Rating: 
Summary: Don't judge a book by it's predecessors
Review: I have to say that I (25 yr old Student) am getting terribly sick of people that criticize this book. I just finished it, and book 5 was everything that I could have imagined and more. The only explanation I can think of is that it takes a more mature/experienced reader enjoy amount of detail that Jordan puts into every page. In the Fires of Heaven, Jordan unleashes the best tactical combat scenario of the series, and uses each character to their fullest with the exception of Perrin, which seems to be absent from this book. All in all, an extraordinary effort on Jordan's part. I highly recommend this book/series to anyone who wants to jump-start their imagination.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful, just wonderful
Review: one thing i've always had against fantasy stories, including this series is that they never seem to give the enemies more than a two dimensional characterization. this one attempts it rather well with the forsaken and some of the darkfriends, but trollocs are just fodder for rand's lightning strikes.
but my own pet pieves aside, this story is rich and complex. this world that robert jordan has created is imaginative and innovative. it may seem like he is using some stereotypes from our own cultures throughout our world, but he's mixed it up well enough to be considered his own creation. the story will engross you, as it should and you will be caught up in the characters' drive for survival. enjoy it, and all nine books so far.
Rating:
Summary: I love these books!
Review: I started this series late...spring 2001, but I absolutely can't get enough. The whole series is wonderful, and it just keeps getting better. I've read several reviews that say Jordan is taking too much time, dragging the books out. I do not think so. If you're an avid fan, you want to know all the little things, so it's almost as if you're there. The way Mat was brought into the center of things more in this book was very good and provided a great profile of the "new" Mat. I did miss Perrin in this book, but I'm sure he'll be back. I was almost disappointed when the book ended because I wanted more...but then, I've got more with the other four that are already published. If you've not read any of these books, start at the beginning and read them all.
Rating: 
Summary: Probably Could have Cut a lot of this one
Review: If half stars were allowed I actually would have given this book another half star. I did enjoy it, but it was quite long and the length did not seem as necessary as in some of the other books. The action seemed slow, even draggy, which I had not found before. There were quite a few places where Jordan went into more detail than he needed. I also think that at this point he could stop explaining where every character came from so much and trust that by book five the reader probably knows all about it. It's hard to reach a balance between realism and interesting reading. As other reviewers have pointed out, Elayne, Nynaeve and Birgitte do bicker a lot and it is annoying. However, it's also realistic behavior to expect from three women cooped up together in a small space. Does that mean we want to read about it? Maybe not at such great length. Many interesting things do happen. I am increasingly fond of Mat, whom I couldn't stand at the start of the series. I enjoyed the women's time with the traveling show. As always, I enjoyed the characters of Thom and Juilin. I mainly enjoyed the characters in general. I would, however, like to see people begin to communicate and compromise more. Everyone seems to think s/he knows exactly what's best for everyone and no one listens. I hope they can begin to resolve this before the ultimate battle, or they're going to be in trouble. Book five is a point where people who have been stretching to be patient with this series are going to find they can't stretch any farther and give up. For those who don't find very long books daunting and those who don't chafe at inaction, it is something of a flat spot, but with its own features of interest.
Rating:
Summary: A good stopping point.
Review: If you like the series, there is no reason to stop with book four, but if you are getting tired of the series then don't bother reading The Fires of Heaven. First, the reasons to read the book: There is a surprising betrayal - a darkfriend in their midst.
Matt achieves much personal glory.
There is a huge battle.
They don't do as much of their corny foul language like "Burn me!"
One of the seven main characters dies.
One of the seven main characters has sex. Now, for the reasons to not read the book: The events above are not as interesting as they sound. The sense of wonder in The Eye of the World is gone. The feeling of discovering a new world is gone. The suspense is gone. For example, the characters no longer have to rest in order to recharge their ability to channel like Moraine did in The Eye of the World. Sometimes they will just keep channeling spectacular feats all day long. There are no suspenseful chases or escapes. The characters torment each other even more than before.
The women are even more bossy than before.
Perrin does not appear in the whole book. Predictably, Rand learns more from Asmodean, but he still hasn't made an effort to learn how to block women from channeling because he needed a woman to practice on, and he was too proud to ask. What a jerk! We learn that Rand can't hurt a woman even if it means death and suffering for all women for all eternity. That's OK with him just as long as no woman is hurt by him personally. What a jerk! Balefire works really well, so they decide they had better not use it. What a bunch of jerks!
Rating:
Summary: Finally Made It Through
Review: It took me a long time to get around to reading this. In fact, I had to force myself to read it. After reading the first four books, each as long as this one, I was quite burned out on it. However, once I did pick it up and start reading it, it all came back to me and I mostly enjoyed it. I think this book has good and bad points. For one thing, everyone argues. A lot. You would think that all the trials and hardship they've gone through with and for each other, that it would bring them closer together. That's not the case. Instead, the characters are constantly at each other's throats. The women all think that Rand can't do anything right and get mad at him all the time, sometimes for no reason that I can discern. I found myself wondering if Robert Jordan perceives all women to be that way, since that is the way all the women in his books are. Rand has no idea what he's doing wrong in the women's eyes, and continues to act like a spoiled prince, while Elayne really is a spoiled princess. Nynaeve's stubbornness is unreasonable, and so is Aviendha's anger. On the other hand, there is more to the characters than meets the eye. You just don't get to see that much of it, and it doesn't come out much in their reactions to other characters. Also, since the books are so long, and it seems like such a long time since they left home, it's hard to remember that Rand, Matt, and Egwene are only teenagers. I'm not sure what Nynaeve's excuse is, though. We don't see much of Matt in this story, although he plays a more important part later into the story, and nothing of Perrin that I recall. I think Perrin should have had some part in this story, as he is part of the important trio with Rand and Matt. It's been so long since I read the other books, I'm not really sure I remember what happened to him, and seeing him again would have been nice. This time the story centers on Rand, Egwene, Nynaeve, Elayne, and Aviendha. Rand is trying to bring the tribes from the Aiel Waste together, and bring down the False Car'a'carn, Couladin. He also thinks that he's starting to go mad. Egwene is continuing her training with the Aiel Wise One's and is learning how to dreamwalk in Tel'aran'rhiod. Nynaeve and Elayne talk to Egwene through Tel'aran'rhiod, and are also hunting one of the Black Ajah. All in all, I don't see that there is much to distinguish this book from the others in the series I have read so far. It's not horrible, and it's not great. It seems more that it is just a step along the way. I think it could've been a much shorter step. If you plan on continuing with the series, you'll have to read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Refute!!
Review: I'm writing this review mainly to refute what was said by another reviewer. The reviewer in question writes a well thought out review that reflects his opinon quite well. Let me state at the outset that there is nothing wrong with his/her review and I respect it as much as I respect any of the others. This reviewer was the one who compared Jordan's work to a Computer Game. The main reason I find this so distastefull is the uses of Tolken and Ursla K. Guinn references. I find this happens so much in Fantasy literature that it makes me sick. Yes, these two authors where outstanding, they defined the way fantasy is written. They came up with the first epic tales to fill our hearts with wonder. They where the best at what they did. But there are not anymore. I work in an university and I see from instrusters there exactly what I see from this reviewer. I'ts basically a reluctance to except change. They want to teach it they way they where taught, they want to do the things that they did when they where in college. It does not matter that new and better ways have been found to do the same thing, they just want to cling to the old. Lets look at Tolkins books...women barely existed in them, much less real powerfull women. Yes there where some women there and they had some good roles to play but no power. Basically women did not exist from the neck down. Now why do (I) think this is so? Well I think it is a sign of the times, when tolkien wrote women where not looked at in the same light they are now. There are plenty of examples I could give that show the different times and attitudes of writers but I will not bore you with the details. The note I would like to get out is this, lets try not to force writers whether they are good ones or terrible ones to fit in the same mold. People write differntly than Tolkin and Guinn, let them. If they are not allowed to do this, we get stagnation, everyone doing the same thing. Let sleeping dogs lie.
Rating:
Summary: Bad? Hardly. Repetitive? Definitely.
Review: Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" Series is certain to become a part of literary history, and while it wasn't horrible, the fifth installment of Robert Jordan's series certainly isn't as good as The Dragon Reborn and The Shadow Rising. It took me a LONG time to get through this book, not just because it is almost 1000 pages long, but because as soon as you hit the middle of this door-stopper, slogging through the horribly boring and uneventful adventures of Elayne (Who is on track to become one of the most annoying characters ever conceived) and Nynaeve (Who's constant stubborness grates at your nerves like a nail file). Rand and Mat's adventures were actually quite entertaining, but Nynaeve and Elayne's exploits are almost enough to ruin the book completely. Why? The Constant bickering between Elayne, Nynaeve and Birgitte becomes so repetitive that you want to skip through the entire chapter although you find that you can't because the chapters are so long that you are afraid that wedged in the middle of Elayne's mooning over Rand at every second, and Nynaeve "tugging at her braid" all the time, you might miss a vital piece of information. In every chapter they visit Tel'aran'rhiod with the Ring Ter'Angreal (Which is described in paragraph long detail every time it is used.)and either look around the White Tower for information or visit Egwene and the Wise Ones. It becomes far to repetitive, and you can hardly tell the difference between one chapter and the next. The lack of Perrin, Faile's, and Loial's characters also brings the score down, and if it weren't for the action-packed ending I would have given the book a 2 instead of a 3. The only thing that redeems this are Mat's comical misadventures and Rand's constant battle with himself. Aims high, but ultimately misses the mark.
Rating:
Summary: Totally Absorbed
Review: Every time I pick up one of Jordan's books, I'm so totally enthralled from beginning to end, that I can't put it down. I just recently discovered this series, being a "newcomer" to sci-fi and fantasy reading, and I've gotten through the series in record time and started browsing them again, looking for the "hidden" jewels I missed the first time!
Rating:
Summary: How can you not like this series?!!?
Review: This series, I admit, can get a bit repetitious but there are plenty of surprises that should, like in my case, keep readers on their toes! I don't want to spoil anything, but their are many occurences within this book and series that will shock the reader, and leave you thinking "I never thought of that". This series is great, in my opinion, and I will faithfully devote my time with it until the end. What are you waiting for you wool-headed idiots! Read this SERIES!!!
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