Rating:  Summary: Critical Point in the Series Review: Upon initial reading I also considered Lord of Chaos to be the most worthless book in the entire Wheel of Time series. No hyperbole, I thought it the worst. A few years later I returned to the book to reconsider it, mostly because there is one event in this book that impacts every book hereafter.That event is the battle at Dumai's Wells. Dumai's Wells is the largest battle in the World of Robert Jordan since the Aiel War approximately 20 years earlier. It is a focus point for Perrin and his conflict over the half moon axe he carries at his side. It is the first battle in which Aiel Wise Women fight against other Aiel. It is a crucial point in Rand's character development. His distrust of all Aes Sedai now that Moiraine has disappeared is forged and founded here. This book, once my least favorite, has become one of my favorites. This is book is a breaking point for many followers of the Wheel of Time, because of its complicated development and substantial length. I can only say that this book is worth a second read if you do not consider it one of the best.
Rating:  Summary: I only recommend this book to those I hate Review: After 1000+ pages, can any reviewer honestly state this book is not a literary train-wreck. I tell you with a straight face that this book crippled my interest in fantasy, and for over a year after I threw it down in frustration (page 612), I was unable to pick up a fictional work - I was that frustrated. And now I return, years later, to provide the public service of berating this slog so that others might avoid the same agony.
Rating:  Summary: "Nothing happening"? Plenty happening! Review: I do not understand those who claim that "nothing is happening" in LOC. Did you actually read the book? -The Black Tower is established. -Egwene becomes Amyrlin and starts moving against Elaida, accepting what the rebels tried to deny so long (broken tower). -Nynaeve discovers how to heal stilling/gentling. -Alanna binds Rand as a warder. -Aes Sedai take Rand captive. -Rand makes Aes Sedai swear fealty. -Wise Ones partake in battle. -Forsaken coming back from the dead. And more. "Nothing happening"? Compare this to the first book. -They run from the trollocs. -They run from the Myrdraal. -They run from the trollocs. -They still run from the trollocs. Apart from the last few chapters, there is not more happening/being revealed than in book 6. I don't hear anybody complain about that though. Is it more exciting because people face the possibility of death, and we don't know yet that certain characters can't die before Tarmon Gaidon? So how much "revealing" and "happening" do you want? And how do you want it? As a bulleted list? Or as a summary in a history book, as brief and concise as possible? There's a difference between a reporter and a writer, and Jordan does an excellent job showing that he belongs to the latter category. I'd much rather read and enjoy these close to 1000 pages, than having a 10 page summary of "what is happening", missing all the important details and undercurrents. Missing having enough information to envision this world and what is happening. Fund a fantasy newspaper if you can't handle skillfully written books.
Rating:  Summary: Frustrating ... Review: I had some troubles reading this book, since practically every single female character is so mean and BITCHY.It makes you feel sorry for the male characters because they have to put up with these frustratingly stubborn and unreasonable women. I absolutely hate Faile. Nynaeve comes a very close second after Faile; Egwene and Elayne are tied for third place. Although the story is good, I would have been happier if there was more action. Unfortunatly, it is not the book that I can't put down.
Rating:  Summary: Robert Jordan is the Lord of Chaos Review: I guess this series went down hill from book 4. Its all just mindless rambling on a seemingly interesting world. Since when is the world dominated by women? I makes me wonder if this is just some pathetic fantasy world where men and women keep their distance but fall in love at first site anyway. These people don't love each other. Its a very sad excuse for fantasy and romance. The men are terrible. They are actually pushed around by women. Rand - always described as handsome and stubborn. Why do all the women fall in love with him and why does he push them away? He should just die or disappear. Mat and Perrin- very much the same as Rand. Send them back to the Two Rivers, Jordan Lan- loves Nynave? What the HELL??? WHY???? Moiraine- thank the Light she's dead (or is she?) Egwene- thats the funniest name I ever heard. Pathetic, full of herself, somehow loves Gawyn (or was it Galad? I barely even remember what happens in this book) Send her back, too. Elayne- what morons would actually allow her to rule a kingdom? Send her to the Two Rivers. Nynave- god, someone kill her Faile- kill her too By the way, if you're still devoted to all this garbage, you've got another 4 books to go. And they get worse and worse. From book 3 to 7, its like reading an episode out of a superhero comic- in each one, Rand fights one forsaken at the end. You expect almost every single thing and the ones that you don't are missed anyway. This whole series is like an RPG- a very long, boring one. Its very overhyped and overrated.
Rating:  Summary: On The Intricate Coexistence Between Men and Women Review: I do not like to harry the readers with a long for/against review. I think the people before me did an excellent job at it. I only wish to state that, funnily enough, in a world where (up until now) men who were able to channel were dragged to some tower and were neutered (like cats), and where in most countries there women seem to have the upper hand in everything, one would not expect them to kneel before a man...and yet some of them do. In any case, a spetacular book!
Rating:  Summary: Imagination = 0% Style = 0% Originality = minus 200%... Review: Well what can I say ... I liked the first book to an extent, but this is too much. The Aes Sedai do seem to smell of Bene Geserit, the Aiel of Fremen, Rand'al'Thor of Paul Atreides and the rest is just filling the gaps with slightly personal / emotional scenes that are remarkably all alike. And on top of that, the action is WAY too slow. In fact, nothing happens. To elaborate on the above, all themes seem well known already, or just caricatures of the original ones, or, even, not well enough thought about. Its all very convenient reading about unreadable Aes Sedai faces, while they really are intensely angry inside, and -somehow- they manage to hide it. Why not, Bene Geserit could do it on the spot - it's just that I cant seem to remember any particular White Tower training scene. It just happens, somewhere, somehow. Or, how nice indeed, having a thing like Ta'veren to exploit whenever the situation turns a little crampy . Oh look, a lightning fell from the sky and the hero is saved miraculously because he is ta'veren. And why bother immersing the reader on a Daes Daemar intrigue? Just mention the thing, surely, it happens on the background being shadowy and stuff, no need for the reader to know how it's done really. Very convenient indeed. And intriguingly unimaginable. First perspective scenes follow two major patterns, depending on whether the character is a man or a woman. On the first case, in almost all scenes, he will be whining about his situation whether favorable or not, about his 'duty' that is 'so hard to do' , constantly in denial about his 'special ability' whether it's channeling or being ta'veren or anything else. On the second case, she will be muttering about how capable she is, how wool-headed men are (wool-head seems to be one of the writer's favourite words), about the difference of men and women. Couple scenes are always about their love, and strangely enough on how they do not understand one another under any circumstances. There is not much to say about the action. It is just extremely slow. One or two major events, that you are already expecting, and the rest is Nynaeve tugging her braid. Will Rand defeat evil _insert name of Forsaken here_ ? Please. Finally, concerning RJ's writting style, there are just a lot of repeating phrases and situations (tugging of braid,strange cats in a room, couple not understanding each other etc), that seem to make the plot even more boring and impersonal. Not only the scenes are similar , RJ's wording is highly repetitive, utterly eradicating the book's last hope of originality. On top of that, he keeps on going about unnecessary details, while the plot could fit in a paragraph, though not a very good one. My suggestion : read Ursulla LeGuin. Read Tolkien. Read Frank Herbert. Read Terry Pratchett. Don't waste your time through these books the way I did. RJ should try to actually write a real book instead of this endless recipe-sprung random-book-generator babbling.
Rating:  Summary: *** Jem Of The 1st Ten *** Review: I began reading this series in 1995. After many reads through the series, Lord Of Chaos stands out as my favorite yarn. Many plot lines are resolved, and there is plenty of action. If you're reading this, you're probably a big fan who is bored. Go pick up LOC and enjoy Moghedian squirm.
Rating:  Summary: Lord of Chaos try Book of Chaos! Review: This book is easily the worst book I have read in the series so far. The characters are so incredibly stupid I am finding myself hoping the Dark One wins. Could there really be a character as stupid as Nyneave? She never does anything but get angry, complain, tug her braid (how many times must we read that!) and yet she acts as if she should be in control of everything!! An Aes Sedai gets stabbed and of course the rest of the Aes Sedai claim it is Rands doing. No need to dig any deeper, no need to consider - must have been him. Rand can channel, why would he need to get someone to stab an Aes Sedai? and why would he do it anyway? Stupid. Why would the white tower bother to kidnap Rand? They have to release him sooner or later. Aes Sedai are supposed to be careful and logical and yet they dump mankinds last great hope into a chest!!! That will certainly convince him to trust them!! Stupid, stupid. Gawyn's sister loves Rand yet without proof, Gawyn wants to kill him because he thinks he killed his mother. No proof that she is dead or that Rand did it. The only fact he has is that Rand is openly supporting his sister and that she loves him. Would any brother believe his sister could love the man who killed their mother? Yet Gawyn ignores these facts and wants to see Rand dead. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Jordan should take a leaf out of George RR Martin's books and start killing off some characters (Nyneave and Faile would be an excellent start). Which brings me to the point that if you really want to read fantasy the way it should be written, read the Song of Ice and Fire series or Lord of the Rings.
Rating:  Summary: Skip the first 900 pages Review: The book has a good prologue, and the last 100 pages have a reasonable amount of action. The intervening 900 pages unfortunately are incredibly drawn out and boring. What makes it boring? Mostly endless posturing, maneuvering, and intrigue on the part of the characters, epitomized by the Aes Sedai "sniff" (every other page an Aes Sedai is sniffing--it gets old after a while). The intrigue is supposed to be complex, but the characters come across as sophisticated as a bunch of third-graders: petulant and whiny. I think that Robert Jordan has run out of steam and is simply milking the series for all the money that he can wring out of it.
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