My present favourite. Robert Jordan writes in a genre that's been quite sucked up (not dry yet) but his work is so sweeping that you half forget it is drawing on the likes of LoTR. I've yet to meet someone who's read a whole book and not taken to the series.
Something that struck me as strange and uncharacteristic of fantasy writers is the fact that the later books seemed to cut the slack on physical action. After books 6 and 7 ad the Cleansing, I'm sure he didn't lose steam but he seemed to want to give a silence-before-the-storm effect. He's got a darn clean eye for detail and doesn't like to give in to replying to questions about things he says are obvious to understand.
Another thing that struck me as fascinating is how the number of POVs and characters just keep on increasing and somehow he manages to develop all the characters.....none of them end up cliche either.....though the primary villains are all the usual slick, confident and muahuahua type. May the poor fellow rest in peace and may the fellow writing the last one do justice to A Memory of Light.
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125,013 Literary Works • 672,844 Reviews
I read all twelve of the WoT books. Thinking about them gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling all over!
Okay maybe that's an exaggeration but they were still a lot of fun. I too noticed the slower pace of the last few books, but it didn't bother me too much. I was so wrapped up in finding out what was going to happen next, i would finish one and then immediately pick up the next. When I finished the last, it wasn't long after Jordan had died. Perhaps a week or so.
You all make me ashamed of my outburst.
Anyway, I got as far as The Fires of Heaven.
removed
It was, I thought - until only a few months ago - the best fantasy series ever written. It's vaster in scope than any that came before it (bar one) and, despite the stigma that somehow became attached to it, it is nothing like the Lord of the Rings. There is little to no resemblance. It's simply brilliant and while the character's don't change much - they don't need to. Instead of "transformations" which are all the rage, he explores the characters, going deeper and deeper into them; development is much better than transformation.
He resists the temptation to rush and everything moves together with clinical precision. He's brilliant, not for the standard, main plot but for the intricate variety of sub-plots and side characters and the fashion in which he develops them.
Simply masterful.
I think Matt changes quite a lot over the series. Mostly in subtle ways admittedly but his sense of humour is much darker towards the end and he's much stronger and older feeling.
Nynaevne is awesome. She remains stubborn admittedly but that's her nature and she's forced to concede in some places at least, especially with Lan.
And yeah okay, they could all grow and change more but I love them anyway XD
I liked the first few books in that series, but four through nine or so kind of just.. dragged on. I hope the new writer does justice to the late Robert Jordan, who did write a truly epic series. I might sit down and re-read it all once the series is completed.
Not to rain on anyone's parade... but those books disagree with me. For one thing, most of the characters just don't change. Nynaeve is stubborn, Moraine pulls strings, and Mat chases girls.
The Wheel of Time is an amazing series but I only wish he'd been able to finish it. Rest in peace, Robert Jordan and may your ghost writer have half your talent.