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“Humankind is made for uncertainty, struggle, choice and change.”
What a book. What a book, and what a series! A total masterpiece of outlining, multi-threading, plotting, suspense, and adventure. Fiery, baroque, and magnificent pages upon pages of condensed, incredibly intricate writing, saturated with an orgy of ideas, meticulousness of characterisation, and precision of the plot.
And these ideas, and these delicious plot twists, these intrigues and schemes. If you think you know what to expect, reading this book will be like going on a tricycle through a minefield. Worlds, sub-worlds and alt-worlds, humans and humanoids, multiple locations connected in the most impossible ways. Words cannot convey my delight or my exaltation. Only now, after the three-book long prologue, one can really see and admire Mr Jordan’s genius and the gargantuan nature of his Wheel of Time. In the “Shadow Rising,” we can see how well-thought-out, coherent, logical and consistent the presented world is. And again I soaked in the atmosphere of the volume, which is almost without any weaknesses.
Each page, each a sentence, each word has its own weight, e.g. something that was briefly alluded to in the “Eye of the World,” here appears as a fulcrum of events. In a long series, it is important to be careful about all the hidden flavours; in this case, it is necessary because you can find them quite a lot if only you remain attentive. The amazing story of the Aiel origin was the pinnacle for me even though I suspected a connection between them and the Tinkers. The description of the world before the Breaking also struck me with its ingenuity.
In general, this instalment provides tons of answers to questions that have so far remained without any. The action also seems to be even more intense here than in the previous volumes even though there is no climax really, only the ever-increasing tension and the action is moving forward if not slowly, then at a sedate pace (I guess Mr Jordan never thought he needs to hurry).
Four sub-plots lead the way: Rand despite coming to terms with the role he is set to play in the unfolding drama, is still a man who is far from being a leader and he is trying to lead somewhere else than total destruction. However, he needs to learn that he cannot win this battle alone. Perrin fights for what is the most precious for him (and what a fight it is). On the girls’ side, we accompany Elayne’s and Nynaeve’s exploits of Tanchico, and Min’s, pardon me, Elmindreda’s stunts in the White Tower. The other characters are there but remain on the margins. This speaks in favour of the book as the reader does not get lost in ever-changing but is able to focus on the course of events, without fear that there will be a “jump” within a couple of pages.
In all of this, Mr Jordan manages not to bore the reader, not to choke us like the fire can be choked by adding too much wood to it. Quite the opposite, the reader follows several lines in the plot, is anxious about the fate of a multitude of heroes, and everyone is interesting, everyone is alive, and different. There veritable crowds of protagonists in this series, but Mr Jordan devotes his attention to each of them, gives each of them a characteristic feature, everyone has his or hers 5 minutes of the spotlight.
There are some weaknesses, alas. Faile stinks like an unwashed cat litter masked by strong perfume. After ingratiating herself with the group, she has been a constant source of infuriation for me. I simply cannot stand her and her every appearance was like the mixed cat-perfume odour that makes me want to faint and vomit at the same time (with the exception of the scene where Berelain snubbed her nose, so precious!). Then, there is this precarious detiny of man-sharing and especially Min’s predicament: to love somebody against your will?! It is awful. Terrible. Humiliating and totally against my understanding of love as an act of free will (not really an emotion per se). I was also a bit disappointed with how stupid and inept Liandrin and her Black Aajah proved to be days in the palace and nothing achieved?! inconceivable because the two chits had it so easy in return.
Nevertheless, these are just minor (and surely idiosyncratic) points. Despite those, “The Shadow Rising” remains an incredible exemplar of elaborate weaving of all, even the subtlest threads of the story, into a splendid tale. What more could you want? Probably only the next volume.
Also in the series:
1. The Eye of the World ★★★★☆
2. The Great Hunt ★★★★☆
3. The Dragon Reborn ★★★★☆
5. The Fires of Heaven ★★★★☆
6. Lord of Chaos ★★★☆☆
7. A Crown of Swords ★★★☆☆
8. The Path of Daggers ★★★☆☆
9. Winter's Heart ★☆☆☆☆
10. Crossroads of Twilight ★★☆☆☆
11. Knife of Dreams ★★★★☆
12. The Gathering Storm ★★★★☆
13. Towers of Midnight ★★★☆☆
14. A Memory of Light ★★★☆☆
What a book. What a book, and what a series! A total masterpiece of outlining, multi-threading, plotting, suspense, and adventure. Fiery, baroque, and magnificent pages upon pages of condensed, incredibly intricate writing, saturated with an orgy of ideas, meticulousness of characterisation, and precision of the plot.
And these ideas, and these delicious plot twists, these intrigues and schemes. If you think you know what to expect, reading this book will be like going on a tricycle through a minefield. Worlds, sub-worlds and alt-worlds, humans and humanoids, multiple locations connected in the most impossible ways. Words cannot convey my delight or my exaltation. Only now, after the three-book long prologue, one can really see and admire Mr Jordan’s genius and the gargantuan nature of his Wheel of Time. In the “Shadow Rising,” we can see how well-thought-out, coherent, logical and consistent the presented world is. And again I soaked in the atmosphere of the volume, which is almost without any weaknesses.
Each page, each a sentence, each word has its own weight, e.g. something that was briefly alluded to in the “Eye of the World,” here appears as a fulcrum of events. In a long series, it is important to be careful about all the hidden flavours; in this case, it is necessary because you can find them quite a lot if only you remain attentive. The amazing story of the Aiel origin was the pinnacle for me even though I suspected a connection between them and the Tinkers. The description of the world before the Breaking also struck me with its ingenuity.
In general, this instalment provides tons of answers to questions that have so far remained without any. The action also seems to be even more intense here than in the previous volumes even though there is no climax really, only the ever-increasing tension and the action is moving forward if not slowly, then at a sedate pace (I guess Mr Jordan never thought he needs to hurry).
Four sub-plots lead the way: Rand despite coming to terms with the role he is set to play in the unfolding drama, is still a man who is far from being a leader and he is trying to lead somewhere else than total destruction. However, he needs to learn that he cannot win this battle alone. Perrin fights for what is the most precious for him (and what a fight it is). On the girls’ side, we accompany Elayne’s and Nynaeve’s exploits of Tanchico, and Min’s, pardon me, Elmindreda’s stunts in the White Tower. The other characters are there but remain on the margins. This speaks in favour of the book as the reader does not get lost in ever-changing but is able to focus on the course of events, without fear that there will be a “jump” within a couple of pages.
In all of this, Mr Jordan manages not to bore the reader, not to choke us like the fire can be choked by adding too much wood to it. Quite the opposite, the reader follows several lines in the plot, is anxious about the fate of a multitude of heroes, and everyone is interesting, everyone is alive, and different. There veritable crowds of protagonists in this series, but Mr Jordan devotes his attention to each of them, gives each of them a characteristic feature, everyone has his or hers 5 minutes of the spotlight.
There are some weaknesses, alas. Faile stinks like an unwashed cat litter masked by strong perfume. After ingratiating herself with the group, she has been a constant source of infuriation for me. I simply cannot stand her and her every appearance was like the mixed cat-perfume odour that makes me want to faint and vomit at the same time (with the exception of the scene where Berelain snubbed her nose, so precious!). Then, there is this precarious detiny of man-sharing and especially Min’s predicament: to love somebody against your will?! It is awful. Terrible. Humiliating and totally against my understanding of love as an act of free will (not really an emotion per se). I was also a bit disappointed with how stupid and inept Liandrin and her Black Aajah proved to be days in the palace and nothing achieved?! inconceivable because the two chits had it so easy in return.
Nevertheless, these are just minor (and surely idiosyncratic) points. Despite those, “The Shadow Rising” remains an incredible exemplar of elaborate weaving of all, even the subtlest threads of the story, into a splendid tale. What more could you want? Probably only the next volume.
Also in the series:
1. The Eye of the World ★★★★☆
2. The Great Hunt ★★★★☆
3. The Dragon Reborn ★★★★☆
5. The Fires of Heaven ★★★★☆
6. Lord of Chaos ★★★☆☆
7. A Crown of Swords ★★★☆☆
8. The Path of Daggers ★★★☆☆
9. Winter's Heart ★☆☆☆☆
10. Crossroads of Twilight ★★☆☆☆
11. Knife of Dreams ★★★★☆
12. The Gathering Storm ★★★★☆
13. Towers of Midnight ★★★☆☆
14. A Memory of Light ★★★☆☆
