After the murder of his father, and a chance encounter with a mysterious Confessor named Kahlan, Richard Cypher learns of an ancient prophecy that has named him the first true Seeker in over a millennium. Along with an old wizard named Zedd, Richard and Kahlan must stop the ruthless tyrant Darken Rahl from unleashing an ancient evil.
Bounty hunters all over the lands are trying to capture Richard. While Zedd seeks to find out how they're tracking him, Richard and Kahlan attempt to help a girl whose brother has been captured by a fabled monster.
Kahlan and Richard respond to a letter from the leader of the resistance asking for help, members of the resistance have been dying by "accident" around him.
Meanwhile Zedd goes to visit his family to pick up an object he needs.
Using a rare astronomical alignment, Darken Rahl has his wizard, Giller, cast the Spell of the Lying Moon, placing Richard under a dreamlike trance, in an attempt to reveal the hidden location of the third Box of Orden.
When Chase escapes a D'Harens labor camp, he finds Richard and Kahlan and tells them about the Gar invasion problems with the boundary open. The three return to Hartland but find that it is no longer the same place that Richard grew up in.
Richard, Kahlan and Chase are headed to the D'haran fortress where Chase's family is kept prisoner, and Darken Rahl's archwizard is conducting magical experiments on them. As they manage to infiltrate the fortress the Seeker comes face to face with his sinister opponent for the first time, while a terrible, unexpected force is unleashed.
Richard goes undercover and infiltrates a D'Haren camp to save innocent lives after he and Kahlen discover that Darken Rahl has been using dark magic to fight the resistance.
Opportunistic thieves use magic to disguise themselves as Richard and Kahlan in a scheme to rob trusting townspeople, but when they learn the real Seeker and Confessor are nearby, they seize the opportunity to steal the Sword of Truth.
To protect his realm from the D’Harans, King Gregor persuades the sorcerer Shota to transform him into a vicious beast at sundown each day. But it leads to a dillema for Richard, when that viciousness takes an unintended and tragic turn.
Darken Rahl captures Richard's sister Jennsen and poisons her mind against her brother. Meanwhile, Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd aid villagers after Rahl unleashes a plague on them.
Darken Rahl and his Mord'Sith interrupt Richard and Kahlan as they prepare to unleash the power of Orden, which would destroy the tyrant once and for all.
