Rating: Summary: in response Review: This book did not stink because it didn't have war. This book stinks because nothing substantial at all happened. NEW CHARACTERS were introduced. Get on with the story of the characters whom we have grown to love and whom we bought the book to find out about. There was no character development or plot development. I now have a clearer sense of what people looked like, dresses, smiles and all. This series is like a professional athlete; If it sticks around too long it will become a laughing stock. Robert Jordan if you are reading this, the reader wants closure. I seriously think he will die of old age before finishing the series.
Rating: Summary: I was extremely disappointed Review: I have followed this series from the beginning avidly. Books eight and nine were a bit of a let down, but when i finished Book Ten (which I ran out to the store to buy as soon as I learned it was out), I threw it across my bedroom and vowed not to buy another in the series. I don't think that one plot advanced one iota. There was no mention of Nynaeve or Lan (oh yeah she was sitting in a tree when someone crossed a courtyard, he was fighting). There was more time spent on characters who are not central to the plot than to the main players. I can only say that the only way I will buy book ten will be after i read a bunch of reviews otherwise im bailing out. Sorry Mr Jordan, I held on as long as I could.
Rating: Summary: Disappointed Review: An entire book of a great series seemed to be just wasted. This book was very disappointing to say the least. The storyline and character development may have taken 50 pages and the rest of the book was pure fluff. For an effort that took more than 2 years to create, I fail to see where the time was spent. By the end of the book you are almost at the same place you started.
Rating: Summary: Nothing Happens Review: Like most who have bought and read Crossroads of Twilight, I've invested so much time and emotion into reading the Wheel of Time Series that I'm damned to keep reading it to the bitter end. But whereas in the past I would have recommended to friends and strangers to pick up the series, I can't do that anymore. Three of the last four books (instalments 7, 8, and 10) have pretty much sucked; book 9, Winter's Heart, reminded me why I love the series, but CoT betrayed any good-will WH had restored. I recommend not reading the Wheel of Time series until it is concluded, and there's no telling when that will be. So, gentle reader, check back in about 5 years and see where the series is. But even if it's done by then, Jordan has meandered so far afield from the heights of the series, the Wheel may not be worth the time it takes to ride.
Rating: Summary: Nothing Happened!! Review: I consider myself a fan of the series. Let's face it, anyone who's plowed through all ten of these things has to be a fan. But I could not have been more disappointed in the most recent installment. Anything that actually progressed the story line could have been covered in a few chapters. If this book had not been written, the next book could have brought the readers up to speed with a good intro, and nobody would ever have known anything was missing. For the most part the book is just rehashing the same points that have already been covered. There may be some new conversations and events with new or different people, but nothing changes the actual events of the story. For the most part the main characters end the book exactly where they started it. Considering this book covered only a couple days worth of time, and the fact that Robert Jordan now seems intent on covering every minute and mundane thought and deed of everyone's every day life, we have a long way to go till the end.
Rating: Summary: Perfect bedtime reading Review: This is a pretty nice book to curl up with just before bedtime-- I was never once tempted to read beyond midnight, and yet I still looked forward to spending a little time (yes, sometimes too little) in the lives of these enjoyable characters every night. But, really Robert-- a little plot doesn't hurt every now and then.
Rating: Summary: Please, Mr. Jordan, finish the series before you lose us all Review: I am a big fan of the Wheel of Time series and loved the first 8 books. By book 9 I was beginning to wonder, "when is this all going to end" and book 10 does nothing to help get any closer to a conclusion. As Mr. Jordan continues, his stories are becoming less and less interesting and one is left disappointed. Though there are some good parts, much of the book is quite tedious and since it's been so long since the first book, it took a bit of time to remember everyone this round! Please, Mr. Jordan, let's move on to the final battle and finish the series before we lose all interest.
Rating: Summary: Better written than some, though not so exciting Review: I loved it. Some of the books in this series are slow at times, although I didn't see that in this one at all. For once, the prologue had a great flow to it. It reminded you quite well of the all the different problems around the world, and the sentiments of the people living there. (without touching the main characters)The book didn't have much to do with Rand, but what did you expect after the last book had EVERYTHING to do with him. Not all that much exciting happened in this book, but I see it more as a precursor to a lot of excitement to come. Overall, the storytelling was excellant. And just when you thought the plot couldn't possibly get any thicker, it does. Great book, and I'll probably read it again while waiting for #11. I read some other bad reviews on this book. People unhappy with the lack of answered questions, and with the slow movement of the plot. If you want constant crazy adventure, all of your questions answered, and the whole story wrapped up nice and neat...then you should have probably never started this series, much less continued through the 1000's of pages to get to book 10. Jordan has put out a series that only stays in the 'fantasy' category because it entails magic and swordsmen. But regardless, it is true literature.
Rating: Summary: Quick! Give me a hammer! Review: It's been said that Jordan intends to continue writing "until they nail shut his coffin". After reading this last book I'm sending him a hammer. Over 700 reviews and the average rating is 2 STARS! Pah-lease, this book is lucky to make it into the positive scale at all. People giving it more than 2 stars must have been reading another book by mistake. I've never seen an author throw away fan loyalty such as Jordan has with regards to the (de)evolution of this series. I lost count as to how many times I climbed into bed only to fall asleep within a few pages because nothing happens, not even dialogue. If I wanted to read endless descriptions about clothing and how much lace and embroidery someone was wearing, I'd buy a fashing magazine. It's obvious that Jordan is milking his declining audience for all their worth simply because no one will pick up anything else from him after what he's done here. I can't believe that he's actually doing a tour for this "novel". If I was anywhere near one of those locations would have taken my copy up to him, tossed it on the table, and walked away. Not possible to do now though (keep reading this review). Jordan isn't completely to blame for this mind-numbing drizzle. You gotta give some credit to TOR publishing for placing this disaster on the shelves. Check out their website sometime and you'll find the quality to just as lacking as Jordan's work. Regardless, we must always strive to look for the positives in any situation. As for me, I discovered that when you throw all ten books in the fireplace, you can roast some great marshmallows for several minutes.
Rating: Summary: More waiting at the Crossroads Review: As is usually the case with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time cycle, the writing is good to excellent, and the intrigue and mystery is very involving. As is also usually the case, Jordan has this thing for corporal punishment and loves to play around with power and hierarchy to a degree that almost seems... well, forced. What I've come to notice in many of these books is that Jordan likes to play games with power between groups and especially between people within groups and what happens when established barriers break down, resulting in a redistribution of power. There are numerous webs of interaction with this major theme, particularly with those who lose power to another greater force. He loves this theme and, if you're not paying attention, it's pretty interesting. If you are paying attention, it begins to wear on you because it's always the same. Of course, perhaps that's Jordan's point. Power is relative. As for any resolution of anything, don't expect it in this book. If nothing else, Jordan will have fans frothing at the mouth (likely in frustration, not anticipation) because not even a single sub-plot is resolved in this book. He does, however, set up massive implications for his next book. The question one has to ask is, "Was this 600 pager necessary? Could Jordan have maintained the same level of intensity, detail, and intrigue without forcing readers to go through another book in which nothing really happens, but events are just set up for a 'happening?'" The answer is, "Yes." We spend a lot of time with all of the principles in this book (well, with the exception of Lan and Nynaeve), but we don't really learn anything new about them. Jordan has established these characters well already and, when there's no further development necessary in a book/series of this sort, then action is required in order to maintain the story's integrity. We get very little action here and a lot of talking. The talking would have been fine if we saw more about these characters that we didn't already know, but, with the possible exception of Perrin (and that's a real stretch), we don't really learn anything new. Another challenge with this book is a problem that will require most fans to re-read the entire series from start to finish once (well, if) Jordan finishes the cycle are the number of secondary and tertiary characters he introduces. There are so many different Aes Sedai, so many different rulers, so many different servants, so many different people to whom he dedicates a great deal of time and effort to, you would think that you could differentiate them from each other. Unfortunately, when you're waiting a year or two between books in which there is a cast of almost 100 characters, this becomes virtually impossible, especially when Jordan adds more and more characters to the mix. Because of Jordan's obsession with Power among people and groups and how that Power is manipulated, these characters are all very similar. Each is wondering how s/he ranks compared to this other character and how s/he can use that other character to get what s/he wants and how much they can trust, and so on, and so on. Again, this may well be the point Jordan's trying to convey (among others) but there are better ways of doing this. Is this a good book? Yes. It still captures the breadth of the world and the various cultures he's created and the massive past that these people must contend with, not to mention the certain, yet simultaneously uncertain, future that looms like a mountain before them. Also, let's remember that what Jordan has done has revitalized genre fantasy in many ways. His books have had a tremendous influence on the genre. Even at his worse, Jordan's books are significantly more sophisticated that much of the standard fare out there. Is it one of his better books in the cycle? No. Once again, this book reads like a filler. We are introduced to more and more mysteries without a single resolution. We are introduced to a few more characters (at least it seems that way) about whom we learn very little. We are reminded about threats, but receive no clarification. And we end with more questions than answers. Even within a series of books, there should be a central theme and plot (even a sub-plot) that ties the book together, within which there is some kind of resolution. Yes, the name of this is Crossroads of Twilight, and it's obvious that each character is facing a fork in their destiny. But there are no resolutions at all. In Tolkien's The Two Towers (more so the book than the recent movie), the sub-plot is dealing with Saruman and the Riders of Rohan. In Lucas's Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, it's determining why Darth Vader has an obsession with Luke and the resolution of Han and Leia's love affair. In Crossroads of Twilight (like the previous three books in the cycle), we really don't learn much of anything. So, until the next novel, we fans will wait until... Well, until Tarmon Gaidon I suppose to learn something new. And that's a real shame. As a fantasy novel, this is a B+. For Jordan, this is a D+.
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