Rating: Summary: Robert Jordan is the only realistic fantasy author. Review: I have read quite a few reviews from people who have disliked or even hated the last book. The problem most of those people had was the fact that nothing happened. I agree. Nothing happened. At least nothing on the scope of large scale wars. For those who are true fans of the series and who continually reread the books, this book has a plethora of information. So what if Mat isn't in it? Mat is my favorite character but the story didn't require him to be there. People complain that Jordan is too wordy and then when he leaves someone out they complain as well. Some reviewers have mentioned that he could have condensed the last three books into one and would have lost no information than is there now. WHAT? Do you want Jordan's writing to become like that of David Eddings, where all the bad guys are either drunk, insane, or totally inept, and all the good guys are one dimensional characters who are perfect in all respects and never screw up? The reason Jordan is the greatest fantasy writer of all time is because even in a fantasy world his books are realistic. The good guys are not perfect, the bad guys are powerful, and subplots are flying around all over the place. If Jordan did as people requested and took out what they feel is unneccessary, the world would fade into a Tolkien or Eddings-like universe where only things the good guys do matter anyway. It's time for people to grow up and realize that life is complex and that Jordan is a master at what he does best - realistic fantasy. And for those of you who are fed up with the time it takes for his books to come out, I can only recommend reading them two or three times to realize that with any shorter period of time between books, they would not be the masterpiece that they are.
Rating: Summary: Moves toward the sidelines rather than the goal line. Review: Anticipation.I think that's what kept me longing to read Path of Daggers as soon as I could get my hands on it. What happens to Mat? Does he finally meet the Daughter of the Nine Moons? Will we finally see the "rebel" Aes Sedai and their army lay siege to Tar Valon? Will Rand deep-six any more of the foresaken? Will Moiraine finally return? (We all "know" she's got to return. After all, according to Min, I think she's supposed to be at Rand's side for the final battle.) What is it that Rand and the Black Tower are supposed to learn from Cadsuane? For that matter, who is Cadsuane? For anyone who got their hands on Robert Jordan's entry in the book "Legends: Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy" we learn how Moiraine and Lan met and we learn that Moiraine suspected that Cadsuane is BLACK! (Sends shivers up your spine, huh!?) Will we finally learn the "secret" identity of any more of the foresaken? Are any of these questions unworthy of an answer? Do any of the rest of you want answers to these questions? If you want answers to these questions you may want to skip Path of Daggers, since NONE of the above questions are answered! Not a single one of them. Indeed, Path of Daggers does precious little to move the plot toward any type of resolution. Instead, we learn (or should I say, relearn) why the Tairens hate the Illianers. We learn/relearn what the latest fashions are of some of the nobles. We learn/relearn that even the main characters in the book can't seem to cooperate in achieving their goals. This goes for the "bad" guys as well as it does for the "good" guys. We learn/relearn and forget/reforget names and descriptions of numerous one-mold-fits-all Aes Sedai (and I lump all women who can channel into this category). Okay, in all fairness to Mr. Jordan, for anything he might have written there would still be numerous unanswered questions. But Path of Daggers doesn't really answer ANY important questions. As I read the book I often found myself skimming over parts that seemed irrelevant. (Though with RJ, it's hard to know what is and is not relevant.) With all of that said, are there any redeeming features? Absolutely! First of all, there are a number of "developments" in the book that make you go Hmmmm.... As always, the dialog is engaging. When I did find myself skimming I would stop whenever I got to any dialog. Finally, for me, the highlight of the book was the "exploding gateway." As I was reading about that I was absolutely fascinated by the way RJ described it: The description of the threads and how they flopped about. The struggle of the person (and I won't give away who did it) trying to hold on to it. The aftermath of its effects. I give a great big Bravo to RJ for his description of that. Overall, however, I feel that the book moves us sideways, rather than forward. And that leaves me with one emotion: Disappointment.
Rating: Summary: From the Dragon Mount Peak to the depths of Shayol Ghul! Review: Let me start by saying I'm not even a third of the way through the book, and I'm not surprised to see the many dissapointments of the readers here at Amazon.com. Although P of Daggers is longer than A Crown of Swords, length refers to more agony in this case. I was up till 2 am, longing for some action! Jordan was pumping these out a year apart with more and more excitement. I used to think that Feist's Magician series was the finest I'd read, until I was introduced to the Eye of the World. But now, I look back, and at least see closure with A Darkness at Sethanon, in 4 books. Mr. Jordan, if you're looking, please listen to these avid fans.
Rating: Summary: UGH! Review: Robert Jordan is easily the best fantasy writer and I love his books but.......... this one well, sucked! Jordan dragged out everything, there were to many fine points and he didnt even mention Mat (my personal favorite) I guess you gotta read it just cause it is the 8 book, but i guess i expected to much OH WELL!!!
Rating: Summary: well once again nothing happens Review: I assume that Robert Jordan has somed pretty serious personal expenses. That is the only reason I can fathom for this excrescence of a book. Nothing happens!! We have one battle that is not fully described. We have one loosing of the winds that appears to bring destruction to the world, with no explanation of why. We have one asassination attempt of Rand by some emasculated saidan chanellors. Net.... We spend about a thousand pages trying to figure out why Rand cannot be a man. Most of the book is spent with various types of women in various types of duress or triumph. This author has been compared to JRR.Tolkein. What a joke. Tolkein at least mangaged to get the story done in three books (not including the hobbit)END
Rating: Summary: Much better than the last book, still too slow plot... Review: A darker book than his previous; once again the writing is wonderful and the characters incredible. Unfortunately, once again we gain more questions and less answers, and are confronted with the obvious goal of Jordan to stretch these books out as far as possible (I don't doubt they could reach 20 books or more in length before he finishes the series). All in all a good book, I liked it better than Crown of Swords; and I liked the darker more chaotic feel to the story and writing, but I wish new plot lines would stop springing up quite so fast and old ones might be tied down a little more judiciously.
Rating: Summary: Great book, can't wait for next Review: As I have read the comments of the other readers that are posted I can't help but wonder if they read the same book. They question the pace and the developments, or lack of,of these books, I say what!! The amount of time between books has dulled the impact that each new one is having on many of you readers. I love the small questions that the book gives, the thoughts that unless you are RJ then you can't possibly understand. This book does give us the pace, but not in the manner of a battle or a great discovery it is instead the tiny hints that when looked at together give rise to greater questions. This as great a book as all the others, with exception to The Dragon Reborn and Lord of Chaos, and if you are beginning to doubt the series reread PoD. When you first get the book often times the reader is not in the correct mindset after such a wait, he/she reads it to fast and misses half the book. Read it again you will see what I mean.
Rating: Summary: ENOUGH Already! STOP THE WHINING! Review: I cannot believe the complaints! First, they complain it took so long to be written, then they complain it doesn't give enough detail, then they complain too many things happen, too little happens, too many plots are introduced, not enough plotting occurs... Would you people stop waffling? Have any of you would-be critics attempted to write a story of ANY proportion, much less 5,000 pages? 'Oh, where's Matt?' Did you whine this way when Perrin wasn't in 'The Fires of Heaven'? 'Oh, it only covered a week.' gee, these people are busy, aren't they, and there are many of them, what's your point. 'It was only about 580 pages, so short' y'know, I bought the Fires of Heaven in paperback, it's about 1,000 pages long, but when I found it in hardback, it was about 600 pages. OK - you want real criticism? Yes, it was a little too talky for me, we delved just one time too many into Rand's increasingly weird thoughts and Egwene's progress was not enough for me. I missed Matt, as well, and while I've said Perrin was missing in Book 5, he wasn't a key figure in Book 5, he had had his victory in Emond's Field and was allowed to live his life for a couple of months. I think whatever happened to Matt was a poorly dropped story line. And, I preferred the forward-movement of the first six books, I must say; we covered, what, a week here? In these terms, if we're going to cover a week on one character, I think we should cover a week for THAT character only, not all of them. However, life does not move quickly. RJ has created an entire world, living, breathing people, grass you can feel beneath your feet, horses you can run with, Ogiers you can climb trees with, balefire you can dance with. It's a complete world, with a rich and fascinating history, politics, religion, cultures, with real people who are good and bad and imperfect at their best. In The Shadow Rising Rand thought about it to himself as he rode Jedean in the Aiel Waste to Al'Caar Dal, 'in the stories' it seemed that there were always endings, you did something, and there was little more left but to get rid of the 'bad' guys, but in real life, 'it just didn't seem to work out that way.' Well, this story is true to life, there are no endings, and there are lots of bad guys, many of whom we can only guess at their identities. Once upon a time, I watched a cartoon with my daughter called 'The Last Unicorn', and in the end, the question was asked, 'why are there no happy endings?' The response was that life does not end. I LOVE it. This is not my favorite, but it's been a good one, and I'm not frustrated, I'm enchanted. btw, I give it 3 1/2 stars, really, but I don't know how to punch the button for it.
Rating: Summary: Great book, hate the wait. Review: Not much to say that somebody else hasnt already said. I wanted a little thicker book tho, and much sooner. I love the books, but by the time the next in the series comes out u have already forgotten much of what u read earlier.
Rating: Summary: Good! Review: The fact that this book was good is no surprse to me, yet for some reason everyone is all upset about how it was not that it did not reach their expectations. People have been waiting for this book to come out for yeats and there is no way that jordan could have created a book that would have satisfied everyone. I believe that if a person was reading the series for the forst time, the PoD would be one of the best. People give Jordan some slack!
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