This is only the second book I have read by Terry Goodkind. It seemed to have similar plots from what I remember. This book is supposed to be the start of a new series and is stand alone and you would not need to read anything else to enjoy this. Realize this is a thriller and not a fantasy. That said it was good, but from a large name writer, it was not great. I did enjoy it but the part that threw me was how easy it was to kill people. Seems to me to be a little more Hollywood style fight scenes, necks being too easily snapped kind of things. Taken all together was not fantasy but had traces like it wanted to be. The way I see it is that this is a continuation of his previous work and so if you’re a fan then keep going. Being only the second book I am not yet that dedicated fan.