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Lord of Chaos (Wheel of Time #6)

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 46,155 ratings · 788 reviews

In this sequel to the phenomenal New York Times bestseller The Fires of Heaven, we plunge again into Robert Jordan's extraordinarily rich, totally unforgettable world:

On the slopes of Shayol Ghul, the Myrddraal swords are forged, and the sky is not the sky of this world;

In Salidar the White Tower in exile prepares an embassy to Caemlyn, where Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Rebor...more

Mass Market Paperback, 1011 pages

Published November 15th 1995 by Tor Fantasy (first published October 15th 1994)

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Mar 31, 2009 Kat Hooper rated it 3 of 5 stars

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

I could almost copy and paste my review for Fires of Heaven right here and it would be mostly suitable because Lord of Chaos is more of the same. This is another metropolitan-city-phonebook-sized novel with a potentially interesting story that is bogged down by its excruciatingly slow pace, regular insertions of backstory, constant descriptions of the garb of every major and minor character (garb which keeps getting smoothed, straightened, or otherwise adj...more ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

I could almost copy and paste my review for Fires of Heaven right here and it would be mostly suitable because Lord of Chaos is more of the same. This is another metropolitan-city-phonebook-sized novel with a potentially interesting story that is bogged down by its excruciatingly slow pace, regular insertions of backstory, constant descriptions of the garb of every major and minor character (garb which keeps getting smoothed, straightened, or otherwise adjusted), and too many mentions of expanses of bosoms, spankings, sitting on knees, sniffing, snorting, and braid yanking. (I swear, if I have to read "good stout Two-Rivers woolens" one more time...)

In Lord of Chaos some of the most interesting WOT characters are absent (e.g., Egeanin and Lan), some of the formerly interesting characters have become almost intolerable (e.g., Siuan and Aviendha), and some who should have grown up by now just won't (Nynaeve and Faile). At least we get to visit a new city -- Ebou Dar .... in which everyone looks and acts the same and all the women are looking for fights (with knives).

The only really entertaining parts of Lord of Chaos were Lews Therin's mumblings in Rand's head -- I thought this was clever and amusing:

"Where are all the dead?" Lews Therin whispered. "Why will they not be silent?"
Rand chuckled grimly. Surely that had to be a joke.

There is a climax at the end of the book that truly changes the course of the story (and I hope will serve to pick up the pace in the next novel), but it took entirely too long to get there and involved a sudden change in some of the characters' normal behavior. Rand's got a hoard of Aiel maidens and wise ones around him everywhere he goes and then they suddenly decide to take a coffee break when a group of Aes Sedai come to visit? Huh? Well, I was puzzled, but at least there was finally some action, even if the events around it seemed contrived.

Robert Jordan is a smooth writer who's got an interesting story to tell (thus, three stars), but he dilutes its power by drawing it out. This book's plot should have been combined with the previous two books' plots and then 75% of the words should have been removed. (There was so much repetition that we probably wouldn't have missed anything!). Then, instead of three slow and repetitive novels, we'd have one great novel. Read more Robert Jordan book reviews at Fantasy literature. (less)

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Nate Kat, I've enjoyed your reviews and while I absolutely agreed with you for Book 5 - The Fires of Heaven, I did feel that Book 6 was/is considerably bet...more
Mar 20, 2013 05:33pm

Kat Hooper Nate wrote: "Kat, I've enjoyed your reviews and while I absolutely agreed with you for Book 5 - The Fires of Heaven, I did feel that Book 6 was/is con...more
Mar 24, 2013 07:13pm

Sep 25, 2012 Eric Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lord of Chaos
Book 6 of The Wheel of Time

By Robert Jordan

A Wheel of Time Retrospective by Eric Allen

Ladies and Gentlemen, whether you like it or not, allow me to present...

THE
BORING

Ok, well, actually, this book is not all that bad compared to later volumes of the series when it comes to boringness. I do think of it as the beginning of a long stretch in this series where nothing really seems to happen. When you look at this book and the two or three that follow it as a whole, you can see how a bun...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Seak (Bryce L.) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, 1000-pagers

To review this book, I have to start by telling a little story about my history with this series, and more specifically with this book.

It was in the great year of ought 7 (2007) when I was first reading Lord of Chaos, the sixth book of The Wheel of Time. It was also the same year that Harry Potter was finishing up and sadly when the author himself, Robert Jordan, died of a rare disease.

I decided, not only did I want to make sure there was an ending (sorry, I know that was insensitive of me), bu...more

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Feb 01, 2008 Jake Kern rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

What was meant to be a glorious trilogy turned into a bloated, never-ending story. As I read the 4th and 5th books, I became quickly disappointed with Jordan's obvious decision to start stretching the series and winging it to bring in a bunch of cash. The breaking point was when I was reading this book, and I got to page 600 realizing that nothing had happened in the book yet! I closed the book and cut my losses. My friends on Book 11 wish they had done the same....

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Jun 06, 2013 Eric Lin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Took you long enough to stop your main characters from sucking, RJ. Truthfully this was 3.5 stars, but I gave 3 stars to all the other books (and somehow and still reading), so I gave this one the benefit of the doubt (and 4 stars).

But this book was over 900 pages!

A few things RJ could have stopped repeating:

- Men/women dynamic
- How much the maidens think Rand is either their son, or brother
- How much Warders look like wolves
- How much Aiel look like wolves
- How complex names of actual wolves ar...more

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Apr 20, 2009 Mary-Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Robert Jordan’s “Lord of Chaos” is a rewarding read for fans invested in the Wheel of Time Series. Questions answered and dreams on the cusp of being fulfilled. There is an amazing number of events that I feel are keys to future plot. I really appreciate that characters are being forced into changing, into growing into what they need to be by outside events, struggling to balance who they need to be with who they MUST be. There is a wonderful balance of this growing satisfaction with accomplishm...more Robert Jordan’s “Lord of Chaos” is a rewarding read for fans invested in the Wheel of Time Series. Questions answered and dreams on the cusp of being fulfilled. There is an amazing number of events that I feel are keys to future plot. I really appreciate that characters are being forced into changing, into growing into what they need to be by outside events, struggling to balance who they need to be with who they MUST be. There is a wonderful balance of this growing satisfaction with accomplishments, and events, peppered with humour and emotion that draws you in and makes you feel. The book made me laugh on many ocasions as well as bite my lip in anxious anticipation. Without question this has been the most satisfying and enjoyable book I have read in a long time.

Spoilers:

Rand’s character development is something I feel I need to particularily higlight in this review. The assertion of Lews Therins voice in his head, as not only a faint memory of the soul so to speak but one that actually has opinions and a clear identity of its own is clear. The struggle between “Rand Al Thor” and “Lews Therin” to have control and make decisions is evidentily just beginning. Near the end they appear to have a begrudging partnership to get themselves out of mutually shared catastrophe, and I look forward to seeing more examination of this in future books.

Egwene’s grown also was remarkable. It is evident that her time with the Aiel Wiseones allowed her to come of age so to speak. She grew stronger in her own sense of self, and sense of right. And once named the new Amyrlin, her ability fo feign weakness while being completely aware that they believe she is a pawn, and the way she reacts shows a woman wise beyond her years.

All the others grow too, Nynaeve working on keeping her temper in check, and Elayne’s growing relationship with Brigitte. Min embracing her femininty and showing rand her feelings (even if he is such a clueless fool when it comes to women ;) ) .

I was also glad that Perrin and Faile re-enter the story. Their romance is one that makes me smile, laugh, and cry. Of all the relationships in this story, Perrin and Faile seem the most real. Hardly perfect, Takes a Ton of work but based on a solid foundation of deep love.

I have to admit there are still some ambiguities that I wonder if I missed something in reading the book ‘quickly’. They are questions that I feel are going to be answered within the next few novels however. For Example, confirmation that Halima/Asan-gar is a forsaken remade, and a clarification of which forsaken they actually are. Leaving a few unanswered questions serves to hold my curiosity and interest.
(less)

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Dec 13, 2012 Ala rated it 4 of 5 stars

~~Day 976 reading The Wheel of Time...~~

Here we are at stop number 6 on the old Wheel Express.

If you've read the other books so far in the series, this one is just more of the same. Just somehow... more.

The books themselves are getting longer, the pacing is getting slower, the storytelling far more meandering, the characters(some at least) even more godawful, and the battles... well, the battles are actually pretty badass.

And that ending?

(view spoiler)

About bloody...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, aficionados-best-fantasy-list, epic, i-ve-read-it-more-than-once, own-it-e-book, own-it-hard-copy, all-time-favorites, political-intrigue

*Spoilers for books 1-5*

Lord of Chaos is another solid installment in the Wheel of Time saga. Definitely solid, at roughly 1000 pages! I'm happy to report that the women are not at each others' throats throughout the entire book. Now that Elayne and Nynaeve are back as Accepted in Salidar - no longer in charge of themselves - they actually begin to train and learn again. Nynaeve works on her block (reluctantly) and continues her healing studies (we find she has another goal besides revenge in be...more *Spoilers for books 1-5*

Lord of Chaos is another solid installment in the Wheel of Time saga. Definitely solid, at roughly 1000 pages! I'm happy to report that the women are not at each others' throats throughout the entire book. Now that Elayne and Nynaeve are back as Accepted in Salidar - no longer in charge of themselves - they actually begin to train and learn again. Nynaeve works on her block (reluctantly) and continues her healing studies (we find she has another goal besides revenge in becoming Aes Sedai!), and Elayne works with ter'angreal and teaches novices. That's not to say that Nynaeve isn't still... Nynaeve, but at least her personality is not the sole focus in this book.

Unfortunately, Egwene is absent for at least the first half, since she can't enter the World of Dreams after being injured in the battle with Lanfear. Once she returns, I continue to like her story best. She's still one of my favorite characters overall. In this book, she finds her honor with the Aiel and sets down another challenging path. Out of all the women in this book, Egwene is one of the ones who is actually strong, not just bossy.

Mat is present in this book, sent on a mission with his Band of the Red Hand - although his storyline definitely stalls before finally taking a completely new turn. Perrin does finally make his way back in the last third, although he is mainly struggling to understand his wife and avoid being considered a Lord by the Two Rivers folk, before showing himself to be ta'veren as much as Mat and Rand. I'm glad he's back, though - Perrin is another one of my favorites.

Rand Travels between Caemlyn and Cairhien, trying to manage all the women in his life from Wise Ones to Aes Sedai, to Aviendha and Min. It's a lot of political maneuvering, there are a lot of threads (women!) to keep track of, and Sammael seems to be a target that no one is in a rush to move towards. Meanwhile, the Dark One is setting new plans in motion that his own Chosen don't even know about, introducing new threats (Shaidar Haran, Osan'gar, Aran'gar) shaking up the game and causing chaos.

It is true, the series is starting to slow at this point - but it's not bogged down - yet. The level of detail is increasing, and partly that means that the story jumps to minor characters periodically (Whitecloaks, Black Ajah, Morgase, Elaida, the Shaido, various Forsaken, etc.). Although these snapshots add insight to what's happening all across the tapestry, I do find myself feeling it interrupts the flow of the main story, which I'm engrossed in until I'm snatched out of it to view a small thread on the other side. It's almost like having 50 pages of prologue tossed in every 300 pages.

The action is still strong enough that it's a small complaint, and ultimately doesn't detract from my enjoyment of this book. There are plenty of surprises and turns to keep it moving, for me anyway. It's involved, there are many strands to keep track of, lots of hints to stay guessing about, and it's wonderfully broad yet absorbing. And the ending is definitely climactic. This is one of the last really good ones in the series for a while, so savor it!(less)

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Jul 21, 2012 Kaila rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, 2012, fantasy-aficionados-challenge-2012, so-fucking-epic

As seen on Stumptown Books.

So you made it to book 6! Now that you're here, that means you finished book 5. Have this not really spoiler-y lolCat based off the second to last page of The Fires of Heaven!

Stolen from this comedy goldmine thread. It is hilarious but beware spoilers.

Rand finally has some real chapters in this book. Since book 2, The Great Hunt, he hasn't figured much as a point of view. Sure he had some chapters in the Aiel Waste, and the climax of book 5, but he was all caught up in becoming a man out of legend and stopped being interesting. He shows us how wrong that feeling was in Lord of Chaos. He is BATSHIT CRAZY in this book and it is awesome. Anytime you're in the middle of a Rand scene and voices in his head start talking to him, I highly recommend trying to picture it from an outsider's view point. He is insane. No wonder all these people tiptoe around his rooms; he mumbles and yells at some dude who has been dead for a very long time. All of the Rand scenes make this book memorable, and I can see why I had it in my head that this was my favorite of the series. (For the record, my favorite of the series is definitely book 4 now) For the first time, you feel bad for him.

The climactic battle of book 6 is one of the most well known and iconic scenes of the series. After how long the book took in getting there, I was hoping it would be longer. Like a lot of Wheel of Time, there's a lot of build up to a very quick pay off.

I understand now why I have read books 1-6 of this series so many times, but 7-9 only once. Though I was just halfway through this book, I wanted to start the series completely over again. I was actually nostalgic for the characters; I just wanted them to go back to Emond's Field and be happy and simplistic. I wanted to watch them grow into their power all over again, instead of having these crazy complicated lives that involve constant fear and death around every corner. Unfortunately, for many readers, this is why book 6 sounded the death knoll of the series. At this point, it is more satisfying to go back than it is to go on.

I still resoundingly argue that this is a great series. It is definitely not for everyone, but if you can find it in you to enjoy it, it is one of the most addicting fantasies out there.(less)

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Nov 13, 2009 Myles rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

People have often remarked on my, ahem, remarkable patience whether it's dealing with difficult people, difficult books, or with those annoyances that most simply don't want to put up with anymore. One of those annoyances has been over the past month rereading the first six books of the Wheel of Time Series. This will be my third time.

I first read them my Freshman year of high school, the second run-through was a refresher for Knife of Dreams my Fresman year of college. Most of the criticism of...more

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Oct 24, 2010 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

How much is a stunning ending worth?

Even when I first read Lord of Chaos, the sixth book in "The Wheel of Time," as a teenager obsessed with the series, I found my eyes glazing over at times.

Unfortunately, if "The Wheel of Time" was a game of Risk, Lord of Chaos would be the bathroom break. Or the friendship-breaking argument over the rules. In short, no new territories are conquered and no Forsaken are beaten in a climactic battle.

If The Fires of Heaven illustrates the dangers of a strict formu...more

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Jun 16, 2013 Ryan G rated it 4 of 5 stars

Book six, is where the character of Rand al'Thor really starts to change. Events happen to him in this book that have some serious consequences for the rest of the series. It changes the way he deals with the Aes Sedai, destroying what little trust he had in them. It alters his personality, making him just a bit darker, a little more serious. This is where the tone of the books starts to mirror the overall mood of Rand and those around him. It's an interesting shift from the tone in the first fi...more Book six, is where the character of Rand al'Thor really starts to change. Events happen to him in this book that have some serious consequences for the rest of the series. It changes the way he deals with the Aes Sedai, destroying what little trust he had in them. It alters his personality, making him just a bit darker, a little more serious. This is where the tone of the books starts to mirror the overall mood of Rand and those around him. It's an interesting shift from the tone in the first five books.

Egwene is now the Amyrlin Seat of the Aes Sedai in Salidar, and is trying her best to consolidate her power, and not allow those wanting to control her, get their hooks too deeply embedded. She sends Nynaeve and Elayne to search for the Bowl of the Winds, to fix the weather that is punishing the lands.

I love Tylin Quintara Mistobar and her son, Beslan. Tylin is the Queen of Altara, though her actual power doesn't really reach that far outside of the city of Ebou Dar. They are both a hoot to read, and I love every second spent in their company.

I think Alanna is about as stupid as any Aes Sedai can be, and what she does, puts Rand's hackles up even more, though her ability to figure out the direction he is in does help later on down the road.

Verin, how I love you. I hate what happens later on in the series, but you are still my favorite Aes Sedai.

Mat, who is supposed to be looking for Egwene and Elayne, in order to put Elayne on the throne of Andor, gets mixed up with Tylin in more ways than one. He also somehow picks up a young orphan, Olver, who I grow rather fond of during the rest of the series.

Mazrim Taim, the sexy false Dragon, is brought back into the action. Rand sets him up as the head of the Black Tower, his answer to the White Tower. He has given amnesty to any men who can channel the One Power, and the only other man who is strong enough to train them is Mazrim. Rand doesn't like him. As a reader, you can't trust him. You know he is going to end up on the wrong side before it's all over, but at this point in time, there is just something sexy about him. I think it's the bad boy thing.

Min and Aviendha aren't getting on my nerves as much as they used to, though I still think Aviendha is just a little bit too harsh. I know she eventually softens up, so I'm okay with her still.

Morgase, I still don't like you. You put yourself into the hands of the White Cloaks, knowing you were walking into a viper's pit. You put your followers at risk, and allow others to die in helping you. (less)

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Mar 21, 2013 Caleb rated it 4 of 5 stars

The most offensive cover yet, in a series renowned for horrid cover-art, with what I must assume is a hideous, malformed rendition of Rand al'Thor. I hate Darrell K. Sweet with a passion borne of unrelenting pain and frustration, but this must surely be the crown of his inverse pinnacle.

Whatever. I'm sorry. This ought to be a review of the book, not the book cover. I just had to get that off my chest.

Right. Robert Jordan. LORD OF CHAOS. I enjoyed it. Lots of good character moments. The plot, lam...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Jeffrey Grant rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this installment in the series, although I can't quite put my finger on why.
First the downsides; there are two lengthy sections given over to the Morgase/Children arc. I don't know why Jordan decided to devote as much ink to those characters as he did; in my opinion they are not interesting and the arc doesn't advance the story at all. Second, Perrin, Faile, and Loial are still absent for most of the book, though they show up later and do their part.
What I liked was the developm...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Books five through ten of this series is where things really went wrong and I went from an ardent fan to an annoyed one-time fan. The series lost all of its narrative thrust. Multiple plot lines involving tertiary characters whose stories are anything but central to the narrative and which take several books to resolve start to dominate much of the narrative with scattered chapters for each such character taking up space with plotlines which can't be remembered by the time the next book comes ou...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Joy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

I'm obviously hooked to this series, else I wouldn't have read this far. HOWEVER, there are some problems at this point that make it clear how seriously outmatched Jordan finds himself as a fantasy writer compared to Kay, Tolkein, Martin, or Le Guin, for example.

First of all, Jordan tried to shift gears too quickly. Two books ago, I thought I was in for some interesting character development in the three main characters. Boy, was I wrong! In order to convey that NOW these boyz have grown into m...more I'm obviously hooked to this series, else I wouldn't have read this far. HOWEVER, there are some problems at this point that make it clear how seriously outmatched Jordan finds himself as a fantasy writer compared to Kay, Tolkein, Martin, or Le Guin, for example.

First of all, Jordan tried to shift gears too quickly. Two books ago, I thought I was in for some interesting character development in the three main characters. Boy, was I wrong! In order to convey that NOW these boyz have grown into men, Jordan includes extremely awkward scenes of Rand shaving, and Mat smoking a pipe...but the inner thoughts of these characters haven't grown one bit. All the blushing and stammering when faced with an attractive woman certainly doesn't help the matter. Jordan's insistence on keeping everything G-rated for Disney audiences is downright annoying! Even hundred year old women seem to get tongue tied and ridiculous around love interests. And while I'm on the topic of his women characters. Oh my. Jordan's female characters read like super straight guys in drag trying to emulate a caricature of femininity. Like his hopelessly buffoonish characters, Jordan just doesn't get women. Moreover, I'm definitely vaguely annoyed by the notion that women have to "surrender" to saidar while men have to ferociously battle it! This is a not-so-subtle metaphor for Jordan's view of male and female sexuality. Another aspect of his absurd gender relations. I'll be really annoyed if he ruins the reuniting of Thom and Moiraine with trite nonsense about Moiraine getting worked up and Thom getting bewildered (the nature of all heterosexual relationships for Jordan).

On the point of storytelling, I like the notion of the Game of Houses (how much were Martin and Jordan competing over this storyline and who wrote what first? I'm not sure, but there are CLEAR parallels between their respective yarns). Bringing all the political maneuvering into the story definitely creates suspense and interest. Also, I like Gareth Bryne. Sadly, the only characters that appear to behave like grown men (Bryne, Lan) don't develop much and seem sorta flat. Ah well. One of the great things about epic fantasy is how the main characters transform, and Jordan seems to want to write about this but uses signs and objects to tell us that something's happening instead of figuring out how one's inner monologue might actually change with maturity.

But, it's a darn good yarn. And a very enjoyable read, despite all these annoyances.(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 John Martindale rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: modern-fiction, audiobook

Oh how Robert Jordan needed a better editor, at least 50% of these books could be cut out and nothing would be lost. If there ever was a series that should have abridged versions, its these books!

The first part of the Lord of Chaos was incredibly boring and uneventful, but fortunately the last half of this book was decent. I only continued on in the series because I had already purchased this audiobook. Finally, Rand undergoes some character development, its something else that it took six (1000...more Oh how Robert Jordan needed a better editor, at least 50% of these books could be cut out and nothing would be lost. If there ever was a series that should have abridged versions, its these books!

The first part of the Lord of Chaos was incredibly boring and uneventful, but fortunately the last half of this book was decent. I only continued on in the series because I had already purchased this audiobook. Finally, Rand undergoes some character development, its something else that it took six (1000 paged) books to witness it!

This book was more tolerable then the last one, for Jordan didn't spend as much time on the female characters. Jordan gave the women of his story the worst personalities that he could have possibly imagined, with the exception of Min and Moiraine (who he had killed in the last book). In the "Fires of heaven", I wonder if Robert Jordan was trying to live out his adolescent fantasies, for he pointed out likely over a hundred times that the woman were either naked or wearing next to nothing and he finally tangled Rand into a sex scene. I am glad that in the "Lord of Chaos" Robert Jordan's immaturity in this regard wasn't so prevalent.

If I was a feminist I would be outraged over these books, practically every woman in his books does absolutely nothing but bitch. 100s and 100s of pages full of petty immature brats who do nothing but pout, complain and try to manipulate others. They are incredibly unattractive, I would rather be tossed into a pit of scorpions then to have live around such absolutely disgusting people.

To be honest there has been very few character's so far in this series that I like. Almost everyone is a perfect picture of selfishness, like dogs they all struggle to be alpha. Jordan making most of his characters mistrustful, prideful and constantly angry does not make them likeable. If this is the primary glimpse Robert Jordan had of human nature, or if his own pride is shining through his characters, then I pity his poor soul, he must have lived a horrible life.(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Kyle rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Wheel of Time series represents, for me, the perfect example of a guilty pleasure in the world of fantasy.

This series is not actually written very well. Robert Jordan was not a very good wordsmith, and he really only knew how to say and describe things one way. His characters are generally unbelievable, and have ridiculous dialogue. The plot is tremendously predictable, and is heavily influenced (close to the point of being unoriginal) by the fantasy works that came before. The whole story i...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Mo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: speculativefiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Just finished the re-read of this one two days ago and I enjoyed it, but I'm already forgetting what happened. The dragging is really quite evident throughout; it doesn't fatally harm the story yet in this volume, but it's noticeable.

Lord of Chaos shifts focus a bit as both the goodies and the baddies readjust their strategies and priorities. The Dark One/Forsaken come up with a better plan than simply attacking Rand outright, which has proven to be fatal to the attackers time and time again. I...more Just finished the re-read of this one two days ago and I enjoyed it, but I'm already forgetting what happened. The dragging is really quite evident throughout; it doesn't fatally harm the story yet in this volume, but it's noticeable.

Lord of Chaos shifts focus a bit as both the goodies and the baddies readjust their strategies and priorities. The Dark One/Forsaken come up with a better plan than simply attacking Rand outright, which has proven to be fatal to the attackers time and time again. I appreciate that evil is allowed to be pretty smart in this volume and certainly effective at the stated goal of sowing chaos among the forces of the Light. I also like that Rand's task isn't so simple as defeating bad guys on the battlefield/atmospheric dueling ground anymore. Not that those battles were exactly easy, but managing his supposed-or-potential allies turns out to be even more difficult. None of the three channeling factions here are Dark-One-evil (though there are Darkfriends at work in all three), but the Tower Aes Sedai's actions are "human evil" in a similar way to the Whitecloaks, the Salidar Aes Sedai are not evil but certainly jerks, and the Asha'man are way creepy and a ticking time bomb from the start, but pretty badass too. A nice mixture that comes together and explodes at Dumai's Wells, IMO the best climax of any book so far. As reader you are skillfully led from "fuck yeah!" when Rand breaks out of the box, to "uhhh, maybe too much" when the Asha'man start exploding bodies, to "fuck yeah but also maybe too much?" when the Salidar Aes Sedai are forced to kneel and swear fealty. You can see why each faction thinks they're justified, and yet it's also clear that they're mostly damaging their potential allies rather than striking any blows against the Shadow.

The Rand-in-the-box part of the story is actually a lot shorter than I'd thought, but still one of the most memorable parts of the series. Poor Rand! I can't help but feel sorry for him and yet also delight in his increasing angst and maybe-madness. I love crazy!Rand. I wasn't on the Rand/Min train before, but it feels surprisingly natural and is a relief from all the negativity and mistrust between practically everyone else. Nice to see Rand and the batshit Lews Therin voice working together. In other notable events, Egwene is raised to the Amyrlin Seat. I'm generally kind of neutral on her, but it's an interesting situation she's in and it feels decently earned after her apprenticeship with the Wise Ones. Plus she still has to struggle and manipulate to be anything more than a puppet ruler. Good stuff. I think this is not Mat's best book. Not a big fan of Olver or Mat's interactions with Elayne and Nynaeve. I know they get a lot of deserved crap for how they treat him, but he's almost as bad in this book with his ignorance, condescension, and insistence on treating them like objects to be moved around no matter what they want or need to do. Ah well, at least he's always funny. Oh, and I almost forgot about Nynaeve Healing gentling/stilling! Truly a great moment with great build-up, plus it puts Logain back in play and I love that guy. Siuan and Leane's reactions were quite touching as well. (less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

Adam Gopnik, in his December 2011 New Yorker article "The Dragon's Egg," claims that JRR Tolkien's successors in medievalist (a.k.a. "sword and sorcery") fantasy fiction write stories novels that are "thought through." Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time fantasy series is "thought through" in the extreme. Cultures, countries, cities and characters are described in meticulous detail. Jordan wrote eleven books, averaging 900 pages. He intended a twelve-book series but died before completing it. His lite...more Adam Gopnik, in his December 2011 New Yorker article "The Dragon's Egg," claims that JRR Tolkien's successors in medievalist (a.k.a. "sword and sorcery") fantasy fiction write stories novels that are "thought through." Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time fantasy series is "thought through" in the extreme. Cultures, countries, cities and characters are described in meticulous detail. Jordan wrote eleven books, averaging 900 pages. He intended a twelve-book series but died before completing it. His literary successor, evidently as unable to leave Jordan's fantasy world as Jordan himself was, took the series to fourteen books. I run into guys in airports and bookstores that have read these books, but few have gotten past this one, volume six, and that mainly in junior high school. I soldier on. Jordan is seldom able to fulfill a story arc within one volume. He sets characters -- the friends and associates of the young Dragon Reborn, Rand al'Thor, to working on their little piece of saving the world, and then he leaves them there and ends the book with some huge bloody battle, always involving al'Thor, and you don't know what happens to them but you have to hope he picks up their story eventually. The inhabitants of his world are left dangling, believing in rumors and outrageous lies, kind of like your average member of the Republican party, and maybe he'll bring their story to some kind of resolution in this 900-page volume, and maybe he won't. It's all dependent on his whim. The whim of a man who died before he managed to finish this story. Gopnik says that these stories are about becoming an adult,. and that means, "learning a huge body of lore as much as it means learning to know right from wrong. We mostly learn that lore in the form of conventions: how you hold the knife, where you put it, that John was the witty Beatle, Paul the winning one, that the North once fought the South. Learning in symbolic form that the past can be mastered is as important as learning in dramatic form that your choices resonate; being brought up to speed is as important as being brought up to grade. Fantasy fiction tells you that history is available, that the past counts." Okay, sure. But in Jordan, this lore is as much about the battle of the sexes as anything else. It's about young men learning to negotiate a world in which women have tremendous power and what they want, more than anything, is to rule and control. And that world is a dangerous place.

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Jun 25, 2012 Ward Bond rated it 5 of 5 stars

From Publishers Weekly

...more From Publishers Weekly

While Jordan's prose is sometimes bloated, he rises above his Tolkien-influenced contemporaries (Brooks, Eddings, et al.) with his skill at narrative pacing and his ability to create fully realized characters (though his treatment of sexuality will appeal primarily to adolescents). In this sixth volume in the immensely popular The Wheel of Time series (The Fires of Heaven), Rand al'Thor consolidates his power base and attempts to come to a rapprochement with the Aes Sedai, the female mystics who channel the One Power and whose schism lends tension to his meetings with them. The schism has unexpected consequences for three young women: determined Egwene al' Vere, precocious Elayne Trakand and braid-tugging Nynaeve al'Meara. Centering upon that trio's exploits and discoveries, and on Rand's further adventures, this volume offers several major turns of events while laying the groundwork for future intrigues. It may be be several more volumes before Rand al'Thor confronts the Dark One in Tarmon Gai'don ("the last battle"), yet, as Jordan demonstrates here, he's likely to keep his fans interested throughout the long and winding journey. 250,000 first printing; major ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

While the armies of Rand al'Thor, a farm boy cast by destiny into the world-changing role of the Dragon Reborn, continue their progress toward the Last Battle against the forces of the Dark One, other powers seek to exert control over the reluctant hero. Panoramic in concept, yet always focusing on the individuals whose actions make up the unfolding drama, the complex interweaving of plots and counterplots continues to gain momentum. Jordan's talent for sustaining the difficult combination of suspense and resolution, so necessary in a multivolume series such as this one (which includes The Fires of Heaven, LJ 11/15/93), is nothing short of remarkable. Libraries should anticipate considerable demand for this title.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

SUMMARY:
In this sequel to the phenomenal New York Times bestseller The Fires of Heaven, we plunge again into Robert Jordan's extraordinarily rich, totally unforgettable world: On the slopes of Shayol Ghul, the Myrddraal swords are forged, and the sky is not the sky of this world; In Salidar the White Tower in exile prepares an embassy to Caemlyn, where Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, holds the throne--and where an unexpected visitor may change the world.... In Emond's Field, Perrin Goldeneyes, Lord of the Two Rivers, feels the pull ofta'verentota'verenand prepares to march.... Morgase of Caemlyn finds a most unexpected, and quite unwelcome, ally....And south lies Illian, where Sammael holds sway....(less)

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Jun 16, 2012 Jason rated it 1 of 5 stars

And here is where I stopped reading the series. It became obvious that the writing was deteriorating and plot lines were dragging. In fact, I can't stress enough how predictable and boring a series that had so much promise went horrible so quickly. I know authors have a hard job and the really good ones deserve not only accolades from the fans, but financial success too, as you would receive in any other occupation. What sets Jordan aside is he began stretching out the plot, using the same repea...more

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May 27, 2012 Skipper Ritchotte rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: doorstopper-book, epic-in-scale, failure-to-finish, needs-more-cowbell, fantasy

On my future grave, I swear, the following is true.

Once upon a time there was a book series called The Wheel of Time, which, when piled each volume upon the other, could reach past an elephant's rheumy eye. Once upon a time, after searching for a good new fantasy series, I began tWoT with a healthy gleam in my eye. What a blithe fool. What a tWoT.

I turned pulped wood pages by thousands, read a very-many lot-of words, until one day an annoying pattern manifested. Though I pressed on, it had beco...more On my future grave, I swear, the following is true.

Once upon a time there was a book series called The Wheel of Time, which, when piled each volume upon the other, could reach past an elephant's rheumy eye. Once upon a time, after searching for a good new fantasy series, I began tWoT with a healthy gleam in my eye. What a blithe fool. What a tWoT.

I turned pulped wood pages by thousands, read a very-many lot-of words, until one day an annoying pattern manifested. Though I pressed on, it had become impossible to ignore the characters' skimpy appeal. The volume of unmanicured words kept drowning out the righteous words. Meandering plotlines had doubled back on each other, and I found they spelled out a mystic code to rival Davinci's own: Nyah, nyah, nyah-nyah, nyah.

Dizzied and dismayed, I knew I had entered one of the circles of Hell, voluntarily; had been there months, perhaps even years. I peered woefully ahead to the four ponderous volumes (now seven) that waited with an infinite, mad patience, and realized my own hands had helped build this hell. I knew the only way to end the madness was to shot put Lord of Chaos across the room.

With a vast effort and aching, calloused hands, I pushed the book away. The volume slammed the wall, leaving a great gash that flared alight and gaped like a page burning from the inside out. The gash in the wall became glass; a window (open!), revealing the glorious world beyond.

I stumbled to the window, fell through the gap onto dewy, crisp grass. I walked into the reward of raucous birdsong and a biting wind that said, "You are alive." Alive! That day I left The Wheel of Time far behind me.

Last week, I found the stash of nine volumes in a dusty basement box. Years had passed, and still tWoT waited. Shakily, I taped the cardboard flaps, triple taped them. I placed a long-distance call to my younger brother, a fantasy novice, who had just finished reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time. "Have you been introduced to The Wheel of Time books?" I inquired. He hadn't been. Of course he hadn't. Whenever I start to feel guilty, I remind myself: I didn't like my brother much anyway.

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Nov 12, 2011 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you read through the reviews of the Wheel of Time books on Goodreads, you'll find a lot of people complaining about the same things. Foremost among the complaints are that there are too many characters and plot lines to keep track of, and Robert Jordan has a tendency to be over-descriptive, which leads to loooong books where not much happens.

I can appreciate these complaints. Six books into the series, I think the story has been told from the perspective of 25 to 30 different characters so f...more

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May 06, 2011 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, own, sci-fi-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My summary:

Sixth book in the wheel of time fantasy series. Rand has taken over Camelyn after killing Rahvin and is trying to set everything up there. The forsaken continually plot against him together, although Samuel (ruler of Illian) tries to make a truce with him. Rand coordinates the army of Lord Bashere, from Saldea, with his new "Black Tower" of men who can channel. The men are called "Asha'man" or guardians and are trained by Masrim Taim. Rand keeps traveling between Camelyn and Cairhen a...more My summary:

Sixth book in the wheel of time fantasy series. Rand has taken over Camelyn after killing Rahvin and is trying to set everything up there. The forsaken continually plot against him together, although Samuel (ruler of Illian) tries to make a truce with him. Rand coordinates the army of Lord Bashere, from Saldea, with his new "Black Tower" of men who can channel. The men are called "Asha'man" or guardians and are trained by Masrim Taim. Rand keeps traveling between Camelyn and Cairhen and Tear in order to give orders to everyone. He gives orders to Mat in Tear to head toward Salidar where the rebel Aes Sedai are. He is to take Elayne to Camelyn so she can be crowed queen. While Rand is in Camelyn, Perrin, Faile, and Loial show up and join up with him. Min arrives before they do with the Aes Sedai representatives from Salidar. They accidentally get 13 Aes Sedai in Camelyn and Rand leaves and tells them not to follow unless there are less than 13. Meanwhile, Egwene is in Cairhen training with the Wise Ones and recuperating from her encounter with Lanfear. She finally tells them she is not really Aes Sedai and must let them punish her in order to remain friends after deceiving them. She is ordered by the Aes Sedai in Salidar to report there immediately so she travels in the flesh through the dream world to Salidar. In doing so, she figures out how to make a gateway and travel just as Rand does. Soon after arriving at Salidar, she is crowned the new Amyrlin for the exiled tower. Her first act as Amyrlin is to raise Nynaeve and Elayne to full Aes Sedai. During this time, Nynaeve figures out how to heal stilled women and gentled men. She heals Logain, the former Amyrlin, and Leane. Mat soon arrives in the camp with his army and accompanies the women to Ebou Dar to look for a bowl that can influence the weather. Rand keeps putting off the Aes Sedai sent by Elaida offering him alliance, but too late realizes that they were simply waiting for a chance to capture him and take him back to the White tower. He is captured and taken from Cairhen without anyone knowing. Perrin and the others gather as large an army as possible and follow the Aes Sedai. By the time they catch up to them, the Shaido attack Elaida's Aes Sedai in order to take Rand for themselves. While defending themselves, Rand escapes and starts to capture the Aes Sedai. They all seem to be ready to be overwhelmed by the Shaido when suddenly Taim shows up with the Asha'man and fight for Rand. They defeat the Shaido by using the one power and capture all of the Aes Sedai. The book ends with Rand forcing the Aes Sedai to swear loyalty with him. (less)

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Mar 04, 2011 Tracey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, fantasy

I think the series peaked here, and that's because I was a fan of Demandred throughout the series, and he was a star in this book (if you think he was Taim). I even overlooked some of the strange romances and changing alliances okay through this 6th book in the series, primarily holding out hope that some of the huge mysteries would be answered. Like, who killed Asmodean, where Moraine was, what was up w/ Verin, why that witch Egwaine would have a problem with Rand, etc etc etc.

I suppose if the...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Peter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The good things that happened in this book were countered by absolute nonsense.

Spoilers:

It is time to officially say that Jordan cannot write romance: I am getting so sick of love occurring because "I just know it." This is ridiculous, especially after the third (fourth?) time. It's so lame, that I could hardly stop myself from throwing up. At first, I thought Perrin and Faile had the best relationship, but it turns out that they're even rockier than I could have imagined. Faile needs to wake up...more The good things that happened in this book were countered by absolute nonsense.

Spoilers:

It is time to officially say that Jordan cannot write romance: I am getting so sick of love occurring because "I just know it." This is ridiculous, especially after the third (fourth?) time. It's so lame, that I could hardly stop myself from throwing up. At first, I thought Perrin and Faile had the best relationship, but it turns out that they're even rockier than I could have imagined. Faile needs to wake up. This totally caught me off guard because I thought they were married and done with (not with the story, but their lives as single people). Apparently not. Fortunately, romance was not a big part, just enough to destroy hopes of a five-star book.

Another thing: Why the heck is so woman in this series so conceited? Just asking. The only part of this occurs when Rand (half-crazy and super pissed off) forces the Aes Sedai to submit. Somebody should need to be like that just to get a little kindness from these women. All of them should be forced to do what Rand made them. Following that same point, when Egwene becomes Amyrlin (which is totally ridiculous) she does the exact same thing that she criticized Rand for several times in the previous book. She does EXACTLY what he did in the sense that she would not let anyone control, but she doesn't have the sense to admit it. She told Rand off several times for becoming to "big-headed." What the hell does that mean? "Oh--you're too big-headed, but when I'm Amyrlin and controlling everyone behind their backs, that just makes me the picture of humble, doesn't it?" Too much hypocrisy from the women. The only good thing was that Nynaeve toned it down a little bit. She's still my least favorite character, but Egwene is rapidly moving up.

Even though these complaints are few and far between the finer points of this novel, there's nothing that could have made it's rating any better. It just doesn't have that punch that some of the other books had to push it up to five stars. People that rate it three to four are on the ball, while those that give it five are way too enthralled by this series to look at it from a neutral point of view.

Oh, by the way Mr. Jordan, great job on making characters that got me mad enough to write about them. That takes some serious skill.(less)

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Jul 28, 2010 Parthena rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Some of my review of this book is tied in with the review of the series overall, but I thought it might be too tedious to go back and review each book individually. :)

I have really enjoyed most of the books in this series. After I finished reading "Fires of Heaven", I was wondering whether the series was going to just get progessively more slow, tedious, or bogged down in Aiel politics even moreso than the previous books. However, "Lord of Chaos" started picking back up the pace a little bit. I...more Some of my review of this book is tied in with the review of the series overall, but I thought it might be too tedious to go back and review each book individually. :)

I have really enjoyed most of the books in this series. After I finished reading "Fires of Heaven", I was wondering whether the series was going to just get progessively more slow, tedious, or bogged down in Aiel politics even moreso than the previous books. However, "Lord of Chaos" started picking back up the pace a little bit. I am hoping that the next book in the series furthers the progression of the story and character development at a slightly quicker pace than this book did.

My primary complaint about the last few books in the series (including The Dragon Reborn, the Shadow Rising, etc), is that they don't seem to really differentiate personalities among the main female characters. As the books have continued, I feel that each female character (specifically Elayne and Nynaeve) have basically somehow inherited the same personality. Multiple scenes came up with both characters where they seemed unusually, inexplicably angry towards male characters who were trying to help them, and I feel like this wasn't even explained half the time. (for example, if Jordan explained a scene from the mens' points of view, but then later explained why the females had been so angry, this might have made more sense). I simply didn't understand why Elayne treated so many men so poorly, especially in this book, and I feel it made her a less-than-likeable character.

Faile also seems to be swiftly falling into the same personality type as the rest of the female characters- I only wish Jordan emphasized their good, and unique qualities more so that I could care more about the character.

However, I was very, very happy with regard's to the developments with Nynaeve and was intrigued with Mat's character development. Despite Nynaeve's stubbornness she is still probably my favorite of the main female characters.

I highly recommend this series to any fantasy lovers who don't mind incredibly detailed, occasionally slow-paced writing. I still feel this series is worth the read and very creative!

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Jun 28, 2010 James rated it 5 of 5 stars

Supposedly, Robert Jordan once thought he could finish the Wheel of Time in six books. That number has since more than doubled, and book 6 may have felt late in the series at the time, but the idea is a bit laughable now. Of course, in much the same way books 4 and 5 feel like a single book split in half, book 6 is the first half of the story culminating in the next book. (Which kind of makes it the first half of book 5. Does that make book 12 the fifth sixth of book "6" then, according to RJ's...more Supposedly, Robert Jordan once thought he could finish the Wheel of Time in six books. That number has since more than doubled, and book 6 may have felt late in the series at the time, but the idea is a bit laughable now. Of course, in much the same way books 4 and 5 feel like a single book split in half, book 6 is the first half of the story culminating in the next book. (Which kind of makes it the first half of book 5. Does that make book 12 the fifth sixth of book "6" then, according to RJ's prediction?)

What book 6 does feel like is a solid middle of the series. The plotlines that began to appear in book 5 solidify here. Perrin re-appears, both Mat and the weather subplot are moved toward their ends, and the Aes Sedai plotline truly comes into focus. Rand of course has his own story, which really steals the show in this book. His climax always felt like a large part of the book in my mind, despite being only two (albeit long) chapters. This book is jam-packed with events and foreshadowing, and even Elayne doesn't manage to really make me angry. Well, maybe a bit.

My noble quest to review each book without any real spoilers may soon be at an end, since it's difficult to talk about much of anything that way, but I'll try for at least one more book. Despite the extra plotlines, Lord of Chaos condenses most of its narrative to following two main storylines: Rand, and the Aes Sedai. Each has plot occurring in two different places, but it is nonetheless relatively easy to keep track of. There aren't too many obscure side characters in this book, though most of them are divided between three distinct groups of Aes Sedai, so good luck remembering who's who before the book reminds you.

One reason Lord of Chaos manages to keep moving is that Rand's enemies, especially the Forsaken, have a significant amount of on-screen time. Several new players for the Dark One appear and begin to work against the forces of Light, including the first gholam. If there's one aspect of book 6's story that has always frustrated me, it's that the bad guys win or at least gain in many of the (figurative) skirmishes fought in the book. But hey, that keeps up the tension, right?

In the end, though, we get to see our favorite characters kick a ton of ass (often at the expense of lesser characters we don't really like), Rand is shoved much further down his own dark path, and everyone's favorite female character, Min, has a lot of screen time. And most significantly of all, Lord of Chaos marks the first appearance of the Asha'man, one of the final major groups to be introduced. This is a book where everything, including the tone, changes. It may not have helped subsequent books, based on their relative popularity, but it certainly makes Lord of Chaos a good read.(less)

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Apr 15, 2010 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

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Fantasy Book Club...: LORD of CHAOS - Finished Reading SPOILERS	17	72	Feb 18, 2013 07:43am
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Fantasy Book Club...: LORD of CHAOS - Chapters 28 through 41 SPOILERS	8	35	Oct 30, 2012 09:50pm
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About Robert Jordan

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 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 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics. After graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer. He began writing in 1977. He was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting.

He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian and received communion more than once a week.[7] He lived with his wife Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.

Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs."

On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and that with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years, though he said he intended to beat the statistics. He later posted on his Dragonmount blog to encourage his fans not to worry about him and that he intended to have a long and fully creative life.

He began chemotherapy treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in early April 2006. Jordan was enrolled in a study using the drug Revlimid just approved for multiple myeloma but not yet tested on primary amyloidosis.

Jordan died at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT on September 16, 2007, and a funeral service was held for him on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Jordan was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston.
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Books by Robert Jordan

The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time, #1)

The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time, #12; A Memory of Light, #1)

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Quotes from Lord of Chaos

“Often you don't know whether a woman is friend, enemy or lover until it is too late. Sometimes, she is all three.” — 85 people liked it

“One more dance along the razor's edge finished. Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today.” — 65 people liked it

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Lord of Chaos (Wheel of Time #6)

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