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Summary: WOW!
Review: I love these books...that is all that is needed to be said.
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Summary: An amazing novel
Review: Book Four of the Wheel of Time is a transition book for the series. Yes, this book has much action, but there is more explaning and revelation of the plot. Where in previous three novels, there was a goal to be acheived, (i.e. Finding the Eye of the World, Finding the Horn, Getting Callandor) this novel acheives nothing specific. It provides a link to whatever follows in the following novels. If I were to compare this series to Tolkien's work, I would say the each of the first three books would be similar to the Hobbit, while the Shadow Rising is similar to The Two Towers, lots of action without much changing. What does happen. Rand leaves Tear with Mat, Egwene, Moraine, and the Aiel to go to the waste. Nyn, Elayne, Julian, and Thom go to Tanchico to hunt the Black Ajah. Perrin, Loial, and Faile go to the Two Rivers to fight Trollocs and Whitecloaks. In Tanchico, the Black Ajah escapes, and Nyn fights one of the forsaken. In the waste, Rand becomes He Who Comes With the Dawn, and finds a teacher in one of the Forsaken. Egwene learns more about dreamwalking. Mat almost dies, but has his memory filled with other soldier's memories. Perring defeats incredible odds, marries Faile, and rescues the Two Rivers.
I like this novel because of the development of Mat and Rand who are my favorite characters. I have just finished reading it for the second time and highly recommend reading the series. While someone could start the series from the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd book, too much has occurred to start with the 4th book.
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Summary: The Shadow Rising
Review: The seals binding the Dark One in his prison are ever weakening. Now he reaches out to touch the world for the first time in three thousand years when he tainted saidin, the male half of the One Power. Once again he makes his presence known. Against the shadow rising stands the Dragon Reborn. With four dimensional characters, vivid vision and the most complicated plot of any novel, Jordan transcends the fantastic, discovering a tale truer than any text book, a story for all stories, a legend for all time.
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Summary: ogie like book
Review: good book. i am 2 year old. i am baby genius. beware!
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Summary: Epic Pipe Laying For The Upcoming Chapters
Review: At nearly seven hundred hard back pages, this isn't a book to read if there's a lot going on in your life. Beyond the basic complexities of the plot, and the worlds he's created, Jordan's fourth installment weaves in new characters while still giving the regular cast plenty to do, especially Perrin and Rand.
Ending on much more of a cliff hanging note, this latest chapter of He Who Comes With The Dawn feels ultimately like great set up for the subsequent books. And if you've become as addicted to them by this point as most people have, you'll want to have the next book, "The Fires of Heaven waiting on deck.
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Summary: Good book, but not 4.5 stars
Review: I'm consistently amazed at how high many people review books in general. The same goes for this book, which is good, but not 4.5 star material. If I could give it 3.5, I would, because that's where I think it is so far as fantasy goes. I like the book. I do. Jordan is able to keep me turning pages from page 200 to page 900. The first 200, however, are painfully slow as he attempts to bring those people who have not read the first 3 up to speed. For those previously uninitiated into the Wheel of Time series, it's probably helpful. But for those of us who have read his other works, it's a slow, dry stretch of pages. The book does get more interesteing after that, and Jordan does have a decent way with words that makes the pages go faster. But some of his literary tricks are just plain tiring. As another reviewer asked, how many times can a woman fold her arms under her breasts and how many men's faces are carved out of stone? Similarly, is it really necessary to continuously portray the characters as 12 years old? The maturity level of the characters is severely lacking, which is more pronounced in the beginning of the book than the last 3/4 of it, but nonetheless something that never ends. Conversely, there are some plots that are worth reading. Perrin's saga is good. Min is a great character. And of course we always want to know mroe about Rand. And that's where the problem begins. All in all, this is 1000 pages where Rand accomplishes as much as you could read in 50 pages. And that's where my real problem starts to come in with this book. Nobody ever dies. Characters keep being added. At this stage, there is war raging all over the world and not 1 of nearly 40 characters ever dies. They're only ever grazed or nicked. Not that I'm rooting for anyone to die, you see. But every battle is the same formula: Describe slow anticipation, start the battle, then in 2 pages of action end the battle in a nondescript manner. And yes, I said 40 characters that are entreneched in this book. And 7 different plot lines (Rand, Perrin, Min, Nynaeve/Elayne, Black Ajah, Whiteclocks, Padain Fain, the White Tower, and the Forsaken/Dark One). Well, make it 9, and that keeps Matt, Thom, and several other characters out of it. Among those 8 plot lines I can count can count 37 characters that are running with some story. Nothing ever ends. Even when Rand battles at the end, there is no finality. So, in reviewing the book, I'm not sure it's worth even 3 stars. Maybe more like 2.5 or 2. I don't want to say it totally sucked, especially the Two Rivers part of it all. But the remained of the book was clearly lacking, not nearly enough of the plot talks about Min and her role in the overall picture. I think it is best left at this. Around page 900 I was looking forward to book #5. After the last 100 pages, I'm not really looking forward to it quite so much because the ending was so lame and predictable, the payoff of 1000 pages just was not there.
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Summary: Slow But Still Good
Review: I am now on book 5 of the Wheel of Time series, and I am beginning to see a repetition. BUT, the book still has awesome chapters and interesting characters. I gave it four stars because I don't think its as good as The Great Hunt or The Dragon Reborn.
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Summary: An Improvement Over Book Three
Review: The Wheel of Time is not a series for those with little patience. The story moves slowly, painfully slowly at times; it takes over 200 pages for any character to leave the city of Tear, for example. Nor are all storylines created equal. Rand's journey into the Aiel waste (with the exception of his visions of Aiel history) is both endless and tiring. Min's adventures in Tar Valon are far more gripping, but receive minimal treatment. Perrin's return to the Two Rivers, however, is the best we have seen from the entire series so far. Every page with Perrin is read literally on the edge of the seat, eagerly turning each page. It doesn't hurt that of all the main characters, Perrin is the most (and perhaps the only) likeable. The others are too wrapped up in their own selves and generate no sympathy, especially Mat. It is striking that the friendship that had been so close in The Eye of the World is now virtually non-existent. Rand, Mat, and Egwene are together but seldom interact except to criticize or complain, and none of them care at all about what had happened to Perrin. A disappointing turn, as the ability to form and hold deep friendships is often what separates the good guys from the bad.
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Summary: A great installment....
Review: This is a great installment to the Wheel of Time series, it follows Rand into the Aiel Waste, we learn some about Mat (my new favorite character), and we get to follow Nanaeve and Egwene on their hunt for the Black Ajah. But best of all, is Perrin's battle in the Two Rivers. Perrin's character develops greatly, and his trolloc hunting chapters are filled with wonderful action, and delightful new characters. Perrin's relationship with Faile improves and it turns romantic at some points. Robert Jordan is able to write stories that are not just good, they're addicting! There like soap operas, they suck you in and never let you go. The same happens while reading the Wheel of Time series. The characters develop wonderfully and they all grow into seperate plot threads and then at the end of each book, they all meet with a big kabang. Jordan is famous for his wonderful endings like never leave you completely disappointed. I would recommend this book series to anyone who loves to read books that take you off to a new world. This series sweeps you off your feet and you'll never wanna go back to the real world, just because it seems so bland. Read this book!
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Summary: A conclusion of sorts...beware, disappointment lies ahead
Review: The Shadow Rising is the last excellent book in the WoT series. From here on in it's a meandering, slow-paced, hodge-podge of good ideas and "this must sell" pros. With the occasional last 30 page payoff for reading the first 700 pages. Enjoy this book like you enjoyed the first three, because this is the last chance you'll get to stop before the whole thing collapses under the weight of itself, and the money making machine it has become.
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