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

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Summary: More, More, More
Review: Robert Jordan, I read your work in awe as much as enjoyment. I have taken as long as I can to read Crown of Swords. Sometimes only 2 or 3 pages at a time. I began it on on the coast of British Colombia in July. Now, late in March of 1997, I have finished it this evening during a blizzard at my home in the Colorado Rockies. I came here to find the next book in the series, hoping I would be able to delve into the concluding eighth book. Thank you so much for your gift and sharing the worlds you visit with all of us. I am waiting impatiently for the next book. Jon Shore

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Summary: Magnificent Book, Series, Writer
Review: It has been a while since i read the book, so i dont quite recall the exact things that happen. This opinion is more along the lines of a series review. Quite plainly I believe the Wheel of Time to be the BEST series of all time. Even placing it above the Lord of Rings trilogy. I have read the first 6 books 3 times each already, and the seventh just once, not because I did not like the 7th but because I will probably read all 7 again right before the 8th book comes out. I really can't get enough of Mr. Jordan's writing. The writing style is excellent, the story intricate, and the characters deep. If Rober Jordan should happen to read this I have only one comment- well actually more of a plead - Faster Please !!

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Summary: An overall solid read, but lacks the richness of previous.
Review: I was given the first Robert Jordan novel as a gift from a friend, and have been a dedicated reader ever since. The plots and storylines have all previously been richly detailed and satisfying, like cheese cake after a good meal. However, the latest installment was lacking both the texture and satisfying fullness I associate with a Robert Jordan novel. I gave it a rating of "8" because, although it left me feeling unsatisfied, I'm still hungry for the next installment. Mr. Jordan has truly captured my imagination with this series, which I might add to this point has been an achievement few authors have been able to accomplish. My only dilemma is finding enough snacks to stave off my hunger until the next one is released.Mark P. Trahan

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Summary: The Difficulty of Keeping Up
Review: Robert Jordan has repeatedly produced brilliant, complex tapestries of fantasy. The focal points have usually been the endings, which aspire to be the highest point of the series thus far. I have been waiting for Jordan's creativity to falter, and it appears to have occured in this book. The ending seemed familiar and anti-climactic, very unlike the surprise-laden novels of the past. I agree that Jordan should relax his writing schedule and allow time to refocus his creative energies. I do subscribe to his philosophy of constantly introducing new characters, for I fail to see any other way to keep a 3000+ page series fresh

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Summary: The best series in a long time.
Review: This book was taken from the brain of an intelligent, charismatic, genious. It is a must read for anyone, even if you don't like fantasy novels. Nothing compares to how well written it is. The twists and turns in the plot in this book are mind boggling, I can never put it down. I had the opportunity to meet the man who's mind this came from and was blown away by the his sheer presence. He had a commanding presence around him that I doubt could be matched

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Summary: Excellent, the best one of the series yet
Review: This book rocks!! When I finally picked it up, I couldn't put it down. It is engaging, descriptive, and beautifully drawn together with a masterful plot. I couldn't believe some of the twists that this book takes. The only bad thing was the length. I didn't want the book to end, and when it did, I said, "That's it?" Anyway, unlike some other people, I really enjoy cliffhangers at the end of a book. This installment is full of them. I must say that this is the best one of the series yet. Jordan advances much of the plot, and has left me guessing on a lot of things. I love attempting to figure it out myself. A point to "Dissenter". If you don't like the books, then don't read them. You don't need to whine to everybody how you hate Jordan's writing style. If you hate it so much, why have you kept reading them?? I didn't think you had an answer. . .

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Summary: Endless Scope and Grandeur For The Imagination!!!
Review: I am a Hardcore reader of Contemporary Fantasy and have been for some years. This whole Set of novels has me screaming for more and more continuation. A person needs for nothing inside the bounds of such an imagination as Jordan possesses. Please Robert!! If you in the remotest chance happen to read this amidst the massess of other praises, please put off the end for another Age of Legends!!

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Summary: Too long yet I still read them
Review: This book was not very good. Jordan's writing has dropped off over the last four books and the only thing that keeps me reading is the fact that I am a sucker for a complex plot. And that is one thing this series does have. In book 7 of a supposedly 10 book series, Jordan still managed to introduce a completely new and powerful character, bring back another, and refrain from introducing another major player in the events to come. I can't imagine this series ending at 10. If someone is thinking about reading the series, I suggest that if you like almost any fantasy book, no matter what, read this series. To those who need the great writing of Tolkien, stay well away

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Summary: Rand finally wakes up!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this latest edition to WoT series. In my opinion, Rand was being kicked around in the last 6 books, but now, finally, he takes no crap from anyone! I love it. He is acting like what he is...the most powerful person in the land

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Summary: Robert Jordan Enchants Yet Again . . .
Review: A Crown Of Swords, the latest novel in the Wheel of Time series begun years ago in The Eye of the World, has yet again impressed me with its scope and magnitude. Jordan clearly depicts a mastery of the fantasy novel, drawing his readers again into his richly detailed and wonderfully fleshed-out world. His fantasy work is the epitome of an epic novel. Yet I feel that in this latest of efforts by Jordan, the length and depth of this novel was sadly lacking. A Crown Of Swords advances the action ten days; the first few chapters are rehashes of events that took place in what I feel is the best of Jordan's novels: Book Six, Lord of Chaos. This I found extremely dissapointing. The book itself is shorter than most Jordan works; in addition, the typeface is larger and the spacing wider, clearly disguising the brevity of this work. It is my opinion that said brevity is no fault of Robert Jordan; after years of writing The Wheel of Time, even the most dedicated of authors feels wear and strain. Any author must be given time to replenish his zest for writing and his zeal for the project at hand. Jordan, I feel, was too enmeshed in the deadline wars and was forced to feed his hungry fans, tossing out a half-finished book that lacks the richness of his previous works. Several issues are resolved in this novel, bringing a sense of closure for some characters, including Nynaeve, who finally gains control over her powers and finds Lan, her loved one. Rand kills Sammael and takes Illian, closing another issue left unresolved since Book Five. Yet the action was paced too quickly, a result of the pressure placed on Jordan to complete his work quickly. All in all, A Crown Of Swords is satisfying if short, leaving the readers hanging at the end of the novel, with Mat's life in the balance. Frankly, I feel that if Jordan wishes time to recuperate from the strain of writing so quickly and so well for so many years, he should be granted his sojourn by his readers and publishers. And if Jordan's rest allows him to make Book Eight all the better, then certainly it will be worth the wait! Nick Sifuentes [e-mail]