Rating: 
Summary: Another Great Addition to the Wheel of Time
Review: For those of us who have missed Moiraine, this book is for you. We get a great look at the tests for becoming an Aes Sedai while we get a character study of Moiraine's motivations for finding the Dragon Reborn. Though most of the last hundred pages is the original short story; it has been editted and fleshed out a little bit to make it fit within the context of the whole novel. Little references to what happened in the beginning of the novel make it more Jordanesque than the original short story. If you have a good memory, or have read WoT enough, you will notice that almost every single Aes Sedai mentioned appears in the rest of the series. It was nice to read a story that wasn't caught up in the complex pattern of books 9 and 10. It feels like a relief, not a character you really care about is going to die (otherwise they wouldn't appear in the rest of the series) and it is easy to concentrate on the one and only plot. With the next book due out in the Spring of 2005, New Spring: the Novel is a great read.
Rating: 
Summary: the worst thing Jordan ever did ... is not this book
Review: The worst thing Jordan ever did was create the Dark One. If you think about his story, it is not a series but a serial novel. There are adventures attatched to adventures. No one I know is complaining about how many Xanth books there are or when Anthony will end the series. Or how many Conan stories Robert E Howard wrote. No one wanted the X-files to end.Why do they want Jordan to end so badly? Because he promised us an ending with the last battle against the dark one. So now we're all waiting for it and have been for sometime. If you think about all his stories, they are a bunch of adventures that are all tied together. Some are really fun. But now it is at the point were we are all waiting for that promise. I personally really enjoyed this prequel (I also enjoyed book 10, most of it at least). I thought it was exciting and brought back one of my favorite characters in Moraine. And the ending was great. I would recomend this book in a heart beat. The promlem with it is that there are no explanations. Which is good for return readers, but basically prevents you from reading this one first other wise you'll be lost. So, if you don't mind another adventure in a great world, pick it up. If you're upset that the series has not ended, don't. If you haven't read any of the others ... read it at your own risk but know you'll probably be very confused.
Rating: 
Summary: FINISH THE SERIES.
Review: I agree with others here; I won't spend another penny on Jordan unless he's progressing toward the end of the WoT series. Book 10 was so boring. I really thought the tenth volume would end it: clean Source, Aes Sedai on brink of war, all that. But no, it's just more politicking and overwrought prose. More "I feel so weird having three wives" crap from Rand, more about Min acting like a girl, more about how magnificently beautiful each woman is in her own, special way. God, I loved this series. I've read the whole thing through at least 3 times. But if it doesn't end, I won't be crying. I also won't be buying any lousy "prequels."
Rating:
Summary: doesn't QUITE make it to Book 1 of Wot...
Review: I would have given this book a five star rating, but for the fact that the plot leaves you still hanging as to how Moiraine actually found Rand (or am I missing that from one of the other books in WoT?). As for plot, it really moves right along--no "dead" moments in the read. As Moiraine and Lan are the only two viewpoints in the book, there is a refreshing lack of characters to try to keep track of. Though I know many who would disagree with me, I personally found a prequel to be a nice addition to the series. I loved the extra perspective into Moiraine and Lan's characters, as well as Siuan!, overall would highly recommend this book even to those of you who have given up reading the newer books. Relieve the good 'ol days when RJ really captured the reader with a hard to put down story that you wanted to talk about over and over with your friends.
Rating:
Summary: why oh why, why buy this stupid book?
Review: Like the rest, I won't give another red cent to this man until he wraps up the series. Honestly, I think he's written himself into a dead end, and is flailing trying to find direction. Book 10 went nowhere but tread water over and over. Oh yea, we get descriptions of Elayne's bath, and we get to read a 5 page description of who sits next to who at a meeting of the Aes Sedai. Now, still out of ideas, he takes an old short story, adds some extra text, and voila, he can steal more of our money. Sorry Jordan, I once thought you were brilliant. Now I think you are a hack. I won't buy another book in this series. I've got better things to do with my time. At one point in time I'd race out and buy each new edition with baited breath. Now I just roll my eyes when I walk into a book store and see you on display. And ya know what, when I do walk in these days, those displays are FULL, when before they would be nearly empty from everyone buying them. You could have gone down in history as creating a detailed lush world to rival Tolkein or other great fantasists, now you're just famous for verbal diarreah.
Rating:
Summary: A (mostly) fresh story from Jordan's fantasy world!
Review: After finishing the book (and hardly being able to put it down), I hopped on Amazon to see what other fans had thought of the book. I was appalled to discover that Jordan's "fans" have chosen this nice little book to vent their dissatisfaction with his writing style. Those writing one-star reviews complaining about a prequel should either stop reading the series or just wait for him to finish while reading other great fantasy novels! Now that that is said, let me review Jordan's newest novel. At a little more than a third of the usual length, this book is a brisk and focused read. It is quite refreshing that he has returned to some of the tactics which I feel made his first four or five books so eminently readable. Character switching is judicious and insightful. The plot moves along nicely, with both great events and tragedies contributing to (maybe not as) many late-night reads. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel--much more than a few, though I have enjoyed them all. For those unable to find the value in this wonderful little book, stop complaining, stop buying his books, and read other authors instead. But don't contaminate the public's impression about a book that is very much worth reading for any fantasy fan!
Rating:
Summary: At least it was better than book 10!
Review: I know that this book isn't what everyone was hoping for (finally a conclusion to this series, and a book where something actually HAPPENS), but at least it's better than book 10. I hadn't read Legends, so it was new to me, and I enjoyed this little book. I agree that RJ clearly has terrible writer's block, but maybe this will help put him back on track to finish the series. I certainly hope so, because I'm pretty sick of forking over my money to him.
Rating:
Summary: Boo...hiss!!
Review: Ok, we have now officially established that Robert Jordan is the aurthorial (sp?!) equivalent of Anna Nicole Smith, he will go after anything with a pulse if it'll make him a buck. #1). Writing a prequel when there are, what, 20 volumes in the WoT left? WTF?!
#2). Jeez Rob, where did you glean your portrayals of women? The only women I've met like the one he portrays are 40 year old divorcees from Long Island...*shudder*...
#3). How in the world can you justifiy writing a prequel without finishing the series?! It is obvious that from the WoT that this could have been a self-enclosed series of one novel but your greed has dragged it out to, what, 13 books? Disgusting. The first five novels were classic but you could tell by the end of the Fires of Heaven that his creativity had run its course. Instead of ingenuity and forshadowing you had a bunch of "fire and ice" in the veins and women crossing their arms, absolutely revolting. I've just re-read Tolkien and it is striking to see the difference between a classic and the monstrosity that Jordan is writing. Tolkien spent his life making a mythology and fighting to prevent its perversion by those he saw as leeches. Jordan, I'm sure, is in Vegas with a bunch of "dancers", his "epic" will echo down the ages until those of us that began reading the WoT 10 years ago finally, if ever, reach the ending of this piece of ___ and move on to reading non-fiction. You pain me Mr. Jordan, you began so well and have ended so very poorly.
Rating:
Summary: fyi
Review: Just for everyone's info the "reader from Washington" is actually Robert Jordan commenting on himself. Check through the reveiws and you'll be able to tell it's him.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable
Review: Hmm, a "prequel" even before he finished his current series. I hope the people reading this don't buy this book. I'm under the impression he doesn't know how to end his series. What a bunch of baloney!
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