Rating: Summary: Quite possible the best novel I have ever read. Review: I am not going to be like most of the others and compare this wonderful book to the likes of Tolkien and Brooks. Instead, I am going to focus mainly on the great aspects of the novel and let the consumer decide for him or herself. First of all, the story in itself is incredibly complex. The character interaction in itself is quite possibly the best I have ever seen. From the very beginning you are drawn towards every character because they are all so realistic. The best thing about the book is the way that evil is intertwined with the good. The whole notion of the tainted half of the One Source is simply ingenious. It keeps you guessing as to what force will win out in the end- the bad (a.k.a. Shai-tan) or the good (a.k.a. Aes Sedai). In most other epics of this scope you are absolutely positive from the beginning that the good will come out the victor, but not in this one. Evil crops up everywhere. It is a ture parallel of this world. That is what I think.
Rating: Summary: Good, but no Tolkien Review: Im sick of hearing that this series is better than Tolkien. It is in no way true. But that's not to say that this is not very good. It is. I enjoyed the first 3 books in this series the most, and this one the most. Jordan does a good job of showing how these small town twenty-somethings gradually change and accept how "the pattern" must weave their lives. Jordan has created a large world...but one that falls far short of Middle-Earth. First of all, there isn't enough description. Sure, he descibes the major cities well enough, but we know hardly anything of the rest of the world. This is a sharp contrast to middle-earth in which we can visualize nearly every hill and valley. The reader is left in the dark about many things for the majority of the book, which makes the first read must better as you are constantly turning pages trying to find out what will happen next. I am, however, impressed at the number of characters Jordan is able to write and write well. There are well over 10 main characters and each one has his/her own personaility and they all react realistically to the events that occur. I would definetally recommend this book to any lover of fantasy, with the warning that you may be disapointed the further you get into the series.
Rating: Summary: Tolkien Who? Review: I first read The Eye of the World about four years ago, and immediately found a new champion in the genre of epic fantasy. It's plot, detail, characterizations, and bad guys were the best I had seen in a long time. All these things mix together seamlessly for a great book. For reasons unknown, even to myself, I did not continue with the series at that point, though the desire was surely there. But in my never-ending search for great fantasy, I increasingly found myself drawn back to the unforgettable characters and haunting images first introduced to me in The Eye of the World. So, now I am reading it for the second time, this time intending to continue with the series... I mark among my favorites The Rings and the Shannara Series by Terry Brooks. While the three are different in many ways, some comparissons can be made... Tolkien's style of writing differs from Jordan's. Tolkien's characters are rich, but they seem almost mythical or "untouchable." Jordan's characters, even those who have great power, are at the very core human. These are people you might meet at any time and the story is more personal because of this....you really care about these characters. This is the greatest accomplishment of book and leads to the most enjoyable aspect of its reading. One thing Jordan did I loved was he created a world every bit as comparable to Middle Earch in history and detail. But unlike Terry Brooks, there is no one chapter dedicated to spelling out the entire history. You are introduced to these things a little at a time. Any comparissons (if you've read all the reviews posted, you know the one I'm talking about) to Tolkien in terms of the types of characters presented come with the genre. Some similarities can be seen in any fantasy work because that is the area that is dealt with. I don't think Jordan's book should be criticized just because the trollocs might remind you a bit of orcs or anything of that sort. There are some really fresh aspects of this book. Time is one that is very important. In this series, time is a never-ending circle. Times that happened before will happen again. It's complicated to explain, so I will use a quote from the book: "The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth returns again." Basically the characters are involved in fulfilling a prophesy made long ago. The concept really works well with the story. Another thing I loved was that this is not just an "artifact quest." Both The Lord of the Rings and The Sword of Shannara deal with one all-powerful artifact that can bring about the end of the world. Jordan abandons this in favor of a "chase" plot throughout the course of this book. All in all, this is an incredible book. The characters are awesome, and the fantasy element is more than enough to satsify any fantasy buff. On the whole, there is an impression that this is only the beginning of something, and that something bigger is on the way (9 volumes and counting). Highly recommended. Not to be missed. I will leave you with what I would tell anyone.... Give The Eye of the World 100 pages...you'll be hooked. I'm Out
Rating: Summary: If you though Tolkien was good, just wait til ya read this! Review: Simply put: one of the best books that I've ever read. Now, don't get me wrong; I love Tolkien and his works but...Robert Jordan is hard to beat. The beginning of the Eye of the World starts out a bit slow (aside from the excellant prologue) but by the time the reader hits the chapter called 'Winternight' the story leaps into action, dragging you along with it until the very end. The suspense mixes in perfectly with the plot, twisting in detail until the reader becomes lost in the whole mess. You start out the story with a young man (a boy in all actuality) who knows very little of the world to a man hardened by the reality of life. One of the best things of the whole book is the characters. You see, instead of having one hero, Jordan has incorperated several main characters that (not only does the reader come to know and love) actually have a major piece in the whole story. The concept may seem a bit borrowed from the Book of Revelations what with the Kareathon Cycle and all, but Jordan adds his own touches that make the reader wonder "What if...?". If you didn't like the Eye of the World, stick to the Wheel of Time Series, because I promise that it gets better as the tale progresses--and since I've read all of his books, I would know.
Rating: Summary: Mediocre book starts out great series Review: This book isn't that good but it introduces all the necessary characters for this excellent series. But after the first volume the series really picks up so I'd highly recommend reading this book so you can understand the excellent books that follow.
Rating: Summary: An inspiration Review: It appears I'm a late comer to the readings of Robert Jordan (and some may even say the genre in general), but this is one of the most imaginative and original works (contrary to the correlations others draw towards Tolkien) that I have put my hands on. Yes, you could look at Jordan as long winded. VERY longwinded. And in some places, it has the appearance of a lull, but after reading, you find that without that minute attention to detail, it would be just like any other book. What people wore, their facial expressions, the history leading to evens, fortellings, cultures, etc, all lead to a rich, indepth reading experience. The amount of characters he introduces is sometimes astounding...keeping up with them is often the most difficult part of this book (and the series in general). But overall, you're not likely to find a much more unlikely set of heroes and heroines than Rand, Mat, Perrin and Ewgene.
Rating: Summary: The best pulp fantasy has to offer. Review: This series of novels is simply the most comforable and enjoyable reading that I have ever read. This novel deals with broad ideas of good and evil that the book takes seriously enough that the reader doesn't have to do the same. My five star rating of this book is meant to relative to what the book attempt to create. This novel is basicly a re-write of "The Fellowship of the Ring" by Tolken. The basic story doesn't have an original direction. This has none of G.R. Martins bold plot and daring direction, nor does it have Robin Hobbs vision or ideas. What makes this series so great is the detailed, deep world that Jordan creates. Their are a dozen contries each with its own politics, culture, and fashions. This is an easy place for the reader to immerse within, and it is not hard to follow because the reader is introduced to these new people and places at the same time as the characters. This is not meant to be a place for long philoshopical discussion, the characters know what is right and what is wrong, they just have to do what they feel they need to do. Jordan manages to create characters that are truly distintive. They are all a little sterotyped, but they all show their differences in their more sutle actions. Many people see this as a fault in the writing, but people act like this all of the time. It actully helpes me keep the characters strait in the later books, if the character is from Tear, he or she will act like someone from Tear. The characters in the novel change gradually over the course of events. This is a rare treat in modern fiction, where the character either start out perfect and stay that way, or they change all at once and always in a perfectly positive way. Jordan writes a PG-13 story with consistant sexual undertones (hey his characters are teenagers), and mild violence. Jordan does not give in to the temptation to have some grusome act of violence every five pages. He know that his story will have enough of that without having to contrive it out of nowhere. I consiter this to be the Star Wars of modern fantasy. Like Star Wars it has a thin but elegant story line, but it is a great show. Anyone who likes light sci-fi or fanatasy reading, and has some time on their hands should try this series.
Rating: Summary: Good Book, Lousy Abridgment Review: I have a long commute and have listened to many audio books. All told, these are the worst abridgments I've ever heard. It's really a shame as this book series is quite enjoyable. I somehow doubt Robert Jordon had a chance to review this abridgment before it was released. Listening to this is like reading the book and skipping every other 25 pages regardless of the story line and transitions.
Rating: Summary: The Wheel of Time Book Review Review: The Wheel of Time series is the best fantasy story currently available. My aunt gave me the first book and told me it was great. I never thought I would like such a huge book, but how I was wrong! The story seems to come to life on the page. It's amazing how you can easily believe not only do the characters actually exist, but you are also interested in what happens to them. The reader follows the characters as they battle against Shadowspawn. As they leave their home, pursued by Trollocs and a Myrddraal, their lives change drastically. Through out the books, evil is seeping into their world, waiting to destroy it. Rand and his companions Mat, Perrin, Egwene, Nynaeve, Thom Merrilin, Moiraine, and Lan flee, intending to seek safety in Tar Valon. Robert Jordan's style of writing keeps you turning the page.
Rating: Summary: To Hell With Sword of Truth... ALL HAIL WHEEL OF TIME! Review: Man, this book was a bit boring at times, I admit. But this was absolutely the most imaginative story there is. Terry Goodkind copied this book to make the Sword of Truth! He stole the name Seeker, and Dreamwalkers, and countless other things. Terry is a theif. I used to like the Sword of Truth, now I know it is a load of CRAP! Get the Wheel of Time!
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