returned to Richard and Kahlan with “The Omen Machine” (2011) and three further novels, and self-published the prequel “The First Confessor” in 2012.
His later work included the Nicci Chronicles, four novels about a former Sister of the Dark published between 2017 and 2020, and The Children of D’Hara, five novellas that continue Richard and Kahlan’s story. He also wrote several novels outside the fantasy series, among them “Nest” and “The Girl in the Moon”. Goodkind died at his home in Boulder City, Nevada, on 17 September 2020.