Rating: 
Summary: Start and stop...and stop.
Review: I've tried to read this book 3 times, but the deeper I get into the book, the more lost I become. I plan on trying to read it again after I reread the entire series, so that maybe I'll be able to remember some of the names that fly off of the page and pound my brain into submission. Although reading some of the other customer reviews has me a bit leery that even this may not help... :(
Rating: 
Summary: couldn't even finish it
Review: Not even worth one star. It is a shame and a tragedy that this "author" is so popular when genre masters like Robin Hobb, Guy Gavriel Kay, Steven Erikson and others go unnoticed. Jordan and Tor should be ashamed of themselves. Rest assured Jordan and Tor will not be getting any more of my money or time. STAY AWAY, for the love of God, STAY AWAY!!!
Rating:
Summary: 822 pages of NOTHING!
Review: DON'T BUY THIS BOOK:A writer is paid by the word. So the more words you use, the more money you make. The essence of Good Writing is telling a story with as few words as possible. Jordan seems to have forgotten that. We liked Rand, Egwene, and the rest of his characters, so we bought Jordan's books; making him a star. Rather than be true to his craft and tell the story, Jordan has chosen to string us along for "All the market will bear." He has forgotten that WE made him a star and his name is only worth something if we CONTINUE to buy his books. Betraying us, his customers with filler material in place of a story will result in fewer books being sold, of both this book and any he may write in the future. A good editor like Lester Del Rey or John Campbell would have pared this 822 page book down to 22 pages, if they were feeling REALLY generous toward the author. This book is a complete waste of money and time. I can get more money, but Robert Jordan and Tor Fantasy wasted my TIME.
Rating:
Summary: Balefire Jordan!
Review: CoT was so slow, boring, and bad that I now wish I had never started the series. Robert Jordan took a good thing and is milking it for all it's worth. I definitely reached a crossroads after reading this book and I'm choosing not to read any future installments.
Rating:
Summary: I'm embarrassed that I bought it
Review: Thank you fellow reviewers for helping me work through my rage, disillusionment and frustration at being hoodwinked by this author yet again. Sometimes it's helpful just to know that there are other people out there who feel the same way you do. It's not just anger at myself for buying the book when I ought to have known, from the decline of the last few books, that it might be a disappointment. It is also anger at Robert Jordan for destroying a series that I loved so much. I so desperately wanted it to succeed! I was on RJ's side, willing to put up with his failures, hoping that he would pull through in the end. Now I realise that Robert Jordan is not my friend. He does not care at all for his audience, any more than he cares for the characters in his series. He has betrayed those of us who persevered with his series in the face of ridicule from our friends who gave up on him long ago. Like a junkie, though, I will feel an urge to take a peak at his future books when they come out, if the Amazon.Com reviews are positive. I still do care for the characters and their destinies. However I will win back some of my self-respect by getting the books from the library so as to deny RJ some revenue and thus retrieve some of the money he should never have been paid for Crossroads of Twilight.
Rating:
Summary: really blew
Review: what a letdown......what a sellout. He could have been a master. Now he's a joke.
Rating: 
Summary: Please finish the story!!
Review: This installment gains more ground, definately more than book nine. All the various and wonderful plots hint at coming together. If you've gotten this far, you really have to continue, howerer Mr. Jordan, PLEASE!! finish this.
I swear by the Goddess of the books, never again will I start a series until the last book has been written!
Rating:
Summary: A good book it is a bridge for the story.
Review: I did not mind the book much I know it has got really bad reviews but I think it was pretty decent. Many things had to be brought to an intersection in the story each plot and character had to be brought to an equal footing in the story. The Mat parts of the book were good if not the best but I like Mat the most sometimes so it was good for me. I wish there would have been more information on the cleaning of the one power but I can wait. It was not the best but it was a very important book for the series in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: My suggestion...
Review: Robert Jordan is a pedantic writer -- and I don't mean that as a compliment either. For those of you who aren't sure what "pedantic" means, it simply defines an author who likes to hear himself talk a bit too much and who has a tendancy to write about the most technical details, no matter how trivial they may be (i.e. buttons, the style of lace on a dress, how weak the tea is, etc.), repeatedly; over and over again. As other reviewers have pointed out, you'll find tons of pedantic writing in this series but "Crossroads of Twilight" seems almost flagrantly done. In fact, the plot advancement hits such a snail-like, glacial pace I actually began to picture the book with legs, bifocals, and a long white beard brushing it's knobby knees as it painfully shuffles along with a cane. Considering the age of this series (over ten years now) I'm probably not far off the mark with that analogy. I'm not going to rehash what everyone else has stated about this horrible piece of fiction besides the fact that it's a waste of money since nothing at all happens. Matt's still fleeing the Seanchan, Perrin's still chasing the Shaido for Faile, Egwene still hasn't united the White Tower, yada yada. Needless to say, if a book can only garner 1 1/2 stars after almost 2000 reviews here then it's probably a good bet the readers know what they're talking about. But after mulling over how angry this book actually made me (I DO NOT like being fleeced or taken advantage of) I did come up with a great suggestion. As an alternative to investing any more money into this series I suggest disgruntled readers looking for a little justice buy one of these excellant writing books below instead (most are cheaper than Jordan's books anyway, especially if you buy hardcovers): -- "The Elements of Style (4th Edition)" by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
-- "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers" by Renni Browne and Dave King
-- "The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile" by Noah Lukeman
-- "Beginnings, Middles & Ends (Elements of Fiction Writing)" by Nancy Kress Or any of the following books by James N. Frey: -- "How to Write a Damn Good Novel : A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling"
-- "How To Write A Damn Good Novel, II : Advanced Techniques For Dramatic Storytelling"
-- "The Key: How to Write Damn Good Fiction Using the Power of Myth" Then wrap it up -- you don't have to get fancy, using a generic brown paper bag from the grocery store and some cheap packaging tape will do. Include a note of explaination to Robert if you wish. My note was exceptionally nasty but, as I said before, I do not like being fleeced for my hard earned money or taken advantage of. Now go down to the post office and send it to: Robert Jordan
c/o Tor Books
175 Fifth Avenue
New York NY 10010 I think if RJ gets enough of these types of packages in the mail he'll eventually get the hint. Let's not forget though that he IS pedantic, so it might take a little while to sink in. However, once it does maybe he'll finally return th the style of writing that made this series amazing and epic. Who knows! He might even give one or two to his Editor/Wife Harriet who is obviously in need of a refresher course on how to effectively weild that red marker of hers. Meanwhile, you can curl up with a good series by an author who actually cares about his fans like: A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE SERIES by George R. R. Martin
-- A Game of Thrones (Book 1)
-- A Clash of Kings (Book 2)
-- A Storm of Swords (Book 3)
-- A Feast of Crows (Book 4) and... THE DRAGONCROWN WAR CYCLE by Michael A. Stackpole
-- The Dark Glory War (Prequel)
-- Fortress Draconis (Book 1)
-- When Dragons Rage (Book 2)
-- The Grand Crusade (Book 3) Martin has been recommended by many Jordan fans here and I agree he's an amazing author. You can't go wrong with one of his books. However, many people don't even know Stackpole's amazing series exists. I really hope he starts getting the recognition he deserves for such a wonderful trilogy. Whatever you do, DO NOT line Robert Jordan's pockets any more. Get this book from your local library.
Rating: 
Summary: Yes, it's slow - but still the best writing out there!
Review: What a bunch of whiners!! Why do people think that authors "owe them something?" Just because you've read 9 of his books, he owes you something? I'll agree that in a sense "nothing major happens" - but frankly, nothing "major" happens in most of this series - the radical events have really been few and far between. To me, this is PRECISELY why this series is so outstanding! It isn't a Terry Brooks ["there's an epic battle in every chapter"] kind of series. Instead, you are really on the journey with these characters and you feel like you are really with them. Never before have I felt like I AM one of these characters with the amount of inner monologue Jordan gives us - the attention to detail with the politics of the Aes Sedai, or of the Game of Houses, or of Rands many thread-bare treaties that are always just a fraction from falling apart - these are what put the character and quality in these books that are so often missing from more traditionally action-oriented fantasy novels. When you really look back, Jordan is as likely to flinch from describing a battle scene as he is from describing a sex scene - it isn't in the action that he revels, but in the characters responses to these actions. Having said all this, I found Crossroads to be no exception to this style. True enough, this novel has the least actual action of any book in the series. But that is ok, because by now we are more interested in the characters every decision than in how many Trollocs they can kill in one sitting. Basically, I think the series itself has matured from an action-fantasy into more of a drama-series. The "major" things that actually do happen in this book are not deaths or conquests, but critical decisions reached - including a very suprising alliance reached both by Rand and Perrin (seperately) with the most unlikely of allies. Egwene and the Rebel Sisters concoct their own unlikely alliance as well - read to find out for yourself. In addition, we get to see several great verbal confrontations, including one between Elaida and Alviarin that is long overdue. There is a shocking moment with Perrin in an interogation near the end of his portion of the novel. There is a very tense chase with Mat near his conclusion (intense in what's at stake and what must be done in the end). And en excrutiatingly good cliff-hanger with Egwene. My only true complaint with this one is that the series main character, Rand al'Thor, does not appear until over 600 pages in - and then he only gets ONE chapter! Granted, it is a crucial chapter, but you want more of your hero! After the exciting conclusion of WINTER'S HEART, I expected a longer explanation of what he and Nynaeve did and how it changed Saidin for all men (I don't recall if Nynaeve even appears in this book!) But still, Jordan's characters are just so dang readable! Honestly, with all these people whining about "when is this thing going to end" I have to ask: "Do you WANT it to end?" I mean, this is hands-down my favorite series I've ever read! I was very sad to finish this novel (thus reading the first ten books in one shot) and realize that I have to wait for another installment. I could keep reading these till I die - and after finishing what has been published to date, I just can't think of anything else that seems interesting to read at this point. Now, I suppose I can appreciate the frustration level of those who have been reading this series since the first book appeared in the early 90s. But, I only started last year, and read all ten published novels in about a year - and maybe that is the key. Bottom line: I think this is a great addition to the series. If it had been the first book published, it probably would have been the last - but with everything that has come before, and the set-up for what will come, I think it is fantastic! Don't let the whiners keep you from it!
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