The man who called himself Petrik will now review The Great Hunt, the second book in The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.

Everyone who’ve read the first book most ly knows what the title of this installment implies. The Great Hunt continues immediately from where the first book left off. Allow me to mention how ridiculously repetitive—and hilarious, I guess—the prologue of this book was. It starts with “The man who called himself Bors,” and within a single prologue, the exact phrase “the man who called himself Bors” was mentioned literally 34 times. The man who called himself Petrik could be wrong, but the man who called himself Petrik THINK that the man who called himself Bors, is in fact, the man who called himself Bors *gasp* *suspense* *CPR the man who called himself Petrik out of this SHOCKING revelation* The man who called himself Petrik was amazed by Jordan’s way of increasing his word counts by 170 words. Jordan could’ve just written “Bors” instead of “the man who called himself Bors” but he won’t, that 170 words is a matter of Light and Dark! The prologue became a firm reminder to the man who called himself Petrik that this will be a series—despite all the greatness—that is full of repetitive phrases; so far the man who called himself Petrik hasn’t been proven wrong.

Picture: The Great Hunt by Kekai Kotaki



The man who called himself Petrik is tired of repeating “The man who called himself (insert whatever you want for future meme uses here…)” insane nonsense so the man who called himself Petrik will now get back to the man who called himself Petrik’s usual speech.

Continuing immediately from where the first book left off, the plot in The Great Hunt was pretty much a big chase scene over a stolen legendary item. Excluding the first 20% of the book, the remaining content of The Great Hunt revolved mostly around this premise. In terms of enjoyment of the book itself, I’d say it was more or less the same as how I felt regarding The Eye of the World. The story starts off strong and engaging, slowed down immensely in the middle section, then back on track around 70% mark.

There were a lot of parts that this book excelled in; the last quarter of this book, for example, was simply magnificent. The slow build-up towards it was worth the read and Jordan’s way of escalating the tension slowly until the superbly written conclusion was something I utterly enjoyed. But at the same time, there were also several moments in the middle section where I was quite bored and infuriated by the repetition regarding several character’s behavior. There were two issues I had with the content, one being Rand’s stubbornness to continue hiding secrets and his reluctance in doing some—which he ended up doing anyway—crucial actions immensely slowed the pacing of the story. The second one would be Nynaeve and everything about her really, that’s all. Also, I’m seriously dumbfounded by the sword moves of this series. Am I supposed to understand what The Swallow Takes Flight met Parting the Silk means? Moon on the Water met The Wood Grouse Dances? Ribbon in the Air met Stones Falling From the Cliff? What even… the man who called himself Petrik is has been struck by a spellbinding confusion spell.

This, of course, doesn’t mean the characters ever stopped being empathizing. Even when I was infuriated by some of the character’s actions, I feel their attitudes were understandable; if I were in their shoes I’ll do a much poorer job than them. The characters—for better or worse—were well-written. Two books into the series and I’ve come to know their personality and inner voices really well. Jordan, in general, is slow in progression. Development in plot, world-building, characterizations, and actions was all there; they were just relatively much slower than most books these days. I loved reading Rand and the characters starting to grow up; it was quite satisfying seeing their slow development. New characters also appeared and most of them were great, interesting, and complex.

“There is one rule, above all others, for being a man. Whatever comes, face it on your feet.”

For now, though, my favorite character will have to be Rand and Loial, not saying that there weren’t any other characters—Perrin, Lan—I d but those two and their heartwarming friendship with each other were one of the main highlights of the book for me. World-building grew in complexities and details; Jordan’s world-building captivated me and I love reading every lore, magic system, and prophecy in this book. In the first book, the world-building felt it borrowed too much from Tolkien, this book seems to have moved the world-building away from Tolkien’s and I’m glad for its originality.

“Some men […] choose to seek greatness, while others are forced to it. It is always better to choose than to be forced.
A man who is forced is never completely his own master. He must dance on the strings of those who forced him.”

Be prepared for this series, the prose might be accessible but the complexity and scope never stop increasing. Jordan’s prose was super wordy and descriptive, there’s no way around it. Two books (570k words in total so far) into the series and when it comes to the actual story progression, not too much have actually progressed. I strongly recommend getting a group of friends/readers if you’re about to undertake this series for the first time. I’m reading it together with my friends and it’s such a fun experience; moments that should’ve been aggravating to read became humorous to discuss. The Great Hunt was a great sequel that builds the characterizations—whether you d them or not—and the intricate world-building even further. After reading the ending, I honestly feel the first two books were merely foundational installments for the rest of the series, and you bet I'm excited to continue reading through it.

You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)

You can find this and the rest of my at Novel Notions490 s Melissa ? Dog/Wolf Lover ? Martin3,587 10.8k

UPDATE: $2.99 Kindle US today 6/27/20

I say this all of the time, but reading old school fantasy books is reading with a friend. And they remind me of when I was young. I don't know why. Maybe because I'm old school.



Happy Reading!

Mel ??fantasy-all own319 s Nimrod Daniel163 281

The Eye of The World has some problems, but this book totally nailed it! The Great Hunt is significantly better in almost every aspect. Book 1 had serious pacing issues and is quite generic, as it reminded me of LoTR in a few ways. It had its good moments and some very slow parts. It showed some potential, especially toward the ending, but I expected much more from it. However, all of Book 1's shortcomings were solved in The Great Hunt, as Jordan addressed a few problems and upped his game. Big time.

The writing style is just as good as book 1, but the book is a lot better structured, and things always seem to happen with almost no slow chapters that go nowhere.

The world-building is really great, as we get to know a lot of new places, including The White Tower. New adversaries are introduced – the Seanchan, who have a very intriguing culture. We also learn more about The White Cloaks, Padan Fain, The Forsaken, and get some glimpses into The Age of Legends.

As for the characters, Rand gains much more depth, and I really start to him. There's a lot of development when it comes to Nynaeve and Egwene, both of whom are slowly becoming my favorite characters. Nynaeve rocks, really, I that girl. Even though Perrin and Mat seem to have important roles, we don't get to know them much better in book 2. Perrin was well-drawn in book 1, but he didn't evolve much in book 2. Mat was okay in both books, but not much more than that.
New Aes Sedai are introduced - Elayne and Min, who join Nynaeve and Egwene at The White Tower, alongside the Amyrlin herself, Verin, and Liandrin from the Red Ajah

I don’t want to reveal much, so I refrained from telling anything in regard to the plot. But the plot is very engaging, I always wanted to know what happens next. Epic fantasy at its best!

To conclude, The Great Hunt is a brilliant book. One of the most enjoyable books I’ve read this year.

4.5-4.75/5fantasy290 s Regan469 113k

3.5231 s Jessica ? ? Silverbow ? ? 1,279 8,848

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

NOTICE: this reread is in preparation for finally biting the bullet and reading book 14. That means I HAVE NOT read book 14 yet. Please be mindful of this in the comments, both for me and for others who may or may not have progressed past this point in the series. Thank you.

For whatever reason, this is the installment that's held up the least well for me. Not b/c it's not awesome--it absolutely is--but b/c even MORE awesomeness is IMMINENT.

And I know it (b/c fiendish rereader).

SO. We have a Dragon Reborn and a Wolfbrother, but what's behind door #3? *raises hand* b/c I know, I know! *sighs*

The Great Hunt is a concept that can be found in numerous mythologies, but (not surprisingly) my favorite versions have always been the ones with Fae roots.

If you're unfamiliar, it's fairly simple: if the moon is particularly bright, and you hear a horn sounding in the distance, DO NOT LEAVE THE SAFETY OF YOUR HOME. B/c Fae on horses-that-don't-get-tired with hounds-that-have-super-senses (and may or may not have been human at some point), are out and about, hunting "big game" and NO GOOD can come of you getting caught up in that shit.

Jordan's version is pretty nifty too.

The Horn of Valere, prophecied to be found (just?) before the Last Battle, will call the greatest heroes who have ever lived to fight on behalf of the horn-sounder . . . whatever their intent may be . . .

YES, you read that correctly. The greatest heroes of legend will be compelled to fight for either good or evil, depending on who gets their grubby lips on it first.

So that's exciting.

Which is kind of impressive if you think about it: a hunt for a brass instrument vs. a hunt for human prey?

But yeah:

" . . . for the grave is no bar to my call."
*goosebumps*

BUT. If I'm being honest, there are a couple of legitimate reasons that I didn't this installment quite as much as the last one. You know, beyond being impatient for my favorite character to stop being an adolescent idiot.

Lanfear.

One of the Forsaken, Lanfear has been used as a boogieman to scare children into behaving (a concept that I find horrific, incidentally . . . Does anyone actually do that? Tell their children that some super scary monster-person will get them while they're sleeping, if they don't do as they're told? I sincerely hope not . . .). Anyway, this early in the series, the Forsaken are mostly feared for nebulous follower-of-the-Dark-One reasons.

However . . . we do learn a few things about Lanfear:

1. Before Lews Therin (the Dragon) met and married his wife Ilyena, Lanfear had been his lover.
2. Ultimately . . . the reason she joined the dark side is b/c hell hath no fury . . . YES, seriously . . .

And she wants him back.

Does not care that the Dragon Reborn is a completely different, maybe twenty-years-old model, when she herself probably had a couple of centuries under her belt before she was sealed inside the Dark One's prison for several thousand years.

If that wasn't obnoxious enough--and trust me, it is--she still hasn't figured out that it was her obsession with power and acquiring ALL OF IT that drove Lews Therin away the first time.

So we get to watch her numerous failed attempts to entice Dragon Reborn into seeking glory for himself.

It's just sad.

I mean, really . . . how can she claim to love him, yet willfully know nothing about him?

Then there are the Seanchan . . . and the Seanchan freak me the hell out.

Besides practicing numerous and varied types of slavery, which shows a terrifying lack of regard for human life . . . These people aren't just ethnocentric, they're an entire population brainwashed into wholeheartedly believing in the superiority of specific types of people and the inferiority of others . . . o.O

Right. So in addition to that, they've tamed monsters ( grolm: bear-sized, three-eyed beasts with grayish green, lizard-, impossible to penetrate with things swords or arrows, hide, and sharp, hooked beak- mouths) to the point of riding them horses.

And what do they wear when they ride their pet monsters?

Metal armor lacquered and segmented to look an insect carapace . . . to better match the mandibles and feelers on their helmets . . .

Ye gods.

I don't know about you guys, but I can't come up with a scarier image than a GIANT INSECT riding some kind of prehistoric-looking monster into battle. Oh, and the ground might just swallow you whole before you even get a chance to defend yourself, b/c wielders of the One Power? Yeah, they're one of the MANY previously mentioned enslaved people groups.



Still a fantastic installment though. PLUS, *whispers* I may not have mentioned it, but WoT #3 brings ALL KINDS of awesome, so gird your loins, little fishy . . . and keep on swimmin'.



My other for this series:

The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time, #1) by Robert Jordan
The Dragon Reborn (Wheel of Time, #3) by Robert Jordan
The Shadow Rising (Wheel of Time, #4) by Robert Jordan
The Fires of Heaven (Wheel of Time, #5) by Robert Jordan
Lord of Chaos (Wheel of Time, #6) by Robert Jordan
A Crown of Swords (Wheel of Time, #7) by Robert Jordan
The Path of Daggers (Wheel of Time, #8) by Robert Jordan
Winter's Heart (Wheel of Time, #9) by Robert Jordan
Crossroads of Twilight (Wheel of Time, #10) by Robert Jordan
New Spring (Wheel of Time, #0) by Robert Jordan

Highlights:

1. Lan with Rand before audience with Amyrlin:

"There is one rule, above all others, for being a man. Whatever comes, face it on your feet."

As they approached the women’s apartments, Lan suddenly snapped, “Cat Crosses the Courtyard!”
Startled, Rand instinctively assumed the walking stance as he had been taught, back straight but every muscle loose, as if he hung from a wire at the top of his head. It was a relaxed, almost arrogant, saunter.


2. Portal Stones:

“Is that Hawkwing’s monument, Lord Rand?” Hurin asked uneasily. “It doesn’t look right, somehow.”
Rand recognized the harsh, angular script that covered the face of the monument, and he recognized some of the symbols chiseled on the breadth, chiseled as tall as a man. The horned skull of the Dha’vol Trollocs. The iron fist of the Dhai’mon. The trident of the Ko’bal, and the whirlwind of the Ahf’frait. There was a hawk, too, carved near the bottom. With a wingspan of ten paces, it lay on its back, pierced by a lightning bolt, and ravens pecked at its eyes. The huge wings atop the spire seemed to block the sun.
He heard Loial galloping up behind him.
“I tried to tell you, Rand,” Loial said. “It is a raven, not a hawk. I could see it clearly.” Hurin turned his horse, refusing even to look at the spire any longer.
“But how?” Rand said. “Artur Hawkwing won a victory over the Trollocs here. Ingtar said so.”
“Not here,” Loial said slowly. “Obviously not here. ‘From Stone to Stone run the lines of it, between the worlds that might be.’ I’ve been thinking on it, and I believe I know what ‘the worlds that might be’ are. Maybe I do. Worlds our world might have been if things had happened differently. Maybe that’s why it is all so . . . washed- out looking. Because it’s an ‘if,’ a ‘maybe.’ Just a shadow of the real world. In this world, I think, the Trollocs won. Maybe that’s why we have not seen any villages or people.”

3. Trollocs as puppets in the Foregate. It's just cool. The end.

4. Fly in the Seanchan ointment:

“Where are you . . . we . . . going?” Seta said, quickly adding, “If I may ask?”
“Into the lions’ den,” Elayne told her.
“To dance with the Dark One,” Min said.

Forsaken:

1. The Forsaken, thirteen of the most powerful wielders of the One Power in an Age filled with powerful wielders, has been sealed up in Shayol Ghul along with the Dark One, sealed away from the world of men by the Dragon and the Hundred Companions. And the backblast of the sealing had tainted the male half of the True Source, and all the male Aes Sedai, those cursed wielders of the Power, went mad and broke the world, tore it apart a pottery bowl smashed on rocks, ending the Age of Legends before they died, rotting while they still lived.

Foresight:

1. "Daughter of the Night, she walks again.
The ancient war, she yet fights.
Her new lover she seeks, who shall serve her and die,
yet serve still.
Who shall stand against her coming?
The Shining Walls shall kneel.
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.

The man who channels stands alone.
He gives his friends for sacrifice.
Two roads before him, one death beyond dying, one
to life eternal.
Which will he choose? Which will he choose?
What hand shelters? What hand slays?
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.

Luc came to the Mountains of Dhoom.
Isam waited in the high passes.
The hunt is now begun. The Shadow's hounds now
course, and kill.
One did live, and one did die, but both are.
The Time of Change has come.
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.

The Watchers wait on Toman's Head.
The seed of the Hammer burns the ancient tree.
Death shall sow, and summer burn, before the Great Lord comes.
Death shall reap, and bodies fail, before the Great Lord comes.
Again the seed slays ancient wrong, before the Great Lord comes.
Now the Great Lord comes.
Now the Great Lord comes.
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.
Now the Great Lord comes.

"Now, 'the ancient tree,'" Verin said, immersed in her own thoughts. "There have always been rumors--no more than that--that while the nation of Almoth still lived, they had a branch of Avendesora, perhaps even a living sapling. And the banner of Almoth was 'blue for the sky above, black for the earth below, with the spreading Tree of Life to join them.' Of course, Taraboners call themselves the Tree of Man, and claim to be descended from rulers and nobles in the Age of Legends . . . "

2. “Twice and twice shall he be marked,
twice to live, and twice to die.
Once the heron, to set his path.
Twice the heron, to name him true.
Once the Dragon, for remembrance lost.
Twice the Dragon, for the price he must pay.”

“Twice dawns the day when his blood is shed.
Once for mourning, once for birth.
Red on black, the Dragon’s blood stains the
rock of Shayol Ghul.
In the Pit of Doom shall his blood free men
from the Shadow.”



Insight:

1. A small, age-dark ivory carving of a man holding a sword. The fellow who sold it claimed if you held it long enough you started to feel warm.

2. “A quarterstaff,” he said, surprised. “I didn’t know Ogier carried weapons, Loial.”
"Usually we do not,” the Ogier replied almost curtly. “Usually. The price has always been too high.”

Musings:

1. Liandrin peered at Elayne and Min. The late afternoon sunlight, slanting through the branches, shadowed their faces beneath the hoods of their cloaks. “So,” she said finally, still watching those two. “I had made arrangements for you to be taken care of, but as you are here, you are here. Four can make this journey as well as two.”
“Taken care of, Liandrin Sedai?” Elayne said. “I do not understand.”
“Child, you and that other are known as friends of these two. Do you not think there are those who would question you when they are found to be gone? Do you believe the Black Ajah would be gentle with you just because you are heir to a throne? Had you remained in the White Tower, you might not have lived the night.”

Umm . . . b/c you probably "arranged" to have them killed, you shiesty broad.



It makes me laugh:

1. "What are you doing?" he demanded when he caught his breath. "Those are my clothes!" One of the women sniffed an poked a finger through a tear in the sleeve of his only coat, then added it to the pile on the floor.

2. Shaken at finding Trollocs in the heart of Fal Dara keep, he did the form so badly Lan would have stalked off in disgust.

3. So why aren’t you gone?”
Rand shrugged. “I was going, but first the Amyrlin came, and then the Horn was stolen, and the dagger, and Moiraine said Mat was dying, and. . . . Light, I thought I could stay with you until we found the dagger, at least; I thought I could help with that. Maybe I was wrong.”
“You came because of the dagger?” Mat said quietly. He rubbed his nose and grimaced. “I never thought of that. I never thought you wanted to. . . . Aaaah! Are you feeling all right? I mean, you aren’t going mad already, are you?”
Rand dug a pebble out of the ground and threw it at him.

4. Verin glanced at Perrin, and he shifted uneasily. “A new sniffer, just when you lose your old one. How . . . providential."

5. Gawyn scratched his head, then shook it. “Well, if it has anything to do with Rand al’Thor, be sure you don’t let Elaida hear of it. She has been at me a Whitecloak Questioner three times since we arrived. I do not think she means him any—” He gave a start; there was a woman crossing the garden, a woman in a red-fringed shawl. “ ‘Name the Dark One,’ ” he quoted, “ ‘and he appears.’ I do not need another lecture about wearing my shirt when I’m out of the practice yards. Good morning to you all.”

My sister and I say this instead of "speak of the devil." True story.

6. “Thom, I know you said a clean break, but I had to get away from those women. All they wanted to talk about was their husbands being away, but they were already hinting at other things.” Thom choked on his wine, and Rand slapped his back. “You drink too fast, and something always goes down the wrong way. Thom, they think I am plotting with Barthanes, or maybe Galldrian, and I don’t think they will believe me when I say I’m not. I just needed an excuse to leave them.”
Thom stroked his long mustaches with one knuckle and peered across the room at the three women. They were still standing together, watching Rand and him. “I recognize those three, boy. Breane Taborwin alone would give you an education such as every man should have at least once in his life, if he can live through it. Worried about their husbands. I that, boy.”

7. Loial was twirling the stem of a trueheart blossom between his fingers. “Did you go picking flowers?” Rand asked.
“Erith gave it to me.” Loial watched the yellow petals spin. “She really is very pretty, even if Mat does not see it.”
“Does that mean you don’t want to go with us after all?”
Loial gave a start. “What? Oh, no. I mean, yes. I do want to go. She only gave me a flower. Just a flower.” He took a book out of his pocket, though, and pressed the blossom under the front cover. As he returned the book, he murmured to himself, barely loud enough for Rand to hear, “And she said I was handsome, too.” Mat let out a wheeze and doubled over, staggering along clutching his sides, and Loial’s cheeks colored. “Well . . . she said it. I didn’t.”
Perrin rapped Mat smartly on the top of his head with his knuckles. “Nobody ever said Mat was handsome. He’s just jealous.”
“That’s not true,” Mat said, straightening abruptly. “Marisa Ayellin thinks I’m handsome. She told me so more than once.”
“Is Marisa pretty?” Loial asked.
“She has a face a goat,” Perrin said blandly.

I LOVE this early banter between the Big Three.

8. “I older men,” she told him. “I men with education, and wit. I have no interest in farms, or sheep, or shepherds. Especially boy shepherds.” With a sigh, she smoothed back the hair from his face; he had silky hair. “But then, you aren’t a shepherd, are you? Not anymore. Light, why did the Pattern have to catch me up with you? Why couldn’t I have something safe and simple, being shipwrecked with no food and a dozen hungry Aielmen?”book-outlet cover-whore fantasy ...more135 s Matthew1,221 9,555

Probably not a long, in-depth review needed here. This series is long and in-depth enough that if I try to find something deep and meaningful to say with each review, I am going to run out of material very quickly! Here are my random thoughts:

• Similar to book one, but better.
• Lots of dragging in book one, felt less here. Pacing better.
• Some same characters, some different. Always a lot!
• The first book ended in a way that it felt more was needed. This one was ended in such a way that if no one d it and he lost his book deal, it could have ended here. I mean, there are some things unanswered, but if it absolutely had to end here, it would have been a somewhat complete adventure in combination with book one (I am already afraid I am going to get a lot of flack for this bullet point!)
• I am a bit more motivated to try book three than I was to move on to book two. Guess I am starting to get into this world.
• So much worldbuilding, creature creating, magic theory, and societal development. It is a political science dissertation set in a fantasy world.

If you fantasy and have never heard of this series, you are probably living under a rock!

Will it appeal to you if you fantasy? Do you loooooooong books and loooooooong series with lots and lots of detail, characters, locations, species, magic types, other realms, etc. Then, yeah, it will probably appeal to you!
2020 audio fantasy ...more130 s Dana Ilie405 385

There is so much going on in this book, we get to see a few familiar faces when some of the minor characters from the first book make unexpected reappearances but we also have a lot of new people to meet, some you'll immediately love and others will make you much more wary. It's hard to know who to trust and there are definitely lots of side plots and foreshadowing going on that I think will make more sense on a reread (and I can pretty much guarantee I'll be rereading this series again in the future to test that theory!). Once again I was pulled straight into this story, it starts a little slower but the pace really ramps up in the second half and I'm so invested in the characters that even when there's not a great deal happening I'm just so happy to be spending time with them all. While I wouldn't quite place this series as a favourite yet it's definitely heading in that direction and I'm sure it will be on the list well before I reach the final book.
fantasy148 s Sean Barrs 1,122 46.6k

This was no where near as good as the first novel in the series; it completely lacked the initial plot driver that its predecessor wielded. Previously, the innocent, and young, protagonists were taken away from their homes as they were forced to flee for their lives. I wanted to find out exactly why this was going on; thus, I stormed through it. Instead, this premise of this book is Rand attempting to escape from his destiny, which, of course, is pure folly because one does not escape fate: one does not escape the wheel of time.

Reverse character development

I was a little disappointed with this because I just don’t reluctant heroes. Well, at least not in this sense. Rand began to annoy me so much at the start of this because by the end of the last novel, I felt that he had found his courage, and he’d overcome his reluctant nature; it was his character development had gone backwards and taken him to an early state of the previous novel. Thankfully, this didn’t last too long as the wheel forced him to act; he had to become the dragon reborn otherwise he would have fallen to his enemy. I’m glad he found his bravery, again. But, I felt he had already gained it, and that this novel was padded out with development that had already been achieved.

I wanted this from the start:



Rand’s full potential is obviously something he's not fully aware of, although it's clear to the reader, and every other character he may encounter, of what he will one day be able to do. It’s he's the only person in this world who doesn’t truly see what he is, and what he's capable of; it’s beginning to feel a little idiotic. When he chases after the horn, during the great hunt, the depths of his powers begin to unravel along with the true nature of this series. He is learning who he is, again, for the second time. I do hope the author doesn’t back track this again because I want to enjoy this series completely and whole heartedly instead of having my precious reading time wasted with repetetive material.

This isn’t just Rand’s story, thankfully.

Many of the side characters form the last novel are beginning to develop more of their own personal story arcs. I think this made the story much stronger because if this was just about Rand, exclusively, I’d honestly stop reading. Through doing this the author is slowly revealing some of the mysteries of his fantasy world. Nynaeve had many point of view chapters, as did Egwene. I think this is the start of a transition away from a Rand central series. Hopefully, they will be just as important to the overall plot as this reluctant hero. He’s a rather tepid protagonist, and at this point I think he needs a reason to face his destiny. Perhaps, his relatives should die, or one of his friends, to give him an actuall reason to fight.

However, despite more point of view characters, I think the chapter placement was incredibly poor, and plain frustrating. What I mean is that there were four to five chapters of Rand’s story in one massive bulk; this was then interrupted by a single, or sometimes double, chapter from another point of view. It would then go back to Rand. I think the story would have flowed much better if Rand’s chapters were broken up a little more, and had no more than two or three chapters together. The result of placing chapters in the way that Jorden did is not seeing what happened to Mat and Perrin for almost three hundred pages. I found this very annoying. The pacing was very off.

Is this still perfect fantasy?



Despite my grievances with the protagonist and chapter placement, I still think this is a great series. This is everything I in epic fantasy, and hopefully will continue to be so. The magic system is complex and interesting, and the different races/cultures are diverse and well thought out. The complexity of this fantasy universe is what makes this series enjoyable for me. I just hope that Rand retains the character development he has gained twice because if I have to read more about his reluctant nature, and him trying to run away, I may come to view this series as unnecessarily packed out. Hopefully that won’t happen, but time will tell.

This was not as accomplished as the first novel, but was enjoyable to an extent. It may be just the side characters that saved this book for me, However, I do think this series creates a lot of apprehension to how it will all end, and where the characters will end. I find books this tend to be somewhat predictable, but I haven’t had that with the Wheel of Time so far. I’m not entirely sure how it will end, but I do want to see Mordeth again. And it would also be grear to see more of Perrin, my favourite character, because in this novel he felt furniture.

The Wheel of time:
1. Eye of the World- An unoriginal five stars
2. The Great Hunt- A reluctant three stars
3. The Dragon Reborn- A well-developed four stars
4. The Shadow Rising- A strong four stars
5. The Fires of Heaven- A slow two stars



"And it came to pass in those days, as it had come before and would come again, that the Dark lay heavy on the land and weighed down the hearts of men, and the green things failed, and hope died. And men cried out to the Creator, saying, O Light of the Heavens, Light of the World, let the Promised One be born of the mountain, according to the prophecies, as he was in ages past and will be in ages to come. Let the Prince of the Morning sing to the land that green things will grow and the valleys give forth lambs. Let the arm of the Lord of the Dawn shelter us from the Dark, and the great sword of justice defend us. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time." 3-star-reads fantasy123 s Baba3,770 1,176

The Wheel of Time, book 2: What starts off with more of the previous, first book in the series with non-stop world building and 'our poor innocent protagonists' trying to come to terms with the wider world, slowly but surely evolves into a book and reality that I am beginning to care about it! It just needed some real jeopardy, and despite all the blatant foretelling the 'Great Hunt' for a mythical Horn and a dark dagger gave me some supporting characters of worth and fleshed out the main cast a lot better; as well as giving a lot more depth to the Aes Sedai :)

The female cast are superb, and the addition of Min and a delightful number of Aes Sedai were a joy to behold. Overall it still feels the world building although detailed is overdone, and yet again I had to read the glossary at the end of the book to get the full picture. What made this book really tick though was the emergence of a third force that have no respect for the light or the dark! I wouldn't say I'm hooked yet, but I'm now really biting :)

What's that? I haven't really written about the book? Well three quarters into this volume I finally began to see what all the fuss was, and is, about. And I might moan about the excessive world building, but it is very good world building, it just always feels exposition! 7 out of 12

2022 readfantasy-let-it-be-your-fantasy130 s Em Lost In Books955 2,080

While reading Eye of the World, I kept seeing it’s similarities with LoTR but this book simply outshine its predecessor in every way. While first book was a drag in the middle chapters, this one has no such issue and that made it a better reading experience.

This book picks up from where Eye of the World has ended. Horn of Valere has been stolen and it is crucial to get it back before it fell into evil hands and dead heroes could be called back from the graves. So Rand, who is too eager to leave Aes Sedai behind, along with Matt and Perrin went on to get back the Horn but it’s not so easy as they’re not the only one looking for the legendary Horn.

This is a long book and had tons of characters where everyone pop up out of nowhere as the need arise. Some were new and scary; others were beautiful but equally horrible characters. What made this book a real pain was the secrets that Rand, Mat, and Perrin kept from each other. This book should have been cut by 100 or so pages if these goons had just trusted each other with their secrets.

While most of the characters get a chance to shine in this book, two outshines everyone else for me. First was Rand. He has come a long way from the farm boy we first met in Eye of the World. He has power now but he is scared to use as he don’t want to get mad (as people have drilled it in his mind, the more one touch Source, the more closer they get to insanity). I love the part where this mental struggle was described. He wanted to help and yet also remains hidden but in the guy accepts his duty and does what was necessary. Second character that won my heart in this instalment was Nynaeve. I just love this girl. She is stubborn, get easily angry and yet she cares deeply. She doesn’t think twice before facing evil if someone she loves is in trouble. She has flaws but she is just too good a character to deserve hate or dis.

It was a great story (specially last five chapters) and fared much better than I had expected from this. Now my expectation are sky high from Dragon Reborn. 1990-99 2018 4-star ...more109 s Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews320 6,018

4.5/5 stars. A step up from the first book and a wonderful addition to the series

While the first Wheel of Time book was good, I thought it suffered from being too similar to The Lord of the Rings. This book feels Robert Jordan began to write his own story and diverge from where the first book took the reader.

I normally don't enjoy books that are mainly travelling books (looking at you Feast for Crows), but while travelling from Point A to Point B was in large part what this book was about, the concepts were original enough and the characters engaged enough to the point where that didn't really matter.

The ending of this book was fantastic, and everything you would hope for in a conclusion to a fantasy story. Unfortunately it was a bit similar to the first book, but I suspect that was done intentionally and I'm certain there is something I am missing that will make me have an "Ah-Ha!" moment later in the series.

Consider me fully enraptured with this story, and I look forward to continuing on with the series. 97 s Ahmad Sharabiani9,564 148

The Great Hunt (Wheel of Time, #2), Robert Jordan

The Great Hunt is a fantasy novel by American author Robert Jordan, the second book of The Wheel of Time series. It was published by Tor Books and released on November 15, 1990. The Great Hunt consists of a prologue and 50 chapters. In 2004 The Great Hunt was re-released as two separate books, The Hunt Begins and New Threads in the Pattern.

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???????? ??????? ??? ??? ????: «???? ?? (2004 ??????) ?? ????? ????????? ? ???? ??? ??? ?? ???????? ?????? ????»? «1 - ??? ???? (1990 ??????)»? «2 - ???? ???? (1990 ??????)»? «3 - ???? ????? (1991 ??????)»? «4 - ???? ??????? (1992 ??????)»? «5 - ???????? ???? (1993 ??????)»? «6 - ????? ?????? (1995 ??????)»? «7 - ??? ??????? (1996 ??????)»? «8 - ?????? ?????? (1998 ??????)»? «9 - ??? ?????? (2000 ??????)»? «10 - ??????? ??????? (2003 ??????)»? « 11 - ????? ???? (2005 ??????)»? «12 - ??? ???? ????? (2009 ??????)»? «13 - ??????? ???? ?? (2010 ??????)»? «14 - ??????? ?? ??????? (2012 ??????)»?

??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ??? «????» ?? ?? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? «????» ?? ??? 1984?????? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?????: «??? ????» ??????? ?? ???? ?? ??? 1990?????? ????? ?????? ??? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ?? ??? 2007??????? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ????????? ? ?? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?? ?? ????? «???? ??»? «????? ???????» ??? ???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ????????? «???????» ?? ????? ??????????? «????»? ?? ??? ????? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ? ?? ???? «????» ??????? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ???? «????» ???? ????? ? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? «??????? ??» ? ????? ????? ?????? «????????»? «????????»? «????? ???????»? «??????? ????? ?????? ? ??????» ??????? ???? ???

????? ?????? ????? 11/06/1399???? ???????? ?. ??????? David - proud Gleeman in Branwen's adventuring party212 487

Loved this one even more than the first book in the series! The world-building is so rich and vast, and the characters are very compelling. This book was so good, I was almost grateful for my hospital time, since it gave me more time to read! (See, there's always a silver lining!)

Also, as of this book, Nynaeve has officially surpassed Moiraine as my favorite Wheel of Time character!

FULL REVIEW TO COME2016-reads argona-equals-awesome branwen-s-you-book ...more78 s Celeste1,007 2,438

I’ve tried, I really have. I just don’t think that Jordan’s Wheel of Time series is for me. I want desperately to read it in its entirety and love it, but I’m roughly 1500 pages in and it’s already a struggle. The sad thing is, the plot and the world building are actually very interesting, as is the magic system and the mysteries it holds. But I just can’t seem to get past the characters. The way women view men, even while fighting over them, is so insanely irritating. The main perspective characters come across as whiny and mulish, and are so focussed on the same handful of thoughts repeating over and over again in their minds that they rarely have room to notice something new.

The three stars I’m awarding this book are in large part thanks to the world building and the plotting of the last quarter of the book. Perhaps I’ll try again one day, but I feel that as a modern reader of fantasy, going back and rereading the classics of the genre doesn’t hold the same power for me as for readers who came to these classics before the newer novels so popular in the genre were written. I appreciate that there are dozens of authors I love who might not have been able to craft the books that have inspired awe within me if Jordan had never penned this series. But having read those amazing works before coming to the series that inspired them as made the foundational material very difficult for me to enjoy.

If you’re a reader who loves this series and know it will always hold a special place in your heart, I’m sorry that I can’t join you in that love. But I can see why you love it, even if I can’t share the feeling.classics-i-ve-read fantasy77 s Markus478 1,861

“And it shall come to pass that what man made shall be shattered, and the Shadow shall lie across the Pattern of Age, and the Dark One shall once more lay his hand upon the world of man. Women shall weep and men quail as the nations of the earth are rent rotting cloth. Neither shall anything stand nor abide...
Yet one shall be born to face the Shadow, born once more as he was born before and shall be born again, time without end. The Dragon shall be Reborn, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth at his rebirth. In sackcloth and ashes shall he clothe the people, and he shall break the world again by his coming, tearing apart all ties that bind. the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burns us, yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last battle, and his blood shall give us the Light. Let tears flow, O ye people of the world. Weep for your salvation."

The Great Hunt begins right where The Eye of the World left off, with our heroes still sheltering within the walls of Fal Dara. But soon enough, the fragile peace is shattered. The Amyrlin Seat arrives from Tar Valon, with dozens of Aes Sedai by her side. The Horn of Valere is mysteriously stolen from within the keep itself, along with the terrible dagger from Shadar Logoth. And from the borderlands in the far north, a new journey begins to recover what was stolen.

Already in the first few pages of the prologue, the reader is made aware of the dangers that lurk in the shadows. The darkfriends are everywhere. Nobles from all across the nations secretly serve the Great Lord of the Dark. Even the Children of the Light have been infiltrated by the servants of the Shadow. And in the halls of Tar Valon roams the Black Ajah; an eight Ajah and a secret fraternity containing those of the Aes Sedai who have given themselves to the Dark One.

While the battle rages on between light and shadow, new forces emerge on the horizon to make their impact on the world. In the east, groups of Aielmen come out of the Spine of the World in search of the Dragon Reborn. On the western shores, the Seanchan, claiming to be the descendants of Artur Hawkwing's armies, arrive from beyond the Aryth ocean to conquer the world once more. And in Cairhien, Daes dae'mar, the Great Game, is being played by the noble houses with increasing brutality and ruthlessness, and the threat of civil war is becoming more and more real.

"It is never over, al'Thor."

The characters are what really shape this book, for good or ill, and one of the most interesting characters from the world of the Wheel of Time is Padan Fain. From being a seemingly mad darkfriend in the dungeons of Fal Dara, he is sprung from his prison when the Horn is stolen, and after going along with the group of Trollocs and darkfriends for a while, he assumes leadership of it by nailing a Myrddraal to a village wall. From that point on, Fain becomes a villainous mastermind.

The matter of the main characters is sadly enough a totally different one. On the positive side, Mat and Perrin seem to be improving by each passing chapter. Egwene is as she was in the first book: a dull, uninteresting character with not much of a personality at all. And Nynaeve continues to astound me with her uncontrollable temper and her completely unfounded hatred towards Moiraine.

Nevertheless, there is only one reason why this book got only four stars from me, and that reason even has a name: Rand al'Thor. I know some of you who read this will not agree with what I'm saying, but so far Rand is just the worst main character I've ever read about. He refuses to acknowledge the truth of anything, he shuns and apparently even despises those who would help him and accuses them of trying to use him, and he's blind towards being manipulated by mostly everyone else. Nynaeve can be quite irritating occasionally, but Rand constantly left me wanting to throw the book in a wall somewhere.

Fortunately there are more than enough interesting supporting characters to read about: Geofram Bornhald, such a rarity as a benevolent Whitecloak commander; the beautiful and mysterious lady Selene, encountered by Rand and Loial in a different world; Bayle Domon, Verin Sedai and many more.

The Great Hunt is in most aspects a better book than The Eye of the World. The writing is flawless, and both the storyline and the setting is perhaps even more interesting in the second volume than in the first. I considered giving this book five stars I gave that one, but in the end I came to the conclusion that Rand al'Thor alone was by far enough reason to remove one star (at points when reading I was wondering if this was a three-star read), and other main characters were not good enough for a five-star rating either. In the end though, the book was entertaining enough with a great ending, and it managed to build the suspense leading to the next volume in the series.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.

Wheel of Time :
#1 The Eye of the World
#2 The Great Hunt
#3 The Dragon Reborn
#4 The Shadow Rising
#5 The Fires of Heaven
#6 Lord of Chaos
#7 A Crown of Swords
#8 The Path of Daggers
#9 Winter's Heart
#10 Crossroads of Twilight
#11 Knife of Dreams
#12 The Gathering Storm
#13 Towers of Midnight
#14 A Memory of Light 2014 fantasy wheel-of-time76 s Robin (Bridge Four)1,727 1,557

Sale Alert: Kindle deal June 22-28 $2.99

If you’ve read a few by me you might know that I’m a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson. This is one reason that 2016 is the year of the Wheel for me since Sanderson finished out this series. As I move along in this series I can see how BS got some of his roots from Jordan. They distinctively have different voices to be sure but one of the reasons I’m enjoying The Wheel of Time series is because of the intricate world building that is going on and the layers that are being set up.

This book is over twenty years old but you can’t really tell and that is one of the coolest things about fantasy is they can stand up to the test of time since there is an entire new world in every single one and so it never really feels dated.

The Eye of the World reminded me of The Lord of the Rings in quite a few ways and while for the most part The Great Hunt is moving away from that feeling there is still one part that very much reminded me of Tolkien. The Great Hunt is all about the Horn of Valere. Whoever blows the horn calls an army of dead heroes to fight with them….I’m pretty sure I saw that somewhere else.



But that is about the only thing that really reminded me of LotRs this time around.

The world continues to get a little bigger for our group from The Two Rivers. There are new people, customs, places and danger seems to be EVERYWHERE. It seems that most of the book is about Rand since he seems to be the very reluctant and ridiculously stubborn hero. Temptations abound as various characters try to pull him into their machinations including a new beautiful woman Selene. I hated her immediately and seriously why does every woman (except Nynaeve of course) need to be in love with Rand??? Why can’t Perrin or Mat find someone interested in them??? I was sure I knew who she really was from the beginning and that can be nothing but trouble for Rand so I hope all the stubbornness pays off in the end.

Rand struggles with the fate that keeps calling him. He is so hell bent on going the opposite direction the Aes Sadai wants him to go he is easy to manipulate.
“I have purposely let him think I no longer have any interest in him, that he may go where he pleases for all of me.” She raised her hands as the Amyrlin opened her mouth. “It was necessary, Siuan. Rand al’Thor was raised in the Two Rivers, where Manetheren’s stubborn blood flows in every vein, and his own blood is rock beside clay compared to Manetheren’s. He must be handled gently, or he will bolt in any direction but the one we want.”
All the people from the Two Rivers seem to be incredibly naïve, except Nynaeve and I can’t help but yell at them sometimes in my head for the choices they make.

While Rand’s Journey was pretty interesting especially to the final showdown in the book I d learning about the rituals and training of the Aes Sadai more. Nynaeve and Egwene’s time at the white tower and after was probably the most interesting part of the story for me. Learning what trials Nynaeve had to go through for part of her training was so intense and actually a little heartbreaking.
“I do not know what is happening, Nynaeve, but I feel as if I were losing you. I could not bear that.” He put a hand in her hair; closing her eyes, she pressed her cheek against his fingers. “Stay with me, always.”
But the run in with the Seanchan and learning what they do with women who can channel was the most horrible and intense thing in the book for me. Egwene and Nynaeve have come far from where they started out and I’m very interested in seeing what becomes of them as the books continue.

Best side character for me is Loial. The Ogier is a great addition and I really enjoyed going into another stedding and meeting a few other Ogier. Plus could it be that Loial might have a crush. If that wasn’t the cutest thing ever I don’t know what it.



A few issues I had

They are really silly but I find this with quite a few older high fantasy novels. People know each other for a few pages and BOOM they are in love or speaking of marriage and such. Lan and Nynaeve are a good example of this. I that they have this longing and forbidden romance of sorts happening between them. I’m a girl and I really a little romance with my fantasy but I also a little build up. Still at least there is a little bit on the romance side of life and I am rooting for them even though there wasn’t much build up.
“I must go now, Nynaeve mashiara. The Amyrlin wishes to leave before midday, and there is much yet to be done. Perhaps we will have time to talk on the journey to Tar Valon.” He turned and was gone, striding down the hall. Nynaeve touched her cheek. She could still feel where he had touched her. Mashiara. Beloved of heart and soul, it meant, but a love lost, too. Lost beyond regaining.
The other issue I sometimes have is that it seems every core member suffers from what my friend Gavin coined quite well Two Rivers Idiocy. At some key moment in the book one of the crew from The Two Rivers will do something that is completely stupid. ’Hey we need to sneak out of here under no circumstances use magic. Two paragraphs later: ’Draws in all the magic to use it. *sigh*.

Overall

This is good Epic High Fantasy. Sure there are smaller stories arcs being told but there are prophecies to be confronted and evil to destroy. There are epic journeys that need to be taken and bad guys all over the place, some of them even think they are the good guys White Cloaks I’m looking at you.

If you enjoy epic journeys then this series seems to be exactly what you are looking for. Plus good news is that it is finished no waiting years between books.

Audio Note: Kate Reading and Michael Kramer (who also do The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson *wink, wink*) are fantastic. This is very well performed if you are a fan of audio.4-5-stars awesome-audio bro-mantic ...more73 s Sara210 146

I want to read the next one asap
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