Rating:  -
The Shadow Rising is a continuation of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time fantasy series. This book was great; it continued the interesting stories of Rand and his companions. Things really get moving in this one and the action never stops. A must buy for fans of the series.
Rating:  -
I cant say enough good things about Robert Jordan, he is an amazing writer. Then Wheel of Time series is wonderful. This is the best book yet!
Rating:  -
I loved the first three books. I burned through them. From reading reviews of the later books, it all goes down hill eventually. For me, I thought this book lacked the excitement of the first three. As the post title indicates, I have tried to read it two times now and could not get past around page 200. Maybe I will try again, but, as a reviewer, I have to say that there is a lot of fantasy out there to read and this is too plodding to please the true adventure seeker!
Rating:  -
I've read this book before, in the early 80s. It was written by David Eddings and it was titled, "Pawn of Prophecy." It featured the young farmer of unknown parentage who sees a mysterious shadowy cloaked figure trailing him at times--but it's always gone. It has a blacksmith of virtue and oh-so-practical values who doesn't like to hurt people or be called "Lord." It has a mysterious dark-haired, beautiful sorceress who is very imperious, allows no nonsense, and can often be found brushing her hair before bed. It also has an old storyteller who has more skills and knowledge than others would believe--he's more than he appears. Oh, and there's a connection between the main characters and wolves. Jordan has ripped off most of these elements in this book but FAILS to cite his source, which to me makes this plagarism.
Rating: -
Fans generally agree that the Wheel of Time series peaks somewhere through books 4-6. Certainly, this book is as entertaining as Book 3, and better than books 1 and 2. While the first three books have artificial endings (where all the main characters "coincidentally" end up in the same place for a climactic battle), this book ends with open resolutions to most of the subplots.
To wit: Of the Big 7 original characters, 5 (Rand, Mat, Egwene, Morraine, and Lan) undertake a journey into the desert wastes and the homes of the Aiel. This race of people is finally developed, and we get a feel for their culture and origins (not what you'd expect!). This is Jordan's forte and this culture is possibly his greatest invention of the series. Bad feelings start to brew between Aiel, and there is something strange about the peddlers that tag along with the merry band, but there is little action outside the nifty flashback sequences of Rand's trip into Rhuidean (the best part of the book), until the last few chapters. That's okay because (aside from the introduction of YET ANOTHER surly, obsessive female companion for the group) the development of the cultural and historical basis of the Aiel is neat stuff.
That leaves Perrin and Nynaeve, who each go off on their own adventures. Perrin's blood feud with the inquisitory Whitecloaks reaches a new level as the latter occupy our heroes' hometown. Trollocs also start to arrive, and Perrin soon finds himself the leader of his besieged kinsmen. His girlfriend Faile (Book 3's most irritating addition) reaches new levels of inanity in the first half of the book before settling down into a reasonable and even likeable character. Finally Nynaeve and Elaine continue the hunt for the remaining Black Ajah, which leads them to a city under siege from numerous forces - the Seanchan (the cross-channel invaders of Book 2), more Whitecloaks, and at least one of the Forsaken, in addition to the Black Ajah. This plot line is left gapingly wide open, but that's okay because it is a series, after all.
In general, the book is highly readable, exciting, and contains lots of new information and neat ideas that flesh out Jordan's world. Sure there are the usual Jordan irritants - Faile and Aviendha's behaviour most obviously, but more distressing is his treatment of Lan, the Warder. He has gone from the formidable sword-swinging prince/warrior to a simpering child, pouting over Morraine's treatment of him and mooning over the bullying and annoying Nynaeve. But most of these problems work themselves out by page 500, leaving the last half of the book as the best reading of the series, so far.
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