I'm going to have to go against the mold and say that I really found this book to be a real disappointment after Eye of the World. Here is my review:

1. Characters. The characters, aside from Moiraine, really took a downward turn in this novel. Rand, for example, takes a strong downward turn in terms of character and readability.

2. Plot. Although, by necessity, the plot is far more 'loose' (since all the characters are struggling to find their place in the world), at the same time, the plot really seems to slow down. Again, I'll use Rand in this case. Arguably, throughout the book, in spite of being a major viewpoint character, Rand does very little, covers only a decent area of ground, and makes little progress.

I really feel that the book was great. It made me think about a lot of things and it also helped me understand some of the things that happened in the first one. I feel that Rand is actually growing up instead of being a whiny brat and I feel that Egwene and Nynaeve are getting a good deal more time in the spotlight in this one, and that is good. If you haven't read this book then I say read it and the 1st one, and all of them.

I thought this book was really exciting, and it took no time to read it. I thought the part about the Seanchan and the battles was great, and was worried about Mat. I really think you should read this wonderful book.