Fantasy author Terry Goodkind, known for his long-running The Sword of Truth epic fantasy series, has died at the age of 72.
His first novel, Wizard’s First Rule, was published in 1994. This novel kicked off his long-running Sword of Truth series. In 2019, he launched a series, The Children of D’Hara, also set in the same world, publishing five installments between April 2019 and June 2020.
In the sprawling landscape of epic fantasy, where morality twists through magic and kingdoms fall with the weight of a whispered truth, Terry Goodkind carved out a path that was wholly his own—bold, uncompromising, and unafraid to challenge the genre’s conventions.
Best known for The Sword of Truth series, Goodkind didn’t just write about heroes—he built a philosophy into their bones. At the heart of his sprawling saga is Richard Rahl, a woods guide turned reluctant leader whose journey unfolds not merely as an adventure, but as a study in reason, free will, and personal responsibility. Where many fantasy authors lean into myth and fate, Goodkind leaned into choice. He wove moral clarity through moral complexity, demanding that readers grapple with not just what is right, but why.