Wheel of Time

[Taelorn76]

I found the Wheel of Time almost 15 years ago. I think the Dragon Reborn was the "New book" way back then.

OMG it has been 15 years since I started this series. I've spent half my life waiting for this series to end. :\ That is just not right.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I'm right there with you. I started to notice a decline in book 6, I think. The book just didn't have the same pacing and I was disappointed. After book 7 I stopped altogether. I would ask my friends who have not given up about each book and realized I have nothing to regret. Maybe if there is a final book, I will pick it up and read the last half of the book, it will probably tell me everything I need to know.

On the issue of pacing: As I recall, at the start of the series, there were seven seals holding back the BBEG. By the end of book three, hadn't six of them broken? Has something happened to stop this process suddenly, other than publishing $$$?

 

[Dragonblade]

Jordan has a lot of potential. But when he is off, it so boring I can barely turn the page. When he is on his game, however, he is the best fantasy author I have ever read. My opinion of the books is as follows:

Books 1-3 Excellent
Book 4 Good
Book 5 Poor
Book 6 Good (And the ending rocked!)
Books 7-8 Poor
Book 9 Good (And the ending rocked!)
Book 10 Decided not to read yet

Basically, I came the conclusion that someone else who posted before did. The series is really good if you can read through without stopping. Its all the starts, stops, and rereadings that have bothered me. That's why I plan on buying all the remaining books, but just saving them until the series is finished. And then I plan on reading the whole thing from start to finish.

 

[Starman]

What, and not squeeze the cash cow for all it's worth?

Actually, unlike many, I don't think Jordan's after the cash cow, because he's doing more harm than good in the long run, and I'm (believe it or not) just not that cynical.

I think he's just written himself into a Gordion knot that he doesn't know how to get off.

I totally agree. I think it might have been one of those situations where he got so big, no one was willing to say no. (Not dissimilar to Lucas and the prequels, but we don't need to go down that road again.) Now the train has derailed. Hopefully, a full editorial review, as rumored, will get him back on track.

Starman

 

[Plane Sailing]

I started reading because I was interested to see what compelled WotC to produce a d20 RPG based on it. Book 1 seemed like a standalone novel which turned out to be so successful that a series was spawned I pretty much enjoyed 2-5 and struggled through 6 and gave up.

What I liked: concepts in the world of all kinds

Specially liked: the scene with Perrin defending two rivers against the trollocs, when the whitecloaks stood by. I was really moved at the point where the wives came to join their husbands fight... darn good writing that.

What I disliked: the good guys continual stupidity, inability to share elementary information with each other etc.

Specially disliked: story wasn't going anywhere.

 

[Jeremy]

Just cause I want to represent that there is another faction, I like the series and continue to wait for the next installment. I was told repeatedly how Winter's Heart was going to disappoint me so badly and how I should have dropped the series long before then, but then I read the paperback and found I still continued to enjoy all my time reading it. And as usual, the ending was frenetic.

I love this series. Not quite so much as Melanie Rawn's books, but still.

However, you guys have valid points and it would appear many more of you share that method of thinking than mine so I'll bow out.

But I still love it damn it!

 

[Saime]

Anyone else have an experience like this?

No.

I’m sorry for the short answer, but I really do mean ’no’! Whatever happened to writing a fantasy book? Yes, I do mean one book. You know one of those things that actually have a conclusion. I know the very idea must be shocking to Robert Jordan. But perhaps he ought to try to write one (yes one) someday.


Btw, I think Inchoatus.com is spot on in their review. Quote:

“There is no work of literature, no author, and really no subject that can support the number of pages Wheel already(!) is much less how many more it’s going to be when they finally nail Jordan’s coffin shut. There in nothing, anywhere, in the entire realm of the written languages of any country or any period of time where something is considered “great” and is the kind of length that Wheel has already(!) become.

Not The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
Not any of the history series chronicling entire world wars.
Not the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Not the complete works of Shakespeare.
Nothing by Chaucer, Milton, or even the prolific Charles Dickens—an author who got paid by the word!
Not Durant’s History of Civilization.
Nothing by the great philosophers Plato, Hume, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, or Kant… or even all of them together!
Not War and Peace.
Not The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Bible, or The Koran or even all of them combined!”

 

[GentleGiant]

Btw, I think Inchoatus.com is spot on in their review. Quote:

“There is no work of literature, no author, and really no subject that can support the number of pages Wheel already(!) is much less how many more it’s going to be when they finally nail Jordan’s coffin shut. There in nothing, anywhere, in the entire realm of the written languages of any country or any period of time where something is considered “great” and is the kind of length that Wheel has already(!) become.

Not The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
Not any of the history series chronicling entire world wars.
Not the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Not the complete works of Shakespeare.
Nothing by Chaucer, Milton, or even the prolific Charles Dickens—an author who got paid by the word!
Not Durant’s History of Civilization.
Nothing by the great philosophers Plato, Hume, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, or Kant… or even all of them together!
Not War and Peace.
Not The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Bible, or The Koran or even all of them combined!”

Wow... what an absolute crappy review, bad grammar and spelling mistakes included.
I think those guys/gals are just envious that Jordan actually has an editor to catch most of his spelling mistakes and bad grammar...

 

[Goblyn]

I started reading because I was interested to see what compelled WotC to produce a d20 RPG based on it. Book 1 seemed like a standalone novel which turned out to be so successful that a series was spawned I pretty much enjoyed 2-5 and struggled through 6 and gave up.

What I liked: concepts in the world of all kinds

Specially liked: the scene with Perrin defending two rivers against the trollocs, when the whitecloaks stood by. I was really moved at the point where the wives came to join their husbands fight... darn good writing that.

What I disliked: the good guys continual stupidity, inability to share elementary information with each other etc.

Specially disliked: story wasn't going anywhere.

Sorry for the big quote; I just wanted to remind everyone exactly what I'm wholeheartedly agreeing with.

 

[Desdichado]

I totally agree. I think it might have been one of those situations where he got so big, no one was willing to say no. (Not dissimilar to Lucas and the prequels, but we don't need to go down that road again.) Now the train has derailed. Hopefully, a full editorial review, as rumored, will get him back on track.

Has it? Have sales started slipping on the more recent books? If so, that's quite interesting...