So I have read all his books to date and I can say this! Robert Jordan does not disappoint. These are fantasy books which seem to have some linking to reality certain symbols and races in the book mimic stuff found in real life.
It follows the story of Rand Al'Thor and his young friends as they are swept up into an adventure from their sleepy little town. It has lots of different events taking place at the same time and lots of really good characters. Sometimes though, certain secondary characters names will get jumbled cause they sound the same.
Robert Jordan never got to finish his series (he was on the last book) when he died of the rare disease he had. Though he left a lot of notes and other stuff for his last book to written, he left off at 11.
I was extremely heart broken that I could not finish his saga he had created and it is a terrible shame that he died before he could finish it.
One thing I will say is that do not read this series too quickly, trust me on that, or else you may get bored and start to not like it. Read at a leisurely pace and everything will stay fresh and exciting!
I recommend this to anyone who likes long tales and really good magic. Intrigues and political plots, love triangles and just plain good writing!
Books:
1. The Eye of the World
2. The Great Hunt
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. The Shadow Rising
5. The Fires of Heaven
6. Lord of Chaos
7. A Crown of Swords
8. The Path of Daggers
9. Winter's Heart
10. Crossroads of Twilight
11. Knife of Dreams
12. A Memory of Light
RIP Kurt von D. Father figure to me, friend, and all around good human being. (July 22nd, 2010).
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Reverse patronizing = troll lol
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If today is all we see, then tomorrow seems to me
Is just and illusion we believe.
~~
You should try and click a couple ads on Funender each day to generate some revenue.
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YES! I finally finished ten books of this series a couple of days ago. It took me about four months to complete them... all summer. The eleventh book was not included with the collection I bought. Probably I will buy it with the twelfth when it is released, depends on my mood.
Anyway;
The Wheel of Time series is much better than I had expected, at least the first few books. The Eye of the World is a magnificent book and the Great Hunt is even better. I believe the Great Hunt is my favourite book in the entire series. I love the world Robert Jordan has created, unbelievable land with its own culture, compelling history, superstitions and legends. The attention to detail and the realism of politics are simply brilliant. The writing and the complexity of the plot lines are impressive. The simplest actions and activities are able to grab the attention of the reader.
The title of the third book "The Dragon Reborn" gave me the wrong impression. I expected the entire book to be about Rand, but he was hardly ever mentioned in it. I didn't really like the third book as much as the first two but the adventures did keep me entertained. The forth book, The Shadow Rising, is better than the third one in my opinion. Its subject matter is very interesting. The detailed history and the mysteries in it were such a joy to read. Unlike the third book; I can say that the characters did accomplish something. It made up for the absence of Rand and the lack of character development in the Dragon Reborn.
While reading The Fires of Heaven, I spent most of the time wondering; where is Loial? Perrin wasn't mentioned in the book as well. I am not a fan of him, but main characters shouldn't be left out. Many useless secondary characters were added and others that had died somehow came back to life. Some were really good characters, but he had to play the life and death game. I found it very annoying. One good thing about this book is that Rand finally accepts the facts and starts doing some real action.
By then, the female characters had completely driven me mad, none of them has some originality in any way. They are so arrogant and their every act is very childish and immature. Their appearance is similar, their thoughts are very similar, their main conversations revolve around men men men and even the way they complain about them is very similar. Especially Nynaeve, she got on my last nerve. Also they seemed to be developing in the same direction, that's if actually developing in the first place.
In the Lord of Chaos the main plot slowed down significantly, if it wasn't completely lost. More than a couple of things bothered me in this one; the creation of new story lines, the unexplained disappearance of some old ones and the addition of another 100 characters. Yeah, the writing is still good and improved in a way. However, Robert Jordan started giving so much details on matters he shouldn't be going so deep into and summarizing the matters that deserve a chapter or more.
Another thing, I also didn't like the love stories, most of them, if not all, are "love at first sight" kind of stories. Stories I am not a fan of. I don't know how some couples fell in love in the first place. For example; Lan and Nynaeve.
The main characters continued to get lost in the seventh book, and irrelevant plot lines and secondary characters continued to increase. It felt like a worse edition of the sixth book. And the names of those minor characters are so... aahhhh... my head hurts.
Personally, I think the Path of Daggers is a disaster! It has absolutely no originality. Pages and pages and pages... and pages only describing the weather. WTF?! There is zero story development in this book. Mat wasn't even mentioned in it! By then, the writing had became repetitive and very predictable for me. Robert Jordan has used certain analogies and metaphors more than enough. The series started to get boring. To be honest I started skimming the pages that sound "too familiar"... most of them do.
I found Winter's Heart much better than its two most recent predecessors. Though it sure didn't have the same action and suspense the first few books had. Robert Jordan finally moves the main plot lines forward. I was so glad to see some issues are finally resolved. I really enjoyed reading about Mat in this book, Rand as well, and I was happy to see the juvenile romances absent and women and men are finally working together effectively. Still I had some serious problems remembering who is who. The secondary characters are just so many, their names are very similar and they rhyme... Daigian, Dagin...? Bevedine, Beradine... Moadine... I am not even sure such names exist in the story...? Their stories don't want to end. Why don't they just die?!
I liked how Robert Jordan ignored Nynave in Crossroads of Twilight, I couldn't stand her anymore, but he really "shouldn't" ignore a main character. I hate it when he does it. Sadly, Rand and Lan aren't in the book either. Isn't Rand supposed to be the main character or something?! This book mainly describes the clothes of a thousand character, the headaches the characters have, the kind of tea each Aes Sedai is having, the description of every tone of voice of each word was spoken again and again and again and again... and again...
and again...
and again... even the magic disappeared. After long nine books I have grown to know the characters very well, I find it very disturbing to be informed of their every tone of voice in the exact same words and sentences. There is so much talking going on but serious lack of meaningful conversations. The writing language became tasteless in this book. In my opinion, the tenth book is second worse after the eighth, if not the tenth is the worst of all. And because of this book, which is the last I read, it will depend on my mood whether to read the eleventh or not. I expect it to be the same.
Robert Jordan is a very talented writer. His death is definitely a great loss for everyone.
I will not give the series 10/10, since I never give 10's. However, I can see the reasons why you would give the first four books or so 10's, but the later books? They don't deserve it.
(Edit: I'm sorry for reviving an old thread if that's a problem.)
4 Months... Holy crap! That's some fast reading! Winter's Heart made me hate Perrin sooo much. But the best scene is the end.
I'm just glad someone else had read them... I think you'll enjoy the 11th book... If remember it, since it's been a while. I believe Rand does some ridiculous things.
I hate Perrin as well and I try and speed read his chapters, I have to agree with you on Nynave thing uhh... I love Rand and Mat as characters, Loyial is in there as well, but as for main characters, Rand and Matt awesome.... I think the reasoning behind leaving out certain characters is that each main character (of the 3 men) need to be developed equally. I think Mat is in the 11th book a lot more than the others.
I don't know why Rand hadn't done anything against Taim though.... Oh well, I hate that he didn't get to finish his series, my friend who is really into these books and his taking his English degree says the new authors sentence structure and stuff isn't Jordan... Which is to be expected, but I would have loved to read the books the way Jordan wanted them to end, even though he'd made notes and tape recordings so someone could finish the books....
Sorry I'm writing this kinda quick and not fleshing it out as I'd like to (since discussing these books is always a good time).
Oh about certain characters coming back
Hidden:
Do you think that Moraine is going to come back since they hinted that she is in the Tower of Genji, which is that tower they see in the distance on the boat (maybe Great Hunt or Eye of the World).
RIP Kurt von D. Father figure to me, friend, and all around good human being. (July 22nd, 2010).
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Reverse patronizing = troll lol
~~
If today is all we see, then tomorrow seems to me
Is just and illusion we believe.
~~
You should try and click a couple ads on Funender each day to generate some revenue.
~~
I read everyday for long hours and I fast read the last four books.
Rand has his moments, but Mat's chapters are always fun to read. I like Asmodean a lot too, very interesting character and contributed in Rand's character development. Unfortunately, me and Robert Jordan seem to disagree on who should be gone and who should stay. I hope the explanations I've been waiting to read about will be provided in the next books.
The series is very character based, the characterization is too perfect, it's clearly shown in the last few books, I think it caused the loss of credibility. That's why I find it difficult for me to like most of the characters, especially since they lack development most of the times.
Hidden:
Yeah, I think Moiraine is coming back. Min's comments and visions are enough evidences, Min can't be wrong. I think there are other things that refer to her return as well.
I hope to get back into the habit of reading a lot, seeing as I am taking a general elective course called "Reading for Recreation". Not the greatest course but it gives me the excuse of leaving the computer alone for a while and picking up a good book. A bonus is now I have some new books to try and find such as Margret Atwood's Oryx and Crake.
I think the greatest thing about the Rand, Mat and Perrin is something that my friends and I thought too. Each one of them thinks the others understand women totally. I believe that is one reason I love Jordan, I can relate to all of them concerning certain topics that spring up. Rand, Mat and Perrin are different but have similar qualities since they grew up as best friends or at least that is how I see it.
After I read your post I looked on-line to see what others were saying and most people agree with you on the later books slowing down a crap load.
I'll agree as well, he introduced some major new plot lines while not finishing the old ones. Though seeing as the last book, got split into 3 volumes I wouldn't be surprised if he tied up a bunch of loose threads in the Pattern (thought I throw in a pun
0.0)
I'll admit after reading your post I did think back and now I do see that the women, with the exception of Moraine (from what I remember) seem to follow a certain mold. Which I will say is regrettable, but can a man truly understand the mind of a woman? I think each author whether male of female will make their own gender characters a little more full and less flat, unless they try really hard not to fall into using stereotypical characters to fill the roles they need.
I say get the 11th book ASAP (as soon as possible). Though at the end I was depressed (I've said this a thousand times) because I knew the next and most important book in the series will not be written by Jordan. I almost want to just see his notes and hear his audio recordings instead of reading another author's word choice and writing style... It's so sad. The world usually takes away things too good for it.
Plot stuff here so anyone reading this don't look in:
Hidden:
I think using a power like Min's to basically force foreshadow is an interesting concept since her visions are never wrong, but I think like a tapestry or pattern it can change and Min's true ability is giving finality to someone's destiny when she views it whether she knows what she is seeing or not. I think that until she looks at you or views you, you still have some sway as to whether or not you might do something, but when she does view you it asserts itself into the pattern.
One thing that kinda irked me was the fact that the dark one could bring back all the Foresaken not killed by balefire (which is a interesting magic invention). Since I don't know the story by the actual books (the story is just one big one in my memory and I kinda remember what happens in certain books), I won't say anything right now, but I know they cleanse the source in Winter's Heart. Do the ter'angreal break after they do that? Because I'm sure Rand could just go to those giant sa'angreal statues and destroy the Dark One with the amount of source he could channel through them, especially if a strong female was linked to him or a circle of women all channeling through the sa'angreal. Though he might destroy the Pattern. Which is one way to stop the Wheel of Time I would guess, though that would be a bit drastic measure to stop the Dark One.
Which leads me to another point, why is it most of the time the evil in the world author's create actually physically touch the world(The Dark One) while the good (The Creator who I guess could be neutral) do not, or do it in a subtle way. I mean, a lot of books I read do this. I think it's too much based on what people believe happen in the real world or something based kinda on Christianity (this is what I think anyway).
Oh something that just popped into my mind, Rand dealing with the wounds and burns. Something Christ like... He had heron burns on his palms and a wound on his side, which I could see Jordan mirroring the story of Christ in that Christ had nails in his palms and from what I've read gets a spear stabbed into his abdomen.
Basically Rand is suffering for everyone else which, I believe makes him fit into a Christ Archetype(If such an archetype exists).
I could bather on and on but I'll put a hold there.
RIP Kurt von D. Father figure to me, friend, and all around good human being. (July 22nd, 2010).
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Reverse patronizing = troll lol
~~
If today is all we see, then tomorrow seems to me
Is just and illusion we believe.
~~
You should try and click a couple ads on Funender each day to generate some revenue.
~~
Robert Jordan being a male is not an excuse for the similarity of women's characterization
There are many writers, men and women, who were able to create original characters with different personalities of both genders. I would hate to presume that Robert Jordan saw all the women in the world like Nynaeve, Egwene and others, because if that's the case I would feel offended. I agree that men are unable to fully understand women, and those who "do" blame half of women's action on their hormones and the other half on their "craziness", but what do I know. Anyway; in later books, statements like "I will never understand women like Rand/Mat/Perrin does" and "Men are idiots" become very repetitive and annoying.
Yes, yes, the story lacks some plot advancement in the last books and is really slow. I fell asleep while reading The Path of Daggers (I think it was this one) and woke up the next morning with three marks on my face, because of the glasses, that lasted for three days or so lol.
I know I should try to get the 11th book now, especially since I heard lately that the 12th book is to be released sooner than I thought and I sure do want to read the next two books before I forget the other half of the characters. I usually don't buy books as soon as they are released since my pocket can't handle it, but probably I will with this one. At this point I just want to know how the series is going to end and how it is possible for ALL the stories to reach an end. So I think I can handle it if the thoughts are Jordan's and the writing is done by someone else, it's not the same I know, but what can we do.
Hidden:
"especially if a strong female was linked to him" Yeah, this is why I think Moiraine is going to come back. One of Min's visions, in A Crown of Swords if I am not mistaken, mentioned something like the following "Rand would fail without a dead woman", after reading that I knew that Moiraine is not dead, since I couldn't think of another woman this statement is referring to other than her.
Well I usually don't take any symbolism very seriously unless the author clarifies something by himself. However, it's always fun to make assumptions.
My friend actually told me the same thing; Rand is a Christ figure and Aes Sedai are like the church. I agree that Rand is Christ-like, from more than one point of view, in a way, but Aes Sedai are like the church doesn't make much sense to me when relating them to Rand and the rest of the stories. I like how Rand is always dealing with wounds and that he is suffering, despite the powerful magic he can use, it makes him less of a "knight in his shinning armor" which is good for me.
Rand's wounds remind me of Frodo... in a way. Rand's wounds can symbolize the touch of The Dark One on the world, which is similar to Frodo and how he was affected by the ring. This brings to my mind the similarity between Smeagol and Mordeth and their relation to Rand and Frodo. I am starting to make nonsense. Well when it comes to "heroes" it's always possible to find similarities between them all since there are certain "rules" in the world of fiction any hero is obligated to follow.
Robert Jordan being a male is not an excuse for the similarity of women's characterization
There are many writers, men and women, who were able to create original characters with different personalities of both genders.
Yeah when I was writing that I thought of this retort and couldn't come up anything to counter it. Maybe he thought that archetypes of the women in distress or whatever was needed in order for his story to be what it is... I dunno, I cannot think why he'd do that and I will agree it was weak of him to do it. (^_^)
Yeah that was Winter's Heart. I stopped reading it for like 2-5 months since I was falling asleep very often because I just couldn't bring myself to read Perrin/Perrin related chapters. Still makes me shudder thinking about re-reading Winter's Heart.
Glasses? You wear glasses? It's funny how no one wears glasses in pictures (myself included) most of the time. It's also sad how I find when I see someone wearing glasses (after seeing them for a long time not wearing glasses), I feel like they got smarter or more sophisticated.... But I digress...
I can send you the prolouge(well the 1st Chapter I think it is) of the 12th book (the Gathering Storm). I got some connections in the biz and got a hold of it. I can also get a hold of the audio of Chapter 2.
But seeing as you haven't read 11... <---Gentle nudge for you to read 11!
Hidden:
Is Moraine considered that strong? I mean there are others with stronger hold of the Saidar than her (Nynaeve)... I didn't remember Min's reading of that. Hmm.... Makes sense.
I never thought the Aes Sedai as church-like though I can see where they'd make that assumption....
All I want to see is how Mat turns out, since... crap that's in the 11th book... Anyway, get the 11th book when your ready or take it out of your public library just for the read!
RIP Kurt von D. Father figure to me, friend, and all around good human being. (July 22nd, 2010).
~~
Reverse patronizing = troll lol
~~
If today is all we see, then tomorrow seems to me
Is just and illusion we believe.
~~
You should try and click a couple ads on Funender each day to generate some revenue.
~~
Why stop reading? Just skim and skip!
Well maybe just skim.
I've been wearing glasses for about two years now, a very boring story behind it, but it's only while reading, that's why you don't see it in pictures.
I managed to get Knife of Dreams last week, but I haven't started reading it yet since I recently started college. I will definitely find time for it. It would be great if you can send the prologue for the 12th book though.
Hidden:
I am not sure Moiraine is strong enough, but she is a "dead" woman. Well, we can only wait and see.
Wow have not been back here in a while. Thanksgiving and what not, I sent you the chapter in an email.
Hidden:
You know it said "dead woman" right, it'd be funny and a little bit of a twist if it wasn't Moraine that he needs but Lanfear! I laughed a bit when I thought of this!
RIP Kurt von D. Father figure to me, friend, and all around good human being. (July 22nd, 2010).
~~
Reverse patronizing = troll lol
~~
If today is all we see, then tomorrow seems to me
Is just and illusion we believe.
~~
You should try and click a couple ads on Funender each day to generate some revenue.
~~
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