Customer Reviews
Amazing! - By: Ben D, 19 Jul 2010 
Can't understand the hate for this volume. Its absolutely quality...one of my favourites...its up there with Shadow Risingin my opinion.
Stopped reading the series after this book - By: Leo, 14 May 2010 
Stopped reading the series after ending this book, started reading book 9 (had already purchased it & number 10, waste of money) but stopped after a few pages. The lack of respect for structure, & the author general disregard for readers finally wore me down.
The author seems to have no understanding of rhythmin storytelling. In multiple occasionsin previous books the action is severed when you start getting interested, & you jump to an insipid thread concerning a minor character.
In this book you don't have that problem simply because the pace doesn't pick up.
A summary of this book:
Nothing happens.
Egwene bickers with those who oppose her. Glares, folding arms beneath breasts, & handsin hips are involved.
Nothing happens.
Elayne & Nynaeve use the Bowl of the Winds, & Travel to Andor (not directly to Caemlyn) where Elayne claims the Lion Throne. They bicker with the Sea Folk & Kinswomen, glares, folding arms beneath breasts, & handsin hips are involved.
Nothing happens.
No Mat.
Nothing happens.
Rand selects 5000 soldiers from various factions that hate or distrust him (even though he had like 1000000 Aiel to command) fight to drive the Seanchan out of Altara.
Nothing happens.
Epic Breadth - By: J. Bond, 09 May 2010 Many rate this, the eight book,in the progression of ther Wheel of Time series as being "in a holding pattern", however, I have found this section of the saga to be much more readable, it comesin just shy of 100 pages less than either volume six or seven, & see's the narrative come alongin several of the concurrent story arcs.
However, as ever, Jordon's approach to progressing the story can be somewhat jagged, he will dedicate three solid chapters of over twenty pages a piece to one story arc, & then switch to a different arc without much warning.
This writing style, to the uninitiated, does appear to be "a holding pattern", but the story is anything but. As finally decisive action takes placein the epic that is The Wheel of Time.
Better focus makes for a better book eight - By: Jimternet, 23 Jan 2010 
A seventy day gap between the previous novel & this one seems to have been a little too long as I have lost track of who several characters are & what others are up to. In a way I pity those readers who have been reading these books as they were published - they do suffer from a lack of catch up at the beginning, instead assuming that you have put one book down the same moment that you pick up the next.
This book starts well, then ducks down a little toward the end, before jumping back up again at it's conclusion. For the most part the storyline comesin chunks, with a section the length of any normal paperback focussing on just one character's story before moving on to the next, which makes the book feel more structured than one that flits around. Toward the end though it switches back to flitting for a while as the various threads are tied up, which while necessary feels a little awkward.
The main focus of this novel is back to Rand I felt, but with equal parts dedicated to Elayne & Egwenein the first half & to a lesser extent Perrin. Several coincidences occur that are just about believable as the characters pretty much continue with what they were doing before, with the added bonus of a Seanchan attack. I still think of Rand as the main character despite the rather large ensemble cast & so was glad to be backin his head for significant portions of this book.
I am disappointed with the characterization of Nynaevein this one though - despite only a day having passed from the previous novel she has undergone something of a paradigm shift overnight & barely says a word. Mat is also completely absent again which is irritating as we're left completelyin suspense. There were only a few passages that irritated me. One big reveal was made far to easily, then another. The aforementioned coincidence was deal with well, but there was an occurrence near the end where the reader was left to infer what had happenedin the narrative, but the glossary at the end gave it away completely. I recommend not reading the glossaries - they contain spoilers but none of the information you need about what has happenedin the earlier books.
There's no pleasing some people - By: R. Brownsword, 09 Nov 2006 What amazes me more each time I read a new review for these books is how dead set against the later 5 books some readers seem to be. Robert Jordan has never made a secret of the fact that he keeps many threads running simultaneously. One of his great skills is developing consequences of his character's actions. Too many writers describe world shattering events then carry on as if little has happened. Jordan's magic comes from the ripplesin 'the pattern' created by his three main characters.
I want to see multiple threads & more importantly see them interract - Matt & Thom, Aviendha & Elayne, Rand & Cadsuane. The 'Lace of Ages' would be pretty damn boring if there were only 3 threads as suggested by some reviewers. The last four books have contained grand events described convincingly. If you don't like politics, if you don't like hidden agenda's & intrigue, if you don't like descriptions of fantastic cultures & spiraling madness then don't read Jordan. The first seven books set the stakes & the latter books deal with the game play. Too many people like the excitement of the first few movesin a game of stones then grow tired when the board loses it's 'neat & tidy' appearance.
I suggest those reviewers that complain endlessly about descriptions (and expect each chapter to end with one of the forsaken dead) put down these books & pick up a Harry Potter instead. (A great book but lacking the tremendous depth & intrigue of the Wheel of Time). It's like hearing people complain about a climb up Everest by saying it was too cold & the view was better from base camp!
