Rating: 
Summary: I liked it, but again, why was it made?
Review: I've read Legends, and was actually quite disappointed that it was just a bigger version of it. Now, with that said, I really did like it, and would recommend it to anyone who hasn't read Legions or is curious about getting into the WoT saga. Now, why I only rate it 3 stars is, he's milking the damn series for money. This story would have been fine to read if he released it AFTER he was done with the main stories. I have a quote somewhere when he started the series saying it would last 5-6 books. Were on #10, it looks like it will go on another 4 or five, and while he still has TONS of plotholes in the story. The real question I have is why? And yeah, maybe everyone is being harsh on Jordan, but come one, everyone has been waiting for something HUGE to happen the last couple of books, and he gives us a PREQUEL? does that really add up in your head? No, it really shouldn't.
Rating: 
Summary: Better Pacing, But Wrong End of the Story
Review: First off, I wouldn't care if this series went twenty books and fifteen thousand pages, as long as the pacing was good and things were happening, but book six (which was still good) started slowing things down, and the brakes have been on ever since. The dust jacket of book ten talks about all the major things that are finally going to happen, and then none of them happen in the book. The first six books made me a huge fan, and established some incredible characters -- some of the best in fantasy -- but since then the characters have stopped developing in any meaningfull way, and nothing has happened. You could argue, I suppose, that book nine saw the power cleansed -- but so what? It's cleansing made no real difference in book ten -- heck, Rand (in the few pages he appeared in book ten) seamed even more reluctant to touch the power then he'd been when it had been tainted. For four or five books now we've been waiting for the battle of the two white towers. For four books or so we've been waiting for Rand to do something about the running of the black tower. For four books or so we've been waiting for Morgase to stop pretending she's a maid and reveal she's a Queen. For three books or so we've been waiting for Elayne to gain solid control of Andor (the struggle for control may be realistic -- but I don't care -- I find it boring. It's been going on too long.) We've been waiting forever for a resolution to Padan Fain. We've been waiting forever for Rand to really do something about the Seanchen. I've been waiting for four books now for Rand to stop sneaking into one ruling house after another, trying to ensure no one know he's there while he tells people he doesn't really trust how to run the day to day operations for him. There are too many minor politico's with their own motivations and two many plot threads that never get resolved. And what does Jordan do to make things better? He starts undoing the plot threads he tied up in the first books. He starts bringing Forsaken back to life. After each of the last four or five books I've heard people say "the next book has to be amazing. Think of all the things that Jordan has set up that have to happen in the next book." And then each and every time Jordan has found a way to hold those things off even longer. The Shaido are still running around. Faile is still a prisoner. The Prophet still hasn't reached Rand. We still don't know exactly who the returned Forsaken are. The white towers haven't fought, nor have they dealt with the black tower. Rand hasn't done anything about the Ahaman trying to kill him. Matt's still trying to get back from where ever it was he was, and he still hasn't dealt with the Gollum that's trying to kill him. Heck, the thing didn't even show up in book ten. And just as Egwene's white tower FINALLY, FINALLY reaches Tar Valon at the end of book ten, and a battle between the two towers seems like it can't be put off any longer, what does Jordan do? He has Egwene act VERY, VERY stupidly -- like a complete moron -- has her deceive her own people and slip away on her own (a move that makes very little sense) so that she can be captured by the other tower, ensuring that even in book eleven a battle between the two towers is unlikely. And through it all, Jordan refuses to write women as anything other then Bullies, Brats, or Witches, refuses to let any of the women grow into a more rounded character, and refuses to let any of them consider that they might not be the smartest person in the story. At the same time, he refuses to let any of his male characters do anything about the women's behaviour, and writes them all as long suffering saints who never run out of patience or self control -- even when the women around them deserve and would benefit from a good telling off. Even when any sane person, male or female, would have had enough and would have let their tongue fly. It's like he doesn't want his female characters to be likable. Some are worse then others, but all of them fit into the Bully, Brat, or Witch catagories. And then he extends a prequal that most of his fans already have instead of writing book eleven. Having heard his fans cry that they can't take how much he's slowed down the plot, how desperate they are to see some of the storylines he's established start to resolve, he instead takes the time to expand an already existing prequal. Having heard the people who have made him rich and succesfull, who have taken him and his writing to their hearts -- he completely ignores them and rewrites an already existing prequal instead. New Spring is written well, but it isn't what most of us want right now. We want the story to move forward without page upon page of skirt straigtening, braid tugging, haughty sniffing, and arm crossing. The Wheel of Time started off as one of the best series ever. Even if it does borrow a lot from Tolkien and Herbert, it established itself as something unique and good. But it feels like Jordan's lost his way. Like I said above, I don't care if he needs ten more books to finish things off, as long as the books are actually needed and things are happening. Nothing has happened in the last four books that couldn't have happened in one. They were all just an over long build up of issues he's already established with no seeming importance or resolution. I would be thrilled with ten more WOT books the quality of the first five or six. I don't know if I could stick with the series through even two or three more the quality of the last four.
Rating: 
Summary: A Refreshing read for the WOT
Review: I must say, I think this book is a relief to Mr. Jordan. After so many novels with amazingly complex plotlines, he was beginning to drag, but with this book, it feels like he's taking a break from the Wheel while actually filling in backstory.
Let me clarify: the book has only two plotlines. Yup, two. And here he weaves them together very well, and the pace is excellent! I in all seriousness could not put the book down. Jordan is such an excellent author, one of the best I've ever read. I would give this book about 4 1/2 stars, since it is just not as ambitious as the longer main novels, and also since the first half of Moiraine's thread is heavily influenced by a certain other popular character in a school trianing in the use of magic.
The story is simplistic, but (as with all of Jordan's work) SUPERBLY written, and this keeps it interesting in scenes that other authors wouldn't be able to write.
Very much recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: 300 pages of deja vu
Review: Okay, first of all this book was motivated purely by marketing. There is no new story here, no new characters, and nothing explained that couldn't be read in Legends. This book was created to hook new readers who may have been daunted by starting the mammoth 10+ book series from the beginning. The first 50 pages are nothing more than Jordan rehashing his stock epithets and "-isms", one right after another. I suppose this might help explain the Wheel of Time to the newbie Jordanite, but the writing suffers terribly from this attempt to cram all those cliches into something more digestable to the average reader. Case in point: Gitara's untimely demise evokes no believable (if any) response at all from the 3 women who witness it. The rest of the book is no better, considering that Jordan has already had 10 books to develop the lead characters in this one novelette. The great thing about short stories and small novels is that they aren't supposed to require a pedantic exposition. They should stand well enough on their own, and unfortunately, this one must hide behind its brand.
Rating:
Summary: So sad...
Review: I read all of Robert Jordan's books, and even when he releases his next book, I will buy it and read it. But this book is just a reprinted story that they are charging more money for. If you want to read it, just buy Legends.
Rating:
Summary: It was good, the first time it was published in Legends!
Review: Robert Jorden has provided with more Proof the he has sold out. My advice to all the other Jordan readers out there is to stop reading now. He will never finish this story and it will probably never go anywhere further plot wise. Go read the "Song of Ice and Fire" series by George R.R. Martin, they seem to actually be going somewhere and get better with each new book.
Rating:
Summary: Nice story but old news
Review: I cannot believe this is a top seller.
As other reviewers have said you can find the story for much cheaper elsewhere. You just have to hand it to those marketing guys... They know their businness. The short story itself is fine, so the one star only reflect my opinion of the edition. It's not new, it's not cheap, it's too short, it's not worth it.
The series is fine. Although It was great in the early books but sadly to say, is only in decline now. As many authors have had occasion to learn there's no bitter critic than a disapointed fan. And although The WoT fanbase is still large, he has disappointed a lot of us with the last books. Despite all that, it's still worth the read, and I recommend it. Just don't put too much of your heart in it, and expect too much of the author. He's only human, and who knows maybe he is slowing down so he can jump higher...
Rating:
Summary: No Shame
Review: Robert Jordan has finally proven beyond a doubt that he has no shame. I truly pity the poor fools that have paid money for this reprinted crap. There is nothing here that hasn't already been printed years ago in Legends! Bob, do us all a favor and please go away, you lost the ability to write long ago and you aren't fooling anyone. Fanboys, it is over, it ended with book 5 and it will never be like it was. There are a ton of authors out there that still care, RJ just isn't one of them.
Rating:
Summary: If you want to read this, go buy Legends
Review: I have already read this story (in Legends) and while I liked the story (in Legends), why should I pay more money to read it again when I already paid money to read it (in Legends)? I had no problem with the first seven books-I was glad when #7 wrapped up Samael(hopefully it did). The eigth book was a little slow, but the ninth picked up again. The tenth book... I read the jacket cover, then the book, then the jacket cover, and realized that nothing from the jacket cover had been resolved(and you barely see Rand, let alone see him "gamble...with himself at stake"). You finally see potential for him get involved with the Asha'man again, but that's it. However- I really thought that Jordan was just telling the story at his own pace, that he was popular enough now the editors would let him do so, and that he built the backstory for his own enjoyment as well as the overall betterment of the series. Then he rewrote a prequel. This material is not new. If fans want to read this, they can go out and buy "Legends: Volume 3" for less money! If Jordan wanted to keep the story going after the Last Battle, he could do so(and a certain foretelling we once saw hints that he plans to do so). If he wanted to write a prequel, he could at least get CLOSE to Tarmon Gai'don first. But this book disappointed me(more because it convinces me he actually has sold out than for a lack of quality. I actually enjoyed New Spring more than CoT). I will continue buying WoT books because the first ones sucked me in. But I fear that when they pound the nails in Mister Jordan's coffin we will still have no conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: Cha-Ching!
Review: Thank you Robert Jordan, for giving aspiring fantasy writers everywhere the key to financial freedom: 1. Write a handful of good books, using previous succesful writer's formulas and ideas. (Herbert and Tolkien are especially good influences). 2. Build a rabidly loyal fanbase from step one. Cultivate this by filling your early novels with more plot-lines and unanswered questions than a day-time soap opera. Watch the internet bulletin boards light up with speculation and anticipation for your next books. 3. Phone in your next 5 or 6 books. Your fanbase is so loyal, they won't see the drop in quality, and if they do, they're too blinded to admit it! You can take a few months off at this point; let your editor take the year off...your wife can take it from here. 4. Read a wave of negative reviews for your last book. Mention in interviews you don't read reviews. Then go home and have a nice long cry. Feel free to wipe those tears away with a handful of C-notes, big guy. 5. Once your fantasy series becomes too convoluted due to a lack of outline and a desire to keep royalties pouring in, hurriedly write a prequel to your unfinished series. If they haven't quit reading by now, they'll buy *anything*. 6. Finish your fantasy series before you die. And if you do die before it's finished, two words: GHOST WRITER. fantasy writers never had it so good! YES!
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