Jordan, Robert

Knife of Dreams (The Wheel of Time, Book 11)

Average customer rating:

Getting Ridiculous
A much needed improvement
At last... some small progress towards a conclusion !
gets back on track
A step forward -- 2.5 stars

Knife of Dreams (The Wheel of Time, Book 11)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Crossroads of Twilight (The Wheel of Time, Book 10)
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Winter's Heart (The Wheel of Time, Book 9)
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ASIN: 0812577566

Amazon.com

About the Author
Robert Jordan lives in Charleston, South Carolina. He is a graduate of the Citadel.

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Amazon.com's Significant Seven
Robert Jordan kindly agreed to take the life quiz we like to give to all our authors: the Amazon.com Significant Seven.

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: The King James version of the Bible. That seems a cliche, but I can't think of any other book that has had as large an impact in shaping who I am.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: The one book would be whatever book I was currently writing. I mean, I hate falling behind in the work. The one CD would contain the best encyclopedia I could find on desert island survival. The DVD would contain as much of Beethoven, Mozart, and Duke Ellington as I could cram onto it.

Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: It's hard to think of one since I am genetically incapable of lying to women and that takes out 52% of the population right there.

Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: Any place that has my computer, a CD player for music, a comfortable chair that won't leave me with a backache at the end of a long day, and very little interruption.

Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: He kept trying to get better at it.

Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: My wife before anybody else on earth living or dead. That's a no-brainer.

Q: If you could have one superpower what would it be?
A: That depends. If I'm feeling altruistic, it would be the ability to heal anything with a touch, if that can be called a superpower. If I'm not feeling very altruistic, it would be the ability to read other people's minds, to finally be able to get to the bottom of what they really mean and what their motivations are.

See all books in the Wheel of Time series.

Book Description

The Wheel of Time turns, and Robert Jordan gives us the eleventh volume of his extraordinary masterwork of fantasy.

The dead are walking, men die impossible deaths, and it seems as though reality itself has become unstable: All are signs of the imminence of Tarmon Gai’don, the Last Battle, when Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, must confront the Dark One as humanity’s only hope. But Rand dares not fight until he possesses all the surviving seals on the Dark One’s prison and has dealt with the Seanchan, who threaten to overrun all nations this side of the Aryth Ocean and increasingly seem too entrenched to be fought off. But his attempt to make a truce with the Seanchan is shadowed by treachery that may cost him everything. Whatever the price, though, he must have that truce. And he faces other dangers. There are those among the Forsaken who will go to any length to see him dead--and the Black Ajah is at his side....

Unbeknownst to Rand, Perrin has made his own truce with the Seanchan. It is a deal made with the Dark One, in his eyes, but he will do whatever is needed to rescue his wife, Faile, and destroy the Shaido who captured her. Among the Shaido, Faile works to free herself while hiding a secret that might give her her freedom or cause her destruction. And at a town called Malden, the Two Rivers longbow will be matched against Shaido spears.

Fleeing Ebou Dar through Seanchan-controlled Altara with the kidnapped Daughter of the Nine Moons, Mat attempts to court the woman to whom he is half-married, knowing that she will complete that ceremony eventually. But Tuon coolly leads him on a merry chase as he learns that even a gift can have deep significance among the Seanchan Blood and what he thinks he knows of women is not enough to save him. For reasons of her own, which she will not reveal until a time of her choosing, she has pledged not to escape, but Mat still sweats whenever there are Seanchan soldiers near. Then he learns that Tuon herself is in deadly danger from those very soldiers. To get her to safety, he must do what he hates worse than work....

In Caemlyn, Elayne fights to gain the Lion Throne while trying to avert what seems a certain civil war should she win the crown....

In the White Tower, Egwene struggles to undermine the sisters loyal to Elaida from within....

The winds of time have become a storm, and things that everyone believes are fixed in place forever are changing before their eyes. Even the White Tower itself is no longer a place of safety. Now Rand, Perrin and Mat, Egwene and Elayne, Nynaeve and Lan, and even Loial, must ride those storm winds, or the Dark One will triumph.

Customer Reviews:

Getting Ridiculous.......2007-06-23

I've read the other comments posted on this book. Congratulations to all of you. You actually made it past the 1st chapter. I myself began to read this and quickly got lost in all the excruciating detail that Robert Jordan has come to be famous for. He could have finished the series a long time ago if he would have chose to not go into so much detail, and actually leave something to the readers imagination.

As this book stands, he leaves once again very very little to the reader's imagination, forcing the reader to try and keep up with exactly how Robert Jordan wants his world imagined.

I myself have given up on the series. For those of you who have just read Eye of the World for the first time, I recommend abandoning the series before you waste your time.

A much needed improvement.......2007-05-13

I have read all the series 3 times, so after reading the latest book Knife of Dreams I really feel that Robert Jordan has got back on track with his series. There are a few slow spots in the book where Jordan begins to strech the plot in the style frequently seen in book 10 but it doesnt occour often and there is alot more good to this book than bad and definitly not boring like book 10. I rate this book 4 stars plus 1 star to help correct the unfair 3 star rating caused by angry readers who cant forgive Robert Jordans book 10 and are focusing their anger at a very well written book.
This is a good book, read it.

At last... some small progress towards a conclusion !.......2007-05-09

This series started with great flourish and promise .. but started to drift off course by book 5.. I stuck with it and trudged grimly through books 6 to 10, hoping for a glimpse of the spark and energy that had been evident in the first part of the series. Let me make it clear, books 6 through 10 did nothing of note or worth, and could have easily been condensed into one volume which would have been of minor interest. Book 11 "Knife of dreams" is a little better, making some small progress and closing off some sub-plots with moderate success. However I am convinced that the author has largely lost his way with this series. His creation has gotten away from him, and is now peopled with weak and confusing characters and utterly irrelevant sub-plots and red herrings. Enough I cry !!! Please, please, Mr Jordan get a grip on this saga !!

gets back on track.......2007-05-02

RJ did a great job with this one, the series is back on track. Get well soon.

A step forward -- 2.5 stars.......2007-04-23

This rather poorly titled volume is book 11 of the nearly immeasurably long Wheel of Time series, so if you've made it this far, you're quite a stalwart and if you're just looking into the series -- beware! All the books are about 800+ pages in mass market paperback and the series is topping 9,000 to date. Books 1-5 are outstanding -- there is action and intrigue throughout; the remainder are overwritten and occasionally overwrought although book 6 has a fantastic finish as does book 9 and book 7 is generally decent; but books 8 and 10 are dreadful, bloated and in dire need of severe editing.

After the absolute worst book of the series, Crossroads of Twilight, this volume actually gets some of the various storylines concluding and moving closer to the finale. The overlong and uninteresting Perrin/Faile/Shaido thread has a conclusion; the succession struggle in Andor finally concludes; and Semirhage finally makes an appearance, other than in a meeting of the Forsaken. There are some revelations about major supporting characters, a stronger role for Logain, and an important event for Rand. With two major battles and another instance of Mat's remembered military genius, Jordan again shows glimpses of why books 1-5 were so good.

Nonetheless, Knife of Dreams suffers from the usual array of Jordan idiosyncracies that detract from the storytelling -- repeating the desires of various women to give their lessers corporal punishment, too much devotion to describing bit-part players who only the most devoted fans can remember, far too much detail regarding the various women's dress.

Worse yet, Jordan again pays too little attention to Rand (he's the messiah figure and he putters around entirely too much); barely discusses what happened to Egwene; ignores the Black Tower almost completely; and expends about 40 pages more than necessary on day-in-the-life issues for Mat.

Consider yourself forewarned. The series is complex and interesting, but the quality drop-off from books 1-5 to the more recent volumes is extremely disappointing. Book 11 finally sets up the series for the massive end-game in Book 12 (which Jordan has vowed will be the last volume, even if it's 2000 pages long), but that last volume will have to answer a multitude of questions to finish the series successfully.

The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time, Book 5)

Average customer rating:

Mary Sue characters at their worst.
Wheel of time Audio
Frustrating being a fan of RJ
The Book of Judgement
The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time, Book 5)

The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time, Book 5)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Audio Renaissance
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1593976062
Release Date: 2005-03-10

Book Description

The fifth audio volume of the Wheel of Time series is now available in unabridged format on CDIn this sequel to the phenomenal New York Times bestseller The Shadow Rising, Robert Jordan again plunges us into his extraordinarily rich, totally unforgettable world:....Into the forbidden city of Rhuidean, where Rand al'Thor, now the Dragon Reborn, must conceal his present endeavor from all about him, even Egwene and Moiraine.....Into the Amyrlin's study in the White Tower, where Amyrlin, Flaida do Avriny a 'Roihan, is weaving new plans.....Into the luxurious hidden chamber where the Forsaken Rahvin is meeting with three of his fellows to ensure their ultimate victory over the Dragon.....Into the Queen's court in Caemlyn, where Morgase is curiously in thrall to the handsome Lord Gaebril.For once the Dragon walks the land, the fires of Heaven fall where they will, until all men's lives are ablaze. And in Shayol Ghul, the Dark One stirs....

Customer Reviews:

Mary Sue characters at their worst........2007-06-26

Okay, I like elements of Jordan's books, but this novel jumped the shark for me. Must every one of the main character's have a 'secret power'? No more normal humans, no, Min can predict the future, Egwene can dreamwalk, Nynaive is super powerful (but only when angry), Mat can channel dead Generals, Rands has hordes of nubile women lusting after him, Perrin... I won't even go there about Perrin's super-keen-but-oh-so-silly wolf abilities, which seemed to drop out of the sky. Where are the NORMAL people? I'm all for the super powers *in moderation* but what makes fantasy interesting is the struggles between normal joes and the super powered ones. When Jordan makes every one of his characters super-human the believability goes down the toilet.

Also, Jordan's fantasy race the Aiel seem to be a race of Mary Sues. They can out-fight, out-hunt and out-run normal humans. Their customs are deemed superior they look down their noses at everyone else. The Aiel annoy me to the very core, as Jordan seemed to have created this unbelievable race to serve Jordan's messiah-ish character Rand.

There are some other ick moments in this book for me. Jordan clearly seems to be setting up Rand to become some sort of fantasy Polygamist ala Heinlein. Ick. Also there is a strange element of humiliating powerful women which Heinlein seems to enjoy. Women are often spanked or 'thrashed' and male characters aren't. Also, he creates situations where characters are forced to do humiliating things such as.... The trio of former aes sidai forced to laundry, fetch, and clean for the general as 'punishment.' It seems a bit petty giving the characters lives are in danger.

This was an entertaining novel, but the mary-suism really needs to be dialed down. 3 stars.

Wheel of time Audio.......2007-04-05

I actually was already a big fan of the book series, but these audio versions are extremly well done also, with very good narration and quality. Much better than most audiobooks I have tried in the past. Most importantly they are unabridged, which is very important with a story this complex. I was extremely happy with this product.

Frustrating being a fan of RJ.......2007-03-09

I will try to keep this sort. The parts with Nyneave & Elayne are simply unbearable. I'm re-reading the series because I stopped at book 6 years ago because it trudged along to slow. Mainly because of the pointless constant bickering that goes on with Nyneave & Elayne. The parts with them take too long and there is no pay off for the "effort" it takes to read their stories. The characters take up too many pages and they are uninteresting. I don't care about them and judging by the reviews, not many others do.

Reading about Nyneave & Elayne is like listening to two 16 year old girls arguing on a cell phone. It takes forever and goes nowhere. It's petty and pointless. You can read two chapters in a row of their mindless story and have no clue what you just read or why it was important.

So I am now re-reading the series and I am skimming over their parts. I know this is literature sacrilege but so what? I enjoy the series much more now and so far I totally get the story, so I haven't missed a thing yet.

If I do I will catch the synapses on wikipedia or something.

So take my advice...ignore them. The rest of the story is great and so are the characters.

The Book of Judgement.......2007-03-02

This is a book that weeds out the casual readers from the hardcore fans. Its slowwww, and almost nothing happens, it took me alomost a month to read it; I kept putting it down. If you think this book is terrible, youre right. This is the worst book, in the series, and a far second worst is book 7. The rest of them are great. If you can handle this one, youll be rewarded with an additional 7500+ pages of some good stuff. If you cant, godspeed, maybe you should try out sword of truth, its a lot less convoluted.

The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time, Book 5) .......2007-01-26

If you have started with book one - why stop!
These books are "acted" as well as read.

Crossroads of Twilight (Wheel of Time, Book 10)

Average customer rating:

This book is not all that bad. In fact it's actually quite good.
Slow start, but finally something happens
I hated this book
And the Wheel keeps spinning
10 th book Wheel series

Crossroads of Twilight (Wheel of Time, Book 10)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Knife of Dreams (The Wheel of Time, Book 11)
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ASIN: 0812571339
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Book Description

In the tenth book of The Wheel of Time from the New York Times #1 bestselling author Robert Jordan, the world and the characters stand at a crossroads, and the world approaches twilight, when the power of the Shadow grows stronger. Fleeing from Ebou Dar with the kidnapped Daughter of the Nine Moons, whom he is fated to marry, Mat Cauthon learns that he can neither keep her nor let her go, not in safety for either of them, for both the Shadow and the might of the Seanchan Empire are in deadly pursuit. Perrin Aybara seeks to free his wife, Faile, a captive of the Shaido, but his only hope may be an alliance with the enemy. Can he remain true to his friend Rand and to himself? For his love of Faile, Perrin is willing to sell his soul. At Tar Valon, Egwene al'Vere, the young Amyrlin of the rebel Aes Sedai, lays siege to the heart of Aes Sedai power, but she must win quickly, with as little bloodshed as possible, for unless the Aes Sedai are reunited, only the male Asha'man will remain to defend the world against the Dark One, and nothing can hold the Asha'man themselves back from total power except the Aes Sedai and a unified White Tower. In Andor, Elayne Trakland fights for the Lion Throne that is hers by right, but enemies and Darkfriends surround her, plotting her destruction. If she fails, Andor may fall to the Shadow, and the Dragon Reborn with it. Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn himself, has cleansed the Dark One's taint from the male half of the True Source, and everything has changed. Yet nothing has, for only men who can channel believe that saidin is clean again, and a man who can channel is still hated and feared-even one prophesied to save the world. Now, Rand must gamble again, with himself at stake, and he cannot be sure which of his allies are really enemies.

Customer Reviews:

This book is not all that bad. In fact it's actually quite good........2007-04-24

I understand what many other reviewers have written, and that is that this book's pace is too slow. While I agree that its pace is slower than most of the other books, I don't see that as a problem. Life is like that, some days are slower than others. At the end of reading this book, I found that I had enjoyed the time spent once again in Mr. Jordan's world. To all of the negative reviewers out there I say, "Let's see you write something better." Probably less than 1% of them have ever had a book published if that many. The reading world can always use more great (and good) books out there, what it doesn't need is a bunch of whinners.

Slow start, but finally something happens.......2007-04-21

In the 7th through 9th installment of this series, Robert Jordan's writing has been steadily loosing it's momentum, in each successive book less actually happens as the Jordan delves deep into the politics, the backstabbing and the intrigue. Unfortunately, this intrigue is nowhere near as exciting or fulfilling for the reader as it seems to be for Robert Jordan.

The good news is that this, the 10th book in the series marks the beginning of the end of the endless intrigue. While the book starts slow, it seems clear that Mr. Jordan is cluing in to his readership's impatience for events to begin rolling again. In the end, the plot actually advances.

If you're finding it a bit of slog, I'm writing this after having read Knife of Dreams and the momentum from the end of this novel carries over into the next making it a much better novel than this one.

Overall the writing is still excellent if plodding at times, but in terms of the series, you really don't want to miss the second half of this novel.

I hated this book.......2007-03-11

My only consolation after wasting my time reading this book is that I share the company of so many others who, though sorely disappointed at the downward spiral this series has taken, are spurred by either compulsion or sheer force of will to make it to the conclusion. Sad that I still cling to a flagging hope that the action will pick up and something interesting will happen. The series began so brilliantly, but now even if something does happen, you have to hunt for it in underneath all that endlessly repetitive and confusing fringe-twitching and shawl-shifting by hundreds of minor characters who really seem to have no reason to be there. I have to say I really suffered through this one. If there were a no-star category, it would be appropriate. You could probably skip this one and still know what's going on. I ordered #11 anyway. Just a glutton, I guess.

And the Wheel keeps spinning.......2007-02-19

The hunt for those lost, the desperateness, the bravery. If your already a Wheel fan then this book will NOT let you down. From desert dryness to cold. Enemies lurk everywhere, many insane. The darkness is rising from so many directions and yet those of the dragon, from his youth to his becoming have taken their own paths towards each other. Mans magic grows strong. Oh I cant wait for the next and the next and the next book!!!

10 th book Wheel series.......2007-02-10

Good, hard to read the tiny print. Old yellow book.

Lord of Chaos (The Wheel of Time, Book 6)

Average customer rating:

Spinning the Wheel of Time
3.5 stars and downhill from here: be forewarned
lording it up over chaos
Better written than most of the previous volumes but.... Nothing Happens!
A rise before the fall

Lord of Chaos (The Wheel of Time, Book 6)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, Book 3)

ASIN: 0812513754

Book Description

In this sequel to the phenomenal New York Times bestseller The Fires of Heaven, we plunge again into Robert Jordan's extraordinarily rich, totally unforgettable world:On the slopes of Shayol Ghul, the Myrddraal swords are forged, and the sky is not the sky of this world;In Salidar the White Tower in exile prepares an embassy to Caemlyn, where Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, holds the throne--and where an unexpected visitor may change the world......In Emond's Field, Perrin Goldeneyes, Lord of the Two Rivers, feels the pull of ta'veren to ta'veren and prepares to march......Morgase of Caemlyn finds a most unexpected, and quite unwelcome, ally......And south lies Illian, where Sammael holds sway......

Customer Reviews:

Spinning the Wheel of Time.......2007-05-25

I continue to enjoy the Wheel of Time series and they do not seem to get boring like other series. I have listened to them all and everyone has an exciting plot with stunning twists. Now if I could make it through them all that would be a challange.

3.5 stars and downhill from here: be forewarned.......2007-04-25

This is book 6 of the 12-book Wheel of Time series (book 12 will be released in 2008 or 2009, depending upon the author's health and ability to write -- he has a serious blood disease). Each of the previous volumes weighed in at 750-900+ pages paperback as do the ones that follow, and this one is also no afternoon read. Worse yet, it changes the pace and focus of the story.

After learning his identity and embracing his destiny, Rand al'Thor the messiah figure and primary character in the story slows down. Instead of seeking to conquer the rest of the continent after his successful campaigns to date, he tries to hold what he has while the nations he has not conquered are thrown into chaos. He does, however, establish the Black Tower -- the yin to the yang of White Tower.

The other villagers who left Rand's hometown with him are the primary foci of this tale as Nynaeve makes tremendous discoveries and Egwene's life changes momentously, setting up the White Tower/Rebel Aes Sedai thread that pervades books 7-11.

Ultimately, however, both changes (focus, pacing) are negative: the story slows from the breakneck adventure of books 1-5 as Robert Jordan sets the stage for the remaining volumes. But those volumes are even slower, longer and less interesting: book 7 introduces yet more plotlines that bog down the story, in book 8 Jordan adds a new capture-and-rescue issue that takes until book 11 to get sorted out with no significant advancement of the overall plotline despite about 500 pages devoted to it. Worse yet, book 10 consists of 800+ pages of day-in-the-life updates on the characters with nearly no plot movement.

The end of Lord of Chaos is explosive and thrilling, fully worthy of the previous entries. But it engenders a false hope that the next volumes would build upon the momentum. They don't. Instead, the series wallows as Jordan concentrates too much on peripheral plotlines, devotes far too little attention to Rand, and increases the cast of characters beyond belief. Book 11 starts setting up the end-game, but it's a lot to ask for a clean and complete ending to this series in book 12.

lording it up over chaos.......2007-03-20

this is an excellent book I read awhile ago...just purchased for my son...this book was in excellent condition...

Better written than most of the previous volumes but.... Nothing Happens!.......2007-01-19

In general, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series has been sharply criticised in two ways. 1. There are so many plotlines, and the characters sit around and talk so much, that nothing happens. 2. Male-female conflict, which is apparently the main theme of the books, occasionally supercedes any rules of logic and common sense. Fortunately for this, the 6th book in the series, the latter is severely muted. Unfortunately, the former is in full flower.

First, the good points. Even up to 500 pages in (out of 1000), I was enjoying this book more than the previous four in the series. It occurred to me that most of the plot-related sources of irritation in the series involve the romantic couples. In this volume, Nynaeve is separated from Lan, Aviendha is often separated from Rand (as is Elayne), and the much-maligned Faile only arrives somewhere aroung p. 700 (but after that is as annoying as ever). This gave the narrative a surprising spring, where new conflicts could arise (especially through the split in the Aes Sedai, which occurred in the previous book). Overall, I found this volume much less repetative than the norm, and with an overall better reading flow.

Unfortunately, by the time p. 800 rolled around I was too exasperated to enjoy the smoother prose. I am willing to give an author a lot of leeway if I think the buildup is leading somewhere. And I understand that it takes time to re-connect with the large and varied cast (the prologue is something like 60 pages in and of itself!). I even understand the repetition of traits (Nynaeve's hair-pulling, Mat's gambling, Leanne's flirtations), to help the reader keep track of the enormous cast. However, it was clear that nothing was really going to happen in the book by the time p. 800 arrived. For example, the first half of the book seems to be leading up to a confrontation between Rand and one of the surviving Forsaken (Sammael). However, the author seems to totally forget that plotline in the second half of the book, filling it up with treacle about Faile getting jealous of another woman, Elayne and Nynaeve running around trying to find an artifact (and never finding it!), etc. That's not to say that no important events occur - I will not reveal them because they are rays of sunshine in the gloom of tedium - but they are short and the only battle in the book basically starts on p. 960. Or, put another way, 5% of the book is action, the other 95% is filler. And Sammael is STILL around to be dealt with in Book 7.

There are other, more insidious problems with the book, ones that I mention because I think they are manipulative on the part of the author. The most obvious is the disappearance of Asmodeon at the end of Book 5, which is the cliffhanger of the book. Why kill him off in such an abrupt and mysterious fashion, but then never solve the crime? What's worse, Rand never seems to notice that Asmodeon is gone. Surely if your teacher in the One Power abruptly disappears, the student would be very concerned, especially if they were a turncoat enemy, as Asmodeon was. Another irritation is the ongoing battle between the sexes. I'm sure lots of people regard the the opposite sex as the enemy - to be conquered and ruled over whenever possible. However, it appears that every single male-female relationship in the entire world of Jordan's is poisoned by this anti-social attitude, especially after 5000 pages (counting all 6 volumes) and counting.

Of course, anything I say in this review is not going to change the mind of someone planning to buy the 6th book in a 12-book series. In spite of it all, when these books are at their best (i.e. the last 100 pages), they are fantastic. Unfortunately, the price you pay is often 800 pages of filler.

A rise before the fall.......2006-12-31

Apparently the next 2 books in the series aren't very good - this one did leave me pleasantly surprised. Many of the characters seem to have matured/developed (definitely a big milestone in the series), although not all. The divided Tower plotline was especially good, followed closely by - surprisingly - the dealings of Nynaeve and Elayne. The ending was also great, Jordan's reached epic proportions here. Unfortunately this means he must go on topping himself with every new book. Furthermore, in this one we especially see how the infinite number of plotlines start to overtangle and make progress in the story impossible. The story of the ter'angreal doesn't have much going for it and yet it takes all of this book (and apparently the next few as well). It's probably an improvement on book 5 but I could feel the seeds of the series' downfall...

The Shadow Rising: Book Four of 'The Wheel of Time' (Wheel of Time)

Average customer rating:

a good read
Love the books, love the reader on cds.
the shadow rising again
Excellent Series 0f Science Fiction
Robert Jordan is great

The Shadow Rising: Book Four of 'The Wheel of Time' (Wheel of Time)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Audio Renaissance
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time, Book 5)
The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, Book 3)
Lord of Chaos (The Wheel of Time, Book 6)
The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2)
A Crown of Swords (The Wheel of Time, Book 7)

ASIN: 159397535X
Release Date: 2004-10-21

Book Description

The seals of Shayol Ghul are weak now, and the Dark One reaches out in The Shadow Rising, book four of the Wheel of Time, as The Shadow is rising to cover humankind. In the Stone of Tear, the Lord Dragon considers his next move. It will be something no one expects, not the Black Ajah, not Tairen nobles, not Aes Sedai, not Egwene or Elayne or Nynaeve. Against the Shadow rising stands the Dragon Reborn....

Customer Reviews:

a good read.......2007-06-13

I am working to read the entire series. These are well written books that are a joy to read. It does help to read them in order. I have read several of the series and they are all great. The writing is really good and the style remains the same through out the series.

Love the books, love the reader on cds. .......2007-05-27

Have read every book of Robert Jordan's and one by one am collecting the audio cds. So far all the books are read by the same person and it is an easy voice to listen to.

the shadow rising again.......2007-03-20

this is a good book...I actully read it a while ago, and have just purchased for my son...the book was in excellent condition...

Excellent Series 0f Science Fiction.......2007-03-18

I am finsihing the 4 th book of the series and have the 5th book already in my posession. It is and excellent series which is slow reading at first but then gets you into its web and keeps you there. A little of old world or is it a new world after the extinction of our civilization. Don't know for sure yet but will find out!

Robert Jordan is great.......2007-01-24

Robert Jordan is an excellent author and having unabridged audio cds of his stories are great. You can listen to them while driving and still get the complete story. The narrators do an excellent reading and distinguinshing charchaters with small voice inflections. And as alwasy Robert Jordan manages to write a story with serveral threads that draws you into a magical world.

A Crown of Swords (The Wheel of Time, Book 7)

Average customer rating:

The best WoT book since the first one
Great Series
Will this ever end....?
Crown of Swords is up to Par
Who can match him?

A Crown of Swords (The Wheel of Time, Book 7)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Lord of Chaos (The Wheel of Time, Book 6)
The Path of Daggers: Book 8 of the Wheel of Time
The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time, Book 5)
Winter's Heart (The Wheel of Time, Book 9)
The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time, Book 4)

ASIN: 0812550285

Amazon.com

Robert Jordan has created a rich and intricate tapestry of characters in his Wheel of Time series. In this seventh volume, Rand al'Thor--the Dragon Reborn--draws ever closer to the Last Battle as a stifling heat grips the world.

Book Description

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.

Customer Reviews:

The best WoT book since the first one.......2007-03-13

The Wheel of Time series is doubtless epic in its proportions. In this volume (Book 7), our main characters are split into three basic storylines: 1. Mat, Nynaeve, and Elayne search for the magical artifact that can control the weather; 2. Rand, with the help of Perrin, reasserts himself as leader in Caemlyn and Carhein while plotting the death of the Forsaken Sammael; 3. Egwene, newly raised as leader of the rebel Aes Sedai, navigates the politics of her position. A dedicated reader of the series would cynically point out that this plot summary is, in fact, identical to that of Book 6. Fortunately for readers of Book 7, the problem lies with Book 6 - the slowest moving book of the series and one of the most painful to read. By comparison, Book 7 is a svelte 850 pages, and has more action and resolutions than Books 5 and 6 combined.

To be blunt, Book 7 is the story that Book 6 should have been. In fact, it starts with a retelling of the climactic battle of Book 6, told from the point of view of one group of Baddies, the Shaido. Rand then has to repair the damage done by this battle and by his kidnapping - damage to his reputation and to his authority (a new queen has herself crowned in his absence). Jordan then deftly interweaves multiple storylines, and we finally get some resolutions that we've been waiting for since the beginning of Book 6. Naturally, new complications are added, and some new characters, including a wise old Aes Sedai long thought to be dead (who tries to take Rand under her wing). The Seanchan make an apocalyptic return, and the strange behaviour of the Sea Folk is dealt with. We get to see into the minds of some of the Bad Guys as well, including chapters dedicated to Galina (the Aes Sedai leading the kidnapping of Rand), Moghedien (after her escape), and Alviarin and Elaida in Tar Valon.

Naturally there are some complaints, as there would have to be with a book this long and a plot this complex. Even I, who have read all the previous books recently (in the past year), find that I'm losing track of people and events. The standard complaint of pacing comes up in several Amazon reviews, but I find this book moves along at a good clip with lots of action. There is still the problem of some characters acting in ways that are obviously against their self-interest (Elayne and Nynaeve are particularly annoying). But all-in-all, this is the best book since the very first one. Sure, these plotlines should all have been ersolved in Book 6 instead, but that's a criticism for the previous book.

Great Series.......2007-02-07

I can't wait for the next book to come out. I wish this series would move faster though.

Will this ever end....?.......2006-12-22

I admit that I'm addicted - despite the s.l.o.w. progress, constant female bickering, and frequent fashion details. I want to see how this dang series ends...will it?

This particular installment of the Dragon et. al. left me feeling underwhelmed. The ending was a disappointment, but I'll press on and order book 8.

Crown of Swords is up to Par.......2006-11-05

I've nearly finished reading Crown of Swords, Book 7 of Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time series. As anticipated, it has been very enjoyable. I did not actually "read" his first 6 books. I listened to them thru Audible.com since I am on the road so much. Having heard the names and places it was interesting to see them written. I would give the book a distinctive thumbs up if you enjoy the fantasy style of Robert Jordans's writing.

Who can match him?.......2006-08-23

Despite all the criticism, Robert Jordan continues to deliver lavish world building and unique plot with every novel. Show me any writer living that could top that. I have read the genre extensively and have yet to find one.

Winter's Heart (The Wheel of Time, Book 9)

Average customer rating:

Get on with it man.
winter's heart warms up
Fluff
Robert Jordan Great yet again
Jordan fan

Winter's Heart (The Wheel of Time, Book 9)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Path of Daggers: Book 8 of the Wheel of Time
Crossroads of Twilight (The Wheel of Time, Book 10)
A Crown of Swords (The Wheel of Time, Book 7)
Lord of Chaos (The Wheel of Time, Book 6)
Knife of Dreams (The Wheel of Time, Book 11)

ASIN: 081257558X

Amazon.com

Is Robert Jordan still doing the Light's work? Even loyal fans have to wonder. (And if you're not a fan yet, you'll have to read the previous 6,789 pages in this bestselling series to understand what all the fuss is about.)

Everyone's in agreement on the Wheel of Time's first four or five volumes: They're topnotch, where-have-you-been-all-my-life epic fantasy, the best in anybody's memory at the time since The Lord of the Rings. But a funny thing happened on the way to Tarmon Gai'don, and many of those raves have become rants or (worse) yawns. Jordan long ago proved himself a master at world-building, with fascinating characters, a positively delicious backstory, and enough plot and politics to choke a Trolloc, but that same strength has become a liability. How do you criticize what he's doing now? You want more momentum and direction in the central plot line, but it's the secondary stories that have made the world so rich. And as in the last couple of books, (A Crown of Swords and The Path of Daggers), Jordan doesn't really succeed at pursuing either adequately, leaving a lot of heavily invested readers frustrated.

Winter's Heart at least shows some improvement, but it's still not The Eye of the World. Elayne's still waiting to take the crown of Andor; the noticeably absent Egwene is still waiting to go after the White Tower; Perrin gets ready to pursue the Shaido but then disappears for the rest of the book. About the only excitement comes with the long-awaited return of Mat Cauthon and a thankfully rock 'em, sock 'em finale in which Rand finally, finally changes the balance of power in his fight against the Dark One. --Paul Hughes

Book Description

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.

Customer Reviews:

Get on with it man........2007-04-13

Robert, dude, you loosing steam in this series. I could live with the first five volumes and then its just starting to drag out endlessly. I will still have to read through to Book 11, but it's starting to kill me.

winter's heart warms up.......2007-03-20

this is a good book that I read awhile ago...I just purchased for my son...the book was in perfect condition...

Fluff.......2007-03-01

This book is garbage. Filler to make money. A travesty. All the others were awesome to OK. But, let's face it - Get on with it! I'm not really interested in +++pages of Matt traveling with the circus, or Elayne's torment becoming Queen, or Egwene's mishaps with other Aes Sedai. I want some ACTION. What's going on in the AshAman (sp?)'s heads- I mean, how cool would that be since the Taint is gone? I'm sick of this. But I'll still read the rest, who knows how much time I've already spent. SURELY IT MUST BE OVER SOON. Not even Tolkien could go on this long. Wrap it up!

Robert Jordan Great yet again.......2007-02-22

Another sequel to the wheel of time that is a success.
I loved it

Jordan fan.......2007-01-10

this wa a very good addition to my collection. i enjoyed the book very much and like the whole series. excellent. Thank you very much

The Path of Daggers (The Wheel of Time, Book 8)

Average customer rating:

The Path of Daggers: Book 8 of the Wheel of Time
Another well-written book that goes nowhere
Tired of...
The Wheel of Time keeps turning...and turning...and turning...
Wheel of Time, Book 8

The Path of Daggers (The Wheel of Time, Book 8)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:

Winter's Heart (The Wheel of Time, Book 9)
A Crown of Swords (The Wheel of Time, Book 7)
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ASIN: 0812550293

Amazon.com

Robert Jordan's bestselling Wheel of Time epic is one of the most popular fantasy series of all time for a reason. Jordan's world is rich and complex, and he's assembled an endearing, involving core of characters while mapping out an ambitious and engaging story arc.

But with the previous book, Crown of Swords, and now with Path of Daggers, the series is in a bit of a holding pattern. Path continues the halting gait of the current plot line: Rand is still on the brink of losing it, all the while juggling the political machinations around him and again taking to the field against the Seanchan. The rest of the Two Rivers kids and company don't seem to be moving much faster. Egwene continues to slowly consolidate her hold as the "true" Amyrlin (finally getting closer to Tar Valon and the inevitable confrontation with Elaida), and Nynaeve and Elayne keep on wandering toward the Lion Throne, again on the run from the Seanchan. Mat Cauthon is barely mentioned, and fellow ta'veren Perrin keeps busy with politics in Ghealdan. The ending does provide promise, though, that book nine might match the pace and passion of the previous books.

If you're already hooked, you could sooner overcome a weave of Compulsion than avoid picking up a copy of Path of Daggers. But if you're new to the series, start at the beginning with the engrossing, much-better-paced Eye of the World. --Paul Hughes

Book Description

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.

Customer Reviews:

The Path of Daggers: Book 8 of the Wheel of Time.......2007-06-11

I've loved every book in this series by Robert Jordan! Interesting characters, interesting land, interesting action.

Another well-written book that goes nowhere.......2007-06-08

I can understand the frustration and the cynicism underlying many of the reviews of this book. I share most of them myself. Robert Jordan has created an immense (!) world and so many characters it's impossible to keep track of them all. Thank goodness for the chapter-by-chapter summaries supplied by the writers of the Wikipedia entries, or I'd be hopelessly lost most of the time. However, there is a lot of good writing in this book - the characters are far less irritating than in previous outings, and their interactions are far more interesting. Unfortunately, in terms of plot, this book goes absolutely nowhere.

It reminds me of Book 6 (Lord of Chaos), previously my least favourite book in the series. I get the feeling from reading this book that Jordan is using the book to set up the next one - there are tons of things that are moving forward, and everyone always seems to be "on the verge" of doing something, but then he jumps to another storyline. Thus: Rand has defeated the forsaken Sammael and has conquered Illian. He now turns his sights on the Seanchan, who have invaded several southwestern nations. Egwene solidifies her position as leader of the rebel Aes Sedai and heads to attack Tar Valon. Elaine finally (!) arrives in Andor to stake her claim to the throne of that country. Perrin goes after The Prophet for Rand. Unfortuantely, not a single one of these stories is brought to a conclusion. However, the most annoying part of it all is the continued splintering of groups to such a huge degree that it's impossible to keep track of them all! For example, there are now the following groups of Aes Sedai: Those left in Tar Valon loyal to Elaida, those in Tar Valon working for the rebels, the rebels with Egwene, the rebels with Nynaeve and Elaine, the expelled Aes Sedai "knitting circle" (also with Nynaeve), the kidnappers Rand captured, the rebel emmisaries with Rand, the independent Aes Sedai with Rand, those with Perrin, those that belong to the Black Ajah, etc. That's not even counting the various groups of Windfinders and Wise Ones who can also channel. No wonder nothing happens - if Jordan were to spend just 5 pages on each of the groups he's created, the book would probably be 1000 pages long.

The frustration is perfectly exemplified by the Prologue in this book, in which he introduces YET ANOTHER army/group, marching toward Rand's territories. He spends 10 pages on them in the prologue and then they are never heard from again in the rest of the book! ARGH!

All these complaints notwithstanding, the book actually reads quite well, and is not as confusing as some would lead you to believe. It's just unfortunate that Jordan appears dedicated to milking this series for all it's worth, knowing we poor suckers will keep buying the books. After all - if you're reading this review, you've probably already decided to read the book, right? As Homer Simpson says, "How can you go this far and not go farther?"

Tired of..........2006-10-28

This series (up to book 4/5) was one of my favorites. There were little things that bugged me, but I considered it to be a masterpiece.

A coupld of things have caused me to completely give up on this series after this book.

* Detail is great and all, but please make something happen. There are very few books that I haven't finished, but I was close with this one due to the lack of real events furthuring the story.

* ENOUGH with the 'Men are stupid, tug on my braids' mentality! RJ likes to infuse his charecters with the inability to understand the opposite gender. When will they learn what most mature adults learn? If I didn't know better I'd say that RJ is a feminist man-hater.

I could overlook these annoyances when the rest of the story was fantastic, but that just isn't the case with this book.

The Wheel of Time keeps turning...and turning...and turning..........2006-08-26

This series has become a complete disaster.

As the plot gets more and more complicated, it also gets more and more meaningless. Mr. Jordan is apparently set on dragging this series out for another ten books at least. New subplots are introduced with each book, and there are now so many characters that it is hard to keep their names straight. There has been little to no development on the overall plot since the fourth book. It seems to me that if Rand suddenly died, and the plot ended, it would take another three books to tell what happened to the rest of the characters! (in exhaustive detail, of course) I generally find myself cheering when a character dies because it means that there will be one less person to hear about in the next book.

Improbable events happen regularly, in order to stretch the series as far as possible. For example, most of the Forsaken have been killed by the seventh book. ("Damn!," thinks Mr. Jordan, "I had planned to keep them around until book 27") Instead of bringing out the next logical bad guy, the Dark One, the Forsaken are now being brought back to life, so that Rand has to kill them all again! This is such a poor excuse for a plot event that I laughed when I first read it. Similar events include Egwene becoming the Amyrlin seat and Birgitte becoming Elayne's warder.

The characters are vain, immature, and unlikeable. They are mostly involved in unlikely romances, usually with multiple people. The men mope about, feel sorry for themselves, and make unbelievably stupid decisions. The women are cattish, delight in tormenting the men, and are astonishingly ungrateful. I have yet to find a truly symapthetic character. Character relationships are just as bad. (Mr. Jordan is more obsessed with sex than Sigmund Freud was.) Disliking a person seems to be the only prerequisite for falling in love with them.

Though this has been harped on in previous reviews, it is absolutely true: Mr. Jordan is completely obsessed with writing about insignificant little details. From exactly what each and every character is wearing to exactly what each and every character is thinking, in each and every scene of the book, Mr. Jordan lists everything that is unimportant to the story. Below is a description of a character blowing their nose (I have chosen Nynaeve), in the style of the Wheel of Time series. You can see the excess of unnecessary details used to describe any action.

"Nynaeve excused herself from the conversation about why Rand hadn't seen Elayne. Gathering up the hem of her Domani dress in pale green silk, Lan's favorite color, she turned away from the women at the table, who were entusiastically chattering on about Rand's personal affairs. 'Ninnies,' thought Nynaeve, "they should be doing something useful, not idling their time away here. If they were from Emond's Field when I was wisdom there, the women's circle would set them right'. She sniffed loudly is their direction, and gave her braid a violent tug. She put her hand into the pocket of her high-necked gown, and drew out a red linen handkerchief, with an attractive paisley border. She remebered that it had been a gift from Lan from when he had still been Moiraine's warder. Her cross expression softened as her thoughts turned to Lan. She absent-mindedly tugged down the neckline of her dress, exposing a wide expanse of pale bosom, and fiddled with a strand of pearls that she wore around her neck. Lan liked pearls, she remembered. She wondered what the other women at the table would say if she got a room at the inn to share with him. They would probably say she was behind as forward as that Mayener hussy, Berelain. She suddenly realized what she was thinking about. 'Light burn Lan for making me think about Berelain,' she said to herself, 'men can be so mule headed sometimes.' She resolved to box the ears of the next man she met, just for being born a man. Elayne, who was sitting down at the table next to her, asked Nynaeve if she liked the new light blue silk dress with the lace collar that she was wearing. 'Hmmph,' said Nynaeve, 'it probably cost as much as a small village. You should be more careful with money Elayne. We are not in your mother's paalce at Caemlyn.' She gave her braid another angry tug."

If you have read any of the other Wheel of Time books, my advice is: do not read any more. This series hasn't gone anywhere since the fourth book, nor does it shows signs of going anywhere in the future. Robert Jordan will almost certainly die before he is able to finish of this series.

Wheel of Time, Book 8.......2006-08-02

The Seanchan invasion force is in possession of Ebou Dar. Nynaeve, Elayne, and Aviendha head for Caemlyn and Elayne's rightful throne, but on the way they discover an enemy much worse than the Seanchan. In Illian, Rand vows to throw the Seanchan back as he did once before. But signs of madness are appearing among the Asha'man. In Ghealdan, Perrin faces the intrigues of Whitecloaks, Seanchan invaders, the scattered Shaido Aiel, and the Prophet himself. Perrin's beloved wife, Faile, may pay with her life, and Perrin himself may have to destroy his soul to save her. Meanwhile the rebel Aes Sedai under their young Amyrlin, Egwene al'Vere, face an army that intends to keep them away from the White Tower. But Egwene is determined to unseat the usurper Elaida and reunite the Aes Sedai. She does not yet understand the price that others, and she herself, will pay.

There are many masters in high fantasy. J.R.R. Tolkien would certainly be lauded highest when it comes to development of the world in which the events he illustrates transpire. Robert Jordan, for all the criticism leveled against him for what appears to be a marketing ploy - stringing the series out as long as humanly possible to generate greater book sales - would certainly have to rank near the top for character development. His series is filled with various interesting folk with varied viewpoints and motivations. While most (decent) authors go well into detail in describing the motivations and quirks of their heroes, Jordan doesn't stop there. Even his villains are thoroughly detailed. Moghidien, for example, one of the wickedest of the fallen, has a history and personality that influences how she reacts, as well as insecurities and frailties. Good, evil, benevolent or malign, all of Jordan's characters are fully fleshed out, and we get a fair view into their minds and motivations as the drama unfolds. Yes, the world is on the simple side, and yes, the plot, of late, has lost its pace; but it's a world and plot filled with only the most fascinating of folks. At a series currently juggling over 50 characters, all unveiled over the last 10 volumes, it's a commendable and laudable feat, indeed.

Fans of Jordan's epic series of many volumes of many pages have been whinging since book six that the series seems to have no end in sight. Unfortunately, it's now a race against the clock for Jordan and his publisher, whose decision to prolong the series as long as they have may result in the work never being finished. Ironically, Rand, the hero destined to die on the slopes of the Dragonmount, may outlive his creator. Full sympathies to Jordan, and I, for one, hope he holds out long enough to complete the story he began.

New Spring: Limited Edition - Leather Bound (Wheel of Time)

Average customer rating:

A real gem
Moving forward
Surprisingly good
I'm like a junkie....
Quite Good!

New Spring: Limited Edition - Leather Bound (Wheel of Time)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Knife of Dreams (The Wheel of Time, Book 11)
Crossroads of Twilight (The Wheel of Time, Book 10)
Winter's Heart (The Wheel of Time, Book 9)
A Crown of Swords (The Wheel of Time, Book 7)
Lord of Chaos (The Wheel of Time, Book 6)

ASIN: 0765309262

Book Description

rom America's premier fantasy writer-the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Crossroads of Twilight-comes New Spring: The Novel. Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time has captured the imagination of millions of readers who eagerly await each new volume of the saga. Now, Jordan gives us a glimpse of the events leading up to the first book of the Wheel of Time. New Spring: The Novel is a perfect introduction to the Wheel of Time. For three days, battle has raged in the snow around the great city of Tar Valon. In the city, a Foretelling of the future is uttered. On the slopes of Dragonmount, the immense mountain that looms over the city, is born an infant prophesied to change the world. That child must be found before the forces of the Shadow have an opportunity to kill him. Moiraine Damodred, a young Accepted soon to be raised to Aes Sedai, and Lan Mandragoran, a young soldier fighting in the battle, are set on paths that will bind their lives together. But those paths are filled with complications and dangers, for Moiraine, of the Royal House of Cairhien, whose King has just died, and Lan, considered the uncrowned king of a nation long dead, find their lives threatened by the plots of those seeking power. 'New Spring,' the novella first published in Legends, related some of these events, in compressed form. New Spring: The Novel tells the whole story. Robert Jordan is a graduate of The Citadel. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

Customer Reviews:

A real gem.......2005-11-01

I read New Spring while waiting for Knife Of Dreams to arrive. Being a much shorter book than the others, it filled in the time very nicely. This is a prequel to The Wheel Of Time Series, and quite a good place for readers to start who want a shorter book to introduce them to the series. I believe it is possibly my favourite of the series so far. This is due in no small part to the fact that Siuan is one of the main characters, and is also one of my favourite female characters.
The story is set at a time when Siuan and Moiraine are just getting ready to take their test for the shawl. For Those familiar with the series, there are other familiar faces among the Accepted as well.
War is looming at Tavarlan's very gates, and as the armalan and her two young attendants Siuan and Moiraine wait anxiously for news, they witness a foretelling that the dragon has been reborn. The man who must one day confront The Dark One in the last battle, but in doing so, will break the world. The Armalan immediately orders a search for the boy child, and Moiraine and Siuan begin a secret hunt of their own. For Moiraine, this begins the twenty year search that eventually leads her to Rand, and also introduces her To Lan, her eventual warder. The book moves at a comfortable pace, accelerating rapidly towards the end. Robert Jordan does a realistic and moving portrayal of two young women with their lives ahead of them. The friendship between Siuan and Moiraine is beautiful and poignant, and reminds me very much of myself and my own closest friend as we grew up together. Jordan really could've been writing about us. He's always had a knack for portraying his women accurately and sensitively, just as women actually behave. The narrators Kate Reading and Michael Cramer are stars once again. I really couldn't imagine anyone else reading the books now. I'm very interested to see who Jordan will feature in his next prequel.

Moving forward .......2005-10-10

Although Short, New Spring provides the conclusion that you expected. Unlike the last 2 books this time you feel like the story moved ahead. This book brings back reminence of the first 2 books and gets you excited for the next book. You have to read this one if you have read the others.

Surprisingly good.......2005-10-02

I picked up this book at a vey reduced price as it's the only WOT book I never got around to reading. I've been reading many of the comments and yes, I agree with them all. As a Jordan fan I have felt much abused and misled and innundated with dress smoothing, embroidery, braid tugging, nancypancing that has dominated the last few books. The action from the last 4 books could have been summed up into two really cracking books. Yes I know it has it's own pace and whatnot, but the meat of the story is overembellished by Jordans almost obessive-compulsive writing flourishes.

Anyways, back to the New Spring book. Carrying all the Jordan fan baggage I picked up the book and was very pleasantly surprised. While there were plenty of girl giggling, "is this too much embroidery" moments, the pace moved fairly swiftly and most importantly, I began to care about the characters. Their motivations made sense to me and I was curious to see where fate would take them. I love the transformation of the character of Moiraine. I only wish we would have seen a little more Siuan, especially at the end. Lan remains a mystery, though a little less of one and you will understand by the end of the book the somewhat odd pairing of Warder and Aes Sedai.

I give the book 4 stars. It's worth reading on its own and I imagine would be an enjoyable read to even those unfamiliar with Jordans world.

I'm like a junkie...........2005-04-09

...trying to chase that high I got when I read the first one. Same old drudgery. Didn't learn anything new. I think it's a testament to the fact that the series has become so convulated with useless information, that people become excited when they reread information that has already been presented. Nothing in there is groundbreaking or even remotely anything new. I crack up over the fact that people find this book so interesting because it shows that even they don't remember that they have already read most of this information before. I also notice that most people who rate the series very high still, although not all, are people who have come into the series at a later date and not from the beginning. I used to love the series and have read it over and over again, always finding information that I had missed before, or subtleties that I had glazed over. Now, I can't even begin to tell you what is going on with who. There are so many characters and plots, that it's almost kind of silly. I would love to see an Org Chart of this series. If anyone knows of a website that has an Org chart displaying all current and open plots/characters, please post it here. I would love to see it. This would be a great eye opener to many people so they can see the true extent of craziness that is Robert Jordan plot/character mania.
In the end, we all want the same thing. A great story, with a great ending. I guarantee, if he doesn't wrap up it soon, all of those people who still love the rich and intricate writing of Robert Jordan, will be writing reviews about how you wish he would just wrap it up, and stop all the driveling nonsense. While the rest of us who are already there will be there to welcome you to the Robert Jordan Crisis Center for Stories that Contain too Much Information and Endless Long Winded Nothingness Plot Development. See y'all soon!

Quite Good!.......2005-01-26

This is a wonderful introduction to the beginning of the WoT series. Jordan does a great job of pulling us into the story. As the story unravels, we also get to discover a few new things, making some future events make more sense! It is a little slow-moving at spots, but I'm impatient. I'd recommend this book to any Robert Jordan fan!

The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2)

Average customer rating:

JmeascsKeinnon
Entertaining with some jarring moments
Good, bloated fantasy
A Solid Follow-up
Excellent Fantasy!

The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2)
Robert Jordan
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, Book 3)
The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book 1)
The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time, Book 4)
The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time, Book 5)
Lord of Chaos (The Wheel of Time, Book 6)

ASIN: 0812517725

Book Description

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. For centuries, gleemen have told of The Great Hunt of the Horn. Now the Horn itself is found: the Horn of Valere long thought only legend, the Horn which will raise the dead heroes of the ages.And it is stolen.

Customer Reviews:

JmeascsKeinnon.......2007-06-18

THis book is just great. The horn of Valere is stolen from fal Dara by Myrrdraal and something else...something even more powerful than a myrddraal, more deadly, more dangerous. Together, Rand, Lord Agelmar, Loial, and a handful of soldiers go to retrieve the horn. Rand meets Selene, a mysterious woman who appears to them in a world that could only be reached by one touching the One Power. however, she says she isn't Aes Sedai, and shows as much contempt for those so-called "Tar Valon witches" as for the Dark One himself. So who is she? I'll let you figure that out for yourselves. While Rand is busy meeting her, Egwene and Nynaeve set out for the White Tower, meeting Elayne and Min, minor characters in the Eye of the World. Their adventures lead them to a people more wicked then they had every dreamed possible; and also the discovery that the Black Ajah really exists.

However, the Wheel of Time also has its faults, like every book published.

Here are a few that i find particularly annoying.

. Characters can hardly think a sentence with out adding a, "Light!" or a, "Burn me/her!" or a, "Blood and ashes!",occasionaly a "Blood and Bloody ashes." At first i just found it amusing, but as the series progress these phrases start to appear at least once on every single page. Yes, annoying, repetetive, irritating...you get the point.

. Men, especially, Rand, are such fools. Are they always falling for woman merely because she looks good? It seems so. Rand moons after selene because, well, "Light, but she's beautiful." Sames for Egwene to Galad, "Light, he's so beautiful." Ugh! it's enough to drive one crazy, the way R. J makes such a point of this. Oh, well, the books already published, though.

Now, since i went through the negatives, i'd better do the credits, too. As follows...

. Cliff hanger on almost every chapter.

. New magical things, surprising and creative.

The Wheel of Time is a series worth its weight in gold. To read one book is like entering a whole new world, filled with prophesy, adventure, and plenty of magic; to read the next is like to live in that world, experience it for oneself. Robert Jordan is an exceptional and extraordinary writer; I highly recommend his books to anyone willing to get addicted to series.

Entertaining with some jarring moments.......2007-04-13

I found this version to be well done. The readers were dynamic, and seldom boring in tone. My one big issue with the presentation is the change on certain chapters to a different reader. Each of the two readers remain consistant in their seperate chapters with the pronuonciation of characters names and the names of places. However, the readers are not consistant with each other. This makes for some confusing moments as you try to figure out that a character is talking about the same thing/person/place that was being talked about just a chapter before. Someone who has read the series in paperback will have less of an issue, but I could see more problems for someone who is just being introduced to this book.
Otherwise, I enjoyed this audiobook. I have read all of Jordan's Wheel of Time series available, and this is an excellent presentation of his work in The Great Hunt. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good audiobook.

Good, bloated fantasy.......2007-03-30

The Great Hunt continues the saga of Rand al'Thor and his teen cronies as they search for the 'horn of valere' a mythic relic reputed to bring dead heroes back to life. Along the way, the group gets split up, several new characters are added, and revelations about Rand and his role in the upcoming battle unfolds.

I liked the Great Hunt more than the Wheel of time. The characters are slightly better written, more mature, and I liked the Seanchan. I also liked fewer dream sequences than the first and fewer appearances from the "I'm so eeeeeeevilll..." villain, Shai'tan.

Negatives: I admit I found Rand a bit tedious, though. Must every female character find him hot? Perhaps a bit of Mary-Suism there. The parts with the wookie-like Loial just held no interest for me. Also the Ais Sidai are quite stereotyped: all browns are nerdy introspective people, all reds are man-hating women, all greens idealistic.. A little too cliche for my tastes. Also, I fail to see the attraction as to why so many otherwise normal intelligent people would choose to be dark friends. The author fails to show what enticements/rewards the 'dark lord' offers for the service. Instead we see darkfriends hurt humiliated and abused. I ended up feeling sorry for most of them, which is not, I think what the author intended. Also, I think Paddon Faine has run his course, at least for this reader.

4 stars. Good. Could still use some editing and a few less characters.

A Solid Follow-up.......2007-03-18

Robert Jordan's the Great Hunt is a solid follow-up to the first novel in the Wheel of Time series, the Eye of the World. The Great Hunt features many of the same qualities as its predecessor, as well as some of the same pitfalls.

Jordan's writing has improved since the Eye of the World. His narration and descriptive passages remain stellar and he has also improved his dialog considerably. To put it simply, the Great Hunt is very well written. One of the biggest weaknesses of modern fantasy writing is mediocre authors depending on magic pulled out nowhere to suddenly save the heroes from an impossible situation (a la Terry Goodkind). For the most part, Jordan avoids this major pitfall, although the protagonist, Rand, does seem to develop abilities at the right time. Of course, he is growing into his powers so it is only logical for the development of abilities to occur over time. Jordan's writing style has one or two other weaknesses as well. After only two novels, the Wheel of Time lacks variety of story development. The vast majority of the story follows the characters traveling to where ever it is they are going. It seems like it takes two hundred pages to get to a place and five pages to move back to traveling. In addition to both novels being devoted mostly to traveling, a lot of the same things occur in each to the travelers. For example, in both novels, Rand gets separated from the rest of the group and is aided by a new character of questionable loyalties. However, many different things happen to the travelers in the Great Hunt, so the repetition is not overwhelming.

Although the Wheel of Time features a solid collection of likable and fairly realistic characters, Jordan does seem to have trouble creating a diverse group of female characters. Every main female character (there are around five at this point) is strong willed, intelligent, capable and have special abilities that few others have. While it is certainly nice to see a male author able to create strong female characters, Jordan seems unable or unwilling to create female characters from a different mold. The unfortunate effect of creating all these strong women is that the characters are very similar and have ultimately become defined by their relationship with male characters instead of their own character traits. Also, why is it that with so many of the female characters seem to fall in love with Rand so quickly? He is supposed to be an attractive young man, but so are others, like Perrin, and he is hardly a smooth talker. It just seems a little too much that so many intelligent, beautiful, strong female characters fall for him so easily.

Finally, the similarities with J.R.R. Tolkien which were so abundant in the Eye of the World do continue in the Great Hunt. As in the second of the Tolkien trilogy, The Two Towers, the heroes of the Great Hunt are pursuing a party of trollocs (orcs in the Lord of the Rings) who have stolen something, the Horn of Valere in the Great Hunt, Merry and Pippin in the Two Towers. Also, a character previously assumed dead returns as Gandalf did in the Two Towers. Despite the similarities, Jordan manages to make the events unique enough that the reader cannot easily predict the outcome based solely on how it happened in the Lord of the Rings.

Overall, the Great Hunt is every bit as good as the Eye of the World, and is definitely worth reading. Which one is better depends on your preference in a story. The Great Hunt focuses more on character development and plot progression while the Eye of the World is focused on world and character building. But whether the series drops off later on or not, no one should regret reading the Great Hunt.

Excellent Fantasy!.......2007-03-09

Great characters and fast paced. I listened to the book on CD while driving, and enjoyed it very much.

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