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jomeg's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
kluthek's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first book in WoT's infamous "slog" - the part of the series that fans tell new readers to power through to get to the end and the part where many drop the series. Maybe I'm a weirdo, but I enjoy this book and the two following it (also members of the "slog"). There is, I admit, a noticeable slowing of pace here. At the start of the series, books spanned months. At this point, only days are covered. There's a shift from an action-heavy story to a political drama. Even with these changes, I can't wrap my head around people who complain that "nothing happens in these books." Some of the most pivotal moments of the series take place in this book, but they aren't on the battlefield. But hell, there's a solid quarter of the book dedicated to the skirmishes in the hills around Ebou Dar, and they totally rock. We just also happen to see the effects of war on our characters in more depth. You can tell RJ is a veteran himself as he writes about the apparent PTSD of his characters. I'm into it.
sasha_lee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kendalf's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
shakespeareaddict's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
hollipops's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
figumaster3k's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
DESPITE BEING ONE OF THE LESS CONSEQUENTIAL ENTRIES IN THE SERIES, IT ALSO NEVER LETS GO OF CONFRONTATION AND SHARP DEVELOPMENT
Book 8 of The Wheel Of Time series, and we’re now well into the so-called slog. Well, it certainly is starting to feel like a thing now. Well, that is to say, Robert Jordan’s struggles to keep up the pace as a writer were starting to show up on this book, even if to that I have to say, The Path Of Daggers still feels far from a skippable entry in the series.
It’s weird, though. Because this is by far the shortest book in the series so far, and yet it still feels like some of its content could’ve been cut down to about half. And no shaming in admitting that, because this still has a hell of a strong start and finish to it. Only the middle portion feels quite sloggy.
I appreciate Robert Jordan leaving Mat behind in this book, it’s always a clever author move to leave some of your characters behind when you can’t explore everyone in the book. And given how strong his character arc was in A Crown Of Swords, I’m actually not mad of leaving things in a cliff hanger for one book. The one thing I can’t seem to understand is how Robert Jordan is still neglecting Perrin of an actual plot line. Sure, his initial chapters were interesting enough, with some major developments happening that left me highly intrigued for what was to come, but it never really feels conclusive by the end of the book, only a new thread opened still requiring resolution. And yes, sure, I know the next book is all going to be about him and the Shaido conflict, but if that is the case, you could also leave his chapters for the next book and not have him wandering around for the sake of it. Which becomes all the more painful to sink in when you realize that was exactly what was happening to him in the previous book, and we’ve been postponing an actual character arc here for 2 books now.
Egwene also gets a somewhat flawed journey on this one, and possibly my least favorite segment of the book. Look, I’m enjoying Siuan more and more by each book, and I’m now starting to feel way more invested in Sheriam as well, but I’m still struggling to feel as compelled about Romanda and Lelaine’s power struggle as I think Jordan wants here. And unlike the previous book, where Robert Jordan made me way more invested in Darlin and Caraline Damodred as antagonists for the plot by making the main characters directly interact with them, here I’m not really caring about any of Elayne’s Andor political adversaries. Not that I think this plot line is beyond salvation by any means, I still care about what’s going to happen about the Tower, but it just feels like what took nearly a third of the book, and the entire middle portion of it could very easily been summarized to 2 chapters.
One thing still is clear: despite its iffy middle portion, the first and last third of this book still are amazing. The way it all opens up with an amazing wrapping up of Ebou Dar’s plot of the last book, with the consequences slowly but steadily being felt after through the book, also the way Elayne and Aviendha’s relationship is being developed, especially in this book, feels quite engaging!
Then you have Rand’s plot with the Asha’man, which took me one book long to finally start being completely invested in each one individually as a character, and the way it wraps up at the end. Also Rand’s got another amazing character arc on this one, with one of his most infamous moments of all the series happening right here, and a damn tragic conclusion at the end. It’s also a necessary book in the series in order to show how much needed in Rand’s life Min is, and how much he’s now starting to give in to the inevitable madness.
All in all, this is hardly a skippable book in the series, as many like to make it seem. In fact, now very well into the slog, it still feels like the story is moving, and going important places. The thing is, after the events of A Crown Of Swords, while confrontational, while highly engaging for the most part, A Path Of Daggers still feels very less like Wheel Of Time book 8 and more like Wheel Of Time book 7.5. Maybe I’m alone in this, maybe I’m not, but personally, and as I’m starting to anticipate, this is a book that could very well be condensed with at the very least the book that follows (very likely Crossroads Of Twilight as well, as the audience tends to admit). So, if you’re afraid of getting into the slog, I’m afraid to point that it is there, and now starting to feel like a real thing. The good news, though, is that the plot is still moving, things are still happening, and it still doesn’t feel like a skippable entry in the series. Only that by now the plot is starting to move in a noticeable slower pace.
7/10
Book 8 of The Wheel Of Time series, and we’re now well into the so-called slog. Well, it certainly is starting to feel like a thing now. Well, that is to say, Robert Jordan’s struggles to keep up the pace as a writer were starting to show up on this book, even if to that I have to say, The Path Of Daggers still feels far from a skippable entry in the series.
It’s weird, though. Because this is by far the shortest book in the series so far, and yet it still feels like some of its content could’ve been cut down to about half. And no shaming in admitting that, because this still has a hell of a strong start and finish to it. Only the middle portion feels quite sloggy.
I appreciate Robert Jordan leaving Mat behind in this book, it’s always a clever author move to leave some of your characters behind when you can’t explore everyone in the book. And given how strong his character arc was in A Crown Of Swords, I’m actually not mad of leaving things in a cliff hanger for one book. The one thing I can’t seem to understand is how Robert Jordan is still neglecting Perrin of an actual plot line. Sure, his initial chapters were interesting enough, with some major developments happening that left me highly intrigued for what was to come, but it never really feels conclusive by the end of the book, only a new thread opened still requiring resolution. And yes, sure, I know the next book is all going to be about him and the Shaido conflict, but if that is the case, you could also leave his chapters for the next book and not have him wandering around for the sake of it. Which becomes all the more painful to sink in when you realize that was exactly what was happening to him in the previous book, and we’ve been postponing an actual character arc here for 2 books now.
Egwene also gets a somewhat flawed journey on this one, and possibly my least favorite segment of the book. Look, I’m enjoying Siuan more and more by each book, and I’m now starting to feel way more invested in Sheriam as well, but I’m still struggling to feel as compelled about Romanda and Lelaine’s power struggle as I think Jordan wants here. And unlike the previous book, where Robert Jordan made me way more invested in Darlin and Caraline Damodred as antagonists for the plot by making the main characters directly interact with them, here I’m not really caring about any of Elayne’s Andor political adversaries. Not that I think this plot line is beyond salvation by any means, I still care about what’s going to happen about the Tower, but it just feels like what took nearly a third of the book, and the entire middle portion of it could very easily been summarized to 2 chapters.
One thing still is clear: despite its iffy middle portion, the first and last third of this book still are amazing. The way it all opens up with an amazing wrapping up of Ebou Dar’s plot of the last book, with the consequences slowly but steadily being felt after through the book, also the way Elayne and Aviendha’s relationship is being developed, especially in this book, feels quite engaging!
Then you have Rand’s plot with the Asha’man, which took me one book long to finally start being completely invested in each one individually as a character, and the way it wraps up at the end. Also Rand’s got another amazing character arc on this one, with one of his most infamous moments of all the series happening right here, and a damn tragic conclusion at the end. It’s also a necessary book in the series in order to show how much needed in Rand’s life Min is, and how much he’s now starting to give in to the inevitable madness.
All in all, this is hardly a skippable book in the series, as many like to make it seem. In fact, now very well into the slog, it still feels like the story is moving, and going important places. The thing is, after the events of A Crown Of Swords, while confrontational, while highly engaging for the most part, A Path Of Daggers still feels very less like Wheel Of Time book 8 and more like Wheel Of Time book 7.5. Maybe I’m alone in this, maybe I’m not, but personally, and as I’m starting to anticipate, this is a book that could very well be condensed with at the very least the book that follows (very likely Crossroads Of Twilight as well, as the audience tends to admit). So, if you’re afraid of getting into the slog, I’m afraid to point that it is there, and now starting to feel like a real thing. The good news, though, is that the plot is still moving, things are still happening, and it still doesn’t feel like a skippable entry in the series. Only that by now the plot is starting to move in a noticeable slower pace.
7/10