diazona's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The continuing adventures of Rand, Mat, Perrin, and friends (or, "friends") start to get rather complicated in this book. It's the part of the fantasy epic where the party splits up and there are multiple storylines to follow; I think at one point it switches among six different point-of-view characters, each in a different part of the world. So it's certainly not the easiest story to follow.
But I think it's worth the effort, especially for a reader who likes richly detailed worldbuilding (as I do). For all the complexity, the different storylines do all tie in to the overall plot of the series, and it's not at all hard to get swept up in the grandeur of the quest that the protagonists are on. Plus, the different plot lines do all reference the common mythology, and they converge back together by the climax of the book. As long as you have some patience, it doesn't feel like you're being led off on irrelevant tangents.
Maybe I like this book more than I "should". But what can I say, it's exactly the sort of thing that appeals to me: a richly detailed and self-consistent world (within reason, it is fantasy after all) and a compelling plot. Ultimately what matters is that I'm happy to have read it and I'm excited to get cracking on the next book!
But I think it's worth the effort, especially for a reader who likes richly detailed worldbuilding (as I do). For all the complexity, the different storylines do all tie in to the overall plot of the series, and it's not at all hard to get swept up in the grandeur of the quest that the protagonists are on. Plus, the different plot lines do all reference the common mythology, and they converge back together by the climax of the book. As long as you have some patience, it doesn't feel like you're being led off on irrelevant tangents.
Maybe I like this book more than I "should". But what can I say, it's exactly the sort of thing that appeals to me: a richly detailed and self-consistent world (within reason, it is fantasy after all) and a compelling plot. Ultimately what matters is that I'm happy to have read it and I'm excited to get cracking on the next book!
Content Warnings
Minor: Slavery, Religious bigotry, Death, Injury/injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Sexism, and Physical abuse
changelingreader_adrian's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
leighskarz90's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Slavery, Vomit, Injury/injury detail, Murder, and Confinement
pagesonfire's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, Colonisation, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror and Torture
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
shlowee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Rand al'Thor!!!! Most favorite Average Guy of all time ❤️❤️❤️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Gore, and Violence
Minor: War and Vomit
iono's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
bluejay21's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Slavery, and Death
Moderate: Injury/injury detail, Religious bigotry, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, and Physical abuse
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
megants's review
adventurous
tense
medium-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
amiegold's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
I enjoyed this second book in the Wheel of Time series very much! The first book almost seemed to be a journey, something that took effort, though it was worth the effort, to invest in and complete. In contrast, I just inhaled this book. After the first 50 pages or so, I couldn't wait to get back and learn more about each individual character and plot development. So good. I would both recommend and relisten or read in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Violence
surdiablo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
5.0
I..
Flicker.
loved..
Flicker.
this..
Flicker.
book.
I was completely hooked from the beginning to the very end.(might be a slow start for some but I loved the anticipation).Turn of events in this book were much more intriguing than in the first. World building is amazing as usual, immersion is top-notch and the last couple of chapters brought me consistent goosebumps, especially the one named 'What Might Be'. Characters are still pretty much the same being obstinate or suspicious about everyone however, so if you were expecting them to change compared to how they were in the first, it won't happen, especially since the events take place soon after the first book. I didn't feel much drag except for a little in the middle where Rand gets (view spoiler) but we don't talk about that :D I just loved those final chapters so much that I don't care about any issues it had, but I have no doubt that this one improves upon the first book nonetheless.
Flicker.
loved..
Flicker.
this..
Flicker.
book.
I was completely hooked from the beginning to the very end.(might be a slow start for some but I loved the anticipation).Turn of events in this book were much more intriguing than in the first. World building is amazing as usual, immersion is top-notch and the last couple of chapters brought me consistent goosebumps, especially the one named 'What Might Be'. Characters are still pretty much the same being obstinate or suspicious about everyone however, so if you were expecting them to change compared to how they were in the first, it won't happen, especially since the events take place soon after the first book. I didn't feel much drag except for a little in the middle where Rand gets (view spoiler) but we don't talk about that :D I just loved those final chapters so much that I don't care about any issues it had, but I have no doubt that this one improves upon the first book nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Gore, and Slavery
Moderate: War, Blood, and Violence