My rating:

add to my books

The Great Hunt (Wheel of Time #2)

by Robert Jordan

4.12 · rating details · 35,256 ratings · 757 reviews

The Wheel of Time turns and ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth returns again. For centuries, gleemen have told the tales of The Great Hunt of the Horn. So many tales about each of th Hunters, and so many Hunters to tell of...Now the Horn itself is found: the Horn...more

Paperback, 598 pages

Published December 15th 1990 by Tor Books (first published November 15th 1990)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 43,188)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 25, 2007

Nicole rated it

· review of another edition

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 (in...more

like 7 likes

· see review

Aug 24, 2011

logankstewart rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Desperate Traditional Fantasy Lovers

Shelves: fantasy, own, 2010-read, 2011-read

Second Review (August 2011)
I first attempted The Great Hunt a year ago, and I threw it aside with contempt and loathing. The second time I dove back into Robert Jordan's enormous world, I appreciated it a bit more.

The Great Hunt picks up shortly after The Eye of the World. The Horn of Valere has been stolen, along with the evil dagger that's slowly killing Mat. Rand and the gang set out to retrieve the items, and adventure follows. Meanwhile, the girls (Egwene, Nynaeve, et ...moreSecond Review (August 2011)
I first attempted The Great Hunt a year ago, and I threw it aside with contempt and loathing. The second time I dove back into Robert Jordan's enormous world, I appreciated it a bit more.

The Great Hunt picks up shortly after The Eye of the World. The Horn of Valere has been stolen, along with the evil dagger that's slowly killing Mat. Rand and the gang set out to retrieve the items, and adventure follows. Meanwhile, the girls (Egwene, Nynaeve, et al.) are all becoming Aes Sedai and learning how to use Saidar and channel the One Power.

What follows is pretty much standard fare for a fantasy novel. Darkfriends abound. Weird magical stuff happens. Rand complains a lot, whines even more, and struggles with his apparent role of being the Dragon Reborn. Battles crop up. Some people die.

One thing I noted was that apparently everybody in the world is uncannily beautiful. I'm pretty sure that every female Rand met he described her as some type of beautiful. That's just peachy.

I did enjoy the book more than I thought I would, though, and I can possibly see myself picking up Book #3 at some point down the road when I'm desperate again.

-----

First Review (August 2010)
I tried to like it. I really did. But the sentences were too long, sometimes spilling into paragraphs and pages of eye-rolling. I never cared for the characters or their lives, their fates, their choices, their fears, nothing. They were all just cardboard cutouts doomed to say and act the same way over and over again. The possibility of a rich and exciting world was drowned by the lack of focus on it or the intense amounts of focus on it, either one just as bad as the other. Characters always repeat the same mannerisms whenever they're mad/excited/nervous, and every time I died a little inside. And the plot just really didn't move much for me, even though this book is supposed to be one where things actually happen.

In the end, maybe I just wasn't in the mood for the epic fantasy stuff. I think perhaps I've moved on from this cliched field that once held promise. There'll never be another Tolkien, and imitators just don't work well. So I put this book to my Forsaken shelf and hope I never have to fall back into its world again.(less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Jan 16, 2009

Alex rated it

· review of another edition

Well, if the first book in this series diminished somewhat outside the cozy light of memory, this second book absolutely withers away. The plot is listless, its tension flagging between points that are only interesting by comparison. And the characters refuse to evolve. That is, they are all still hung up on the same issues they had at the beginning of the first book, even though they've been through fairly earth-shattering experiences in the intervening pages. I mean, why is Nynaeve still s...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Mar 28, 2011

Seak (Bryce L.) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2011, audio

Seanchan, argh!!!

Just as good if not better than the first time through as I can see all the "threads" (get it) that have been established for lots of great things to come. Also, Audiobook is definitely the way to do a reread as I don't have that terrible feeling that I'm neglecting everything else, plus I don't think I'll get worn out when it comes to the middle/slower volumes.

As I mentioned in my Eye of the World review, this is just where I write down a few ...moreSeanchan, argh!!!

Just as good if not better than the first time through as I can see all the "threads" (get it) that have been established for lots of great things to come. Also, Audiobook is definitely the way to do a reread as I don't have that terrible feeling that I'm neglecting everything else, plus I don't think I'll get worn out when it comes to the middle/slower volumes.

As I mentioned in my Eye of the World review, this is just where I write down a few things so I can later keep track of in what book which events take place.

***Spoilers***

Lots of time spent in Fal Dara with training followed by Trolloc/Fade/Dark Friend attack on Fal Dara which leads to the Great Horn being stolen. The 3 boys set out with Ingtar to retrieve it, the womenfolk proceed to Tar Valon to begin their training, Egwene and Nynaeve meet Elayne for the first time. While following the Shadowspawn with the Horn, Rand, Loial, and Hurin are transported through a portal stone where they meet Selene/Lanfear and Rand kills Grolm.

They end up in Cairhien finally (days ahead of Ingtar, Mat, Perrin, Verin Sedai and group) where The Great Game is played and where everyone thinks Rand is really good at it. He's eventually invited by every noble in town until finally the King and the Damodreds, the most powerful families around. It is found that the Damodreds are harboring the Dark Friends and have a Way Gate under the premises, which is blocked by Machinshin (Black Wind).

They find another way by using the portal stone in the Ogier Steading. It actually takes them 3 months to get to Falme after a long (and somewhat boring) dream sequence where the dark one always wins.

During this time, the women are training, until they are tricked by Liandrin who takes them to Falme and where they immediately meet the Seanchan who chain Egwene. Nynaeve and Elayne are able to escape whereas Min is not, but they don't care much about her since she can't channel.

They are able to arrange passage away from the Seanchan and about the same time they are about to leave, Rand and party show up, fight off the Seanchan (Rand beats a Herin blade holder), and Rand fights the Dark One in the Skies (again), many see it and are converted to the Dragon Reborn's camp.

Whew.

***End Spoilers***(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Oct 30, 2010

Ryan rated it

· review of another edition

Here's a tough decision I think fantasy writers face: What requires detail and what will the reader's imagination run with?

Another view: Do you trust your readers to be able to fill in the details?

Someone -- I think Neil Gaiman -- once said that Gene Wolfe's writing makes his readers feel smarter. It's because Wolfe trusts his readers to pay attention and to fill in the blanks.

How do The Wheel of Time books hold up to this approach?

It's a little in...more

like 4 likes

· see review

May 26, 2008

Skip rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2008, favorites

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

like 3 likes

· see review

Jul 23, 2007

Letha rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fantasy Diehards

This book, which I read to pass on key scenes for calendar illustration concepts to my graphic designer partner, was a somewhat enjoyable but fairly frustrating read. For several significant reasons the book never really hits a truly connected stride with it's reader, and I ended it on a ambivalent note --- not really satisfied, not really disappointed, knowing I will likely forget the book within a few weeks of having read it.

There are too many main characters, and our main man (Ra...moreThis book, which I read to pass on key scenes for calendar illustration concepts to my graphic designer partner, was a somewhat enjoyable but fairly frustrating read. For several significant reasons the book never really hits a truly connected stride with it's reader, and I ended it on a ambivalent note --- not really satisfied, not really disappointed, knowing I will likely forget the book within a few weeks of having read it.

There are too many main characters, and our main man (Rand), though struggling with the weight of his powerful burdens as well as his world's, feels under developed --- whiney, confused and devoid of real human pathos. As he takes up a good portion of the pages in the book he should hold the attention and gain the compassion of the reader but instead he feels determinedly 2D throughout. Many of the more truly interesting characters are left to languish plot wise for several chapters at a time while our man Rand rails against the downsides of his awful power or debates which woman he should be not marrying. In paradox to the main character’s dominance of the book’s word count there are just too many secondary characters and their related plot tangents to follow. Half way through the book while being introduced to what seems like the hundredth ‘integral’ character, fatigue sets in as you realize yet another storyline is being integrated into the plot. This continues right up to the end of the book (as it should I suppose, it is a serial series after all). I am all for plot complexity --- I crave it in fact, however in Jordan's case overabundant paths within the story’s framework do not equal a engaged mind the way a single strong dispersed concept can.

The book also suffers from a derivative feeling throughout. Although there are some novel handlings of key concepts (gender reversal of power, the male struggle with violence), overall the cultures, creatures and characters all remind the reader of other stories, other authors.

When the book closes on the last page the fianl verdict is that it’s a good example of the fantasy serial genre, a solid choice for diehard fantasy fans. But if you are drawn to high concept or a more thoughtful, subtle approach to human nature and the examination of our personal or social constructs in fantasy fiction then stick with an author like Ursula Le Guin.
(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Aug 02, 2011

Sanchita Dasgupta added it · review of another edition

The Great Hunt, by Robert Jordan is a better read than The Eye of the World. It revolves around the hunt for the Horn of Valere, that has been stolen by Padan Fain and his followers, by Rand al'Thor.

The character of Rand is well developed. His agony combined with ecstasy when he wields the One Power is palpable. Egwene, Nynaeve and a few others are gaining more prominence. By the end of the book, you want to get your hands on the next one so as to find out what happens next.

This is probably a be...more

· see review

May 11, 2011

Coligne rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fanucci, fantasy, la, ruota, del, tempo, my, favorite, sfida, dei, mattonazzi, 2009

Il finale del libro è spettacolare!
Nelle ultime cento pagine de La Grande Caccia Jordan ci infila una trovata geniale una dietro l'altra, con un susseguirsi di colpi di scena che lasciano esterrefatti dall'intensità di quella parte.</p>

Peccato che per le 600 pagine precedenti non succede quasi nulla di significativo, la cosa, se non si è abituati a descrizioni dettagliatissime e elucubrazioni pseudo psicologiche, potrebbe anche risultare noiosa.
Jordan usa quelle pagine per ampliare ulterio

...more

· see review

Feb 12, 2009

Blodeuedd Finland rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
Book 2 of The Wheel of Time

Rand al´Thor has found out that he is the Dragon Reborn, Lews Therin Kinslayer, the man who sundered the world.

After finding the Horn of Valere they have returned to Fal Dara, and Rand seeks a way to escape this destiny. But the world is closing in on him, and even the Amyrlin seat comes to Shienar. How can he escape the fact that he can channel, and is theDragon, and how can he keep his friends from harms wa...more

like 1 like

· see review

Nov 07, 2011

James rated it

· review of another edition

Now as I am writing this I am looking back on it from the perspective of the sixth book, so my view is very vague and probably not going to be that much use to you.

This was a poor book; though how much of that was down to feeling let down after such a great series opener than the actual quality of the book, is hard to judge.

It felt very... un-directed. I don't know how best to put it - it just didn't really feel like it had a destination. Up until now I didn't realise (c...more

· see review

Sep 02, 2011

Sally added it · review of another edition

Thisws series was a deeply frustrating experience. So much so that I nearly gave up! I thought the author needed an exceptionally strict editor and I frequently skip read to avoid all of what I thought were unecessarily overlong descriptive passages about womens clothes and appearances and if the man mentions a woman's breasts again I'll scream!!! However, and in his favour I have come to see the books as a very real portrayal of the way that organisations consistently fail to work together. Whi...more

· see review

Aug 10, 2011

Danny Bennett rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Characterization: The reader is able to dive deeper into the characters of the wheel of time. Most of the book consists of Rand agonizing over whether he should channel or not. I found Rand a little frustrating at times; his stubbornness and all to easy temptation with a new character was annoying at times. I did start to appreciate Egwene more in this book where as in the first book, I wanted nothing to do with her. Jordan practices the hard fast method of giving his character more depth b...more

· see review

Jun 08, 2011

The W rated it

· review of another edition

W Rating : B

Note: I am engaged into the task of completing the entire Wheel of Time series. I have read eight or nine of these books around ten years ago, and I found myself very disappointed with the series as the novels progressed. The lack of focus in conjunction with overwhelming focus of Jordan was very tiresome. Jordan’s lack of focus typically revolved around the side plots and characters that he created. Now, for those who have read Jordan will understand that he does not do “s...moreW Rating : B

Note: I am engaged into the task of completing the entire Wheel of Time series. I have read eight or nine of these books around ten years ago, and I found myself very disappointed with the series as the novels progressed. The lack of focus in conjunction with overwhelming focus of Jordan was very tiresome. Jordan’s lack of focus typically revolved around the side plots and characters that he created. Now, for those who have read Jordan will understand that he does not do “small” plots. Robert Jordan creates intrigue and drama at every turn, but he forgets about them for books on end. The over focus of Jordan creates his “glacier” pacing where you find a character spending an entire book devoted to escaping one city. At this point of reading, I stopped.

So, here I am. I will be rereading some and reading the latest for the first time. With any luck, I won’t become angered by the forgotten characters, plot lines, and lack of good pacing. Here goes…

Side Note: I had thought that I would be able to begin a more detailed review of all these books, but I don’t feel that I have the time nor does the typical review reader have the patience for an in depth review. I will be giving quickies.

The High Hunt by Robert Jordan is a “Hunt” scene or a “mini” quest novel. This book also begins the whine. It is subtle compared to the rest but it is definitely the beginning. Our illustrious three and their many important slightly less main characters are to begin the process of breaking up. To start it off Rand has a strange and abrupt change in his opinion of Moiraine (sorceress). Now, his reasons are all fine and correct. The fact that he has roughly a 135 degree change in his dealings is what jars me. I say 135 due to the fact that he was not completely following and trusting the sorceress. Rand becomes the first to whine out loud, Perrin has been silently moping since his eyes changed which is no better since the reader gets internal monologue, and Mat whines about the sorceress and his knife. Rand wants to be left alone by the Aes Sedai. Perrin wants to be left alone by the Aes Sedai. Mat wants to be left alone by the Aes Sedai. The girls are sent off to the White Tower to be Aes Sedai. The boys are sent off to find the Horn (that would be the quest/hunt item).

Super Sum up: Rand, Perrin, and Mat along with warriors and other reoccurring characters follow the trail of an evil man who stole that which was found in the previous novel. Along the way Rand meets the most attractive woman ever who makes you want to scream at Rand for his ignorance. Mat is negative about Rand. Perrin sulks. Alternate reality is discovered for a bit which allows the boy party to arrive at their destination in time for the fireworks.

The girls are sent off to the White Tower. Mystique of the Tower and the Aes Sedai is shoved at the reader. New girls only known to the boys are now friends with the girls. Red ajah hate men. Girls are swept away by another sorceress seemingly to help the boys. It’s a Trap! One girl is made to be a slave by a race of people from across the sea (they have the worst name ever for a race in my humble opinion). She will have much resentment which will be repeated to the reader in case they missed it. The trap was at Falme.

Large army of purist assholes that no one likes is outside of Falme as well. The DarkOne led all the pieces to this final battle. The boys deal with their issues. The girls deal with theirs. Momentous actions take place. Roles established for two boys. Army of assholes destroyed save the one man that was sent to bring word to the son of the leader. This is to create issues in the future most likely…

All in all, this was a good book too. The whine, even with what I mentioned about up top, honestly, wasn’t that bad. The pacing was good in most places except when Jordan had to add plot devices/explanations (alternate world) so he added in a bit of chase scene to help those move along. The characters are developing nicely with everyone becoming more of what they are. The plot is good if it is actually used in the end. The Horn must have actual value in the end and not just pandering for this book’s plot to have true value. All that is discovered in this book is used later and is important. Every book brings more to this world that Jordan created, but this one’s add-ons are easier to see if forgotten in the end. So, I have faith he will be true.

On to the next…
(less)

· see review

May 06, 2011

Ryan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, own, fiction

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

Second book in the wheel of time series. Continues the story of Rand, Perrin, Mat, Egwene, and Nynaeve (all from Edmonds Field). Rand and the others are all in Fal Dara after recovering the Horn of Valere. While they are there the Amyrlin seat and other Aes Sedai come to see Morraine. Rand tries to leave when they arrive because he discovers at the end of the first book that he can channel the one power. Aes Sedai usually "gentle" men who can do this because ...moreMy summary:

Second book in the wheel of time series. Continues the story of Rand, Perrin, Mat, Egwene, and Nynaeve (all from Edmonds Field). Rand and the others are all in Fal Dara after recovering the Horn of Valere. While they are there the Amyrlin seat and other Aes Sedai come to see Morraine. Rand tries to leave when they arrive because he discovers at the end of the first book that he can channel the one power. Aes Sedai usually "gentle" men who can do this because they will eventually go mad. Morraine and the Amyrlin seat, however, don't wish to do this to Rand because he is the Dragon reborn and is supposed to defeat the Dark One. While they are in Fal Dara, the Horn is stolen and the darkfriend, Padan Fain, escapes from the prison there. The warriors of Fal Dara quickly form a party to recover the horn, including Rand, Perrin, and Mat (who must recover the dagger that was stolen or he will die). Egwene and Nynaeve go with the Aes Sedai to Tar Valon in order to receive training. Nynaeve becomes one of the Accepted because she is older while Egwene becomes a Novice. In Tar Valon they meet Elayna and her 2 brothers. They are later convinced by a Black Aes Sedai to follow her through the Ways and into a trap laid by the Seanchan army (the lost army of Artur Hawkwing). Egwene is captured and enslaved through the use of a silver collar that forces her to use her powers as commanded. Nynaeve and Elayna escape and plot how to free Egwene in Falme. Meanwhile, Rand, the Ogier (Loial), and Hurrin (the sniffer) get separated from the rest of the party when they travel to a parallel world through a portal stone. There they meet Selene, a beautiful girl who tries to convince Rand to seize the horn for the glory it will gain him. They travel back to real world ahead of Fain and the Trollocs and manage to steal the horn from them. They go onto Cairhien (where Selene is from) and wait for Ingtar (the leader of the hunting party). While they are there they are enveloped in a world politics among the nobles of the city for status and power. Shortly before Ingtar catches up with them, the horn is stolen and they are forced to follow Fain again. They try to follow him through the Ways again, but the Black Wind guards the gate. They head for another waygate at a Stedding, but that one is also blocked. They then use a portal stone to get to Falme to meet Fain. Once there they send 5 people (Ingtar, Mat, Perrin, Rand, & Hurrin) into the city to try and recover the horn. After getting the horn, Rand must face the leader the Seanchan in a sword fight. After defeating him they try and escape right at the same time Egwene is being rescued by Nynaeve and Elayna. Rand spots Egwene and knows he can't leave, plus they run into Whitecloaks attacking the Seanchan right when they are trying to leave. Mat blows the Horn of Valere and the heroes from the age of Legends come back to fight the Seanchan and all else who oppose the dragon reborn (Rand). As they advance, Rand must fight the Dark One in a battle with the outcome of his friends on the line. He finally allows the Dark One of stab him so he will have a clear shot to kill the Dark One. He defeats him and later finds out that his battle took place in the sky above the city so everyone knows that the true Dragon has returned. The Seanchan retreat across the sea and the Rand begins to understand he is the Dragon reborn.(less)

· see review

Mar 02, 2011

Justin Kemppainen rated it

· review of another edition

It took me considerably longer to get through this novel than the first. Part of it may be that Robert Jordan's style has started to wear on me just a little bit, but I think it more has to do with this novel not containing a whole lot of anything happening.

The Great Hunt starts off entertaining and fast-paced: bad stuff happens, and it's up to the good guys to resolve it. Then we have several hundred pages of walking. Some other bad stuff happens, and for the most part it's entertain...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Feb 16, 2011

Andrew Georgiadis rated it

· review of another edition

As some have suggested, the Wheel of Time (WoT, affectionately) has seemingly spun out of control by its later books. Many readers believe that Jordan’s tireless reassurances before his untimely death (“all is planned out, don’t worry”) may have been less than honest. More evidence of that here, as I reread the entire, 10,000+ pages and 3.4 million words of WoT in anticipation of the Jordan/Sanderson conclusion in 2011 (fingers crossed).

“The Great Hunt” picks up days after Rand has d...more

· see review

Dec 23, 2010

Chariti King Canny rated it

· review of another edition

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. Howe...more

· see review

Jun 28, 2010

James rated it

· review of another edition

The second book of the Wheel of Time is in many ways a microcosm, or perhaps a preview, of the series as a whole. It starts and ends quickly (and in my view, spectacularly), but the middle kind of drags. It's not exactly bad, but I can't help but think that I want to get to the good parts. The Great Hunt also serves as the real setup for what this series is all about. While the Eye of the World is about our protagonists being chased by evil and having a grand adventure, TGH is much more about pr...moreThe second book of the Wheel of Time is in many ways a microcosm, or perhaps a preview, of the series as a whole. It starts and ends quickly (and in my view, spectacularly), but the middle kind of drags. It's not exactly bad, but I can't help but think that I want to get to the good parts. The Great Hunt also serves as the real setup for what this series is all about. While the Eye of the World is about our protagonists being chased by evil and having a grand adventure, TGH is much more about prophesized heroes and political factions. If that's not your thing (and you don't like this book), this probably isn't the series for you!

While the second book of the Wheel of Time is light on introducing new characters, it's all about introducing important groups, the Aes Sedai of the White Tower and the Seanchan chief among them. We finally see some Aiel, and the often-mentioned Dragon Reborn is finally unveiled to the world. Darkfriends are everywhere, from the Forsaken to the Black Ajah to even a few you might not expect.

Perhaps the most significant revelation of the Great Hunt, however, is that the three boys from the Two Rivers are not actually the only main characters. This book focuses on a number of important female characters, most notably showing the beginning of Egwene's (very, very long) ascent into Complete Awesomeness. There are even major characters not from the Two Rivers!

So, enough about structure and the context of the book in the series. The question is, how is the story? And the answer? Damn good. It begins as a bit of a reversal of the previous book, with the Good Guys chasing the Bad Guys (as the title implies). We get our first glance into what the Dark One has his minions doing, and his impact is felt all over the events of this book. Jordan pulled what I think is a brilliant move by couching the huge coincidences of your standard fantasy novel in in-world justifications, and the Great Hunt is a major example of that. If you don't buy into the whole ta'veren thing, the ending sequence may appear to be an impossibly unlikely confluence of events. And it is, but no less awesome for it. Salvation, redemption, glory, despair being overcome - whatever tickles your fancy, it's in here in spades. The last half-dozen or so chapters remain one of my favorite sequences in the entire series.

But like I said, it's not all good. The events leading to the chase are quite entertaining, especially our backwater protagonists' first encounter with the Aes Sedai as a group, but the middle could probably be tightened up. Some sequences, such as those involving Selene, feel like they're only as long as they are because the writer needs them to be, while the narrative doesn't. Also unfortunate is the fact that two of our original three heroes fall by the wayside a bit in the character development department (but hey, that's what book three is for, right?). In the end, though, it's all worth it.

The Wheel of Time is not a hasty series: Robert Jordan never appears to rush his narrative for any reason, even if it might benefit. Consider that the big prophesized hero that the entire series centers around only really shows up in the second book. You're in for the long haul here. But books like the Great Hunt are why it's all worth it. You know, unless you started reading the series when it was at its anticlimactic peak and you waited years for books where the plot barely advances. That could be a downer.(less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Apr 15, 2010

Mark rated it

· review of another edition

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 ...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Jan 18, 2010

Jen rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: my-own-books, the-best-of-the-best, favorites, fantasy, read-in-2010

I own the english version and the Finnish versions of this great book. The english version has been translated into finnish as 2 parts: Valeren torvi (eng. The Horn of Valere) and Lohikäärmeviiri (Dragon Pennant). I don't know why but all books from Wheel of time has been translated into 2 or 3 different books, of which usually the first book has the same name as the "motherbook" of those few separate books.
Wheel of time has been my favorite past time reading ever since I did read...more

· see review

Nov 27, 2009

Khalil Webb rated it

· review of another edition

This series of books so far is definitely worthy of ranking up with the works of Tolkien. I was drawn in to the first book and didn't want to put it down. This book felt like it dragged a little bit in the first half, but I may have just been itching to read something a little different for a while. When I picked it up again and continued reading, I again did not want to put it down. The handful of main characters are very well fleshed out. The complexities of the politics in this fantasy w...more

· see review

Jul 20, 2009

Paul Dura rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: high-fantasy

The Great Hunt is a solid sequel to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. The descriptions of each setting are vivid and unique without seeming to be one long exposition. The characters are familiar and comfortable, even endearing. The pace of the book seems a bit awkward at first as there is quite a bit of excitement early on in the novel, and a long stretch of what I can only call "dogged determination".

Much like the first novel there is quite a bit of travelling on th...more

· see review

Dec 21, 2011

Mab rated it

· review of another edition

The adventure continues !
It just keeps getting better and better..
This story focused mostly on Rand and the other male characters, which imo is a good thing, since these are much more interesting than the others.
Rand gets some character in this book, and it is awesome to follow how he evolves as his responsibilities increases.. (view spoiler)...moreThe adventure continues !
It just keeps getting better and better..
This story focused mostly on Rand and the other male characters, which imo is a good thing, since these are much more interesting than the others.
Rand gets some character in this book, and it is awesome to follow how he evolves as his responsibilities increases.. (view spoiler)
Mat annoyed me a bit in the first book, his gollum impersonation wasnt exactly endearing, but in this book he seems to have found a balance, and he is slowly starting to grow on me..
He is selfish and rude, but still has a certain charm and humor that more than makes up for it..
Perrin have become the calm voice of reason, and is by being that keeping the balance between Matt and Rand..
The whole "connection with wolves"-thing is done by many fantasy authors, but i love it, so i wont complain.
Our friends spends this book hunting the horn, and learns more of the other people in the world, and the universe just keeps on expanding. It read like a traditional "questing-fantasy", but it was done neatly, and i never got bored..

The female group got fewer pages, but it was still too many.. Their exploits was mostly focused around the Aes Sedai and the Seanchan, two groups with nothing but bad mojo, and stuff just seem to happen to them in a way that made me want to yell at them or hit something.. They redeem themselves later, so if you have only just started reading this book, hang in there !
I dont like Nynaeve, her attitude is that of a cornered rat, and even though her situation justifies that, it doesnt make me enjoy reading about her more..
By being the one who cant tolerate being seen weak, and by lashing out and trying to control and bully everyone who'll let her, she comes of as the most insecure and weak of all the characters..

A new nation shows its ugly face in this book, the Seanchan, its some of the most unsympathetic and evil bastards you'll ever meet..
I dont think any other "race" in a fantasy book has made me much more angry than they did..
I will have nightmares of those collars..

I felt the ending in the first book had some errors, but the ending in this one was truly awesome..
Pandoras box has opened and i cant wait to find out what will happen next..

(NOTE - if your reading reviews of this book in here, and havent read the book yet, WATCH OUT, i got spoiled the ending by some idiot who didnt care about putting up spoiler warnings in his review! Kenny Cross is his name)(less)

· see review

Feb 05, 2012

Seth rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: misc-fantasy

I started out quite sceptical of this story. I had found the first far less exciting than promised. However, this time we see Rand and the other characters taking a touch more control of their fates and acting a bit more heroic. There are fair number of combat scenes, though the descriptions for many are a bit vague, just naming off the fancy forms the swordmen of the world learn. The women were still pretty bitchy, but a few are growing on me. I like how even Rand denotes, "If we men were ...more

· see review

Jul 24, 2010

Libby Chester rated it

· review of another edition

The best writing.....the battle between good and evil continues. The wheel weaves as the wheel wills, and Rand is caught up and tightly bound to a battle with evil; his destiny seems preordained. All of the characters are very developed and there is no clear demarcation between what is truly good and what is truly evil inside of the main characters, in other words, it's close to reality. However, there are several characters that are thru and thru evil, although none so far, that I would clas...more

· see review

Aug 29, 2009

Gabby rated it

· review of another edition

The Great Hunt continues in this fantasy epic, as more characters are introduced and those already established begin to become more developed. Once again the characters get separated into their own storylines, even though we can see how they are going to all work together as the books progress.

It's interesting to see how much Jordan really puts in his books to foreshadow future events. I think what makes him such a master storyteller and great writer, is that there are so many other ...more

· see review

Jun 11, 2009

Christina Stind rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, fantasy, fiction, series

The funny thing about Wheel of Time is that it has a huge following but most of the reviews still recommend you don't read it because each book gets progressively worse. It's not literature like Lord of the Rings, it's not cozy and enjoyable like Dragonlance Chronicles but it's still good, I must admit - at least book two is.
It seems that Jordan used book one to copy Tolkien so he could learn how to write fantasy - and that in book two he has put that talent to use. It's still not as good ...moreThe funny thing about Wheel of Time is that it has a huge following but most of the reviews still recommend you don't read it because each book gets progressively worse. It's not literature like Lord of the Rings, it's not cozy and enjoyable like Dragonlance Chronicles but it's still good, I must admit - at least book two is.
It seems that Jordan used book one to copy Tolkien so he could learn how to write fantasy - and that in book two he has put that talent to use. It's still not as good as Tolkien - but it's good enough to be enjoyed.

This book has two major storylines. One follows Rand, his friends Mat and Perrin, Loial the Ogier, Hurrin the sniffer and Lord Ingtar and the rest of his men. After the Horn of Valere has been stolen by Darkfriends, trollocs and their leader Padan Fain, this group sets off to track them down and get the horn back - not to mention the dagger, that is necessary to cure Mat. We follow them on a long journey, across continents, when they are separated, trying to navigate in high society, seeing the cruel contempt for human life Padan Fain and his trollocs show and finally, the book's last battle. All the time, with Rand (and Perrin) fighting with who they are and what they have become since leaving home.
The other story follows Nynaeve and Egwene and how they begin training to become Aes Sedais in the White Tower where they meet up with Min and Elayne. Training is challenging and difficult - and they learn the hard way that not all Aes Sedai can be trusted anymore when they firsthand experience the Seanchans view of any woman who can channel.
Bayle Domon, the captain of the Spray, also makes a brief appearance, like he did in the first book. I wonder if he becomes a more permanent character later on in the series.

The world all this take place in is a world controlled by determinism. "The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, and the Pattern provides what is needful."(522) Sometimes, the story is helped along by rather drastic measures that seems very unlikely - but which are all explained by the above quote. The events has happened before over and over, Rand al'Thor, as the Dragon Lews Therin, has faced the Dark One over and over in the past - and if you can believe the Dark One, been killed over and over. But he always came back, ready to fight again. But this time it's different - if the Dark One succeed, the Dragon will be dead forever. Or so the Dark One claims. Father of Lies is one of his aliases. Not quite sure we can trust anything he says...
But everything is already determined - the outcome of the battles are already set, nothing can change that, because the Wheel and the Pattern control everything and when things happen, that do not seem to be the way they're supposed to, well, they're still the will of the Wheel and the Pattern. So free will is definitely a goner in this world - although the characters of course still feel like they are able to choose their own destinies. But something must be different this time, if we are to trust the Dark One. The Dragon has always returned but if it's true that the Dark One can kill him once and for all, something is different this time and I'm awaiting eagerly if Jordan can pull this off - kill off his determinism and let true free will be part of the equation of if he will let the Father of Lies be lying so it's all just another battle in an endless succession of battles.
It's also interesting that parallel with this world, all other type worlds exist, each one with subtle differences. Rand experiences this when trying to use a Portal Stone and we get the feeling that all the other worlds are flawed because in every one of them, the Rand that exist there is feeling that something is wrong, that things are not like they are supposed to be. For me, I quite liked musing about what makes Rand Rand; personal identity over time is a tricky question at best, but here Rand existed in world alongside world and he was never doubting that he was himself, although he doubted that things had turned out the right way. There is a tiny core in each of us that makes us who we are - and he had that in every parallel world. This core must be what they risk loosing in using the Ways and what the Aes Sedai are messing with when they gentle the false dragons. Interesting. Only problem is I'm not quite sure if Jordan intended all this philosophical subtext or if it's just me who's reading it into the book. We'll see as I progress with the rest of the series.

This book was a 3,5 stars book right to the end - but then the ending persuaded me to give it that extra 0,5 star. The battle at the end and the realisation, Rand achieve, was worth the extra star.(less)

like 3 likes

· see review

Dec 29, 2010

Shelby rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Shelby by: Scott Chase

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There are parts of this book that are very frustrating to read. The whole Lan/Nyneave/Moiraine thing is completely messed up. That is the part I'm most interested in too! I mean, Rand being the Dragon Reborn is interesting too, but I like Lan and Nyneave. I want them to be together. Is it wrong that in a book about a potential destroying of the world, that I'm upset about a girl not being able to be with the boy she loves??? I guess that could be said for Rand and Egwene too....I think I need to...moreThere are parts of this book that are very frustrating to read. The whole Lan/Nyneave/Moiraine thing is completely messed up. That is the part I'm most interested in too! I mean, Rand being the Dragon Reborn is interesting too, but I like Lan and Nyneave. I want them to be together. Is it wrong that in a book about a potential destroying of the world, that I'm upset about a girl not being able to be with the boy she loves??? I guess that could be said for Rand and Egwene too....I think I need to get my priorities straight.

By now, Rand is realising that he can control the chanelling of the One Power,saidin, and he can use it when he truly wants to help. But it is that desire to touch it that scares him most. The Horn of Valere is been stollen by Padan Fain, and is taken to Tomon Head where a bunch of crazy ass Seanchan have taken over.

They have a policy to enslave any woman who can channel. Those woman are Damane and the woman who control them are the sul'dam. The damane are forced to wear this color like contraption that controls how and when they can touch the source. Through a series of unfortunate events involving the Ayes Sedai of the Black Ajah, Egwene is captured. Nyneve and Elaine (the daughter-heir of Andor from book 1) are almost caught as well.

All of this bit about being caught happens, seriously, in the last 100 pages. So it felt really rushed. It reminded me somewhat of LOTR when it would take Frodo forever to get to the place he was going, and once he got there it was over in like a page. I wish that the last bit had been explained more. Because it was like all of a sudden, Mat was sounding the Horn,and Artur Hawking was there, talking about following Rand because he is Lews Thoren....or whatever.

Even though it is a really, really, really, long book, I like it. Though I may need to start taking notes because there are shit ton of characters, and you have to remember them from the beginning of the book before (or 2 as I'm assuming the next book will have characters from Book 1 as well whom I haven't seen since the very beginning). I like it. (less)

like 1 like

· see review

Jan 06, 2011

Kaisa rated it

· review of another edition

In this sequel to The Eye of the World, the story of Rand, Perrin and Mat from The Two Rivers continues with the hunt of the Horn of Valere.

Rand refuses to accept who he is, feeling trapped in a maze created by the Aes Sedai and The Father of Lies. If the world knew who/what he is, he’d be hunted down and gentled in a heartbeat. Not even Mat or Perrin can know.

Mat is dying (again). His dagger is stolen by a familiar darkfriend, and without it the Aes Sedai cannot help him esc...moreIn this sequel to The Eye of the World, the story of Rand, Perrin and Mat from The Two Rivers continues with the hunt of the Horn of Valere.

Rand refuses to accept who he is, feeling trapped in a maze created by the Aes Sedai and The Father of Lies. If the world knew who/what he is, he’d be hunted down and gentled in a heartbeat. Not even Mat or Perrin can know.

Mat is dying (again). His dagger is stolen by a familiar darkfriend, and without it the Aes Sedai cannot help him escape death.

Perrin can feel the changes in all of them, especially in himself. Although many have asked him why his eyes have turned bright yellow, he can’t bare to tell them his secret, because it’s a secret he hasn’t been able to accept.

Together with a group of soldiers, the three of them head out to find the Horn of Valere and Mat’s dagger. Epicness ensues.

This book is obviously very well written. Robert Jordan is a legend, and so is his work. But sometimes you’re not in the mood to read 700-page-long epic fantasy novels. That’s something I quickly discovered when reading The Great Hunt, and suddenly feeling like throwing it out the window.

It just never ended.

Or well, it did, actually. After a very long time, though.

The characters are all developing into completely different people. Rand is more sure of himself, and yet he hasn’t been more afraid in his life. Afraid of what he faces, and also of what he’s becoming.

Perrin is less talkative (even more so than in the first book), and yet he’s wiser than most other characters in the story. I’ve loved him since the start.

Mat is … more annoying than ever. (He’s not even funny in this one) I felt this way about many characters, actually… Egwene is simply stupid. She is inexplicably stupid. I wasn’t too suprised at that, but then Nynaeve joined the dumbo-crew.. Oh, but don’t let me get started on Nynaeve. I wish I could pull her out of the story for good.

Story-wise, this book is much better than the first one. You feel like you’re finally getting into the story and what it’s all going to be about sooner or later. If only Rand would stop being so stubborn. Sometimes you have to face the truth, especially if all evidence points towards you being an idiot.(less)

like 1 like

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 1439 1440 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
South African Boo...: Book 2: The Great Hunt	6	14	Feb 02, 2012 11:14am
Madison Mega-Mara...: The Great Hunt	1	4	Jan 10, 2012 09:21pm

combine
Other Editions (39)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

2,558 users

Fantasy > Epic Fantasy

143 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

141 users

Epic

55 users

Adventure

37 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

36 users

Fantasy > Magic

31 users

Adult

20 users

Science Fiction

19 users

Novels

14 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

The Hero of Ages
by Brandon Sanderson
Memories of Ice
by Steven Erikson
Stone of Farewell
by Tad Williams
A Darkness At Sethanon
by Raymond E. Feist
Stone of Tears
by Terry Goodkind

About Robert Jordan

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 th...more

More about Robert Jordan...

Books by Robert Jordan

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

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About The Great Hunt

3 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Great Hunt

“Better to have one woman on your side than ten men.” — 48 people liked it

“Women often seemed to leave things unsaid, and in his limited experience it was what they did not say that proved the most trouble.” — 40 people liked it

More quotes…

Groups That Shelved The Great Hunt

Building a SciFi/Fantasy ...

2359 members

last activity Feb 07, 2012 08:27pm

shelf: read

Fantasy Aficionados

1418 members

last activity 0 minutes ago

shelf: read

The Black Tower

212 members

last activity Feb 02, 2012 04:55am

shelf: read

title link	preview: The Great Hunt
avg rating	preview: The Great Hunt Goodreads rating: 4.12 (35256 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/618234.The_Great_Hunt?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1315596694m/618234.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/618234.The_Great_Hunt?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan[/url]

The Great Hunt (Wheel of Time #2)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website