Primeiro 5 estrelas desta colecção! Adorei! Meu deus!! Posso sair a gritar de quanto gostei deste livro XD

n  "If they had peered into his dreams, they had seen only nightmares."n

I can’t believe how long it took me to finish this one. Somehow, for half a year I just wasn’t in the mood to continue this series. For half a year! But I finally decided it’s time to move ahead and I got rewarded with exactly what I wanted to see in this story.

Rand is still far and beyond my favorite character, and even though I always complain that we don’t get enough chapters with him, here everything was well-balanced. (Although him having a “harem” is rapidly getting out of hand.)

Maybe for the first time I was looking forward to Perrin’s chapters a bit more than all the others’, I never thought this would happen. Everything was so bittersweet with him.

The Aiel and their culture was so fascinating, I can’t wait to learn more about them. The ending was fantastic as always, as more and more prophecy unfolded before our eyes. I just hope it won’t take me another half a year to finish the next book.

بسیار مطلوب بود

شیرجه به تاریخچه داستان و دنیای اون و افتادن شخصیت ها تو مسیر های هیجان انگیز

پرین از همون جلد اول برای من با اون اخلاق به خصوص خودش و خونسردیش و تصور دیگران از اینکه خنگ بنظر میاد و احمق فرض میشد، جذابیت بخصوصی داشت و تو این جلد چقدر شخصیتش دوست داشتنی تر شد


رند هم بعد از غیبتش توی جلد سوم و اتفاقاتی که این جلد افتاد میشه گفت بالاخره تو مسیری قرار گرفت و داره جوری پیش میره داستانش که از اون چیزی که فکر میکردم بسیار فراتر قراره بره

و مت دوست داشتنی ، شاید بشه گفت از نظر اتفاقاتی که برای شخصیت ها افتاد اگر رند رو اولی در نظر بگیریم قطعا اتفاق دوم و مهم این جلد در خصوص مت بود، چیزی نباید بگم و خودتون باید بخونید

*** I have a YouTube channel now! Check it out here. ***

4.25 stars
**Although this is a spoiler-free review (spoilers are hidden), there may be spoilers for previous books (scroll down)**

This time I am keeping the spoiler-free section fairly small because there is so much I want to talk about. After the ending of The Dragon Reborn, the squads split up on many missions: Elayne, Nynaeve, Thom, and Juilin go to Tanchico in pursuit of the Black Ajah; Rand, Egwene, Moiraine, Lan, and Mat journey with the Aiel to the Three Fold Land for various reasons; Perrin, Faile, Gaul, Loial, Chaid and Bain go back to the Two Rivers in hopes of resolving the Children of the Light/Trolloc conflict; (and farther north, and somewhat unrelated) we get the perspective of Min who arrives at the White Tower and has a vision of a great catastrophe that is about to befall the Aes Sedai.

All the perspectives were engaging and furthered most of the characters. There were parts that I definitely enjoyed more than others, but overall the plot was well progressed, characters built up better, and more cultures explored. The story manages to pull out of the slightly formulaic flow it was starting to build up by book 3, and really developed into its own thing.

Overall, I can totally see why this is a favorite of so many people. It is filled with many small amazing, and great breath-taking moments. It's short comings for me were pacing and the confusion that sometimes followed the fact that so much was going on and I needed to go back and wrap my head around things. But thats because I'm stoopid sometimes :) Highly recommend.



Ok, now onto spoilers :)))


This will be divided into my thoughts on each separate story-line.

Rand and gang in the Aiel Waste:
This segment was pretty epic, but it was also the segment that had me going "what" every two seconds. This is probably because I have a problematic memory and listened to the audiobook for many parts of this book. This meant I had to go back and reread many moments to remember who was who. And that reveal at the end that the fat lady Keille was Lanfear? Didn't see it coming. The reveal that the gleeman Natael was Asmodean? Didn't see it coming. I guess I was thrown off by all the Isendre and Kadere stuff going on. When I went back and reread the first interaction that Rand/Mat have with Keille/Lanfear it clicked and I saw the foreshadowing. Honestly, I can't believe I missed it. Epic reveal, nonetheless. Also, I want to appreciate that Rand didn't face the Dark One in an epic battle at the end. The epic battle happened, but it was to further the plot in a way that made sense. This was a great deal-breaker for me in book 3 and the issue has been rectified.

Another thing that was hard for me to understand was Aiel culture. It is really intense and different. Around 80% through I think I actually understood what was going on. When Rand tries to reveal himself as He Who Comes With the Dawn, and Couladin is being a brat, I understood what was going on enough, so that was nice. Rand and Mat's journeys to Rhuidean were some of my favorite moments. I want to know more about the Aelfinn and Eelfinn. I think that they have been set up well. I also think I can puzzle out what the Eelfinn do. Requests right? As much as I liked this segment, I didn't like Mat as much. He was by far the best part of book 3, but here he was either nonexistent, comic relief, or whiney. I want more of who he was in book 3 please. As for Rand, I thought the backstory of the Aiel was honestly really interesting. The way that so much of what the normal Aiel know is lies. Fascinating. I also love seeing how slowly Rand is coming to fulfill more and more prophecies.

Egwene and Moiraine, especially the latter, I wanted more from. Egwene was there in the beginning when she did her thing to Rand where she passed Rand to Elayne, but then she is not always very present. Moiraine had an epic fight scene in the beginning (loved that scene OMG), but then she and Lan both fade. Aviendha is coming more into the spot-light which is kind of cool. I see so much of myself in her so obviously I am drawn to her and her story. I hope the next book has more of her. I love her friendships with Egwene and Elayne. Looking forward to more of her.

Nynaeve, Elayne, and the boys in Tanchico:
First off, Nynaeve is pissing me off. She was my favorite in book 1 and I liked her a lot in book 2, but these past two instalments are making her into a person who really is pissing me off. She is rude, she is senseless, and she is entitled. Did I absolutely love that scene between her and Moghedien at the end when they both try to still each other? Yes. Does it excuse all the BS from the other 900 pages? No. Thing is, even Elayne could see it. The way she went off at Egeanin just for being Seachan was annoying too, especially since it is obvious that Egeanin is going through a lot of character development. She is not the same woman as the captain who caught Bayle Domon's ship back in book 2.

Talking about Egeanin, she is actually one of my highlights for this book. We get tiny glimpses into more of the Seanchan culture through her; something tells me we are going to be seeing much more from them soon. I like her and Domon getting along. I wonder were this will lead. Overall, I want more of her too in the next book. I want the Seanchan to come back for another attack and I want her to suffer not knowing whose side to choose after growing closer to Elayne and Nynaeve and learning about the Sul Dam being able to Channel.

Elayne took the female spot-light. I absolutely loved her. That scene where she gets drunk is great. All her interactions with Thom are great and heartwarming. Her admonishing Amathera for how she knows nothing of how her people live like, was great. Elayne will be a great queen. I didn't think she'd jump higher on my ranking of characters I love, but she did. In the previous two books she was overshadowed by Egwene a lot, so I hope that those two stay apart for a little while longer.

When it came to the actual story with the Black Sisters, not a lot happened. I mean, they found them in Tanchico and they rescued the Panarch, but so what? They all got away either way. At least they have the a'dam for Rand and neutralized a threat. So although I liked this story, it was more so because hanging out with Elayne and Egeanin was fun.

Mistress Elmindreda and the coupe of da Tower:
This might have been my favorite story-line. Firstly, the Trakand brothers?!? Gawyn went nuts in the end. Galad obviously will now become a White Cloak (way to go Elaida). UGH! SIUAN IS STILLED!!!! WHAT! UGHRAAA! Real talk, the foreshadowing with Elaida and Min's visions was so much fun, although I didn't see the coupe coming. Siuan was probably my favorite character in this book (surprising I know). Siuan, Leane, Min, and Logain are bound to make an interesting group in book 5 and this is the part that has me hyped the most. There's not much to say here. It was a ride. I love Siuan. I love Min. I am really excited for Logain. This will be great.

Perrin Goldeneyes and his troubling love life ft. Emond's Field:
This section was great. Perrin unfortunately didn't come back to my no. 1 spot he used to share with Nynaeve after book 1, but he had the most character growth I think. It was definitely reminiscent of Rand in book 2, where he says he isn't a lord, but is forced to be one anyway. The entire situation with Faile really pissed me off in the beginning. The way she used Loial pissed me off and I hated her. By the end though, I found her kind of endearing and the entire marriage stuff was hilarious and heart-warming in a bizarre way. Do I want a lot more of Faile? No, but I think things will die down a bit now that they are married.

The segment with Aram giving up the Way of the Leaf was heart-breaking. I cried so hard. It was one of the most powerful scenes I have ever read, to be honest. The Emond's Fielders getting together for that final showdown was epic. The struggle with White Cloaks in the end, was epic. It was all epic. I have no words. I am speechless. The one thing I want more of will be the pursuit of Slayer (Lord Luc?) and Loial. Then I will be happy.

That about wraps up my general thoughts on what happened. Hope it wasn't too chaotic :)


-----------------------------------
n  Books in seriesn:
#0 New Spring: ★★.75
#1 The Eye of the World: ★★★.5
#2 The Great Hunt: ★★★.75
#3 The Dragon Reborn: ★★★
#4 The Shadow Rising: ★★★★.25
#5 The Fires of Heaven: ★★★★
#6 Lord of Chaos: ★★★★.25
#7 A Crown of Swords: ★★★.75
#8 The Path of Daggers: ★★.25
#9 Winter's Heart: ★.25
#10 Crossroads of Twilight: ★.5
#11 Knife of Dreams: ★★★.5
#12 The Gathering Storm: ★★★★.5
#13 Towers of Midnight: ★★★
#14 A Memory of Light: ★★★.5

The Wheel of Time, book 4: Taking round 61 (!!!!) weeks to finish, like the previous volume this was just to much hard work me. I feel like I am only reading this now for two reasons 1: I own all the books in the series; 2: because it is so popular. All the convention adventure, intrigue and relationships work from, but all the super-fantasy mythology in and around Rand and his protagonists, actually bore me! SO does any world building in this area, especially around historical events. It's the stories of Aes Sedai, around Matt and Perrin around Edgwine, Elayne ect. that at least keep me interested. Saying all that, I have to respect the creation and writing of such a gigantic cast, and it being done so well, but the index at the back of the book is there for a reason 7 out of 12, Three Stars.

2023 read

The Shadow Rising did everything right when it comes to continuing a series by continuing to flush out the characters and their relationships in addition to moving the plot forward. There was a well done balance between character and plot development which moved the overall story arc along in a way that remained engaging and exciting for the reader.

Even with all this action the question whether The Shadow Rising is too long remains. I don’t really think so, or not by much anyway. Jordan manages to weave the four main story lines into a good novel as far as I am concerned. Although not as fast paced as the earlier book he makes good progress in each of them. Jordan has shown himself quite capable of handling the four main story lines in this book. The beginning of the novel is a bit slow, Rand hesitates too long. But then, that was Jordan’s point. This book is a change in direction for Jordan. If you do not like where he is taking it, there really is no point in continuing with the series, if anything, the story becomes even more sprawling than it already is. Still, I think this book shows Jordan is capable of more than he has shown us in the previous entries in the series. Maybe the series, and Jordan’s world-building in particular, is becoming too ambitious. If it is, it doesn’t show in The Shadow Risings. All things considered, it is a very satisfying read for people who enjoy epic (and yes, that implies it is long) fantasy.

Epic indeed.

1.5 that out of left field fat shaming shit at the end was really just the last straw.
I’m done.

This one here is one of my favorites of the entire series. This is where we see some actual real growth in the many primary characters as they set off on their own, or semi-alone, and where the wheel weaves what it weaves.

Case in point: Matt. Those damn questions. That damn luck. And then the damn Price. I was laughing with glee to see it all happen once again. The beginning of his ultimate fate, the craziness, and the gifts.

Rand was also a lot more fun this time around, too. In wanting to get ahead of the battles, he accepted his destiny and ran headlong into it, nearly breaking the weave of fate in doing so. And then there was the utterly hilarious cultural snafu among the Aiel and the glorious romantic comedy herein. I laughed and I cried because I knew very well where this was headed and Rand was SO FREAKING CLUELESS.

Perrin also comes into his own in a very big way. I love the return home but hate what had happened there. I keep thinking of Pippin and Merry when they return to the Shire, but BIGGER, here. And remembering how big this will get in later books, this was special to me.

The hunt for the Black Ajah was not quite as fun as reading about the boys this time around, but the later development in the book more than made up for it. I mean, seriously. I'm still shaking my head in amazement.

Yes. This was SO FUN. Of course, it's my 5th read or so, so it's not like any of it is a surprise, but I LOVE getting to visit it again and freak out about what it all MEANS.

The fourth in the Wheel of Time epic.

Rand al'Thor has just claimed the crystal sword Callandor to prove himself the Dragon Reborn. The Tear has fallen to the Aiel. Thus momentous events are underway. Rand then travels to the Aiel Waste to undergo the trails that will prove that he truly is the Car'a'carn: the 'Chief of Chiefs' of the Aiel. In the ruins of a city called Rhuidean, Rand will learn much about his previous lives and we learn much about the history of the Aiel.

Perrin goes back to the Two Rivers to help his home defend against the ravaging Trollocs,as well as the Children of the Light who have moved into the area. Perrin's actions will be momentous and will end with YellowEyes becoming Lord Perrin (though he seeks no such titles). There is even a marriage, but no spoilers.

Mat follows Rand into the Wastes and emerges with a fluency in the Old Tongue, the memories of his own ancestors, a spear called an ashandarei, and a medallion ter'angreal that protects against the One Power.

The Aes Sedai also have their adventures, though the most shocking event will be the overthrow of Siuan as the Amyrlin Seat by Red Ajah under the leadership of Elaida. In a strange way it is rather deserving, the Aes Sedai pride themselves on their knowledge and their discipline yet it turns out some of it may have been mere hubris.

But that's enough information. The fourth book of the series was a fun read. The Wheel of Time is truly a massive endeavor and an impressive work of fantasy. I will certainly be interested in reading the rest of this enormous series. Robert Jordan's creativity and imagination was indeed prodigious to have created such a series. Any fantasy fan should read this entire series, as is one of the cornerstones of the fantasy genre.

Never finished it. Arguably the worst thing I tried to read. It took me a while but in this book I realized that "ta'veren" is just a cheap disguise for deus ex machina. Jordan does whatever he wants, handwaves while yelling ta'veren, let's you think the world is pulling all the strings.

This was so bad I didn't do any pleasure reading for 18 months afterwards.

★★★★

The Shadow Rising is supposed to be a long, gruelling read, but the audiobook narration makes it a great listen. More detail about the world, plot progression, character development and a few surprises here and there - I think it pretty much covers what I would expect in Book 4 of a 14 book series.

One annoying part of this book (and probably this series so far) is the gender depiction and stereotyping in this book. There were so many times where I found the characters (particularly the female characters and Matt) irritating and, so many facepalm moments when I can't decide what I would do if there is such a person in my life.