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Summary: thanks for the input, guys!
Review: I have not bought the book yet. Thanks to you guys, I probably saved over $15 not buying the hardcover. I was thinking, since Mr. Jordan is not trying to finish this story, maybe we should. Here are some thoughts I have so far... 1. The guy that calls himself Taim right now, is most likely Demandred in disguse. Remember Bashere did not recognize him when he first present himeself to Rand? The real Dragon inside Rand's head screams murder everytime Taim is near. 2. As with male and female halves of the Source, I think evil is also divided in the similar fashion. The evil in Shadar Logoth is probably the female half. 3. I think the real importance of the character Min is that she will be the one who puzzles out the key to the final victory. She has the note from Herid Fel.Let me know what you guys think!
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Summary: A strong link, a faithful gateway to Jordan's world.
Review: This book is for readers who enter the story when they read. That fly-on-the-wall reader will renew close acquaintances with charming, rich and real characters (and some vile ones). That reader will celebrate as the young heros gain wisdom and strength. That reader will struggle with real & knotty problems of diplomacy and empire, love and loyalty, ethics and leadership. And that reader is going to worry a bit, and sweat and cheer and cry. Also, that reader will miss some of his friends from past chronicles. Robert Jordan has been true to his plot, true to his characters, and true to life. This story is not simple. No mere "Rand runs, Rand fights, Rand kills a Forsaken" formula for the mind-candy addict. Those readers must find a shallower work or drown in this one. This book is for intelligent readers who get it, and who want Jordan's world to live so that they can live in it for a time. I wish it wouldn't take two years for the next one, but whatever it takes. I also pray Jordan doesn't get hit by a bus.
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Summary: I have faith it will get better...
Review: First of all, to anyone that has compared R.J.'s work to Mr. Goodkind, I should point out the following: Terry has had the uncanny knack of switching between absolute brilliance and complete crap - all in the same novel. I accept that and I still enjoy reading his work. Along the same lines, Robert Jordan is brilliant. It still amazes me that he has created a world in which the characters can become so very real to me. I have laughed with them, had heart pounding moments with them, cried with them. It is unfortunate that he has seemed to loose his focus somewhat in books 7 & 8. It is REALLY unfortunate that we are left dangling so incredibly long in between books. But I do have faith that he won't let this world that he has created complete a slide into self-destruction. Hopefully, the slow pace, lack of resolve and somewhat lifeless telling of this grand tale in the last two books will all change with book 9. I have no doubt I will be picking up the hard back the day it is released in the hope that R.J.'s pride in his work will be showcased in his next offering. PLEASE Mr. Jordan.....
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Summary: Path of WoT after Path of Daggers looks rocky...
Review: I'm one reader who's lost all her belief that Rj's a writing genius. I wasn't such a great fan in the first place, but now... I don't think it's possible for RJ to get out of his current habit of writing about clothes and other trivial things instead of getting on with the plot. And I guess there are many disappointed people like me out there who are not goind to buy the next book after reading the waste of paper that is PoD. But it's everyone's own choise whether they're dropping the series or waiting faithfully for the next book, which I'll doubtless borrow from my local library. Not for any of the countless unsolved plots, not to find out is Rand going to die or go insane, but to have a good laugh. The characters are so ridiculous these days that I tend to think of WoT as comedy.Besides, I've a good idea how it's going to end so I can stop worrying about the Last Battle. I don't think that Rj's such a revolutionary writer that he's going to kill any of the three main heroes. The Forsaken are going to get killed off in the end and not get recycled ( am I the only one to get annoyed by the fact that there's only a couple of villains we know RJ can't recycle due to their being balefired ). The Dark One is going to get stopped. And Elayne is going to get Rand. It's pretty obvious. Elayne, Ilyena... and she's a blonde princess. RJ threw Min and Aviendha in the story just so that his hero could follow tradition and have several women chasing him. I'm pretty sorry for that, since Min used to be nice before turning into Rand's own love toy and Aviendha can fight without using the Power. And she's Aiel. Good enough reasons for Rand to pick her but he's still going to marry Elayne because that's the way things go. And here comes a question for the people out there who know what Ranma 1/2 is: who's more dangerous? A pissed-off Nynaeve or a pissed-off Akane? No way that Nynaeve's going to die. She's gonna live on to annoy me, just like Akane. Both like beating other people, both have a low opinion of men, both can't cook and Nynaeve has a One Power-happy temper while Akane has a hammer-happy one. Well, I guess that's all for now! Isago Hibiki
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Summary: fluff, filler and a waste of good reading time!
Review: When PoD first hit he shelves here I was SSOOO tempted to go out and buy it on the first day, But NO, I waited, so hubby had the "pleasure" of wrapping it and putting it under the tree. Much anticipated and eagerly awaited, Christmas arrived, then passed and I FINALLY had the time to sit down and devote precious hours to what I thought was going to be a worthwhile and joyful reunion. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME!!!! I figured "RJ""s 7th to be an aberration, or maybe I was just expecting more for my money....whatever...but..."cheated" is putting it mildly. FOR GOODNESS SAKE!!!!! I've carried and birthed two children and had two career changes in the time it's taken Elayne, Nynaeve et al to get to and from Ebou Dar!! Won't be wasting any more hard-earned on WoT!
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Summary: Not the best yet, but read on to find out why
Review: I am the original Robert Jordan fan. I do not mean to sound superior by saying that or imply that I am the authority on the Wheel of Time series (although I have read it through twice). All I mean by such a comment is that in this series I have found something so beautiful and personal, that to acknowledge that anybody else could also enjoy it as well would somehow detract from its intimacy with me. This book is to my mind , the least enjoyable of all the books so far. Its main redeeming feature is that one can see the basis that Jordan is creating for the final climax. The rise in importance of the Seanchan in this novel has been long in coming due to the ever-presence of the 'Dragon Scepter', yet their clash with Rand wasn't what I had hoped it would be and the fact that Mat didn't feature was criminal. Having reread this review, however, I feel that I have been overly harsh. As always I read the book from start to finish in my every spare moment ; and episodes like Egwene's taming of the rebel Aes Sedai overcame my self-consciousness at having to carry around such a vast tome as this amongst the hordes of anti-literates that inhabit the London Underground. A compelling read and, needless to say, an absolute must have for all Jordan addicts.
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Summary: The series has become bogged down going nowhere!
Review: I became hooked on the wheel of time series after book1, but have found that the last couple of books are becoming increasingly stale. There is now so little action and proper character development that you can almost say what is going to happen on the next page - probably more plodding around the countryside. I love books and usually when I buy one then it is consumed within two days as I read on the train and before bed - however I took FIVE weeks to read this book! And the only reason I kept going with it was because I dont like leaving a book unfinished. I am of the opinion that Robert Jordan has handed writting of his series over to a ghost writer because the class of writing has greatly deteriorated. I dont really expect to pick up a book and the entire contents consist of Egwene plodding across the country, Rand plodding around, Nynaeve and the others plodding around. No-one does anything, there is no complete plot advancement and the entire book could be condensed in 10 pages - this entire book should have just been one chapter in a more enlivened novel. If you want to see how a series should develop then read Eddings, Robert Jordan looks like he has lost his way and has no idea how to end the Wheel of Time - will it ever end? Maybe we will have book 25 at some stage. The characters also drive me mad. There is absolutely no humour to them and they are like cardboard cut-outs with no real depth of personality. They also react to situations in a completely unbelievable way and the endless 'men not understanding women' and 'women not understanding men' which is the only reason why a lot of subplots have not been resolved is being completely overworked and is now verging on the ridiculous. I was therefore not happy with this book - so much so that i do not care now how the rest of the series is resolved
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Summary: Jordan's worst book ever. Skip it.
Review: If you are addicted to this series, this book might cure you. It was so poorly written that I worry about Robert Jordan. Maybe his health is failing. If you insist on buying this mess, I recommend you start reading on p. 421 if you find the Aes Sedai pompous, or start reading on p. 293 if you love them. Yes, this book rises to mediocrity after 300 or 400 pages of absolute slop.
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Summary: RJ should know when to stop
Review: Path of Daggers is filler, pure and simple. The grand wheel of time series, which has been hearlded as "the greatest fantasy series ever" by its rabid fans, screeched to a stop years ago. What we have now is an author and a publisher that have realized (correctly) that all they need to do is put Jordan's name and "The Wheel of Time Book number so-and-so" on a cover and it will be a bestseller. Path of Daggers is an insult to his readers everywhere, full of maudlin, soap-opera developments and so many new characters that no one even can remember who's who. And the thing is no one, not even the author, knows how long this series is going to last! A famous author, Margaret Chittenden, said it best: "Be sure you stop when your novel reaches the end. Bow out when your story is over. Put the cover on the typewriter or turn off the computer." It's a pity that Mr.Jordan doesn't know how to do this.
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Summary: A good book about events leading up to major events.
Review: Book 8 (as well as book 7) in the Wheel of Time series is about events leading up to some major events to come, and. as such, it may not appeal to everyone (judging by some reviews). If I can draw a parallel to history, this book is similar to the telling of the events that occurred in Europe before the start of World War II. What happened between the two big wars is important in understanding why the second war even happened, but not everyone is interested in that; they just want the "highlights." If you are only interested in the highlights, then you will rate this book low. Instead, if you are interested in the more subtle events that lead up to major conflicts, then you will enjoy this book.As for the statements about "nothing happenning", that is not true. Instead, the events are a set up for the bigger ones. Some examples are (without giving too much away):Andor - which now looks posed for the same turmoil seen in other countries.Seanchan (mainland) - how are the Seanchan going to react?Elayne's lost gateway - which already affects the area, but the potential is there for a lot more.White Tower - the surprise attack.Black Tower - the split?Rand - how are things going to hold together with the events at the end of the book?In summation, I enjoy this book because I enjoy the "historical" aspect of it; the reasons why future events are going to occur.
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