Originally Posted by LordSlaytan
YES!!! Thank you.
I need to chime in here....
Jordan's
Wheel of Time books are not something to jump right into unless you know what you're getting into. It is an extensive series of books to be sure. I have read eight of these novels and then I quit reading the series. The first six books were very good, at some points reaching amazing. My problem is with Jordan, and his decision to try and drag this series on for as long as he can. Way back in the day, Mr. Jordan had speculated that his series would be six books long, then it became eight, then ten, etc. etc. As of this writing book ten is out and the series hasn't wrapped up yet.
Starting with book seven, the man's writing style started to change. All of a sudden we were treated to five page long descriptions of a character's clothing. Dozen's of new and uninteresting characters are introduced, while characters you had come to know and care for were set aside, sometimes not appearing at
all in an entire book (Mat Cauthon comes to mind with book seven). Jordan had killed off a few characters by this point but he decided none of his characters should die and brought them ALL back.
So, What had started out as a story about a would-be hero and some friends embarking on a fabulous quest turns into a story about dozens of uberpowerful Aes Sedai (magic users) and Forsaken (evil wizards) battling and killing each other only to have them all return to do it again and again and again...
..
yawn ....OH! I'm sorry I must have nodded off for a second there. Anyway, that said I would still recommend at least reading
Eye of the World, the first book, as it is just one of the best fantasy books I have read. I think all the books up to book six, which btw contains one of the coolest scenes/chapters (The Dumais Wells) I have ever read in any book. Still, I hold Geroge R.R Martin's
The Song of Ice and Fire series above basically anything fantasy, including
LotR! I have mentioned this fact to others when recommending the books, and was invariably met with taunts and japes about my taste in fantasy, until they read the books that is. Martin's stuff is just stellar, and I feel he has blown everything fantasy out of the water, setting a new standard.
So check out Martin! He has three books in the series so far with another due out in July. I can't recommend the series enough.
_S