The BEST of the Wheel of Time

Great development of Perrin and a decent amount of Mat, this novel stands out as the most emotional and most ecstatic novel in the series. This turn in the series is the most engaging and enjoyable. I have listened to it 4 times now and each time experience a tightening in my throat when...well better not spoil it. You will not regret this one!

40 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Best Book So Far

Now totally addicted to the pattern that Jordan has woven, I have to admit this last installment was by far my favorite. YES, critics of Jordan are right in that he can describe every detail in the most mundane scenes...and YES, his characters are a bit one dimensional in their personas...BUT with a story this complex I have to admit I appreciate characters that I know won't change on me from chapter to chapter or book to book. What I think most critics miss is that this book is about the storyline and the pattern, not just about the characters that play within it.

This past week I learned that Jordon has died and that he didn't finish his last book in the series (and rumor has it the last installment is a mammoth!). I am committed to finishing this out and seeing Rand through as the Dragon reborn, finding out what Lord Perin Golden Eyes does, and discover what's up with Matt and his flair for luck and history. 4 books down, 8 more to go!

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PLEASE PROGRESS

The lack of real progress in this story is driving me crazy. I'm going to have to give it up cause I just can't sit through another 41 hours of boring lack of progress.

30 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

I'm still listening...

I am struggling with continuing this series. The overall concept is intriguing but the writing is difficult sometimes. Things happen to characters that after four books we still have no explanation for, the girls are airheads at the best of times, oh Rand this and oh Rand that and all of the sudden he and Egwayne have no feelings for each other with no lead up, Elaine writes two letters that we have no insight into, Minh is supposed to be street savvy yet she sounds like an idiot when it comes to the opposite sex and someone please shoot me when Nineavh speaks. She's mean and grouchy and how are we supposed to like her or how do the others like her? Anyways I'm still listening because it is entertaining but im hoping Mr. Jordan connects the dots and smartens up the characters in the rest of the books.

29 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Good at first, then...Meh

I stopped reading the series after this book. The tragedy of this series is that the world, the back-history, and magic system are exquisitely developed, but the plot is repetetive and the characters are hollow. The pattern of the plot (no spoiler) is a less-than-brilliant move by (insert character), which leads to an emergency, which is resolved at the last second in a maddeningly convenient manner (usually either an unlooked-for rescue or a new manifestation of magic). The characters are fantasy stereotypes. However, the books are very suspenseful, and these are common issues in all but the best fantasy. All might be forgiven except for the sheer unnecessary length of the series. There are at least two major plot lines that a good editor would have axed altogether to bring focus to a badly meandering story arc and cut the size down a bit. I would recommend this series only to die-hard fantasy aficionados who will appreciate what was done well and forgive what was done poorly.

27 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Slow and sometimes boring

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Repetitious. I wish the author would just get on and tell the story. Sometimes he picked up the pace and it was interesting. At other times he just retold what I had heard in the previous book. Pointless and boring. And the characters are mulishly stubborn and argumentative. .

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Keep it going...stop retelling

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Still do not like the voice of the female narrator - she makes the female characters sound shrewish and graceless...the author seems to think this equates to strength. They are mostly just plain unlikeable.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

Any additional comments?

I have an ongoing love - hate relationship with this series. I will listen to the bitter end.

16 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Better than its predecessors

I have been lukewarm at best about most of the series so far, as Jordan's penchant for exhaustive repetition is nothing short of maddening, but in this book he manages to drop it (along with the omnipresent adolescent angst that manages to overshadow every significant event by burying it under a mountain of triviality) long enough to achieve a few moments with some genuine emotional resonance. To avoid posting any spoilers, I will refrain from specifics, but the most poignant are the moments of history that Rand views, and they succeed where so many other efforts by Jordan fail because he--probably unintentionally--drops his usual writing devices and gets out of the way to simply narrate the events for us. The contrast between this part and most of the rest of the series is really amazing, and shows just how strongly we can feel the emotions of the moment without having to have it spelled out repeatedly for us both before and afterward. It's unfortunate that Jordan seems to trust the intelligence of his readers so little.

So kudos to the author for some really great moments in this book (there are one or two more, but I cannot describe them without giving things away). I wish there were more like them throughout the rest of the series.

16 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Excellent Book

I believe this is one of the best in the series. I can't wait for the Fires of Heaven to come out. I really pray it is the unabridged version!

14 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

In depth plot and storyline but whats with the constant and petty quarreling?!

I truly love the wheel of Time series universe created by Robert Jordan. For years I have both read listen to these books the only drawback is the petty war of the sexes immature nearly constant quarreling between the primary characters.

Its quite incongruous when comparing the lifetimes of literally earth shattering import these beings represent to the high school level judgmental pithiness and childish banter they display towards each other.

Rand and Perrin seem to be the only ones evolving into capable characters matching their reality.

Already deep into Book 4 and seriously these characters should have grown out of this by now. if it doesn’t stop soon I don’t think I can continue listening. Its beyond annoying and destroys the otherworldly fantasy element i so enjoy

13 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

lances say

Through out the Wheel of Time different threads of each part continue to get more and more intriguing. The changes/challenges each character undergoe never fail to leave you wanting more.

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