"Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burn us, yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last Battle, and his blood shall give"Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burn us, yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last Battle, and his blood shall give us the Light. Let tears flow, O ye people of the world. Weep for your salvation!"
In the depths of the Blight, the armies of the Dark One are marshalling their power. In the Westlands, Rand al’Thor and his allies are preparing for the coming storm. The Last Battle looms above all, and the Dragon Reborn prepares to face the full strength of Shai’tan and defeat the Shadow one last time…
I must admit something that might come as a shock to most of you: When I finished A Memory of Light, it was probably my least favourite Wheel of Time book. And that is not simply because the series ends here, or because I was unhappy with how things turned out (though I was). It was for a variety of reasons.
Now, I had written two long paragraphs where I heavily criticised the book for those reasons. Partly because I now disagree with myself, and partly because I choose to ignore the book’s flaws, those paragraphs have now mysteriously disappeared, never to be seen again. Suffice it to say that the book could have finished off in a better way, but that what we have is satisfying enough.
And of course, this is Wheel of Time. I don’t really care about what I didn’t like. I want to talk about what I loved instead.
So why was this a satisfying conclusion? There are seven reasons for that, four or which are scenes or details in the book. The fifth is the best title of any fantasy book ever. The sixth is the fact that this is a Wheel of Time book and despite some minor disappointment, this is the ending to my favourite fantasy series of all time. The seventh is the fact that this is another of those books that I just love more and more for each moment that passes after having finished it.
As for those four scenes, one is Rand’s gathering of all the factions and nations of the world early in the book, simply because of the arrival of one single very important character. The other three are in the epilogue. And the epilogue, the only chapter in the book to be written single-handedly by Robert Jordan, is the crowning glory of A Memory of Light and one of the best chapters in the whole series. It contains arguably the most emotional scene in the series. It contains an absodamnlutely perfect ending paragraph which makes you think “But of course it ends like that!” And after said paragraph, it contains a repetition of my favourite non-Tolkien fantasy quote. I am eternally grateful to Jordan for using that quote to end the series, and I will also use it to end my last Wheel of Time review…
And it came to pass in those days, as it had come before and would come again, that the Dark lay heavy on the land and weighed down the hearts of men, and the green things failed, and hope died. And men cried out to the Creator, saying, O Light of the Heavens, Light of the World, let the Promised One be born of the mountain, according to the prophecies, as he was in ages past and will be in ages to come. Let the Prince of the Morning sing to the land that green things will grow and the valleys give forth lambs. Let the arm of the Lord of the Dawn shelter us from the Dark, and the great sword of justice defend us. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.
Side by side they rode down the hill and turned south. Behind them the sky rumbled and turned black, another late storm rolling down from the BlighSide by side they rode down the hill and turned south. Behind them the sky rumbled and turned black, another late storm rolling down from the Blight.
Beautiful. I didn't realise how much I missed Jordan's writing until I got into it again. I've been saving this book for a long time, but finally had to give in and read it. Not a bad decision.
This is not the best Wheel of Time book, and I'd say only devoted fans who have read at least most of the main series should even consider it, but I found it to be quite wonderful.
One fact, though, turned up again and again in those tales. The Laurel Crown of Illian had been given a new name. The Crown of Swords. And for some reaOne fact, though, turned up again and again in those tales. The Laurel Crown of Illian had been given a new name. The Crown of Swords. And for some reason, men and women who told the tales often found a need to add almost identical words. The storm is coming, they said, staring southward in worry. The storm is coming.
Whooooooosh.
That’s just the sound of the plot development being blown out the window.
A Crown of Swords is the slowest Wheel of Time book so far, by a clear mile. If you think any of the previous books were slow, you’re in for a surprise. But then again, if you’ve started reading this series, or even intend to read it at some point, you’ve probably already been warned several times that yes, this series does become incredibly slow at some point. There’s no need for me to repeat that here.
Nothing happened in this book. So why did I still like it so much? The answer is simple. Because Robert Jordan is the best worldbuilder in fantasy since Tolkien. These last few books in the series have been able to give me a feeling I’ve only had with two works of fantasy before. It’s impossible to describe, but exclusively positive. And that makes me blind to the books’ flaws, most importantly the lack of plot development. I don’t care about that. I just want to spend more time in this world.
And finally the protagonists seem to have grown up a bit. Mat is turning into a great character, Egwene has already been awesome for a while, Rand becomes more and more of an interesting protagonist, Nynaeve has improved a lot and even Aviendha is considerably less annoying. I don’t think I hate anyone anymore. Besides Elaida. The Dark One take you, Elaida.
Usually my reviewing style includes a plot synopsis at the beginning, but through experience I’ve come to the realisation that it’s most often a huge Usually my reviewing style includes a plot synopsis at the beginning, but through experience I’ve come to the realisation that it’s most often a huge advantage when the book actually has a plot.
This was essentially Interlude: the Book. No plot development, no character development, no setting development, no... development. At all. And you don't need to tell me it gets worse. I know.
The chapters written from the viewpoint of the main protagonists are downright boring. Quite the opposite is true for the chapters written from the viewpoint of minor characters, like the Forsaken, the Seanchan and the Black Ajah. But unfortunately, there are so depressingly few of them.
Then we have people being stupid, other people being incomprehensibly stupid, the development of what has the potential to be the worst love plot in fantasy, and Faile being Faile (that’s the worst part).
And the only real redeeming quality of the book is called Cadsuane Melaidhrin.
The only reason this doesn't get two stars is because it's a Wheel of Time book and it allows me to spend more time in this wonderful world. But if I were to be objective, it's definitely closer to two stars than three.
At least I read most of the book in less than twenty-four hours. That must count for something. Though the book was only 672 pages, which is barely even a novella by Robert Jordan’s standards.
Fortunately, I still love the series a lot more than when I was reading the first three books. And this changes nothing.
We rode on the winds of the rising storm, We ran to the sounds of the thunder. We danced among the lightning bolts, and tore the world asunder.
Is CrossroWe rode on the winds of the rising storm, We ran to the sounds of the thunder. We danced among the lightning bolts, and tore the world asunder.
Is Crossroads of Twilight the weakest Wheel of Time book I've read so far? Probably.
Is it still amazing? Pfft, it's a Wheel of Time book. Of course it is.
In terms of plot development, this book has nothing to offer. Absolutely nothing. But the world and the characters are so fantastic I don't even mind. And since for the first time, none of the protagonists act like whiny teenagers, I want to read the next one straight away.
“Storms rumble beyond the horizon, and the fires of heaven purge the earth. There is no salvation without destruction, no hope this side of death.”
The“Storms rumble beyond the horizon, and the fires of heaven purge the earth. There is no salvation without destruction, no hope this side of death.”
The White Tower is shattered by a brutal struggle for power. The remaining Forsaken enter the fray, as kings and queens dance to their tunes in secret. And the greatest army the Westlands have seen in thousands of years emerge from the Waste, as the clans of the Aiel cross the Spine of the World at the command of He Who Comes With The Dawn.
The Fires of Heaven is unfortunately not as interesting as previous instalments in the Wheel of Time series. To briefly summarise, there were three hundred pages of following a travelling circus, chapter upon chapter of nothing happening in the Aiel Waste, very little action at all, and quite a lot of talking. And precious little interesting talking, mind you.
Still, reading this book was like taking a break after a long and tedious workout session. Its most important strength was that the main characters, previously dubbed the worst characters in fantasy by this particular reviewer, seems to have improved immensely. Rand al'Thor, while further exploring the depths of madness, behaves rather civilly for once; both Egwene and Mat turn into characters I can respect, perhaps even like; Aviendha and Nynaeve have become almost tolerable; and Perrin and Faile don't even appear. So in one way at least, this was a series highlight so far.
Min's early POV chapters were great, and so were Rand's late ones. Watching Siuan Sanche race across the countryside with a gentled false Dragon in tow and encountering a bunch of interesting characters was perfectly enjoyable. As was reading about the Aiel and their second crossing of the Spine of the World. So there were certainly great parts included in this book as well.
The ending was definitely not as good as the one in The Shadow Rising, but neither would anyone expect it to be. The book as a whole was unremarkable and not particularly impressive, but the (almost) complete lack of negative qualities made me able to appreciate the insane worldbuilding skills of Robert Jordan even more. And for the first time in a while, I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Winter's Heart gets three stars since it's the weakest Wheel of Time book I've read so far, alongside The Path of Daggers. However, that doesn't mean Winter's Heart gets three stars since it's the weakest Wheel of Time book I've read so far, alongside The Path of Daggers. However, that doesn't mean it really deserves three stars. This put me in a difficult situation, because this rating is in comparison with the other WoT books. On the other hand, it is quite a lot better than several books I've rated four stars.
The problem with this one is one you probably know about. The plot development is gone. Still, I absodamnlutely love this world, this writing and (some of) these characters.
I don't think there is any more for me to say. This is book #9 after all.
And so I've completed my last Robert Jordan book in a while. And a great one it was. I didn't quite feel that it was on the level of the early great oAnd so I've completed my last Robert Jordan book in a while. And a great one it was. I didn't quite feel that it was on the level of the early great ones like The Eye of the World, The Shadow Rising and Lord of Chaos, but it definitely takes the pace up after three almost disappointingly mediocre books.
In Knife of Dreams, interesting things start happening again, and we start moving towards a conclusion. I'm in doubt whether that's actually a positive thing, seeing as that means this all has to end...
Now it's up to Brandon Sanderson to determine whether this series will pass A Song of Ice and Fire as my second favourite fantasy.
"The lions sing and the hills take flight. The moon by day, and the sun by night. Blind woman, deaf man, jackdaw fool. Let the Lord of Chaos rule."
The"The lions sing and the hills take flight. The moon by day, and the sun by night. Blind woman, deaf man, jackdaw fool. Let the Lord of Chaos rule."
There is no going back. The Wheel of Time is now officially one of my favourite series of all time. At times while reading I got this weird, amazing feeling that only two other works of fantasy have given me before. There was something this sixth book had that took me over the edge and far down the other side. Or more specifically, something this book did not have.
This series has in my eyes had two huge problems barring it from a place among the very best fantasy epics out there. First, that the plot development is so slow it sometimes feels like watching the grass grow. Second, that the protagonists are the most frustrating, stupid, stubborn, arrogant idiots you’ll ever find in any series. And thanks be to some miracle, that second issue seems to have evaporated into thin air. While reading this book I found myself loving Mat and Egwene, feeling positively indifferent towards most of the others, and actually starting to like even Rand himself.
And when you have an absodamnlutely amazing series and take away its single biggest problem, you’re left with… well, an absodamnlutely amazing series. Slow plot development or no, without the horrible characters that sometimes made me want to throw these books in the closest wall, I am truly able to appreciate the epic work of a man whom I would now describe as the best fantasy writer and world-builder since Tolkien himself.
This was not the best Wheel of Time book so far, but it deserves all the stars simply for turning me into an adoring fan. And sure… tons of political intrigue, Forsaken point-of-view chapters, a Whitecloak actually being bloody awesome, and a return to the eerily wonderful Shadar Logoth; it all did help.
I read this book on a train ride from St. Pancras to Gatwick, and a flight from there to JFK. 1245 pages. In a 1-hour train ride and a 7-hour flight.
II read this book on a train ride from St. Pancras to Gatwick, and a flight from there to JFK. 1245 pages. In a 1-hour train ride and a 7-hour flight.
It was difficult to read while opening and eating the meals served on the plane, and equally difficult to concentrate while the flight attendant was asking whether I was aware there was a video screen as well (to which I politely replied "Yes, thank you." while really thinking "Go away, I'm reading."), but I prevailed in the end.
“Ravens and crows. Rats Mists and clouds. Insects and corruption. Strange events and odd occurrences. The ordinary twisted and strange. Wonders!
The de“Ravens and crows. Rats Mists and clouds. Insects and corruption. Strange events and odd occurrences. The ordinary twisted and strange. Wonders!
The dead are beginning to walk and some see them. Others do not, but more and more, we all fear the night.
These have been our days. They rain upon us beneath a dead sky, crushing us with their fury, until as one we beg: "Let it begin!"
-Journal of the Unknown Scholar, entry for The Feast of Freia, 1000 NE”
Tarmon Gai’don is looming. War, death and madness have become part of day-to-day life in the Westlands as the final struggle with the Shadow is at hand…
The Gathering Storm is the first of the three books written after the Creator’s passing. Brandon Sanderson does not disappoint, especially because his influence is practically invisible. There are differences, of course. But apart from the minor change in writing style, this is still very much Robert Jordan. Light be praised.
Storylines are finally moving towards an end. A couple of major revelations are dropped. And Egwene al’Vere is the obvious star of the show. Who would have thought?
“The end is near," Moridin said. "The Wheel has groaned its final rotation, the clock has lost its spring, the serpent heaves its final gasps.”
“The Shadow shall rise across the world, and darken every land, even to the smallest corner, and there shall be neither Light nor safety. And he who s“The Shadow shall rise across the world, and darken every land, even to the smallest corner, and there shall be neither Light nor safety. And he who shall be born of the Dawn, born of the Maiden, according to Prophecy, he shall stretch forth his hands to catch the Shadow, and the world shall scream in the pain of salvation. All Glory be to the Creator, and to the Light, and to he who shall be born again. May the Light save us from him.
The People of the Dragon hold the Stone of Tear, and mighty Callandor lies in the hands of the Dragon Reborn. The prophecies are being fulfilled one by one. But in the tombs of Shayol Ghul, the seals are being broken. The Black Ajah grows stronger by each passing day. And the Forsaken return to the world of men, heralding the coming of the Dark One. And a group of ordinary men and women from the village of Emond’s Field are left to combat the Shadow Rising.
The Shadow Rising is in many ways the best book in The Wheel of Time series so far. But unfortunately there are a few negative parts too. For the first three hundred pages or so, our heroes do not take a single step away from Tear, though some of them try. The storyline is put completely on hold as Rand and his companions take a break in the Stone, which is rather unfortunate in a fantasy series that’s already this long. Still, the politics of Tear and the mysteries of its great fortress are interesting enough to keep the reader entranced even through the dreary chapters.
My main issues with this book lie with certain characters. The first of those is Faile, Perrin’s exotic love interest. As a knife-wielding rogue who ran away from her family to become a Hunter of the Horn of Valere, Faile could have been… no, should have been a very interesting character. However, that is not the case, as she spends the entirety of the book acting like a spoiled child whose stubbornness makes Rand seem rather normal in comparison. The second character is Aviendha, a Maiden of the Spear whose only purpose in this book is to yell at Rand and whine about him supposedly having mistreated Elayne. And the third is Dain Bornhald, a Whitecloak captain who has decided to blame Perrin for his father’s death and devotes his life to see him hang as a Darkfriend. Perrin’s innocence is completely irrelevant to Bornhald’s hatred.
On the positive side, the book is almost flawless otherwise. It has some of the best scenes in the series so far; in Rhuidean, the holy place of the Aiel, and in the White Tower. Characters like Rand, Nynaeve, Perrin and Egwene, who frustrated me immensely in book two and three, seem to have grown up a little. We also get to see more of the Forsaken reveal themselves, learn more about the history of the Aiel and visit new places. It is difficult to say any more about the book without revealing details about the plot, so I’ll leave you to figure the rest out for yourselves. But in the end, I would say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and that it was probably my favourite Wheel of Time book so far.
"And the Shadow fell upon the land, and the world was riven stone from stone. The oceans fled, and the mountains were swallowed up, and the nations we"And the Shadow fell upon the land, and the world was riven stone from stone. The oceans fled, and the mountains were swallowed up, and the nations were scattered to the eight corners of the World. The moon was as blood, and the sun was as ashes. The seas boiled, and the living envied the dead. All was shattered, and all but memory lost, and one memory above all others, of him who brought the Shadow and the Breaking of the World. And him they named Dragon.
And it came to pass in those days, as it had come before and would come again, that the Dark lay heavy on the land and weighed down the hearts of men, and the green things failed, and hope died. And men cried out to the Creator, saying, O Light of the Heavens, Light of the World, let the Promised One be born of the mountain, according to the prophecies, as he was in ages past and will be in ages to come. Let the Prince of the Morning sing to the land that green things will grow and the valleys give forth lambs. Let the arm of the Lord of the Dawn shelter us from the Dark, and the great sword of justice defend us. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time."
I have read a lot of books throughout my mere twenty years of life. Some deeply fascinating, others not so much. And every once in a while I am able to lay my eyes on something truly extraordinary. One of those is definitely The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan.
This is not a book turning fantasy literature on its head, or even providing the genre with major changes. When reading it, I was quite easily able to find strong similarities with lots of previous works of fantasy and science fiction, including The Lord of the Rings, Dune and Shannara. It is not among the most innovative books I have read. It is not among the most exciting books I have read. It is, however, a stunning work of pure quality which deserves to be read by all fantasy enthusiasts out there.
I do not intend to write in great lengths about the story and the characters in this review, and I feel that I have already mentioned what needs to be mentioned. Most of you have already read this book. Those who have not, should really take the time and effort to do so. It is absolutely worth it.
When I had read more books in the series, it had grown more and more in my estimate. Even at that early stage, this was definitely one of my favourite fantasy series ever. And definitely the best example of fantasy worldbuilding since Tolkien. At that point I was starting to wonder whether I actually considered it better than even my beloved A Song of Ice and Fire, but only time would tell there.
After two years of reading, the longest I have ever spent on one single story, I have reached the end. And because of my never-ending obsession with favourites, I can finally make the official statement: Wheel of Time is my favourite fantasy series of all time. That still means it is surpassed by Tolkien's works, which do not make up a series, but this is just about the highest praise I can give.
It has its boring parts just as it has its brilliant parts. It has endless descriptions of brain-tugging and Jordan's ridiculously annoying battle of the sexes. It has the worst protagonists I have ever met in fictional literature. And so much more. But I don't care.
Because it also has the most magnificent setting you could possibly imagine. It has brilliant characters, wondrous and fantastic places, and deep and thrilling backstories wherever you turn. Not to even mention Robert Jordan's astounding writing.
The best part about Wheel of Time is that it gives me a feeling only one book has been able to give me before. One. It should be needless to name that one, but this is definitely high praise coming from me.
So treat this series like an exquisite wine. Save it for the perfect occasion, and then savour every drop. It can be a challenge to get through, but it is definitely worth it.
This is in my eyes fantasy as it should be written.
"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again."
"The alarm gongs sent echoes crashing through the Stone, but Rand paid no more attention to them than he had to the roar that had come before, like mu"The alarm gongs sent echoes crashing through the Stone, but Rand paid no more attention to them than he had to the roar that had come before, like muffled thunder from somewhere below. His side ached, the old wound burned, strained almost to tearing by the climb up the side of the fortress. He gave the pain no heed, either. A crooked smile was fixed on his face, a smile of anticipation and dread he could not have wiped away if he had wanted to. It was close now. What he had dreamed of. Callandor."
Rand al'Thor has finally, and very reluctantly, embraced his destiny as the Dragon Reborn after the events at Almoth Plain. But his face is known throughout the nations now, and he is hunted relentlessly by the numerous followers of the Shadow. Thus begins a new journey, and at its end lies the Stone of Tear, the impregnable fortress of the Tairen in the far south.
The Dragon Reborn, while not reaching the same level as The Eye of the World, is certainly an improvement from The Great Hunt. The story is more compelling, new villains arise, and the childishness, the completely unfounded arrogance and the insufferable stupidity of the main characters is finally starting to wear off. But it is not gone. Rand himself is barely appearing in this book, and both Mat and Nynaeve seem to be improving considerably. Perrin and Egwene, however, stand ready to assume the inglorious mantle of the worst characters.
Mostly, though, this book is a solid addition to the story of the Wheel of Time, and the ending is great, leaving the reader excited for the next volume, The Shadow Rising.
That's all there is to say, really. Those of you who have already read this knows what it is about. And those who haven't yet, should do so!
“And it shall come to pass that what man made shall be shattered, and the Shadow shall lie across the Pattern of Age, and the Dark One shall once more“And it shall come to pass that what man made shall be shattered, and the Shadow shall lie across the Pattern of Age, and the Dark One shall once more lay his hand upon the world of man. Women shall weep and men quail as the nations of the earth are rent like rotting cloth. Neither shall anything stand nor abide... Yet one shall be born to face the Shadow, born once more as he was born before and shall be born again, time without end. The Dragon shall be Reborn, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth at his rebirth. In sackcloth and ashes shall he clothe the people, and he shall break the world again by his coming, tearing apart all ties that bind. Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burns us, yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last battle, and his blood shall give us the Light. Let tears flow, O ye people of the world. Weep for your salvation."
The Great Hunt begins right where The Eye of the World left off, with our heroes still sheltering within the walls of Fal Dara. But soon enough, the fragile peace is shattered. The Amyrlin Seat arrives from Tar Valon, with dozens of Aes Sedai by her side. The Horn of Valere is mysteriously stolen from within the keep itself, along with the terrible dagger from Shadar Logoth. And from the borderlands in the far north, a new journey begins to recover what was stolen.
Already in the first few pages of the prologue, the reader is made aware of the dangers that lurk in the shadows. The darkfriends are everywhere. Nobles from all across the nations secretly serve the Great Lord of the Dark. Even the Children of the Light have been infiltrated by the servants of the Shadow. And in the halls of Tar Valon roams the Black Ajah; an eight Ajah and a secret fraternity containing those of the Aes Sedai who have given themselves to the Dark One.
While the battle rages on between light and shadow, new forces emerge on the horizon to make their impact on the world. In the east, groups of Aielmen come out of the Spine of the World in search of the Dragon Reborn. On the western shores, the Seanchan, claiming to be the descendants of Artur Hawkwing's armies, arrive from beyond the Aryth ocean to conquer the world once more. And in Cairhien, Daes dae'mar, the Great Game, is being played by the noble houses with increasing brutality and ruthlessness, and the threat of civil war is becoming more and more real.
"It is never over, al'Thor."
The characters are what really shape this book, for good or ill, and one of the most interesting characters from the world of the Wheel of Time is Padan Fain. From being a seemingly mad darkfriend in the dungeons of Fal Dara, he is sprung from his prison when the Horn is stolen, and after going along with the group of Trollocs and darkfriends for a while, he assumes leadership of it by nailing a Myrddraal to a village wall. From that point on, Fain becomes a villainous mastermind.
The matter of the main characters is sadly enough a totally different one. On the positive side, Mat and Perrin seem to be improving by each passing chapter. Egwene is as she was in the first book: a dull, uninteresting character with not much of a personality at all. And Nynaeve continues to astound me with her uncontrollable temper and her completely unfounded hatred towards Moiraine.
Nevertheless, there is only one reason why this book got only four stars from me, and that reason even has a name: Rand al'Thor. I know some of you who read this will not agree with what I'm saying, but so far Rand is just the worst main character I've ever read about. He refuses to acknowledge the truth of anything, he shuns and apparently even despises those who would help him and accuses them of trying to use him, and he's blind towards being manipulated by mostly everyone else. Nynaeve can be quite irritating occasionally, but Rand constantly left me wanting to throw the book in a wall somewhere.
Fortunately there are more than enough interesting supporting characters to read about: Geofram Bornhald, such a rarity as a benevolent Whitecloak commander; the beautiful and mysterious lady Selene, encountered by Rand and Loial in a different world; Bayle Domon, Verin Sedai and many more.
The Great Hunt is in most aspects a better book than The Eye of the World. The writing is flawless, and both the storyline and the setting is perhaps even more interesting in the second volume than in the first. I considered giving this book five stars like I gave that one, but in the end I came to the conclusion that Rand al'Thor alone was by far enough reason to remove one star (at points when reading I was wondering if this was a three-star read), and other main characters were not good enough for a five-star rating either. In the end though, the book was entertaining enough with a great ending, and it managed to build the suspense leading to the next volume in the series.
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