WoT Book 11: Knife of Dreams

[Orius]

So I'm rereading the various cool chapters. Last night I reread Mat's duel against Galad+Gawyn in the white tower. Makes me want to build a quarterstaff master

Same here. I just started up my KoD prep reread. I'm going to blow past a lot of the filler in the first 5 or 6 books, since I know those pretty well. For the first 150 pages I just stuck with the prologue, the intros for Moiraine, Lan, and Thom, Moiraine's tale of Manetheren and some of the other key highlights, and skipped through the more boring Two Rivers intro info. I know what the place is like already.

For the next books, I'll probably skip over the boring parts with the girls and the Aes Sedai plots, except for the more pivotal stuff that needs refreshing. Mat's plotlines will be read in their entirety, because they're a hoot to read.

 

[Orius]

But there are some things Jordan Fans/haters agree upon: The last couple of books shiftes focus from the core characters with a lot of secondary characters/plots going around. That this is a good or bad thing is a personal opinion.

Oh, I totally agree. There's all that stuff with the Aes Sedai/Windfinders/Kin going on that's boring and takes up a lot of space (not to mention the fact that the myriad of characters introduced in these plots makes things more confusing. Just who is this woman again?). There's one or two of these plots I like though, like the group in the White Tower that's hunting down the Black Ajah. Elayne's succession is another drag. This should have been finished up by now, especially since I loathe the character and don't like seeing so much space wasted on her. I can understand that some of the main characters are going to be out of action for a while (like Mat in Book 8), but it's the main characters that people want to read about, not the side characters that are just there for flavor.

 

[Taelorn76]

I know it might be to soon, but has anyone picked it up yet and read some if not the whole thing? Looking for a spoiler free review. You know has the editing/pace improved things like that. Most importantly does it seem like things are wrapping up.

Thanks

 

[KenM]

I saw it for sale at my local Barnes and Noble. I did not pick it up becuse I don't like the books. I am interested in hearing if this is better then the last couple of books and if Jordan wraps up some of the plotlines.

 

[ToddSchumacher]

I just finishedreading it.

A lot of plot goes forward.

Some plot gets finished.

Nyneave is too cool.

certainly best since Lord of Chaos. And though It might be because its fresh...but I think it might be the best book in the serise so far.

 

[frandelgearslip]

Having read it I can say he is wrapping things up, but its very abrupt. I think the delaying action he performed with books 7-10 has irrevocably damaged the series. If he had actually tried to move things forward in those books the series could have been wrapped up perfectly by now. Instead the books will end, but a lot of things won't be resolved or will be resolved in a craptastic way.

The only other thing I would like to say is that I started the series HATING Mat, but now he is one of the few characters left that I can still stand.

 

[Dragonblade]

I picked it up. As much as the story does drag in places, I consider Jordan the best modern fantasy writer outside of Tolkien. Yes, yes, the George R.R. Martin fans consider that sacrilege. But I just couldn't get into Martin. For some reason, the whole Wheel of Time series just resonates with me at some fundamental level.

Perhaps its the whole Joseph Campbell monomyth thing going on, but I love it. More than anything I would like someone with the right vision to make a film series of the books. If I had the money of Bill Gates, I would pay for it all myself.

 

[shaylon]

Uh, I am not trying to be a Jordan hater, I hope that wasn't directed at me and I in no way meant to come off as such.

I do, however, feel like CoT and pretty much everything after Lord of Chaos, is slow reading. It is still semi-enjoyable but in no way does it compare to the first 5-6 books.

I am still a fan, Jordan has made quite a bit of money off of me, and I am proud of that. I stand by the series.

-Shay

 

[JamesL85]

*hijack thread*
Thanks for all the help with the Footfall book. One of my classmates is now living in the Pheonix area and told me about it. Don't know if it actually mentions Dighton, KS, but I'm sure there's a strong hero type by the name of James that is able to save the world.....

OK.....Maybe not.....
*/hijack thread*

I was all set to post a "it's been two days and no one has posted what they thought of it yet?" thread, but Taelorn beat me to the punch.....

Oh well.....At least we have three posters that have read it.....

I'm assuming Todd's was a positive vote....

Frandelgearslip gave it a "50/50," I'm assuming, as did Dragonblade.....

That's better than 500 people saying that it sucked!!!!

Now I just have to bide my time until Saturday when I can pick my copy up.....

James

 

[drothgery]

I'm sufficiently sucked into the series that I still buy hardcovers. But not enough that I'll buy them from somewhere other than Amazon, or get anything other than the free shipping with a $25 order. So my copy should be here tomorrow or Saturday (the postal service's online tracking is awful).