You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Definitely Tolkien inspired but there was still a freshness to it that was exciting and new. Took much longer to finish than I would have liked. Starting the second book now. Loved it.
WOW. Just wow. so much fun. I cannot wait to keep reading this series.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
With all the hype surrounding the Amazon Prime TV show based on this book, I figured I've give this book a re-read. It's been about 15 years or so since I first read it. I remember this series being one of my favorites - and it still remains so to this day.
Robert Jordan is, of course, very well known in the fantasy world. You can't talk about The Wheel of Time without getting very strong opinions on both sides: those who love it with a passion, or those who absolutely hate it. I never truly understood the latter. Considering the richness of this world, the in-depth characters, and the classic plot of good vs. evil, what's not to love?
The story follows a shepherd named Rand al'Thor. He's grown up in the small town of the Two Rivers with his father Tam, and his mother is deceased. They've lived in relative isolation. Rand has barely gone any farther than the closest city, and he and his two best friends, Mat and Perrin, had often dreamed of having adventures and leaving the Two Rivers. Rand had been all but promised in marriage to Egwene, the mayor's daughter, and although he wished for adventures, he was mostly content with his life.
All this changed when a stranger arrives in the Two Rivers. There are whispers of "Aes Sedai" - a woman who can wield the One Power. Aes Sedai are greatly feared, and there or more rumors than actual truth to the myths surrounding these powerful women. They reside in the White Tower, and are led by a woman called the Amyrlin Seat. Aes Sedai are heavily involved in the politics of this world, and it is said that even a King will jump when the Amyrlin says to jump.
It becomes apparent that this stranger really is an Aes Sedai named Moiraine, and is accompanied by her Warder, Lan. One night, the Two Rivers is attacked by beasts called Trollocs. Rand, Mat, and Perrin are soon on the run with Moraine and Lan to escape the dreaded Fades who are after them. They are shocked to learn that the Dark One thinks one the boys is the next Dragon Reborn. The Dragon is a man who can access the True Source and wield the One Power. It is said that the Dragon will fight and defeat the Dark One at the end of the world, and thus safe mankind from being overtaken by shadow.
What really stands out in this fascinating tale is the in-depth characters that Jordan has created. Each have their own motivations, their own desires, and the weaving of this story with its characters is nearly flawless. Now, there are some gripes I have - there is one character in particular, Nynaeve, who gets on my nerves at times. There are repeated instances of her pulling her braid (like, all the time). There are some plot devices used that seemed a bit too convenient. But as a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this book the second time around. It was interesting to catch things I missed in the first reading, making it a different and more enriching experience.
I highly recommend those who plan on watching the show to read this book first. There is no way the show can fully dive into the complexities of these characters. This book a classic and must read for any fantasy lover.
4/5 stars, and I can't wait for the Amazon series!
This review originally published on Booknest.eu
Robert Jordan is, of course, very well known in the fantasy world. You can't talk about The Wheel of Time without getting very strong opinions on both sides: those who love it with a passion, or those who absolutely hate it. I never truly understood the latter. Considering the richness of this world, the in-depth characters, and the classic plot of good vs. evil, what's not to love?
The story follows a shepherd named Rand al'Thor. He's grown up in the small town of the Two Rivers with his father Tam, and his mother is deceased. They've lived in relative isolation. Rand has barely gone any farther than the closest city, and he and his two best friends, Mat and Perrin, had often dreamed of having adventures and leaving the Two Rivers. Rand had been all but promised in marriage to Egwene, the mayor's daughter, and although he wished for adventures, he was mostly content with his life.
All this changed when a stranger arrives in the Two Rivers. There are whispers of "Aes Sedai" - a woman who can wield the One Power. Aes Sedai are greatly feared, and there or more rumors than actual truth to the myths surrounding these powerful women. They reside in the White Tower, and are led by a woman called the Amyrlin Seat. Aes Sedai are heavily involved in the politics of this world, and it is said that even a King will jump when the Amyrlin says to jump.
It becomes apparent that this stranger really is an Aes Sedai named Moiraine, and is accompanied by her Warder, Lan. One night, the Two Rivers is attacked by beasts called Trollocs. Rand, Mat, and Perrin are soon on the run with Moraine and Lan to escape the dreaded Fades who are after them. They are shocked to learn that the Dark One thinks one the boys is the next Dragon Reborn. The Dragon is a man who can access the True Source and wield the One Power. It is said that the Dragon will fight and defeat the Dark One at the end of the world, and thus safe mankind from being overtaken by shadow.
What really stands out in this fascinating tale is the in-depth characters that Jordan has created. Each have their own motivations, their own desires, and the weaving of this story with its characters is nearly flawless. Now, there are some gripes I have - there is one character in particular, Nynaeve, who gets on my nerves at times. There are repeated instances of her pulling her braid (like, all the time). There are some plot devices used that seemed a bit too convenient. But as a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this book the second time around. It was interesting to catch things I missed in the first reading, making it a different and more enriching experience.
I highly recommend those who plan on watching the show to read this book first. There is no way the show can fully dive into the complexities of these characters. This book a classic and must read for any fantasy lover.
4/5 stars, and I can't wait for the Amazon series!
This review originally published on Booknest.eu
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Took me quite a while to finish the last half. I’d say I enjoyed the book, but it did feel slow. Sometimes I got confused on what was going on. l’ll probably have to give it a reread someday.
After enjoying the mini series based on this book -- I picked up both the audiobook and e-book from the library. I listened to it mostly and read some sections. The audio book is narrated by two different people - a man who did "feminine" voices for the women that all sounded like Robin Williams in "Mrs Doubtfire" and a woman who sounded less cartoony.
The writing was a bit redundant -- I'm not sure that the author actually knew any horses or ever had experience with horses, but he likes describing them. That said, the only noises that he ever ascribes to them is "whickering" and he never misses an opportunity to describe utilizing hobbles on the horses whenever they stop to camp.
The overall story was a bit uneven -- the characters were a bit thin and lacked depth. Even though this was narrated in third person -- the author definitely focused on the male characters more leaving the female characters a bit flat and mysterious. I'm not sure I'll dive into the rest of the series -- but I'll happily watch the screen adaptation which varies a bit from the book, some for the better and some in ways that might have the author rolling in his grave (I like the lesbian power witch story line in the tv show - totally absent in the book).
There were so many places where the author over-explained things that it just slowed down the story. For example -- all the excessive description of filling a kettle to boil water for tea ahead of the trolloc attack. I'm frankly shocked that the author didn't describe the weave of the fabric and the vegetables used for the dye in the cloth used as a pot holder based on his tendency to over-describe irrelevant details.
If you have a lot of time on your hands and no better sci fi/fantasy world building to pursue -- check out the series... or wait and read other stuff til the next season comes out. YMMV.
The writing was a bit redundant -- I'm not sure that the author actually knew any horses or ever had experience with horses, but he likes describing them. That said, the only noises that he ever ascribes to them is "whickering" and he never misses an opportunity to describe utilizing hobbles on the horses whenever they stop to camp.
The overall story was a bit uneven -- the characters were a bit thin and lacked depth. Even though this was narrated in third person -- the author definitely focused on the male characters more leaving the female characters a bit flat and mysterious. I'm not sure I'll dive into the rest of the series -- but I'll happily watch the screen adaptation which varies a bit from the book, some for the better and some in ways that might have the author rolling in his grave (I like the lesbian power witch story line in the tv show - totally absent in the book).
There were so many places where the author over-explained things that it just slowed down the story. For example -- all the excessive description of filling a kettle to boil water for tea ahead of the trolloc attack. I'm frankly shocked that the author didn't describe the weave of the fabric and the vegetables used for the dye in the cloth used as a pot holder based on his tendency to over-describe irrelevant details.
If you have a lot of time on your hands and no better sci fi/fantasy world building to pursue -- check out the series... or wait and read other stuff til the next season comes out. YMMV.