n  Done! Done! Done! *n

Wow, I've finally finished it! No, I'm not saying this because reading the book was a chore. You see, life got in the way, it's really not the book's fault. In fact, this is the best book of the series so far! Having to spread it out so much almost physically hurt.

The group is together at the beginning of this book but soon splits up again. Perrin and Loial travel to the Two Rivers where Children of the Light run unchecked and if they don't cause fear, Trollocks surely do. Naenyve and Egwene first travel with Rand, Moraine, Lan, some Aiel and Mat to the Aiel territory. There, some undergo a certain test, following which Rand and Mat continue alone. The 4th and final POV is Min's, back in the White Tower, where the power struggle is finally escalating.
There are a few times when at least some of the people reunite, but it's not really the goal here as it was in previous stories. Everyone has their task now and they are starting to go about it.
Oh, before you ask: yes, there are more players, of course. Thom is still around for example, as are certain people from the Two Rivers that we know (and, in my case, love). But making a list in every review would be quite the lengthy task. ;P

Amongst other things, we get to see more ancient magic thanks to Rand and Mat traveling to the realm of the Eelfinn (fox-like creatures) via a ter'angreal. Just the architecture there was stunning, but the three wishes, the hanging, as well as Rand's flashbacks were even more awesome and I'm glad we got to spend as much time as we did to marvel at it all. Though it was heartbreaking, too, of course. Especially the flashbacks into Rand's ancestors' lives.
However, I can honestly say that despite knowing that it would happen, I was still shocked and hurting when the Amyrlin Seat, Siuan, was deposed and stilled. Technically, that POV wasn't too important to me (yes, yes, I know how important it is to further events but in comparison, it just paled). Nevertheless, it was impactful.
I also enjoyed seeing Perrin finally becoming a fully fledged character and setting things to right in the Two Rivers. Well, as much as that was possible. From "collecting" all the good people to putting the Children of Light as well as that pompous "lord" in their place to killing Trollocs and Myrddraal. It was about time he embraced that part of himself more.
Although it almost pains me to say, there was also a quite satisfying moment involving a certain braid-tugging Aes Sedai.
The love stuff wasn't really interesting. Sure, we can see the wheel turning in that part of the story, too, but I'm generally here for the history, mythology and magic. I'm not too much a fan of the lovey-dovey stuff. *shrugs*

One of the best aspects of this book and definitely one of the main reasons why I loved this volume best of all (so far) is the similarities to Norse mythology. Especially whenever Mat was involved. The second main reason was the Aiel culture. Not only the split in their society that finally told us of the importance of the traveling folk, but how they ended up in the desert, the story of the trees of life, their aptitude with all kinds of weapons ... I just like them so very much. Though finding out there are different tribes and some are just stupid idiots tested my love for them. *lol*

It is still curious and amazing to me how these books, while being so big, go by so quickly. The writing style flows like a deep and fast river, sweeping you along. Equally amazing is how even passages without any action can leave me at the edge of my seat. It doesn't have to be a battle. In fact, there weren't too many physical confrontations actually happening in this volume, but the tension was there nonetheless.

Last but definitely not least, I have soooo many questions! The pieces are clicking into place but the mosaic (or tapestry, in this case) is so big that we're nowhere near getting a picture. So many things are still possible, so many combinations. Hell, I'm not even sure "the good guys" will win! If they ARE the good guys! Naturally, this is essential in such a long series, but it is in no way a matter of course.

Thus, I shall continue with book 5 very soon (this month even) because I can't wait for more answers (although they are usually being replaced by yet more questions).




* I'm glad about the low price to be paid for the pleasure of reading this tale. *evil cackle*

Until this book, I really enjoyed this series. But at #4, it starts to take a harried, complicated turn and I started losing interest in the characters because so few of them act realistically at all as far as emotions go. And the attitudes toward female characters finally wore thin. At least in George RR Martin's books, even though the women were treated like crap, raped, beaten, etc, they still maintain dignity, bravery, and are overall very well-developed characters. Almost all of the females in Robert Jordan's books are cruel, stubborn, naggy, spiteful, foolish, or simpering and frou frou. It got very tiring quickly with all the "Rand is so awesome!" crap, and his character went from a cool, down-home farm boy to some cold-hearted, cynic in just a few chapters. I understand per the plot that he would change, but I didn't expect it so quickly. I think the simple farmboy should still be around in there somewhere.

I can't even with these books. This one made me cry for the first time in the series (Perrin ;__;) and I'm just in shock that I'm still so in love with the series at this point. They're taking me forever to read though since they're so huge and I only read at night, lol; I've been reading this series since last year (ha! I made a funny).

Is it weird that I pretty much only love this for Lan and Nynaeve? Oh, and Loial. Perrin is pretty awesome too.

NOT YOU FAILE.

OR YOU EGWENE. You're still the worst.

Sigh. Lan. This series need so much more Lan.

Great story, though there is so much story now I'm getting to a point where it's becoming hard to keep track. Thank God for the WOT Wiki.

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend."

Really, what can I say that hasn't already been said? This is the best high fantasy series I've ever read, hands down. So much so that I am reading it all the way through for a second time. I am not a re-reader of anything, but it's 2020 so anything goes. I know it's massive, but it's worth all the time spent, every second. Plus, honestly, with books this big and a series this long, you've forgotten the beginning by the time you've gotten to the end, and it's impossible to remember all the details, so it's almost like reading something brand new.

This series is easily my favorite fantasy series. I truly can't stress that enough. I won't tell you anything about the plot, you can read a synopsis for that, and sometimes a leap of faith is required. Well I feel like I've rambled on enough, so I'll just say this: Read it! Make this your to-read series of 2021. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

P.S. Since this is a series, and the plot is too intricate to include without spoilers, this will be my review for every book in the series. If you've read this one, then you've read the others. I stand by what I said. In my opinion this is the best fantasy series of all time, and that's all that needs to be said. Thank you Robert Jordan, for sharing your masterpiece with the world. RIP.

"The night's cold was already coming on."

Este libro me sorprendió con bastante acción desde el comienzo. Y en general la cantidad de cosas pasando a cada personaje en diferentes lugares.

Una gran demostración más del gran mundo que Robert Jordan construyó, todo lo relacionado con los Aiel me encantó y me voló la cabeza sobre todo lo de Rhuidean. Me fascina ver tantas culturas distintas en el mundo, como los marineros o en Tanchico, como cada población tiene una visión distinta de El dragón renacido y me emociona ver cómo Rand alcanza y destruye las expectativas al mismo tiempo.

Volver a Dos rios de esa manera me rompió el corazón, pero el desarrollo de Perrin ojos dorados es algo que me encanta ver, sobre todo lo de su efecto Ta'veren que no había sido mencionado tanto antes. Y también es divertido ver Mat tratando de huir, pero al mismo tiempo siendo atrapado más en la red, mientras que su personaje va terminando de compactarse. Me pregunto si aceptará el destino en algún punto.

El mundo de los sueños me parece una locura entre más lo exploran con todas las posibilidades ahí. Y Nynaeve es un personaje que cada vez me gusta más, muy fuerte, muy frentera y muy poderosa.

Después de los sucesos en la torre blanca me quedo con mucha curiosidad de qué va a seguir de ahora en adelante, la determinación de Siuan Sanche es maravillosa!

Siguen ocurriendo cosas que me parecen muy convenientes(aunque tengan sentido) a veces y romance tampoco me convence mucho, pero a comparación de todo lo demás saque está saga me da, lo perdono.

I quite liked this one! I had heard it was one of the best WoT books, and it's definitely better than the previous book. I did not enjoy The Dragon Reborn as much as the other books in this series because it lacked Rand, but this one made up for that. I loved the bits with Rand and Mat in Rhuidean and Perrin's scenes were truly epic! The previous books had parts that were really slow, usually around the halfway mark. But there was no such problem with this book. Most of the POVs, especially Rand, Mat and Perrin's were very interesting. Looking forward to continuing this series!

Part 5 - Shaido or Shaidon’t, There Is No Try

This is a reread of the entire Wheel of Time so spoilers ahead for the whole series.

Now we are getting somewhere. This is the book where Wheel of Time really starts to take shape and become the series I remember. Thousands of characters! Hundreds of prophecies, visions, and hints! Dozens of storylines! And a subtle but noticeable shift in focus. After being largely absent in Dragon Reborn, Rand returns to find he must now share the stage as Main Protagonist, just as he will later graciously share his penis with three super hot women. This isn’t the Rand Show with Supporting Players anymore. Oh, he’s still Number One, I suppose, what with being the saviour of the universe and all, but from here on out, the Wheel of Time really feels like an ensemble. In previous books, the three to four seperate plot threads have been drawn together (sometimes a little clumsily) into a single climax. Shadow Riusing reverses that trend, dispatching characters off into their own solo adventures which are all reasonably seperate from each other. As the series goes on, these individual storylines will only branch out further, acquiring subplots off their own, spawning further storylines. I think Jordan gets a lot of flak for this, and yes, some of the future storylines that result from this are a bit of a dud, but on the whole I’m pretty impressed by it. Giving various characters their own separate story is a benefit to the series as a whole, IMO. It’s a technique that I think a lot of fantasy writers have adopted (GRRM not least among them) It’s just an acknowledgement of a pretty obvious fact - these aren’t in any way, shape or form, standalone books, and some storylines will take multiple books to payoff.

Reading all the books in a row like this really brings certain formulaic elements into focus. The one I noticed in Shadow Rising there’s always a big Trolloc attack at the start of every book. Usually used as a way to force characters into decisions. Here it’s a surprise Trolloc attack on the Stone of Tear, which bears a lot of resemblance to the surprise Trolloc attack on Fal Dara in The Great Hunt. It isn’t a bad action scene, and kicks things off pretty well. one gripe though - if you are going to have Loial singlehandedly defend a doorway and a chamber filled with children against hundreds of Trollocs, don’t mention it in passing afterwards! Show me! I have to read through entire chapters of Loial’s ear quivering and him getting a boner over trees, so at least let me see him doing cool shit in those few instances where he’s allowed to do cool shit!

Anyway, the Trolloc attack, the book proceeds to split into three (I guess four, if you count Min in the White Tower) separate storylines, and various characters employ all the different cheats Jordan has set up to allow people cover large distances in a short timespan. It’s a wonder anyone walked anywhere in the Age of Legends, with the amount of different transport systems they have. We haven’t even got to Travelling yet. Faile, Perrin and company take the Ways back to the Two Rivers, Elayne and Nynaeve go to hunt Black Ajah in Tanchico, and the Rand Band sets off for Rhuidean in the Aiel Waste.

The Rhuidean stuff is cool. I do wonder though if the revelations about the true history of the Aiel wouldn’t have had more impact later on, after the reader had become more familiar with them. They’re still a fairly new and unexplored element at this stage. All the dreams and visions, prophecies, and foretellings are something I think Jordan handles really well. They start to pile up after a while, but every time he deploys them,it never fails to catch my interest. Mat receives the final accessories that make him into the Mat I remember. The Amulet of Immunity, the sword-spear thingy, the neck-scar, and the convenient memories from hundreds of dead military geniuses. In retrospect it’s maybe a little on the nose, a bit of “hey, I really like this character so I’m gonna give him a bunch of cool shit to make him cooler”, but you know what? I still dig it. Rand’s showdown with Asmodean was a bit meh, I’m already a bit tired of Rand beating one of the Forsaken at the end of every book, but it’s also mercifully brief. I like the Shaido a lot - at this point in the series, villains who aren’t Trollocs are badly needed, and the Shaido fill that role nicely. Egwene continues to improve, and take shape as the character I remember. Removing her from Elayne and Nynaeve’s company helps this process enormously, I think.

Speaking of, Elayne and Nynaeve are also off doing something in Tanchico or whatever. It isn’t too bad, I guess, but it definitely feels like a sideshow compared to the other two storylines, and I was usually impatient when reading these sections. I’m not actively loathing Nynaeve anymore - all of that hate is being poured into Faile now - but I still don’t like her much, and the best thing I can say about Elayne is her name reminds me of Elaine from Seinfeld. We get our first good look at the Sea Folk in these chapters, beginning a subplot that will seemingly drag on forever, to no real result. Nynaeve’s showdown with Morghedien is done well (is it just me or are the female Forsaken waaaay more effective and threatening than the men?), Jordan sells the terror Nynaeve feels very well.

But this is really Perrin’s book. It’s the point where he really steps forward as his own character, and not just a supporting player for Rand. I didn’t remember a whole lot about the Perrin back in the Two Rivers story. He was never a favourite of mine, back in the day. But, I have to say, it’s pretty good. Perrin emerging as a leader is done fairly well, and I also like that Jordan doesn’t gloss over the serious trauma this character has gone through, and the effect it has on him. Perrin, like most real people, isn’t a callous killer, and playing the soldier takes a noticeable toll on him, both physically and psychologically. Considering Jordan’s own experiences in Vietnam, this feels like a very personal thing for him, and resonates all the more strongly for it.

But there’s one big problem here. Faile. Goddammit. My razor thin Faile Tolerance lasted all of one book. Pretty much as soon as she appeared here I was grinding my teeth, sniffing loudly, pulling my braid, and fingering my sword. It starts when Perrin decides to return to the Two Rivers and turn himself over to the Whitecloaks, because he is (quite rightly) afraid that his friends and family will suffer for his absence. Time, obviously, is of the essence here. The Two Rivers is in trouble (more than even Perrin knows) and any kind of delay could cost people Perrin knows and cares about their lives. But, too bad, Faile is mad over some bullshit, and has decided to play ridiculous games aimed at teaching Perrin a lesson! Haha! Oh Faile. This is absolutely the right time for this and not in any way totally inappropriate! Oh, whoops, seven good people were murdered while you two were fucking around. Oh well! What are you gonna do? Women are crazy, as any male in the Wheel of Time universe will repeatedly tell you. Upon arriving in the Two Rivers, Faile immediately decides Luc is a Good Guy, and has several arguments with Perrin who disagrees and points out the rather glaringly obvious signs that Luc is a black hat. Nice work Faile! You really know how to back the right horse. Faile is accompanied by Bain and Chiad. One of those two is the one Gaul is in love with. I’ve already forgotten which one, and it doesn’t really matter as they are basically indistinguishable from one another, proof that even minor supporting characters are not immune to Faile’s aura of terribleness. She even makes freaking Aiel lame. This storyline could have been so cool. It’s basically Perrin, Tam, and Abell Cauthon starting a guerilla war against Trollocs and the Whitecloaks, with Verin (one of my favourite Aes Sedai) and Alanna helping. It’s a great setup. But Faile is there to Faile all over everything, getting Faile all over the goddamn place. Aargh. She is actually worse than I remembered, if such a thing is possible. I suppose I should give her some credit by coming to the rescue at the end there. But I don’t want to. Anyway, Perrin’s storyyline is still pretty good despite the high degree of PoF (Presence of Faile), and I think the whole Luc/Isam thing is really creepy and cool, and Jordan shows unusual restraint in not overusing it going forward (as far as I can remember)

Well. These things just keep getting longer. Apparently I have far more to say about the Wheel of Time than I, or maybe anyone, thought possible. Anyway, Shadow Rising is definitely the best book in the series so far, despite the high PoF levels, and it’s the first book that really “feels” like a true Wheel of Time book. The characters are established, the stage is set, and there’s a real sense of things kicking off. Though there’s definitely a bit of bloat creeping it, it’s still pretty enjoyable. 3.5 stars.

3.5 for me actually.

I think there might be a problem with reading 'The Wheel of Time' back-to-back as I was doing since around middle of March. The plot development sometimes can be really slow in these books and they are also extremely lengthy. I enjoyed 'The Shadow Rising' quite a bit, there were really strong moments like the visit to Rhuidean, the return of Perrin to the Two Rivers, his love affair with Faile, the final scenes. But the sheer number of characters make the plot sometimes overwhelming and I am not sure whether it is the writing of Robert or something else but I tend to sometimes get confused with various plot developments. For instance, every time the Forsaken appear I do not know how many of them there are and who is precisely who. Hopefully it will get better over time. I was also missing a clear anchor in this installment. Despite the fact that it was engaging at times I struggled to see where all of this is actually going. Off to the next one.

Favorite character development: Faile, still

Favorite new character: Amys

Favorite plot twist: Asmodean / Siuan

Favorite magical object/phenomenon: ashandarei

4,7⭐
Ήταν πάρα πολύ καλό

The best thing about reading this series is the constant reminder of how long it is. As I read this I frequently looked up at my Wheel of Time shelf, at the nine books I have yet to read in the series, which serve as a reminder that I’ve barely scratched the surface of this totally epic fantasy world. I have so much left to see.

And this really did get epic this time round. Rand decided to go and visit the vast Aiel waste and through the process discovered much about himself. I’ve criticised his character quite harshly in past reviews, but it’s good to see that he’s finally getting his shit together. He has grown up and discovered that destiny cannot, in fact, be avoided, so he grits his teeth and gets with the pattern. He knows what he must do; he knows that he must defeat the darkness and fulfil the prophecy to bind his true people to him: the people of the dragon.

“I surrender to it, and by surrendering, I control it.”

As always, this isn’t just Rand’s story. This does have the pretty standard fantasy trope of the light verses the dark, but the world is much more complex than that. It is full of factions that attempt to do good, namely The White Cloaks, though they are completely misguided and tend to do very stupid things. They are noble hearted men, for the most part, and they remain true to their cause but they cannot identify evil. These fools deserve pity more than anything. The same is true for the Aes Sedai; they attempt a controlling approach, and whist their cations are benevolent, they do lean towards tyranny. Sometimes they need to guide mankind, give him a gentle push, rather than try to control him directly.

The Mighty Wolf and the Absent Raven

  

So the world is rather complex, and one character that has remained absolutely true so far, to himself, and his friends, is Perrin. This book was his first taste of real heroism. He has gone past denying what he is capable of and just accepts the label men assign to him. To the people of the Two Rivers he is a hero and to his friends he is also a hero. He is a character I look forward to seeing him stand beside Rand in the Last Battle. He is very loyal, though a little flat. I don’t think he can develop much more. Mat is much better rounded and less constant.

And unfortunately this wasn’t Mat’s finest hour. There is little of him in this book. He follows Rand, and he gets a new weapon, though the significance of it is yet to be explained. He felt rather absent for most of the plot, but I suppose that’s what comes with being the travelling companion of the protagonist for a large part of the book. I hope in the next book to see a little more of him, a shift away from Perrin is in order I think to keep things a little evener. I miss his roguish adventures.

The future looks bright



The plot has progressed a great deal. I love the friendship between the three girls; they have a mutual respect and fondness for each other. Their relationships are much stronger than the three boys. Their individual character arcs are also very storng. These girls rely on each other rather than striving out on thier own. Nynervea is becoming my favourite of the three. Egwner’s dreams are growing in potency, and Elayne, the daughter hier, feels much less like a spare wheel this time round.

This was another strong instalment. I’m looking forward to finishing the series one day, though after 1007 pages I’m going to wait another year until I pick this up again.


Here's how I've found the series so far:

The Wheel of Time
1. Eye of the World- An unoriginal five stars
2. The Great Hunt-  A reluctant three stars
3. The Dragon Reborn- A well-developed four stars
4. The Shadow Rising- A strong four stars
5. The Fires of Heaven- A slow two stars



n  “The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.” n

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Fourth read: 23/04/21 - 25/05/21

Rating: (why would it be anything but) 5 stars

So... I have actually been in the middle of this book for a month now, but haven't wanted to add it to Goodreads and thus admit that I've read this for the fourth time.