Rating: 
Summary: What happened to the plot?
Review: To start off let me say that I am hooked on this series. It is one of the best fantasy series out there, but the past few books have gone nowhere. I preordered this book so I could get it as soon as possible, but I think I probably could have waited. The characters move around Randland but do nothing. Jordan is still a great writer but c'mon, the plot stops. I recgonize the need to sometimes set the stage for an upcoming event, but if that's the case this entire book is a prologue for book 9. Don't get me wrong, the writng is great but there's no point to it. Another thing, what happens to Matt? He's in about ten pages of the book. He was one of the more "lively" chararcters and you could always look forward to reading about his escapades. I'm also getting tired of reading about the women of the book sniffing at everyone and everything. All they do in this book is fight between themselves and sniff at the men. RJ needs to get his rear in gear and put some action back into the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating and imaginative
Review: Jordan has invented his own world and proceeds to weave multiple stories of intrigue and action. Great fun to read. Also recommend a more modern series that is just beginning: Robert Doherty's AREA 51 books. Doherty is reinventing our entire past as a species with a story set in the present and I'm eager to know where he is taking us as more books in the series are published.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as bad as people say but... the wait kills me
Review: As I am a devoted WoT fan... I hesitate to say anything negative about this series but I stayed in my room for over a week reading books 1-7, and it was definitely one of the most fascinating stories I have ever read, yet that was when I was a freshman in high school, now I am a senior and about to graduate in spring. In other words... these books are great but like someone else in their review said, book 8 seems like an "epilouge to the last book and a prolouge to the next." This book seems to me as a quick wrap-up of things from Crown of Swords, and is a setup for book 9... Again I want to reiterate that Book 8 is a fine book, yet for something that took 3 years? Yikes. To people who haven't read the series... this is a great story everyone should experience... but remember good things (obviously including the remaining WoT books) come to those who wait (and wait you will).
Rating:
Summary: Cross your fingers that Jordan doesn't make a habit of this
Review: After such a wait, what a disappointment! Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but nothing happened! Two years of waiting for another book of setup? The other frusteration I had(aside from the notable but perhaps understandable absense of Mat) is that plenty of stuff actually happens in the book, but RJ glosses over it all. Sure plenty of setup for next time, which will probably have us all begging for forgiveness for our lack of faith, but did it really take that long to write? Things were just so vague. He continued on with his grand tradition of greatly detailed character work, but that's about it. My biggest disappointments were the brief description of the battles with the Seanchan, and the sketchy description of what happened at the end. Ah well, lets just all cross our fingers that the next one (which will probably knock our collective socks off) comes much more swiftly.
Rating:
Summary: It isn't what's here, it's what's missing that disappoints.
Review: I believe that the WoT is probably the greatest fantasy story ever told. I can't begin to tell you how anxious I was for the latest book to arrive at the bookstore. Neither can I tell you how disappointed I was after reading Path of Daggers.PoD is a good book, but by no means up to RJ's usual standard. Many of the story's most popular characters are only mentioned in passing or completely absent: Mat, Loial, Rhuarc, et. al. Additionally, the main characters PoD does follow are becoming one-dimensional caricatures of themselves. Rand and Min are two great examples of this. Rand has become a surly, sour, brooding boor. Min, the former "I can do it myself" heroine, has become a sighing, simpering, lovesick invalid. However, my problems with what RJ does write are nothing compared to how I feel about what is left out. Where is Mat? He is one of the five main characters that began in Emond's Field and he is only mentioned twice - in passing - by other characters. I don't mean to run the book down too much. Even when RJ is not at his best, as with PoD, he is still better than just about everybody else out there. I have to believe that PoD was the result of a predacious editor. I just get the feeling that RJ probably wrote 1200-1400 pages and the Tor folks cut it in half. In fact, I'll bet the next book is 75% complete and sitting in Tor's corporate offices. I hope so, anyway.
Rating:
Summary: The book was good, but just wasn't what I expected.
Review: The eight book in this series was good, but after all of the waiting for it and hoping that it would finally finish, it turned out way to short, and it was missing some great characters.( What happened to Mat. Where is Loial the Ogier.) This book was good, but Robert Jordan should get the ninth book out soon, or people may forget about some of the main points and some characters, like I did, and I only finished book seven a half-year ago.The next book had better be worth the wait.
Rating: 
Summary: Slower and slower . . .
Review: It took me a week to read this installment in Jordan's neverending story (after reading most of the other books in a day). In a word, BORING! Very little happens in this book, which is disappointing, because the author proved in the earlier books that he is capable of action as well as plotting and misdirection. Part of the problem is the overly complex plot, with too many subplots to advance the action effectively. The other part of the problem is the enormous cast Jordan has constructed (truly a cast of thousands). It may be his approach to world-building, but he seems to have forgotten the world, you can't lose your focus on characters that got people interested in the first place. Instead we have all these Aes Sedai and lords of various realms that all blur together, and Rand seems to become more and more one-dimensional (THE DRAGON, not a person) while Mat disappears. And the characters that we all became intrigued by fail to grow significantly as human beings. Too many of them have become one-note characters; Nynaeve pulling her braid and Perrin not wanting to rule are examples. One more small complaint that a few other people have made. I'm tired of many of Jordan's female characters. They seem to constantly fantasize and talk about physically punishing each other (and sometimes men, in the case of Egewene and Elayne, particularly). I can't recall Jordan's male characters talking about switching or caning each other, although it might be fun for a change. What's up with this behavior?
Rating:
Summary: Where for the love of light is Matt !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!
Review: Yes,I know that Robert Jordan can't write his books just pertain to us Matt fans. I will admit that in order to find out exactly what happens to Matt that we are just going to have to wait untill the next book.<sob> Robert Jordan allowed Perrin to fall off the face of the world,and now Matt who will be next??!!!! And just why did he have to make Nynaeve such an idiot at the first of the novel? Nynaeve is my favorite character.
Rating:
Summary: This book should have been an Interlude.
Review: After waiting 2+ years for this book, I was expecting much more. Nothing really happens. There are many new characters who have either been mentioned in passing or not at all. What happened to Mat after the end of Crown of Swords? His name is only mentioned once in the whole book. I did enjoy the book, but I was disappointed that so little time was covered. The whole book took place in what a month or a month and a half.
Rating:
Summary: A great series, but a two year wait for this?
Review: I suppose that Lord of Chaos is a hard act to follow, and it was only after I'd read Crown of Swords for the second time that I really appreciated that one, but this was pretty disappointing by Jordan's standards. I think that the story is beginning to spiral out of control. All this one seemed to be was women tugging braids at each other and Rand examining each and every face and pair of eyes for treachery. And one more heavy handed hint from the characters that all their future plans are coming to fruition perfectly and I'll scream! This can't go on much longer. Way too much time was spent getting from one place to another, introducing a bewildering number of minor characters, and the battle with the Seanchan, built up since Book 4, was over in two or three chapters. As for the characters, the Aes Sedai seem to be degenerating into a pack of scalded cats, the Maidens a bunch of spoilt little girls, Elayne is thoroughly boring (hope to God she never gets her hands on Rand, nor what he sees in her), Nynaeve is still as heartily unpleasant as ever, Mat is unfortunately nowhere to be found, Perrin hardly figures, but it's always great to see Min, Bashere seems to developing into a very good character, and there's a welcome return for Elyas Machera. And yet... Lews Therin is back, there are signs of madness in Rand and the Asha'man that are intelligently handled, it's brewing up to be a hell of a confrontation between Rand and Egwene when she finds out that Aes Sedai have sworn to him, and the revelation about Calandor is brilliant. This one lasted me almost two weeks. I usually devour his books in a few days. In short, a huge let down, and better luck next time, Robbo.
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