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The Shadow Rising (Wheel of Time #4)

by Robert Jordan

4.08 · rating details · 27,559 ratings · 512 reviews

The seals of Shayol Ghul are weak now, and the Dark One reaches out. The Shadow is rising to cover humankind.

In Tar Valon, Min sees portents of hideous doom. Will the White Tower itself be broken?

In the Two Rivers, the Whitecloaks ride in pursuit of a man with golden eyes, and in pursuit of the Dragon Reborn.

In Cantorin, among the Sea Folk, High Lady Suroth plans the ...more

Hardcover, 699 pages

Published September 15th 1992 by Tor Books (first published 1992)

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Mar 31, 2009

Kat Hooper rated it

· review of another edition

3.5 stars

In The Shadow Rising, things start to slow down. In fact, it often feel like the reading of the story must take longer than it took for the events to actually occur.

Part of the problem is that Mr Jordan tells us nearly everything except when the characters make a bowel movement. Also, he regularly launches into pre-set spiels in which he re-describes something or someone who we've encountered numerous times before or re-explains something we've been told dozens o...more3.5 stars

In The Shadow Rising, things start to slow down. In fact, it often feel like the reading of the story must take longer than it took for the events to actually occur.

Part of the problem is that Mr Jordan tells us nearly everything except when the characters make a bowel movement. Also, he regularly launches into pre-set spiels in which he re-describes something or someone who we've encountered numerous times before or re-explains something we've been told dozens of times (e.g., Loial sounds like a bumblebee, Perrin likes to think things through, wet bowstrings are bad, trollocs eat anything as long as it's meat, Aes Sedai never lie but ....). Every time a Tinker shows up, you may as well skip the next two paragraphs because they invariably describe first the "eye-jarring" wagons and then the even gaudier clothes. The format is nearly the same each time. This is especially noticeable when reading the novels one after the other, of course.

A similar problem is that although Mr Jordan's world is large, diverse, and interesting, there is not much realistic diversity within a culture or group. Every Aes Sedai of the red ajah hates men, all the greens love men, the whites are arrogant without exception, the browns love books and don't notice the ink on their noses. All Domani women are seductive, and people from Tear use fishing metaphors. It gets to the point of ridiculousness when, even though they've nearly been destroyed by enemies, Tinkers are still cringing at the swords of the people protecting them. And the Aiel, who use spears and knives and are the fiercest fighters on the planet look disapprovingly at another culture's choice of weapon (the sword) and transportation (the horse). Oh, come on — get over it.

Another device that's getting annoying is the technique of giving the reader (and other characters) information by having a character say something out loud that they didn't realize they'd said. Or stop in the middle of a sentence that they realize they shouldn't be saying. Or stupidly have an important and potentially damning conversation in front of someone who they just met.

In addition, some of the writing is overdone. We occasionally hear of measureless steps, heartbeats that take centuries, moments that last forever, infinite slowness, bottomless drops, razor edges of something or other.

Okay, that's a lot of complaining, but that's what happens when you read these books contiguously. You start to notice this stuff and it grates on the nerves. But, even so, the slowly advancing plot is still unpredictable and compelling and the characters are mostly enjoyable. The best parts of The Shadow Rising actually focus on the secondary characters of Siuan Sanche and Egeanin. I truly enjoyed their stories and look forward to hearing what happens to them.

So, even with all my gripes, The Shadow Rising is still keeping me entertained.
Read more Robert Jordan book reviews at Fantasy literature. (less)

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Apr 03, 2009

Mary-Ann rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Shadow Rising is the fourth installment of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time Series. As with “The Dragon Reborn” he continues to enrich the depth of the ensemble cast of protagonists. This is achieved through separate perspectives, adventures and challenges, sometimes while the characters are even in geographic proximity. We are also allowed to explore more of the antagonists of the shadow, though not in depth there are limited glimpses into their worlds and perspectives. There are reference...moreThe Shadow Rising is the fourth installment of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time Series. As with “The Dragon Reborn” he continues to enrich the depth of the ensemble cast of protagonists. This is achieved through separate perspectives, adventures and challenges, sometimes while the characters are even in geographic proximity. We are also allowed to explore more of the antagonists of the shadow, though not in depth there are limited glimpses into their worlds and perspectives. There are references to the previous two books, while not integral to the understanding of the plot completely, having recently read the first three novels definitely aided with the ability to ‘guess’ where certain chapters were headed before they explicitly revealed themselves. I find this especially true when it had to do with the Shadow.

I will admit that at times some of the cast of characters can be frustrating, and I have to remind myself that they are still young, impetuous and for the most part sheltered -except for their recent experiences. It is easy to become annoyed with them at times, but in the ends, you forgive it. Much like good friends you are willing to forgive their flaws because you have grown to love them despite their imperfections.

***spoilers***

Once again the cast starts out together , this time at the Stone of Tear, though grappling with different dilemma’s and frustration. Rand continues to question the Aes Sedai motives. We also see Min’s Journey to Tar Valon finally complete (Left off in “The Dragon Reborn”) . And we are introduced more fully to The Forsaken. And learn some insight into their History, who is who. And just how the ‘whole’ that opened up the world to the dark ones prison came into being.

I feel that though Rand is Central to the Series, Perrin Aybara is the evident star of this particular book. The battles, the triumph and the heartache he experiences in the two rivers really touched me. I even cried, yes cried at the end of their storyline in this particular novel. I know that I might be the oddball, but perhaps because I was already in love with the characters, perhaps it was simply the mood I was in but I enjoyed this book the most so far of the series. (less)

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Jan 14, 2011

rmunk rated it

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I have really enjoyed reading "The Wheel of Time" series. The amount of detail Robert Jordan has put into his fantasy world is phenomenal. The characters are well thought out, diverse, and develop gradually as the story progresses. One of my favorite things about the books is the diversity of the peoples that populate Jordan's world. Jordan has taken elements from almost every different (mainstream) religion on the planet. He has elements from Islam, Hinduism, Shinto, Buddhism, Judaism...more

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Oct 08, 2009

David rated it

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Shelves: wheel-of-time, i-own, novel, high-fantasy

Book 4 is something like book 3. There are hints of what's to come (referring to the tedium warning I mentioned in book 1 review). The plot and storyline advance at different paces in the book. The number of characters that are now present as well as the number of plot lines that are going on at the same time is starting to become difficult to juggle, for both the reader and, seemingly, the author. There have been hints of that in book 3 and it's more obvious here - resolutions to critical probl...more

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Aug 02, 2011

Sanchita Dasgupta added it · review of another edition

"The Shadow Rising" by Robert Jordan is quite interesting. This is different from it's prequels because it doesn't have a major twist. Everything goes according to "plan" and no point is the reader shocked. But, what it lacks in the surprise element, it makes up for in minor turns, that keep you interested until the end.

Rand has begun fulfilling prophesies and attempts to unite the Aiel under one banner, along with Mat. The Two Rivers is in danger and Perrin goes to save it f...more

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Jan 23, 2012

Christopher Smith rated it

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I find The Wheel of Time series tiresome, for the most part. The plot and characters vastly improved over the course of the first few books, but there is no relief from Jordan's penchant for over-describing everyone and everything in his fantasy world, down to the last fingernail or grain of dust. I doubt I'll manage to plow my way through the entire series before the next Breaking of the World.

Having said that, I think it's worth commenting on one thing Jordan does really well. He's v...more

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Oct 03, 2011

Jude John rated it

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The last few pages of this book was what catapulted it to one of the best books i have read in recent times..... The ending without a doubt is so compelling that is paints an unforgettable experience in your mind..... Yes an experience as it is described with such clarity that you find yourself tumbling through the rubble as the world crumbles in a haze of stones and the one power...... Once the dust settles you are left with a feeling of profound satisfaction..... to have witnessed such an epic...more

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Aug 18, 2011

Justin Kemppainen rated it

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I did not finish this book, which is something I seldom do. Even with a couple of months of distance from the series, I don't know if I'll ever pick it up again. I might see in a while, but who knows?

I felt like nothing was accomplished in almost 700 pages of text. All of the characters continued to repeat irritating behaviors, and I just felt no longer invested in anything happening to them. The fact that I was less than a quarter finished with the series which felt like it was alread...moreI did not finish this book, which is something I seldom do. Even with a couple of months of distance from the series, I don't know if I'll ever pick it up again. I might see in a while, but who knows?

I felt like nothing was accomplished in almost 700 pages of text. All of the characters continued to repeat irritating behaviors, and I just felt no longer invested in anything happening to them. The fact that I was less than a quarter finished with the series which felt like it was already dragging made me even less inclined to continue.

The series makes me think of Dragon Ball Z. 300 or so episodes, of which I've maybe seen 1/10th. Like many serial fight animes, it tends to have doses of "epic" plotlines broken down by gigantic, vomitous piles of filler. A recent rehash of the DBZ story comes in the "Kai" saga. It's nothing more than a reboot, but they trim down the episode count to 100, eliminating pretty much all of the filler.

I feel like this should have been done here because there's just too many words wasted on things unimportant. Again, I found myself skimming large sections and missing nothing of importance to the greater story or even world development. By this time, much of the world has already been established. Yes, we know the Aiel are desert people. You don't need to re-establish that it's hot where they come from in every other paragraph. Compared to a more recent work, like Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind, it just doesn't have the feeling of much accomplished or even occurring. Yeah, there's this gigantic, world-shattering event, but we're stuck in piles of interpersonal angst.

I think that's what bugged me the most. It continued the same annoying, "Har har women are different from men, so let's bring that up in every chapter," angst-filled, relationship drama bullshit. I get that the characters are young and still new to the journey, but that doesn't mean that every possible romantic thing in the story needs to be the overcliched battle of the sexes. It's boring.

As usual, the writing is not that great. Serious trimming would have been super-appropriate, and good lord does the adverb abuse continue unabated.

As I said, perhaps I'll give it a shot again someday, but I probably will try out other fantasy series first.(less)

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Jul 20, 2011

Gerald Givens rated it

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At over 900 pages, I can honestly say I really can't remember what the beginning of the story was about. Not that this is a discredit to Jordan and his series. Reading "The Wheel of Time" is a lot like watching a TV show with a vague goal in some distant future. You love the show and you keep watching, and just like that, the story continues from book to book, along with character growth and event development.

"The Shadow Rising" follows the progress of our protagoni...more

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May 29, 2011

Michael Miller rated it

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Wow...All I can say is wow. 1000 pages of pure awesome. The beginning of The Shadow Rising is a bit slow, but soon picks up pace. Throughout the entire read I was enthralled. This book finally starts giving us in-depth looks at other characters besides Rand al'Thor. We are able to witness much maturity and growth of Egwene, Perrin, and Nynaeve. Faile plays a much bigger role in this book and the romances that Jordan hinted toward in previous books actually come to fruition - and he does it...more

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May 06, 2011

Ryan rated it

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Shelves: own, fiction, sci-fi-fantasy

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

Fourth book in the wheel of time fantasy series. The story continues with Rand governing Tear because he was able to pull Callandor from the Stone of Tear proving he is the Dragon Reborn. The whole group (except Min) spends a little bit of time in Tear deciding where to go next. Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve try and question the Black Aes Sedai they captured, but get very little information out of them before Tear is attacked and they are killed. Rand meets Lanfear and learns...moreMy summary:

Fourth book in the wheel of time fantasy series. The story continues with Rand governing Tear because he was able to pull Callandor from the Stone of Tear proving he is the Dragon Reborn. The whole group (except Min) spends a little bit of time in Tear deciding where to go next. Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve try and question the Black Aes Sedai they captured, but get very little information out of them before Tear is attacked and they are killed. Rand meets Lanfear and learns that she wants him to join her in her quest for ultimate power. Rumors of whitecloaks in Two Rivers lead Perrin and Faile to journey there to fight them. Upon arriving they find out that Perrin's family is dead and Trollocs keep attacking Two Rivers. The Whitecloaks are there looking for Rand, Perrin, and Mat and they are lead by Dain Bornhald who believes Perrin killed his father. Padan Fain is also there leading Whitecloaks under his new name, Ordeith. Perrin rallies the people of Two Rivers to fight the Trollocs and becomes their leader. After turning back a number of attacks, Perrin believes they will be overrun so he sends Faile away to safety. They get married before she leaves, but then in the middle of the final battle she returns with help from the neighboring villages. Rand, Mat, Morraine, Lan, and Egwene leave Tear and take a Portal Stone to the Aiel Waste. Rand, Mat, and Morraine must visit Rhuidea and Egwene wants to learn how to walk the dreamworld from one of the Aiel Wise Ones. Rand learns the history of the Aiel people (they originally followed the Way of the Leaf) and Mat is almost killed when he walks through another Tangreal that he thinks will answer his questions. Rand comes out of Rhuidea with proof that he is "he who comes with the dawn" and is supposed to unite the Aiel people. He calls all of the tribes together to make his announcement. In the midst of announcing the news, he discovers Lanfear and she tells him that another of the forsaken, Asmodean, is trying to take a powerful Angreal from Rhuidea. Rand opens a gate using the power that allows him to travel across the vast distance back to Ruidea. There he fights with Asmodean for the angreal, finally winning by cutting the strings that tie Asmodean to the Dark One. After defeating him he takes him as a prisoner so he can teach Rand how to use the One Power. During all of this, Elayne and Nynaeve go to Tanchico to look for the Black Aes Sedai. Thom, Domon, and the thief catcher help them discover that they are in the Queen's palace. They sneak in and find the objects the Black Aes Sedai were going to use to control Rand along with a piece of heartstone. Nynaeve has to fight one of the forsaken who can force people to do things against their will. She wins and captures the forsaken, but she escapes while Nynaeve is fighting one of the Black Aes Sedai. Elayne releases the Queen by capturing one of the Black Aes Sedai. Min continues to work "undercover" at Tar Valon, but while she is there the Amyrlin is captured (alone with her First, Leane) and stilled. Min helps them escape with the help of Gawyne (who they find out helped kill the warders who tried to protect the Amyrlin). They leave Tar Valon with Logain, the gentled false dragon. Elaida was behind the coup because she convinces the Aes Sedai loyal to her that they had been deceived and assumes the position of the Amyrlin seat herself.(less)

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Apr 18, 2011

Angie Carter rated it

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Recommends it for: WOT fans

Shelves: fantasy

I remember this book being my favorite in the series after Eye of the World, mainly because of Perrin's adventures. What can I say--I love the small villageness of the Two Rivers, and watching someone return home is something I long to see in all the Emond's Fielders.

This book is so long though that I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to talk about. Did this book really start after the fall of the Stone? Did Elayne and Rand's "courtship" really just start, and was it th...more

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Jan 19, 2011

Halden rated it

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Well book 4 has come and gone and I am still very much impressed by the Wheel of Time series of books. Once you get passed Robert Jordan’s repetitious and sometimes long winded nature you get rewarded with some excellent stories and fascinating characters. As the series progresses many characters begin to take part in isolated story lines some of which are excellent (Perrin Aybara), essential (Rand Al’Thor) and others I could skip over (Elayne, Nyneave and Egwene) but they all form the tapestry ...more

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Dec 23, 2010

Chariti King Canny rated it

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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

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Dec 22, 2010

Peter rated it

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Shelves: fantasy

Jordan wastes some time in the beginning; about 200 pages of it. Absolutely NOTHING happens in the first 200 pages, and only my expectations and experiences from reading the first three helped me to pull through. Jordan also seems to be emphasizing romance a little more, where every woman seems to be beautiful and wearing clinging, defining silk or low-cut dresses. Most of the romance (to me) comes out of the blue, but I found it everywhere here: Rand, Elayne, Min, Perrin, Faile, Aviendha, etc. ...more

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Dec 11, 2010

Ross rated it

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There are a couple of reasons that I have chosen to undertake this immense series that will require days and days of my life in order to consume it. One of the reasons, is the large cast of characters in addition to these characters have very strong archetypal leanings. So when the first three books always climaxed the same way, with all the characters together battling pure evil, it got a little dull, also the author would refer to many mysteries, but never reveal any of them. This novel, st...more

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Jun 28, 2010

James rated it

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If I had any complaint about the second and third books of the Wheel of Time, it was that everything happens to come together in one big unlikely climax. Had, I say, because I take it back. The fourth book is the first in the series to have branching storylines that don't come together in the end - rather than a single, highly coincidental climax, there are three independent ones. And frankly I preferred the last two.

It is not the story of the Shadow Rising that I take issue with, but ...moreIf I had any complaint about the second and third books of the Wheel of Time, it was that everything happens to come together in one big unlikely climax. Had, I say, because I take it back. The fourth book is the first in the series to have branching storylines that don't come together in the end - rather than a single, highly coincidental climax, there are three independent ones. And frankly I preferred the last two.

It is not the story of the Shadow Rising that I take issue with, but rather the structure. The story is actually quite good, including a number of excellent scenes. The story here splits in three (four counting one brief but important sequence), and two of the three branches are quite strong. (The third, on the other hand, is likely the root cause of so many fans hating the various Aes Sedai-in-training in the series.) All three of the original ta'veren have big roles to play here, coming into their own in many ways. If the Dragon Reborn set them on the path of who they would come to be, the Shadow Rising carves that path in stone.

Here we finally see more of the Aiel society, one which has been fairly polarizing among the fans I know. The Aiel certainly have strange ways, and that is kind of the point, but they're not for everyone. This is also the book where we begin to see that, of all the channelers across the land, the Aes Sedai are in many ways the least effective. In truth, this is not so - more a matter of the perspectives we have than actual practice - but it's a subplot that irks me to a degree. On a similar note, here we begin to see that in some ways the younger, inexperienced characters are more capable than those who think they know everything. Surely this is not the case in every storyline, and in fact the conflict is tackled from a number of angles, but that does seem to be the overarching conclusion.

Aside from the Aiel, we also meet a few more of the Forsaken, learn more about the Two Rivers, and see a few old faces, including one ship captain who may have to be ta'veren himself to justify his constant appearances. However, we learn surprisingly little of what's going on in the world at large during the book. Between that and the unconnected and strangely unsatisfying climaxes, I wonder if this is the first book that didn't progress quite as Robert Jordan had originally envisioned. (Though it's certainly long enough.)

The story may be well and good, but as I mentioned above, it's the structure of the book that bothers me. Not the unconnected endings - I can't think of any better way to have handled that. Rather the way the narrative flips between storylines so rapidly, often sticking to a particular plot for only two or three chapters at a time. It is inevitably disappointing when a new point of view character appears just as things are getting interesting, and this happens pretty much constantly. Not that separating out the stories entirely would be preferable (at least one of the later books did just that, and it was awful), but the individual chunks could be a bit bigger.

That said, the Shadow Rising is considered a favorite book among a number of fans, and for good reason. Perrin and Mat are both incredibly strong characters during the book, and one scene in particular that gives us a glimpse at the Age of Legends is on the short list for "best-written scenes in the series." Most of the best parts of the next book are set up here, making the Shadow Rising perhaps a better book in the grand scheme of things than it manages to be on its own.(less)

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May 17, 2010

Stoyan Stoyanov rated it

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Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy, fiction

This is the best of the early volumes of the Wheel of Time. We follow the Dragon Reborn and Mat to a city in the Aiel Waste -- Rhuidean. Rand fulfills a prophesy and becomes the Car-a-carn -- the Chief of Chiefs for the Aiel. Mat encounters the snakelike aelfinn and the foxlike eelfinn -- beings who answer questions and grant wishes. Jordan weaves these wondrous fairy tale elements into the story making it ever more complex.

Yet, this is, above all, Perrin's book. The childhood frien...more

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Apr 15, 2010

Mark rated it

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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

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Jan 18, 2010

Jen rated it

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Shelves: my-own-books, the-best-of-the-best, fantasy, favorites, 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 3 parts: Pimeän Varjo (eng. The Shadow of Dark), Lohikäärme herää (The Dragon arises) and Kultasilmä (Golden eye). 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 r...more

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Oct 22, 2010

Jennifer rated it

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Shelves: first-read-in-adulthood, guilt-free-brain-candy, on-loan

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

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Mar 23, 2009

Emily rated it

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Finally. Finally. FINALLY.

A book of Jordan's series I liked. From Perrin's point of view (which helped me).

This book was starting to become humorous with all the love lines happening. Men were trying to protect the women but being stubborn when the women would not yield to them. The women would try to guide the men, and the men would become extremely stubborn. >quite funny. Yet interesting because I found myself rooting for a lot of them.

Mat, Perrin and R...more

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Sep 06, 2009

Gabby rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Since I've read this series quite a few times, I can definitely point out some books in the future (7-9, somewhere around there) that definitely are boring in some aspects, but I had forgotten a few other things. Book 4 has some really great parts, and, personally, some not-really great parts for me. Namely, the Perrin and Faile storyline.

Yes, they were in previous books, but whole chapters seemed dedicated to them, and I was strongly reminded how much I just do not like Faile. Exce...moreSince I've read this series quite a few times, I can definitely point out some books in the future (7-9, somewhere around there) that definitely are boring in some aspects, but I had forgotten a few other things. Book 4 has some really great parts, and, personally, some not-really great parts for me. Namely, the Perrin and Faile storyline.

Yes, they were in previous books, but whole chapters seemed dedicated to them, and I was strongly reminded how much I just do not like Faile. Except for pushing Perrin into a leadership role (where he was just going to probably gravitate towards anyway, and she does in a very bullying way, I really don't see any other redeeming qualities about her. The way she treats him is horrid, and not until much later (in other books, mind), we find out that that's the way her people sort of are. But still, for a noble-born you'd think she'd be more aware of other people and cultures, but she expect Perrin to read her mind and behave against what he's like. I just really don't like her. And I hate that so much time is devoted to her, when there are other characters I like and want to know about, so much better.

My favorite parts are seeing the Forsaken more involved. It just goes to show how power (magic + standing) does not necessarily make an evil person, even if they HAVE given themselves over to the dark side, per se. They're just as greedy and envious, and frankly, if they COULD get away from the dark side and still get all they want, they would. They just can get more out of being on the side of evil. For now.

And at this point, the main hero has really found himself but is refusing to be pushed where others think he wants to go. He's just trying to do "what he must." Including using those who think are using him.

It will be interesting to see which Forsaken and other darkfriends end up actually helping the hero. There are so many clearcut lines of who's good and who's evil, that there have got to be some twists in there somewhere. I know they are yet to come and not yet in some of the books already out.

All in all, I liked The Shadow Rising, but not my favorite because of the storylines involving characters I just can't seem to like (even if they ARE supposed to be ... heroines).(less)

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Aug 17, 2009

Melina rated it

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Until this book, I really enjoyed this series. But at #4, it starts to take a harried, complicated turn and I started losing interest in the characters because so few of them act realistically at all as far as emotions go. And the attitudes toward female characters finally wore thin. At least in George RR Martin's books, even though the women were treated like crap, raped, beaten, etc, they still maintain dignity, bravery, and are overall very well-developed characters. Almost all of the females...more

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Jan 01, 2012

Ricky Ganci rated it

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It really is as good as everybody says it is, and tSR represents the best part of the story. I’m seeing a very solid Pattern (ha ha) to the books, as each is a complete story, in and of itself. There was definitely more romance in this volume, even a wedding (Perrin and Faile), and a lingering romance between Rand and Elayne (though it never really takes off, and who knows when it will). The last four hundred were much better than the first, and perhaps the reason I liked this one so much was...more

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Jun 01, 2010

Dorian rated it

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Shelves: fantasy

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

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Jan 21, 2009

Carrie rated it

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Dec 22, 2008

Jon rated it

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Shelves: books-i-own

Never finished it. Arguably the worst thing I tried to read. It took me a while but in this book I realized that "ta'veren" is just a cheap disguise for deus ex machina. Jordan does whatever he wants, handwaves while yelling ta'veren, let's you think the world is pulling all the strings.

This was so bad I didn't do any pleasure reading for 18 months afterwards.

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Jul 25, 2011

Mark Jones rated it

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This is another enjoyable book that sees some great action and some very enjoyable plot dumping. You really get the feel that Rand is starting on his path to uniting the people of the world, and as he does so, the world is falling apart, and established institutions are collapsing. The Shadow is indeed rising, and its influence is spreading.

I love the parts with Lord Perrin taking control of the Two Rivers, reluctantly, and all the lovely combat with the Trollocs, and those dastardly ...more

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Feb 21, 2009

MsMiz (Tina) rated it

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This was the best out of the series thus far. Granted it could be because the good guys get a leg up for once. With that said, I found this one to show more of the human side of things. Even the stoic Aei Saidei show some weakness, yet strength in needing. To sum this book up, I would say love and caring are a prominent theme. I can say that I am now officially sucked in and will complete the series without hesitation. I am also intrigued to see how the last book is woven as someone else wil...more

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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

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

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“You have made a place in my heart where I thought there was no room for anything else. You have made flowers grow where I cultivated dust and stones. Remember this, on this journey you insist on making. If you die, I will not survive you long.” — 78 people liked it

“Taking responsibility takes all the joy out of life, and drains a man to dust.” — 4 people liked it

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The Shadow Rising (Wheel of Time #4)

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