Rating: 
Summary: 101 uses for a path of daggers
Review: Well, there are none, actually. It is ironic that Amazon's Review Guidelines forbid giving away the plot because there isn't any. I prefer watching a character develop by watching what they DO and not by listening to what they think (they will do); in particular when their thoughts centre around clothing and teenage sexual angst. The "females" have gone from irritating to galling while the males have either disappeared or remained, merely, hen-pecked. Other readers believe that all of this typing resulted in realism; however, the name of the genre is Fantasy and from that I expect the fantastic. I'm afraid that in the Path of Daggers Mr. Jordan has slain the goose that lay the golden egg.For all of those who believe the WOT is the greatest fantasy cycle of all time I have but three words - Arioch awaits thee!
Rating:
Summary: A great disappointment from a great series fizzling out
Review: If the first books from the Wheel of Time could be visualized as an epic 70mm movie, this last offering is like a TV weekly episode. Poor on plot, character development and new ideas it is carrying through the same tired theme never ending one branch before sprouting two others. Hundreds of new names to digest with little involvement in the plot, whatever of that remains. Pity to see such great series being dragged on for the sake of continuing the exploitation of the loyal fans. I myself have taken this series one book too far. It ends here.
Rating:
Summary: ugh
Review: The very idea that this is some sort of "set-up" novel is preposterous at it's best, and a terrible insult to my wallet at worst. People continue to fawn over Robert Jordan's bloated series, talking about his remarkable skill in weaving plots together - if he were really that skillful, this would have been an interesting book. It was not. People claim that Jordan was simply getting all of his characters in place for the next big story arc...and it takes him 700 long, lifeless pages to do it. For what? What actually happens in Path of Daggers? The correct answer is, "virtually nothing." This is the worst insult of all. Jordan's readers shelled out there money for a 700 page novel that could have - and *should* have - been condensed into a prolouge at the start of the book. Instead, we are treated to more of the mindless complaing and bickering and talking that had bogged down the series. Realism? Hardly, and a poor excuse for poor writing any way you cut it. When I want to read about the real world, I read a newspaper. I don't pick up a fantasy novel. I don't want chapter after chapter and dialouge that does *nothing* for the plot, and does not develop any characters in any way. If Jordan really had the skill in juggling multiple plots, as his ardent fanboys will tell you, this book would have been a somewhat enjoyable read...but it was not. Neither was the last book, but that one, at the very least, had some sort of resolution to tie things up at the end, and a nice cliffhanger to await on. This has neither. Like so many others, I am dropping this series, this poor excuse for an "epic" tale. 10,000 pages does not an epic make...were that all it took, the Encyclopedia would be an epic. Still, the encyclopedia is far more interesting than this drivel.
Rating: 
Summary: This book does not stand on its own merit.
Review: Sorry folks---the main problem with PoD is not the missing characters, the overly complicated plot or the late introduction of new themes. It is simply that this book cannot stand on its own the way the first 4-5 books of the series could. Path of Daggers continues a trend, generally down, in the quality of the entertainment. True, Mr. Goodkind can write whatever and however he pleases. The same is true of his readers and reveiwers. The final word: I am lending out my copy of Path of Daggers to anyone I know bored enough to read it. Don't buy it!
Rating: 
Summary: An aspiring writers praise
Review: Having plotted my own fantasy epic, I can begin to understand the drawn out feeling to this book given the incredible number of plot branches and character experiences, as they say 'Rome wasn't built in a day'. Concerning Mat, contrary to popular belief not every plotline for every character is thought up at the same time and it was clear that you set him aside for a while when you had him captured in book 7. In this way you harmlessly allowed the other characters to be devloped even further. In my attempts of writing my respect for the development of the subplots have increased tenfold and that it must be even harder for the writer than the reader to keep the various characters and occurances straight. I have been addicted to this series for four years now and it has never disappointed me. Every reader is drawn to diferent elements of the book and criticize the parts that don't intrigue them. I personnally am drawn to the use of mindless evil as represented by Padan Fain and have been inspired by it in my own works, however, I was not particularly interested in the Aiel society, but again, that's just me and every part is needed to develop the whole. This is the second best series in any genre I have ever read (of course, to show my taste in literature my favorite has been long since out of print). The waiting is killing me though. Keep up the good work, Jordan.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than Book 7
Review: This book at least holds the promise that the series might be getting better again. I must say, Books 1,2,3,and 5 were not bad, however books Four and six weren't that good and book seven was a dissapointment at best.
Rating: 
Summary: Patience Is A Virtue
Review: It would appear that many readers are losing patience as Jordan's tale unfolds. I suppose they would prefer it if the Seanchan signed a nonaggression pact sealed by Mat's marriage to the Empress, if Taim and the Aes Sedai finally found the pull of ta'veren too powerful to resist, and, after the discovery of a secret cache hidden in Tar Valon, everyone armed themselves with sa'angreal to wink through a gateway to Shayol Ghul, blasting, with the requisite degree of drama, the Forsaken and the Dark One into the next Age. This would certainly satisfy action junkies inured to the simplicity and contrivence of authors such as Eddings, McCaffrey, or Brooks. And, as ninety-five percent of fantasy fiction is pure pulp published at the rate of at least one book a year, demanding little in terms of reader participation or discrimination, I suppose it should not be surprising that many readers are abandoning this series in favor of the quick fix. Granted, this book is, along with "Eye of the World," one of the weaker offerings of the series. Devoted in large part to serving the evolution of the larger storyline, much of "Path of Daggers" is concerned with developing the plot and positioning the characters in obvious preparation for the next major phase in the story. Like a strategist readying the field, Jordan is moving his players around prior to launching the next campaign. But to do otherwise, I would contend, would do much to undermine the realism and credibility he has built up in the story thus far, and could only be accomplished by means of contrivance or expediency that would erode the plot construction he has worked so skillfully to create. Certainly it would be expedient to swiftly bring the army of rebel Aes Sedai before Tar Valon by means of a gate, or have Mat accidentally bump into the Empress on the streets of Ebou Dar, but only at a cost to the realism of the story. However, what has distinguished Jordan so far from the majority of his fellow writers, beside the sheer scope of his story, is his ability to believably create a vast and multifaceted world interwoven into a rich and multi-layered tale consisting of many threads without tangling either the overall pattern or losing the individual detailed strands of the story. It remains quite an accomplishment for this genre. Those readers seeking simple diversion through reading - and there's nothing wrong with that - should abandon this work and look elsewhere. Those who want more from their reading will be rewarded in continuing. Finally, for those who have counterposed Martin's new work to Jordan's, let my suggest the following qualification: Much as I admire "Game of Thrones" and "Clash of Kings," and have great expectations for the future, Martin's series has just begun, and has a ways to go before comparisons can become constructive.
Rating:
Summary: Bridging novel
Review: Robert Jordan impresses because he does not cut corners and focus only on action and the bare plot. Instead, he details the complex socio-political undercurrents and unpredictability that is life. It is this realism that breathes depth into the world of the Wheel of Time.
Rating:
Summary: Sigh...Now I'm depressed
Review: It all began so well, with the first book, The Eye of the World. It got better, and it climaxed somewhere between book three and four. Then it got worse. By the eighth installment (too many books!) of this series, the main character is so powerful there is hardly any adventure anymore; the peasant-boy-discovering-his-magical-abilities plot was more exciting somehow than the sorcerer-king-gone-mad. If you haven't started reading this series already, then don't bother beginning.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best of the WoT Series, but a vital part of an epic
Review: I have taken the time to read many reviews for this book, and perhaps the one point that so many people can agree on is that it isn't the best book in Jordan's series, but there's a good reason for this. As a stand alone book it definetely would not stand up to any major critisism, but it's part of an 9 book (at least) series. And as in any good book, most of the novel will just be building up for the climax, the grand finale. And so, if all we have seen so far has just been building up to a climax (all the subplots, alliances, betrayals, battles, and the complex characterization that can only be done in Jordan's grand style), then I have to admit that it's been by far the most interesting story I've read in a long while. And just think, with book 9 on the way, the best is yet to come...
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