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This particular arc of the series gets an undeservedly bad rap, in my opinion. Book 10 does get tedious, but when it comes to WoT overall, I've been (more or less) as happy with one book as the next. There is no general dive in quality in my opinion, as many claim -- in terms of pure writing, these later books are probably superior to the earliest volumes.
The WOT as a series does have its quirks and weaknesses, but to my eye, those weaknesses are fairly consistent throughout the series as a whole, not unique to 7-9. People complain of the slow pace of later books, but the pace of WOT was always slow from the beginning -- I'm actually thankful Jordan didn't start rushing through things just to move the story along. I mean, frankly, the central, main plot is pretty stupid and stereotypical. It's the tremendous level of immersion and detail and all the time spent with the characters that make WOT special. It makes the cities, cultures, magic system, and people all feel believable and real. The later books deliver on that aspect of WoT at least as well – and arguably better – than the earliest volumes.
I do think it helps a lot to be able to binge-read the series now that it is complete. It was probably exasperating to wait 1-2 years between volumes. But that ain't a problem now! So settle in, and enjoy all the volumes of the Wheel of Time together. This is an epic and truly enjoyable fantasy story, with many very unique attributes, lovingly crafted by a very interesting man.
As for the content of books 7-9 specifically, some of my favorite things (minor spoilers ahead, but nothing major/central):
- Aviendha POV chapters! She's far from one of my favorite characters in and of herself, but we'd never had her POV before -- it is surprisingly well-done and kind of hilarious when Jordan gives it to us.
- On that note, the humor in general in 7-9 is great. Jordan's attempts at comic relief in the earliest volumes were middling at best, irritating at worst -- but by book 7 he's gotten the hang of it much more so. At this point he knows his characters well enough that he can really have some fun playing them off each other in interesting and clever ways.
- Ebou Dar. Plot-wise, Ebou Dar is a strangely lengthy and probably very unnecessary tangent, but I do like the content, and find it one of the most interesting cities we visit in the entire series.
- Black Tower and A'sha'man subplots -- I love almost everything having to do with this part of the story so far. I wish we got more of it than we do, but everything Jordan gives us here is pretty good. I love the false Dragon characters and the way they come back into the narrative later.
- A pretty major event makes for the conclusion of Winter's Heart, and it's one of the better WOT climaxes (not the best though -- that has to be Lord of Chaos). The logistics of it don't bear up to close scrutiny -- they almost never do, in WOT -- but it's reasonably exciting.
- Egwene's story gets interesting. Egwene is my least favorite major character besides Elayne, maybe, but her part of the story becomes quite strong in this arc.
- Lots of Mat. By book 7, Mat has become (in a bit of a reversal from early volumes) many readers' favorite character, and understandably so. Some of his best and longest-running sections are in books 7 and 9 (though he is, I believe, wholly absent from 8).
- Perrin and Masema -- it's admittedly a slow-moving subplot, but I like everything happening with it in books 7-9. I can't wait to see how it plays out in later volumes.
And in fairness, some of my least favorite things:
- Conclusion of Book 7 -- the book as a whole is lovely, but the big confrontation at the end is one of the clunkiest endings of any WOT book (and there have been a few). I sort of accept that endings aren't really Jordan's strong suit, but Book 7's was particularly lame. Maybe Jordan was up against a tight deadline or something.
- Rand becomes annoying. It's not necessarily a failing of the story, exactly -- it makes sense, in and of itself, that Rand would become less and less likable as the taint of saidin increasingly affects him – but, man. He just becomes so careless, scattershot, and unlikable during some sections of 7-9 that it's hard to take at times. In fairness, you can really start to see some of the broken, very non-heroic Lews Therin sketch we got in the prologue for Eye of the World.
- Elayne's return to Caemlyn. I had no problem whatsoever with the much-maligned Book 8, but this subplot becomes way too big a focus in 9-11. It’s simply not very interesting, and there was no shortage of interesting/significant things that could've been covered in its place. Still, it’s just one subplot – there are plenty of other good things going on to make up for it.
Overall, 7-9 is a much better arc than I'd been led to believe. Even book 10 isn’t as bad as they say, though it does have some particularly tedious stretches.
Great, great series -- don't miss it if you're a fantasy lover.
Wheel of Time
(14 book series)
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Reviews with images
This a big commitment...
This a big commitment...I want to start this review by being very explicit -- don't start unless you have the time to finish in one go (over many months). There is so much detail and so many characters (all sounding similar) that it would be difficult to get through without an online guide...or if you just give up caring.I posted the images of the books, spines out -- I want you to fully understand the commitment you are making. It took me about a year to finish all 14 books. I haven't decided if I want to spend additional time reading the prequels; certainly not any time soon. Below are my short notes on each book (not summaries of the plot) and the number of pages per book:#1 The Eye of the World (written by Robert Jordan) -- 753 pagesVery interesting world, very well defined, with many nuances. I liked the characters. It was a bit long-winded, but enjoyable.#2 The Great Hunt (written by Robert Jordan) -- 658 pagesAfter reading the first book, I felt committed to continuing. I was still enjoying the story. And for the first time, I noticed just how much "The Game of Thrones" and "Harry Potter" 'took' from this fantasy. The parallels were numerous and kept coming. I feel like "The Wheel of Time" is the true original. It is both deeper and wider than either of these other fantasy series.#3 The Dragon Reborn (written by Robert Jordan) -- 673 pagesOnce committed to this story, I've read it one book after the other. For if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to keep up with all of the names and places. There is a LOT to remember! I wish there was a way to click on the name in the book and get a quick recap of who this was... I don't know how people read these books when they had to wait for the next installment for several years. Thank goodness I didn't start these until they were all done.#4 The Shadow Rising (written by Robert Jordan) -- 1051 pagesOkay, this is where I've invented the term Peril Loop -- a continuous series of bad events that happen to the main character in a story -- and Peril Loop Fatigue — how the reader feels when too many improbable bad events happen to the main character one after another in a continuous barrage of peril. Book 4 is where I almost stopped reading these series several times. Enough is enough!!!!#5 The Fires of Heaven (written by Robert Jordan) -- 926 pagesStill reading...#6 Lord of Chaos (written by Robert Jordan) -- 1049 pagesI've made it this far...#7 A Crown of Swords (written by Robert Jordan) -- 902 pagesI love how detailed the world developed in this fantasy is. Everything seems motivated by deep time events. You get a sense of how customs and people changed based on historical events. This is far better than "The Game of Thrones." Robert Jordan must have a library-worth of notes... Unfortunately, I don't.#8 The Path of Daggers (written by Robert Jordan) -- 669 pagesThis one is a bit shorter. Is Mr. Jordan getting tired? As much as I love the millions of details, I'm getting exhausted... I heard about these series many years ago, way before I read "The Game of Thrones" (GoT). I figured as a writer, I should read "The Wheel of Time" as a great example of world development. I have a lot to learn... Yet, GoT HBO series was in some ways an improvement over the book -- the stories were tightened up; many characters were combined; unnecessary details removed altogether. I will NOT be reading the last book of GoT if it ever comes out...#9 Winter's Heart (still written by Robert Jordan) -- 705 pagesLike in any story, you fall in love with some characters more than others. Mr. Jordan is careful to give equal time to all his main characters and to develop their storylines fully. But I feel like the main story is getting sidelined...#10 Crossroads of Twilight (still written by Robert Jordan) -- 832 pagesFor all of the details, some main ideas are starting to get lost. Still reading...#11 Knife of Dreams (still written by Robert Jordan) -- 886 pagesSo glad that I'm reading this as an e-book version -- I don't have that much room in my house...or in my purse -- I read everywhere; and if I had to carry these books, I would have serious back problems.#12 The Gathering Storm (written by Robert Jordan AND Brandon Sanderson) -- 861 pagesI began reading these series partly because Brandon Sanderson was one of the authors. He picked up writing the series towards the end. Brandon has an amazing imagination and I love his writing style. I think "The Wheel of Time" books are the better for having him as a co-author. Still, this story is getting long in the tooth.#13 Towers of Midnight (written by Robert Jordan AND Brandon Sanderson) -- 977 pagesWhen will this end?! I love long books...but this is too much! And things are getting muddled. The story is getting lost in the details... Who are these people?!!#14 A Memory of Light (written by Robert Jordan AND Brandon Sanderson) -- 1025 pagesAside from Book 4, this was the worst of the bunch -- too long; too many unnecessary plot points while the main plot points are left unresolved. I couldn't wait for this one to end. Some interesting bits, but overall a disappointment. Peril Loop Fatigue. Peril Loop Fatigue. Peril Loop Fatigue.Overall review: the best-developed fantasy world I have ever read. But too long, too meandering, too lost. These series should have been shorter, tighter, more intense. The "side" stories were entertaining and might have been a nice addition as stand-alone novellas, but they should not have been included in the first read-through. People will probably hate me for writing this, but I'm also one of those who believe GoT would have benefited from some judicious editing. And did I mention Peril Loop Fatigue? How many readers gave because they just got too tired of the main characters continuously battered by bad guys and fate? At some point, such twists of fate stop being engaging and become burdensome. Still, for the sheer scope of vision, I rate the whole series as 4 stars. Some books are better than others...
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Ruben
Goed verhaal, slechte kwaliteit
Reviewed in the Netherlands on September 3, 2020
