Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan (Review)

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan

Blurb

As the Wheel turns, the winds of fate roil across the land, and Rand al’Thor struggles to unite the nations for the Last Battle, when the Dark One will break free into the world, and to spring the snares laid by the immortal Forsaken for unwary humankind.

The White Tower in Tar Valon, under the Amyrlin Elaida, has decided that Rand must be controlled – gentled, if need be – immediately. And in Salidar, among the Aes Sedai in exile, Egwene al’Vere, although summoned to high office, faces the knowledge that her colleagues also wish to bind him.

Drought and summer heat linger into winter, and Nynaeve al’Maera and Elayne, the Daughter-Heir of Andor, begin a desperate search for the fabled ter’angreal that may enable them to bring normal weather – a search that takes them among Whitecloaks bent on exterminating Aes Sedai.

And across half a continent, Perrin Aybara feels Rand’s pull, ta’veren to ta’veren, and for the first time in a thousand years the bowmen of the Two Rivers march to war.

Review

I have finally managed to get past book 5, however I will say this book took me way too long to read! I loved the beginning of this book and the last 300 pages but the middle just moved like treacle for me and not much happened considering the length of the book.

Book 5 of the series seemed to be a little bit obsessed with breasts and braid pulling but this book was obsessed with shapely calves on men with just a hint of women’s neck lines but the neck lines are only judged by other women. Thankfully, the braid pulling was drastically reduced.

The best way to describe this book is an instruction manual of how not to be a female. I’ve never been so annoyed by a group of women in a book before. If they get warned about a danger they go head first into it ignoring all advice and when a man helps them they shout at him rather than admitting they were wrong and saying thank you. Elayne and Nynaeve find new discoveries and suddenly they know everything and are superior to everyone else. Elayne also ignores Mat’s wishes and makes demands that she has no right to. However, seeing how other Aes Sadai behave it is obvious Elayne and Nynaeve will fit right in. Egwene at least has a reasonably level head and remains down to earth.

The really exciting thing for me in this book is Rand. Rand is really taking charge, he has a plan and he will stand no messing from anyone. He stands up for himself and is now realising his potential. I also love the Black Tower taking shape. The other element I loved is Perrin is back! I really missed Perrin in book 5 so I was happy to see him feature a little bit in this book. This is also the first book that I have liked Mat. Mat has grown up and is really coming into his own. In fact I really enjoyed following Rand, Perrin and Mat’s stories in this book. I could have happily missed anything to do with Elayne and Nynaeve.

Overall, this book was much better than book 5 and gave me hope to continue with the series. I blitzed the last 300 pages of this book because it suddenly really started to pick up and I hope the next book will be the same pace. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons.

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About the author

James Oliver Rigney Jr. (1948-2007) was an American author of epic fantasy who wrote under the pen name Robert Jordan. Jordan also wrote historical fiction under the name of Reagan O’Neal, a western as Jackson O’Reilly, and dance criticism as Chang Lung.

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The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan (Review)

The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

Blurb

In The Fires of Heaven, the fifth novel in Robert Jordan’s #1 New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time, four of the most powerful Forsaken band together against the Champion of Light, Rand al’Thor.

Prophesised to defeat the Dark One, Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, has upset the balance of power across the land. Shaido Aiel are on the march, ravaging everything in their path. The White Tower’s Amyrlin has been deposed, turning the Aes Sedai against one another. The forbidden city of Rhuidean is overrun by Shadowspawn.

Despite the chaos swirling around him, Rand continues to learn how to harness his abilities, determined to wield the One Power–and ignoring the counsel of Moiraine Damodred at great cost.

Review

This is the second time I have read this book and I will be honest the first time I read this book it put me off continuing with the series. However, I decided last year that I would complete the series and started reading it again from book one.

Even though I had forgotten a lot of what happens in this book my opinion of it hadn’t changed. The main thing I remembered was the waffle and the waffle was still there and there was loads. I can’t help but wonder how short this book would have been if there wasn’t quite so much waffle. For one thing if you took all the obsessing over clothing and how much breast is showing or not showing in all the female characters’ dresses, Jordan would have probably saved 50 pages. I won’t even go into all the mentions of braid pulling! It was only when I got to the last 300 odd pages that I really started to get into the book and start enjoying it.

The thing I really missed in this book was my favourite which is Perrin. I missed his level head and how calm he is. You can always depend on Perrin for common sense which in all honesty you don’t get from most of the characters in this book. Perrin also generally gets to the point and doesn’t skirt the subject like Rand does.

The ongoing arguing between Nynaeve and Elayne was just exhausting and I was so glad when Egwene gave Nynaeve a talking to because quite frankly Elayne and Nynaeve need to grow up. Egwene has taken quite a turn in this book and grown into a mature woman it’s just a shame Nynaeve and Elayne haven’t had the same growth yet.

I really liked learning more about the Aiel in this book and I actually started to like Mat’s character more. Mat has really started to grow up in this book and I loved seeing him lead men into battle. Yes, he is still resisting his fate and can still be annoying but I think he is starting to grow on me.

For such a huge book (nearly 1000 pages) not a lot happens in this book and to be honest it is a big disappointment after reading the previous books. I’m really hoping the next book proves to be a better read. I give this book 3 out of 5 Dragons.

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The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan (Review)

The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

Blurb

The seals of Shayol Ghul are weak now, and the Dark One reaches out. The Shadow is rising to cover humankind.

In Tar Valon, Min sees portents of hideous doom. Will the White Tower itself be broken?

In the Two Rivers, the Whitecloaks ride in pursuit of a man with golden eyes, and in pursuit of the Dragon Reborn.

In Cantorin, among the Sea Folk, High Lady Suroth plans the return of the Seanchan armies to the mainland.

In the Stone of Tear, the Lord Dragon considers his next move. It will be something no one expects, not the Black Ajah, not Tairen nobles, not Aes Sedai, not Egwene or Elayne or Nynaeve.

Against the Shadow rising stands the Dragon Reborn…..

Review

This was a reread for me but I will be honest I had forgotten a great deal and I definitely think I enjoyed this book more on the second read. At times I could not put this book down.

Perrin has always been my favourite character in the series and I loved the fact we got so much more of Perrin in this book and Perrin on his own without Rand all the time. I also loved how we ended up back in the Two Rivers and got to meet people from the first book again and see their characters develop further. Perrin’s chapters were definitely the chapters I couldn’t put down and flew through.

My least favourite character in the series so far is Mat. Mat has got to be one of the most annoying characters I have ever come across in a book series. I keep hoping he will improve and become less annoying. I have many books to read to see whether a less annoying Mat will ever happen.

I would have really liked to have seen a bit more of Egwene in this book but once she met the wise ones she kind of disappeared from the story and just became a background character. Thankfully, we got to see plenty of Nynaeve and Elayne in this book as I always love Nynaeve’s spirit and stubbornness. They had plenty of dangerous adventures of their own.

Rand is definitely growing up in this book. He accepts who he is and his destiny and he starts to plan and work out exactly what he needs to do to fulfil his destiny. I really enjoyed seeing this side of Rand and I liked how he integrated in with Aiel.

I absolutely loved this book but I am glad I decided to read it alongside other books. At being just over 1000 pages long it was a long slog at times and I needed some light relief. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons.

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The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan (Review)

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

Blurb

The Dragon Reborn—the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the saviour who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him—is on the run from his destiny.

Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how—for no man has done it in three thousand years—Rand al’Thor knows only that he must face the Dark One. But how?

Winter has stopped the war—almost—yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he?

Perrin Aybara is in pursuit with Moiraine Sedai, her Warder Lan, and Loial the Ogier. Bedeviled by dreams, Perrin is grappling with another deadly problem—how is he to escape the loss of his own humanity?

Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are approaching Tar Valon, where Mat will be healed—if he lives until they arrive. But who will tell the Amyrlin their news—that the Black Ajah, long thought only a hideous rumour, is all too real? They cannot know that in Tar Valon far worse awaits…

Ahead, for all of them, in the Heart of the Stone, lies the next great test of the Dragon reborn….

Review

This is the third time I have read this book but this time through I am determined to actually finish the series and not give up after book 5.

I really enjoyed this book because it wasn’t overly focused on Rand, the events the book focuses on are linked with Rand but isn’t thankfully on him. I will be honest Rand drives me up the wall. All I want to do with Rand is shake him and tell him to stop being a stroppy teenager and grow up.

My favourite character in this book is Perrin. Perrin has a lot to deal with but he doesn’t sulk and act out, he handles it like a man. Perrin has discovered something about himself and it is hard for him to accept but he is trying to deal with it as best he can. Perrin is with Moraine Sedai, Lan and Loial in pursuit of Rand and the pursuit is not easy because Perrin doesn’t know who to trust and because he sees the devastation that follows Rand wherever he goes.

This book also lets us spend more time with Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve which is nice because we start to see what strong characters these three women are. We also get to learn more about Tar Valon which I find fascinating. I really hope we learn more about the tower and the history of the Aes Sedai in the next books.

This book also introduces more of the Forsaken and gives us more of the history about them. We learn how many are no longer imprisoned and we learn more about the individual Forsaken backgrounds. We also learn that more people are Darkfriends and that nobody can be truly trusted.

I really enjoyed this book and I think I enjoyed it more than the previous times I have read the book. I plan on really getting into the series during 2023 but I know that certain books in the series are not as good as others. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons.

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The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan (Review)

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

Blurb

The Forsaken are loose, the Horn of Valere has been found and the Dead are rising from their dreamless sleep. The Prophecies are being fulfilled – but Rand al’ Thor, the shepherd the Aes Sedai have proclaimed as the Dragon Reborn, desperately seeks to escape his destiny.

Rand cannot run forever. With every passing day the Dark One grows in strength and strives to shatter his ancient prison, to break the Wheel, to bring an end to Time and sunder the weave of the Pattern.

And the Pattern demands the Dragon.

Review

I will be honest the first time I read this book in 2015 I did not find it as enjoyable as the the first book in the series but this time round that has changed and I enjoyed it a lot more maybe even more than the first book.

I found this book a lot faster paced than the first which I enjoyed more and found myself more likely to pick up the book and not put it down for ages.

This book introduces us to new enemies such as the Seanchan, who I really did not like but I’m not entirely sure they are the bad guys entirely. We also learn more about The White Cloaks, Padan Fain and The Forsaken. We also learn more about The Age of Legends which I really hope we learn more about in future books as I find it fascinating.

The characters from the previous book are further developed in this book. Rand gets more depth but I do still find him slightly annoying at times but not as much as Mat. I always feel frustrated with Mat. I know it is not entirely his fault but it is clear he does not have the goodness inside him like Perrin and Rand. Perrin is still my favourite character. He is loyal to his friends, caring and you can tell he is someone who is dependable and will always try to do the right thing.

We also get to know Min and Elayne more in this book which is good even though Elayne is another one of those annoying characters for me but I suspect she is being portrayed to be annoying in comparison to the other female characters such as Min and Egwene.

This book has so much going on it, it really is packed. Moiraine and Lan are dealing with their own adventures as well as trying to help Rand, Perrin and Mat. Egwene, Elayne, Min and Nynaeve have their own storyline but in the end they all converge together again.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down and I look forward to reading the next book in the series because although I have read it before I can’t really remember much. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons.

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The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (Review)

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Blurb

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

When The Two Rivers is attacked by Trollocs-a savage tribe of half-men, half-beasts- five villagers flee that night into a world they barely imagined, with new dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light.

Review

This is the third time I have read this book because I have tried to read The Wheel of Time series on more than one occasion and sadly never finished it. However, I am determined that this time I will finish the series.

Every time I have read this book I have loved it and this time round was no exception and I found that I had in fact forgotten a few parts of the story that made a nice surprise. As a massive Tolkien fan I realise that The Wheel of Time series is heavily influenced by Tolkien’s Middle Earth but that does not put me off. After all hasn’t all literature from as far back as Homer and Virgil done the same thing?

This book introduces us to some main characters that are clearly going to be important in future books. Five young villagers from the village of Two Rivers have to flee after a Trolloc attack on their village. By fleeing they hope to save their beloved village from any further attack and to do this they are helped by Moraine and her warder Lan. The fiver villagers are Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene and the village wisdom Nynaeve. Nynaeve is slightly older than the other four but not by much. Nynaeve is also the character that at times I find quite annoying, she is very stubborn and is always questioning and second guessing Moraine which at times just gets boring. Mat is rather a spineless character who you know is not going to be good news for the group of friends. Perrin is my favourite character out of the five as he is down to earth, caring and patient. Rand is rather bland at the moment but you can see he will develop as a character.

As the adventure continues the group meet new people who help them on their journey but they also learn that no one can be trusted because anybody could be a dark friend. One of these new friends is the Ogier named Loial who is also one of my favourite characters. Loial is never hasty and likes to think everything through, he also loves reading and always has a pile of books with him which is just like me when I go anywhere.

The world of Aes Sedai is fascinating and I can’t wait to learn more about it all and I also have so many questions regarding what happened in the past that made the Aes Sedai’s power start to dwindle. I really hope I get my answers in the following books. I really enjoyed the book and have already started book two. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons.

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