Rating: 
Summary: Blah. Very blah.
Review: First thing: the synopsis and dust-jacket blurb have very close to nothing at all to do with Path of Daggers. Second: c'mon RJ, this epidemic of chronic stupidity among characters who used to be fascinating is disgusting. Third: Hello? The book just STOPPED out of nowhere. That's not a "cliffhanger ending", that's an UNFINISHED MANUSCRIPT. Fourth: No tension, unless you count "You're a bully!" "No you're a bully!" YOU BULLY!" from the civilized women, with "Oh dear, what color goes with my eyes?" from the oh-so-fierce Aiel. Fifth? It's not the world that's falling apart under the Dark One's touch -It's this series that is falling apart. If the next one is this abominably wretched, I for one am finished with the series. These last two books have been well below the level of the other novels. Buy it if you have faith in the series, but don't get your hopes up. It wasn't worth the wait.
Rating: 
Summary: A good space filler but we want results!!!
Review: Now we begin to see why the Wheel of Time is taking so many books. Jordan has said that he means to write the story from a relaistic perspective, not 'like in the stories' as the characters so often say. But after 5 books of everybody traipsing around with only the last 100 pages going anywhere, why couldn't we just condense it abit? Gripes aside, the book is an excellent example of Jordans edge-of-your seat writing, whether it is through real dramatic tension (Rand vs. the Seanchan, Dashiva's betrayal) or just boredom (Elayne et al. traipsing through the snow.) One thing I love about the series is the plans and plots of the bad guys, which keeps us guessing (Where are the Forsaken all going?) and this story furthers that aspect too. At least next book we'll have lots to seee and do - the White Tower, Elayne claiming the throne(s), Perrin going psycho at the Shaido, Rand furthering his plans to cleanse Saidin, but in the final anaylsis, The Path of Daggers is a Space filler! We want story!
Rating:
Summary: A dissapoint!
Review: It was with great expectations that I looked forward to reading this books but as it went along I got more and more disaapointed. I really like the series but RJ seems to repeating all the thigns that we already have seen a thousand times. Especially this book is thin. It ends with no climates worth speaking of and it just seems to be a stop between one book and another and RJ couldn't get any good stuff in it because the publisher decided to make more money by publishing two books! I rated it 2 stars - in respect of the previous books which i really liked and have read many times. I really hope that RJ gets the next one better or I will stop wasting my money on them and find another favorite author!
Rating: 
Summary: Robort Jordon has Lost his Passion
Review: Robert Jordon is a paradox. He is obviously a complex and intellegent writer. He is also --now -- a passionless and boring writer. As everyone here repeats over and over: the first three books were great. The story was focused and fun. But, after that...it is as if Jordon lost his way. And lost his love for his work and the world he created.Gone is the fun. Gone is the focus. Gone is the pacing. Gone is the dramatic action. Gone is Robert Jordon. Remember: the Ogiers, the Ways, the references to Arthurian legend, Thom Merrilin, Trollics, when the Forsaken sent a chill down your spine???? We -- all of us -- keep buying or borrowing Jordon's new books because we believe that the last bad/slow/uninteresting novel was building up and preparing us for this new one: His next sure-to-be-exciting book. We all forget each time how bad the last book was and want to believe that the new book we now hold in our hands is going to be wonderful. The sad truth is that Mr. Jordon, in his heart, does not care about his work anymore. He is burned out and has lost his Vision. He may believe that he cares, but his writing is the window to his soul. Do not allow yourselves to believe in your hearts that Book 10 will be any better. Alas, it is not to be. It can never be.
Rating:
Summary: Path of Daggers still interesting, but....
Review: This is definitely a must read for those who have read the other Wheel of Time books (not that you could stop now if you wanted to anyway right?). However it seemed like a rather long and dull continuation to Crown of Swords which was probably the worst book in the Wheel of Time series. Path of Daggers has slightly more action and it's ending promises a terrific adventure-packed 9th book, but I really missed Mat and Perrin who were seldom mentioned. Some of the characters also faltered by either becoming dull, overdramatically annoying, or in the case of Rand - too unrealistically hard-nosed. It's enough to engross you still, but don't go into it with any big expectations that the story will really move forward from where it left off in Crown of Swords.
Rating:
Summary: The WoT has lost it's appeal...
Review: The latest installment in the WoT is a pathetic attempt to draw out an otherwise good series, and some of the reasons may be obvious(corporate contracts, dollar signs blurring RJ's vision). But he's ruined the series in the process, at least for the time being. This book is filled to bursting with the most irrelevant, ridiculous details. OK, so we know the tensions between Nyneave and the Sea Folk and the Knitting Circle and the Aes Sedai and so on. But why does RJ have to detail every little "sour frown", or "stare cold enough to give ten Stone Dogs pause?" This book is just stupid. Another big mistake is that RJ has created so many characters that are "powerful" that the meaning and mystique of Aes Sedai and Ashaman are lost. Additionally, RJ is getting towards the sado-masochistic side of things with so many damn comments about who's stronger in the Power, who's in control, who has the bigger "pale expanse of bosom", who has this, that, and the other thing. If we wanted that we'd buy one of those trashy romance novels with Fabio on the cover. Who cares? Just get on with the story!
Rating:
Summary: I was ripped off!
Review: I believe I have been ripped off by both Robert Jordan and TOR Publishing...This book deserves the title (coined by an earlier reviewer) "Path of Dollars!" I will not buy another hardcover from this publisher. Mr Jordan's imagination for this series is obviously exhausted. He has lost the sparkle and enthusiasm of the earlier volumes. To quote another reviewer, the WOT series has become the 'Waste of Time' series.
Rating: 
Summary: Frustrating
Review: I am a Wheel of Time reader from Vienna in Austria and nearly 70 years old. That didn't greatly disturb me up to now.But I am getting really worried, that they are going to nail my coffin shut,long before the do this service to Mr.Jordan, whom I of course wish a long life.So please get on with this story and cut out all this braid-pulling.The really stupid attitude of the women concerning the men, "keeping them on their toes" ist that an american way of life? I wouldn't write this, if I weren't so fond of the story and fascinated, but I should like to know the end before my brain, my eyesight and the rest of me succumb to old age.
Rating:
Summary: LOVE THE SERIES-but want some resolution
Review: Love the WoT series but hate the long waits between books. I think I have a good memory but start forgetting who is friend and who is foe. Since this book was shorter, perhaps RJ could have helped the feebleminded among us out with a more complete glossary at the back-the one he had was a waste. I can muddle through without knowing the exact duties of a lance captain or whatever. But i start forgetting which Aes Sedai are black, what happened where, what the power of a particular angreal or ter-angreal is, etc. Where it has already been established who or what something is, please give it to us in the glossary. Back to the book itself- I am hopeful that the little that happened in this book means that a tremendous amount is coming..and soon! It seems to me his next book should be already fully outlined and mostly written, since this one sort of meandered as if getting ready for other things. While, I read it quickly, rather than being on the edge of my seat in suspense, it was more that I kept waiting for something to happen! Other installments have kept me awake nights with fear and excitement over what would happen next. I guess that's what keeps us coming back for more. But, MR. JORDAN- we want the thrill back! And hurry!
Rating:
Summary: An ultimately frustrating reading experience
Review: Reading the other reviews posted, I felt that many of Robert Jodan's fans feel the same way I do. That is I wish he would just get on with it. The first 2 or 3 books in the series were rattling good yarns, full of excitement and adventure, and populated with appealing characters you could really relate to. However the last couple of books seem be to little more than an exercise in literary torture for his long suffering fans. Basically PoD does little to further an already convoluted plot. The main characters are increasingly irritating and unpleasant(or left out all together)while the plot, such as it is, just goes around in circles, with out really achieving anything. Robert Jordan really needs to look at what has happened to the series over the past few years and work at restoring it to the intreguing tale which sucked us all in some 10 years ago
|
