Rating: 
Summary: This one made me quit the series.
Review: I picked up The Path of Daggers after a several year hiatus from The Wheel of Time. While the distance between volumes certainly caused me to lose enthusiasm, and I realize my taste in fiction has changed somewhat, this book seemed worse than the others by far. After about one hundred pages of hair-pulling, ear-boxing, saidar-drawing, women grumbling about men, and vice versa, I realized I simply couldn't finish it. There's nothing wrong with a plotless novel (or plot-minimal, here) but they need substance otherwise, I wasn't getting anything from The Path of Daggers. Other reviewers talk of character development, but most of the thousand or so characters populating WoT seem to have changed little since they were introduced, and I find most unlikable. This is the only book I've completely given up on in the last five years.Thanks for the early books, Robert.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite what it should be - but read it anyway
Review: Essentially, Jordan seems to be playing for time in this book. Like its two most recent predecessors, Daggers spends a lot of time doing relatively little -- and in all honesty the three books could easily have been reduced into one volume with no loss of character or plot. To pad out the action we get endless chatter between Nynaeve and Elayne as they struggle to use the bowl of winds, a much longer than necessary build up to Egwene's confrontation with Elaida,almost no time at all for the engaging Mat, a largely irrelevant period for Perrin staying put and negotiating treaties and Rand doing much the same thing he's done in previous books but with less vigour: finding someone to attack without going mad, this time the Seanchan. It's all a bit of a disappointment considering the drive and energy of the first few volumes and makes one long for the inevitable climax. Still, it is fair to say it suffers largely from comparison to its predecessors rather than the rest of the field - WoT remains one of the more intriguing and better constructed fantasy universes around
Rating: 
Summary: really a let down
Review: I was really dissapointed with this book. I love the others, but at the Lord of Chaos, it started slipping. A crown of swords was better cuz it actually had an ending, but this! this book sucks!i mean, Mat wasn't in it at all, and he had like the BEST roll! the last thing they said about him was in the end of a crown of swords when the seanchan attacked ebou dar. then they just STOP! i couldnt believe it! and then, the biggest dissapointment was Rand. i mean, he didnt do anything the whole book until the end when he attacked the seanchan. but he killed his own army witht eh lightning and the seanchan regroup adn ride away. i mean, all i can say is WHAT THE HECK???? id read it just so that you can finish the series though, but be warned.
Rating: 
Summary: This book isn't the best in the series, but it IS necessary
Review: I'm tired of hearing two things...one, that RJ takes too long to write his books, and two, that the development isn't happening fast enough. Jordan is in unexplored territory as far as I'm concerned. Nobody has ever undertaken a work of such size and scope. Character development is taking place here; the Rand in POD is definitely not the Rand we knew in the earlier books, and the same can be said for all of the other characters as well. The series as a whole is awe inspiring, and those folks that whine and complain about the latest installment taking too long and not being chock full of action packed moments are missing the big picture. Can't you feel it building? Can't you feel the tension that is winding us up and pushing us inexorably toward the last battle? The world Jordan has created is unparalleled; it should be enjoyed and appreciated. It's not for speed reading. This is supposed to be a review, not a rebuttal, but I can't help but take a shot at Mr. Jordan's critics by asking if any of them have written ANYTHING?!!! Let alone a masterful, fantasy that has consistently been on the New York Times best-seller list. Two and a half years is too long to wait? YOU try writing a book of that complexity and with that many character dynamics in ANY amount of time. Try doing it while you are touring all over the U.S. and God knows where else to make appearances and sign books, and maybe then you'll have earned the right to throw stones at RJ. Until then, do yourself a favor - have faith in the man who has brought us this far. Enjoy the fruits of his extraordinary efforts, and try not to be so fickle that you lose interest in the whole series because one book didn't blow your skirt up. I gave this book four stars because it isn't my favorite in the series either. But it's still a great book because it is part of a great series from a truly gifted writer.
Rating:
Summary: So many pages - so few events
Review: I'd like to start by stating that I'm a huge fan of Robert Jordan's previous books, but every book since # 6 feel like he is milking his readership and writing for the money rather than for the story. Literally 3 or 4 events occurred in this book - Nothing is happening in the series since book 6. Please Mr Jordan, give us a book like books 1 - 6 and let us know how the series ends. Some suggestions... Moiraine returns from limbo where she was sent (book ?), Lan unites the north behind Rand, Perrin unites old Manetheran, Matt is the general, they all meet to fight the Trollocs, etc., and Rand and company win. Rand writes a book entitled "From there and back again" and sails off with the Seachan. The end. Please, please, finish this up versus making me read through endless details of no value to the series. The last few books have felt like reading the phone book. These books aren't cheap and you are close to loosing me.
Rating:
Summary: Hierarchy at its best
Review: You may not understand why I gave this review that title. I shall try to explain. Jordan manages to weave the hierarchial threads throughout his books, whenever one channeler comes across another. It also gives us great joy to see that not all societies base their ranks on strength in the One Power. Take, for example, the windfinders or the wise ones (I REALLY don't want to meet Soriela in a dark alley). One could contemplate on this, and come to a conclusion that this is Jordan's way of criticizing the western society. It's possible. There are several reasons I put up with so many books with so little real content. First and foremost is the build-up of hierarchy. You really want to watch a match-up between Soriela and Cadsuane or Rand and the Shaido wise ones. A second reason is the tension Jordan succeeded in creating - Things are not looking good for the entire continent. With gholams, forsaken coming back from the grave and Seanchan, it's likely that all will NOT be well in the end. I'm really looking forward to that. I'm even thinking of not buying book 10 until Jordan finishes book 12. I know this looks like a troublesome review, but in the end you do have to remember that I've just finished reading book 8 of one of the most ambitious fantasy series written. Just thinking about that strikes me with awe! Followers of the Light and the Dragon Reborn : Do not falter. Do not give up. We shall triumph over Shai'tan. Kirgas Lightbringer, Keeper of the Scrolls.
Rating:
Summary: Readers sniff loudly and raise chin at Book 8
Review: Friends the rumors are true, this book is boring. Here again we see that The Wheel of Time, a series that began so strongly, and that quickly accrued so many devoted readers, has continued its downhill slide into trite serial limbo. I read 484 pages of book 8, became supremely bored, and completed the text by reading online chapter synopses written by Jordan fans. A lot of readers throw blame directly at Jordan for drawing out the saga, including far too many characters, and devoting too much time to conversation and braid tugging and not enough to driving forward the plot. And they are right, Jordan needs to revise his focus. But I'd like to draw attention to another culprit in the ruination of The Wheel of Time: The editors. You know, I imagine it is VERY difficult for an author of a saga to limit his words and self-edit content. No doubt every detail seems fascinating and important to the creator of this fictional universe. But an editor exists for this very purpose; an editor has the distance and training to streamline a manuscript and cut away the extraneous matter. Where are the editors when we need them? Have they not seen Elayne sniff loudly and raise her chin one too many times? Have they not seen one too may introductions of yet another Aes Sedai whose face is ageless and whose allegiances are unknown? How many times can a braid be tugged and a dress smoothed before an editor suggests new word choices? These books are in dire need of a red pen. I intend to read the remaining 25 volumes in online synopses...I cannot stomach anymore of this saga in its current, convoluted form.
Rating:
Summary: The never ending story
Review: If you like soap opera's then you may enjoy the book. If you like stories to have a beginning, a middle and an end - DON'T BUY THIS BOOK There is no plot
Rating:
Summary: Good Enough
Review: It has been interesting to me to read the reviews on the Jordan books as I have moved along through them. I began the books in late October and have completely devoured them. I have seen a lot of frustration in reviews as the books have moved along. I definitely think I have been at an advantage over those who have waited two years for each book to come out, only to feel like they have to wait another two years for the story to progress. I thought this book (Book 8)was great. I am a fantasy novice and Jordan has made me extremely interested in the genre. I look at this series as a giant chess match. Jordan is slowly moving people into the right places for what will hopefully be a 2 or 3 book climactic explosion. Although I sometimes feel that the number of characters are overwhelming, and was frustrated not to see Matt in this book, I feel Jordan has done an excellent job of making me feel emotion about every character I run across. As much as I enjoy the characters of Matt and Cadsuane--who I've really enjoyed in the last two books, I absolutely despise Sevanna, Fain, and all Whitecloaks. I have not felt true passion/emotion about fictional characters like I have in the WOT in quite a while. I have found myself saying "wow that was cool" at least three times in each of his books. My suggestion with this book is just to read it and patiently enjoy it. Just don't expect too many of the storylines to wrap up, and be ready for about 8 more to begin.
Rating:
Summary: Don't believe the nay-sayers - it's fantasy GOLD!
Review: From the moment I began this series, all I heard about was how bad the last few books were. Therefore, I was actually looking forward to POD, since most agreed that was where the trouble truly began, because I wanted to see if I'd agree with the consensus. Can I tell you? I just don't get it! I thought this book was every bit worthy of the series. People keep whining that it is boring! Well, I don't know which book they read, but the one I read included many harrowing encounters between the various characters and the Seanchan, an assasination attempt on Rand, two well set-up power grabs by Egwene and Elayne - and just alot of really cool, well-written scenes of politcs and suspense. Toss in a hand-full of murders, some new One Power abilities, the possibility that the Power may be getting further corrupted, and the final break of Winter - and I think ALOT happened in this book! Alot of the complaints mention that this book seems to not have an ending. I guess most readers just don't like a book unless it ends with a repetitive "final confrontation" between the hero and yet another antagonist. Frankly, I enjoyed the more "lingering thread" ending of this book to the "rushed and forced" confrontations that ended many of the previous books. Don't let the fussy, "gotta have an ending now!" types out there keep you from reading it, just buy it and enjoy the good writing that doesn't patronize you, but just seeks to entertain you. I mean - come on . . . do you really WANT the Wheel of Time series to end? I don't! Not while they're still this good! BTW - the only book in the series I have disliked so far was Book 5: The Fires of Heaven - I mean, talk about a book where NOTHING happens! Elayne and Nynaeve become CIRCUS PERFORMERS for crying out loud!!!
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