A Crown of Swords (The Wheel of Time, Book 7)

Rating:
Summary: Great Escapism
Review: I am an avid reader of practically all genres, and I have to say that this is probably one of the most interesting, and long series I have ever read, and I have enjoyed it immensly. I have read some of the previous reviews and I agree with many, but I have to say that to compare Robert Jordan to J.R.R. Tolkein, is like comparing apples to oranges, to use an old cliche'. I have read Tolkein's works at least three times and have enjoyed them each time. But whereas these works seem to be driven by fabulous creatures and mysterious magic, the Wheel of Time series, though using some of these same techniques, depends much more heavily on adult characters and relationships and how they change over time to further its story. My chief complaint is that there is way too much time between books! I got hooked on the WOT a few years back and it was great! There were a number of books already out and I was able to go from one to the next without loosing much of the story line. But then, after the sixth, "Lord of Chaos", I had to wait for "Crown of Swords" I started to forget some of the story line and character relationships. Since COS it's been almost two years! Again I'm starting to loose some of the story line. I think some of the slowness a few people have been complaining about is due to just this. RJ should put all this Conan stuff aside and finish WOT. I have recently begun rereading the series. I figure that maybe by the time I finish, a new book will be out and I'll be right on top of the story. There are very few books I've read, and enjoyed, twice. This is one. In fact, I'm picking up on things I missed the first time. There is just so much about this story that grabs my interest. I feel I know every one of the characters personally and am pulling for them to succeed. And then there is all the references to our own mythology and religions, Shaitan/Satan, Tarmon Gaidon/ Armaggedon-----it keeps you thinking continously. An intersting thing is, my wife's 92 year old grandmother has read this series too. She loves it! But I think she's more worried about when one of the girls is going marry Rand then anything else. If she was an Aes Sedai she probably would have been a green. I know this was supposed to be a review of COS, but I just found this web site and it's been a while since I read the book, and I haven't gotten that far in my reread, so I'm a little shaky on the details. But I'd have to say to those who have complained about it being slow, get over it. A work this length is going to have slow sections. It has to. Reserve your judgement until the final book. And for those who complain RJ's books are too long (my wife being one of them), look at it this way. With prices for books being what they are today, you're getting more bang for your buck, as the saying goes. I personally just love long, involved stories that help me forget some of my everyday cares. Well. I've gone on way too long------Bye, Chuck in sunny Florida

Rating:
Summary: Who can refute an author with so many reviews?
Review: My rating of an 8 was arrived upon by comparing this work to the previous books in the series. The book itself is of superior form and prose but as a male, I don't mind seeing the action found in the last twenty pages throughout the work as well. RJ, through his WoT series, has truly created a world we can all relate to. He has envisioned a culmination of cultures, belief systems and ideas and put ground underneath. In second guessing any writer, the individual wants to touch the reader. Seeing the number of reviews by readers whether good or bad shows that RJ has indeed fulfilled his desire. I have read the series 3 times now and each time I learn something new that I missed on previous reading. That is the point of the breadth and depth of his novels. Everyone can identify with at least one character. Some of us can identify with many of them. To some these characterizations seem incomplete or immature. On the contrary they are very complete. As a reader we see what "everyone" is up to including the villains. The characters do not. Many are away from their friends most of the time and are in a very bad situation. This latest book ACoS allows us a closer view into the actual performances of the characters. Up until now most of what they were doing was reaction. Now they are taking a proactive approach to their situation as the burden of their individual responsibility finally begins to settle in. ACoS although lengthy and slow at points is a lull in the storm that will make the following books more worthwhile to the readers because they will be able to look back and see the turning point and further realize the genius behind RJ's characterization and plot.

Rating:
Summary: Great Series taking too long
Review: Even though this is the best series I have ever read, it is taking too long. I loved the original characters, ( Rand, Egwene,Mat, Perrin, Lan, Moiraine, Padan Fain, Thom Merrilin) but JR keepsadding on new characters, and now must of them confuse me ( espically the Aiel and Aes Sedai). JR is now just dragging the series along, trying to get to the Final Battle. I have a feeling this is going to continuefor the next 2 books.

Rating:
Summary: GOOD, but When Does it End !!?!
Review: It's now 1 year since i read the 7th book,and i'm dieing to read the next,so when does it come out , anyone ?.

Rating:
Summary: A Crown of Thorns dosn't cut it
Review: What started as a great series has long ago begun to drag. Book seven of this series acomplishes nothing. Rand is going insane already, we get it. Actually we got it about 1,800 pages ago. Nothing new happens. Everytime I go to the bookstore I can't remember whether or not I read this book. It is not a good sign when I can't remember the book.

Rating:
Summary: Best fantasy books after Tolkien
Review: The Wheel is definetly the best fantasy series I've read after Tolkien's. Even though books 6 and 7 are a bit slower than the others I think they are still great and the right point of view is to consider the Wheel in its entire structure: while the first books were almost self-ending stories (you cannot possibly sell a first book that does not have an end), these last should not be considered as books in themselves but only as parts of the greater story. If you consider the Wheel as a single book, the chapters 6 and 7 out of ten are those were the plot is deployed, in book 8 and 9 everything is prepared for the final showdown and the last chapter is where everything takes a frantic pace till the end. Please do not compare RJ to Tolkien, even if RJ is a great writer he does not have the depth, complexity and many-layered structure that the great JRRT has. One last word for those who wants shorter books and shorther series, please dont buy the Wheel and let us enjoy RJ and its superbe storytelling, I only regret that I have to wait between one book and another and that one day he will finish the Wheel (when I love a book so much I'd like it would never finish).

Rating:
Summary: Excellently written.
Review: This book is exactly what was needed for the series to progress to next stage. After essentially six straight books of action it was time to stop and let the loose ends catch up and be dealt with before continuing. Jordan was able to in one book tie up loose ends that went all the way back to the second book (i.e. Bors the darkfriend who we now know is Carridin the Whitecloack Inquisitor). Yet at the same time that he is tying up these lose ends he is spining entirely new patterns the results of which we probably can't begin to imagine yet. All in all a very enjoyable read, the book is a very good jumping point for the next novel. For all those reviews I read about people who thought this book was too slow because it ties up loose ends I have one thing to say: You are the ones that also complain about all the loose ends that Jordan has left in the first six books in the series. You can't have it both ways. And for those that say that the last four books have been terrible, why bother reading the next one in the series then? Regardless of what is said this is one of the best series to come out in a long time.

Rating:
Summary: to say hey
Review: I wanted to express my opinion on this idiotic whining most of the people who read this book seem to find so neccasary. Buck up you pansies! If it's so difficult to read a long book I am shocked that you claim to be lovers of fantasy, just take a look at classic real-life(character style) fanasies such as The Odessey, The Silmarillion, and every story of mythology ever created. If you can do nothing but whine because in my opinion it is because you lack the ability to compose anything intelligent. Next time before you complain about something, try to do it. If you can accomplish the task than by all means complain, however if you cannot reproduce the act than you have no buissness complaining. Thank you for listening.

Rating:
Summary: Very enjoyable
Review: Like the rest of the series. This book was gripping from the beginning to the end. Robert Jordon's Wheel of Time Seriers is the best I have read. It is more compelling than David Eddings "The Belgariad", and TOLKEN. p PLEASE keep up the writing and release the books a little quicker is possible

Rating:
Summary: For Light's sake, hurry it up!
Review: I just bought the mass-market edition of ACOS this week. Picking it up in the bookstore and flipping through it, the only way I could tell that I hadn't read it before was by looking at the release-date tag on the bookshelf. Jordan needs to get his act together and get some plot movement going - I like a long, hefty series as much as the next fantasy junkie, but this is getting ridiculous. It wouldn't be so bad to have our characters doing these cross-country trips in every installment (and thank heavens they re-discovered Travelling and Skimming, huh?) if they didn't behave in such utterly predictable ways when they got there. It's sad that Jordan's characters have been reduced to cariactures of themselves - and that so many of them, especially the women, bear a suspiciously strong resemblance to each other. (Can anyone else detect any more than slight personality differences amongst the Aiel Maidens? What about the Aes Sedai?) I'm in this series for the long haul, but I'm getting more and more disappointed every time. And I would also like to ask anyone with an inside line to Jordan to ask for an updated glossary/dictionary of characters - with this long to wait between books, and plenty of other good books out there to read in the interim, I would like to be able to turn to the back and find these characters who haven't been around in three or four books now. I'm definitely not wasting my money on the hardback of the next one.