Posted: 1/17/2013 7:12:59 AM EDT
| Is the series worth a read? |
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Yes, but its enormous. If you have the attention span of a goldfish, move along.
He created an entire, detailed world, full of intrigue and scandal. It gets monotonous at points, but politics can be monotonous. I still find gems after rereads, and I've been reading them for 15 years. I allowed the series to end for me at Robert Jordan's last novel. I haven't read a single Sanderson novel. It feels wrong. |
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Yes, but its enormous. If you have the attention span of a goldfish, move along. He created an entire, detailed world, full of intrigue and scandal. It gets monotonous at points, but politics can be monotonous. I still find gems after rereads, and I've been reading them for 15 years. I allowed the series to end for me at Robert Jordan's last novel. I haven't read a single Sanderson novel. It feels wrong. Sanderson is a great writer. You should check out some of his books. Eagerly awaiting the release of the final WOT book. |
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Yes, but its enormous. If you have the attention span of a goldfish, move along. He created an entire, detailed world, full of intrigue and scandal. It gets monotonous at points, but politics can be monotonous. I still find gems after rereads, and I've been reading them for 15 years. I allowed the series to end for me at Robert Jordan's last novel. I haven't read a single Sanderson novel. It feels wrong. Sanderson is a great writer. You should check out some of his books. Eagerly awaiting the release of the final WOT book. I have no problem reading Sanderson's work. He's a gifted author. But the WoT is not Sanderson's work. |
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The early books are better, but they are a good read. Yeah, the first two or three are way better. The author had serious issues with women and it showed because half of some of his books were centered on nothing more than women manipulating, deceiving, backbiting, scheming, etc. 
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The early books are better, but they are a good read. Yeah, the first two or three are way better. The author had serious issues with women and it showed because half of some of his books were centered on nothing more than women manipulating, deceiving, backbiting, scheming, etc. I found the series well worth my $. I didn't like the first two of the Sanderson fill-in's but # 3 (A Memory of Light) was a decent end to the series. It wasn't RJ - nothing ever could be - but it was a good job. I'll just add, Shane, I don't agree with your assessment. I don't think RJ hated women. I think he accurately described a world where women have the upper hand. YMMV. 
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The early books are better, but they are a good read. Yeah, the first two or three are way better. The author had serious issues with women and it showed because half of some of his books were centered on nothing more than women manipulating, deceiving, backbiting, scheming, etc. I found the series well worth my $. I didn't like the first two of the Sanderson fill-in's but # 3 (A Memory of Light) was a decent end to the series. It wasn't RJ - nothing ever could be - but it was a good job. I'll just add, Shane, I don't agree with your assessment. I don't think RJ hated women. I think he accurately described a world where women have the upper hand. YMMV.
If literally half of a book being devoted to little more than women scheming, manipulating, and backbiting works for you then more power to you. It became evident to me that after the 3rd book, Jordan was just milking the series for what he could get out of it rather than tell a good story. I got through Winter's Heart before the trudging pace and constant theme of female scheming just became too much and I lost interest. Because I enjoyed the first few books I stuck with it as long as I could, wanting to enjoy the series and hoping it would get good again. Maybe it was wrapped up well by Sanderson, but I more or less gave up hope on RJ. |
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If literally half of a book being devoted to little more than women scheming, manipulating, and backbiting works for you then more power to you. It became evident to me that after the 3rd book, Jordan was just milking the series for what he could get out of it rather than tell a good story. I got through Winter's Heart before the trudging pace and constant theme of female scheming just became too much and I lost interest. Because I enjoyed the first few books I stuck with it as long as I could, wanting to enjoy the series and hoping it would get good again. Maybe it was wrapped up well by Sanderson, but I more or less gave up hope on RJ. Well. I see we are just *not* going to agree on this. That's ok. You're so wrong, about the WoT series, you couldn't be more wrong if your address was Wrong Street West Wrong Street South, Wrongville, WR USA.
Bela, the Creator (most amazing horse in the world) will be along to show you just how much in error your personal perceptions are. 
If that's all you go from the series, not the amazing dedication of Lan, not the constantcy of Perrin, not Mat's irrepressible nature, or those of the minor characters like Rhuarc or Uno, well, I can't convince you that *YOUR* experience was invalid. (Even if your IP address is WRong.WRong.WRong.WRong.) 
Fine. You pick a fantasy series of 14 books, that's run for 24 years, and had as much impact on our culture. I'll wait. . .. ... .... ..... The Pattern is fraying. Rand is whining about "why me?". Egwene is tugging her braid. The Wise ones are sniffing, and Bridgette just called, asking me to help her with her archery (or was that with her targeting?). I found much to enjoy in RandLand, and shall revisit it, often. May you always find water & shade! |
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If literally half of a book being devoted to little more than women scheming, manipulating, and backbiting works for you then more power to you. It became evident to me that after the 3rd book, Jordan was just milking the series for what he could get out of it rather than tell a good story. I got through Winter's Heart before the trudging pace and constant theme of female scheming just became too much and I lost interest. Because I enjoyed the first few books I stuck with it as long as I could, wanting to enjoy the series and hoping it would get good again. Maybe it was wrapped up well by Sanderson, but I more or less gave up hope on RJ. Well. I see we are just *not* going to agree on this. That's ok. You're so wrong, about the WoT series, you couldn't be more wrong if your address was Wrong Street West Wrong Street South, Wrongville, WR USA.
Bela, the Creator (most amazing horse in the world) will be along to show you just how much in error your personal perceptions are.
If that's all you go from the series, not the amazing dedication of Lan, not the constantcy of Perrin, not Mat's irrepressible nature, or those of the minor characters like Rhuarc or Uno, well, I can't convince you that *YOUR* experience was invalid. (Even if your IP address is WRong.WRong.WRong.WRong.)
Fine. You pick a fantasy series of 14 books, that's run for 24 years, and had as much impact on our culture. I'll wait. . .. ... .... ..... The Pattern is fraying. Rand is whining about "why me?". Egwene is tugging her braid. The Wise ones are sniffing, and Bridgette just called, asking me to help her with her archery (or was that with her targeting?). I found much to enjoy in RandLand, and shall revisit it, often. May you always find water & shade! I can do better than that. The Hobbit. One single book selling over 150 million copies. Tie in The Lord of the Rings books released almost 20 years later, and you have 5 books that dwarf the Wheel of Time series in cultural impact. The Hobbit alone dwarfs the Wheel of Time series. |
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I say it's worth it, even with Jordan's death mid-series. He left extensive notes behind, and Sanderson has promised not to even attempt to write in Jordan's style, wisely. I read the series in high school, and I loved it. The women bashing I didn't really pick up on at first, and I didn't find it to be a hindrance when reading. You can say that Jordan had animosity towards women, but as someone said earlier, I think it's just women in a world where they are far more powerful than men. They're probably just acting the same as men would in a gender struggle.
All in all, though, excellent series. Very imaginative, and every book has its own flavor, if you could say such. The characters definitely develop over time, and it's a pleasure to read. |
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Naw, not heated. See All the Smileys?!
It's worth it. You can get most of them used, and then use the Hardbacks for doorstops. RJ never used 1 word where 12 would suffice.
Healthy discourse is good for the blood. Keeps the lead from settling in the bottom, or the foot. 
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Naw, not heated. See All the Smileys?! It's worth it. You can get most of them used, and then use the Hardbacks for doorstops. RJ never used 1 word where 12 would suffice.
Healthy discourse is good for the blood. Keeps the lead from settling in the bottom, or the foot.
I haven't bought a physical book in a while. Dance with Dragons was probably the last. I haven't even used my kindle since I got an iPhone. I was thinking the other day about getting a new watch, then I realized I don't really need a watch anymore either. |
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I know you can get the first 13 books from Dragonmont, and I'm pretty sure they're available at Amazon.
The last book has not been released in ebook format. It is scheduled to be released in April. There are a lot of 1 star ratings on Amazon, protesting this decision. I don't agree with them, but I can feel their pain. Reading on my phone/kindle/nook is much easier than carrying 900 pages from the couch to the chair to the.... So, you have 3.5 months to get caught up! Get with it.
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I read most of them. They're HUGE books, and while they start off pretty simply - company of 12 people, including a young boy who's actually the prophesied messiah but doesn't know it, go on a quest, they grow exponentially in complexity. By book 7 or so you were getting 900 page books with hundreds of characters and a dozen plots happening in 12 different locations. If you were reading them as they came out (2-3 years between books) it was REALLY hard to remember who all the minor characters were and keep track of what was going on. |
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I read most of them. They're HUGE books, and while they start off pretty simply - company of 12 people, including a young boy who's actually the prophesied messiah but doesn't know it, go on a quest, they grow exponentially in complexity. By book 7 or so you were getting 900 page books with hundreds of characters and a dozen plots happening in 12 different locations. If you were reading them as they came out (2-3 years between books) it was REALLY hard to remember who all the minor characters were and keep track of what was going on. Yes, the author kept expanding the number of primary characters to the point that an encyclopedia was needed just to keep track of who and what was going on. RJ didn't know how to tie up loose ends. For those who think I'm anti-Wheel of Time, you're actually incorrect. I fell in love with the first few books. I just ended up with the strong impression that Jordan lost focus with the story and instead focussed on money making once he realized that his series had a strong following. So he began padding each book with unnecessary female manipulation, exponentially increased the number of primary characters (each with his\her own significant storyline) and exponentially increased the number of loose ends from one book to the next. So what I'm expressing is my frustration with squandered potential with the series. |
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Actually, I think you're incorrect about the female manipulation aspect. You might see it as casting women in a negative light, but you're missing something huge. Jordan was married. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that he asked Harriet what she thought would happen if women were the most powerful people in the world, with no checks.
Recall, Aes Sedai were not portrayed before the breaking a the same as after. They weren't power hungry tyrants as portrayed after the Breaking. What was different? Balance. There were no male Aes Sedai after the Breaking. Jordan picked male Aes Sedai to go mad, but if it had been the women that went mad, the male Aes Sedai would have ended up EXACTLY the same. Because there was no balance to be had. The stories are all about balance. |
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Actually, I think you're incorrect about the female manipulation aspect. You might see it as casting women in a negative light, but you're missing something huge. Jordan was married. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that he asked Harriet what she thought would happen if women were the most powerful people in the world, with no checks. Recall, Aes Sedai were not portrayed before the breaking a the same as after. They weren't power hungry tyrants as portrayed after the Breaking. What was different? Balance. There were no male Aes Sedai after the Breaking. Jordan picked male Aes Sedai to go mad, but if it had been the women that went mad, the male Aes Sedai would have ended up EXACTLY the same. Because there was no balance to be had. The stories are all about balance. Ahhhhhh...thank you. I can see what you mean now. I just wish Jordan could have been a touch more brief/concise in his portrayal. |
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Actually, I think you're incorrect about the female manipulation aspect. You might see it as casting women in a negative light, but you're missing something huge. Jordan was married. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that he asked Harriet what she thought would happen if women were the most powerful people in the world, with no checks. Recall, Aes Sedai were not portrayed before the breaking a the same as after. They weren't power hungry tyrants as portrayed after the Breaking. What was different? Balance. There were no male Aes Sedai after the Breaking. Jordan picked male Aes Sedai to go mad, but if it had been the women that went mad, the male Aes Sedai would have ended up EXACTLY the same. Because there was no balance to be had. The stories are all about balance. Ahhhhhh...thank you. I can see what you mean now. I just wish Jordan could have been a touch more brief/concise in his portrayal. Don't get me wrong. He was definitely long winded, and I've been known to skip a few chapters myself. Some of the characters could have been cut altogether. BUT! I think he had a vision of not just a story, but a WORLD. That was kind of his problem, but on the other hand, would the novels have done so well WITHOUT the scope he brought to the stories? Everyone has their favorite characters. That's because he created many central characters, and its difficult not to see yourself reflected in at least one of them. It was genius. I'd be willing to bet that the chapters I skipped weren't the ones you did. |
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Don't get me wrong. He was definitely long winded, and I've been known to skip a few chapters myself. Some of the characters could have been cut altogether. BUT! I think he had a vision of not just a story, but a WORLD. That was kind of his problem, but on the other hand, would the novels have done so well WITHOUT the scope he brought to the stories? Everyone has their favorite characters. That's because he created many central characters, and its difficult not to see yourself reflected in at least one of them. It was genius. I'd be willing to bet that the chapters I skipped weren't the ones you did. I hate to sound mysogynistic, but there were times when I wished that Rand would simply take the Aes Sedai leadership over his knee and publicly spank the daylights out of them in the main square of one of the bigger cities. Perrin had potential, but I grew tired of his whining. Even though he is very unlike myself, I grew to have a lot of respect for Matt but when I stopped reading I feared that he too would be "reigned in" by a manipulating woman. Her husband would probably kill him for it, but I wished for Matt to take Nynaeve over his knee and publicly spank the daylights out of her, too. That woman needs some serious humbling.
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| Shane, I also think that the books couldn't have been jammed into fewer novels. I think the world that the WoT portrayed has existed for many years, inside RJs head. I think that the stories existed as well, and he simply tried to tell as many as he could. Hell, what did he stand to gain by creating a massive ending novel after his death? Even Sanderson couldn't fit that beast into one novel. |
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Don't get me wrong. He was definitely long winded, and I've been known to skip a few chapters myself. Some of the characters could have been cut altogether. BUT! I think he had a vision of not just a story, but a WORLD. That was kind of his problem, but on the other hand, would the novels have done so well WITHOUT the scope he brought to the stories? Everyone has their favorite characters. That's because he created many central characters, and its difficult not to see yourself reflected in at least one of them. It was genius. I'd be willing to bet that the chapters I skipped weren't the ones you did. I hate to sound mysogynistic, but there were times when I wished that Rand would simply take the Aes Sedai leadership over his knee and publicly spank the daylights out of them in the main square of one of the bigger cities. Perrin had potential, but I grew tired of his whining. Even though he is very unlike myself, I grew to have a lot of respect for Matt but when I stopped reading I feared that he too would be "reigned in" by a manipulating woman. Her husband would probably kill him for it, but I wished for Matt to take Nynaeve over his knee and publicly spank the daylights out of her, too. That woman needs some serious humbling.No doubt. HOWEVER, towards the end of the novels, the schools of thought were reaching balance again. The male and female Aes Sedai were beginning to respect each others strengths. There were also two schools of Aes Sedai. The old school thought, "We're the most bad ass motherfuckers on Earth. Rulers only exist because we can't be bothered with trivialities." And the new school, "We're the most bad ass motherfuckers on Earth. Rulers exist because we're busy keeping the world safe." The difference is small, but significant. It changes the dynamic of the world. |
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OP, if you have the patience for working through this many books and how long some of them are, it's a good read. I followed the entire series as they came out and have enjoyed most of them. I do think the author got greedy and wanted to expand this way longer than it needed to be. I consider them to be the PG version of Game of Thrones.
With regards to Sanderson's completing the series, I think he did a good job of making the central characters grow and evolve. The last book has some epic triumphs and some very sad outcomes for characters I have cared about for years. Unfortunately it kinda wraps up too quickly and has a bit of a Hollywood ending. Over all though, compared to most of the crap being produced lately, these are worth the investment. |
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I LOVED WOT. Its one of the greatest series I've ever read. The sheer volume of material is both amazing and overwhelming. Pace yourself. I started reading the series a few years ago and finally finished it a few days after the final book came out. My wife decided to give it a read last year and got sucked in and was basically sitting around with her head in a book for MONTHS reading. She loved it as well. Its just a great story. There are certainly parts that are ridiculously frustrating and some that drag on but its well worth the effort in my opinion.
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