I'm not going to try to write a spoiler free review. This is a classic example of a fantasy epic. If you have read the previous thirteen books, the ending of this one should not be a surprise. Some of the details might.
Showing posts with label Robert Jordan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robert Jordan. Show all posts
Saturday, March 23, 2013
A Memory of Light - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
I'm not going to try to write a spoiler free review. This is a classic example of a fantasy epic. If you have read the previous thirteen books, the ending of this one should not be a surprise. Some of the details might.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Fires of Heaven - Robert Jordan
My next review is turning out to be a real pain in the backside and I can't seem to find the energy to give fixing it a serious go. It will have to wait until Saturday. In the mean time an older review. This one was originally written in April 2009. Did some rewriting on some sections.
I almost never bother with getting all books in a series in the same print so while a lot of my Wheel of Time books are Tor mass market paperbacks, I own a (rather battered) Orbit copy of The Fires of Heaven. One of the older prints that still has the artwork by Darrell K. Sweet on it. Later Orbit shifted to the design I used for this review. It is pretty hard to find the Orbit/Sweet covers online for some reason. Given my opinion of Sweet’s artwork (The Fires of Heaven is not the worst in the batch but still) I must admit that there is something to be said for this design. Even if it is not very eye-catching.
Before I continue, let me warn you I will assume you have read up to The Shadow Rising. There will be spoilers for the first four books in series in this review.
The Fires of Heaven is the fifth book in the series and after branching out in The Shadow Rising we find the main characters in a number of locations. Min, Siuan, Leane and Logain have escaped Tar Valon where Elaida has now been installed as Amyrlin. Siuan and Leane are expected to curl up and die after having been stilled but neither woman is going to settle for that fate. If Siuan can’t be Amyrlin at least she will see Elaida pulled down. Her plans to achieve this go awry when they reach Kore Springs in Andor and make the acquaintance of Gareth Bryne.
Rand, Egwene and Mat are still in the Aiel waste. Egwene is busy studying with the Wise Ones to become a Dreamwalker. She quickly finds out that their teaching methods are even harder than what she is used to in the White Tower. Something that causes problems for Egwene when her duties to the Tower and the restrictions imposed by the Wise Ones clash. Moiraine’s presence do not make things easier.
Meanwhile, Rand is looking for a way to unite the Aiel. Several clans have joined him but a number are still hesitating. Things become over more complicated when the Shaido Aiel, quite obviously opposing Rand, head for the pass across the Spine of the World that will take them into Cairhien. Rand gathers up his spears and sets out in pursuit of the Shaido. There is going to be a bit battle if Rand wants to stop the Shaido from razing Cairhien to the ground but can Rand really commit himself to battle with a number of undecided clans at his tail?
Battles seem to have become very familiar to Mat after his visit to the Aelfinn in Rhuidean. Not that he wants anything to do with them mind you, and most certainly not the one Rand seems to be getting himself into, it just seems this military knowledge pops up in his mind at the most inopportune moments. People have noticed. No matter how hard Mat tries to resits, a general he will be.
On the other side of the continent Nynaeve and Elayne have escaped Tanchico but are not quite sure how to proceed. Rumours of events in the tower reach them and the meetings with Egewene in the World of Dreams convinces them that the Tower has split. With Elaida running the faction in Tar Valon there really seems to be no alternative but to seek out the rebels. Slipping unseen though legions of Whitecloacks, escaping the overprotective eyes of Gallad and staying hidden from Moghedien, who seems to have taken her defeat by Nynaeve in Tanchico personally, are formidable challenges though.
Jordan makes an interesting choice to drop Perrin’s storyline in this novel altogether. There are brief glimpses of the Two Rivers seen in the World of Dreams but other than that we won’t know what is going on there until Lord of Chaos. Jordan didn’t think Perrin’s story during the period covered by The Fires of Heaven interesting enough to mention. He is probably right, as we’ll learn later, Perrin is mostly busy having himself set up as Lord of the Two Rivers by Faile. Still, the absence of Perrin, after he kicked ass in The Shadow Rising must have been a disappointment to many readers. It does help keep the story in this book relatively straightforward with only two mains story lines in novel, and creates space to make significant progress in the overall plot.
Rand in particular is making some great strides in this novel. The military campaign he's directing, leads to one of the major battles in the series, and a confrontation with a number of Forsaken. In a way, this plot line will continue until Winter’s Heart but Jordan does reach some sort of conclusion at the end of the book. The same can unfortunately not be said to for the part of the novel featuring Nynaeve and Elayne. Jordan weaves in quite a bit that will become important later (Forkroot, for instance, plays a vital part in Knife of Dreams) but in this book, their story drags. The constant arguing between Nynaeve and Elayne doesn’t improve things. Especially Nynaeve seems unable to resolve any difference of opinion without resorting to physical violence. Just when it seems things can’t possibly get more ridiculous Jordan throws in a third woman for the pair of them to argue with. Brilliant move.
Several sub-plots are worked into this novel in a way that would get him in trouble from A Crown of Swords onwards. He introduces the Siuan/Gareth Bryne story line, a part of this book I particularly enjoyed. I must admit it gets annoying in later volumes but Siuan’s reaction to finding out Bryne is in Salidar is very funny.
The Fires of Heaven is also the book that contains two of the most enduring mysteries in the series. First is the death of a certain forsaken. The second the fate of a certain Aes Sedai. Both mysteries have been fodder for a number of theories, ranging from quite plausible to outright nonsense. It may not be the best book in the series but it certainly helped to boost the online status of these novels and provided material for quite a few fan sites and Internet communities. Jordan never provided us with a definite answer on either mystery, although it was clear one of them would have to be solved in order to tie up a number of loose story lines. Brandon Sanderson tackled both these mysteries in Towers of Midnight.
With a large part of the story dragging and frequently turning downright ridiculous, this is far from my favourite Wheel of Time book. Hemmed in between the two biggest books of the series so far The Fires of Heaven felt longer than either The Shadow Rising or Lord of Chaos. Rand’s adventures makes up for this a bit. After this book he becomes increasingly unstable and unbearably arrogant. In this novel there is enough of the Two Rivers boy in him to like him somewhat. All in all, The Fires of Heaven is a decent read, but certainly not a memorable one.
Book Details
Title: The Fires of Heaven
Author: Robert Jordan
Publisher: Orbit
Pages: 912
Year: 1998
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 1-85723-209-7
First published: 1993
I almost never bother with getting all books in a series in the same print so while a lot of my Wheel of Time books are Tor mass market paperbacks, I own a (rather battered) Orbit copy of The Fires of Heaven. One of the older prints that still has the artwork by Darrell K. Sweet on it. Later Orbit shifted to the design I used for this review. It is pretty hard to find the Orbit/Sweet covers online for some reason. Given my opinion of Sweet’s artwork (The Fires of Heaven is not the worst in the batch but still) I must admit that there is something to be said for this design. Even if it is not very eye-catching.Before I continue, let me warn you I will assume you have read up to The Shadow Rising. There will be spoilers for the first four books in series in this review.
The Fires of Heaven is the fifth book in the series and after branching out in The Shadow Rising we find the main characters in a number of locations. Min, Siuan, Leane and Logain have escaped Tar Valon where Elaida has now been installed as Amyrlin. Siuan and Leane are expected to curl up and die after having been stilled but neither woman is going to settle for that fate. If Siuan can’t be Amyrlin at least she will see Elaida pulled down. Her plans to achieve this go awry when they reach Kore Springs in Andor and make the acquaintance of Gareth Bryne.
Rand, Egwene and Mat are still in the Aiel waste. Egwene is busy studying with the Wise Ones to become a Dreamwalker. She quickly finds out that their teaching methods are even harder than what she is used to in the White Tower. Something that causes problems for Egwene when her duties to the Tower and the restrictions imposed by the Wise Ones clash. Moiraine’s presence do not make things easier.
Meanwhile, Rand is looking for a way to unite the Aiel. Several clans have joined him but a number are still hesitating. Things become over more complicated when the Shaido Aiel, quite obviously opposing Rand, head for the pass across the Spine of the World that will take them into Cairhien. Rand gathers up his spears and sets out in pursuit of the Shaido. There is going to be a bit battle if Rand wants to stop the Shaido from razing Cairhien to the ground but can Rand really commit himself to battle with a number of undecided clans at his tail?
Battles seem to have become very familiar to Mat after his visit to the Aelfinn in Rhuidean. Not that he wants anything to do with them mind you, and most certainly not the one Rand seems to be getting himself into, it just seems this military knowledge pops up in his mind at the most inopportune moments. People have noticed. No matter how hard Mat tries to resits, a general he will be.
On the other side of the continent Nynaeve and Elayne have escaped Tanchico but are not quite sure how to proceed. Rumours of events in the tower reach them and the meetings with Egewene in the World of Dreams convinces them that the Tower has split. With Elaida running the faction in Tar Valon there really seems to be no alternative but to seek out the rebels. Slipping unseen though legions of Whitecloacks, escaping the overprotective eyes of Gallad and staying hidden from Moghedien, who seems to have taken her defeat by Nynaeve in Tanchico personally, are formidable challenges though.
Jordan makes an interesting choice to drop Perrin’s storyline in this novel altogether. There are brief glimpses of the Two Rivers seen in the World of Dreams but other than that we won’t know what is going on there until Lord of Chaos. Jordan didn’t think Perrin’s story during the period covered by The Fires of Heaven interesting enough to mention. He is probably right, as we’ll learn later, Perrin is mostly busy having himself set up as Lord of the Two Rivers by Faile. Still, the absence of Perrin, after he kicked ass in The Shadow Rising must have been a disappointment to many readers. It does help keep the story in this book relatively straightforward with only two mains story lines in novel, and creates space to make significant progress in the overall plot.
Rand in particular is making some great strides in this novel. The military campaign he's directing, leads to one of the major battles in the series, and a confrontation with a number of Forsaken. In a way, this plot line will continue until Winter’s Heart but Jordan does reach some sort of conclusion at the end of the book. The same can unfortunately not be said to for the part of the novel featuring Nynaeve and Elayne. Jordan weaves in quite a bit that will become important later (Forkroot, for instance, plays a vital part in Knife of Dreams) but in this book, their story drags. The constant arguing between Nynaeve and Elayne doesn’t improve things. Especially Nynaeve seems unable to resolve any difference of opinion without resorting to physical violence. Just when it seems things can’t possibly get more ridiculous Jordan throws in a third woman for the pair of them to argue with. Brilliant move.
Several sub-plots are worked into this novel in a way that would get him in trouble from A Crown of Swords onwards. He introduces the Siuan/Gareth Bryne story line, a part of this book I particularly enjoyed. I must admit it gets annoying in later volumes but Siuan’s reaction to finding out Bryne is in Salidar is very funny.
“You were the Amyrlin Seat,” he said calmly, “and even a king kisses the Amyrlin’s ring. I can’t say that I liked how you went about it, and we may have a quiet talk sometime on whether it was necessary to do what you did with half the court looking on, but you will remember that I followed Mara Tomanes here, and it was Mara Tomanes I asked for. Not Siuan Sanche. Since you keep asking why, let me ask it. Why was it so important for me to allow the Murandians to raid across the border?”We also get a closer look at Elaida’s troubled reign in Tar Valon, a meeting of a number of Forsaken, examine Morgase’s affair with Gaebril and see us what Liandrin and her posse are up to. All of these and a few more will continue in Lord of Chaos, making that book the most complex and scattered in terms of characters and location of the entire series. In The Fires of Heaven Jordan still manages to contain the sub-plots to reasonable levels however, one might even wonder if it had not been better to pay more attention to them and less to Nynaeve and Elayne.
“Because your interference then could have ruined important plans,” she said, driving each word home in a tight voice, “just as your interference with me now can. The Tower had identified a young border lord named Dulain as a man who could one day truly unify Murandy, with our help. I could hardly allow the chance your soldiers might kill him. I have work to do here, Lord Bryne. Leave me to do it, and you may see victory. Meddle out of spite, and you ruin everything.”
“Whatever your work is, I am sure Sheriam and the others will see you do it. Dulain? I’ve never heard of him. He cannot be succeeding yet.” It was his opinion that Murandy would remain a patchwork of all but independent lords and ladies until the Wheel turned and a new Age came. Murandians called themselves Lugarder or Mindeans or whatever before they named a nation. If they even bothered to name one. A lord who could unite them, and who had Siuan’s leash around his throat, could bring a considerable number of men.
“He… died.” Scarlet spots appeared in her cheeks, and she seemed to struggle with herself. “A month after I left Caemlyn,” she muttered, “some Andoran farmer put an arrow through him on a sheep raid.”
Siuan and Bryne remembering a past meeting on much different terms – Chapter 28 – Trapped
The Fires of Heaven is also the book that contains two of the most enduring mysteries in the series. First is the death of a certain forsaken. The second the fate of a certain Aes Sedai. Both mysteries have been fodder for a number of theories, ranging from quite plausible to outright nonsense. It may not be the best book in the series but it certainly helped to boost the online status of these novels and provided material for quite a few fan sites and Internet communities. Jordan never provided us with a definite answer on either mystery, although it was clear one of them would have to be solved in order to tie up a number of loose story lines. Brandon Sanderson tackled both these mysteries in Towers of Midnight.
With a large part of the story dragging and frequently turning downright ridiculous, this is far from my favourite Wheel of Time book. Hemmed in between the two biggest books of the series so far The Fires of Heaven felt longer than either The Shadow Rising or Lord of Chaos. Rand’s adventures makes up for this a bit. After this book he becomes increasingly unstable and unbearably arrogant. In this novel there is enough of the Two Rivers boy in him to like him somewhat. All in all, The Fires of Heaven is a decent read, but certainly not a memorable one.
Book Details
Title: The Fires of Heaven
Author: Robert Jordan
Publisher: Orbit
Pages: 912
Year: 1998
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 1-85723-209-7
First published: 1993
Friday, November 12, 2010
Towers of Midnight - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
The first barrage of Towers of Midnight reviews burst over us on November 2nd, when Tor's embargo on reviews was lifted. I had to wait for the book like everybody else however, it took me a bit longer to come up with one. So for those of you who haven't had their fill of Tower of Midnight reviews, here we go. The thirteenth and second to last book in the series is one that is gathers the scattered plot lines and ties off a number of loose ends. As a result it is a lot less focussed than The Gathering Storm but it does make some great strides towards the climax of the series.A plot summary is almost impossible for this book. Pretty much all the main characters make an appearance in this novel. If there is a focus I suppose it is on Mat and Perrin. Mat finally manages to introduce gunpowder into war and gears up for a final confrontation with the snakes and foxes, while Perrin tackles the last obstacles in his way to Tarmon Gai'don: the Whitecloaks and his status as Lord of the Two Rivers. Egwene and Elayne are mostly busy solidifying their position as Amyrlin Seat and Queen of Andor. Aviendha makes a brief appearance in her quest to make the remnant of a remnant of her people that will survive the breaking as large as possible. Rand himself in the mean time, implements his new insights gained in the crisis that was the finale of The Gathering Storm.
The world is not waiting for the Dragon Reborn to put all the pieces just right before the last battle. The world is more clearly affected by the shadow with each passing day. Crops rot in the fields, food supplies mysteriously spoil overnight and starvation is rearing it's ugly head. The Dark One takes more direct approach as well. Trollocs overrun Bordeland outposts and Saldea is invaded by a massive army of shadowspawn. Elsewhere in the lands various plots by the shadow's minions are also nearing completion. In short, the forces of the Light are running out of time.
With Sanderson tackling the full breadth of Wheel of Time characters in this book, it is noticeably different from The Gathering Storm. Sanderson keeps a good pace in this novel. It is a large book but as I mentioned above, he had a lot of loose ends to tie up. It reads a lot faster then for instance Crossroads of Twilight, where Jordan's tendency to get bogged down in vivid descriptions of things irrelevant to the story he was trying to tell reached a peak. Cutting back on the descriptions of dresses helps, but a large part in the pacing of this novel is also in the way in which Sanderson switches from point of view in a chapter. Jordan didn't do this a lot. In the early books most chapters were seen through the eyes of one character. Later on he switches a bit more. In Towers of Midnight the point of view changes a lot. A good example is chapter 7, in which the point of view bounces back and froth between Perrin and Galad. It also tends to have slightly shorter chapters than the last books Jordan wrote solo. I can't really tell for sure of course, but I suspect Towers of Midnight has a bit less of Jordan's writing in it than The Gathering Storm.
The pace Sanderson sets has its disadvantages too. A great many story lines left hanging are tied up in this novel. In some part of the book it felt like the Sanderson was checking items to be resolved from a to do list. Only Perrin escapes this to an extent. He seems to receive more than his share of attention in this book. Many of the issues dealt with in this novel have been theorized to death by the Wheel of Time fanatics and as a result there wasn't all that much going on in this book that really surprised me. What I did think an interesting development is the way the responsibilities the young people we started out with have taken on and how it affects their relationship. Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene and Elayne are all in a position of considerable political and military power, their perspectives, motivations and agenda have begun to drift apart. The rift between Rand and Egwene is most prominent in this novel. The days when they seemed destined to be married in The Eye of the World are long gone.
The high stakes the main characters are playing for these days does seem to have made them a touch more reasonable. Rand in particular is on a quest of reconciliation with as many of those whom he once treated badly as he can find. Rand's mild behaviour is a stark contrast from the increasingly erratic behaviour he's shown throughout the later books. It is not limited to him however, with the Last Battle looming a lot of characters seem to be more willing to compromise. It has taken the edge of Faile's behaviour as well (do I hear a sigh of relief here?) and even Egwene seems to have given up her policy of tricking the Aes Sedai into having her way. All this being reasonable takes the edge of the rather strained relationship between the genres a bit. A good thing as they had reached ridiculous proportions in earlier books.
There are a number of major issues left for the final volume besides the Last Battle. Besides the looming conflict between Egwene and her supporters and Rand's (the division still appears to run along gender lines for this one) the Seanchan prophecy that the Dragon will kneel before the Crystal Throne is the most important. That took me by surprise, the title of this book refers to the Seanchan but their part in it is minimal. Rand also has to deal with the mess he created in establishing and then neglecting the Black Tower. With Aviendha very concerned about what it going to happen after the Last Battle there will probably need to be some sort of epilogue as well. Plenty of material left for the final book, A Memory of Light. Sanderson cleared a lot of things of his plate but I still think the final novel is going to be a big one.
While Jordan and Sanderson get a lot done in this book, I didn't think it was a truly inspired piece of writing. A lot of this book is about how things will happen rather than what will happen, Sanderson is executing a story lines that were set in motion half a dozen or more books earlier. With fans and a publisher demanding an end to the seemingly everlasting series this puts some severe restrictions on how many words Sanderson can spend on properly developing the story. I must admit I wasn't sure a split in three books would be necessary but seeing how things play out, three begins to look like an absolute minimum. If I didn't know this book to be part of a huge series, I'd say it suffered from the middle book syndrome. Will fans like this book? Absolutely. It is Wheel of Time, it is competently written by a man who's insight into the world is close to that of The Creator and especially in the large scale battle scenes where very well done. As for me, I'm not quite as excited about it as The Gathering Storm.
Book Details
Title: Towers of Midnight
Author: Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 861
Year: 2010
Language: English
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-7653-2594-5
First published: 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Shadow Rising - Robert Jordan
The first review to tide you over till I am back from Germany. I wrote this one in March 2009. I has been polished a bit and I removed some references to the intended title of Jordan's final book, A Memory of Light. Got a second review scheduled for Thursday so stay tuned.
As I mentioned in my review of The Dragon Reborn, the first three books in the Wheel of Time series are bit different in style and scope than the books that follow. At almost four hundred thousand words The Shadow Rising is the first of three most massive books in this series. Where the first three books are relatively self-contained stories, in this book the story branches out in several directions. It is where the book where Jordan’s saga becomes a true epic. It is the point where he starts loosing readers but also where the series becomes more than a standard fantasy tale. There is something to the criticism found in many reviews that this book is overwritten. My mass market paperback is over a thousand pages, perhaps a slight indulgence on the author’s part. Despite that, it is still one of the better books in the series in my opinion.
At the end of The Dragon Reborn almost all of the main characters have gathered in Tear. Rand has drawn Callandor and fulfilled one of the prophecies surrounding the Dragon Reborn. There is no going back now, Rand has announced for the entire would he is the one that will break the world anew and save it in the Final Battle. That battle however, has not yet come. In the mean time he has a country to run and plans to make. Moiraine is still insistent he confides in her and tries to get him to take the initiative. Rand feels the forsaken look over his shoulder. He must act in some way they won’t expect and he must act soon. But who can he trust?
In the end Rand hesitates too long and the Stone is attacked by shadowspawn. After consulting the Aelfin ter’angreal in the holds of the Stone of Tear Rand decides to travel to the Aiel waste and try to fulfil their prophecies as well. Mat, having consulted the Aelfinn as well, decides to travel with him. Egwene has been summoned to the waste as well, by Aiel Wise Ones who have found out about her Talent for Dreaming. And of course Moiraine sticks to Rand like glue.
Perrin chooses a different path. Disturbing rumours of Whitecloaks in the Two Rivers have reached his ears. They can only mean one thing, the Whitecloaks are still looking for him. Perrin, Loaial, Faile, Gaul, Chiad and Bain travel to the Two Rivers to settle the matter. Perrin intends to let himself be arrested by the Whitecloaks so as not to endanger his family. When he arrives he find that matters have already gone to far for that to be an option. Even if Faile would have allowed it.
Nynaeve and Elayne decide to continue the mission the Amyrlin Seat has given them without Egwene. After having interrogated the two sisters they have captured in the Stone they are more determined than ever to find the remaining Black sisters. It seems they have moved to Tanchico to dig up an artefact that could be dangerous to Rand. Bot Lan and Rand, both of them romantically entangled by now, are worried about their safety and send Thom Merrilin and Juilin Sandar with them. Something Nynaeve and Elayne do not appreciate.
I said all the main characters were in Tear at the end of The Dragon Reborn. That is not quite true. Min is still in Tar Valon and Siuan has no intention of letting her go after Rand. Her visions are too useful. While Min walks the tower grounds pretending to be the girly, empty-headed Elmindreda, a young woman seeking sanctuary in the tower from two hotheaded suitors, she sees matters in the tower destabilize.
The Shadow Rising may be a big book, there is also an awful lot going on. As usual with Wheel of Time books, a lot of it won’t be important until later books though. Mat for instance, has his encounters with the Aelfinn and Eelfinn. These encounters completely turn him into the gambler, trickster and general in the later book. Some of it seems to have surfaced as early as The Eye of the World, where his old blood sings when he encounters Trollocs for the first time, but the encounter with the Eelfinn completes the transformation. Apart form the memories of other men, it has been speculated they are his ancestors, these encounters also provides him with his power-wrought weapon, his foxhead medallion and the prophecies he is to marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons. All these things prepare him to step out of Rand’s shadow. The waves created by these encounters travel throughout the later books, the Daughter of the Nine Moons for instance, won’t show up until Winter’s Heart.
Perrin simply kicks ass in this novel. His rallying of the Two Rivers to rise up to the challenges the region hasn’t faced in centuries is one of probably Perrin’s finest hour in the series (unless he manages to surprise me in the books yet to be published). It will also get him in an awful lot of trouble, but that is a discussion for Lord of Chaos. With Mat, Rand and Perrin all being very prominent in the book there is less emphasis on the female main characters. This will change in The Fires of Heaven where both the ladies will be much more influential. Unfortunately that also means the already… odd… relationship between the genders will be put more on edge in that book. In fact, The Shadow Rising is the last book where it didn’t annoy me that much. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a fair bit of snorting, sniffing, and braid-tugging but Jordan has kept it manageable in this book.
A number of Forsaken have have shown up in The Dragon Reborn. InThe Shadow Rising we get to see a few of those that were still missing. They still are not all accounted for however. In later books the Forsaken spend nearly as much time trying to finish each other off as they do trying to make sure Rand won’t fight the last battle for the light. In this book their plots are still rather straightforward. Moghedien in lurking, Lanfear is trying to seduce Rand and Rhavin and Sammael are playing at being Lords of the land. Asmodean shows up as well, setting the stage for one of the most debated questions in the Wheel of Time series. But that riddle is something for later books to look at. Asmodean is odd for one of the Forsaken. Most of them at least go out in a blaze of glory but he just screws up. All things considered he is quite pathetic.
Even with all this action the question whether The Shadow Rising is too long remains. I don’t really think so, or not by much anyway. Jordan manages to weave the four main story lines into a good novel as far as I am concerned. Although not as fast paced as the earlier book he makes good progress in each of them, which is more than can be said for some of the later books. Jordan has shown himself quite capable of handling the four main story lines in this book. The beginning of the novel is a bit slow, Rand hesitates too long. But then, that was Jordan’s point. This book is a change in direction for Jordan. If you do not like where he is taking it, there really is no point in continuing with the series, if anything, the story becomes even more sprawling than it already is. Still, I think this book shows Jordan is capable of more than he has shown us in the previous entries in the series. Maybe the series, and Jordan’s world-building in particular, is becoming too ambitious. If it is, it doesn’t show in The Shadow Risings. All things considered, it is a very satisfying read for people who enjoy epic (and yes, that implies it is long) fantasy.
Book Details
Title: The Shadow Rising
Author: Robert Jordan
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 1006
Year: 1993
Language: English
Format: Mass market paperback
ISBN: 0-812-51373-8
First published: 1992
As I mentioned in my review of The Dragon Reborn, the first three books in the Wheel of Time series are bit different in style and scope than the books that follow. At almost four hundred thousand words The Shadow Rising is the first of three most massive books in this series. Where the first three books are relatively self-contained stories, in this book the story branches out in several directions. It is where the book where Jordan’s saga becomes a true epic. It is the point where he starts loosing readers but also where the series becomes more than a standard fantasy tale. There is something to the criticism found in many reviews that this book is overwritten. My mass market paperback is over a thousand pages, perhaps a slight indulgence on the author’s part. Despite that, it is still one of the better books in the series in my opinion.At the end of The Dragon Reborn almost all of the main characters have gathered in Tear. Rand has drawn Callandor and fulfilled one of the prophecies surrounding the Dragon Reborn. There is no going back now, Rand has announced for the entire would he is the one that will break the world anew and save it in the Final Battle. That battle however, has not yet come. In the mean time he has a country to run and plans to make. Moiraine is still insistent he confides in her and tries to get him to take the initiative. Rand feels the forsaken look over his shoulder. He must act in some way they won’t expect and he must act soon. But who can he trust?
In the end Rand hesitates too long and the Stone is attacked by shadowspawn. After consulting the Aelfin ter’angreal in the holds of the Stone of Tear Rand decides to travel to the Aiel waste and try to fulfil their prophecies as well. Mat, having consulted the Aelfinn as well, decides to travel with him. Egwene has been summoned to the waste as well, by Aiel Wise Ones who have found out about her Talent for Dreaming. And of course Moiraine sticks to Rand like glue.
Perrin chooses a different path. Disturbing rumours of Whitecloaks in the Two Rivers have reached his ears. They can only mean one thing, the Whitecloaks are still looking for him. Perrin, Loaial, Faile, Gaul, Chiad and Bain travel to the Two Rivers to settle the matter. Perrin intends to let himself be arrested by the Whitecloaks so as not to endanger his family. When he arrives he find that matters have already gone to far for that to be an option. Even if Faile would have allowed it.
Nynaeve and Elayne decide to continue the mission the Amyrlin Seat has given them without Egwene. After having interrogated the two sisters they have captured in the Stone they are more determined than ever to find the remaining Black sisters. It seems they have moved to Tanchico to dig up an artefact that could be dangerous to Rand. Bot Lan and Rand, both of them romantically entangled by now, are worried about their safety and send Thom Merrilin and Juilin Sandar with them. Something Nynaeve and Elayne do not appreciate.
I said all the main characters were in Tear at the end of The Dragon Reborn. That is not quite true. Min is still in Tar Valon and Siuan has no intention of letting her go after Rand. Her visions are too useful. While Min walks the tower grounds pretending to be the girly, empty-headed Elmindreda, a young woman seeking sanctuary in the tower from two hotheaded suitors, she sees matters in the tower destabilize.
The Shadow Rising may be a big book, there is also an awful lot going on. As usual with Wheel of Time books, a lot of it won’t be important until later books though. Mat for instance, has his encounters with the Aelfinn and Eelfinn. These encounters completely turn him into the gambler, trickster and general in the later book. Some of it seems to have surfaced as early as The Eye of the World, where his old blood sings when he encounters Trollocs for the first time, but the encounter with the Eelfinn completes the transformation. Apart form the memories of other men, it has been speculated they are his ancestors, these encounters also provides him with his power-wrought weapon, his foxhead medallion and the prophecies he is to marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons. All these things prepare him to step out of Rand’s shadow. The waves created by these encounters travel throughout the later books, the Daughter of the Nine Moons for instance, won’t show up until Winter’s Heart.
“Go!” the man shouted. “You have had your answers. You must go before it is too late!”In a way, Rand makes even greater strides. He finds out the history of his people and the story of his parents in this book. The scene in which he enters Rhuidean is a great bit of writing. Through the eyes of Rand’s ancestors we explore the origins of the Aiel, the mysterious Jenn Aiel, the Tinkers, the history of Rhuidean, hints on the guardian of the Eye of the World and the origins of the Aiel War. His experiences in Rhuidean shape Rand’s relationship with the Aiel to a large extend. It is one of those passages that will probably make more sense during the second time around but I still think it is fascinating reading.
Abruptly a dozen of the yellow-clad men were around Mat, seeming to appear out of the air, trying to pull him toward the door. He fought with fists, elbows, knees. “What fate? Burn your hearts, what fate?” It was the room itself that pealed, the walls and floor quivering, nearly taking Mat and his attackers off their feet. “What fate?”
The three were on their feet atop the pedestals, and he could not tell which shrieked which answer.
“To marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons!”
“To die and live again, and live once more a part of what was!”
“To give up half the light of the world to save the world!”
Together they howled like steam escaping under pressure. “Go to Rhuidean, son of battles! Go to Rhuidean, trickster! Go, gambler! Go!”
Mat and the Aelfinn – Chapter 15: Into the Doorway
Perrin simply kicks ass in this novel. His rallying of the Two Rivers to rise up to the challenges the region hasn’t faced in centuries is one of probably Perrin’s finest hour in the series (unless he manages to surprise me in the books yet to be published). It will also get him in an awful lot of trouble, but that is a discussion for Lord of Chaos. With Mat, Rand and Perrin all being very prominent in the book there is less emphasis on the female main characters. This will change in The Fires of Heaven where both the ladies will be much more influential. Unfortunately that also means the already… odd… relationship between the genders will be put more on edge in that book. In fact, The Shadow Rising is the last book where it didn’t annoy me that much. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a fair bit of snorting, sniffing, and braid-tugging but Jordan has kept it manageable in this book.
A number of Forsaken have have shown up in The Dragon Reborn. InThe Shadow Rising we get to see a few of those that were still missing. They still are not all accounted for however. In later books the Forsaken spend nearly as much time trying to finish each other off as they do trying to make sure Rand won’t fight the last battle for the light. In this book their plots are still rather straightforward. Moghedien in lurking, Lanfear is trying to seduce Rand and Rhavin and Sammael are playing at being Lords of the land. Asmodean shows up as well, setting the stage for one of the most debated questions in the Wheel of Time series. But that riddle is something for later books to look at. Asmodean is odd for one of the Forsaken. Most of them at least go out in a blaze of glory but he just screws up. All things considered he is quite pathetic.
Even with all this action the question whether The Shadow Rising is too long remains. I don’t really think so, or not by much anyway. Jordan manages to weave the four main story lines into a good novel as far as I am concerned. Although not as fast paced as the earlier book he makes good progress in each of them, which is more than can be said for some of the later books. Jordan has shown himself quite capable of handling the four main story lines in this book. The beginning of the novel is a bit slow, Rand hesitates too long. But then, that was Jordan’s point. This book is a change in direction for Jordan. If you do not like where he is taking it, there really is no point in continuing with the series, if anything, the story becomes even more sprawling than it already is. Still, I think this book shows Jordan is capable of more than he has shown us in the previous entries in the series. Maybe the series, and Jordan’s world-building in particular, is becoming too ambitious. If it is, it doesn’t show in The Shadow Risings. All things considered, it is a very satisfying read for people who enjoy epic (and yes, that implies it is long) fantasy.
Book Details
Title: The Shadow Rising
Author: Robert Jordan
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 1006
Year: 1993
Language: English
Format: Mass market paperback
ISBN: 0-812-51373-8
First published: 1992
Friday, July 2, 2010
The Dragon Reborn - Robert Jordan
I have a big exam on Saturday so I have spent most of the week preparing for it. This has cut into my reading time considerably and I am pretty sure that when I am done tomorrow I won't feel like writing a review. So I moved an old one. I originally wrote this one in February 2009. I did some minor tinkering as usual to eliminate the worst of my errors. I'll be back next week with a review of The Dervish House by Ian McDonald. I am also working on a review of a non-fiction book but I am not sure I am going to run that one yet.
Being the third book in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. Jordan is still writing at a fast pace at this stage, The Dragon Reborn was published only eleven months after The Great Hunt. I have always felt that the first three are somewhat different from the books that follow. Starting in The Shadow Rising, the story lines become so sprawling and complex that he leaves a lot of them dangling until the next book, or the book after that. The Dragon Reborn is the last book that very clearly contains it’s own story arc and where all the main characters end up in the same place at the end of it. The truly epic aspects of The Wheel of Time lie yet ahead.
The opening of the books finds Rand in his makeshift camp somewhere in the Mountains of Mist. He has proclaimed himself the Dragon Reborn and word of his battle with Ba’alzamon in the skies over Falme is spreading quickly. Many have already proclaimed themselves Dragonsworn and more fighting has broken out on the already troubled Almoth Plain. Rand spends most of his time arguing with Moiraine over what to do and trying to control his ability with the One Power. After a raid on the camp by Trollocs during which he can’t control the One Power well enough to be useful Rand decides to set out on his own. Being hounded by Darkfriends Rand is driven to Tear and manipulated into trying to fulfil one of the prophecies of the Dragon before he is ready for such a monumental task. He is on his way to take Callandor, the sword-that-is-not-a-sword.
After Rand’s disappearance Perrin and Loial join Moiraine and Lan in pursuit of him. Perrin is still coming to terms with his own new-found abilities. His relationship with Moiraine is almost as poor as Rand’s, and rapidly deteriorating. Most of Perrin’s adventures in this book seem to be linked to Min’s predictions, the most important being the hawk and falcon one, but also the caged Aiel prophecy. A storyline that is the beginning of the love story between Gaul and Chiad (and Bain I suppose). Jordan seems to have a thing for multiple wife’s stories. It isn’t limited to The Wheel of Time either. There’s another fine example in Cheyenne Raiders, a western Jordan wrote before starting The Wheel of Time. There’s quite bit of the Cheyenne in the Aiel actually.
But back to the plot of The Dragon Reborn, Mat, Egwene, Nyneave and Elayne have returned to Tar Valon under Verin’s guidance. Mat’s health has deteriorated some much Nynaeve fears he is close to death. Upon their arrival the girls find out how much trouble they are in for leaving the tower without permission. The Amyrlin Seat herself sets their punishment, which includes a raising to accepted for Egwene and Elayne. Disobedient they may be, they are also useful for the Amyrlin. Not knowing who she can trust in her own sisterhood she sets the three of them on the trail of the thirteen sisters that revealed themselves the be Black Ajah. It soon becomes apparent the trail leads to Tear.
The Aes Sedai see to Mat’s healing almost as soon as he arrives in the Tower. Since he is the only one of the three t’avern Moiraine discovered still firmly in control of the White Tower, the Amyrlin means to keep it that way. With the excuse he may still be dangerous to his surroundings he is not allowed out of the city. Something Mat doesn’t like at all. Egwene, Nyneave and Elayne are willing to help him escape however, if he will deliver a message to Elyane’s mother, the Queen of Andor.
Jordan again introduces quite a few new elements in his story, if not quite as many as in the previous book. We briefly met the Aiel in The Great Hunt but what they are doing on the wrong side of the Dragonwall remains unclear until this book. There’s hints that the Seafolk are upset, suspicion is unsettling the daily life in the White Tower and in several nations we see the rise of previously unknown lords, Gaebril in Caemlyn, Brend in Illian and Samon in Tear. All things that will become important in later books. The Dragon Reborn is mostly focussed on Rand’s attempt to claim Callandor.
The-sword-that-is-not-a-sword, now that we are on the subject, is one of the most unfortunate descriptions in modern fantasy. Granted, there is no shortage of phallic symbols in the series, if you care to look for them, and most Wheel of Time fans I had the pleasure of meeting in real life a bunch of perverts (yes, I fit right in) but even so, Jordan must have seen this one coming. The-sword-that-is-not-a-sword drawn by he-who-comes-with-the-dawn. Ah well, it is an endless source for bawdy jokes I suppose.
The Dragon Reborn is the first book in which Mat gets his point of view. Both Perrin and Rand had quite a few point of view chapters already in the previous two books. Rand receives comparatively little attention in this book but Mat’s character is developed more in the coming books. I suppose that after his exposure to the Shadar Logoth dagger in The Eye of the World Mat was not all that interesting a character. On the other hand a look into the mind of paranoid Mat might have been interesting.
Most sources mention Jordan had a six book series in mind when he started on the project. I have always wondered about that. Arrange things a little differently, have Rand face the Dark One at the end of this book instead of Be'lal and you have a very nice fantasy trilogy. It could have been done. Perhaps at one point Jordan thought so too. Maybe that is part of the reason why the later books have a different feel to them. Although part of that no doubt has to do with Jordan’s development as a writer.
I must admit I like the feel of the next book, The Shadow Rising, more. And that of The Great Hunt too I suppose. The pacing of this book is a lot better than the first two books however. Take for instance clumsy climax of The Eye of the World or the middle part of The Great Hunt that drags too much for any but the die hard Wheel of Time fans to really appreciate. The Dragon Reborn keeps a good pace all though the book and delivers a good finale when the characters meet at the Stone. Perhaps a little bit predictable, but then, a lot of people don’t read epic fantasy because they want to be surprised. Somehow this book never quite captivated me but it is a good read, if a light one. It doesn’t have the many beginnings that make The Great Hunt such a good book to reread, nor does it have the complexity of one of the later novels. It is a good, entertaining read but Jordan has written better books.
Book Details
Title: The Dragon Reborn
Author: Robert Jordan
Publisher: Orbit
Pages: 707
Year: 1996
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 1-85723-065-5
First published: 1991
Being the third book in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. Jordan is still writing at a fast pace at this stage, The Dragon Reborn was published only eleven months after The Great Hunt. I have always felt that the first three are somewhat different from the books that follow. Starting in The Shadow Rising, the story lines become so sprawling and complex that he leaves a lot of them dangling until the next book, or the book after that. The Dragon Reborn is the last book that very clearly contains it’s own story arc and where all the main characters end up in the same place at the end of it. The truly epic aspects of The Wheel of Time lie yet ahead.The opening of the books finds Rand in his makeshift camp somewhere in the Mountains of Mist. He has proclaimed himself the Dragon Reborn and word of his battle with Ba’alzamon in the skies over Falme is spreading quickly. Many have already proclaimed themselves Dragonsworn and more fighting has broken out on the already troubled Almoth Plain. Rand spends most of his time arguing with Moiraine over what to do and trying to control his ability with the One Power. After a raid on the camp by Trollocs during which he can’t control the One Power well enough to be useful Rand decides to set out on his own. Being hounded by Darkfriends Rand is driven to Tear and manipulated into trying to fulfil one of the prophecies of the Dragon before he is ready for such a monumental task. He is on his way to take Callandor, the sword-that-is-not-a-sword.
After Rand’s disappearance Perrin and Loial join Moiraine and Lan in pursuit of him. Perrin is still coming to terms with his own new-found abilities. His relationship with Moiraine is almost as poor as Rand’s, and rapidly deteriorating. Most of Perrin’s adventures in this book seem to be linked to Min’s predictions, the most important being the hawk and falcon one, but also the caged Aiel prophecy. A storyline that is the beginning of the love story between Gaul and Chiad (and Bain I suppose). Jordan seems to have a thing for multiple wife’s stories. It isn’t limited to The Wheel of Time either. There’s another fine example in Cheyenne Raiders, a western Jordan wrote before starting The Wheel of Time. There’s quite bit of the Cheyenne in the Aiel actually.
But back to the plot of The Dragon Reborn, Mat, Egwene, Nyneave and Elayne have returned to Tar Valon under Verin’s guidance. Mat’s health has deteriorated some much Nynaeve fears he is close to death. Upon their arrival the girls find out how much trouble they are in for leaving the tower without permission. The Amyrlin Seat herself sets their punishment, which includes a raising to accepted for Egwene and Elayne. Disobedient they may be, they are also useful for the Amyrlin. Not knowing who she can trust in her own sisterhood she sets the three of them on the trail of the thirteen sisters that revealed themselves the be Black Ajah. It soon becomes apparent the trail leads to Tear.
The Aes Sedai see to Mat’s healing almost as soon as he arrives in the Tower. Since he is the only one of the three t’avern Moiraine discovered still firmly in control of the White Tower, the Amyrlin means to keep it that way. With the excuse he may still be dangerous to his surroundings he is not allowed out of the city. Something Mat doesn’t like at all. Egwene, Nyneave and Elayne are willing to help him escape however, if he will deliver a message to Elyane’s mother, the Queen of Andor.
Jordan again introduces quite a few new elements in his story, if not quite as many as in the previous book. We briefly met the Aiel in The Great Hunt but what they are doing on the wrong side of the Dragonwall remains unclear until this book. There’s hints that the Seafolk are upset, suspicion is unsettling the daily life in the White Tower and in several nations we see the rise of previously unknown lords, Gaebril in Caemlyn, Brend in Illian and Samon in Tear. All things that will become important in later books. The Dragon Reborn is mostly focussed on Rand’s attempt to claim Callandor.
The-sword-that-is-not-a-sword, now that we are on the subject, is one of the most unfortunate descriptions in modern fantasy. Granted, there is no shortage of phallic symbols in the series, if you care to look for them, and most Wheel of Time fans I had the pleasure of meeting in real life a bunch of perverts (yes, I fit right in) but even so, Jordan must have seen this one coming. The-sword-that-is-not-a-sword drawn by he-who-comes-with-the-dawn. Ah well, it is an endless source for bawdy jokes I suppose.
The Dragon Reborn is the first book in which Mat gets his point of view. Both Perrin and Rand had quite a few point of view chapters already in the previous two books. Rand receives comparatively little attention in this book but Mat’s character is developed more in the coming books. I suppose that after his exposure to the Shadar Logoth dagger in The Eye of the World Mat was not all that interesting a character. On the other hand a look into the mind of paranoid Mat might have been interesting.
Most sources mention Jordan had a six book series in mind when he started on the project. I have always wondered about that. Arrange things a little differently, have Rand face the Dark One at the end of this book instead of Be'lal and you have a very nice fantasy trilogy. It could have been done. Perhaps at one point Jordan thought so too. Maybe that is part of the reason why the later books have a different feel to them. Although part of that no doubt has to do with Jordan’s development as a writer.
I must admit I like the feel of the next book, The Shadow Rising, more. And that of The Great Hunt too I suppose. The pacing of this book is a lot better than the first two books however. Take for instance clumsy climax of The Eye of the World or the middle part of The Great Hunt that drags too much for any but the die hard Wheel of Time fans to really appreciate. The Dragon Reborn keeps a good pace all though the book and delivers a good finale when the characters meet at the Stone. Perhaps a little bit predictable, but then, a lot of people don’t read epic fantasy because they want to be surprised. Somehow this book never quite captivated me but it is a good read, if a light one. It doesn’t have the many beginnings that make The Great Hunt such a good book to reread, nor does it have the complexity of one of the later novels. It is a good, entertaining read but Jordan has written better books.
Book Details
Title: The Dragon Reborn
Author: Robert Jordan
Publisher: Orbit
Pages: 707
Year: 1996
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 1-85723-065-5
First published: 1991
Saturday, May 1, 2010
The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan
I've been a bad blogger this week with only one review of a book that wasn't all that big to begin with. Such trivial activities like working and studying have gotten in the way. Things don't look much better next week either so I salvaged another old review. This one was written in January '09 and was part of a Wheel of Time reread in preparation for the release of The Gathering Storm. I did some minor editing to eliminate the worst of my errors in the original.
Published only ten months after The Eye of the World this book is the second entry in Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. I always found it hard to pick a favourite but if I had to, it would probably be The Great Hunt. Jordan lets go of the Lord of the Rings approach he took in The Eye of the World and starts to fully explore his creation in this book. It is the beginning of a great many story lines that will be with us for most of the series. While Jordan spends quite a lot of time building the story and characters he does keep an eye of the coherency of the book itself. I think the climax to The Great Hunt is one of the best endings of a Wheel of Time novel in.
There will be some spoilers for The Eye of the World from this point on. A few minor spoilers to The Great Hunt may creep up in the text below as well.
The Great Hunt begins a few weeks after the events in The Eye of the World. Rand and company are still the guest of Lord Agelmar in Fal Dara. Rand is beginning to accept that he can channel and will most likely go raving mad before dying a miserable death. He is determined not to end up as a False Dragon in the hands of Aes Sedai though. To protect his friends he is considering leaving everybody and going out into the vast, sparsely populated areas between the nations. There at least, he can do no damage. Something is keeping him in Fal Dara though and by the time he is finally read to leave he is trapped in the city by the imminent arrival of the Siuan Sanche, the Amyrlin Seat herself. An unannounced visit by the head of the Aes Sedai is unheard of, the city is in uproar.
The Amyrlin does not announce the reason of her visit but to Rand it is clear why she is in Shienar. Before the Amyrlin can get to the bottom of Moiriaine’s actions however, and Rand’s part in recent events, the keep is attacked by Shadowspawn. In the confusion Padan Fain manages to escape and steal the Horn of Valere and the dagger Mat is still linked to. He leaves a cryptic message for Rand written on the wall of the dungeon he was locked in, daring Rand to pursue. With the Amyrlin’s blessing Rand, Mat, Perrin and Loial accompany a group of Shienarans on an expedition to reclaim the horn and dagger. Rand hopes he has finally cut the strings Moiraine has tied to him by leaving Fal Dara. As is turns out, he is more firmly tied to their plots than he imagined.
Egwene and Nynaeve accompany the Aes Sedai back to Tar Valon to begin their training to become Aes Sedai. In the Tower Egwene becomes friends with Elayne, the Daughter-Heir of Andor and meets the Barleon stable hand Min again. Both Nynaeve and Egwene learn quickly and even though Nynaeve has to be angry to be able to channel at all, she is raised to Accepted as soon as she enters the tower. Discipline is harsh but both are determined to learn. The sisters in the tower seem on edge. News from the outside world trickles in and it is nothing but war and false dragons. During one of their sparse free days Nynaeve and Elayne are approached by Liandrin and told Rand, Mat and Perrin are in trouble. They are to prepare for a journey to Toman Head to come to their aid. Elayne and Min have overheard the entire thing and decide to join uninvited.
I marked a specific scene in this rather battered mass market paperback I own, something I rarely do. Every time I read it, it reminds me of the summer of 1999 and the first time I read The Great Hunt.
I didn’t catch the reference back during that first reading but Selene is of course the name of an ancient Goddess of the the moon. An obvious clue to the true identity of Selene. The Daughter of the Moon, a particularly nasty piece of work known as Lanfear, one of the Forsaken. In hindsight it may be better Celine didn’t read fantasy.
Apart from fond memories there are other reasons having more to do with the writing why I like this book. For one thing this book is one you can keep reading and rereading. Jordan put so many hints and minor things that will turn out to be important later on in this book that I would advise everybody to go back to it at least once after having finished the series. To give you an example from to prologue of the book:
It is also the book that contains one of my favourite scenes from the entire series, the conversation in which Moiraine confronts Lan with his changing loyalties.
No book is all good of course and one of the few things that didn’t work for me in this book is Jordan’s time line. In the later books he keeps track of what happens when to whom very well as his cast scatters across the nations. In the earlier books it is a bit of a mess sometimes. In The Eye of the World for instance the scenes taking place between the crossing of the Taren and their arrival in Barleon seems to suggest a week has seven days. In the later books it is ten (some fans are quite fanatical about the Wheel of Time chronology). In The Great Hunt some story lines quickly outpace others and to make everybody arrive on time for the climax of the book Jordan skips a few months in one of the story lines (Rand using the Portal Stone). It is probably the biggest leap in the narrative in the entire series and it always felt strange to me. Another thing that didn’t work for me is the cover. I added it to the top section of the article. Have a look, I don’t think I really need to say anything of this subject.
Jordan makes up for it by a great climax, the events at Falme send ripples though the world that will lead Pedron Niall to overreach and entice Elaida to rash actions. Ripples that can be felt throughout the later books in the series. Where Jordan followed in Tolkien’s footsteps in The Eye of the World he is taking off on a journey of his own in The Great Hunt. Much more than the first book in the series does Jordan make the scope of his project clear. From this book on the reader should settle in for the long haul. I suppose for quite a few people this poses a problem. Although The Great Hunt does contain a complete and satisfying story arc, Jordan leaves an awful lot of loose ends in this book to be pursued later on. Especially during the first reading the number of new elements Jordan introduces strikes some readers as too much of a good thing. I certainly appreciated it more after a second reading.
All in all I consider this book to be quite an improvement over The Eye of the World. If that book didn’t convince you to stick with this series The Great Hunt certainly should. It combines the great scope and detailed world of Jordan with the fast pace of the earlier books. Jordan grows as a writer throughout this huge project. Perhaps technically some of the later books are better written. For me however, this is the book where he had me absolutely hooked.
Book Details
Title: The Great Hunt
Author: Robert Jordan
Publisher: Orbit
Pages: 707
Year: 1991
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 1-85723-027-2
First published: 1990
Published only ten months after The Eye of the World this book is the second entry in Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. I always found it hard to pick a favourite but if I had to, it would probably be The Great Hunt. Jordan lets go of the Lord of the Rings approach he took in The Eye of the World and starts to fully explore his creation in this book. It is the beginning of a great many story lines that will be with us for most of the series. While Jordan spends quite a lot of time building the story and characters he does keep an eye of the coherency of the book itself. I think the climax to The Great Hunt is one of the best endings of a Wheel of Time novel in.There will be some spoilers for The Eye of the World from this point on. A few minor spoilers to The Great Hunt may creep up in the text below as well.
The Great Hunt begins a few weeks after the events in The Eye of the World. Rand and company are still the guest of Lord Agelmar in Fal Dara. Rand is beginning to accept that he can channel and will most likely go raving mad before dying a miserable death. He is determined not to end up as a False Dragon in the hands of Aes Sedai though. To protect his friends he is considering leaving everybody and going out into the vast, sparsely populated areas between the nations. There at least, he can do no damage. Something is keeping him in Fal Dara though and by the time he is finally read to leave he is trapped in the city by the imminent arrival of the Siuan Sanche, the Amyrlin Seat herself. An unannounced visit by the head of the Aes Sedai is unheard of, the city is in uproar.
The Amyrlin does not announce the reason of her visit but to Rand it is clear why she is in Shienar. Before the Amyrlin can get to the bottom of Moiriaine’s actions however, and Rand’s part in recent events, the keep is attacked by Shadowspawn. In the confusion Padan Fain manages to escape and steal the Horn of Valere and the dagger Mat is still linked to. He leaves a cryptic message for Rand written on the wall of the dungeon he was locked in, daring Rand to pursue. With the Amyrlin’s blessing Rand, Mat, Perrin and Loial accompany a group of Shienarans on an expedition to reclaim the horn and dagger. Rand hopes he has finally cut the strings Moiraine has tied to him by leaving Fal Dara. As is turns out, he is more firmly tied to their plots than he imagined.
Egwene and Nynaeve accompany the Aes Sedai back to Tar Valon to begin their training to become Aes Sedai. In the Tower Egwene becomes friends with Elayne, the Daughter-Heir of Andor and meets the Barleon stable hand Min again. Both Nynaeve and Egwene learn quickly and even though Nynaeve has to be angry to be able to channel at all, she is raised to Accepted as soon as she enters the tower. Discipline is harsh but both are determined to learn. The sisters in the tower seem on edge. News from the outside world trickles in and it is nothing but war and false dragons. During one of their sparse free days Nynaeve and Elayne are approached by Liandrin and told Rand, Mat and Perrin are in trouble. They are to prepare for a journey to Toman Head to come to their aid. Elayne and Min have overheard the entire thing and decide to join uninvited.
I marked a specific scene in this rather battered mass market paperback I own, something I rarely do. Every time I read it, it reminds me of the summer of 1999 and the first time I read The Great Hunt.
She was all in white, her dress divided for riding and belted in silver, and her boots, peeking out from under her hems, were tooled in silver, too. Even her saddle was white, and silver-mounted. Her snowy mare, with its arched neck and dainty step, was almost as tall as Rand’s bay. But it was the woman herself — she was perhaps Nynaeve’s age, he thought — who held his eyes. She was tall, for one thing; a hand taller and she could almost look him in the eyes. For another, she was beautiful, ivory-pale skin contrasting sharply with long, night-dark hair and black eyes. He had seen beautiful women. Moiraine was beautiful, if cool, and so was Nynaeve, when her temper did not get the better of her. Egwene, and Elayne, the Daughter-Heir of Andor, were each enough to take a man’s breath. But this woman … His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth; he felt his heart start beating again.I had a summer job at a mobile phone company that year. Rather boring administrative work. It was made a whole lot more pleasant by Celine, the girl sitting at the desk next to me. She was a student of international law, conversational in French, Spanish and English and very pretty. Oh boy was I in love. So was she, but unfortunately for me with a Spanish law student who would be joining her for a vacation later that summer. I marked that bit for her and let her read it. It made her smile but looking back on it, I suspect she thought the book was rubbish. Almost 10 years on this is a good memory, although at the time I saw it differently of course.
“Your retainers, my Lord?”
Startled, he looked around. Hurin and Loial had joined them. Hurin was staring the way Rand knew he had been, and even the Ogier seemed fascinated. “My friends,” he said. “Loial, and Hurin. My name is Rand. Rand al’Thor.”
“I have never thought of it before,” Loial said abruptly, sounding as if he were talking to himself, “but if there is such a thing as perfect human beauty, in face and form, then you —”
“Loial!” Rand shouted. The Ogier’s ears stiffened in embarrassment. Rand’s own ears were red; Loial’s words had been too close to what he himself was thinking.
The woman laughed musically, but the next instant she was all regal formality, like a queen on her throne. “I am called Selene,” she said.
Rand meets Selene, Chapter 16 – In the Mirror of Darkness
I didn’t catch the reference back during that first reading but Selene is of course the name of an ancient Goddess of the the moon. An obvious clue to the true identity of Selene. The Daughter of the Moon, a particularly nasty piece of work known as Lanfear, one of the Forsaken. In hindsight it may be better Celine didn’t read fantasy.
Apart from fond memories there are other reasons having more to do with the writing why I like this book. For one thing this book is one you can keep reading and rereading. Jordan put so many hints and minor things that will turn out to be important later on in this book that I would advise everybody to go back to it at least once after having finished the series. To give you an example from to prologue of the book:
The man who called himself Bors shivered in spite of himself. Hastily he undid the seals and buckles of his saddlebags and pulled out his usual cloak. In the back of his mind a small voice wondered if the promised power, even the immortality, was worth another meeting like this, but he laughed it down immediately. For that much power, I would praise the Great Lord of the Dark under the Dome of Truth. Remembering the commands given him by Ba’alzamon, he fingered the golden, flaring sun worked on the breast of the white cloak, and the red shepherd’s crook behind the sun, symbol of his office in the world of men, and he almost laughed. There was work, great work, to be done in Tarabon, and on Almoth Plain.Although it is clear Bors is a Whitecloak Questioner, we won’t learn his true identity until the next book. Jordan will follow Bors’ rather painful career as a Darkfriend all the way until The Path of Daggers. There’s number of other beginnings in this book too. The origin of Masema’s obsession with Rand for instance. Rand looses sight of him in The Dragon Reborn but rumours of his deeds can be found in several books. Rumours that make Rand decide to send Perrin to collect him in A Crown of Swords. It the book where Bayle Domon and Egeanin meet each other, the book where Birigitte makes her first appearance, the book where the Aeil and He Who Comes With the Dawn are first mentioned, the book where Rand starts collecting the marks that name him the Dragon Reborn etc. etc. etc.
Bors at a gathering of Darkfriends, Prologue – In the Shadow
It is also the book that contains one of my favourite scenes from the entire series, the conversation in which Moiraine confronts Lan with his changing loyalties.
After this, you test me?”This scene is probably the seed of the story told in New Spring, in part the story of how Lan and Moiraine met. It exposes the nature of the bond between Warder and Aes Sedai and the precaution Moiraine took turns out to be quite important in The Fires of Heaven. With so many young characters dominating the narrative in the first three books this is one of the few scenes where the more mature characters get to have a turn. The relationship between Moiraine and Lan is a complex one, as we'll find out in later books.
“Not a test, Lan. I spoke plainly, not twisting, and I have done as I said. But at Fal Dara, I began to wonder if you were still wholly with me.” A wariness entered his eyes. Lan, forgive me. I would not have cracked the walls you hold so hard, but I must know. “Why did you do as you did with Rand?” He blinked; it was obviously not what he expected. She knew what he had thought was coming, and she would not let up now that he was off balance. “You brought him to the Amyrlin speaking and acting as a Border lord and a soldier born. It fit, in a way, with what I planned for him, but you and I never spoke of teaching him any of that. Why, Lan?”
Lan and Moiraine, Chapter 22 – Watchers
No book is all good of course and one of the few things that didn’t work for me in this book is Jordan’s time line. In the later books he keeps track of what happens when to whom very well as his cast scatters across the nations. In the earlier books it is a bit of a mess sometimes. In The Eye of the World for instance the scenes taking place between the crossing of the Taren and their arrival in Barleon seems to suggest a week has seven days. In the later books it is ten (some fans are quite fanatical about the Wheel of Time chronology). In The Great Hunt some story lines quickly outpace others and to make everybody arrive on time for the climax of the book Jordan skips a few months in one of the story lines (Rand using the Portal Stone). It is probably the biggest leap in the narrative in the entire series and it always felt strange to me. Another thing that didn’t work for me is the cover. I added it to the top section of the article. Have a look, I don’t think I really need to say anything of this subject.
Jordan makes up for it by a great climax, the events at Falme send ripples though the world that will lead Pedron Niall to overreach and entice Elaida to rash actions. Ripples that can be felt throughout the later books in the series. Where Jordan followed in Tolkien’s footsteps in The Eye of the World he is taking off on a journey of his own in The Great Hunt. Much more than the first book in the series does Jordan make the scope of his project clear. From this book on the reader should settle in for the long haul. I suppose for quite a few people this poses a problem. Although The Great Hunt does contain a complete and satisfying story arc, Jordan leaves an awful lot of loose ends in this book to be pursued later on. Especially during the first reading the number of new elements Jordan introduces strikes some readers as too much of a good thing. I certainly appreciated it more after a second reading.
All in all I consider this book to be quite an improvement over The Eye of the World. If that book didn’t convince you to stick with this series The Great Hunt certainly should. It combines the great scope and detailed world of Jordan with the fast pace of the earlier books. Jordan grows as a writer throughout this huge project. Perhaps technically some of the later books are better written. For me however, this is the book where he had me absolutely hooked.
Book Details
Title: The Great Hunt
Author: Robert Jordan
Publisher: Orbit
Pages: 707
Year: 1991
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 1-85723-027-2
First published: 1990
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
As Adam over at The Wertzone points out, it has been twenty years since the release of The Eye of the World, a landmark in the fantasy genre. I haven't been reading the series that long of course. I was 13 at the time and had barely begun to learn English. The first Dutch translations didn't appear until 1994. I picked up my first Wheel of Time book in the summer of 1999 and read all available titles as soon as I could get my hands on them. The Wheel of Time got me into online communities and ultimately into book reviewing as well. To say it has been an influence on me is understating its importance. I'm ashamed that almost missed it.
To mark the occasion I posted a review of The Eye of the World I wrote in late 2008 as part of a reread of the entire series in preparation of the release of The Gathering Storm. I've fixed a few minor errors but other than that the review is unchanged. At the time the title of the book Brandon Sanderson was completing had not been announced so I am referring to it as A Memory of Light.
The Eye of the World is the first book in Jordan’s hugely successful Wheel of Time series. I don’t know of any other book that has gets so many “this book got me into fantasy” comments as this one. This isn’t true for me. I had already read Tolkien, Feist and Hobb by the time I arrived at Jordan’s work. He had me hooked right from the prologue though and I keep coming back to this book in particular. I must have read this book half a dozen times now. My ever expanding library has put it’s qualities a different perspective over the years. It is definitely not without its flaws, in fact, for such a hugely influential work The Eye of the World is a surprisingly mediocre book. But I love it anyway.
Before they reach the village Rand spots a rider cloaked in black behind them on the road. He vanishes when Rand alerts his father. Rand doubts whether the rider was actually there but when they arrive in the village his friends Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara have also seen the rider in the past few days. And there is more news, a mysterious lady by the name of Moiraine has arrived, accompanied by the warrior Lan. A Gleeman has also made an appearance at the inn in Emond’s field. And to top it all off the peddler Paddan Fain has arrived with disturbing news from outside the Two Rivers. All of this makes Tam uneasy. They decide to go back to their farm and return to the village for the festival the day after.
That night the farm is attacked by Trollocs, creatures of the dark who have not been seen so far south in millennia. Rand thought them stories only. Both Rand and Tam survive but Tam is wounded and unable to travel. Rand manages to get him to the village only to find it in ruins as well. The Trollocs have raided it too. During the attack Moiraine has revealed herself to be an Aes Sedai, a wielder of the One Power, the force that drives the Wheel of Time. For Moiraine it is clear what the Trollocs were after, Rand, Perrin and Mat. Aes Sedai are much feared and mistrusted throughout the land but she manages to convince the boys the only way to prevent the Trollocs from returning and completely destroying the village is leaving the Two Rivers. She plans to take them to the city that houses the White Tower, Tar Valon, the seat of Aes Sedai power and one of the most beautiful cities west of the Spine of the World.
Tam gives Rand his blessing and in the night a party consisting of Rand, Perrin, Mat, Lan, Moiraine and the innkeeper’s daughter Egwene al’Vere set out for Tar Valon. The gleeman, Thom Merrilin decides to travel with them, for a while at least. During their flight from the Two Rivers they are hunted by Trollocs and worse. When they ford the river Taren, the only place into the Two Rivers they seem save for a while. The boys and Egwene know very little about the outside world but going back does not appear to be an option. In fact their journey has just begun. Meanwhile, the village Wisdom of Emond’s Field will not stand by idly while the four youngsters are being taken away. Nyneave al’Meara sets out in pursuit and thus begins a long journey of her own.
The firs thing many readers will notice about The Eye of the World is that a large part of the novel is basically a retelling of The Felllowship of the Ring. There are the hobbits (Emond’s Field youngsters), Gandalf (Moiraine), the uncrowned king Aragorn (Lan), the Black Riders (Fades) and even, although not immediately apparent, a Gollum. Jordan never denied this, he set the beginning of his tale in familiar territory for fantasy readers before branching out into his own world. In a way this is an understandable choice. Jordan sets out to tell a highly complex tale, he needs to get his readers on board before really taking off. In another epic fantasy series I like, Steven Erikson’s Malazan books, the author throws you right in the middle of the story and leaves you to piece things together on your own. Erikson’s books are very rewarding but a lot of readers will not make the effort required to get into the book. On the whole I think I prefer Erikson’s approach. Jordan doesn’t really leave familiar territory for the first 300 or so pages of the book. Not until the party (or should I say fellowship) splits up does the story get really interesting.
Of course there’s still a few rough spots further along in the book. Rand and Mat’s adventures travelling down the road to Caemlyn are narrated in what is basically a big flashback. It has been known to confuse readers. Especially the bit right before they reach the city. Personally I think the climax of the book isn’t a marvel of clarity either. After reading a couple Wheel of Time book it starts to make more sense but Jordan’s world and it’s history is so complex that at a first reading it’s pretty hard to grasp the significance of what happens at the Eye of the World.
Jordan has the prologue going for him though. He’s written one of the most intriguing prologues in fantasy (I am referring to the original prologue here, not the Ravens prologue added in the YA edition of The Eye of the World). It deals with Lews Therin Tellamon’s last moments and the creation of the Dragonmount. It’s this prologue and not so much the first part of the book that had me hooked from the very beginning. It hints at a lot of things we’ll learn about in subsequent novels. It’s also the only bit of writing in the entire series to be set well before the main story. It’s one of those bits of writing where you can already see that Jordan is going to take the story far beyond the trilogy format.
In later books it becomes obvious the story has grown way beyond what Jordan planned, originally it was supposed to be six books, now it looks like book 12 is going to be so big it has to be split up in two volumes. The seeds of this expansion are sown in The Eye of the World. I don’t think I noticed it so much in previous reads but Jordan does leave an awful lot of questions unanswered. Apart from introducing us to a number of main characters Jordan also mentions a lot an awful lot of back story and hints at things that will become important later in the books. To give you an example:
Another example:
The Eye of the World is not the best Wheel of Time book in my opinion, but it is the beginning of an epic journey. A journey that, despite all the criticism of Jordan’s later books, is still one of the biggest achievements in modern fantasy. After half a dozen reads this book doesn’t bore me and I very much doubt it will after half a dozen more. All things considered it is remarkable how this book, that uses a lot of standard fantasy themes and has a few flaws in the writing, grew to be so popular. I think the of the scope of Jordan’s vision has something to with that. This book makes it clear there is a lot more to discover, this sense of anticipation appeals to me, and most likely to a lot of other people as well. Even though I have read and reread the entire series, I still look forward to watching the story unfold again.
Book Details
Title: The Eye of the World
Author: Robert Jordan
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 670
Year: 1990
Language: English
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-312-85009-3
First published: 1990
To mark the occasion I posted a review of The Eye of the World I wrote in late 2008 as part of a reread of the entire series in preparation of the release of The Gathering Storm. I've fixed a few minor errors but other than that the review is unchanged. At the time the title of the book Brandon Sanderson was completing had not been announced so I am referring to it as A Memory of Light.
The Eye of the World is the first book in Jordan’s hugely successful Wheel of Time series. I don’t know of any other book that has gets so many “this book got me into fantasy” comments as this one. This isn’t true for me. I had already read Tolkien, Feist and Hobb by the time I arrived at Jordan’s work. He had me hooked right from the prologue though and I keep coming back to this book in particular. I must have read this book half a dozen times now. My ever expanding library has put it’s qualities a different perspective over the years. It is definitely not without its flaws, in fact, for such a hugely influential work The Eye of the World is a surprisingly mediocre book. But I love it anyway.The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.Thus Jordan introduces us to the Wheel of Time and the Two Rivers. The Two Rivers area is a very isolated corner of the world. It is nominally part of the Kingdom of Andor but that nation, like so many others, cannot control the territory it claims on the map. Two Rivers folk have looked after themselves for generations now. Many of them do not know they have a Queen. On the evening before the festival of Bel Tine, the spring festival in the Two Rivers. Rand al’Thor and his father Tam are travelling to the village of Emond’s Field to deliver apple brandy to the local in. Spring may officially be beginning but winter’s hand still lies heavy on the land. It has been a very hard winter and Rand is looking forward to the festival.
Before they reach the village Rand spots a rider cloaked in black behind them on the road. He vanishes when Rand alerts his father. Rand doubts whether the rider was actually there but when they arrive in the village his friends Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara have also seen the rider in the past few days. And there is more news, a mysterious lady by the name of Moiraine has arrived, accompanied by the warrior Lan. A Gleeman has also made an appearance at the inn in Emond’s field. And to top it all off the peddler Paddan Fain has arrived with disturbing news from outside the Two Rivers. All of this makes Tam uneasy. They decide to go back to their farm and return to the village for the festival the day after.
That night the farm is attacked by Trollocs, creatures of the dark who have not been seen so far south in millennia. Rand thought them stories only. Both Rand and Tam survive but Tam is wounded and unable to travel. Rand manages to get him to the village only to find it in ruins as well. The Trollocs have raided it too. During the attack Moiraine has revealed herself to be an Aes Sedai, a wielder of the One Power, the force that drives the Wheel of Time. For Moiraine it is clear what the Trollocs were after, Rand, Perrin and Mat. Aes Sedai are much feared and mistrusted throughout the land but she manages to convince the boys the only way to prevent the Trollocs from returning and completely destroying the village is leaving the Two Rivers. She plans to take them to the city that houses the White Tower, Tar Valon, the seat of Aes Sedai power and one of the most beautiful cities west of the Spine of the World.
Tam gives Rand his blessing and in the night a party consisting of Rand, Perrin, Mat, Lan, Moiraine and the innkeeper’s daughter Egwene al’Vere set out for Tar Valon. The gleeman, Thom Merrilin decides to travel with them, for a while at least. During their flight from the Two Rivers they are hunted by Trollocs and worse. When they ford the river Taren, the only place into the Two Rivers they seem save for a while. The boys and Egwene know very little about the outside world but going back does not appear to be an option. In fact their journey has just begun. Meanwhile, the village Wisdom of Emond’s Field will not stand by idly while the four youngsters are being taken away. Nyneave al’Meara sets out in pursuit and thus begins a long journey of her own.
The firs thing many readers will notice about The Eye of the World is that a large part of the novel is basically a retelling of The Felllowship of the Ring. There are the hobbits (Emond’s Field youngsters), Gandalf (Moiraine), the uncrowned king Aragorn (Lan), the Black Riders (Fades) and even, although not immediately apparent, a Gollum. Jordan never denied this, he set the beginning of his tale in familiar territory for fantasy readers before branching out into his own world. In a way this is an understandable choice. Jordan sets out to tell a highly complex tale, he needs to get his readers on board before really taking off. In another epic fantasy series I like, Steven Erikson’s Malazan books, the author throws you right in the middle of the story and leaves you to piece things together on your own. Erikson’s books are very rewarding but a lot of readers will not make the effort required to get into the book. On the whole I think I prefer Erikson’s approach. Jordan doesn’t really leave familiar territory for the first 300 or so pages of the book. Not until the party (or should I say fellowship) splits up does the story get really interesting.
Of course there’s still a few rough spots further along in the book. Rand and Mat’s adventures travelling down the road to Caemlyn are narrated in what is basically a big flashback. It has been known to confuse readers. Especially the bit right before they reach the city. Personally I think the climax of the book isn’t a marvel of clarity either. After reading a couple Wheel of Time book it starts to make more sense but Jordan’s world and it’s history is so complex that at a first reading it’s pretty hard to grasp the significance of what happens at the Eye of the World.
Jordan has the prologue going for him though. He’s written one of the most intriguing prologues in fantasy (I am referring to the original prologue here, not the Ravens prologue added in the YA edition of The Eye of the World). It deals with Lews Therin Tellamon’s last moments and the creation of the Dragonmount. It’s this prologue and not so much the first part of the book that had me hooked from the very beginning. It hints at a lot of things we’ll learn about in subsequent novels. It’s also the only bit of writing in the entire series to be set well before the main story. It’s one of those bits of writing where you can already see that Jordan is going to take the story far beyond the trilogy format.
In later books it becomes obvious the story has grown way beyond what Jordan planned, originally it was supposed to be six books, now it looks like book 12 is going to be so big it has to be split up in two volumes. The seeds of this expansion are sown in The Eye of the World. I don’t think I noticed it so much in previous reads but Jordan does leave an awful lot of questions unanswered. Apart from introducing us to a number of main characters Jordan also mentions a lot an awful lot of back story and hints at things that will become important later in the books. To give you an example:
“I will give you justice then, Rand al’Thor,” she said. “First, because I have the advantage of Elaida and Gareth in having heard Two Rivers speech when I was young. You have not the look, but if a dim memory can serve me you have the Two Rivers on your tongue.”The only person we know of who has left the Two Rivers before Rand is Tam al’Thor. In later books it becomes clear Tam had quite an adventure during the Aiel War. So there is a possibility Morgase and Tam met. Whether or not they have is still not cleared but I am pretty sure Jordan meant to pursue this at one point or another in his story. Both Morgase and Tam are in Perrin’s company in Knife of Dreams. Maybe we will find out. On the other hand, Jordan could have meant to use it in one of the prequels he intended to write.
Morgase passing judgement on Rand’s trespassing of the Royal gardens, chapter 40.
Another example:
“Breyan fled with her infant son Isam, and was run down by Trollocs as she rode south with him. No one knows their fate of a certainty, but it can be guessed. I can find pity only for the boy.”We still don’t know Isam’s fate for a certainty but there have been hints (in The Great Hunt in particular). Death in the conventional meaning of the world can be ruled out I guess. It is another one of the riddles Sanderson should shed some light on in A Memory of Light. It has been said that the story grew too large for Jordan to handle because he kept adding characters and story lines. I would argue that a lot of what makes the story branch out so much has it’s roots in the first two books in the series. It’s what makes rereading the early Wheel of Time books so much fun. You keep noticing these little things that will become important in later books.
Lord Agelmar telling Lan’s story, chapter 47
The Eye of the World is not the best Wheel of Time book in my opinion, but it is the beginning of an epic journey. A journey that, despite all the criticism of Jordan’s later books, is still one of the biggest achievements in modern fantasy. After half a dozen reads this book doesn’t bore me and I very much doubt it will after half a dozen more. All things considered it is remarkable how this book, that uses a lot of standard fantasy themes and has a few flaws in the writing, grew to be so popular. I think the of the scope of Jordan’s vision has something to with that. This book makes it clear there is a lot more to discover, this sense of anticipation appeals to me, and most likely to a lot of other people as well. Even though I have read and reread the entire series, I still look forward to watching the story unfold again.
Book Details
Title: The Eye of the World
Author: Robert Jordan
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 670
Year: 1990
Language: English
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-312-85009-3
First published: 1990
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The Gathering Storm - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
And here it is, four years after the eleventh book Knife of Dreams and two years after Robert Jordan passed away, a new Wheel of Time novel has found it's way to the book stores. The Gathering Storm is without a doubt one of the most anticipated book this year. I've avoided reviews until I finished reading it but as far as I can tell the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Picking this series up so close to completion and trying to meet the expectations of Jordan's massive fan base must have been an enormous challenge for Brandon Sanderson. I think we can all lay our fears that he would not be up to the task to rest. Sanderson succeeds admirably. I would go so far as to say this is the best Wheel of Time book since Lord of Chaos.Before I really get going, I refuse to discusses the monstrosity Tor put on the cover of this book. Darrell K. Sweet's Wheel of Time artwork has ranged from atrocious to decent throughout the series, I think it is quite clear where on this scale this particular cover belongs.
A plot summary is always a bit of a problem for these books. I won't discusses it in too much detail to avoid spoilers. Most of the main characters make an appearance with the notable exception of Elayne but the story is for a large part focussed on Rand and Egwene. Rand is trying to tie all loose ends in preparation for Tarmon Gai'don. His chief aims are to reach an agreement with the Seanchan and pacify the war torn nation of Arad Doman. Egwene is still in the hands of the Aes Sedai faction in control of Tar Valon, busily undermining what remains of Elaida's authority. A slow and painful process. Mat and Perrin also make appearances but their stories do not progress as much those of Rand and Egwene.
Robert Jordan believed he could wrap this story up in one more book. I think he was the only one on the planet who actually believed this could be done. I am not convinced in needs to be three books, but one was obviously not feasible, especially given the almost glacial plotting in the later books in the series. The series picks up some speed in Knife of Dreams, Jordan and Sanderson pick up even more in this The Gathering Storm, mostly in the final part of the novel. Don't get me wrong, this is a massive book, it does contain some slow chapters and with so many story lines there is still an awful lot left unresolved, but by Wheel of Time standards the authors are getting things done.
One of the questions I had before reading the book is how much of it was actually written by Robert Jordan. It's hard to tell but I suspect quite a lot of it is actually Sanderson's work. Sanderson doesn't attempt to copy Jordan's style, the book has a slightly different feel that the previous books. That being said, the writing appears pretty consistent throughout the novel. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to pinpoint the difference. A slight difference in vocabulary? I am pretty sure Sanderson introduces the word aristocracy in the Wheel of Time. There's less emphasis on dresses and braid tugging. That's one for sure. Maybe Sanderson is a bit more willing to clearly reveal motivations and long running mysteries than Jordan was. He certainly does provide more insight into who is serving the shadow in this book.
There are some differences and it would have been foolish to expect otherwise. I am going to need a reread to really pin them down so they can't be that obvious. What's more important, they didn't bother me in the least. Yes , you can tell another author than Jordan had a hand in this book, despite that it is still very much Wheel of Time. Sanderson, or perhaps I should say Team Jordan, managed to create a novel that is true to the spirit of the series without forcing Sanderson's skill and enthusiasm into too narrow a channel. Given the pressure resting on this project that is a real achievement and testament to their dedication to bringing the series to worthy final chapter.
The novel is something of a turning point for the characters of Rand and Egwene. In previous books they struggle with their tasks and often triumph but are frequently reminded of their humanity and faults by the people around them. Both Rand and Egwene set themselves up as larger than life in the quite dramatic climax of this book. An extremely dangerous course of action for both of them, with Rand slipping further into madness and Egwene on the brink of being blinded from obvious dangers outside the Tower by her determination to overthrow Elaida. I very much liked the way this process was handled. All this attention to Rand and Egwene obviously goes at the expense of some of the other characters and if your favourite character is not one of those two, that may be a bit of a disappointment. I think the choice to put the emphasis on these two was a good one.
Although the decision to split the book seemed inevitable, I must admit I was a bit disappointed when I found out it would be split in three books. Almost twenty years after the first book appeared, the series very much needs an end and splitting it in three put the final part two years in the future at least. That being said, The Gathering Storm succeeds in what it most needed to do, convince fans the end really is in sight and that Brandon Sanderson is the right choice for finishing this series. Sanderson took on the difficult task of finishing someone else's project, I don't think it the result could have turned out much better. Robert Jordan's legacy is treated with the respect it deserves. For the fans of the series The Gathering Storm is required reading, a much needed Wheel of Time fix. I have not enjoyed reading a new Wheel of Time novel so much since my first read of Lord of Chaos almost ten years ago.
Book Details
Title: The Gathering Storm
Author: Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 784
Year: 2009
Language: English
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-7653-0230-4
First published: 2009
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