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stoneseraph's review against another edition
adventurous
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
5.0
patremagne's review against another edition
3.0
I thought people saying nothing happened for entire books in this series was probably blown out of proportion, but this one proves them right. The only thing that kept this book afloat was the worldbuilding, for which I’m tempted to 3.5 star it to round up to 4, but the ending was pretty unsatisfying.
januaryf's review against another edition
2.0
My least favourite so far. Not a lot happened - I feel like I could have skipped the book and not be too lost going into the next one.
7 down, 7 to go. Ugh.
7 down, 7 to go. Ugh.
sannegoedegebuure's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
keegan_rellim_taylor's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of my favorites in the series so far! It might be because the last one was so agonizingly slow!! But this one was a much faster read. The characters were all mobilizing and moving and connecting. It's hard to say too much without giving things away, but I liked that we got so many POVs of basically all the main characters. And they all progressed forward. The conclusion was a little strangely anticlimactic and I'm wondering if that's gonna come back and bite Rand later.
[SPOILER ALERT]
And I always like to include favorite selections, so I can't leave out this treasure because it just shows a lot about Mat, Nynaeve, and Lan in an amusing way:
"The blessing of the Light be upon you and your bride," Besland murmured politely with as much of a bow as the confines of the coach would allow, and Nalesean mumbled something, though it was plain from his expression that he thought Lan must be man. Nalesean had had a good bit of Nynaeve's company.
Mat just sat there swaying with the coach's motion and staring. Nynaeve *married*? *Lan* married to *Nynaeve*? The man *was* mad. No wonder his eyes looked so bleak. Mat would as soon have stuffed a rabid fox down his own shirt. Only a fool married, and only a madman would marry Nynaeve.
If Lan noticed that not everyone was overjoyed, he gave no sign.
[SPOILER ALERT]
And I always like to include favorite selections, so I can't leave out this treasure because it just shows a lot about Mat, Nynaeve, and Lan in an amusing way:
"The blessing of the Light be upon you and your bride," Besland murmured politely with as much of a bow as the confines of the coach would allow, and Nalesean mumbled something, though it was plain from his expression that he thought Lan must be man. Nalesean had had a good bit of Nynaeve's company.
Mat just sat there swaying with the coach's motion and staring. Nynaeve *married*? *Lan* married to *Nynaeve*? The man *was* mad. No wonder his eyes looked so bleak. Mat would as soon have stuffed a rabid fox down his own shirt. Only a fool married, and only a madman would marry Nynaeve.
If Lan noticed that not everyone was overjoyed, he gave no sign.
ageorgiadis's review against another edition
3.0
Man rape, ho ho!
The women of The Wheel of Time are deliberately, impossibly daft when it comes to Mat’s repeated rape, at knifepoint, by Queen Tylin. It would be comic, which is the intended tone, no doubt. But Jordan’s timbre is off, his lackluster writing of women is in vivid evidence, and, worst yet: it is an entirely superfluous side-plot with no contribution to the WoT saga. None of this needed to happen. There are several scenes where Elayne and Nynaeve have ample opportunity to believe Mat, forgive Mat, and help Mat, and they invariably fail to do so. While does this sub-plot fail to inspire.
aCoS is the only WoT novel that I have read thrice, but not to its recommendation. Rather it was a rather random occurrence. In truth, the ending of the previous installment, Lord of Chaos, was so scrumptious and satisfying that I must not have noticed the sonorous trot that starts Book 7. By page 500 you are still reading about conversations in the immediate (read: moments) after Dumai’s Wells. There are scenes with Elaida in the White Tower, who I now realize must have inspired some of Cersei Lannister from aSoIaF – because she is cray (not crazy - cray). Just incomprehensibly unreasonable.
Rand, usually in combination with Min, never ceases to satisfy. The Dragon Reborn becomes increasingly erratic, inured with self-doubt, and the reader can’t even puzzle out his stability. His seemingly loyal Asha’man may be more than they seem. The Rand in Randland remains the best part of the story. I do wish, however, that each volume in the WoT didn’t feel so predictably structured: meandering, stilted narrative leading up to rushed, pulse-pounding mano-a-mano between Rand and a Forsaken. Even if this face-off had some infuriating mystery sizzled in.
In time to save the day, Mat gets a great late scene in which he tells the Sea Folk like it is, inspiring them with a reflexive surge of Age of Legends remembrances, leaving his Aes Sedai friends stupefied. aCoS would be worth it just for that.
The women of The Wheel of Time are deliberately, impossibly daft when it comes to Mat’s repeated rape, at knifepoint, by Queen Tylin. It would be comic, which is the intended tone, no doubt. But Jordan’s timbre is off, his lackluster writing of women is in vivid evidence, and, worst yet: it is an entirely superfluous side-plot with no contribution to the WoT saga. None of this needed to happen. There are several scenes where Elayne and Nynaeve have ample opportunity to believe Mat, forgive Mat, and help Mat, and they invariably fail to do so. While does this sub-plot fail to inspire.
aCoS is the only WoT novel that I have read thrice, but not to its recommendation. Rather it was a rather random occurrence. In truth, the ending of the previous installment, Lord of Chaos, was so scrumptious and satisfying that I must not have noticed the sonorous trot that starts Book 7. By page 500 you are still reading about conversations in the immediate (read: moments) after Dumai’s Wells. There are scenes with Elaida in the White Tower, who I now realize must have inspired some of Cersei Lannister from aSoIaF – because she is cray (not crazy - cray). Just incomprehensibly unreasonable.
Rand, usually in combination with Min, never ceases to satisfy. The Dragon Reborn becomes increasingly erratic, inured with self-doubt, and the reader can’t even puzzle out his stability. His seemingly loyal Asha’man may be more than they seem. The Rand in Randland remains the best part of the story. I do wish, however, that each volume in the WoT didn’t feel so predictably structured: meandering, stilted narrative leading up to rushed, pulse-pounding mano-a-mano between Rand and a Forsaken. Even if this face-off had some infuriating mystery sizzled in.
In time to save the day, Mat gets a great late scene in which he tells the Sea Folk like it is, inspiring them with a reflexive surge of Age of Legends remembrances, leaving his Aes Sedai friends stupefied. aCoS would be worth it just for that.
slentz97's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
I was less into this book compared to others. I think we’re in a stretch where a lot of story has to happen and things may not all tie up perfectly
r_skye's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
ddeenik's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
iceseyyyyyyy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
Solid book in the series. I don't see this being the start of the "slog" though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault