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The Shadow Rising (Wheel of Time #4)

4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 · rating details · 61,248 ratings · 944 reviews

The seals of Shayol Ghul are weak now, and the Dark One reaches out in The Shadow Rising, book four of The Wheel of Time, as The Shadow is rising to cover humankind. In the Stone of Tear, the Lord Dragon considers his next move. It will be something no one expects, not the Black Ajah, not Tairen nobles, not Aes Sedai, not Egwene or Elayne or Nynaeve. Against the Shadow ris...more

Mass Market Paperback, 1006 pages

Published October 15th 1993 by Tor Fantasy (first published 1992)

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Mar 31, 2009 Kat Hooper rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

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 be...more 3.5 stars
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

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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Oct 03, 2011 Jude John rated it 4 of 5 stars

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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Apr 03, 2009 Mary-Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 references to...more 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 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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Dec 29, 2012 Gunner McGrath rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-in-hardcover, own-in-audio, fantasy

This book had some of the coolest stuff in the series so far, and I was sure I would give it a five star rating. Unfortunately its long-windedness really worked against it -- whole chapters where nothing of value happened. I went from reading it for enjoyment to reading it to get it over with and move on to something else for a while. I still enjoyed quite a lot of it, though.

Tel'aran'rhiod is an incredibly cool place and every part of the story that took place there excited me. Perrin's story,...more This book had some of the coolest stuff in the series so far, and I was sure I would give it a five star rating. Unfortunately its long-windedness really worked against it -- whole chapters where nothing of value happened. I went from reading it for enjoyment to reading it to get it over with and move on to something else for a while. I still enjoyed quite a lot of it, though.

Tel'aran'rhiod is an incredibly cool place and every part of the story that took place there excited me. Perrin's story, while it dragged at times, was most satisfying. I was enjoying Mat's very well until he all but disappeared from the latter half of the book.

Oh yes, one other big complaint: Jordan cannot write a building romantic relationship to save his life. (view spoiler) For all his desire to describe every minute detail of this world, every journey, every mention of someone crossing their arms under their breasts or tugging their braid, he spends next to no time at all on developing the relationships between his characters in a realistic way. Much like how Rand is suddenly a good enough swordsman at the beginning of book 2 to battle swordmasters after only a few weeks of implied training.

I had hoped that this would be a series that benefits from being read straight through, since it seems to be written with that in mind (no catch-you-up explanations in the first chapters as many ongoing series do). Unfortunately I was wrong. I will need to read some other things and cleanse my palate before starting up book 5. A full month was just too long to read a single book. I'm sure the excitement of A Memory of Light being released soon will pull me back into it soon enough.(less)

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Jan 14, 2011 rmunk rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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...moreI h...more

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Oct 08, 2009 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wheel-of-time, i-have, 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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Feb 02, 2013 Greg Markwardt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, 2-man-book-club

Just finished this massive book in this massive series and it still does not wow me.

The story is well written and the characters interesting but you find yourself favoring a character group and being bored or uninterested in the rest just waiting for the others to be reintroduced. The story and pacing shines during scenes of action but the novel on the whole is constantly bogged down for long stretches where you just have to force yourself through it.

There is still a lot of intrigue to the stor...more

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Apr 09, 2013 John rated it 3 of 5 stars

A 3.5.

4 down 10 to go? I guess it is good to know that this is the longest book in the series, if only just. I think I would say that this book is my least favorite of the 4 so far, but that is not to say that I did not like it. I really like the Matt and Rand parts of the story, but the Elayne/Nynaeve section felt out of whack to me.

Jordan’s imagination never ceases to amaze me. His places seem so vibrant, rich and real. They draw upon familiar ideas of fantasy, but seem fresh and new to me. Hi...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Jeffrey Grant rated it 4 of 5 stars

Spoilers if you haven't read any other books in the series; the plot builds 100% on stuff from the previous books by now.
A lot of people point to this book as where the series starts to go off the rails and I can see the argument to a point; there is a lot of time spent at Tear where it seems that everyone's just hanging around but I think it's one of the examples of where comparing this series to Tolkien gets you into trouble. A lot of this book and the next book are spent on character develop...more Spoilers if you haven't read any other books in the series; the plot builds 100% on stuff from the previous books by now.
A lot of people point to this book as where the series starts to go off the rails and I can see the argument to a point; there is a lot of time spent at Tear where it seems that everyone's just hanging around but I think it's one of the examples of where comparing this series to Tolkien gets you into trouble. A lot of this book and the next book are spent on character development, something Tolkien never did because every character was an archetype; the Wise Wizard, the Exiled King, the Tragic Warrior. They started as a type and never deviated from that type. I believe Jordan takes until this book to establish these characters, and now he spends a lot of time redefining how they interact with each other; the relationships from the first book can't persist given how different everyone is.
Jordan again splits everyone off into groups, although he introduces a half group because we sometimes dip back to follow Min hanging out at Tar Valon. I will go on record saying that arc is probably bloated; I don't believe there needed to be as much time spent on that story arc as there was, and it probably could have been done as one of the "epilogue/footnote" stories that are always inserted after the main arcs resolve.
The rest, in order from weakest to strongest:
Nyaneve and Elayne get paired with Thom and Julian to chase the Black Ajah. Their basic purpose seems to be just keeping tabs on all of the secondary characters that've been collected, though there is some significant development of Elayne's character both before and during this stretch. Nyaneve also comes into her own here, but her attitude doesn't improve, which again soured things for me.
Rand and Mat got into the Aeil waste with Egwene and Moiraine (and Lan, but he doesn't do anything). This arc is almost pure character development+Aeil introduction until the end and gives you an idea of what everyone will be doing for the rest of the series, as well as being an interesting worldbuilding/history segment (if the world of the story means nothing to you, you can skip Rand's ordeal (it'll make sense when you read it)). I liked this arc mostly because Rand shows signs of full independence and no longer acts like he's oblivious to what everyone's doing. Mat's willful ignorance of what's going on started to pall, however.
Finally you have Perrin and Loial going back to Two Rivers, which is where I had the most fun. This is the only arc that I thought had genuine build-up, conflict, and closure with tolerable characters even though I think Perrin overplayed the reluctant hero card a bit. Unfortunately, being the MVP of this book means they get to sit on the bench for the next one.
As I said, lots of time spent on worldbuilding and character development, with constant action only really happening in the Two Rivers. Still, I liked most of the characters, so this was still a book I was glad to work through. (less)

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Jan 17, 2013 Joy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

This is by far the best WoT book up to this point. The others are diverting, to be sure, but this one has some real depth to it. Jordan's interesting descriptions of Aiel culture, especially Rand and his companions' attempt to navigate their cultural norms, are very engaging. I mean, Jordan definitely draws on an amalgam of "other" tropes that we're all used to from a Western/European history point of view, but at least he does so sympathetically...? We begin to see that the final battle will re...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Jeremy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm not usually big on fantasy or sword-and-sorcery fiction, but this was one of the most engrossing books I have read in some time. Sometimes you read for the escapist value of reading, and this book serves that role very well. There were times when I would get into the book right before I went to bed and stay up much later than I should have because I couldn't put the book down (or really because I didn't want to leave that world just yet). The only parts that I couldn't get into were the part...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Bruno Basta rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I used to enjoy Jordan's setting, even the storyline sometimes, but this one made me want to quit with The Wheel of Time. Why?
1. nothing, but really nothing happens until the last pages of this book (except in that last Tar Valon chapter);
2. the characters are 'übermenschen', the gods who walk on the earth, carved up in their over-epic, unnaturally flaming roles and situations, yet some of them (in the least logical condition) make fails or are having underdeveloped thoughts / streams of conscio...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

After surviving The Stone, Rand and the others only sit still for a short time before a new dimension is added to the story. The world explands as they all have to travel to the barren desert wastelands to the east, where Rand must undergo trials to see if he is the prophesied savior of the desert peoples (Dune, anyone?). This is the book where some of the most interesting facts about Jordan's world are revealed, as Rand is subjected to the trials of Rhuidean and time jumps to witness the histor...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars

This fourth book in the Wheel of Time series explores Rand al'Thor's relationship with his next of kin, a mysterious warrior people called the Aiel who have been searching for the Dragon Reborn in fulfillment of their own prophecies. One of the pleasures of this novel is the intricacy of the world Jordan creates. The Aiel have a history that dates back thousands of years to the period known as The Breaking of the World. Rand discovers the history of this people, who are, by birth but not upbring...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Elli rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Il tempo del cambiamento
Finito anche il quarto romanzo de La Ruota del Tempo. Ce ne sarebbero di cose da dire, così tante che non so da che parte iniziare. Il mondo di Jordan continua a sorprendermi per la sua ricchezza!
Benché sia finora il più lungo dei quattro (sfioriamo le mille pagine), L'ascesa dell'ombra si caratterizza per un minor numero di avvenimenti. In relazione al numero di pagine, in altre parole, accadono senza dubbio meno fatti. Questo perché - escludendo le vicende di Tanchico...more Il tempo del cambiamento
Finito anche il quarto romanzo de La Ruota del Tempo. Ce ne sarebbero di cose da dire, così tante che non so da che parte iniziare. Il mondo di Jordan continua a sorprendermi per la sua ricchezza!
Benché sia finora il più lungo dei quattro (sfioriamo le mille pagine), L'ascesa dell'ombra si caratterizza per un minor numero di avvenimenti. In relazione al numero di pagine, in altre parole, accadono senza dubbio meno fatti. Questo perché - escludendo le vicende di Tanchico - i vari episodi hanno come scopo principale quello di mostrarci il cambiamento definitivo di alcuni dei protagonisti. Passando attraverso delle vere e proprie prove iniziatiche, infatti, essi subiscono una trasformazione più profonda e completa rispetto al passato, e potremmo dire anche irreversibile.
Molti, come sempre, i temi affrontati, fra cui quelli più cari a Jordan: la presenza pervasiva del pregiudizio radicato e, al tempo stesso, la quasi impossibilità - anche se non totale - del suo superamento; la difficoltà nei rapporti con "l'altro", che sia una cultura diversa dalla nostra oppure una persona di sesso opposto; l'incapacità di mettere da parte i nostri sentimenti personali (diffidenza, odio e gelosia in primis), perfino quando c'è in gioco un bene superiore.
In questo capitolo, prendiamo nota, troviamo due delle scene più belle e sorprendenti viste finora. Una davvero geniale sia nella struttura che nei contenuti, l'altra straordinariamente umana e toccante.
Per quanto riguarda lo stile, l'unica cosa che si può rimproverare a Jordan è che forse certe immagini sono usate un pò troppo spesso e molte espressioni sono ripetute parecchie volte (dopo un pò ho smesso di tenere il conto di quanti personaggi "tiravano su col naso" o "si umettavano le labbra"); ma infine sono davvero delle piccolezze su cui si può tranquillamente passare sopra. Ancora una volta mi rimangono delle perplessità circa la traduzione: anche in questo caso abbiamo congiuntivi sbagliati a profusione e in qualche caso delle frasi che sembrano non avere senso. Traduzione scorretta? La sensazione è quella.
Come negli altri volumi, e forse ancora di più, non mancano tutte quelle scene dal sapore onirico a cui ormai il lettore si è abituato: visioni, esperienze all'interno dei ter'angreal, viaggi nel Mondo dei Sogni. E anche stavolta non deludono. Provare per credere.
Piccola nota, infine, sulla maestria di Jordan nello svelare il suo mondo poco alla volta, volume dopo volume, creando un senso crescente di curiosità che verrà poi appagato soltanto al momento giusto. All'inizio della saga ci troviamo un pò nella situazione di un abitante dei Fiumi Gemelli: non conosciamo il vasto mondo al di là del villaggio di Emond's Field, ne abbiamo solo sentito parlare. Conosciamo certi luoghi e certe popolazioni solo attraverso le voci che arrivano laggiù, e poi, poco per volta, andiamo a verificare con mano. Per i primi tre libri, per esempio, senti parlare di un certo luogo e di una certa civiltà, e te li immagini, ti chiedi come possano essere; e poi finalmente, nel quarto libro, sei lì, a guardarti intorno e a verificare se ciò che avevi "sentito dire" corrispondesse a verità. Pochi libri sono riusciti a farmi questo effetto. Tanto di cappello al maestro Jordan.
Certo, è una lettura complessa. Tanto per fare un esempio, solo alla fine del libro ho capito che gli Aiel Jindo erano una setta e non un clan... :P
Se avete voglia di un fantasy leggero, magari pieno di battaglie e azioni mirabolanti, dal ritmo veloce e di facile lettura... allora state lontani da La Ruota del Tempo. In caso contrario accomodatevi, e troverete pane per i vostri denti! (less)

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

SUMMARY:
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 return of the Seanchan armies to the mainland.In the Stone of Tear, the Lord Dragon considers his next move. It will be so...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Christopher Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 very good a...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Justin Kemppainen rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 already dragging...more 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 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 4 of 5 stars

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 protagonist, Rand al'Thor as he continu...more

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May 29, 2011 Michael Miller rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 well....more

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May 06, 2011 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 that she...more 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 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 rated it 4 of 5 stars 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 this book that Lan kisse...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Halden rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 4 of 5 stars

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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Dec 22, 2010 Peter rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 4 of 5 stars

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, start...more

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Jun 28, 2010 James rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 rather the...more 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 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 5 of 5 stars

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 friend of Rand --...more

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Apr 15, 2010 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review stands for the entire Wheel of Time series.

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

Although I have been reading these books for as long as I have been reading Katherine Kerr's Deverry novels, and will be reading them at least until 2012 when the final book is due out, I have enjoyed them so much that I am willing to ignore the length of time it has taken. It must be almost 20 years from first...more

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May 16, 2013 David Bonesteel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Author Robert Jordan's vast cast of characters go their separate ways after their stronghold is invaded by minions of the Forsaken, who appear to be jockeying for position in anticipation of their Dark Lord's return.

This huge novel is essentially three intertwined novels. Rand goes into the Aiel Waste with Mat, Egwene, Moiraine, and Lan on a journey of self-discovery as he begins to confront his awesome responsibility as the Dragon Reborn. Perrin returns to the Two Rivers and finds it plagued by...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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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 Shadow Rising

“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.” — 140 people liked it

“Do not trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.” — 32 people liked it

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The Shadow Rising (Wheel of Time #4)

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