Beautiful, 17 Dec 2008
Just beautiful.
Nope there are no titan wizards which can destroy eight planets with a single word so it's not for everybody.
But I enjoyed the voyage through ice, snow and marshes.
Wonderfull.

I just love this book.

Nothing happens. at all. for six hundred pages., 21 Oct 2008
what a waste of several days reading time. just for anyone who is thinking of buying the book- save time and skip to the last page....nothing happens. you may as well miss this book out completely and go straight to the next one (if it is ever published).
too many sub plots meaning that you move from one character to another every chapter with no feeling of getting anywhere. if you took the number of chapters the main character raif is actually in you wouldhave a thin paperback.
the review of P. Tsaligopoulos says it so much better than i ever could.

Wait for the final volume if have to..., 09 Jun 2008
I distinctly remember the review from SFX prominently on the cover of both the first and the second volume stating: "Fabulous, a trilogy which is ...blah-blah". Well, it is gone from the third volume. After more than 600 boring pages, it turns out this isn't a trilogy. It is probably going to milk fans for every cent they've got to spare, like Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time and George R.R. Martin's Song Of Ice & Fire.

So, there's one huge disappointment right from the start. But was it worth the read? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Here's the `story' in the third volume (SPOILERS follow - if you could call them spoilers in a non-existing plot)
- Raif walks and walks in the snow. Meets some people. Walks again. Meets other people. Walks again. Finds the sword of Red Ice in the end. Does nothing.
- Vylo's group walks and walks in the snow. They reach a fortress. They stay there.
- Effie paddles and paddles in the river. She reaches the Gray clan. Nothing happens.
- Ash rides and rides in the cold. She meets a stranger Sull. They mate. He tries to kill her and fails. Naysayer finds her. Nothing happens.
- Raina is the only interesting thread, so I won't spoil it.
- Bram rides to Castlemilk. He apprentices but is approached by the rangers to join them. He says yes. It stops there.
- Marafice Eye marches and marches back to Spire Vanis. He reaches it in the end. Nothing happens.
- Baralis is moved from one location to another. He causes a storm. Wow!

My recommendation: DON'T BUY IT. It's a bad book and it is practically stealing your money.


Really good, but somehow unsatisfying, 18 Jan 2008
It seems that most reviewers share the frustration about how long it has taken to bring this third instalment to print (over five years) and this is exacerbated when you realise part-way through the book that it is not the final instalment (for some reason I had always expected a trilogy). In the end it frankly isn't quite a good enough series to keep me hanging on another five years for the next (final?) instalment!

However, there is a great deal about this book that remains top quality. I like the attention invested in the intricacies and nuances of the world. I also enjoyed the gradual emergence of the Sull. But the real triumph continues to be the continued excellent work developing and evolving her characters. There is some real depth added to Raina Blackhail and Vaylo Bludd's stories and an indication that there is much more to come from the likes of Effie and Bram. Each character remains true to their background and experience - emotional responses are natural and behaviour logical and there are no ridiculous leaps of faith.

Regrettably there is almost no interaction between them in this book so their tales feel as though they are fragmenting rather than coalescing for a grand finale. One of the better passages in the book is a stand-off between Bram and Vaylo Bludd, but it is a rare scenario and poorer for it.

In addition, some of the more interesting characters have disappointingly light involvement - mainly I am referring to Angus Lok, but the cast is getting huge so there are several others.

So essentially, this book boils down to five or six almost completely independent streams. Each is quite well done with some beautiful and detailed prose but, as in the second book, a great deal of time is spent describing essentially boring journeys. Effie Sevrance, Marafice Eye, Ash and even Raif are seriously afflicted in this way and it just gets dull on occasions.

So, what to say in summary? Difficult because I like so much and I did, on balance, find it a bit of a page-turner. But in the final evaluation, when I turned that last page it was quite clear that so much more should have been packed in.

More Please, 30 Nov 2007
Well I for one was delighted with sword from red ice. It was a long wait and I had almost given up but to be fair Ms Jones has decided to craft an epic and sadly the reading goes far more quickly that the writing.

I first started with her bakers boy series, and although enjoyable I am truly impressed by the way she has developed her style, plot lines and characterisations. I did not think I would any time soon see another author who could match George rr Martin's talent for crafting vivid memorable epic narratives, but JV is shaping up nicely.

Sadly story telling on this scale inevitably means as readers we have to acquire patience. I personally think it's worth it. (Though ms jones if you could speed it up to at least every 18 months or so I'm sure we would all be very grateful.)

Beautiful, 17 Dec 2008
Just beautiful.
Nope there are no titan wizards which can destroy eight planets with a single word so it's not for everybody.
But I enjoyed the voyage through ice, snow and marshes.
Wonderfull.

I just love this book.

Nothing happens. at all. for six hundred pages., 21 Oct 2008
what a waste of several days reading time. just for anyone who is thinking of buying the book- save time and skip to the last page....nothing happens. you may as well miss this book out completely and go straight to the next one (if it is ever published).
too many sub plots meaning that you move from one character to another every chapter with no feeling of getting anywhere. if you took the number of chapters the main character raif is actually in you wouldhave a thin paperback.
the review of P. Tsaligopoulos says it so much better than i ever could.

Wait for the final volume if have to..., 09 Jun 2008
I distinctly remember the review from SFX prominently on the cover of both the first and the second volume stating: "Fabulous, a trilogy which is ...blah-blah". Well, it is gone from the third volume. After more than 600 boring pages, it turns out this isn't a trilogy. It is probably going to milk fans for every cent they've got to spare, like Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time and George R.R. Martin's Song Of Ice & Fire.

So, there's one huge disappointment right from the start. But was it worth the read? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Here's the `story' in the third volume (SPOILERS follow - if you could call them spoilers in a non-existing plot)
- Raif walks and walks in the snow. Meets some people. Walks again. Meets other people. Walks again. Finds the sword of Red Ice in the end. Does nothing.
- Vylo's group walks and walks in the snow. They reach a fortress. They stay there.
- Effie paddles and paddles in the river. She reaches the Gray clan. Nothing happens.
- Ash rides and rides in the cold. She meets a stranger Sull. They mate. He tries to kill her and fails. Naysayer finds her. Nothing happens.
- Raina is the only interesting thread, so I won't spoil it.
- Bram rides to Castlemilk. He apprentices but is approached by the rangers to join them. He says yes. It stops there.
- Marafice Eye marches and marches back to Spire Vanis. He reaches it in the end. Nothing happens.
- Baralis is moved from one location to another. He causes a storm. Wow!

My recommendation: DON'T BUY IT. It's a bad book and it is practically stealing your money.


Really good, but somehow unsatisfying, 18 Jan 2008
It seems that most reviewers share the frustration about how long it has taken to bring this third instalment to print (over five years) and this is exacerbated when you realise part-way through the book that it is not the final instalment (for some reason I had always expected a trilogy). In the end it frankly isn't quite a good enough series to keep me hanging on another five years for the next (final?) instalment!

However, there is a great deal about this book that remains top quality. I like the attention invested in the intricacies and nuances of the world. I also enjoyed the gradual emergence of the Sull. But the real triumph continues to be the continued excellent work developing and evolving her characters. There is some real depth added to Raina Blackhail and Vaylo Bludd's stories and an indication that there is much more to come from the likes of Effie and Bram. Each character remains true to their background and experience - emotional responses are natural and behaviour logical and there are no ridiculous leaps of faith.

Regrettably there is almost no interaction between them in this book so their tales feel as though they are fragmenting rather than coalescing for a grand finale. One of the better passages in the book is a stand-off between Bram and Vaylo Bludd, but it is a rare scenario and poorer for it.

In addition, some of the more interesting characters have disappointingly light involvement - mainly I am referring to Angus Lok, but the cast is getting huge so there are several others.

So essentially, this book boils down to five or six almost completely independent streams. Each is quite well done with some beautiful and detailed prose but, as in the second book, a great deal of time is spent describing essentially boring journeys. Effie Sevrance, Marafice Eye, Ash and even Raif are seriously afflicted in this way and it just gets dull on occasions.

So, what to say in summary? Difficult because I like so much and I did, on balance, find it a bit of a page-turner. But in the final evaluation, when I turned that last page it was quite clear that so much more should have been packed in.

More Please, 30 Nov 2007
Well I for one was delighted with sword from red ice. It was a long wait and I had almost given up but to be fair Ms Jones has decided to craft an epic and sadly the reading goes far more quickly that the writing.

I first started with her bakers boy series, and although enjoyable I am truly impressed by the way she has developed her style, plot lines and characterisations. I did not think I would any time soon see another author who could match George rr Martin's talent for crafting vivid memorable epic narratives, but JV is shaping up nicely.

Sadly story telling on this scale inevitably means as readers we have to acquire patience. I personally think it's worth it. (Though ms jones if you could speed it up to at least every 18 months or so I'm sure we would all be very grateful.)


A significant improvement over the first book, 26 Sep 2008
The Great Hunt is the second volume in Robert Jordan's gigantic, rainforest-devastating Wheel of Time series. It was originally published in late 1990 and like the first volume, The Eye of the World, was an immediate big seller.

The story picks up a month or so after The Eye of the World. Rand al'Thor has discovered he can channel the One Power and thus is doomed to go insane and die, wreaking terrible destruction at the same time. Normally it would be the responsibility of the Aes Sedai sisterhood to 'gentle' him, remove his ability to channel, but Rand's Aes Sedai mentor, Moiraine, and the head of the sisterhood, Siuan Sanche, believe that he is the Dragon Reborn, the long-prophesied saviour who will defeat the Dark One at the Last Battle. As such, they have no choice but to let him go free. When the twisted, insane Padan Fain steals the legendary Horn of Valere and the cursed dagger from Shadar Logoth upon which the life of Rand's friend Mat depends, a band of hunters are assembled to track Fain down and reclaim the dagger. Meanwhile, Egwene and Nynaeve travel to Tar Valon to begin their training as Aes Sedai, but find danger lurking even within the walls of the White Tower. In the far west, on Toman Head, rumours speak of the arrival of strangers who apparently use the One Power in battle and use savage beasts in combat, strangers who will not rest until all the lands are under their control...again.

The Great Hunt sees a notable widening of the scope of the world seen in the first book. Whilst the first novel perhaps veered too close to Lord of the Rings' characters and structure to be entirely comfortable, the sequel takes off in a completely different direction. Whilst the series' slightly irritating tendency to be obsessed with 'plot coupons' gets its start here, it does give the book a classical quest structure and deals with the parallel timelines as the core group from the first book gets split up and we follow them separately until their reunion at the end. Jordan also introduces a whole new threat in the form of the Seanchan, a powerful empire ruling a continent beyond the western ocean who now want to reclaim the homeland of their founder (Artur Hawkwing's son). This out-of-left-field threat does an excellent job of shaking things up, whilst the suspicious timing (the Seanchan invasion occurs at the same time the forces of the Shadow are gaining strength in the world) is later revealed as deliberate. The characters are deepened and made more interesting, particularly Rand and Perrin who are shown to grow and change as a result of the revelations they have discovered and the things they have suffered in the first novel. However, we also get to see the Dumb Aes Sedai plot trope get the first of many wearying outings, as Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene get led into a trap which couldn't be any more painfully obvious. Only their relative youth and naivete makes it convincing in this book; the fact that Elayne is still falling for these things as late as Book 11 is rather more dubious.

The Great Hunt (****) is a notable improvement on the first book, taking the world, story and characters in refreshing and interesting new directions. Jordan's mastery of his enormous narrative is evident here, and even a certain economy (not a word normally associated with the verbose Jordan) of plotting can be detected as some major storylines are rattled through in just a few pages (the Seanchan themselves, surprisingly, don't appear until the book is more than halfway done). The novel is published by Orbit in the UK and Tor in the USA, and is followed by The Dragon Reborn.

A good read by WOT standards, 19 May 2008
Many of the characters improve in Book 2, after the rather silly last 200 pages of book 1. It starts with a very edgy prologue, and then is essentially a story of the hunt for the horn. The story starts to get more interesting in the second half as Nynaeve develops as an interesting character. Moiraine plots as always. Rand grapples with his problems. The Seanchan introduction in the last half really improves the book, which is falling into the same sleepy inn / road / town pattern of the first book in the first half.

One criticism with this and the first book is "the ways". I don't really approve a deux au machina which enables characters to reach a certain place in record time, as it seems to be just a substitute for good writing. I understand if others dont share my contempt of this.

amazing!, 07 May 2008
i find it hard not to get to carried away with this series....i forget the difference between reality and the amazing world jordan has created! but it!

Second Book in the Wheel of Time, 31 Dec 2007

Robert Jordan was born in 1948 in Charleston, South Carolina, in a house built in 1797. He was a graduate of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, with a degree in physics. He served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Army; among his decorations are the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with "V", and two Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry. It was the report of his sad death, aged 58 on September 16, 2007 that caused me to look back through his books and in particular the tremendous Wheel of Time series

The Great Hunt is the second book in an adventure that covers thousands of pages, more probably than even the author envisaged. Robert Jordan's series just grew and grew. I loved all of the books and this second one in the series just makes you want more and more. The books themselves are large volumes, several hundred pages each and there are almost a dozen of them, so you can understand the enormity of the task the author had set himself.

Some of the previous reviews reflect the differing tastes of readers. Some say that this epic series went on too long, others loved it and cried for more. I think I was somewhere in between. To me they were what I would call mood books. By that I mean I would read anything up to half a book and then maybe leave it for a while and read something else. Not something I would normally do with a book but with the Wheel of Time books, the plot always seemed to stay fresh in the mind and the thread could be picked up again several days later, or even longer.

One of the problems, if indeed it is a problem is that with such large volumes and such an epic storyline there are bound to be a large number of characters and keeping track of them all is sometimes a problem, but a small price to pay for the enjoyment the books bring to the reader.

building the foundations, 08 Dec 2007
After swiftly reading the first book in the series i quickly ordered my copy from amazon of 'the Great Hunt'. I have read alot of the reviews on this page maintaining that the plot is slow. I never once doubted the pace of the book, it kept me wanting to read more every time i put it down. You get a real sense that Jordan is 'building..' a rich story line which is the foundation for later installments. This was a great follow up to the first book and builds on even better books to come.

Beautiful, 17 Dec 2008
Just beautiful.
Nope there are no titan wizards which can destroy eight planets with a single word so it's not for everybody.
But I enjoyed the voyage through ice, snow and marshes.
Wonderfull.

I just love this book.

Nothing happens. at all. for six hundred pages., 21 Oct 2008
what a waste of several days reading time. just for anyone who is thinking of buying the book- save time and skip to the last page....nothing happens. you may as well miss this book out completely and go straight to the next one (if it is ever published).
too many sub plots meaning that you move from one character to another every chapter with no feeling of getting anywhere. if you took the number of chapters the main character raif is actually in you wouldhave a thin paperback.
the review of P. Tsaligopoulos says it so much better than i ever could.

Wait for the final volume if have to..., 09 Jun 2008
I distinctly remember the review from SFX prominently on the cover of both the first and the second volume stating: "Fabulous, a trilogy which is ...blah-blah". Well, it is gone from the third volume. After more than 600 boring pages, it turns out this isn't a trilogy. It is probably going to milk fans for every cent they've got to spare, like Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time and George R.R. Martin's Song Of Ice & Fire.

So, there's one huge disappointment right from the start. But was it worth the read? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Here's the `story' in the third volume (SPOILERS follow - if you could call them spoilers in a non-existing plot)
- Raif walks and walks in the snow. Meets some people. Walks again. Meets other people. Walks again. Finds the sword of Red Ice in the end. Does nothing.
- Vylo's group walks and walks in the snow. They reach a fortress. They stay there.
- Effie paddles and paddles in the river. She reaches the Gray clan. Nothing happens.
- Ash rides and rides in the cold. She meets a stranger Sull. They mate. He tries to kill her and fails. Naysayer finds her. Nothing happens.
- Raina is the only interesting thread, so I won't spoil it.
- Bram rides to Castlemilk. He apprentices but is approached by the rangers to join them. He says yes. It stops there.
- Marafice Eye marches and marches back to Spire Vanis. He reaches it in the end. Nothing happens.
- Baralis is moved from one location to another. He causes a storm. Wow!

My recommendation: DON'T BUY IT. It's a bad book and it is practically stealing your money.


Really good, but somehow unsatisfying, 18 Jan 2008
It seems that most reviewers share the frustration about how long it has taken to bring this third instalment to print (over five years) and this is exacerbated when you realise part-way through the book that it is not the final instalment (for some reason I had always expected a trilogy). In the end it frankly isn't quite a good enough series to keep me hanging on another five years for the next (final?) instalment!

However, there is a great deal about this book that remains top quality. I like the attention invested in the intricacies and nuances of the world. I also enjoyed the gradual emergence of the Sull. But the real triumph continues to be the continued excellent work developing and evolving her characters. There is some real depth added to Raina Blackhail and Vaylo Bludd's stories and an indication that there is much more to come from the likes of Effie and Bram. Each character remains true to their background and experience - emotional responses are natural and behaviour logical and there are no ridiculous leaps of faith.

Regrettably there is almost no interaction between them in this book so their tales feel as though they are fragmenting rather than coalescing for a grand finale. One of the better passages in the book is a stand-off between Bram and Vaylo Bludd, but it is a rare scenario and poorer for it.

In addition, some of the more interesting characters have disappointingly light involvement - mainly I am referring to Angus Lok, but the cast is getting huge so there are several others.

So essentially, this book boils down to five or six almost completely independent streams. Each is quite well done with some beautiful and detailed prose but, as in the second book, a great deal of time is spent describing essentially boring journeys. Effie Sevrance, Marafice Eye, Ash and even Raif are seriously afflicted in this way and it just gets dull on occasions.

So, what to say in summary? Difficult because I like so much and I did, on balance, find it a bit of a page-turner. But in the final evaluation, when I turned that last page it was quite clear that so much more should have been packed in.

More Please, 30 Nov 2007
Well I for one was delighted with sword from red ice. It was a long wait and I had almost given up but to be fair Ms Jones has decided to craft an epic and sadly the reading goes far more quickly that the writing.

I first started with her bakers boy series, and although enjoyable I am truly impressed by the way she has developed her style, plot lines and characterisations. I did not think I would any time soon see another author who could match George rr Martin's talent for crafting vivid memorable epic narratives, but JV is shaping up nicely.

Sadly story telling on this scale inevitably means as readers we have to acquire patience. I personally think it's worth it. (Though ms jones if you could speed it up to at least every 18 months or so I'm sure we would all be very grateful.)


A significant improvement over the first book, 26 Sep 2008
The Great Hunt is the second volume in Robert Jordan's gigantic, rainforest-devastating Wheel of Time series. It was originally published in late 1990 and like the first volume, The Eye of the World, was an immediate big seller.

The story picks up a month or so after The Eye of the World. Rand al'Thor has discovered he can channel the One Power and thus is doomed to go insane and die, wreaking terrible destruction at the same time. Normally it would be the responsibility of the Aes Sedai sisterhood to 'gentle' him, remove his ability to channel, but Rand's Aes Sedai mentor, Moiraine, and the head of the sisterhood, Siuan Sanche, believe that he is the Dragon Reborn, the long-prophesied saviour who will defeat the Dark One at the Last Battle. As such, they have no choice but to let him go free. When the twisted, insane Padan Fain steals the legendary Horn of Valere and the cursed dagger from Shadar Logoth upon which the life of Rand's friend Mat depends, a band of hunters are assembled to track Fain down and reclaim the dagger. Meanwhile, Egwene and Nynaeve travel to Tar Valon to begin their training as Aes Sedai, but find danger lurking even within the walls of the White Tower. In the far west, on Toman Head, rumours speak of the arrival of strangers who apparently use the One Power in battle and use savage beasts in combat, strangers who will not rest until all the lands are under their control...again.

The Great Hunt sees a notable widening of the scope of the world seen in the first book. Whilst the first novel perhaps veered too close to Lord of the Rings' characters and structure to be entirely comfortable, the sequel takes off in a completely different direction. Whilst the series' slightly irritating tendency to be obsessed with 'plot coupons' gets its start here, it does give the book a classical quest structure and deals with the parallel timelines as the core group from the first book gets split up and we follow them separately until their reunion at the end. Jordan also introduces a whole new threat in the form of the Seanchan, a powerful empire ruling a continent beyond the western ocean who now want to reclaim the homeland of their founder (Artur Hawkwing's son). This out-of-left-field threat does an excellent job of shaking things up, whilst the suspicious timing (the Seanchan invasion occurs at the same time the forces of the Shadow are gaining strength in the world) is later revealed as deliberate. The characters are deepened and made more interesting, particularly Rand and Perrin who are shown to grow and change as a result of the revelations they have discovered and the things they have suffered in the first novel. However, we also get to see the Dumb Aes Sedai plot trope get the first of many wearying outings, as Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene get led into a trap which couldn't be any more painfully obvious. Only their relative youth and naivete makes it convincing in this book; the fact that Elayne is still falling for these things as late as Book 11 is rather more dubious.

The Great Hunt (****) is a notable improvement on the first book, taking the world, story and characters in refreshing and interesting new directions. Jordan's mastery of his enormous narrative is evident here, and even a certain economy (not a word normally associated with the verbose Jordan) of plotting can be detected as some major storylines are rattled through in just a few pages (the Seanchan themselves, surprisingly, don't appear until the book is more than halfway done). The novel is published by Orbit in the UK and Tor in the USA, and is followed by The Dragon Reborn.

A good read by WOT standards, 19 May 2008
Many of the characters improve in Book 2, after the rather silly last 200 pages of book 1. It starts with a very edgy prologue, and then is essentially a story of the hunt for the horn. The story starts to get more interesting in the second half as Nynaeve develops as an interesting character. Moiraine plots as always. Rand grapples with his problems. The Seanchan introduction in the last half really improves the book, which is falling into the same sleepy inn / road / town pattern of the first book in the first half.

One criticism with this and the first book is "the ways". I don't really approve a deux au machina which enables characters to reach a certain place in record time, as it seems to be just a substitute for good writing. I understand if others dont share my contempt of this.

amazing!, 07 May 2008
i find it hard not to get to carried away with this series....i forget the difference between reality and the amazing world jordan has created! but it!

Second Book in the Wheel of Time, 31 Dec 2007

Robert Jordan was born in 1948 in Charleston, South Carolina, in a house built in 1797. He was a graduate of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, with a degree in physics. He served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Army; among his decorations are the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with "V", and two Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry. It was the report of his sad death, aged 58 on September 16, 2007 that caused me to look back through his books and in particular the tremendous Wheel of Time series

The Great Hunt is the second book in an adventure that covers thousands of pages, more probably than even the author envisaged. Robert Jordan's series just grew and grew. I loved all of the books and this second one in the series just makes you want more and more. The books themselves are large volumes, several hundred pages each and there are almost a dozen of them, so you can understand the enormity of the task the author had set himself.

Some of the previous reviews reflect the differing tastes of readers. Some say that this epic series went on too long, others loved it and cried for more. I think I was somewhere in between. To me they were what I would call mood books. By that I mean I would read anything up to half a book and then maybe leave it for a while and read something else. Not something I would normally do with a book but with the Wheel of Time books, the plot always seemed to stay fresh in the mind and the thread could be picked up again several days later, or even longer.

One of the problems, if indeed it is a problem is that with such large volumes and such an epic storyline there are bound to be a large number of characters and keeping track of them all is sometimes a problem, but a small price to pay for the enjoyment the books bring to the reader.

building the foundations, 08 Dec 2007
After swiftly reading the first book in the series i quickly ordered my copy from amazon of 'the Great Hunt'. I have read alot of the reviews on this page maintaining that the plot is slow. I never once doubted the pace of the book, it kept me wanting to read more every time i put it down. You get a real sense that Jordan is 'building..' a rich story line which is the foundation for later installments. This was a great follow up to the first book and builds on even better books to come.

amazing, 07 May 2008
i find it hard not to get to carried away with this series....i forget the difference between reality and the amazing world jordan has created! but it!

Lengthy and diverse, 28 Dec 2007
The Shadow Rising is definitely a book divided in to thirds. The first few hundred pages expertly entwines the build up of this chapter with a summary of the last three books. There is then a further, less pacey section with deals with culture, exploration of new content in the form of dreamscapes and the further definition of the Forsaken, the minions of evil. This middle section is tough going and before the action gets going another four hundred pages have passed. The final third, a siege, a daring infiltration and a clash of culture are all well crafted and ensure the first two thirds are well spent. Many of the main plot lines are closed, with a myriad of new paths created to ensure the fifth instalment is eagerly sought out. Overall, Shadow Rising is a competent entry in the series, but it is too long, with content that could be presented in a more slick fashion.

A must read for all sci fi/fantasy lovers , 10 Sep 2007
this is an amazing series that takes the reader into a completly different world, as impressive as Tolkein's middle earth this series introduce's Jordan's great talent. A must read for all sci fi/fantasy lovers!

Undoubtedly the most intricate fantasy world ever created., 03 Jul 2007
What Tolkein had only begun to achieve in LOTR - to construct a whole other world - Robert Jordan is fulfilling in grand style. Whereas Tolkein told a rather tight, focused story of a relatively small group of people, whose adventures take different paths through various landscapes, hinting at the histories and cultures he envisions, Jordan's vision is much more sprawling and complete; taking in an entire continent, intricately constructing countries and peoples, with their individual customs, beliefs and politics. This can ultimately lead to an overload of information at times; the sheer number of characters you need to keep track of is staggering, and although Jordan's reminders can be sometimes jarringly out of place - no matter how subtle - they are required to keep up with many of the less prominent plot threads.

And the plot development in this book is the best so far, with many of the more prominent characters finally getting a chance to shine without relying heavily of support from those around them, and all the carefully woven elements from the first quarter of the series finally bearing tangible fruit. In many places, Jordan manages a hat trick of not only extending the history and canonical lore of the world even further whilst simultaneously progressing the storyline, but at the same time threads in information and characters which you just know are going to open up even more of the same in later chapters and books.

The pace of the book is fantastic; Jordan manages to thread the narrative skilfully throughout, whilst keeping the action flowing in a strong, steady stream, making sure there's always something to keep you reading - almost all of the time, at least.

One of the few flaws of book 4 is that some of the more obtuse subplots do tend to receive an seemingly unnecessary amount of attention. Whilst all the extra background will doubtless come into play in later books, reading through large chunks set aside from any of the main plot lines or characters can feel like a bit of a slog sometimes.

I would have to say that book 4 has been my favourite so far, with not only the characters becoming much stronger, but also the way that all the information scattered throughout the first three books is being pulled into a rich tapestry serving as the backdrop to a story that can be called nothing less than epic.

Brilliant!, 26 Jul 2006
If you enjoyed the first 3 books you will love this one, provided you take the time and effort. There is lots of travelling of the characters throughout the book which can get a bit tedious, but the excitement of the battles and comfrontations of the characters more than makes up for it. The plot is more equally divided than in the previous books with chapters from the points of view from all the major characters. I particularly thought the hunt for the black ajah was the most exciting part of the book and jordan has developed the ladies Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene making them more like aes sedai with each chapter in their way of thinking and giving them more independence than before.

Beautiful, 17 Dec 2008
Just beautiful.
Nope there are no titan wizards which can destroy eight planets with a single word so it's not for everybody.
But I enjoyed the voyage through ice, snow and marshes.
Wonderfull.

I just love this book.

Nothing happens. at all. for six hundred pages., 21 Oct 2008
what a waste of several days reading time. just for anyone who is thinking of buying the book- save time and skip to the last page....nothing happens. you may as well miss this book out completely and go straight to the next one (if it is ever published).
too many sub plots meaning that you move from one character to another every chapter with no feeling of getting anywhere. if you took the number of chapters the main character raif is actually in you wouldhave a thin paperback.
the review of P. Tsaligopoulos says it so much better than i ever could.

Wait for the final volume if have to..., 09 Jun 2008
I distinctly remember the review from SFX prominently on the cover of both the first and the second volume stating: "Fabulous, a trilogy which is ...blah-blah". Well, it is gone from the third volume. After more than 600 boring pages, it turns out this isn't a trilogy. It is probably going to milk fans for every cent they've got to spare, like Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time and George R.R. Martin's Song Of Ice & Fire.

So, there's one huge disappointment right from the start. But was it worth the read? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Here's the `story' in the third volume (SPOILERS follow - if you could call them spoilers in a non-existing plot)
- Raif walks and walks in the snow. Meets some people. Walks again. Meets other people. Walks again. Finds the sword of Red Ice in the end. Does nothing.
- Vylo's group walks and walks in the snow. They reach a fortress. They stay there.
- Effie paddles and paddles in the river. She reaches the Gray clan. Nothing happens.
- Ash rides and rides in the cold. She meets a stranger Sull. They mate. He tries to kill her and fails. Naysayer finds her. Nothing happens.
- Raina is the only interesting thread, so I won't spoil it.
- Bram rides to Castlemilk. He apprentices but is approached by the rangers to join them. He says yes. It stops there.
- Marafice Eye marches and marches back to Spire Vanis. He reaches it in the end. Nothing happens.
- Baralis is moved from one location to another. He causes a storm. Wow!

My recommendation: DON'T BUY IT. It's a bad book and it is practically stealing your money.


Really good, but somehow unsatisfying, 18 Jan 2008
It seems that most reviewers share the frustration about how long it has taken to bring this third instalment to print (over five years) and this is exacerbated when you realise part-way through the book that it is not the final instalment (for some reason I had always expected a trilogy). In the end it frankly isn't quite a good enough series to keep me hanging on another five years for the next (final?) instalment!

However, there is a great deal about this book that remains top quality. I like the attention invested in the intricacies and nuances of the world. I also enjoyed the gradual emergence of the Sull. But the real triumph continues to be the continued excellent work developing and evolving her characters. There is some real depth added to Raina Blackhail and Vaylo Bludd's stories and an indication that there is much more to come from the likes of Effie and Bram. Each character remains true to their background and experience - emotional responses are natural and behaviour logical and there are no ridiculous leaps of faith.

Regrettably there is almost no interaction between them in this book so their tales feel as though they are fragmenting rather than coalescing for a grand finale. One of the better passages in the book is a stand-off between Bram and Vaylo Bludd, but it is a rare scenario and poorer for it.

In addition, some of the more interesting characters have disappointingly light involvement - mainly I am referring to Angus Lok, but the cast is getting huge so there are several others.

So essentially, this book boils down to five or six almost completely independent streams. Each is quite well done with some beautiful and detailed prose but, as in the second book, a great deal of time is spent describing essentially boring journeys. Effie Sevrance, Marafice Eye, Ash and even Raif are seriously afflicted in this way and it just gets dull on occasions.

So, what to say in summary? Difficult because I like so much and I did, on balance, find it a bit of a page-turner. But in the final evaluation, when I turned that last page it was quite clear that so much more should have been packed in.

More Please, 30 Nov 2007
Well I for one was delighted with sword from red ice. It was a long wait and I had almost given up but to be fair Ms Jones has decided to craft an epic and sadly the reading goes far more quickly that the writing.

I first started with her bakers boy series, and although enjoyable I am truly impressed by the way she has developed her style, plot lines and characterisations. I did not think I would any time soon see another author who could match George rr Martin's talent for crafting vivid memorable epic narratives, but JV is shaping up nicely.

Sadly story telling on this scale inevitably means as readers we have to acquire patience. I personally think it's worth it. (Though ms jones if you could speed it up to at least every 18 months or so I'm sure we would all be very grateful.)


A significant improvement over the first book, 26 Sep 2008
The Great Hunt is the second volume in Robert Jordan's gigantic, rainforest-devastating Wheel of Time series. It was originally published in late 1990 and like the first volume, The Eye of the World, was an immediate big seller.

The story picks up a month or so after The Eye of the World. Rand al'Thor has discovered he can channel the One Power and thus is doomed to go insane and die, wreaking terrible destruction at the same time. Normally it would be the responsibility of the Aes Sedai sisterhood to 'gentle' him, remove his ability to channel, but Rand's Aes Sedai mentor, Moiraine, and the head of the sisterhood, Siuan Sanche, believe that he is the Dragon Reborn, the long-prophesied saviour who will defeat the Dark One at the Last Battle. As such, they have no choice but to let him go free. When the twisted, insane Padan Fain steals the legendary Horn of Valere and the cursed dagger from Shadar Logoth upon which the life of Rand's friend Mat depends, a band of hunters are assembled to track Fain down and reclaim the dagger. Meanwhile, Egwene and Nynaeve travel to Tar Valon to begin their training as Aes Sedai, but find danger lurking even within the walls of the White Tower. In the far west, on Toman Head, rumours speak of the arrival of strangers who apparently use the One Power in battle and use savage beasts in combat, strangers who will not rest until all the lands are under their control...again.

The Great Hunt sees a notable widening of the scope of the world seen in the first book. Whilst the first novel perhaps veered too close to Lord of the Rings' characters and structure to be entirely comfortable, the sequel takes off in a completely different direction. Whilst the series' slightly irritating tendency to be obsessed with 'plot coupons' gets its start here, it does give the book a classical quest structure and deals with the parallel timelines as the core group from the first book gets split up and we follow them separately until their reunion at the end. Jordan also introduces a whole new threat in the form of the Seanchan, a powerful empire ruling a continent beyond the western ocean who now want to reclaim the homeland of their founder (Artur Hawkwing's son). This out-of-left-field threat does an excellent job of shaking things up, whilst the suspicious timing (the Seanchan invasion occurs at the same time the forces of the Shadow are gaining strength in the world) is later revealed as deliberate. The characters are deepened and made more interesting, particularly Rand and Perrin who are shown to grow and change as a result of the revelations they have discovered and the things they have suffered in the first novel. However, we also get to see the Dumb Aes Sedai plot trope get the first of many wearying outings, as Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene get led into a trap which couldn't be any more painfully obvious. Only their relative youth and naivete makes it convincing in this book; the fact that Elayne is still falling for these things as late as Book 11 is rather more dubious.

The Great Hunt (****) is a notable improvement on the first book, taking the world, story and characters in refreshing and interesting new directions. Jordan's mastery of his enormous narrative is evident here, and even a certain economy (not a word normally associated with the verbose Jordan) of plotting can be detected as some major storylines are rattled through in just a few pages (the Seanchan themselves, surprisingly, don't appear until the book is more than halfway done). The novel is published by Orbit in the UK and Tor in the USA, and is followed by The Dragon Reborn.

A good read by WOT standards, 19 May 2008
Many of the characters improve in Book 2, after the rather silly last 200 pages of book 1. It starts with a very edgy prologue, and then is essentially a story of the hunt for the horn. The story starts to get more interesting in the second half as Nynaeve develops as an interesting character. Moiraine plots as always. Rand grapples with his problems. The Seanchan introduction in the last half really improves the book, which is falling into the same sleepy inn / road / town pattern of the first book in the first half.

One criticism with this and the first book is "the ways". I don't really approve a deux au machina which enables characters to reach a certain place in record time, as it seems to be just a substitute for good writing. I understand if others dont share my contempt of this.

amazing!, 07 May 2008
i find it hard not to get to carried away with this series....i forget the difference between reality and the amazing world jordan has created! but it!

Second Book in the Wheel of Time, 31 Dec 2007

Robert Jordan was born in 1948 in Charleston, South Carolina, in a house built in 1797. He was a graduate of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, with a degree in physics. He served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Army; among his decorations are the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with "V", and two Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry. It was the report of his sad death, aged 58 on September 16, 2007 that caused me to look back through his books and in particular the tremendous Wheel of Time series

The Great Hunt is the second book in an adventure that covers thousands of pages, more probably than even the author envisaged. Robert Jordan's series just grew and grew. I loved all of the books and this second one in the series just makes you want more and more. The books themselves are large volumes, several hundred pages each and there are almost a dozen of them, so you can understand the enormity of the task the author had set himself.

Some of the previous reviews reflect the differing tastes of readers. Some say that this epic series went on too long, others loved it and cried for more. I think I was somewhere in between. To me they were what I would call mood books. By that I mean I would read anything up to half a book and then maybe leave it for a while and read something else. Not something I would normally do with a book but with the Wheel of Time books, the plot always seemed to stay fresh in the mind and the thread could be picked up again several days later, or even longer.

One of the problems, if indeed it is a problem is that with such large volumes and such an epic storyline there are bound to be a large number of characters and keeping track of them all is sometimes a problem, but a small price to pay for the enjoyment the books bring to the reader.

building the foundations, 08 Dec 2007
After swiftly reading the first book in the series i quickly ordered my copy from amazon of 'the Great Hunt'. I have read alot of the reviews on this page maintaining that the plot is slow. I never once doubted the pace of the book, it kept me wanting to read more every time i put it down. You get a real sense that Jordan is 'building..' a rich story line which is the foundation for later installments. This was a great follow up to the first book and builds on even better books to come.

amazing, 07 May 2008
i find it hard not to get to carried away with this series....i forget the difference between reality and the amazing world jordan has created! but it!

Lengthy and diverse, 28 Dec 2007
The Shadow Rising is definitely a book divided in to thirds. The first few hundred pages expertly entwines the build up of this chapter with a summary of the last three books. There is then a further, less pacey section with deals with culture, exploration of new content in the form of dreamscapes and the further definition of the Forsaken, the minions of evil. This middle section is tough going and before the action gets going another four hundred pages have passed. The final third, a siege, a daring infiltration and a clash of culture are all well crafted and ensure the first two thirds are well spent. Many of the main plot lines are closed, with a myriad of new paths created to ensure the fifth instalment is eagerly sought out. Overall, Shadow Rising is a competent entry in the series, but it is too long, with content that could be presented in a more slick fashion.

A must read for all sci fi/fantasy lovers , 10 Sep 2007
this is an amazing series that takes the reader into a completly different world, as impressive as Tolkein's middle earth this series introduce's Jordan's great talent. A must read for all sci fi/fantasy lovers!

Undoubtedly the most intricate fantasy world ever created., 03 Jul 2007
What Tolkein had only begun to achieve in LOTR - to construct a whole other world - Robert Jordan is fulfilling in grand style. Whereas Tolkein told a rather tight, focused story of a relatively small group of people, whose adventures take different paths through various landscapes, hinting at the histories and cultures he envisions, Jordan's vision is much more sprawling and complete; taking in an entire continent, intricately constructing countries and peoples, with their individual customs, beliefs and politics. This can ultimately lead to an overload of information at times; the sheer number of characters you need to keep track of is staggering, and although Jordan's reminders can be sometimes jarringly out of place - no matter how subtle - they are required to keep up with many of the less prominent plot threads.

And the plot development in this book is the best so far, with many of the more prominent characters finally getting a chance to shine without relying heavily of support from those around them, and all the carefully woven elements from the first quarter of the series finally bearing tangible fruit. In many places, Jordan manages a hat trick of not only extending the history and canonical lore of the world even further whilst simultaneously progressing the storyline, but at the same time threads in information and characters which you just know are going to open up even more of the same in later chapters and books.

The pace of the book is fantastic; Jordan manages to thread the narrative skilfully throughout, whilst keeping the action flowing in a strong, steady stream, making sure there's always something to keep you reading - almost all of the time, at least.

One of the few flaws of book 4 is that some of the more obtuse subplots do tend to receive an seemingly unnecessary amount of attention. Whilst all the extra background will doubtless come into play in later books, reading through large chunks set aside from any of the main plot lines or characters can feel like a bit of a slog sometimes.

I would have to say that book 4 has been my favourite so far, with not only the characters becoming much stronger, but also the way that all the information scattered throughout the first three books is being pulled into a rich tapestry serving as the backdrop to a story that can be called nothing less than epic.

Brilliant!, 26 Jul 2006
If you enjoyed the first 3 books you will love this one, provided you take the time and effort. There is lots of travelling of the characters throughout the book which can get a bit tedious, but the excitement of the battles and comfrontations of the characters more than makes up for it. The plot is more equally divided than in the previous books with chapters from the points of view from all the major characters. I particularly thought the hunt for the black ajah was the most exciting part of the book and jordan has developed the ladies Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene making them more like aes sedai with each chapter in their way of thinking and giving them more independence than before.

just hold out!, 30 Aug 2008
the first half of the book is a necassary slow which you have to read to understand goings-ons later in the book! but seriously, just hold out because the last half of the book is spectacular which is why i've given this a five star!

RIP Jordan and thanks again!

Brilliant Book, 01 Nov 2005
This is a brilliant book. Rand is the dragon reborn fated to fight Shai'tan(the dark one) at the last battle. He is the reincarnated spirit of Lews Therrin Telamon(the Dragon) who was a male Aes Sedai that could wield the male half of the one power, Sadin, in the age of Legends.
Now Sadin is tainted by the dark one and all who use it are destined to go mad. it is Rand's to save the world and then destroy it.
Moraine has Disappeared after a battle with Lanfear. Egwene is summoned to the Rebel White Tower and Min reaches Rand. Perrin feels the tug of ta'vern pulling him to Rand and an Embassy is sent to Rand.

An Fantasy Epic, 19 Mar 2004
The sixth book in the wheel of time series is an excellent addition to the series but it is also the first book in the series in which the major plot lines fail to reach a suitable end point. Right through to book 10 the major plot lines are now out of sync with the length of a book, which is most unsatifying when you finish a book and have to wait for another to be published. Despite this the story remains very interesting. Events in book 6 begin to expand the epic, telling the story of a number of increasingly important supporting characters. This contributes to the size of this book, diluting some staggering events with slower tempo passages. However, the ending is simply one of the best scenes within the Wheel of time and is what really brings this book together.

Fairly slow, but with a spectacular payoff., 08 Mar 2004
The sixth book of The Wheel of Time takes us deep into the second act of this massive story, with the transition to a more political-oriented narrative continuing apace. Lord of Chaos is one of the more divisive books in the series, with fans praising its deeper exploration of ideas and intrigue, whilst critics bemoan the slow pace of the book compared to earlier volumes.

The kingdoms of Cairhien, Mayene and Tear are now sworn to the Dragon Reborn, and a successful raid on Caemlyn, capital of Andor, has seen that city fall to his forces as well. Several of the Forsaken, the most powerful servants of the Dark One, have been slain and Rand's successes look like they will continue unabated. In the south, he is assembling a vast army to send against the Forsaken Sammael in his stronghold of Illian, whilst the Aes Sedai remain divided on how to proceed with him. However, Rand's announcement of an amnesty for men who can channel has shocked the world, for all male channellers of the One Power are doomed to go mad and die, wreaking havoc as they go, and some of his enemies are prepared to move against him before that can be allowed to happen.

The theme of the sixth book in The Wheel of Time is consolidation. Rand's forces have absorbed vast amounts of territory, but before he can resume his campaign he must secure that which he holds already. With scheming against him in Andor and Cairhien underway and an outright rebellion going on in Tear, this proves a difficult task. Rand also has to find a way of dealing with both factions of the Aes Sedai, an undertaking fraught with peril. His companions also have their own problems to deal with: Perrin must prove his worthiness to his wife's parents, Mat has to deal with the issues of becoming a general, and Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve have complex currents to negotiate amongst the rebel Aes Sedai. Even Pedron Niall, commander of the Children of the Light, has significant problems he has to overcome in both his own ranks and his dealings with the displaced Queen of Andor, whilst the surviving Forsaken scheme incessantly against one another.

The problem with this kind of stock-taking is that it is hard to work up a dramatic story about it. Instead, you end up with lots and lots of talk. Characters sitting around talking about the plot, about what has already happened and what they think might happen in the future. That's when they are not engaged in increasingly tedious and infantile discussions about male-female relations, which by this volume are starting to get a mite repetitive. The politicking and intrigue is fine as far as it goes (although fans of GRRM or Bakker may find it a bit on the shallow and simplistic side), but you do need a bit more to spice the book up. There's some fine, atmospheric interludes in the book, such as Rand taking a brief sojourn in the desolate, cursed city of Shadar Logoth, but overall the novel has serious pacing issues. Simply put, this is a 1,000-page book in which not a lot happens for the first three-quarters of it.

Towards the end, however, the pace starts to lift quite noticeably as Rand's attempts to play the two Aes Sedai factions off against one another backfire spectacularly and some of the most surprising events in the entire series take place, culminating in a massive battle at the spring of Dumai's Wells in which Jordan's sometimes-variable skills at depicting action, drama and the ability to tie together disparate storylines are put to their best effect. This late burst of action sequences and confrontations is extremely effective, and Dumai's Wells often tops readers' polls as the most satisfying moment of the entire series to date, with some fine moments right at the end of the book which hint at much greater things to come.

Lord of Chaos (****) is a sedentary novel where events unfold slowly, but do succeed in laying the groundwork for the spectacular and satisfying concluding section of the book. I suspect many readers will be put off by the slow pace, but I found the payoff to be more than worth it. The novel is available in the UK from Orbit and in the USA from Tor.

Has Jordan lost the plot?, 21 Jul 2003
I have read all previous books in the series at a feverish rate, truly impressed by the quality of the story-telling.
Book 6 is a huge let-down, with most of it given over to pointless scene-setting and recap; only useful for people who have jumped into the series half way through.
Thankfully it's redeemed in the final 3rd, by heart-pounding pace and style that reminded me why I'd stuck with the rest of the book.
I've not given up yet, but I'll move onto Book 7 with both hope and trepidation. Don't let me down Robert!

Beautiful, 17 Dec 2008
Just beautiful.
Nope there are no titan wizards which can destroy eight planets with a single word so it's not for everybody.
But I enjoyed the voyage through ice, snow and marshes.
Wonderfull.

I just love this book.

Nothing happens. at all. for six hundred pages., 21 Oct 2008
what a waste of several days reading time. just for anyone who is thinking of buying the book- save time and skip to the last page....nothing happens. you may as well miss this book out completely and go straight to the next one (if it is ever published).
too many sub plots meaning that you move from one character to another every chapter with no feeling of getting anywhere. if you took the number of chapters the main character raif is actually in you wouldhave a thin paperback.
the review of P. Tsaligopoulos says it so much better than i ever could.

Wait for the final volume if have to..., 09 Jun 2008
I distinctly remember the review from SFX prominently on the cover of both the first and the second volume stating: "Fabulous, a trilogy which is ...blah-blah". Well, it is gone from the third volume. After more than 600 boring pages, it turns out this isn't a trilogy. It is probably going to milk fans for every cent they've got to spare, like Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time and George R.R. Martin's Song Of Ice & Fire.

So, there's one huge disappointment right from the start. But was it worth the read? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Here's the `story' in the third volume (SPOILERS follow - if you could call them spoilers in a non-existing plot)
- Raif walks and walks in the snow. Meets some people. Walks again. Meets other people. Walks again. Finds the sword of Red Ice in the end. Does nothing.
- Vylo's group walks and walks in the snow. They reach a fortress. They stay there.
- Effie paddles and paddles in the river. She reaches the Gray clan. Nothing happens.
- Ash rides and rides in the cold. She meets a stranger Sull. They mate. He tries to kill her and fails. Naysayer finds her. Nothing happens.
- Raina is the only interesting thread, so I won't spoil it.
- Bram rides to Castlemilk. He apprentices but is approached by the rangers to join them. He says yes. It stops there.
- Marafice Eye marches and marches back to Spire Vanis. He reaches it in the end. Nothing happens.
- Baralis is moved from one location to another. He causes a storm. Wow!

My recommendation: DON'T BUY IT. It's a bad book and it is practically stealing your money.


Really good, but somehow unsatisfying, 18 Jan 2008
It seems that most reviewers share the frustration about how long it has taken to bring this third instalment to print (over five years) and this is exacerbated when you realise part-way through the book that it is not the final instalment (for some reason I had always expected a trilogy). In the end it frankly isn't quite a good enough series to keep me hanging on another five years for the next (final?) instalment!

However, there is a great deal about this book that remains top quality. I like the attention invested in the intricacies and nuances of the world. I also enjoyed the gradual emergence of the Sull. But the real triumph continues to be the continued excellent work developing and evolving her characters. There is some real depth added to Raina Blackhail and Vaylo Bludd's stories and an indication that there is much more to come from the likes of Effie and Bram. Each character remains true to their background and experience - emotional responses are natural and behaviour logical and there are no ridiculous leaps of faith.

Regrettably there is almost no interaction between them in this book so their tales feel as though they are fragmenting rather than coalescing for a grand finale. One of the better passages in the book is a stand-off between Bram and Vaylo Bludd, but it is a rare scenario and poorer for it.

In addition, some of the more interesting characters have disappointingly light involvement - mainly I am referring to Angus Lok, but the cast is getting huge so there are several others.

So essentially, this book boils down to five or six almost completely independent streams. Each is quite well done with some beautiful and detailed prose but, as in the second book, a great deal of time is spent describing essentially boring journeys. Effie Sevrance, Marafice Eye, Ash and even Raif are seriously afflicted in this way and it just gets dull on occasions.

So, what to say in summary? Difficult because I like so much and I did, on balance, find it a bit of a page-turner. But in the final evaluation, when I turned that last page it was quite clear that so much more should have been packed in.

More Please, 30 Nov 2007
Well I for one was delighted with sword from red ice. It was a long wait and I had almost given up but to be fair Ms Jones has decided to craft an epic and sadly the reading goes far more quickly that the writing.

I first started with her bakers boy series, and although enjoyable I am truly impressed by the way she has developed her style, plot lines and characterisations. I did not think I would any time soon see another author who could match George rr Martin's talent for crafting vivid memorable epic narratives, but JV is shaping up nicely.

Sadly story telling on this scale inevitably means as readers we have to acquire patience. I personally think it's worth it. (Though ms jones if you could speed it up to at least every 18 months or so I'm sure we would all be very grateful.)


A significant improvement over the first book, 26 Sep 2008
The Great Hunt is the second volume in Robert Jordan's gigantic, rainforest-devastating Wheel of Time series. It was originally published in late 1990 and like the first volume, The Eye of the World, was an immediate big seller.

The story picks up a month or so after The Eye of the World. Rand al'Thor has discovered he can channel the One Power and thus is doomed to go insane and die, wreaking terrible destruction at the same time. Normally it would be the responsibility of the Aes Sedai sisterhood to 'gentle' him, remove his ability to channel, but Rand's Aes Sedai mentor, Moiraine, and the head of the sisterhood, Siuan Sanche, believe that he is the Dragon Reborn, the long-prophesied saviour who will defeat the Dark One at the Last Battle. As such, they have no choice but to let him go free. When the twisted, insane Padan Fain steals the legendary Horn of Valere and the cursed dagger from Shadar Logoth upon which the life of Rand's friend Mat depends, a band of hunters are assembled to track Fain down and reclaim the dagger. Meanwhile, Egwene and Nynaeve travel to Tar Valon to begin their training as Aes Sedai, but find danger lurking even within the walls of the White Tower. In the far west, on Toman Head, rumours speak of the arrival of strangers who apparently use the One Power in battle and use savage beasts in combat, strangers who will not rest until all the lands are under their control...again.

The Great Hunt sees a notable widening of the scope of the world seen in the first book. Whilst the first novel perhaps veered too close to Lord of the Rings' characters and structure to be entirely comfortable, the sequel takes off in a completely different direction. Whilst the series' slightly irritating tendency to be obsessed with 'plot coupons' gets its start here, it does give the book a classical quest structure and deals with the parallel timelines as the core group from the first book gets split up and we follow them separately until their reunion at the end. Jordan also introduces a whole new threat in the form of the Seanchan, a powerful empire ruling a continent beyond the western ocean who now want to reclaim the homeland of their founder (Artur Hawkwing's son). This out-of-left-field threat does an excellent job of shaking things up, whilst the suspicious timing (the Seanchan invasion occurs at the same time the forces of the Shadow are gaining strength in the world) is later revealed as deliberate. The characters are deepened and made more interesting, particularly Rand and Perrin who are shown to grow and change as a result of the revelations they have discovered and the things they have suffered in the first novel. However, we also get to see the Dumb Aes Sedai plot trope get the first of many wearying outings, as Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene get led into a trap which couldn't be any more painfully obvious. Only their relative youth and naivete makes it convincing in this book; the fact that Elayne is still falling for these things as late as Book 11 is rather more dubious.

The Great Hunt (****) is a notable improvement on the first book, taking the world, story and characters in refreshing and interesting new directions. Jordan's mastery of his enormous narrative is evident here, and even a certain economy (not a word normally associated with the verbose Jordan) of plotting can be detected as some major storylines are rattled through in just a few pages (the Seanchan themselves, surprisingly, don't appear until the book is more than halfway done). The novel is published by Orbit in the UK and Tor in the USA, and is followed by The Dragon Reborn.

A good read by WOT standards, 19 May 2008
Many of the characters improve in Book 2, after the rather silly last 200 pages of book 1. It starts with a very edgy prologue, and then is essentially a story of the hunt for the horn. The story starts to get more interesting in the second half as Nynaeve develops as an interesting character. Moiraine plots as always. Rand grapples with his problems. The Seanchan introduction in the last half really improves the book, which is falling into the same sleepy inn / road / town pattern of the first book in the first half.

One criticism with this and the first book is "the ways". I don't really approve a deux au machina which enables characters to reach a certain place in record time, as it seems to be just a substitute for good writing. I understand if others dont share my contempt of this.

amazing!, 07 May 2008
i find it hard not to get to carried away with this series....i forget the difference between reality and the amazing world jordan has created! but it!

Second Book in the Wheel of Time, 31 Dec 2007

Robert Jordan was born in 1948 in Charleston, South Carolina, in a house built in 1797. He was a graduate of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, with a degree in physics. He served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Army; among his decorations are the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with "V", and two Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry. It was the report of his sad death, aged 58 on September 16, 2007 that caused me to look back through his books and in particular the tremendous Wheel of Time series

The Great Hunt is the second book in an adventure that covers thousands of pages, more probably than even the author envisaged. Robert Jordan's series just grew and grew. I loved all of the books and this second one in the series just makes you want more and more. The books themselves are large volumes, several hundred pages each and there are almost a dozen of them, so you can understand the enormity of the task the author had set himself.

Some of the previous reviews reflect the differing tastes of readers. Some say that this epic series went on too long, others loved it and cried for more. I think I was somewhere in between. To me they were what I would call mood books. By that I mean I would read anything up to half a book and then maybe leave it for a while and read something else. Not something I would normally do with a book but with the Wheel of Time books, the plot always seemed to stay fresh in the mind and the thread could be picked up again several days later, or even longer.

One of the problems, if indeed it is a problem is that with such large volumes and such an epic storyline there are bound to be a large number of characters and keeping track of them all is sometimes a problem, but a small price to pay for the enjoyment the books bring to the reader.

building the foundations, 08 Dec 2007
After swiftly reading the first book in the series i quickly ordered my copy from amazon of 'the Great Hunt'. I have read alot of the reviews on this page maintaining that the plot is slow. I never once doubted the pace of the book, it kept me wanting to read more every time i put it down. You get a real sense that Jordan is 'building..' a rich story line which is the foundation for later installments. This was a great follow up to the first book and builds on even better books to come.

amazing, 07 May 2008
i find it hard not to get to carried away with this series....i forget the difference between reality and the amazing world jordan has created! but it!

Lengthy and diverse, 28 Dec 2007
The Shadow Rising is definitely a book divided in to thirds. The first few hundred pages expertly entwines the build up of this chapter with a summary of the last three books. There is then a further, less pacey section with deals with culture, exploration of new content in the form of dreamscapes and the further definition of the Forsaken, the minions of evil. This middle section is tough going and before the action gets going another four hundred pages have passed. The final third, a siege, a daring infiltration and a clash of culture are all well crafted and ensure the first two thirds are well spent. Many of the main plot lines are closed, with a myriad of new paths created to ensure the fifth instalment is eagerly sought out. Overall, Shadow Rising is a competent entry in the series, but it is too long, with content that could be presented in a more slick fashion.

A must read for all sci fi/fantasy lovers , 10 Sep 2007
this is an amazing series that takes the reader into a completly different world, as impressive as Tolkein's middle earth this series introduce's Jordan's great talent. A must read for all sci fi/fantasy lovers!

Undoubtedly the most intricate fantasy world ever created., 03 Jul 2007
What Tolkein had only begun to achieve in LOTR - to construct a whole other world - Robert Jordan is fulfilling in grand style. Whereas Tolkein told a rather tight, focused story of a relatively small group of people, whose adventures take different paths through various landscapes, hinting at the histories and cultures he envisions, Jordan's vision is much more sprawling and complete; taking in an entire continent, intricately constructing countries and peoples, with their individual customs, beliefs and politics. This can ultimately lead to an overload of information at times; the sheer number of characters you need to keep track of is staggering, and although Jordan's reminders can be sometimes jarringly out of place - no matter how subtle - they are required to keep up with many of the less prominent plot threads.

And the plot development in this book is the best so far, with many of the more prominent characters finally getting a chance to shine without relying heavily of support from those around them, and all the carefully woven elements from the first quarter of the series finally bearing tangible fruit. In many places, Jordan manages a hat trick of not only extending the history and canonical lore of the world even further whilst simultaneously progressing the storyline, but at the same time threads in information and characters which you just know are going to open up even more of the same in later chapters and books.

The pace of the book is fantastic; Jordan manages to thread the narrative skilfully throughout, whilst keeping the action flowing in a strong, steady stream, making sure there's always something to keep you reading - almost all of the time, at least.

One of the few flaws of book 4 is that some of the more obtuse subplots do tend to receive an seemingly unnecessary amount of attention. Whilst all the extra background will doubtless come into play in later books, reading through large chunks set aside from any of the main plot lines or characters can feel like a bit of a slog sometimes.

I would have to say that book 4 has been my favourite so far, with not only the characters becoming much stronger, but also the way that all the information scattered throughout the first three books is being pulled into a rich tapestry serving as the backdrop to a story that can be called nothing less than epic.

Brilliant!, 26 Jul 2006
If you enjoyed the first 3 books you will love this one, provided you take the time and effort. There is lots of travelling of the characters throughout the book which can get a bit tedious, but the excitement of the battles and comfrontations of the characters more than makes up for it. The plot is more equally divided than in the previous books with chapters from the points of view from all the major characters. I particularly thought the hunt for the black ajah was the most exciting part of the book and jordan has developed the ladies Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene making them more like aes sedai with each chapter in their way of thinking and giving them more independence than before.

just hold out!, 30 Aug 2008
the first half of the book is a necassary slow which you have to read to understand goings-ons later in the book! but seriously, just hold out because the last half of the book is spectacular which is why i've given this a five star!

RIP Jordan and thanks again!

Brilliant Book, 01 Nov 2005
This is a brilliant book. Rand is the dragon reborn fated to fight Shai'tan(the dark one) at the last battle. He is the reincarnated spirit of Lews Therrin Telamon(the Dragon) who was a male Aes Sedai that could wield the male half of the one power, Sadin, in the age of Legends.
Now Sadin is tainted by the dark one and all who use it are destined to go mad. it is Rand's to save the world and then destroy it.
Moraine has Disappeared after a battle with Lanfear. Egwene is summoned to the Rebel White Tower and Min reaches Rand. Perrin feels the tug of ta'vern pulling him to Rand and an Embassy is sent to Rand.

An Fantasy Epic, 19 Mar 2004
The sixth book in the wheel of time series is an excellent addition to the series but it is also the first book in the series in which the major plot lines fail to reach a suitable end point. Right through to book 10 the major plot lines are now out of sync with the length of a book, which is most unsatifying when you finish a book and have to wait for another to be published. Despite this the story remains very interesting. Events in book 6 begin to expand the epic, telling the story of a number of increasingly important supporting characters. This contributes to the size of this book, diluting some staggering events with slower tempo passages. However, the ending is simply one of the best scenes within the Wheel of time and is what really brings this book together.

Fairly slow, but with a spectacular payoff., 08 Mar 2004
The sixth book of The Wheel of Time takes us deep into the second act of this massive story, with the transition to a more political-oriented narrative continuing apace. Lord of Chaos is one of the more divisive books in the series, with fans praising its deeper exploration of ideas and intrigue, whilst critics bemoan the slow pace of the book compared to earlier volumes.

The kingdoms of Cairhien, Mayene and Tear are now sworn to the Dragon Reborn, and a successful raid on Caemlyn, capital of Andor, has seen that city fall to his forces as well. Several of the Forsaken, the most powerful servants of the Dark One, have been slain and Rand's successes look like they will continue unabated. In the south, he is assembling a vast army to send against the Forsaken Sammael in his stronghold of Illian, whilst the Aes Sedai remain divided on how to proceed with him. However, Rand's announcement of an amnesty for men who can channel has shocked the world, for all male channellers of the One Power are doomed to go mad and die, wreaking havoc as they go, and some of his enemies are prepared to move against him before that can be allowed to happen.

The theme of the sixth book in The Wheel of Time is consolidation. Rand's forces have absorbed vast amounts of territory, but before he can resume his campaign he must secure that which he holds already. With scheming against him in Andor and Cairhien underway and an outright rebellion going on in Tear, this proves a difficult task. Rand also has to find a way of dealing with both factions of the Aes Sedai, an undertaking fraught with peril. His companions also have their own problems to deal with: Perrin must prove his worthiness to his wife's parents, Mat has to deal with the issues of becoming a general, and Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve have complex currents to negotiate amongst the rebel Aes Sedai. Even Pedron Niall, commander of the Children of the Light, has significant problems he has to overcome in both his own ranks and his dealings with the displaced Queen of Andor, whilst the surviving Forsaken scheme incessantly against one another.

The problem with this kind of stock-taking is that it is hard to work up a dramatic story about it. Instead, you end up with lots and lots of talk. Characters sitting around talking about the plot, about what has already happened and what they think might happen in the future. That's when they are not engaged in increasingly tedious and infantile discussions about male-female relations, which by this volume are starting to get a mite repetitive. The politicking and intrigue is fine as far as it goes (although fans of GRRM or Bakker may find it a bit on the shallow and simplistic side), but you do need a bit more to spice the book up. There's some fine, atmospheric interludes in the book, such as Rand taking a brief sojourn in the desolate, cursed city of Shadar Logoth, but overall the novel has serious pacing issues. Simply put, this is a 1,000-page book in which not a lot happens for the first three-quarters of it.

Towards the end, however, the pace starts to lift quite noticeably as Rand's attempts to play the two Aes Sedai factions off against one another backfire spectacularly and some of the most surprising events in the entire series take place, culminating in a massive battle at the spring of Dumai's Wells in which Jordan's sometimes-variable skills at depicting action, drama and the ability to tie together disparate storylines are put to their best effect. This late burst of action sequences and confrontations is extremely effective, and Dumai's Wells often tops readers' polls as the most satisfying moment of the entire series to date, with some fine moments right at the end of the book which hint at much greater things to come.

Lord of Chaos (****) is a sedentary novel where events unfold slowly, but do succeed in laying the groundwork for the spectacular and satisfying concluding section of the book. I suspect many readers will be put off by the slow pace, but I found the payoff to be more than worth it. The novel is available in the UK from Orbit and in the USA from Tor.

Has Jordan lost the plot?, 21 Jul 2003
I have read all previous books in the series at a feverish rate, truly impressed by the quality of the story-telling.
Book 6 is a huge let-down, with most of it given over to pointless scene-setting and recap; only useful for people who have jumped into the series half way through.
Thankfully it's redeemed in the final 3rd, by heart-pounding pace and style that reminded me why I'd stuck with the rest of the book.
I've not given up yet, but I'll move onto Book 7 with both hope and trepidation. Don't let me down Robert!

The best so far, 28 May 2008
This book improves on the previous two in most ways, largely due to the larger role Mat plays in the story. Mat is your stereotypical rogue in some ways but in this book both his powers and his character become more interesting. The worst part about the story is Perrin's meeting of Faile, who turns out to be fairly irritating as had been documented quite well in other reviews. The story moves along at a surprisingly un-Jordanian pace for most of the book, despite a couple of tangents (Perin decides to visit a blacksmith for no particular reason other than some clumsy attempts at symbolism - will he choose the axe or the hammer?)

The few blemishes on an otherwise good book:
1) Unneccessary plot events - three groups sailing with three different captains simultaneously - this is not great where we have Perrin, Faile etc on one boat, Nynaeve Egwene and Elayne on another and Mat and Thom on another still! Try remembering so many characters names at once.
2) Jordan has difficulty writing action / fighting scenes. Therefore he seems to hurry them.
3) Undue influence on the detail of minor characters, and the wrong information. You can learn more about someone from what they say than what they are wearing.
4) Too many "not essential" characters who do not move the plot along

I think most people have a good enough imagination to picture people without getting everything about what they are wearing. This is not the best device for making the imagination work. Also, you get the feeling Jordan has made an excel spreadsheet of all attributes (including clothes) for each character, and therefore he feels the duty to proudly report the fruits of his labours. Also I think coincidence is a good enough literary device, and good writers have spent centuries making minor characters serve multiple roles, rather than having the same experience of meeting 100 different innkeepers who all are relatively similar (in fact I challenge you to tell me offhand any differences between them).

Despite these and many other flaws, this is still a fine work of fiction, and represents the strongest part of the series, which is horribly destined to go downhill after book 6.




amazing!, 07 May 2008
i find it hard not to get to carried away with this series....i forget the difference between reality and the amazing world jordan has created! but it!

Jordan reborn. , 30 May 2007
The 1st book was very good, the 2nd was started by some 150 pages of rubbish only to be followed by higher quality writing than the 1st book and the third has continued in this vein.

This is a great book which is only slightly let down by the speedy conclusion - I guess Jordan got bored.

The best of the three so far.

Dragon Reborn - Part 3, 02 May 2007
Another good read by Jordan but one not without its faults. The main character practically disappears from the entire book and I found the climax, bringing together 3 or 4 main plot lines to be disappointingly underdeveloped. That's not to say it's not enjoyable, but as Jordan spent 600 pages plus getting there, it seems peculiar that the story threads were cut short so suddenly! Rand proclaiming himself to be the Dragon Reborn is the ideal platform for Jordan's excellent desciptive narrative skills to come to the fore; instead we get a few lines, whereas 200 pages back we are fortunate enough to have almost an entire chapter on the workings of the White Tower's kitchens! (Perhaps a slight exaggeration!) This is perhaps something of a 'filler' book between the superior Book 2 -The Great Hunt, and Book 4 but in summary this remains a good book within a great series.

Third time counts for all..., 11 Jul 2006
The Dragon Reborn is the third in the long Wheel of Time series. This one sees the characters as they head towards the Stone of Tear, where Rand al'Thor seeks to claim the legendary Callandor sword; to find whether he really is the Dragon reborn or not.

The third instalment of the series is almost definitely better than its predecessors - the first one being a blatant Lord of the Rings take-on and the second being fairly mundane except for the last part. As usual it is a lengthy book, though if you enjoyed the first two this is definitely one to go for; it holds a more (or should I say more or less) gripping story line and comes to a brilliant climax at the end.

Pro's and con's
+ some excellent "scenes"
+ brilliantly described
- not for the impatient
- some dull sections

Beautiful, 17 Dec 2008
Just beautiful.
Nope there are no titan wizards which can destroy eight planets with a single word so it's not for everybody.
But I enjoyed the voyage through ice, snow and marshes.
Wonderfull.

I just love this book.

Nothing happens. at all. for six hundred pages., 21 Oct 2008
what a waste of several days reading time. just for anyone who is thinking of buying the book- save time and skip to the last page....nothing happens. you may as well miss this book out completely and go straight to the next one (if it is ever published).
too many sub plots meaning that you move from one character to another every chapter with no feeling of getting anywhere. if you took the number of chapters the main character raif is actually in you wouldhave a thin paperback.
the review of P. Tsaligopoulos says it so much better than i ever could.

Wait for the final volume if have to..., 09 Jun 2008
I distinctly remember the review from SFX prominently on the cover of both the first and the second volume stating: "Fabulous, a trilogy which is ...blah-blah". Well, it is gone from the third volume. After more than 600 boring pages, it turns out this isn't a trilogy. It is probably going to milk fans for every cent they've got to spare, like Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time and George R.R. Martin's Song Of Ice & Fire.

So, there's one huge disappointment right from the start. But was it worth the read? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Here's the `story' in the third volume (SPOILERS follow - if you could call them spoilers in a non-existing plot)
- Raif walks and walks in the snow. Meets some people. Walks again. Meets other people. Walks again. Finds the sword of Red Ice in the end. Does nothing.
- Vylo's group walks and walks in the snow. They reach a fortress. They stay there.
- Effie paddles and paddles in the river. She reaches the Gray clan. Nothing happens.
- Ash rides and rides in the cold. She meets a stranger Sull. They mate. He tries to kill her and fails. Naysayer finds her. Nothing happens.
- Raina is the only interesting thread, so I won't spoil it.
- Bram rides to Castlemilk. He apprentices but is approached by the rangers to join them. He says yes. It stops there.
- Marafice Eye marches and marches back to Spire Vanis. He reaches it in the end. Nothing happens.
- Baralis is moved from one location to another. He causes a storm. Wow!

My recommendation: DON'T BUY IT. It's a bad book and it is practically stealing your money.


Really good, but somehow unsatisfying, 18 Jan 2008
It seems that most reviewers share the frustration about how long it has taken to bring this third instalment to print (over five years) and this is exacerbated when you realise part-way through the book that it is not the final instalment (for some reason I had always expected a trilogy). In the end it frankly isn't quite a good enough series to keep me hanging on another five years for the next (final?) instalment!

However, there is a great deal about this book that remains top quality. I like the attention invested in the intricacies and nuances of the world. I also enjoyed the gradual emergence of the Sull. But the real triumph continues to be the continued excellent work developing and evolving her characters. There is some real depth added to Raina Blackhail and Vaylo Bludd's stories and an indication that there is much more to come from the likes of Effie and Bram. Each character remains true to their background and experience - emotional responses are natural and behaviour logical and there are no ridiculous leaps of faith.

Regrettably there is almost no interaction between them in this book so their tales feel as though they are fragmenting rather than coalescing for a grand finale. One of the better passages in the book is a stand-off between Bram and Vaylo Bludd, but it is a rare scenario and poorer for it.

In addition, some of the more interesting characters have disappointingly light involvement - mainly I am referring to Angus Lok, but the cast is getting huge so there are several others.

So essentially, this book boils down to five or six almost completely independent streams. Each is quite well done with some beautiful and detailed prose but, as in the second book, a great deal of time is spent describing essentially boring journeys. Effie Sevrance, Marafice Eye, Ash and even Raif are seriously afflicted in this way and it just gets dull on occasions.

So, what to say in summary? Difficult because I like so much and I did, on balance, find it a bit of a page-turner. But in the final evaluation, when I turned that last page it was quite clear that so much more should have been packed in.

More Please, 30 Nov 2007
Well I for one was delighted with sword from red ice. It was a long wait and I had almost given up but to be fair Ms Jones has decided to craft an epic and sadly the reading goes far more quickly that the writing.

I first started with her bakers boy series, and although enjoyable I am truly impressed by the way she has developed her style, plot lines and characterisations. I did not think I would any time soon see another author who could match George rr Martin's talent for crafting vivid memorable epic narratives, but JV is shaping up nicely.

Sadly story telling on this scale inevitably means as readers we have to acquire patience. I personally think it's worth it. (Though ms jones if you could speed it up to at least every 18 months or so I'm sure we would all be very grateful.)


A significant improvement over the first book, 26 Sep 2008
The Great Hunt is the second volume in Robert Jordan's gigantic, rainforest-devastating Wheel of Time series. It was originally published in late 1990 and like the first volume, The Eye of the World, was an immediate big seller.

The story picks up a month or so after The Eye of the World. Rand al'Thor has discovered he can channel the One Power and thus is doomed to go insane and die, wreaking terrible destruction at the same time. Normally it would be the responsibility of the Aes Sedai sisterhood to 'gentle' him, remove his ability to channel, but Rand's Aes Sedai mentor, Moiraine, and the head of the sisterhood, Siuan Sanche, believe that he is the Dragon Reborn, the long-prophesied saviour who will defeat the Dark One at the Last Battle. As such, they have no choice but to let him go free. When the twisted, insane Padan Fain steals the legendary Horn of Valere and the cursed dagger from Shadar Logoth upon which the life of Rand's friend Mat depends, a band of hunters are assembled to track Fain down and reclaim the dagger. Meanwhile, Egwene and Nynaeve travel to Tar Valon to begin their training as Aes Sedai, but find danger lurking even within the walls of the White Tower. In the far west, on Toman Head, rumours speak of the arrival of strangers who apparently use the One Power in battle and use savage beasts in combat, strangers who will not rest until all the lands are under their control...again.

The Great Hunt sees a notable widening of the scope of the world seen in the first book. Whilst the first novel perhaps veered too close to Lord of the Rings' characters and structure to be entirely comfortable, the sequel takes off in a completely different direction. Whilst the series' slightly irritating tendency to be obsessed with 'plot coupons' gets its start here, it does give the book a classical quest structure and deals with the parallel timelines as the core group from the first book gets split up and we follow them separately until their reunion at the end. Jordan also introduces a whole new threat in the form of the Seanchan, a powerful empire ruling a continent beyond the western ocean who now want to reclaim the homeland of their founder (Artur Hawkwing's son). This out-of-left-field threat does an excellent job of shaking things up, whilst the suspicious timing (the Seanchan invasion occurs at the same time the forces of the Shadow are gaining strength in the world) is later revealed as deliberate. The characters are deepened and made more interesting, particularly Rand and Perrin who are shown to grow and change as a result of the revelations they have discovered and the things they have suffered in the first novel. However, we also get to see the Dumb Aes Sedai plot trope get the first of many wearying outings, as Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene get led into a trap which couldn't be any more painfully obvious. Only their relative youth and naivete makes it convincing in this book; the fact that Elayne is still falling for these things as late as Book 11 is rather more dubious.

The Great Hunt (****) is a notable improvement on the first book, taking the world, story and characters in refreshing and interesting new directions. Jordan's mastery of his enormous narrative is evident here, and even a certain economy (not a word normally associated with the verbose Jordan) of plotting can be detected as some major storylines are rattled through in just a few pages (the Seanchan themselves, surprisingly, don't appear until the book is more than halfway done). The novel is published by Orbit in the UK and Tor in the USA, and is followed by The Dragon Reborn.

A good read by WOT standards, 19 May 2008
Many of the characters improve in Book 2, after the rather silly last 200 pages of book 1. It starts with a very edgy prologue, and then is essentially a story of the hunt for the horn. The story starts to get more interesting in the second half as Nynaeve develops as an interesting character. Moiraine plots as always. Rand grapples with his problems. The Seanchan introduction in the last half really improves the book, which is falling into the same sleepy inn / road / town pattern of the first book in the first half.

One criticism with this and the first book is "the ways". I don't really approve a deux au machina which enables characters to reach a certain place in record time, as it seems to be just a substitute for good writing. I understand if others dont share my contempt of this.

amazing!, 07 May 2008
i find it hard not to get to carried away with this series....i forget the difference between reality and the amazing world jordan has created! but it!

Second Book in the Wheel of Time, 31 Dec 2007

Robert Jordan was born in 1948 in Charleston, South Carolina, in a house built in 1797. He was a graduate of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, with a degree in physics. He served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Army; among his decorations are the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with "V", and two Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry. It was the report of his sad death, aged 58 on September 16, 2007 that caused me to look back through his books and in particular the tremendous Wheel of Time series

The Great