The Wheel of Time (Boxed Set #1)

Rating:
Summary: Good start, but be warned !
Review: These are the first 3 books of the "Wheel of the time" series. Before I say anything else, I have to warn you that after these 3 books the series starts to drag out and the initial excitement turns into disappointment.

The story has borrowed many elements from Tolkin's LOTR, but the difference is that the world and plot are more complex while the characters are not. There is lots of sulking, glaring and self-doubting.

Regardless, Jordan is a talented writer and knows how to hold your attention. It deserves 4 stars for the first 3 books only. Pitty that the rest of the series is so bad.

Rating:
Summary: Also Try
Review: For all of you who are screaming about Jordan's characters and plots, but especially his character types being so similar to others in fantasy, wake up, and go back to Lit 101 in school. It's called archetype and archetypal characters. There is usually the archetypal hero: Rand, Luke Skywalker, Frodo. The hero goes on a quest or a journey of some kind. The hero has a mentor or guide. The hero has a special power or powers of some kind. The hero has a special weapon. The hero always has some kind of obstacle or obstacles to overcome. It can, of course, get more complicated than this, but as Joseph Campbell(who was a close friend of George Lucas, by the way) explained in "Hero With a Thousand Faces", these are the essential elements to any story. In fact, if you are really interested in understanding how fantasy works, I recommend Mr. Campbell's book. All stories are basically retellings and slightly new twinings and re-twinings of these basic elements. Once you understand the parts, it can be a fun challenge to see just how a writer gets those parts in and still does a good story. Truly, some writers do this twining and re-twining better than others, but the basic elements DO stay the same. For all the whiners, why don't you write a book? Let's see how well you do. If all you can do is complain,(complaining is NOT the same as literary criticism), why don't you do it in private, and let those of us who are happily entertained by Mr. Jordan's "not-so-shabby" attempt at writing, be so.

Rating:
Summary: Best Ever
Review: This series is most likely the best written series I have ever read. And believe me I have read a lot of fantasy series and know a good book when I see one. Before I read the wheel of time I probably never would have read a book close to a thousand pages long and now I have read ten. The amazing thing about Jordan is that he can keep your attention no matter how boring it gets. His books are a veritable weaving of plots and sub-plots, the best I have ever seen, except for the Lord of the Rings. Some people say that his later works aren't as good as the other ones and were only written to make money. Personaly I don't think so or care, I hope he never quits writting. Or at least, as he said, untill they nail his coffin shut.