Paging Mr. Jordan... please stand up to your publisher, your editor, or whoever has you over the barrel and return to the writing your ever expanding fanbase fell in love with in the first 5 books. I can't begin to describe the dissapointment I felt with this book. It seems as if Robert Jordan spent the last 2 years vacationing, while spending about a week devoted to writing this latest installment. There is a point in the middle of the book, where he actually takes up 4 PAGES to describe how a bath got too cold. The excitment, intruige and mystery that surrounded the first 5 books is vacant here. No part of the story is moved forward. The only interesting parts of the book involve… Read more
I feel that the publishers did this book a diservice by naming it the Year of the Warrior, as well as marketing it as a "swashbuckling, slice-and-dice adventure story" (see the picture on the front cover). I picked up this book as a quick weekend read, not really expecting much and found a rare jewel. This book reminds me of Gene Wolf's Shadow of the Torturer and Claw of the Conciliator. It is deep, moving and draws you into a world of moral dilemma and search for meaning. The book is intelligent and as a man who searches for meaning myslef, i found this book really resonated with my own struggles. A definate recommend.
I am an avid military history and fantasy reader. Often the two genres don't mix, so I was pleasantly surprised when I read the series. It is doesn't follow the typical prosaic path of the average fantasy and it is able to suspend reality a bit more than the typical military history book. The book was much more gritty and graphic than a typical fantasy- which is nice considering that much of fantasy is written for a teen crowd, and as I am older now, I desire a bit more. The book took me through the gamut of emotions - I thouroughly enjoyed the book, and just reread it for the second time in 3 years. It was just as enjoyable the second time. The only other book I have read recently… Read more
