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A review by midici
The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
4.0
*Re-read
Just as the first book introduced the main characters and provided world-building, this book expands on what happened previously by drastically increasing the scope of the world and the people we follow.
At the end of the first book Rand discovers he can channel, and is horrified. Moiraine attempts to convince him he is the Dragon Reborn, prophecised to fight the Dark One (amongst several other things - there are a ton of prophecies in this book) but Rand refuses to believe it.
Nynaeve and Eugwene need to go to Tar Valon to learn to channel, and after an attack on Sheinar that results in the loss of the Horn of Valere and the dagger Mat needs to stay alive, the main group spilt up once more. The women to the Tower (with some exceptions), the men to chase the Horn and dagger.
If the first book introduced the mystery of why these people were being chased by monsters and dark friends, this second book is about the same characters coming into their powers, and drastically increasing the complexity of this world. Nynaeve and Eugwene reunite with two characters from the first book, Min and Elyane, at Tar Valon. There, they all work on their abilities - but we also see that the Aes Sedai are not some monolithic organization. There are factions and rivalries, and ongoing power struggles. We also learn more about how channeling works.
The Sheinarian soldiers consist of an entire roster of characters, dedicated to regaining the Horn of Valere, even if they have a wide variety of reasons for doing so. Perrin, reluctantly, embraces his wolf speaking in order to help Hurin, who can "smell" crimes.
The biggest struggle of course, is Rand. He knows he can channel, but doesn't know how. He knows the power will drive him mad, and that if he is found out by the Aes Sedai he will be "gentled" and lose the will to live.
We also see much more of the Seachan, Artur Hawking's descendants who have returned from across the ocean to retake the whole continent. They collar the woman that can channel and use them for battle, and take great offense to the whole principle of Aes Sedai. This is going to be one of the ways in which the history of this world, forgotten or otherwise, starts to play a key role in the events unfolding currently.
The book ends with a battle as epic as that in the first book. Caught between the White Cloaks and the Seachan, Mat blows the Horn of Valere, and the army of past heroes come to his call. As they battle below, in the sky Rand fights the Dark One. Rand survives the battle barely, but he has now been officially proclaimed the dragon reborn. I am not sure if this is true but I think this book (and possibly the first) resulted in Rand fulfilling one of the prophecies about the Dragon Reborn. It's possible the rest of the books will follow that format as well.
Just as the first book introduced the main characters and provided world-building, this book expands on what happened previously by drastically increasing the scope of the world and the people we follow.
At the end of the first book Rand discovers he can channel, and is horrified. Moiraine attempts to convince him he is the Dragon Reborn, prophecised to fight the Dark One (amongst several other things - there are a ton of prophecies in this book) but Rand refuses to believe it.
Nynaeve and Eugwene need to go to Tar Valon to learn to channel, and after an attack on Sheinar that results in the loss of the Horn of Valere and the dagger Mat needs to stay alive, the main group spilt up once more. The women to the Tower (with some exceptions), the men to chase the Horn and dagger.
If the first book introduced the mystery of why these people were being chased by monsters and dark friends, this second book is about the same characters coming into their powers, and drastically increasing the complexity of this world. Nynaeve and Eugwene reunite with two characters from the first book, Min and Elyane, at Tar Valon. There, they all work on their abilities - but we also see that the Aes Sedai are not some monolithic organization. There are factions and rivalries, and ongoing power struggles. We also learn more about how channeling works.
The Sheinarian soldiers consist of an entire roster of characters, dedicated to regaining the Horn of Valere, even if they have a wide variety of reasons for doing so. Perrin, reluctantly, embraces his wolf speaking in order to help Hurin, who can "smell" crimes.
The biggest struggle of course, is Rand. He knows he can channel, but doesn't know how. He knows the power will drive him mad, and that if he is found out by the Aes Sedai he will be "gentled" and lose the will to live.
We also see much more of the Seachan, Artur Hawking's descendants who have returned from across the ocean to retake the whole continent. They collar the woman that can channel and use them for battle, and take great offense to the whole principle of Aes Sedai. This is going to be one of the ways in which the history of this world, forgotten or otherwise, starts to play a key role in the events unfolding currently.
The book ends with a battle as epic as that in the first book. Caught between the White Cloaks and the Seachan, Mat blows the Horn of Valere, and the army of past heroes come to his call. As they battle below, in the sky Rand fights the Dark One. Rand survives the battle barely, but he has now been officially proclaimed the dragon reborn. I am not sure if this is true but I think this book (and possibly the first) resulted in Rand fulfilling one of the prophecies about the Dragon Reborn. It's possible the rest of the books will follow that format as well.