The Great Hunt : Book Two of 'The Wheel of Time'

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: This book is a really well written book that I thouroughly enjoyed. At times it did get a bit dry, but when you did come to a good part it was fantastic. The characters after a while, feel like your best friends like you've known them forever. It is a great book for someone who is into a really long book, but for the people (kids) out there who want a good book that will hold your attention every minute that does have end this is not a book for you, ... may I recommend Tamora Pierce.

Rating:
Summary: Instant Classic
Review: Book Two in the Wheel of Time does not disappoint. The characters that became like friends in book one are back & you get to know them with even greater clarity. the history written into the story of this world is so complete, it sort of becomes the history of our world. it is an amazing work of art that robert jordan has constructed for readers. it makes my mouth go dry thinking of how well robert jordan has developed these characters and the world in which they live.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Follow-Up to Eye of the World
Review: For those of us who have read Jordan's Wheel of Time series to date, this volume takes us back to the days when the story was fresh and new, the characters interesting and vibrant, and the story not mired in an attempt to produce an Epic and more than likely to generate massive sales revenues by stretching the conlusion out as long as possible.

In this installment, Rand al Thor, a boy with the power to channel the five elements and destined to go mad as a result, is resisting his destiny to become the Dragon Reborn, the savior of the world who must also "break" it. Moraine Sedai, a trained adept of the white tower with the ability to channel the "safe" (from madness, at least) female half of the power, still struggles to shape Rand into the tool she ultimately hopes will save the world. Her plan is simply to MAKE Rand the Dragon by having him fulfill various points of the prophesy of the Dragon Reborn in a purely contrived fashion. One of those is the recovery of the Horn of Valere, which will summon the archetypical heroes of legend to the aid of the one who sounds it. As an aside, Matt, the rogueish, probably least interesting character (in the early days at least) in the series has lost possession of the dagger which infected him with the dark spirit of Shadar Logoth, doomed city of the dead, and must recover it or die.

Rating:
Summary: A good sequel/prequel
Review: After the entrancing Eye of the World, we come to the equally enthralling Great Hunt. After the Eye of the World was broken and the Horn of Valere discovered inside, Rand and his companions rest in Fal Dara, only to have the horn stolen from the keep by the crazed Padain Fain. The group splits, with a party chasing hot on Fain's heels and another going back to the White Tawer of Tar Valon. I give it a poor telling however, though no matter how much is said on all these reviews somehing will be left out.

In TGH the Emond's Fielders aren't completely the trusting bumpkins they once were, they start to see things more as they are then how they're portrayed. The writing is equally grand as it was in Eye of the World with the believable world and events. Even the magic system stands most critics abuse because it's been well thought out. One of the few things I was malcontent with was the ending which seemed too much alike the ending in Eye of the World and the world map. All in all this had it's faults but not enough to drop it a star.

Rating:
Summary: The Best of the Wheel of Time Books . . .
Review: By the end of volume one, "The Eye of the World," I was hooked, and the morning after I finished it, I ran out to buy the other 4 volumes available at the time. "The Great Hunt" only enthralled me more. Here is where our heroes and heroines really learn the politics and stakes of the epic war they have entered. I've read 9 of the WoT books and this is Jordan's best.

Rating:
Summary: Lots of Fun!!!
Review: Books 2 and 3 in the series are usually the ones that fans tend to gloss over on repeat readings, because when compared to the later volumes, they're not so packed full of subplots and multiple POVs. There isn't much meat to the story - it's all plot driven. This doesn't make TGH bad; on the contrary, it makes for an exciting read. There just isn't much character development.
The first time I read TGH, I flew through it in 1 sitting, and read it again as soon as I was finished. Quite a lot happens, although most of it goes by so quickly that you have to stop and re-read a chapter or two to regain your bearings. RJ expands the formula he introduced in Book 1: split the main characters into groups, and have them join together at the end. And the ending is wonderful!
There are plenty of heros, and we're introduced to a couple of new villains. The appearance of Selene/Lanfear adds a spicy edge to Rand's confusion about his channeling abilities and his budding maturity. The Seanchan, though, start out in the series as a very impressive adversary; we are allowed to see them through several POVs: Bayle Domon, Egwene, Padan Fain. More chilling are the second-hand reports from the Whitecloaks and Hurin that describe heinous acts of cruelty and murder. The Whitecloaks may be insidious, but the Seanshan don't mess around- they get in your face post-haste.
There are a lot of impressive scenes in TGH, scenes that resonate in future books. As with the first book, this is Rand's book, and we spend a great deal of time watching him deal with the various challenges, and RJ does a good job of showing Rand mature into the role of a leader.
PLOTTING: There were essentially 2 main plot threads, with one splitting into two for half the book. Separating Rand from the others gave RJ the chance to make him an impromptu leader, as well as strengthening Perrin's wolfish abilities. The girls in Tar Valon fall into a trap so obvious that it made me want to howl. The plots all move quickly and without much preamble, although the beginning scenes in Fal Dara are slow. More importantly, the plot threads are timed better than in book 1, resulting in a clear narrative. No confusing flashbacks in TGH.
CHARACTERIZATION: When you're writing the kind of action-adventure story that inspires memories of Indiana Jones movies, character development tends to fall by the wayside. Of the 3 boys, only Rand has any significant development, as we see him gradually growing into a leader. We learn a bit more about Min and Elayne, but not enough to truly separate them from Egwene in our minds. Moiraine nearly disappears from the narrative entirely, but instead we get Verin, who seems as mysterious as her Blue counterpart. It is clear at this point that RJ has a great handle on the mental makeup of the average Aes Sedai. Of the secondary characters, Hurin stands our as a likable, loyal guide, and it's a shame that he hasn't made any subsequent appearances (yet).
PACING: After the slow beginning, which sets up the rest of the book, the narrative moves with liquid speed, without almost any clogging introspective passages of minor plot thread side trips. The suspense builds nicely, with the false climax in Cairhien a highlight, and the real climax is written with more conciseness than you'd expect from a fantasy writer.
BEST SCENE: It has to be Rand's audience with the Amyrlin. If the reader's sympathies weren't totally with Rand before that scene, they definitely were afterwards.
MOST POV: Again, as in Book 1, this is Rand's book. The title of the book refers not just to the hunt for the Horn of Valere, but Rand's hunt for his identity, his destiny. TGH begins and ends with scenes that have Rand front and center, although you have to wonder if he's better or worse off by the end.
OVERALL: TGH is a lot of fun, even though it doesn't match the complexity of the more recent books. The plotting may be a bit formulaic, but it's still better than most fantasy out there.

P.S. Sorry for my rambling on, and making the review so long. Hope it helps!

Rating:
Summary: A Classic in the making!
Review: I started reading Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series out of order. I started with book three then went to book 1 and on. The Great Hunt is a great addition to any science fiction, and fantasy collection. I have not been so enthralled by a series since Anne McCaffrey took readers to the planet of Pern, and introduced them to dragons. After meeting with some of the main characters (Rand, Egwene, Lan...) and fighting with them from Fal Dara to Tanicho, I was hooked. Robert Jordan's characters seem to come alive as I read through this book page after page, and I was glad that I got to travel with them through their various adventures, as they fought Trollocs, talked to wolves, and met with the Seanchan. Robert Jordan has set the Wheel of Time turning, creating a wonderful new Pattern for readers to follow. I have read several pieces of science fiction while waiting for book 10, Crossroads of Twilight to come out and only one other matched his spinning of the Wheel. (The Price of Immortality) One of the wonderful things about his books are the fact that it doesn't matter where you begin...the Wheel never stops turning, and according to Thom Merrilin, there is always a story to tell. I highly recommend The Great Hunt to all lovers of adventure.

recomended: The Price of Immortality, a wonderfully fast paced read

Rating:
Summary: Much better than TEotW
Review: I must say, this book is absolutely breathtaking. This particular volume seemed to get out of the rampant gender politics plaguing TEOTW, and focused more on the characters as individual people.

The settings are hypnotic, and the level of characterization is such that you feel like you've known these people for ages, maybe identify with some of them. I, for one, could not resist reading Verin Sedai's lines aloud to get the perfect effect of her character (hey, I can dream of portraying her in a WoT movie, can't I??). This series is developing into quite the escape from reality...maybe making an alternate reality. History is tangible here, from Seanchan to the Horn to Artur Hawkwing and his armies.

Again, I urge nonfiction addicts who have never touched fiction in their lives to take note. This series reads like a third-person biography, and is ten times as addictive.

Rating:
Summary: Continuing the journey
Review: Ah. The wheel of time. A book to rival that of lord of the rings. If a director I would most definatly make this a movie. In fact i have some good ideas already as to how the movie should go. Maybe i should make it! Well for now, the book. As the 2nd in the series it most definatly has not lost any of its amazing touch. Truly truly a masterpeice.
It picks up right where it left off. The troubles cenetering around the legendary Horn of Valere. A great read certaintly. But it has an interesting ending that makes you want to get the 3rd book right away. I strongly and highly reccomend this book. That is, if youve read the 1st one. Dont read out of order!

Rating:
Summary: "The Great Hunt", Book Two of the Wheel of Time
Review: First the good. I really appreciated Jordan's writing style in this book. Given, he does repeat himself more than once, often utilizing certain cliched phrases that become tiresome, but overall his writing should be admired. He gives more than enough attention to detail, and his dialogue has some "pop" to it, giving the reader the impression that the characters are real people who will always react to given situations in different ways. The main character, Rand, is especially developed in this book. His character has some depth, and I look forward to seeing how Jordan uses him in the next book. The plot line of "The Great Hunt" is straightforward and rarely wanders, unlike its predecessor "The Eye of the World". That being said, however, I must admit that it's not *that* difficult to have a straight flowing plot when the characters are doing nothing but seeking something, in this case the Horn. The story pretty much flows itself along without much outside help. Jordan does a good job of touching the reader's emotions in several chapters - I found myself really caring about what the good guys cared about. That kind of writing cannot be learned. It's a gift.

Now to the bad. Again, as with "The Eye of the World", the story is too long and drawn out. The good writing compensates for some of this, but still, the story could have easily been told in 300-350 hardback sized pages. Instead of making it short and sweet, Jordan drags it out for nearly 600 pages, not including the tedious appendix. Also, I found the character of Selene to be a very much on the annoying side. I'm guessing Jordan will bring her back in the next book as he did at the end of "The Great Hunt", but still, she served hardly any purpose other than to harass three of the main characters. It was tiresome at first, then grew sickening. I was also disgusted by some of Jordan's sexual undertones. I got the feeling that it was put there simply for shock value. If not, I doubt Robert Jordan can normally relate to the opposite sex, and I feel sorry for him.

If you're just picking up the books, please don't expect another "Lord of the Rings". "The Wheel of Time" series doesn't even come close. However, it does have some unique moments to offer. If you're a fantasy fan, and don't mind spending hours and hours and hours only to realize that you've only advanced 30 pages, then "The Great Hunt" and the entire "Wheel of Time" series is definitely for you. Four our of five states.