Finishing this series taught me never to waste my time reading books I don't enjoy.

OP, I'm a huge fan of fantasy, but don't think Goodkind is a talented writer. A lot of the books devolve into preachy, pseudo philosophy, and it's painfully obvious. The first book is the high point of the series, so if you want to give it a shot, just know that if you're not feeling it by then it's only going to get worse.