Knife of Dreams (Wheel of Time, #11)

Knife of Dreams (Wheel of Time #11)

4.07 of 5 stars 4.07  ·  rating details  ·  31,652 ratings  ·  645 reviews
The Wheel of Time turns, and Robert Jordan gives us the eleventh volume of his extraordinary masterwork of fantasy.

The dead are walking, men die impossible deaths, and it seems as though reality itself has become unstable: All are signs of the imminence of Tarmon Gai'don, the Last Battle, when Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, must confront the Dark One as humanity's only h...more
Paperback, 860 pages
Published November 28th 2006 by Tor Fantasy (first published January 1st 2005)
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Brahm
May 05, 2007 Brahm rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who've already read up to book 10 in this godforsaken series
Shelves: fantasy
Knife of Dreams, the elenth book in the colossal fantasy series the Wheel of Time, has been viewed as something of a return for Robert Jordan. After near unanimous agreement on the terrible quality of books 8-10 (and particularly book 10, Crossroads of Twilight, an 800 page novel where literally nothing happens), fans (and some critics) have regarded this as a return to form. Are they right? Is Knife of Dreams really as good as such earlier volumes as The Dragon Reborn and Lord of Chaos? Has it...more
Nicole
Jun 25, 2007 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fantasy fiction lovers with stamina
I read the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan because both my husband and best friend had read them. The best friend highly encouraged me to read the books - my husband warned me off.

The warning is not because the books are bad. The first few, actually, are very good. Great character development, interesting universe for those who love fantasy novels.

The warning is because these books never, ever, ever are going to end. Ever.

There are so far 12 books (including a prequel that came out somewhe...more
Jon
Loial and Mat tied the knot (but not with each other). Perrin and Faile end their two book separation. Nine months can't come soon enough for Elayne (or me). Egwene and Eliada under the same roof but not speaking to each other. Nynaeve returned Lan to Malkier along the Borderland Scenic Byway. Someone please give Rand a hand!
Nicole
May 02, 2011 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fantasy readers
Finally! I don't remember when I started going through this series again, but I think it was last year sometime. It's taken me forever and I partially resent Robert Jordan for being so ridiculously prolific. It was like he was afraid to let it end. At this point, I'm really looking forward to finishing the series with Brandon Sanderson, who's not afraid to end a series.

On my previous read-through, I think the last Wheel of Time book I finished was Lord of Chaos. That was several years ago and i...more
Kat  Hooper
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Knife of Dreams is another huge installment (1.3 days worth of audio!) which suffers the same faults as the last several WOT novels. But, if you've made it this far, perhaps that won't bug you.

I have to say that Robert Jordan can surely set a scene; indeed, each chapter begins with a very detailed description of the setting, including such minutia as the style and oiliness of men's beards, the height of ladies' boots, every knickknack on every plinth, ever...more
Jeane
Re-read- this was my review from 2010-The last book wasn't bad, but it was a little slower moving then the previous books. However, Number eleven was strong in every part that the previous books lacked. This was the last book that Robert Jordon wrote and it was not a disappointment. I love how everything is really coming together. Mat, Perrin, and Rand are all moving closer to each other and things are really mounting up to Tarmon Gai'don (okay at this point if you have no clue what I am talking...more
Coligne
Finalmente un libro della Ruota del Tempo all'altezza dei primi volumi. A differenza di quanto ci aveva abituato nel precedenti libri, in cui tutta l'azione ere relegata alle ultime 100-150 pagine, in questo XI° volume della saga succedono veramente un sacco di cose, ripartite per tutta la lunghezza del libro. Non ci sono tempi morti, quindi, a tutto vantaggio della scorrevolezza. Finalmente buona parte delle trame in piedi da 4 o 5 libri da questa parte arrivano a compimento, su tutti:
-Attenzio...more
Rose
Robert Jordan's novels are suspenseful and soporific at the same time. Despite the fact that he's dealing with a sword-and-sorcery magical world in which flawed characters wielding a supernatural power battle entirely evil characters wielding a similar supernatural power in the broken, politically roiled kingdoms of a broken world, there's a certain realistic element to the tensions and conflicts that keeps you engaged. But given the fact that no particular problem or tension is going to come to...more
J.R.C. Salter
Right from the first few pages, I got the feeling that this book was something different to the previous few. While it took some time to get there, I was proven correct.

This feels like the beginning of the end and it finally ties off some of the plot threads that started as far back as Crown of Swords. Mat, Perrin and Elayne all have a proper climactic ending and once this book was over, I felt that we could get down to the remainder of the plot instead of dragging out story lines over the cours...more
Jeffrey Grant
This book is what people were probably expecting the previous book to be. As I indicated in that review, everything significant that happened plot-wise in the previous book could probably have been shoehorned into this one. This book keeps all of the plot points moving for the most part, and stays focused on the main characters. I felt that the early sections with Elayne and Faile dragged a bit, particularly because we were subjected to so much pointless time with them in the previous volume, bu...more
Richard Bray
Robert Jordan didn’t waste any time in making it clear that KNIFE OF DREAMS was going to make up for the wheel-spinning that soured the last few books, especially CROSSROADS OF TWILIGHT. After reading CROSSROADS, I recognized it for what it was – a book designed to set up the climax of multiple plotlines – but that didn’t make it any less frustrating.

In KNIFE OF DREAMS, we finally start to see the payoff. In the past, I’ve been frustrated by Jordan’s prologues, which have often extended almost 1...more
Adam
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Mo
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Ward Bond
Amazon.com Review

About the Author
Robert Jordan lives in Charleston, South Carolina. He is a graduate of the Citadel.

Amazon.com Exclusive Content

Amazon.com's Significant Seven
Robert Jordan kindly agreed to take the life quiz we like to give to all our authors: the Amazon.com Significant Seven.

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A:

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: The one book would be whatever book I was

...more
Miles Reid-lobatto


To be honest, when all I can say is 'The Plot started to move again,' in regards to this book, my opinion is not a great one. Thankfully, since I've managed to read Books 1-11 of the Wheel of Time in under a two year period, I'm not suffering the same frustrations as the readers who were waiting for the new book to come out with bated breath.

The book does have some good moments, some of the best scenes for a while, but it only goes to show how much Robert Jordan was dragging the series out for a...more
Anthony
I have to say, after the glacial pace of the last several books ... things actually happen in this one. Several long-running plots are wrapped up, and while one or two new mysteries crop up, the push is definitely on that these characters are now barrelling full-tilt towards "Tar'mon Gai'don," or "the end of the world as we know it." It's satisfying at the least to see some major action / battle scenes, and to see the focus spread evenly among the Major Players.

For those not in the know, "The Wh...more
Joseph Mazzola
Well wow.

After spending weeks on the comparatively grueling Crossroads of Twilight, which as I said was only not a bad book because of a few really cool moments, this book whipped right by.

While the Sanderson books may be the ones with the reputation for an increased pace and resolving plotlines, this book, still by Robert Jordan, is where all the resolutions began.

With minimal spoilers, the Shaido Aiel plot is resolved, as is one of the predictions that Mat heard in the redstone gate way back...more
Matthew
I may have called this an 1100 page monster in my last post, and that may be an exaggeration, considering it weighs in at only about 730-some pages. But, it was still big, and heavy, and long, and chocked full o' goodness! More resolution of side-plots and forward motion towards mopping up the middling middle of the story than in any previous book since the whole thing got so convoluted and large. It really makes me believe that Brandon Sanderson really can finish off the whole series in the 3...more
Emma
First of all, I'd like to clear up the misconception that the series is meant to be read all at once and even the terrible books are decent if you're not waiting a couple years for each one. I started reading the Wheel of Time in 2003, and for the first six books I ran out to get the sequel as soon as I finished the one before it. Well, then the books started to slow down, and I lost interest... finally, I realized I could skip #9-10 entirely, read online summaries, and continue to Knife of Drea...more
Parcoast
So after two months and about 30,000 airline miles I finally finished this one. It was a sheer act of will. The good news is that the delay was more due to my workload, the holidays, and my overall lack of time, not the book. Finally this series is picking up again! And some of my less-favorite plot lines are getting resolved! Hallelujah! I gave this a celebratory 4 stars for those two reasons alone.

Things I want to know at this point:
1. What is with all of the darkfriends everywhere? They nee...more
Chariti King Canny
This series is brilliant. There is just the right balance of fantastical detail and speed of reading. The way the author writes, as I get more and more involved in the story, the more plausible everything seems... the perfect fantasy novel. There are rare moments where he gets a little too tied up in detailing the scene environment, but overall, this is an excellent story.
He does follow the story formula, which probably is what adds to the simplicity and readability of the storyline. However, t...more
Mark
This review stands for the entire Wheel of Time series.

The Wheel of Time appears to be in good hands with Brandon Sanderson penning the last Book (in three parts) of Robert Jordan's epic.

Although I have been reading these books for as long as I have been reading Katherine Kerr's Deverry novels, and will be reading them at least until 2012 when the final book is due out, I have enjoyed them so much that I am willing to ignore the length of time it has taken. It must be almost 20 years from first...more
Fallen Angel
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Claire
Whew I finished number 11. Probably the hardest book for me to get through. I felt like banging my head against the floor rather than read a few hundred pages regarding the way Elayne is dressed and how she hates drinking goats milk. Actually quite a few of the female characters I have grown to loath. Except for Egwene, only in this book have I come to be more appreciative of her role. On the other hand are the male characters that are colorful and for the most part interesting enough to allow m...more
Alan
Instead of reviewing Knife of Dreams, I would like to take some time to talk about the future of the series.

Robert Jordan died of cancer. He tried his best to finish the twelfth book, but was not fast enough. Brandon Sanderson, a rising star in the fantasy world, is trying to finish what Jordan started.

However, Brandon, after reviewing Robert Jordan's extensive notes, quickly came to the conclusion that Mr. Jordan overestimated his ability to finish the series in one book. Brandon, as he was wri...more
Ron
Sep 15, 2008 Ron rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: fantasy
Here's what should have been his penultimate book, and Jordan is still chasing rabbits. I kept reading, hoping he would redeem himself. Sadly, he didn't. And, as we know, in the end this was his last book. And a poor finish to his Wheel of Time series it was.

There's a message there for all of us. If something's worth doing, do it. Don't draw it out just for the fun (and profit) of drawing it out. I hope--but don't expect--his literary successors to tie this all together at the end.
Scott
Finally, Robert Jordan realized that he needed to sharpen his paring knife and get to work! This book may not be up to the standard of any of the first six, but it's a vast improvement over books 8 through 10. All of the prominent characters are back, and some real progress is made in the story. At this point in the series, there are so many dangling plot lines that Jordan couldn't possibly tie them all up, but he does get to some of them, and several of the peripheral elements start to come tog...more
Filippy
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
joby
Finally this series returns to something enjoyable to read where the interesting primary characters take the stage and show us why we started reading this monstrosity of a series.

Rand: Is finally starting to regain his place as an actual character in the series and not just a prop.

Matt: Finally gets somewhere and demonstrates his complete and total awesomeness.

Perrin/Faile: This tangent gets resolved adequately. Thank God.

Egwene: Kicks ass figuratively. Literally her ass is beaten, but her inner...more
Colin
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Knife of Dreams (Wheel of Time, #11)
Knife of Dreams (Wheel of Time, #11)
Knife of Dreams (Wheel of Time, #11)
Knife of Dreams (Wheel of Time, #11)
Knife of Dreams (Wheel of Time, #11)

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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reily.

Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to...more
More about Robert Jordan...
The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time, #1) The Great Hunt (Wheel of Time, #2) The Dragon Reborn (Wheel of Time, #3) The Shadow Rising (Wheel of Time, #4) The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time, #12; A Memory of Light, #1)

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“There is some delight in ale and wine
And some in girls with ankles fine
But my delight, yes always mine
Is to dance with Jak O’ the Shadows

We will toss the dice however they fall
And snuggle the girls be they short or tall
Then follow lord Mat whenever he calls
To dance with Jak O’ the Shadows.”
25 people liked it
“A beautiful battle is one you don't have to fight” 11 people liked it
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