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A review by daumari
The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
4.0
I read the series before I joined Goodreads and never wrote reviews in rereads since, so probably should put something now!
The Great Hunt picks up not long after [b:The Eye of the World|228665|The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, #1)|Robert Jordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1337818095l/228665._SY75_.jpg|2008238], with the gang still in Shienar and Rand trying to figure out what to do with his newly revealed destiny. Pacing goes with classic "chasing the McGuffin"- our boys get separated, there's quite a bit of travel time, and then a pause in Cairhien where Daes Dae'mar, the Game of Houses rears its ugly head and a character previously thought lost starts a civil war. Still, the story is taut and Rand continues ticking boxes towards ultimately declaring himself [b:The Dragon Reborn|34897|The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, #3)|Robert Jordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480096580l/34897._SX50_.jpg|791061].
The first time I read this, I actually read the split YA versions ([b:The Hunt Begins (The Great Hunt, #1)|13892|The Hunt Begins (The Great Hunt, #1) (Wheel of Time, #2-1)|Robert Jordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1408940406l/13892._SY75_.jpg|6785799] and [b:New Threads in the Pattern: The Great Hunt, Part 2|35228|New Threads in the Pattern The Great Hunt, Part 2 (Wheel of Time, #2-2)|Robert Jordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388210776l/35228._SY75_.jpg|6785802]) and I was honestly surprised to find on this reread that Egwene's damane experience in Falme is in the last 100 pages- because it's the cover image on the second half, I thought I remembered it taking up more space. I did forget that there's a 4 month gap from portal travel though, so that's likely part of it?
Rereading, I also realized that the Seanchan could come across as these weird alien invaders- Rand sees the grolm in the parallel world earlier, and then these people from overseas use them among other weird exotics?? Per [b:The World of Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time|242793|The World of Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time|Robert Jordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439151220l/242793._SX50_.jpg|180835] they were fetched from parallel worlds, yes, but fresh readers/contemporary readers in 1991 didn't know that.
Early!Mat continues to be comic relief/honestly kind of obnoxious, though part of that is the dagger influence. I really like the Wonder Girls going to the Tower and getting a sense of the power structure for the Aes Sedai. tGH also has the first Moiraine POVs, and we realize that while she outwardly has unflappable calm, she's trying to save the world and stressed AF about it. Getting in the Wise Magic Mentor's head is a nice addition to fantasy tropes.
This reread also coincided with the cast announcements for the Amazon show, so I got to put the actors in their roles in my head! I don't have dissonance and I honestly can't wait to see this on screen- they all fit their roles so well (Marcus Rutherford in Obey IS Perrin as far as I'm concerned).
The Great Hunt picks up not long after [b:The Eye of the World|228665|The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, #1)|Robert Jordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1337818095l/228665._SY75_.jpg|2008238], with the gang still in Shienar and Rand trying to figure out what to do with his newly revealed destiny. Pacing goes with classic "chasing the McGuffin"- our boys get separated, there's quite a bit of travel time, and then a pause in Cairhien where Daes Dae'mar, the Game of Houses rears its ugly head and a character previously thought lost starts a civil war. Still, the story is taut and Rand continues ticking boxes towards ultimately declaring himself [b:The Dragon Reborn|34897|The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, #3)|Robert Jordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480096580l/34897._SX50_.jpg|791061].
The first time I read this, I actually read the split YA versions ([b:The Hunt Begins (The Great Hunt, #1)|13892|The Hunt Begins (The Great Hunt, #1) (Wheel of Time, #2-1)|Robert Jordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1408940406l/13892._SY75_.jpg|6785799] and [b:New Threads in the Pattern: The Great Hunt, Part 2|35228|New Threads in the Pattern The Great Hunt, Part 2 (Wheel of Time, #2-2)|Robert Jordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388210776l/35228._SY75_.jpg|6785802]) and I was honestly surprised to find on this reread that Egwene's damane experience in Falme is in the last 100 pages- because it's the cover image on the second half, I thought I remembered it taking up more space. I did forget that there's a 4 month gap from portal travel though, so that's likely part of it?
Rereading, I also realized that the Seanchan could come across as these weird alien invaders- Rand sees the grolm in the parallel world earlier, and then these people from overseas use them among other weird exotics?? Per [b:The World of Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time|242793|The World of Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time|Robert Jordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439151220l/242793._SX50_.jpg|180835] they were fetched from parallel worlds, yes, but fresh readers/contemporary readers in 1991 didn't know that.
Early!Mat continues to be comic relief/honestly kind of obnoxious, though part of that is the dagger influence. I really like the Wonder Girls going to the Tower and getting a sense of the power structure for the Aes Sedai. tGH also has the first Moiraine POVs, and we realize that while she outwardly has unflappable calm, she's trying to save the world and stressed AF about it. Getting in the Wise Magic Mentor's head is a nice addition to fantasy tropes.
This reread also coincided with the cast announcements for the Amazon show, so I got to put the actors in their roles in my head! I don't have dissonance and I honestly can't wait to see this on screen- they all fit their roles so well (Marcus Rutherford in Obey IS Perrin as far as I'm concerned).