WIZARD'S FIRST RULE

Goodkind's first volume of an epic fantasy series relates the efforts of three friends to save the world from Darken Rahl, the sadistic ruler who seeks to control and possibly destroy the world. Dick Hill maintains pace, vocal characterization and emotional inflections throughout this long work. Accomplishing these with apparent ease, he uses voices and dialects appropriate to the characters and enables the listener to identify them easily. Graphic scenes of torture and sado-eroticism are integral to the story but may not be to some listeners' tastes. This is an engrossing saga, which leaves the listener looking forward to its sequel. M.A.M. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPT 95]