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magssez's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
midici's review against another edition
4.0
Full disclosure, I read the first 8 (or 9?) books back when the series didn't go any further than that. And I always meant to pick it back up when the series was complete but I never did. I remember having some issues with the series as it went on, but having just reread the first book, I remember why I liked it so much in the first place.
The first book has several main characters (of a cast that is going to expand drastically). The point of view shifts between characters but in this first book it's mostly the characters from the Two Rivers who get to show their perspective. Being from a small, isolated community, as they are forced to leave their town and encounter several new strange situations, we gradually learn about the world around them as they do. This works well because there is SO MUCH HAPPENING. I forgot how even in this first book so much of what later becomes large plot points or important characters are mentioned or brought up. This world is a really detailed one. Not only is there a lot happening, much of it is connected to what happened in the past - which not even the characters themselves know the truth of.
If I've got it right a brief timeline could be Age of Legends: a sophisticated society capable of amazing feats that have mostly been lost to time, back when both men and women could use the Power. The Breaking of the World: a battle between the Dark One leaves a taint on the Power men can access. They go mad (most notably Lewis Therin, the Dragon) and in their madness cause mass destruction that effectively pulls the world into its own version of the Dark Ages. There is a pact, and a coming together of various Kingdoms as things stabilize, only to be interrupted by the Trolloc Wars. Arthur Hawking's empire happens after this (I think?) and his empire is huge but also obsessed with killing Aes Sedei (women who channel the power). At his death the Hundred Years war begins as his descendants fight for power. This isn't really resolved and now we have current day - an amalgamation of kingdoms and towns, many who no longer believe "old legends", with a wide array of opinions about politics, Aes Sedei, ruling, etc.
There is a lot there that might be wrong and it's also vague because I'm just going over what was mentioned in the first book! But it's important because the three main characters, Rand, Mat, and Perrin are at the center of a conflict of good and evil that has been raging since the Dawn of Time and reincarnation is going to play a big part in their stories. They are being chased by dark forces because one of them is the Dragon Reborn who is prophecized to save the word - and destroy it.
Plotwise there are so many mysteries and so much action in the first book that you're on the edge of your seat the whole time, waiting to see what's going to happen. I am hopefully going to stick with it until I complete the whole series this time.
One thing I don't think I picked up the first time around as a teenager was the sort of condescension the women have towards the men in this book. Not all of them, and not in every situation, but there is a definite under current of "well the men are going to screw this up, we better do it ourselves" vibe. In this world, it is literally only women who can control magic - the Source, the One Power, etc. Men with the ability need to be hunted down and killed before they cause mass destruction. It's an immense power balance, in some ways. And the specialized training Aes Sedai go through means there is an entire sect of women who are completely capable of overpowering almost anyone. Even for women who can't channel, there's an entire world based on the knowledge that the world was "destroyed" in the breaking because of men. It gives the characters a different way of interacting with each other and also puts the way Moiraine, Nyvaene and even Eugwene expect the men to do as their told in a different light.
Side note: I love all the creepy monsters, the various peoples with their own legends and traditions in each part of the world, and especially the Ogier because Lioal is my fav. Additional side note: I did not stop to look up the proper spelling of people's names because the naming and spelling in this book is ridiculous.
The first book has several main characters (of a cast that is going to expand drastically). The point of view shifts between characters but in this first book it's mostly the characters from the Two Rivers who get to show their perspective. Being from a small, isolated community, as they are forced to leave their town and encounter several new strange situations, we gradually learn about the world around them as they do. This works well because there is SO MUCH HAPPENING. I forgot how even in this first book so much of what later becomes large plot points or important characters are mentioned or brought up. This world is a really detailed one. Not only is there a lot happening, much of it is connected to what happened in the past - which not even the characters themselves know the truth of.
If I've got it right a brief timeline could be Age of Legends: a sophisticated society capable of amazing feats that have mostly been lost to time, back when both men and women could use the Power. The Breaking of the World: a battle between the Dark One leaves a taint on the Power men can access. They go mad (most notably Lewis Therin, the Dragon) and in their madness cause mass destruction that effectively pulls the world into its own version of the Dark Ages. There is a pact, and a coming together of various Kingdoms as things stabilize, only to be interrupted by the Trolloc Wars. Arthur Hawking's empire happens after this (I think?) and his empire is huge but also obsessed with killing Aes Sedei (women who channel the power). At his death the Hundred Years war begins as his descendants fight for power. This isn't really resolved and now we have current day - an amalgamation of kingdoms and towns, many who no longer believe "old legends", with a wide array of opinions about politics, Aes Sedei, ruling, etc.
There is a lot there that might be wrong and it's also vague because I'm just going over what was mentioned in the first book! But it's important because the three main characters, Rand, Mat, and Perrin are at the center of a conflict of good and evil that has been raging since the Dawn of Time and reincarnation is going to play a big part in their stories. They are being chased by dark forces because one of them is the Dragon Reborn who is prophecized to save the word - and destroy it.
Plotwise there are so many mysteries and so much action in the first book that you're on the edge of your seat the whole time, waiting to see what's going to happen. I am hopefully going to stick with it until I complete the whole series this time.
One thing I don't think I picked up the first time around as a teenager was the sort of condescension the women have towards the men in this book. Not all of them, and not in every situation, but there is a definite under current of "well the men are going to screw this up, we better do it ourselves" vibe. In this world, it is literally only women who can control magic - the Source, the One Power, etc. Men with the ability need to be hunted down and killed before they cause mass destruction. It's an immense power balance, in some ways. And the specialized training Aes Sedai go through means there is an entire sect of women who are completely capable of overpowering almost anyone. Even for women who can't channel, there's an entire world based on the knowledge that the world was "destroyed" in the breaking because of men. It gives the characters a different way of interacting with each other and also puts the way Moiraine, Nyvaene and even Eugwene expect the men to do as their told in a different light.
Side note: I love all the creepy monsters, the various peoples with their own legends and traditions in each part of the world, and especially the Ogier because Lioal is my fav. Additional side note: I did not stop to look up the proper spelling of people's names because the naming and spelling in this book is ridiculous.
cultneophyte7's review against another edition
5.0
A comfort read that keeps on getting better with every successive read. <3
canaanmerchant's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh, this series turned me off of fantasy for a long time. I got to book 8 realized I didn't know of anything new happening since book 4 and I was still lost. No, I will not finish the series ever. I'm not a story that needs 10000 pages is worth telling.
christilee_'s review against another edition
4.0
Years and years people have suggested this series to me and only watching the Amazon series, twice, I finally made the effort to read the actual series. I did not expect it to be so different from the show, but I am not disappointed. I was hoping Nynaeve would be less annoying in the books, she wasn’t.
Anyway, I love me a fantasy adventure and I am sooo excited to devour the rest of the series. It will keep me busy for some time.
Anyway, I love me a fantasy adventure and I am sooo excited to devour the rest of the series. It will keep me busy for some time.
sunwaves's review against another edition
4.0
took me one whole month to get through but i am SO attached to the characters and the world building was stellar
trentc1's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
syd_squid123's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0