Rating: Summary: One step forward, fifteen steps sideways Review: I have been an avid reader of this series for many years now, but I must say that this was a big letdown from the previous novel. Sometime around book number 6 or so, Jordan seems to have become mired in a rut where one book advances the plot and then 2 years later another book is issued descibing all the semi-interesting things that were happenning around the same time in other parts of the globe. I understand that there are only so many Forsaken that can be killed off before the series gets dull. However, given the delay in between novels I cannot think of a good reason why every book should not advance the plot. This book was one huge setup for events down the road, and there was simply no payoff. I would reccommend treating Jordan the same way that Star Trek movies are perceived; skip every other one so that you are not frustrated!
Rating: Summary: Disappointed Review: There was a time when I would buy Robert Jordan's books and spend the next 2-3 days reading them without putting them down. This is not the case with his latest installment. I thought he was finally starting to get things together in Book 9 when something started happening and plot lines started converging on themselves. In Book 10 he is back to writing long winded descriptions about everything with very little happening.Sadly it has taken me over 2 weeks to get through two thirds of this book. Even worse, in the 500 pages I have read, the storyline has only advanced 3 or 4 days. At this rate we will all be dead before the novel has ended.
Rating: Summary: Sigh Review: I'm sad to say I agree with most of the other posters: this book sets a new low in furthering the story. Basically we have the same stuff of the previous few novels---which is to say everyone playing everyone else off against each other in excruciating detail. The lone three page exception is when Rand and Loial are reunited and seem genuinely happy to see each other. This book is wordy too: I think it could have been trimmed down to 150 pages without much loss. I too was frustrated that Rand makes only a brief appearance, 500+ pages in, and little to nothing happens in the book. In fact, the book ends just as something seems to start happening to resolve the Aes Sedai conflict. If Book 11 were published next month this might be okay, but really, I have a hard time feeling good about reading this and waiting three years for another installment. I don't necessarily want the series to wrap up instantly, but I would like some progress made in the story. Many people feel George Lucas is increasingly self-indulgent with his Star Wars movies. Jordan is the same way with WoT, which is too bad, because it has great potential.
Rating: Summary: Bored of the Thing; Snored of Sheinara Review: Possibly the best Jordan non-verbal communication psychology book ever. Nynaeve doesn't pull her braid once, but that's not all! You get skirt grabbing stare-down action. Eyebrow raised insults, harrumphs of displeasure... If you're looking for action, a good fight, sorcery, or anything resembling a plot, don't sweat a drop, you won't find it here. That would be fantasy. This is the worst drivel I've bothered to finish in a long time. Count me out until 2007, but only if that's the last one. This one's for you, Chris and Tim.
Rating: Summary: The Wheel of Time is doing donuts... and getting nowhere Review: When I put this book down at 1:30 AM two days ago, I had only one feeling: I was angry. I was hoping, praying, that the book actually built to the end, as every book had before (including the glacial Winter's Heart). But the book went out with a whimper (barely), and I was left realizing I had wasted precious hours of sleep and would need a massive dose of caffeine to get through my law school classes in the morning. I read an earlier review which said this book started and ended where WH finished. That is not exactly true. The first 400 pages (seriously) are events BEFORE the actual end of WH. You like Rand (arguably the "main" main character)? Then skip to page 500, because you won't see him before then. Nynaeve? You can skip this one altogether. Why am I so angry? Let's start with the fact that this series was supposed to be about 7 books when it started. Now, we're at book 11 and there seems to always be only 2-3 more books. Add to that we have to wait 3 YEARS to find out the series is still going nowhere. I am also a reader of the Dark Tower Series. But at least Stephen King has written many books in the long hiatus, and the series is DONE in the amount of books (7) he said it would take. They just need to be edited and published, but the end is in sight. I wish that was the case here. I used to love these books, and have invested many, many hours into the series. The first few books flowed so well, there was always something happening. But that has not been the case for a few years. He just keeps adding characters (even now), and there are too many for the book to get anywhere. To be blunt, he is not a good enough writer to handle it all. My hope is that somehow this series reaches its conclusion, and does so in the next 5 years, but I am not holding my breath.
Rating: Summary: Is this going to go on forever? Review: After more than one year of waiting, I started reading this book with the usual expectation I reserve for the "eye of the world series". Unfortunately it seems that Robert Jordan thinks he can make us go to the bookstore and buy the continuation of the continuation forever. He has made the series a money machine, and is not willing to advance to a conclusion. In Crossroads of twilight nothing happens. There is already so many characters and parallel plots that it takes the first 5/6pages to review them, and then he uses the following 1/6 to introduce more alternative plots. After ten books, I would feel comfortable if we advanced towards a conclusion, and concentrated on the main plot. Is this going to go on forever? The only positive thing I can say about the book is that the characters and Jordan's writing style have become so familiar that the book is as easy to read as a comic.
Rating: Summary: Does it ever end? Review: I started reading the series about 6 years ago. Several of the books had already been published. They were fun, intriguing and had a beginning a middle and some sort of conclusion. The last three books have been awful and this one failed to please. Just end it. If not, bring some of these strands together. How many characters have been introduced only to never be heard from again? Enough. I am done with this. Great promise that has turned into nothing.
Rating: Summary: Frustration now has gotten even to me Review: I was once a great advocate of this series, recommending it to everyone I knew, and reading books 1-6 straight through. Many people who I got started on the series loved it as well, but one by one they got frustrated and gave up somewhere around books 5, 6, or 7. Still, I stuck it out. I could understand the root of their complaints, but I guess I'm just stubborn. Reading book 9, I started to feel the frustration, but at the end there was a big event and I thought to myself, "Okay, here we go--now things are going to start happening!" I couldn't have been more wrong. Book 10 was like a creative writing exercise. Descriptive? Yes! Jordan's attention to detail and word painting has always been a highlight for me, making his worlds vivid in my mind. But descriptions are not enough where there is no substance, no story. My friends all say that Jordan has been padding this series since book 4 (I recall hearing that he originally intended it to be a trilogy). Maybe so. But when the reader could go from book 8 to book 11 without missing anything, it has gotten excessive. I learned more about what might happen next from reading the glossary (which, by the way, is frustratingly incomplete compared to the earlier books--at least I used to be able to remind myself who people were with a quick turn to the back of the book). I pre-ordered this book as soon as I was able. That won't happen again. If I read book 11 at all, it will be borrowed from the library.
Rating: Summary: CoT adds depth and scale to an insurrmountable epic Review: Okay I consider myself a very big Wotfan. I got CoT on day 1, and I think I am one of the seemingly few people that really enjoyed it. I remember with WH, my expectations were way too high and I think I found the book a little disappointing because of that. With this book, I really just took things as they were, and I found I could appreciate everything in the book a lot better. I even liked Elayne's chapters a lot, and have never been more amazed at the consistency and accuracy that Jordan has in keeping this story straight and telling it masterfully. Yes, i noticed every time a woman smoothed her skirts, but that's not what's important. I guess the women Randland like to do that sort of thing. More importantly though, and I think this has been touched on before, I love how wot has expanded. I like the glacial movements of the plot due to a wide expanse of interesting and integral characters, all of whom are entirely believable and whose actions I never question except when i disagree with a decision one has made. Thats what keeps me coming back. I think the majority of readers are having a hard time accepting that the early days of this series are done; it underwent a slow transformation, and its focus has expanded, and it did so in a very believable way. The scale of these books is enormous, and the story is amazing; I think if one were to consider the impact of this story as a whole; the progressions in situation and character... one would see that Jordan's style is entirely unique, the perfect blend of fairy tale and realism, creating a result that is mindnumbing in its complexity and scale. When the series is done, it will be the first of its kind; the type of story that people will love to lose themselves in for a period of time; these poeple wont care about how long the wait is between books, or which characters are mentioned 'too little' or whether the climax is weaker in a certain book or if it is lacking a major battle scene... these people will be involved in the entire story; they will realize that Rand isnt in CoT becasue he doesnt do anything important; that he is tired from the cleansing, and recuperating. In fact, these future readers will appreciate his short appearance more because of the dimension it adds to plot and scale. Everything in this world is timed out to a T; and Cot is an edition just as worthy of respect as any other. The advantage we have to waiting in between books is that we get to theorize and ask questinos. Those of you who say 'Jordan has lost his touch' or that one could skip 'book 10 and go on to book 11' im sorry to say, have sadly missed the Wot boat.
Rating: Summary: Long windedness Review: I've read all the others, and am determined to finish this whole series. I just wish that he would write this a little more speed to the story. There is the tendency to over explain, re-introduce, and take his time in evolving the story. The story line, the twists/turns/etc., and the characters are great. Almost too great when it comes to characters. This series seems to have grown from 6 to about 12 main characters, all getting many pages worth of information on them. You start to forget about certain characters as you will only hear about them for several chapters in the book and then have to wait until the next book to pick back up their little mini saga. Maybe they will all meet up at some point in book #100 or so. His slant on a fantasy world is refreshing from the dragon lance/forgotten realms genre. However, any series that has more pages than the bible, and reads a little like Leviticus in some parts can wear on even the most diehard of fans. If you want to bring closure to this series, I recommend getting it. Other wise else, wait for the abridged version.
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