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Submitted by drcook76@earthlink.net
(Dec 23, 2000)Winter's Heart is a step forward for Jordan. The last two books were so boring I can't remember what happened. But this one seems a little better paced. Although he should have skipped the chase with Perrin; and went with the siege at Tar Valon. I really enjoyed the book. I particularly liked how Cadsuane and Rand were included in something more exciting than a battle of words. The end of the book is very good. And leaves you waiting for more. I guess you could say that this series seems like it goes on forever. And that Jordan is milking it. But Tarmon Gai'don could happen at any time; and wouldn't that put an end to a lot of the subplots? I say the series ends at ten (with 2 epilogue books and another encyclopaedia).
Submitted by Starr
(Dec 23, 2000) I am a great reader of Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels. I have read the books of many good authors such as Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, Robert A. Heinlein, Orson Scott Card, Madeline L'Engle, and others; but none of them were anywhere near as good as Robert Jordan. I have never heard of anyone who can match the intricateness of his plots. There are a million plots and sub-plots all inter-connecting with the main theme; all suspenseful and tastefully written. Some reviews I have read say that the plots are too complicated and nearly impossible to keep track of, which I DO NOT agree with. Sure the plots are complex, but just because you actually have to sit and think about it for a while instead of just racing through the book does not mean that it is impossible to understand. The plots keep the reader on their toes the whole time, with just enough hints about hidden identities and what's going to happen to allow the reader to make a fairly accurate guess. But far from making the story predictable, it motivates you to read more because it increases your interest in certain characters, and you know that certain scenes are important and not pointless as they might seem to be if you didn't have some idea of what was going on. Another thing I really like about Robert Jordan's books is that he doesn't always tell you what's happening in a blunt, straight-to-your-face sort of way. He always finds a more creative, round-about way of telling you what's happening. This does make the story that much longer, and, some might argue, more complicated than it already is, but I think that it adds to the flavor of the writing. It gives you the impression that if a gleeman were reciting the story to you, he would be a much more lively and animated speaker than he would be without the more abundant and creative words. In a lot of reviews I've read the writer complained about the way Robert Jordan constantly repeats insignificant details (i.e. Rand, Mat, and Perrin each think that the other two understand girls better than he does), and glosses over the more important details only once or twice. I have noticed this too, and it doesn't really bother me, but I do wonder why Jordan insists on repeating things that really don't matter much when there's so much more important stuff he could write about. Another thing that a lot of people don't like, and this does bother me, is that almost all the important women in the story (with the exception of Min) are dominant, sexist, and overpowering, and EVERYONE is stubborn to the limit. There is a constant man vs. woman war going on through most of the story, especially the later books, and starts getting annoying by the fourth book. You would think that with his endless array of characters he could make one of the more prominent ones more like, say JK Rowling's Neville Longbottom. A shy, cowardly, pushover, but still able to pull out enough guts to do something brave in a dire situation. It would make the story much more interesting. On a higher note, he has created the most incredible, tangible, real world with tons of different cultures and peoples, each one unique, that I have ever seen. He manages to show you every single one in detail, and each one has it's own government, peoples, beliefs, appearances, good sides and bad sides, all described so well that pictures are constantly running through your head. You feel like you are right there with the characters. Another very good thing about his writing is that, like in real life, you can watch the characters change and grow as time goes on. They aren't always the same throughout the series, which would be VERY boring. You can also see why certain events change them, and can sympathize with their struggles (i.e. when Rand is forced to use his friends out of necessity and hates himself for it, or the way Perrin is worried about holding on to the human side of himself and not letting the wolf side take over). Overall, this is an excellent series, a MUST for all Fantasy lovers. If all the rest of the books in this series are as good as the first six that I have read I hope the series goes on for a long, long time.
Submitted by Mike
(Nov 24, 2000)My introduction to The Wheel of Time was purely accidental; a friend of mine had tried to convince me to start reading fantasy novels by giving me overall about 30 books ( Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Dark Sword etc.). It did not go over as well as we had suspected I liked the stories and became involved but as the series went on so did my interest, that is until The Wheel of Time. I became enthralled in the world Robert Jordan had constructed, that is until The Path of Daggers. My interest faded, and for that I was disappointed. You see I have never liked the idea of stringing a story along, and stretching it until the very heart of the story is dry. But at the jolly of fond memories I started the series anew, and it was not until I had finished the series again that I had come to realize that a story of this scope and magnitude can NOT be tied up in a nice small package. So I say to you Mr. Jordan, all that can be done is to tell the tale to the end, however long it takes. As long as it is the heart of the story remains we will read.
Submitted by Anonymous
(Nov 20, 2000)Robert Jordan is one of the most creative and imaginative writers I have ever heard of. I love to read and have read many many books, but Robert Jordan will stick out in my mind as one of my favorite writers. I don't choose to compare RJ with any other writers either. He is extraordinary in his own way. All the comments that I have to say is that no other writer has been able to entertain me as much as RJ has. He has woven together and fabricated a world that seems almost as real as the world we live in today. He has created a wide array of characters, cultures, ethnic groups, civilizations, cities...a whole world. His character development is incredible. As certain events happen during the course of the books, the characters change and grow with each of the events that occur. It is amazing. I cannot make myself get angry with the way the characters have changed. For example, Rand. He is SUPPOSED to go crazy. He is a male who channels the one power. ALL males who channel go insane. Are you supposed to like a person who is out of their mind? Do you think someone who knows they are going to destroy the whole world is going to be happy? How absolutely lame would it be for a character like Rand to still be a happy farmer boy in the eighth book? Especially after what he has gone through. The character development is definately one of my favorite parts of the book. They grow and become different just like real people. Also, if you have only read the series one time, you have to go back and read them again. All of the events that are prophesied to happen are slowly becoming true. You will catch many little sentences and snatches of events from the first few books that relate to the later books. I also like the way books 4 - 9 start getting huge and complicated because it is a reflection of what the world in the Wheel of Time series is going through. By the time you get to book 9 the story is starting to approach Tarmon Gai'don. That period of time is anything BUT sane and peaceful. The world is going to start leading to chaos and craziness, and I like the way that the atmosphere of the books reflect that mood. There are tons of plots and subplots going on in the stories and it is confusing, but isn't that what is supposed to happen? That kind of is the meaning of taveren. The three main characters take the threads of the lives of every other person in the story and force them to swirl around the taveren. The story that RJ has made seems almost as real as the world around us. These are definately my favorite books. A must read for everyone!
Submitted by Jason
(Nov 20, 2000)The Wheel of Time is simply the best fantasy series
I've ever read. The characters are well developed,
(well, except perhaps the main female characters)
and you come to care vey much for their well being.
The heroes are heroic and the villians are...
well, villianous! The attention to detail is simply
amazing as is the depth of the plot. Almost all of
the important female characters are extremely over-
bearing, and for me at least that makes it harder to
care for them as much. Small negatives aside however,
I can't do anything but recomend this series to anyone
who likes SFF, or even doesn't. If any series could
turn you on to the genre, this is it.
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(309 ratings)