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The Dragon Reborn (Wheel of Time #3)

4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 · rating details · 79,981 ratings · 1,129 reviews

The Dragon Reborn--the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him--is on the run from his destiny.

Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how--for no man has done it in three thousand years--Rand al'Thor knows only that he must face t...more

Kindle Edition, 632 pages

Published September 14th 2002 by Tor Books (first published 1991)

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Jun 17, 2013 Gunner McGrath rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-in-hardcover, fantasy

The first two books in the Wheel of Time series did not impress me much. They were good enough to keep reading the series (my primary goal is to read everything Brandon Sanderson writes, and so I must read these 11 books to get to his), but I was not terribly invested in the characters and the story seemed to drag.

This book really picked up the interest level for nearly all of the main characters. Rand, ostensibly the primary character (and the one the book is named after, oddly enough) is nearl...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Jason rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, read-2013, read-long-ago, reread

5 Stars

This is a speed read of the third book of the Wheel of Time series. I have read it cover to cover at least four times, but I have been a way from this series for a long time.

Dragon Reborn is a much different book from the first two novels. To me, it is a much darker, and action based story, which also has a much clearer plot as well. All of the main characters are forced into killing, more so than the previous books. This is the book that changed our heroes into killers, they all became s...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

**Caution - contains spoilers if you haven't read the first two books.**

The Dragon Reborn takes a slightly different approach by stepping back from Rand, only really showing his perspective at the end. Most of what we discover about him is through the eyes of other characters. This provides a distance between the naive and confused farm-boy Rand who has so far been swept along by events, and the harder one who has learned something of using the Power and manipulating people that we begin to know...more **Caution - contains spoilers if you haven't read the first two books.**

The Dragon Reborn takes a slightly different approach by stepping back from Rand, only really showing his perspective at the end. Most of what we discover about him is through the eyes of other characters. This provides a distance between the naive and confused farm-boy Rand who has so far been swept along by events, and the harder one who has learned something of using the Power and manipulating people that we begin to know in the next book.

The parts of this book that I enjoyed the most are the stories of Mat and Perrin. Each of them becomes more defined, and their overall importance begins to emerge as their lives are tossed about by being ta'veren. Mat is that roguish sort that loves to gamble, gets into trouble, and ultimately has a good heart and ends up doing the right thing in spite of himself. Love Mat.

Perrin is solid, down-to-earth, dependable, and yet has that dangerous unpredictability to him as well, when he lets the wolf out. Love Perrin.

A third major focus of the book is at the White Tower with Egwene and Nynaeve. I enjoy the intricate dangers of the White Tower, with political intrigue and the Black Ajah making everyone jump at shadows. I also enjoy any scenes involving ter'angreal and the rediscovery of old magic. Some people find this part of the story slow because there's not much action, but I really do like fantasy that builds in a lot of intrigue as well as action. I even like both Elayne and Egwene - but what I don't enjoy is Nynaeve.

Nynaeve single-handedly brings my rating of this book down to a 4. She gets a little better later in the series (as far as I remember), but in this book particularly she is so bullheaded, arrogant, and self-satisfied (with no reason to be), I can hardly stand her. She is always angry, or trying to be so she can channel. She is always tugging on her braid and bristling with indignation. For someone who is supposed to be a Wisdom, she has none yet that I can tell, but she has a big enough head about being Wisdom back in a tiny village to think she's better than a whole tower of Aes Sedai. She doesn't believe she has anything real she can learn from anyone else, except for actual use of the power, and her only motivation at this point is revenge. Because everything is Moiraine's fault. Everything. She needs a good dose of humility, and I don't blame Egwene for wanting to stand up to her. Frankly, I don't understand what Lan sees in her.

So, this is a solid installment in the series - the story is still building, the web is growing more intricate, Mat and Perrin are getting more interesting, but this one only gets 4 stars because I spent a third of the book wanting to smack Nynaeve!(less)

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Mar 23, 2009 Mary-Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

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Aug 01, 2011 Seak (Bryce L.) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2011, 650-800-pagers, audio

I'm continuing my reread, in preparation for next year's grand finale, but I'm sorry to have gotten a bit behind in my reviews.

It's crazy to think that the events from this book, book 3 in the Wheel of Time, The Dragon Reborn [US] [UK], were actually supposed to be the conclusion to the first book in the trilogy. With that in mind, it's not too hard to fathom how things have come to be. This is a turn off for a lot of people, but really, you can't go wrong with more is better, not with The Wheel...more I'm continuing my reread, in preparation for next year's grand finale, but I'm sorry to have gotten a bit behind in my reviews.

It's crazy to think that the events from this book, book 3 in the Wheel of Time, The Dragon Reborn [US] [UK], were actually supposed to be the conclusion to the first book in the trilogy. With that in mind, it's not too hard to fathom how things have come to be. This is a turn off for a lot of people, but really, you can't go wrong with more is better, not with The Wheel of Time. (We'll see if my mind ever changes in this regard).

The Dragon Reborn was a frustrating book for me the first time around. I obviously didn't know what I was getting myself into the first time did I? :) It really drove me crazy that the main protagonist, THE Dragon Reborn, hardly makes 3 pages worth of an appearance in his own named book. The main character who actually moves this series forward is off in la-la land for the majority of the book. How does that even happen?!?!

And then Rand is what is featured on the cover of the new ebook. Cracks me up, just a bit. The Sweet cover makes sense on the first one, it being a pretty big event, but I really don't get the ebook. What about Perrin or Mat or Egwene, Elayne, Nynaeve... so many more could make such a better cover.

To top it all off, I actually didn't even really like Mat the first time through. Who does that? I think I really just wanted to see the next thing to happen and in the Wheel of Time, you have to be in it for the long run, you have to want to know everything about everyone. I think I'm there... finally.

On reread, it's a whole new ballgame. I've not only grown to enjoy the other characters much more, but it's a good possibility that I like them even more than I do Rand. Learning about their story arcs, their impressions, their place in the grand scheme of things was really fun and I can't wait to see what huge roles they will play in the end. Let's be honest here, there's no way Rand can handle everything on his own. He can't even handle the brewing love triangle.

I've been trying to include a description of each of the books in every review, but I can't really get myself to do this anymore when such a better one can be found at Tor.com, viewed here.

I make a lot of jokes about this series, but it's all in good fun. There are very few books I love as much as The Wheel of Time.

5 out of 5 Stars(less)

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Nov 04, 2010 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sometimes artists send very direct signals about their intentions.

By 1965, many of Bob Dylan's fans were shocked by his electric sound. These fans wanted Dylan to continue to write acoustic protests like "Masters of War" and "Only A Pawn In Their Game," but Dylan had moved on. There had been plenty of warning: Dylan's fourth album was Another Side of Bob Dylan and the next was Bringing It All Back Home.

If The Great Hunt started to signal that Rand's quest wouldn't be a short one, featuring armie...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Kurtbg rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wanted to take this series into at least the third book as writers usually hit their best around that time.

Well, there's about 4 stories interwoven. You know the primary antagonist is supposed to be Rand,
but more time is spent on other characters which makes this story confusing. Because of the time split amongst the storyline the characters aren't developed well, and things come easy to them.

Surrounded by unimaginable creatures that can destroy you. How does the author deal with it?
Deus ex m...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: personal-favourites, favourite-series, fantasy, wheel-of-time

So, having completed this book for the second time as part of my re-read I realise a very sad fact. I have read a sum total of around 1300 pages in just this one book. Am I wasting my time at all? Some would say yes, others no. Fortunately the approximate 700 pages of this book don't take me much time to read at all. For the average reader who can stomach fantasy I'd estimate a reading time of two to four weeks minimum. Which is what I took to read it this time, mainly because other books kept d...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Phillip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm enjoying this book along with the first two of the series. They're enjoyable to follow, and there are sufficient characters to keep things moving.

My main issue (as with the first two books) is that all these characters from the Two Rivers are as thick as concussed trolls (or in this case, concussed Trollocs).

The only other issue I have is that good ole' carefree, leap before you look Matt is suddenly the horse-trade-master Matt. The thinking, plotting chess master. Wuh? Huh? This is the ki...more

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Jun 25, 2007 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · 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 (including a prequel that came out somewhe...more

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May 29, 2008 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This third book was better yet than the first two of the series. However, Jordan is driving me nuts in the way he portrays his women. They are constantly folding their arms, scowling, and telling the men-folk that they are "wool-headed idiots" or "sheep-headed fools" or something along those lines. Frankly, I don't know why the men put up with that. Even Lan, who is essentially Aragorn, lifted straight out of Tolkien and plopped in the middle of this story, tolerates being treated like a twelve-...more

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May 11, 2011 Coligne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

In questo terzo capitolo della Ruota del Tempo l'attenzione si sposta dal protagonista principale, Rand al'Thor, il Drago Rinato, ai comprimari, i suoi compagni d'avventura. Definirli comprimari è un po riduttivo, dato che in qualsiasi (o quasi) altro libro meriterebbero il ruolo di protagonisti, per la cura con sui sono delineati dall'autore.
Il problema è che Jordan sparge ai quattro eventi i suoi personaggi, quindi la narrazione risulta un po confusionaria, con continui salti da una vicenda al...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Brandon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: completed-books-brandon

This book felt extremely slow compared to the last one. However, Jordan uses his space for intense character and world development. I have never before experienced a story that made the world come as alive as this one. I still prefer a balance in favor of plot and speed, but I'm learning to appreciate the Wheel of Time for its strengths.

As far as the characters go, I was very impressed with how Jordan developed Mat. This is the first of the books where I really began to care about his apart from...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Brittany Terrazas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't usually write reviews because I tend to rate books a long time after reading. Since I just finished this one I thought I'd share just a little. I started reading this series in 2007 but only got through the first 6 when I heard Robert Jordan had died so I stopped. The release of the last book this year has me starting all over again.

The series, so far, mostly follows from the view of the main character, Rand al'Thor. It jumps around to a lot of other characters here and there which I do...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Kip rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm a big fantasy fan, so something as seemingly expansive as a 12 book series intrigues me. That being said, right now I'm pretty disappointed.

I'll include a light **Spoiler Alert**, but can you really spoil a book in a series as repetitive and predictable as this one. Deus ex machina is pretty much the basis of the Wheel of Time. “The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.” So far, each book is incredibly repetitive. Basic Plot: Characters are together in some place that seems to be safe. Followers...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Kyle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 14, 2012 John rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a solid 3 ½ for me. I am really glad I made the decision to start this series. Reading a couple of them a year has been enjoyable. Jordan’s world is rich and deep and full of awe.

I have been trying to figure out what exactly I enjoy so much about his writing. It does not have the epic battles and encounters that Tolkien has. Nor does it have the tight battle sequences of Salvatore. But what it shares with both are interesting characters interacting with an imaginative world. And indeed...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Richard Bray rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In my review of THE GREAT HUNT, I noted that the second book of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series had improved upon the opening tome in the series, THE EYE OF THE WORLD. In THE DRAGON REBORN, Jordan’s series gets even stronger.

Jordan took a definite risk in this series, as Rand disappears for all but a few pages. In THE GREAT HUNT, Rand spends the majority of the time as our POV character. He shoulders less of the load in the second book, and at the same time, as he learns that he may be the...more In my review of THE GREAT HUNT, I noted that the second book of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series had improved upon the opening tome in the series, THE EYE OF THE WORLD. In THE DRAGON REBORN, Jordan’s series gets even stronger.

Jordan took a definite risk in this series, as Rand disappears for all but a few pages. In THE GREAT HUNT, Rand spends the majority of the time as our POV character. He shoulders less of the load in the second book, and at the same time, as he learns that he may be the Dragon reborn, he becomes a less enjoyable character. When Rand was in Emond’s Field early in the series, he was a reasonably charismatic character. I didn’t consider him a strength for the series, but he was likable enough. Since he learned to channel, however, he’s been so self-obsessed that while his reaction is natural enough, it hasn’t been much fun to see the world through his eyes. For that reason, I was perfectly content to see the story divided into three subplots — those of Nynaeve, Egwene and Elayne; Perrin and Mat.

While Rand’s POV has grown worse as the series has progressed, Mat, who I considered a weakness through the first two books, has become a far more interesting character now that the magic that made him a buzzkill has been flushed from his system. I’m still not certain I necessarily like him as a character, but his portion of the plot was engaging, and since this was the first time we’ve seen Mat without the dagger’s taint, it was like meeting a whole new character.

Of the three subplots, I enjoyed Perrin’s the most, simply because I like Perrin the most of any of the characters so far. His character arc in this book is fairly straightforward, but there’s depth to this character that Jordan hasn’t quite figured out in Rand or Mat. Perrin’s insistence on slowing things down and considering his options before acting, his simple love for his blacksmith’s craft, his disdain for violence, his interactions with Hopper and his utter confusion with womenfolk all combine to give me the feeling that I know and like Perrin. He’s relatable, and perceptive enough to make for an excellent POV character.

Once again, even as Perrin and Mat get more to do, Jordan doesn’t ignore the women, which continues to be a strong point in this series. Egwene’s fierce anger at even the hint that she might be held against her will feels truly earned, and the relationship between the three women feels equally well-done. While the three ta’veren blunder from place to place, these three seem like the only primary characters who understand the game and its stakes, and they’ve become more important than Perrin, Rand or Mat in terms of moving the plot forward. Even when they’re captured, they don’t fit the damsel-in-distress cliche — in some ways, they actually seem more dangerous than they did before they reached Tear.

In all, it’s another strong effort from Jordan. The mass market paperback edition is almost 700 pages, but it’s a quick, enjoyable read, and there isn’t a weak sister among the three plot lines. They’re not perfect — Jordan hasn’t known what to do with Loial since the first book, Thom Merrilin’s habit of showing up about a third of the way through the story then getting sick or injured and disappearing about two-thirds of the way into the book is getting a bit comical, and Jordan is recycling the “Rand believes he’s killed Ba’alzamon but really hasn’t” book ending already — but at this point the plot is moving forward even while setting the stage for the next book or two.(less)

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Jul 19, 2012 Jon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Classic Jordan work. Some of my regular gripes about Jordan are as follows:

All of his characters hate each other. There are a few exceptions but usually only briefly. It bugs me that none of his characters want to work together. And when they do work together they hate it. Its hard to get really attached to characters who are constantly at each others throats. Even Moiraine and Lan are now starting to hate each other more than like being bound. It would be nice to see at least some emotional loy...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It seems I've officially moved into Robert Jordan's world. Unlike Middle Earth, it doesn't have its own name but consists of many individual countries with their own rulers and politics. These countries do have a number of things in common: they all experienced a period called The Breaking of the World centuries earlier which was caused by Men Who Could Channel. In Robert Jordan's alternate universe, channeling, the ability to touch an energy called saidar (for women) and saidin (for men) means...more It seems I've officially moved into Robert Jordan's world. Unlike Middle Earth, it doesn't have its own name but consists of many individual countries with their own rulers and politics. These countries do have a number of things in common: they all experienced a period called The Breaking of the World centuries earlier which was caused by Men Who Could Channel. In Robert Jordan's alternate universe, channeling, the ability to touch an energy called saidar (for women) and saidin (for men) means the ability to transcend the limitations of the material world. Jordan's characters don't call it magic, but the women who can perform this channeling are referred to, often suspiciously, as witches. Men who can channel are driven mad by their abilities, even the one who has come to save the world from the return of the Dark One. In this, the third book of the series, Rand al'Thor has finally come to accept the fact that he is indeed the Dragon Reborn who will stand against the Dark One in a great, final battle. Much of this novel shifts the focus away from Rand and onto his friends,two of whom are also what the book refers to as ta'vern (Jordan likes to put apostrophes in odd places), which the glossary at the back of the book calls "a person around whom The Wheel of Time weaves surrounding life-threads . . . to form a Web of Destiny." As Rand's friends Perrin, who communicates with wolves, and Mat, who will be a great general when that final battle finally rolls around, begin to discover the pieces of his individual destinies, the novice witches (or, as the novel refers to them, Aes Sedai)go off in search of the Black Ajah, the Dark One's minions who intend to make trouble for Rand and to assist in the freeing of the Dark One. At the end of this novel, one of the prophecies of the Dragon is fulfilled when Rand wields the crystal sword Callendor in the Fortress of Tear, battles another of the Forsaken, the Dark One's ultra-powerful shock troops who call themselves the Chosen, and finally allows himself to believe that he is, in fact, the Dragon Reborn, a destiny he had steadfastly resisted during the first two novels.(less)

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Jun 25, 2012 Ward Bond rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

SUMMARY: The Dragon Reborn--the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him--is on the run from his destiny.Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how--for no man has done it in three thousand years--Rand al'Thor knows only that he must face the Dark One. But how?Winter has stopped the war-almost-yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is h...more SUMMARY: The Dragon Reborn--the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him--is on the run from his destiny.Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how--for no man has done it in three thousand years--Rand al'Thor knows only that he must face the Dark One. But how?Winter has stopped the war-almost-yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he?Perrin Aybara is in pursuit with Moiraine Sedai, her Warder Lan, and the Loial the Ogier. Bedeviled by dreams, Perrin is grappling with another deadly problem--how is her to escape the loss of his own humanity.Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are approaching Tar Valon, where Mat will be healed--if he lives until they arrive. But who will tell the Amyrlin their news--that the Black Ajah, long thought only a hideous rumor, is all too real? They cannot know that in Tar Valon far worse awaits...Ahead, for all of them, in the Heart of the Stone, lies the next great test of the Dragon reborn....

SUMMARY:
The Dragon Reborn--the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him--is on the run from his destiny.Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how--for no man has done it in three thousand years--Rand al'Thor knows only that he must face the Dark One. But how?Winter has stopped the war-almost-yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he?Perrin Aybara is in pursuit with Moiraine Sedai, her Warder Lan, and the Loial the Ogier. Bedeviled by dreams, Perrin is grappling with another deadly problem--how is her to escape the loss of his own humanity.Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are approaching Tar Valon, where Mat will be healed--if he lives until they arrive. But who will tell the Amyrlin their news--that the Black Ajah, long thought only a hideous rumor, is all too real? They cannot know that in Tar Valon far worse awaits...Ahead, for all of them, in the Heart of the Stone, lies the next great test of the Dragon reborn....(less)

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Jun 10, 2012 Joe Orozco rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In a few short sentences, the series is an epic fantasy about a young farmer boy, Rand (Dragon Reborn) who is tasked with protecting the world against Ba’alzamon--also known as the Dark Father, Dark One, etc. It seems that this devil is as much a prisoner of a physical confinement as the pattern the wheel weaves to intertwine characters and events. When you think patterns, you might think of them in terms of strands of prophecy similar to what we found in The Sword of Truth. The Dark One stands...more In a few short sentences, the series is an epic fantasy about a young farmer boy, Rand (Dragon Reborn) who is tasked with protecting the world against Ba’alzamon--also known as the Dark Father, Dark One, etc. It seems that this devil is as much a prisoner of a physical confinement as the pattern the wheel weaves to intertwine characters and events. When you think patterns, you might think of them in terms of strands of prophecy similar to what we found in The Sword of Truth. The Dark One stands at the center of thirteen Forsaken whom you might think of as his most lethal lieutenants who have also been kept in captivity through magical seals. Not surprisingly, the seals are weakening. The world is crumbling, and only Rand, with the support of a mismatched band of loyal supporters, can keep the world from falling to the eternal dark that would exist under the rule of the Dark One. Okay, so it was more than a few sentences, but that's what I mean by the story already having grown complex.

Warning: There are spoilers!

In Book 3 of the Wheel of Time Rand is still wrestling with the notion of having been called to be the new Dragon Reborn. This is something of an irony, considering we see very little of the fearless leader. Nevertheless, I thought this had been pretty firmly established by the end of The Great Hunt, but it seems in Book 3 the unbelieving become believers. I read somewhere that the end of Book 3 was supposed to have been the end of The Eye of the World. That would have actually made sense, because even as I write that the unbelieving will become believers, I got the impression that only the people living in Tear had dreams of the last great battle. I won't be surprised if in Book 4 there are still people plotting to kill this false Dragon, which actually brings me to my second complaint.

What happened to the subversive plot by the white cloaks? I thought the idea was to let the Dragon run rampant and then kill him as evidence of the white cloaks' gift to the world, but other than some scattered references to Rand's rampage in his wake, we aren't treated to a full weight of this slow descent into insanity and how this would bode well for the white cloaks to rid the world of this wild menace. In some towns it seems the passing of the Dragon Reborn leads to a haphazard string of weddings, but this is not exactly a threatening prospect.

As far as unfinished plots go, what ever became of the Black Ajah? Two of the sisters are put out of commission, but there are eleven still at large whom are not accounted for in the last battle. I'm all about leaving the reader dangling for more details in what is meant to be a series, but I guess I feel as though each story should be able to stand as its own complete volume with a beginning, middle, and end. A casual reader ought to be able to read the book as a standalone volume and later be able to place it into the context of the whole series.

And how about that last battle? Change some scenes and plot elements around, and it's almost a repeat of The Great Hunt. I hope the rest of the series does not repeat the same theme of threatening dreams that inevitably lead to what could be the last epic battle. In Dragon Reborn Jordan tries valiantly to answer a few questions through Perrin's inquiries of Moiraine, but Moiraine's responses are nothing enlightening to the savvy reader.

Finally, I'm not sure I enjoy the characters magically coming by their ability to squeeze out of tight situations. I can sort of buy Mat's lucky streak through his gambling nature, but when Perrin and Egwene travel through dreams to rescue a companion and gain liberty from capture, I think Jordan is skating on thin ice. Fiction is fiction, but even the creative realm has some boundaries that must be observed if the ensuing challenges are to be plausible, or what passes for plausible in fantasy.

All that having been said, what I did enjoy about the book is Mat's unique point of view. He's becoming my favorite character. Perrin is too slow-witted and to prone to confused outbursts. Rand is still something of a mystery. The female characters are compelling but not fully developed enough to make me feel drawn to one more than the others. Mat has brought a unique strand of color to the series that keeps it balanced.

Tom would be my second favorite character. I thought I would be disappointed with the drunken joker we encounter when we first catch up to him, but it was good to see a different dimension of the gleeman. I would have liked a stronger link between what became of Tom in the second book and how he wound up in Tar Valon in the third. It's this dangling plot strand that makes me worry about my unanswered questions above.

On the whole, it again took a while for the book to gain steam. I found myself sidetracking to two other books before I could fully focus on seeing the book through its finish, but just as before, it was time well worth it. Almost four months passed between my reading the second and third books, and I think I would do well to not let so much time go by lest my minor frustrations become major ones from forgetting basic points in the story.(less)

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Apr 08, 2012 Ryan Lawler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In preparation for A Memory of Light coming out in early 2013, and to fill a notable gap in our review library, I have been rereading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. A lot of time has passed since I first read these books, my teenage self placing them on the highest pedestal, and rereading the first two books really shattered the illusion for me that the Wheel of Time was the benchmark in fantasy; they had not aged well. I began The Dragon Reborn with some trepidation but right from t...more In preparation for A Memory of Light coming out in early 2013, and to fill a notable gap in our review library, I have been rereading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. A lot of time has passed since I first read these books, my teenage self placing them on the highest pedestal, and rereading the first two books really shattered the illusion for me that the Wheel of Time was the benchmark in fantasy; they had not aged well. I began The Dragon Reborn with some trepidation but right from the start there are some significant improvements over its predecessors and by the end of the book I could see again what I loved so much about these books, my faith in Wheel of Time partially restored.

The Dragon has been reborn, so the people claim. He has the banner, he has one power, and he has the armies of Artur Hawkwing fighting at his side. Everything is falling into place but mentally Rand is not yet ready to take the mantle that has been thrust upon him, and so he runs with Perrin, Moiraine, Lan and Loial hot on his heels. Dying from the sickness of Shadar Logoth, Mat is rushed to Tar Valon by Egwene, Elaine and Nynaeve, only something sinister is happening at the White Tower as whispers of the Black Ajah prove to be more than just rumours.

This is the first time we really see Jordan doing what he does best, juggling multiple points of view as his characters start to travel along diverging plot paths. As the characters start branching out you start to really get an appreciation for the sheer magnitude of the story that Jordan wants to tell, and you get that lingering feeling that it may be a long time before some of these characters cross paths again. The story is not as self contained as The Great Hunt, and if you strip back a lot of the character and world building, not a lot actually happens in this book, but what this book does really well is position all the pieces where they need to be for the rest of the series, preparing them with small scenarios where their actions subtlely contribute to the overaching plot.

The big changes in this book that you can see right from the start is that each viewpoint character is starting to get their own clearly defined quest, rather than just playing the support role to Rand's quest. Despite the title of the book, we hardly get a chapter with Rand as the point of view character as Jordan starts to flesh out Mat, Perrin, Egwene and Nynaeve as main characters in their own right. I'm glad that we finally get the real Mat back in this book, his happy go lucky nature was sorely missed in The Great Hunt, and I like seeing how the memories of the past first started to manifest in Mat's psyche. Perrin does the most growing up in this book, and I'm glad to see him leave his whiny personality behind from the first two books to become a likeable, respectable, and formidable hero. Egwene and Elaine are starting to show that they are willing to leave their childish bickering behind, but Nynaeve is real disappointment in this book, reverting back to ignorant and annoying village girl after being the strongest character from the first two books.

All in all, The Dragon Reborn is an excellent addition to the series, and one that finally sees the scope of this adventure become truly epic. By distancing the reader from Rand during this book, Jordan made his initial descent into madness all the more apparent, and I think what Jordan does here makes Rand far more sympathetic when he truly descends into madness in the later books. Having the characters finally start to grow up makes this book a lot more enjoyable for me, and I start to see why I looked back on these books with such fondness.(less)

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Jul 28, 2011 Nathan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011, high-fantasy

Once again I feel this series is just good enough. I finished the book yesterday and I'm already starting to lose it. For some reason the story just doesn't stay with me.

I love Perrin's story. The whole wolf thing is great. That is it's great except that he keeps refusing to accept it. I feel like sentences and concepts were recycled over and over every time it was mentioned.

Mat's story was a lot more fun in this book even if it didn't make sense. For some reason he was suddenly a different ch...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Gerald Givens rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The only qualm I have about this book is its title. "The Dragon Reborn" is Rand al'Thor, yet that character is barely in the book (but in Jordan's defense, most of the plot is driven by his actions). He's only alluded to throughout most of the story, which is a shame as he was one of my favorite characters (and the main character) in the first two books. I'd have like to see him make more of an appearance, especially considering everything he went through at the end of The Great Hunt.

Enough comp...more

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May 06, 2011 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, sci-fi-fantasy, own

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

Third book in the wheel of time fantasy series. The story progresses with all of the characters eventually making a journey to Tear where Rand will take the sword Callandor because he is the Dragon Reborn. The book begins with Rand, Perrin, Morraine, Lan, and others at the camp of the Drgaon Reborn. Rand is still learning to channel the one power and is worried that he will hurt others. He decides to run and go to Tear so he can obtain further proof about whether he is really the Dra...more My summary:

Third book in the wheel of time fantasy series. The story progresses with all of the characters eventually making a journey to Tear where Rand will take the sword Callandor because he is the Dragon Reborn. The book begins with Rand, Perrin, Morraine, Lan, and others at the camp of the Drgaon Reborn. Rand is still learning to channel the one power and is worried that he will hurt others. He decides to run and go to Tear so he can obtain further proof about whether he is really the Dragon (by taking Callandor). Perrin, Morraine, Lan, and Loial follow him through many towns on his way there. On their way they meet Faile, a girl from Illian hunting for the horn of Valere. Perrin is charged with looking after her while she is with them. Meanwhile, Mat is taken to Tar Valon by Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve. They heal him from the evil dagger and he figures out that he has really good luck in all games of chance. Egwene and the other two are told by the Amyrlin seat that they are to search out the Black Aes Sedai. They send Mat to Camelyn to deliver a letter to Elayne's mother, the queen; while there he meets Thom Merrylin again. They continue onto Tear to warn Elayne that her mother's advisor is trying to have her killed. Egwene, Elayne, and Naynaeve all go towards Tear. At one point they are caught and then freed by female Aiel warriors. Once they get to Tear they hire someone to find the Black Aes Sedai, but they are found first and captured. By this time everyone is in Tear, including Rand, who is trying to get to the heavily guarded sword. Rand and Mat both sneak into the fortress, but soon after entering the Aiel attack. During this time, Egwene manages to subdue the Black Aes Sedai through the dream world so they can escape. Mat comes and helps them escape at the same time. By this time Rand has made it to sword room, but is then attacked by one of the forsaken, Be'lal. Morraine comes in and uses balefire to destroy the forsaken but is then knocked unconscious by the Dark One. Rand manages to grab the sword in time and begins fighting the Dark One again. He chases him around for a while but finally "kills" him with the sword. The book ends with Rand being the new king of Tear and the Aiel claiming he is the "one who comes with the dawn" that they had been waiting for. All of the main characters are in Tear, except for Min who is on her way to Tar Valon to give the Amyrlin a message from Morraine.(less)

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Apr 02, 2011 Justin Kemppainen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Robert Jordan's style is beginning wear upon my patience, far too soon really in the series. I will be taking a break for maybe a week or so, catch up on some other reading and whatnot. I won't leave it for too long, as otherwise I'll probably not pick it back up again.

The characters are endearing for the most part, but some of Jordan's themes are repeating themselves to the point of eye-rolling, and his endless piles of description seem to be in dire need of serious pruning. I like the living,...more

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Mar 15, 2011 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: WOT fans

Shelves: fantasy

I love that this book is called "The Dragon Reborn," and yet the Dragon Reborn spends most of the time behind the curtain. We get very few glimpses inside his head—and most of them are creepy, by the way—and he spends all of his time alone.

I think this technique is a cool way of showcasing what the Dragon Reborn means for the world. Everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from, is affected by Rand, either because of his ta'verenness or because of his fame as the Dragon. He changes the...more I love that this book is called "The Dragon Reborn," and yet the Dragon Reborn spends most of the time behind the curtain. We get very few glimpses inside his head—and most of them are creepy, by the way—and he spends all of his time alone.

I think this technique is a cool way of showcasing what the Dragon Reborn means for the world. Everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from, is affected by Rand, either because of his ta'verenness or because of his fame as the Dragon. He changes the world simply by existing, despite his stubborn resolve to not be controlled.

I loved all of the Mat and Perrin time this book gave us. Mat is supremely awesome once he is free of that bloody dagger. We all love a good hero, especially if he's a bit of a rascal. I love that he beats Gawyn and Galad single-handedly after getting off his death bed. Good times. He provides some of the few laugh-out-loud moments we see in WoT. His telling Darlin that he wouldn't like to be skinned alive (or something to that effect) caught me by surprise, and I also enjoyed Thom's advice to Mat to "try not to eat the table." Those two are fun together. Thom is basically a older and "wiser" Mat, though his young mannishness hasn't entirely been stamped out of him. He can still kick butt.

Perrin has always been one of my favorite characters, though he bugged me a little bit more this read-through. So you can talk to wolves—not the end of the world. It's even a bit cool. And who wouldn't want to have superpower vision and strength? Yeah, I'm losing patience with his focus of stubbornness. I did enjoy the blacksmith segments though. Even after all that he goes through, I think that Perrin could be happy returning to being a simple blacksmith. Wealth, status, and adventure don't get to his head quite like they do with Mat and Rand.

Now for the girls. Not women—girls. I have been a fan of Nynaeve and Egwene from the beginning, and Elayne is great in the first few books. But this time, I wanted to smack Nynaeve and Egwene upside the head almost every time their names came on the page. Why can't they just grow up? Especially Egwene—stop being a teenager already. I admire their strength and independence, but they both needed a few more slaps fro Elayne.

While I'm talking about the girls, here's my take on the gender roles Robert Jordan creates throughout the series. I wonder if he had really bad experiences with women. Yes, sometimes it's funny the way he portrays the differences (or similarities) between men and women, but he takes it way too far. It gets extremely annoying after awhile. I get tired of the girls complaining about men's incapability to think with something other than the "hair on their chests." Get over yourselves already. Women are more observant than most men, but sheesh—we're not all that bossy or high and mighty. And men aren't always clueless. Most women in the real world value their opinions and insights, even if they don't agree with them on everything. I don't care how stressed out the girls were, or how smart they thought they were—Mat deserved more of a thanks than what he got when he got them out of the pickle they had landed themselves in. Mat is one of the most reliable characters in the entire series, though he would be the first to argue against that, and those idiotic girls should start seeing him as such. I guess the point of this rant is this: women have too much control in WoT. I wonder if a guy would feel the same way about this that I do.

The short chapters were a nice change. The pacing was actually really good too—everyone got just the right amount of screen time before we started to get bored with them. I got through this book faster than I probably ever have gotten through a WoT book.

On everything else—Perrin finds his soul-mate, Avienda and the other famous Aiel show up, and the Forsaken try to take over the world. Let the thick and irrelevant plotlines begin. Everything comes full circle in this novel, but we probably won't see all of these characters together again until the Last Battle.(less)

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Jan 11, 2011 Chris LaHatte rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: f-sf

I am busy with personal stuff at present to my reading is only light. Someone gave me this, and as I have not read any of the huge series, which apparently is a best selling series, I thought I would check it out. The series is ubiquitous. I suppose if you really like this sort of thing then there is a compulsion to read all of them-10 altogether. I wont bother. I have read this sample, and it is competantly written, with no Thog moments (ask me about this-thanks to Ansible). The characters, lik...more

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Dec 23, 2010 Chariti King Canny rated it 4 of 5 stars · 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. However, t...more

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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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More about Robert Jordan...

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 The Dragon Reborn

“Til shade is gone,
til water is gone
Into the shadow with teeth bared
Screaming defiance with the last breath
To spit in Sightblinder’s eye on the Last Day.” — 120 people liked it

“We rode on the winds of the rising storm,
We ran to the sounds of the thunder.
We danced among the lightning bolts,
and tore the world asunder.” — 86 people liked it

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The Dragon Reborn (Wheel of Time #3)

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