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Rating: 
Summary: the epic begins
Review: I consider the Eye of the World to be more of a prelude to the Wheel of Time series and indeed can serve as a standalone novel. With The Great Hunt, the story becomes more complex as the true multiple threads begin, the Forsaken become more active, and the Seanchan arrive. Also, Rand's true ancestry is strongly hinted at for the first time, which adds new dimensions to the breadth of the storyline.The novel maintains the fast pace of the first book, although the story isn't quite as linear anymore! It's hard to put the book down, especially as some characters' loyalties become questionable (i.e. Lord Barthanes in Cairhien and the Shienaran warrior behind the escape of Padan Fain). The ending brings the story to a satisfying close with plenty of loose ends to be tied in the next book. A great read! I give this book a 4 not 5 because the childish behavior of some of the characters annoys more than in the first book. Aren't these people supposed to be in their 20's? Why do they act like they're 13 years old? Jordan could have portrayed the characters as innocent adults instead of stubborn kids! And the length of time Jordan spends on some of these immature confrontations is over the top. For example, an entire two chapters or so is devoted to the three girls (Nynaeve, Elayne, Egwene) frustrating themselves in not being able to "sweet-talk" Mat into delivering a letter to Morgase, with Elayne batting her big brown eyes at Mat and Mat complaining to himself that when women are nice they want something. The failed effort at moving a "mulish man" enrages the girls and puts them in a rotten mood, from which they grudgingly decide to give Mat one of Siuan's notes of authority. Anyway, the book is good, read it! Start with the first one, of course...
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book
Review: The Great Hunt had a lot of responsibility. It was following one of the greatest fantsy epics ever. It had a lot of plot lines from the previous book to bring together. The Great Hunt did just that. It is an amazing book that fuflilled its duty and went beyond. It further develops its characters and paints such a beautiful world you can almost reach out and touch it. The length is almost nothing now. When I'm reading, the length just seems to disappear. I wish this series would never end. Its vast history almost makes Jordan's word a reality. In The Great Hunt. we find Rand al'Thor facing dramatic changes in his life and how it affects his two friends. As I was reading other comments, I realized a lot of comparison to Tolkien. Jordan stands alone in his own genre of fantasy. There are undeniably similiarities but the simple truth is Jordan has changed it into his own style and that's what makes it special. Luckily, I started the series late and I don't have to wait for the next books to come out. THIS IS A SPECTACULAR SERIES!
Rating:
Summary: The Definitive Book in the Series
Review: While "The Eye of the World" introduced us to Jordan's vision, "The Great Hunt" is where the world of the Wheel of Time series is defined. If you read the book's synopsis, The Great Hunt might sound like a spin-off of its predecessor. Although the leading subject matter plays off the first book, this book is a continuation of the series - not a merchandising piggy-backer. Here, in The Great Hunt, we follow multiple story lines as the characters introduced in the first book begin to really define their individuality and uniqueness. Jordan's world comes in to focus, as you follow an adventure that stretches from the world's most Northwest regions to a peninsula jutting off into the East. As if the world wasn't complete enough, Jordan also creates parallel worlds and a world of dreams that is all hauntingly too real. It is with this book that readers grow to appreciate what they can expect with this sweeping epic series. It is a series not to be heralded as the most definitive book off all time; however, it is a solid, imaginitive, yet realistic, series that can hold its own in this age of fantasy.
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