Rating: 
Summary: Mildly Enjoyable Diversion That Lacks Punch
Review: "Wheel of the Infinite" lacks the tension and pace of Well's earlier "Death of the Necromancer," as well as some of the latter work's tighter plotting. On the plus side, the world created here is in some ways far more authentic, without the obvious borrowings that plagued the previous book. Though the setting is obviously an alternate world that bears a loose resemblance to imaginings of ancient Southeast Asia, Wells has re-contextualized the land and culture to where they exist not simply as a dull and derivative reflection, but have a vibrancy and life all their own. Unfortunately the same can not entirely be said for either her characters or the magical elements upon which so much of the story depends. As with an earlier reviewer, I agree that many of the characters remain attenuated, both in their own development and their relationship with each other. Questions arise that remain unanswered and many of the secondary characters seem to play walk-on roles that are never fully resolved, especially in the case of Raith and Rastim's participation near the end of the book. In the case of the latter, towards the conclusion Wells seems to be reaching for a fuller expression of Rastim's personality that comes too late and remains too abbreviated to become fully convincing. Revelations are dropped regarding various characters--Raith and the Adversary in particular--that beg expansion yet are never taken further. And, the magical elements which form so much of the narrative and are supposed to provide both suspense and an explanation for the events around which the plot is suspended really often accomplish neither, remaining only partially illumined, towards the end often more muddled than clear, with a conclusion that left me somewhat unsatisfied and seemed to require that I simply accept events as they took place, regardless of a lack of basis or substantiation. While there was much that intrigued me about the sorcerous cosmology of Well's world, its often ad hoc presentation kept me at a distance and never fully dispelled my disbelief. Though I have had problems with both books that I've read by this author, there is little question of her potential talent, or her ability to imaginatively and vividly create worlds, as well as suspense, as was evidenced in "Death of the Necromancer." I will continue to read her work as I expect with time her stories will only further improve, and I admire her attempts to rework her fantasy from an often inventive and fresh approach. Nonetheless, this book offers only a mild diversion, and I would recommend, if interested, that you wait for the mass-market version before purchase.
Rating: 
Summary: my first Martha Wells book...
Review: ... which I picked up for the cover. However, the first couple pages hooked me and I was sorry to see the end of it, but glad to know there's a new favorite author to explore. I thought the characters were interesting and refreshing, the dark tones compared well with the Celestial surroundings, and the mystery and its resolution clever. Especially recommended if you've fallen into a sci-fi/fantasy rut.
Rating: 
Summary: Formally sword and sorcery
Review: A rich fantasy world somewhat lacking in tension. The Wheel is a hundred-year sacred map that can dangerously change the world if a part is done wrong-and one part has suddenly turned dark with its own mind. Evil is loose in the land of the Celestial Empire, and at the climactic moment...the heroes discuss philosophy! The story is a bit like a mystery, the Opponent unknown and only a slow accumulation of odd happenings and attacks to reveal its awesome dimensions or vague purpose, let alone a way to defeat it. Of course, in Well's strange and beautifully created irrigated world, the reader cannot see for herself the tears in the cultural fabric and must wait for them to be pointed out, a deliciously drawn out process here. A hidden theme of the story is betrayal, in several guises, the last most surprising of all. One of the features I liked about Well's Celestial Empire is that its magic is an integral but limited part of the ordering of that world, yet individuals cannot throw magic around willy-nilly and, in fact, only high-level priests are supposed to be able to do so. There are some menacing conjurations, to be sure, but none of the flash and smash of some fantasy magics. The scenes of stone cold wind people are eerie and almost terrifying. The main characters, Maskell the errant nun-wizard of the Infinite Destroyer of Evil and her quick-love Rian, are both in fact highly logical in their detecting, one mystical in the Celestial frame, the other a highly observant and objective outlander whose only other skill is his swordplay. They are attractive and interesting, but too single-minded and consistent to draw me in.
Rating:
Summary: Not up to par
Review: As evident from my e-mail address I am a Martha Wells fan. It began with City of Bones (which is my favorite book of hers thus far) and still hasn't ended. I found The Element of Fire and complelety loved it. Death of the Necromancer was excellent, so is it no wonder that I expected having to pull some all-nighters to read Wheel of the Infinite? That the book would become glued to my hand and I would be in a race to finish it? I still did enjoy the book but it was not what I was expecting. I realize that one of Wells strengths comes from her beautiful and complete storytelling. She is very exact and it isn't difficult to find yourself in her worlds because they are created almost seamlessly. Everything fits. However Wells is also very detailed with her characters. I think there is a balance between the setting and the characters that makes her books so believable. You need both. In Wheel I got the impression that this balance was horribly upset. The world where the book takes place was INCREDIBLY detailed. But the characters weren't. Maybe Maskelle's past was suppose to be that enigmatic but if it was it didn't work. Near the end of the book I found myself skimming paragraphs ( I thought I would never do that in a Martha Wells book) that I felt were merely useless discriptions that didn't pertain to the storyline. I was getting desperate for more of the story and desperate to learn more about the characters, and not just the major characters. I couldn't believe that some of the relationships between characters were barely explained and in some cases ignored. That is not like the Martha Wells books I know. By not explaining some of the relationships between characters there was a gap in the story that her setting couldn't cover. For example I found it difficult to believe that the two main characters could find such love, trust and loyalty after sleeping together the second night they knew each other. ( I didn't just give away some of the story because it happens in the second chapter.) With her other books full of complete, three dimentional, complex characters, it was almost an insult to read the seemingly overnight bond of Maskelle and Rian. Comparing it to her other books Wheel seems to be more of a short story. The setting wasn't cut short but the characters were. I would recommend this book though. Wheel does provide an interesting storyline and a surprise ending but I would also recommend not starting it with as high expectations as you would reading her other books. This is not her best.
Rating:
Summary: Another Opening, Another World
Review: First, let me say that WHEEL OF THE INFINATE is not as good as THE ELEMENT OF FIRE or THE DEATH OF THE NECROMANCER but better than the CITY OF BONES. In WHEEL, Ms. Wells has created a whole new world fully realized, with patches of Earth cultures (I recognized India among others) but in a new stew...and Ms Wells bubbles it for all she's worth! The plot line follows a more conventional "prevent the end of life as we know it" plot line than her better books. This reduces the ability of her characters to relax and just be people (as opposed to heros and heroines) for brief moments. She has used the devise of the traveling players before but integrated them into the action more this time. The relationship between Maskelle, the troubled Voice of the Adversery, and Rian, the very skilled but outlawed bodyguard is strong and unusual: she is considerably older but maybe not wiser. There are lots of plot twists and turns, a few surprises and a few not-surprises that were supposed to be. The last quarter of the book got just a bit murky but recovered with a sharp ending. This isn't Martha Wells' best book but as few other writers come close, I wouldn't let that worry me.
Rating:
Summary: hmm...
Review: hmm. Tamora Pierce recommended this book and so I can see where she's coming from, and it is very good! Not as in depth as some, but the images a lovely. Good read.
Rating:
Summary: This book was well worth my time!
Review: I usually don't buy books after I read them from the library. But I did with this one! The setting, heroine, and plot kept me fascinated. It wasn't the same "European medieval" type setting. The plot was fresh and the dialouge was witty and realistic. The book was so great that I hope it gets turned into a book series. Also read "Death of the Necromancer" and you'll discover Martha Wells as one of the freshest fantasy writers today!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing work from an author I like
Review: I was extremely disappointed with WHEEL OF THE INFINITE. After reading Ms. Wells' first three books and finding them all to my liking, I was unable to develop any interest in this one. I found myself skipping/skimming just to get through. I think the problem was that, unlike in her first three books, the characters were simply not interesting enough to support the story.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Effort
Review: I've had Martha Wells tagged as an author to watch ever since I read "City of Bones". Her latest book, "Wheel of the Infinite", is a big, ambitious fantasy story; don't be fooled by its relatviely small page count. It includes a lot if imagination, excellent world-building, and better characters than her previous efforts. After this, I'm really hoping that Wells will get the recognition she deserves as one of the premier fantasy authors alive today. The story focuses on Maskelle,a priestess who went to exile in disgrace after she misinterpreted a message from 'the Adversary', an ancient spirit that protects the world from evil, and on Rian, her bodyguard, who barely managed to escape a gruesome death in a foreign land. The society where the story takes place seems roughly based on ancient civilzations in Southeast Asia, a welcome break from the typical Mideivel Europe setting in much of modern fantasy. A rite known as 'the wheel of the Infinite' is performed every year, and Maskelle's knowledge is needed to combat an apparent attempt to destroy the wheel. The plot events is this book are densely crammed together, yet it has one of those brilliant "aha!" conclusions where everything comes together and makes sense in the end. I also liked the fact that many of the characters and concepts are highly imaginative. My personal favorite is Gisar, an evil puppet who is constantly attempting to escape from the band of traveling actors that owns him. Oh, and before I forget to mention it, the final hundred pages or so of the book are outstanding. There aren't many fantasy authors who can write sequences that are genuinely frightening, but Wells pulls it off with grand style. It's interesting that fantasy genre is currently dominated by big, bulky series that are generally incoherent and filled with lousy writing. Many of the more talented authors, however, are sticking to relatively short solitary books. Martha Wells can create more engaging characters, build a better realized world, and spin a more exciting story in three-hundred fifty pages that Jordan, Goodkind, or Lackey can do in thousands.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Effort
Review: I've had Martha Wells tagged as an author to watch ever since I read "City of Bones". Her latest book, "Wheel of the Infinite", is a big, ambitious fantasy story; don't be fooled by its relatviely small page count. It includes a lot if imagination, excellent world-building, and better characters than her previous efforts. After this, I'm really hoping that Wells will get the recognition she deserves as one of the premier fantasy authors alive today. The story focuses on Maskelle,a priestess who went to exile in disgrace after she misinterpreted a message from 'the Adversary', an ancient spirit that protects the world from evil, and on Rian, her bodyguard, who barely managed to escape a gruesome death in a foreign land. The society where the story takes place seems roughly based on ancient civilzations in Southeast Asia, a welcome break from the typical Mideivel Europe setting in much of modern fantasy. A rite known as 'the wheel of the Infinite' is performed every year, and Maskelle's knowledge is needed to combat an apparent attempt to destroy the wheel. The plot events is this book are densely crammed together, yet it has one of those brilliant "aha!" conclusions where everything comes together and makes sense in the end. I also liked the fact that many of the characters and concepts are highly imaginative. My personal favorite is Gisar, an evil puppet who is constantly attempting to escape from the band of traveling actors that owns him. Oh, and before I forget to mention it, the final hundred pages or so of the book are outstanding. There aren't many fantasy authors who can write sequences that are genuinely frightening, but Wells pulls it off with grand style. It's interesting that fantasy genre is currently dominated by big, bulky series that are generally incoherent and filled with lousy writing. Many of the more talented authors, however, are sticking to relatively short solitary books. Martha Wells can create more engaging characters, build a better realized world, and spin a more exciting story in three-hundred fifty pages that Jordan, Goodkind, or Lackey can do in thousands.
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