megalomania
November 19th, 2003, 03:18 PM
I have just finished Robert Jordan’s latest installment into the Wheel of Time series and I would like to discuss the book. First of all I have to say I have completely forgotten what is going on and who all those people are. It has been nearly 2 years since the last book, about 2 years before that one, and nearly as long for each book in the installment. I have been a follower for 6 years now. There are just too many characters and subplots to follow without a major refresher.
I must say I was rather disappointed with the book. The plot line was not advanced one iota. There was also not climatic scene at the end of the book like all the others. This entire book is just filler, fluff if you will. Most of the book is about the damned Aes Sedai and their subtleties of appearance, gesture, voice, etc. At least they had a few chapters of Mat back in this volume. I was most distressed in the last book that; he was not mentioned at all, he is my favorite character.
Nothing actually “happened” in this book. Faile is still a prisioner of the Shaido, the Aes Sedai are still besieging the white tower. Rand is sitting doing nothing. Not even the Forsaken were up to much in this book. As I said most of it was about the infighting of the Aes Sedai.
Robert Jordan has strayed from his usual formula and produced a book that is pure filler, no action. I guess it’s his own fault, with so many characters and so many subplots you can’t help but spend time developing the stories. With so many stories to develop you just get to the point where nothing much can happen. This book actually includes 4 distinct stories seemingly unconnected, following the lives of Rand, Mat, Egwene, and Perrin. Oh, make that 5 because I forgot about Elayne. There’s probably enough material there to write an entire book on each of those characters.
I don’t mind the action not progressing, but I do mind waiting so long between novels. If the next book is due out fairly soon I can accept the occasional filler book. I hope this is not some ploy just to sell novels. I am beginning to get worried that Robert Jordan will die before he actually finishes the story. We are at 10 volumes with no end in sight, but he is already pushing 60. With an average of 2 years between each novel he will be fighting the grim reaper to wrap up all his story lines.
I must say I was rather disappointed with the book. The plot line was not advanced one iota. There was also not climatic scene at the end of the book like all the others. This entire book is just filler, fluff if you will. Most of the book is about the damned Aes Sedai and their subtleties of appearance, gesture, voice, etc. At least they had a few chapters of Mat back in this volume. I was most distressed in the last book that; he was not mentioned at all, he is my favorite character.
Nothing actually “happened” in this book. Faile is still a prisioner of the Shaido, the Aes Sedai are still besieging the white tower. Rand is sitting doing nothing. Not even the Forsaken were up to much in this book. As I said most of it was about the infighting of the Aes Sedai.
Robert Jordan has strayed from his usual formula and produced a book that is pure filler, no action. I guess it’s his own fault, with so many characters and so many subplots you can’t help but spend time developing the stories. With so many stories to develop you just get to the point where nothing much can happen. This book actually includes 4 distinct stories seemingly unconnected, following the lives of Rand, Mat, Egwene, and Perrin. Oh, make that 5 because I forgot about Elayne. There’s probably enough material there to write an entire book on each of those characters.
I don’t mind the action not progressing, but I do mind waiting so long between novels. If the next book is due out fairly soon I can accept the occasional filler book. I hope this is not some ploy just to sell novels. I am beginning to get worried that Robert Jordan will die before he actually finishes the story. We are at 10 volumes with no end in sight, but he is already pushing 60. With an average of 2 years between each novel he will be fighting the grim reaper to wrap up all his story lines.