Rating: Summary: Not bad Review: I had just come to the end of the Sword of Truth novels. I was desperate for something to read, and a friend mentioned Robert Jordan to me. He gave me the first book, "Eye of the World" and told me it was very much the same. Intruiged, I sat down to read it. After the first chapter or two, I knew this kind of book. It was the kind of book that had first turned me off the fantasy( the Sword series were what brought me back.) Robert Jordan is extreemely long winded! He goes on about details that have no use whatsoever. They dont even go towards making his charachters more detailed. He lacks Terry Goodkind's finess at fleshing out his creations. Where Goodkind makes you love all the tiny bits that make up his charachters, Jordan makes you beord with all their details. He goes in to deep when he should stop, and vice versa stops when he should go deeper.After I got a litlle further into the book, I could tell it was picking up. Once Jordan got over his preliminare need to tell us everything(and I mean everything!) about the landscape, he really begins to make his charachters interact with the rich enviroment he has created for them. By the end of the book it had become the kind of book I dont want to put down. Over all, Robert Joradan has a rich and powerful vision. His charachters behave in ways we can all see ourselves doing. We hurt for their pain, laugh for their happiness and truly feel for them in all aspects of their life. Jordan must only learn to leave more to the imagination let us make our own suroundings for ourselves, instead of forcing us into exactly his vision of events. Over all i think this was a good book, almost up there with Goodkinds tales.
Rating: Summary: BORING, DRAGGY *yawn* - A major let down Review: While waiting for the release of book 6 of the gripping Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind, I decided to give Wheel of Time, a series that has often been mentioned in the same breath by fans, a shot. What a disappointment it turned out to be. Compared to Goodkind, Jordan has the imagination of a peacock. His plot drags on and on and on with hardly anything ever happening except a bunch of terrified farmboys running, dreaming, and then running again. I may not be so harsh had I not read Goodkind prior to this, but I have and I can't believe people actually rate Jordan alongside Goodkind! Sword of Truth is way superior in every way - imagination, originality, plot, characters, suspense, violence, style of writing blah blah. SO my advice is, if you wanna give this book a go, make sure you've never read Sword of Truth or you'll only drive yourself crazy comparing the 2. I couldn't help it!!!
Rating: Summary: THE EYE OPENS Review: Whoever Edward Rothstein is, his blurb of Jordan's "Eye of the World" (which appears in the book) is complete nonsense. He says, in brief, that "Jordan has come to dominate the world that Tolkien began to reveal." First and foremost, in spite of the complexity of Jordan's world, it does not even approach the depth that Tolkien presented to his readers, and saying otherwise represents a certain ignorance. Mr. Rothstein (of the New York Times) DOES, however, do well in mentioning the Allfather of Fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien, for though you may hear claims to the contrary, this IS another Tolkien clone. Jordan took The Lord of the Rings and rewrote it with new characters and new places, but the essentials remain the same. The parallels are, in fact, startling given that this has been so well-received since its introduction ten years ago. The Aes Sedai are female Istari; the Forsaken are Nazgul; Lan the Warder is Aragorn's long lost twin; Shadar Logoth is Jordan's mines of Moria, et cetera, et cetera. Even the plot, taken as a whole, is of the Big Bad Guy Out to Destroy the World and Only Simple Farmer Folk Can Stop Him variety. If only Rand, Perrin, and Mat were Hobbits, huh? In spite of these things, The Eye of the World is, quite simply, a darn good book. I admit this almost reluctantly given Jordan's messy writing skills, his reoccuring use of "filler" to elongate a story that does not require it, and, most importantly, his overall lack of originality. And yet you have to hand it to the man because he can provide suspense most deftly, even a handful of scares that might make you think you're reading horror rather than fantasy. His world is bursting with atmosphere and his characters are well-developed (if sometimes annoying). Women play a major role in the scheme of things, and this too is a welcome touch. There are factions in contention of the world's fate that, thankfully, add complexity to the "Big Bad Guy" formula that permeates the majority of the story. Jordan deserves a large fanbase for these efforts (though I question the craze being so massive), and almost any fan of epic, heroic fantasy owes it to himself to at least give the Wheel of Time a look. However, know that finishing the tale will take all the commitment of a marriage, for there are no less than nine books and COUNTING - and be warned, even some of Jordan's largest supporters are saying that after Book Four things go steadily downhill until the pacing of events slows to a crawl. Note to Mr. Jordan: Tolkien's four novels (the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings 'trilogy') told a grander tale and used FAR less space, and it is very presumptuous to think that this is worthy of nine books or more. EVERY story should have its end, so get on it. Though there are many considerations to be made before beginning this series with "The Eye of the World," once again I still say it's darn good fantasy in spite of itself. Given its flaws (and the even larger flaws of the series) it is testament to the pure entertainment value that I still elected to give it a four star rating. If this had been Book One of the Wheel of Time Trilogy, I would be very willing to say far better things about it, but because this is not a stand-alone story it must be looked at in accord with the sum of its parts. Read it and see what the buzz is about, but know what you're getting into, and also know that there is better fantasy out there from George R. R. Martin...
Rating: Summary: The BOOK of the Year Review: The Eye of the World is the first in the series called The Wheel of Time written by Robert Jordan. This fantasy series easily over powers the Harry Potter series, and ANY other fantasy series ever written. He has fully developed characters, exquisite details, and uses perhaps one of the most unique writing styles ever written. This series is one you must read. Whether Rand Al'Thor is in the Stone in Tear, or Perrin Abyara is batteling Whitecloaks in the Two Rivers, Robert Jordan does not leave even a blank area in your mind. He puts the setting directly in to your mind, so that when some "confusing" areas appear, you fully understand them. He also fully describes everything. He turns a simple golden rimmed chair into perhaps the most beautiful chair in the world with a few words or sentences. I strongly suggest reading this series. This series is perfect for anyone. It has action, romance (Alot of romance), horror, and very suspending moments in which you will refuse to put the book down. Its a very easy read, I'm only 13 and I finished it in under 5 days. I now see why it was a New York Times best seller, all 7 of the books!
Rating: Summary: A great book... Review: This book is one of the most riviting I have ever written. Plots swirl and intertwine. People continually develop different, and sometimes stark, attributes. Compare this with Tolkien's work if you will, but this is indeed, in my mind, a fantastically original work of art. Read it.
Rating: Summary: One of the best books I've ever read Review: This is one of the best books I've ever read..and, trust me, I read a lot. It has everything that makes a great novel: Mystery, humor, saddness, and some pretty creepy parts. You really care about the characters...the beginning of the book just drags you into the whole world. There's a lot of variety in the book. Just when you think you know what's going to happen, or where the plot is heading, BAM, something entirely different happens. Jordan keeps doing this right up to the very end. (I was definitely NOT expecting those two guys to be....well, I won't spoil it.) The ending just horrified me. Robert Jordan describes everything so well, you feel as if you're actually there. You just get this feeling of desperate helplessness, when all the powerful characters (Lan, Moiraine, the Green Man) are just beaten up. Especially Moiraine - she never shows any emotion, so when she starts screaming, you know you're in trouble. The main characters get seperated, and they all have different adventures, so there's no boredom or sense of monotony there. The main scope of the world is just glimpesed in this one - Jordan expans it more in the second book. All in all, the only thing bad I have to say about this book is regarding the cover art. I hope that nobody really imagines the characters looking like that. They're all really ugly. And, if Moiraine was really that height, she'd be scuttling, not walking. I mean, I know she's short, but I think she stands a little higher then Lan's knees. (She's my favorite character...can you tell?:)
Rating: Summary: A Great Beginning to the Best Fantasy Series Review: If you enjoy reading Tolkein among other great fantasy writers, you'll love Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time Series. Although the books are pretty long, they are easy to get through because they are so exciting. Don't sit down with this book or another one in the series and expect to only read a chapter or two. In theis first book, Jordan introduces to the reader a new world and the main characters in the book: three young guys growing up away from all the troubles in the world: Rand, Mat, and Perrin, the Aes Sedai "witch" who introduces them to the world of magic, Moiraine, and a host of other character's whose main goal is to tip the scales of the Light vs. Dark battle a certain way. What a great read!
Rating: Summary: Simply Amazing Review: I was captured by the stunning plot and charaters, Robert Jordan brings the charaters to life. It symbolizes the battle between good and evil throughout time. You must read it, if you don't, you're missing out on something amazing.
Rating: Summary: Great if you're 15 years old or younger Review: I got the wheel of time books based on all the glowing recommendations I've read here. Imagine my surprise when I had to struggle to get through this first book in the series. If you are very young it will hit all the hot buttons. There is the subtle sexuality, the preteen tensions between male and female and the "women are fickle" treatment even though they are protrayed as intelligent. I wouldn't recommend this book for girls becuase even though the female characters are strong and smart...they are never "as" strong or "as" smart as the boys. This book was written to the 12 year old boy with the emerging sexuality and brinking that ridge of discovering feelings for girls. If your older than 20 expect a few laughs at the cliche nature and you'll roll your eyes often. I was looking for a literary fantasy on the level of Dune or Foundation but was dissapointed. Once you get passed the first book (I gave up at book 4) you will find the same basic plots repeated time and time again. The venue changes which is about the only difference. The author seems to struggle with making the same plot differentiate making the book drag and your eyes roll more with "rip the shirt, how cliche". These are subtle issues that a younger male would not pick up on allowing them the ability too let the irony slip through unnoticed. In summation, if you're over 20 try getting this from the library as you may find it written to your younger self.
Rating: Summary: This book deserves an eleven out of ten stars. Review: People, let me tell you. I have read all of Robert Jordan's books up to the Shadow Rising, and I want to tell you that this is one of the best, if not THE best, series that I have ever read. There is no way to describe the magic that flows from the pages as you read, because it feels like you are a part of this world that Jordan has created. The world that he has created is so... well-developed that it is as if you know everything about it. But that is not what I am trying to say. I'll attempt to make a comparison here. The way you feel about his world is as if you are on Earth; you know the summary of it, you know basically what is going on, and you know the summarized history of it. And you learn more as you travel with Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, Nynaeve, Moraine, Lan, Thom, and all of the other beloved characters through the wrold that Jordan has so masterfully created. A must read. You are missing out if you don't read this wonderful series.
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