33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
They just keep getting better and better!, March 4, 2001
Wow. Action, adventure, romance, mystery, humor - this book (and the entire series) has it all. I can't even begin to describe it. I love these books so much, when I'm not reading one I go through a sort of depression, in which the world around me seems drab and dull...until I pick up the next Wheel of Time book. Jordan describes everything so well, making the land rich in detail AND history/lore. You can picture the great White Tower of Tar Valon, and this image also brings to mind the history and current affairs of the Tower...it's just amazing. I've heard that Robert Jordan made ten pages of notes for each country in the Wheel of Time...and it shows! All the history is very consistent, and believable. But, don't get the idea that it bogs the books down - it's just the opposite. It makes the land much more believable and enjoyable.
You really care about the characters. Each one treats the situations he/she gets in differently - Jordan doesn't go by stereotypes, he actually creates "real" people, that are very easy to believe in and identify with. There is a large cast of characters, and each one basically has different adventures that appeal to different people. This makes the books rather complex - the Shadow Rising is the first book where all the seperate threads didn't come together at the end. But this just makes the books more interesting. For example: Some people thought Rand's adventures in the Aiel waste were the best scenes in the book. I didn't like them at all, and would have found them pretty boring if Moiraine hadn't been there. (Moiraine's my favorite character.) Instead, I was hooked on Elayne and Nynaeve's quest in Tanchico.
There are three main plotlines in this book, with a fourth (Min and the White Tower) popping up occasionally...which was funny, because I thought that was more important to the series as a whole then, oh say, Perrin's adventures in Emond's Field: population 10. But there were several good battles with Perrin and Faile - the last one brought tears to my eyes, and the note he left her was sooo sweet! All four are all resolved (somewhat) at the end, but like I said before - they aren't connected.
Once again, there were several humorous scenes in this book. Incredibly, I heard some people complaining about them, saying that they're "immature" and a "waste of time." I, personally, am very glad that Jordan puts them in, because they certainly help you care about the characters more. Remember that this is a STORY, not a TEXTBOOK. If Jordan suddenly made every character not make ANY mistakes, and ALWAYS say just the right thing, then the series would get drab and dull, fast.
The Wheel of Time books are the best that I've ever read. But if you haven't read the first three, then by all means do so now, because they MUST be read in the right order to get the best enjoyment out of them. And if you choose not to read them at all? It's a pity, because you're missing out on the best fantasy series (no, the best series, period) ever created.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
epic, July 24, 2000
I read this book twice a couple years ago. I loved it; it's my second-favorite of the series (after Lord of Chaos). This is a VITAL book in the series, it answers many questions about Rand's background and the Forsaken. In fact, for the first time in this series, a book manages to tie up more loose ends than it leaves!
There are a couple parallel threads in this novel (Rand/the Aiel, Nynaeve/Egwene, and Perrin/Faile). All threads are independently resolved nicely at the end with no major cliffhangers, although the protagonists remain in different parts of the world throughout the book and at the end. The Rand/Asmodean and Nynaeve/Moghedien conflicts in particular were very well written, with outstanding portrayal of these characters' distinct personalities coming alive in their struggles.
The Two Rivers part with Perrin/Faile vs. the Whitecloaks was in my opinion weak compared to the adventures elsewhere. However, this narrative takes up so much of the book that it's impossible to ignore, and interesting questions are brought up (i.e. Who is Slayer? What is the significance of the Manetheren heritage in the Emond's Fielders?).
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26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oh, yeah!, September 5, 1999
By A Customer
I am a 14-year old girl with no patience and hardly any attention span at all (you know how we teenage girls are!) and I have to say, this series has had me HOOKED from Book One. Rand, after getting proof of just exactly who he is, continues his fight against the Shadow, while all around his world chaos multiplies. Robert Jordan has done a wonderful job of mixing action and adventure with romance in very intricate detail. You skip so much as one page, you miss something important. Every page is essential. The only thing I'm not sure of is how Perrin "Goldeneyes" Aybara fits in...I guess the Pattern has yet to make his purpose clear. This series is greater than epic: the word hasn't been invented that can describe this series, and (so far: they've been getting better and better!) THE SHADOW RISING is the pinnacle of it all...I hope that Book Five continues this trend. This is a must-read for everyone at some point. You've got to get this series.
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