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The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time, Book 4)

The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time, Book 4)

List Price: $15.95
Your Price: $15.95
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An amazing novel
Review: This novel is where the series begins. I think the first three novels could be read independently, similar to Tolkien's Hobbit, and still be enjoyed. However, The Shadow Rising, offers no real conclusion and begins the torture known as the Wheel of Time. I like the overall plot of this novel; I gave it five stars. The focus on Rand is good, but I don't understand how he has become so knowledgable and wise over the course of a year. The side story with Perrin and Faile has great potentail and the ending is awesome, but they way it is written makes me cringe when I read parts of it. Nynaeve and Elayne are my least favorite part of the novel. I honestly consider skipping all chapters concerning their part of the plot. And once again, Mat is my favorite character. Robert Jordan has created some annoying characters, but Matrim Cauthon redeems them. And the action in the White Tower is also well done, if not believable.

What happens. The novel begins with Rand holding the Stone of Tear. He becomes involved with Elayne before leaving the stone for the Aiel Waste. One of the best parts of the novel occurs when Rand and Mat enter Rhuiden. He is marked as the chief of chiefs, and begins the unification of the Aiel. Rand also finds a teacher to help learn Saidin. Mat journeys with Rand to Rhuiden and stays with him after they leave. Mats memories return and his luck continues. Perrin leaves Tear to return to the Two Rivers to save his people from the Whitecloaks. Instead he fights Trollics and becomes lord of his people. In the wolf dream Perrin learns a lot about those twisted doors. From a child's game, "Courage to strengthen, fire to blind, music to daze, and iron to bind." After reading this novel for the third time, I noticed that whenever Mat enters those doors, the snake people always make sure he was no musical instruments, iron, or devices to make light. Nynaeve and Elayne go to Tanchinco to find something that might hurt Rand and meet a forsaken. Egwene and Moraine accompany Rand to Rhuiden.

This novel, as I remember it, is one of the last real good ones by Robert Jordan. I like the next ones, but I haven't waited years for them. I am rereading them on my way to Crossroads of twilight, and if book 10 is disappointing, I will understand why many readers complain about the later novels. But Book 4 is still fantastic, and while it is not imperative to read the first three before starting the fourth, the first three are the best, so I encourage you to read them first.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Jordan has done it once again!!!
Review: Jordan truely is one of the most fantastic authors I have read. The Wheel of Time is a exceptional series that I recommend highly. If you can make it past the first few chapters of "The Eye of the World", get ready for an adventure that leaves you spellbound and ready for the next book in the series. In this book Rand has fullfilled the prophecies of the Dragon Reborn and the Stone of Tear has fallen. Two more of the Forsaken have been dealt with and now the Aiel feel a longing for the Waste. It is discovered that the Aiel Clan chiefs are marked with a dragon upon making it through the sacred city Ruideian. Their secret name is the dragon's people.

Rand, Mat, Eqwene, and some of the others follow the Aiel into the waste. Rand is interested in finding if he is "The one who comes with dawn", the Aiels Chief of Chiefs. Does Rand complete another part of the Prophecies? Twice and Twice shall he be marked. Twice the heron, and twice the Dragon. If he does fulfill another prophecy of the Dragon Reborn, does this fullfill the Aiel prophecies. You'll have to read to find out.

Perrin, doesn't make the trip into the Aiel waste, but his is an adventure in his own. Fain goes after Rand by vowing to destroy the Two Rivers and all he loves. Perrin is the only one who can make the trip to save their boyhood home. Mat has his own destiny to fulfill, for he learns he must die in order to live again. This book will leave you mezmerized and you will not want to put it down.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Less Rand please
Review: Still a great series so far but I am much less interested in Rand than any other charectors in the book. Jordan goes on and on and on and on and on about Rand. I was about to give up on the series until I got past the first half of this book. The first half was soooooooooooooooooo slow. Gave 4 stars because its still better than most out.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best one yet!
Review: When I said that 'The eye of the world' was the best book ever, I was wrong. The first book was just outlining the plot, the second and third were good (Not as good as the first.), but this beats all. This is where it starts to get interesting. There's so much going on in this book, that when R.Jordan switched from one character to another, I didn't mind as much. The story was quite complex and there wasn't a great amount of travelling as in the first three books, more interaction between characters and a deeper plot. Having read the first three books, reading number four was a lot easier as I understood the societies and the background. (I do recommend reading the 'Robert Jordan's Wheel of time' for geater understanding.) There was less of 'what age is that? What on earth is a fade? and such, but more 'Perrin, you can't do that.' and 'Mat! Oh my God, I can't read on.' sort of thing. I thought the books would get less enjoyable as the series went on (As most series do), but this book totally turned it around. It made me laugh, it made me cry and at one point I refused to read it for a fear of what might happen. I enjoyed this book because no matter how the plot goes, all the characters are human. They aren't all innocent and pure, or all evil (except the 'Dark one'). They have faults and are not always right. Rand was much better in this book, I felt. He was less unsure and more determined. Mat was the same, but I love Mat they way he is and Perrin's character was more matured and defined (The interaction with Faile really made me smile, It was like 'Wow, couples really act like that, not always 'love struck' and romantic). This was the best book ever and all I can say is 'read it yourself, and all will become clear'.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A truely moving story.
Review: No book has ever moved me like this book did. I could not put it down. Read the first 3 books first, or you will be confused.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THIS BOOK ROCKS!!!!!
Review: this is a great book. everyone had a great role in this, especially Perrin, with his going back to the Two Rivers and the mixed up romance with Faile, which started in the Dragon Reborn. then Rand's romance with Elayne and the beggining of his one with Avhienda. Elayne and Nynaeve went to Tanchico with Juilin Sanders and Thom Merilin and Rand, Mat, Egwene, Moirane and Lan go to the aile waste. the only downside is the beggining where there is 200 pages of ____. but its good, probably as good as the Fires of Heaven, which was one of my favorite books ever. Read this book.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Still a readable series at this point (spoilers... beware)
Review: This is the most 'nothing' book in the series so far. Not a whole lot really happens. Reading it and coming to the end, I realized that Jordan realized that he had a fantasy franchise on his hands and was going to milk it for all it was worth. Don't get me wrong the book is well written, there are some tense moments that get your blood racing. But there is no big monumental event like the first three books ended with. Yes there is the big meeting of the Aiel, but since when is the climax of a fantasy novel a meeting. The final two chapters pack in all the action or confronting multiple forsaken, which could have been built up more along the way. There is the trolloc attacks on Emonds Field, and the rise of Perrin as a warrior leader among his hometown people. However there are certain plot points that are beginning to wear on me: The Whitecloaks being so corrupt, yet none of them seeing that they are corrupt, the ever present fear of the Dragon and the One Power, and the fact that none of the 'good guys' can get it together and kill the 'bad guys'. When you have beaten a forsaken, just kill them, don't wait for a trial, when you have pure evil at your fingertips ready to be killed, don't let it walk free. I can see why most people I have talked to about this series give up around the fifth book.

T

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Easily the best of the series
Review: There is little comparison to this one, all my friends that have read this series agree with me that this stands alone in its creativity, riskiness, adventure, character development, enjoyment... ok the list goes on. Basically I'll do a quick little review of the others leading up to this, since I doubt I'll review them individually: Book 1 Wheel of Time set it up but feels oddly segregated from the rest of the series, even if the majority of main characters are introduced here, so I'd give it an 8/10. Book 2 The Great Hunt certainly picks up the pace with quite a few character developments and a kick-shove into Jordan's world of magic that takes your breath away and leaves you begging for more, so this is definately a 9/10. Book 3 The Dragon Reborn seemed like it'd be the highlight with a title like that, but almost slacked-off the pace with very few chapters from Rand's perspective and only one really great twist to the end, so I give it an 8/10.

Finally we reach this one, the great one, one of the best fantasy books I've ever read: 10/10 easily. Every anty you can think of us upped in this book: characters are richer, enemies are trickier, twists are some of the best seen in any genre, and every character gets his share of the glory and grandeur of the storyline. Let's hear it for Perrin! The series drops off this climb like a boulder plummeting down a cliff after about Book 6, but you should enjoy Book 5 after this one, it doesn't disappoint, just not nearly as inventive.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great book! Great plot! Great to buy!!!
Review: Robert Jordan's fourth book, the shadow rising is a book not to be missed by anybody. Despite several ill-descripted and confusing parts, it is a book well written. It has an engaging plot and several surpising turns of events that I will certainly not reveal. Once you get started on this book, it's very hard to put down.
I have yet to read the rest of the series and I'm really hoping they'll all maintain this standard of writing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: best book I have ever read
Review: Jordan really makes me feel like I am right beside Rand al' Thor. 3000 years after the Dragon, Lews Therin Telamon or Lews Therin Kinslayer, died on the slopes of Dragonmount, the Dragon is Reborn. Rand al' Thor is the Dragon Reborn and in Robert Jordan's fourth book, the Shadow Rising, he will face hardships like none other.

This story weaves peoples lives in a magnificent tapestry. The story shifts back and fourth between a number of people as they share the same problems and the problems of their friends. Rand al' Thor, Matrim Cathon, and Perrin Aybara are taveren, people that bend the pattern of an age around them. Rand is fighting against the Power and Mat is trying to help him while Perrin is trying to free their homeland from Children of the Light and Shadowspawn.

Overall this books weaves the pattern of these three lives into a tapestry. They all face troubles that none but themselves can face. This book and series are among the best I've ever read.


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