Review : Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan

Title : Winter's Heart Author : Robert Jordan Reading Dates : 5 Feb 2012 - 6 Feb 2012 Total Pages :678
The Wheel of Time The Eye of the World The Great Hunt The Dragon Reborn The Shadow Rising The Fires of Heaven Lord of Chaos A Crown of Swords The Path of Daggers Winter's Heart Crossroads of Twilight Knife of Dreams The Gathering Storm Towers of Midnight
From goodreads : The eagerly awaited sequel to The Path of Daggers, the New York Times #1 bestseller that swept the nation like a firestorm. Rand, with Min, is on the run, and Cadsuane, in Carhien, is trying to figure out where he is headed. Mazrim Taim, the leader of the Black Tower, is revealed to be a liar. Faile, with her companions, is a prisoner of Sevanna's Sept. With Elyas Machera, Berelain, the Prophet, and an "army" of disparate forces, Perrin is moving through country rife with bandits and roving Seanchan. In Ebou Dar, the Seanchan princess known as Daughter of the Nine Moons arrives. In Tar Valon, the schemers and counter-schemers in Elaida's White Tower are shaken to the core when the rebels appear suddenly outside the walls.

Book Review of Winter's Heart.

Winter’s Heart had me on tenterhooks for most of the book. Like Rand, I couldn’t help suspecting the motives of Cadsuane Sedai especially since for all intents and purposes, she was manipulating him to accept her advice.

At the same time, after a long absence, Mat is back in the picture again. His meeting with his fated wife is definitely one of the memorable scenes in the book. And even though I hardly know Tuon, I already feel that she’s the perfect one for him. Yet, Mat and Tuon’s union seems more impossible than any other in the world of the Wheel of Time. Reading how they manage it is definitely going to be interesting, especially since they are fighting on opposite sides of warring nations which seem to have absolutely nothing in common with each other.

The ending was another surprise. While Rand has managed to fulfill another of the Prophecies of the Dragon, he has also left himself in a vulnerable position. I’ll be reading Crossroads of Twilight next to find out the aftermath of his actions.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Definitely.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
• Who would I recommend this too? All fantasy readers.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it. The series is a keeper.

Teaser Tuesdays

Challenges : 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge; Tea & Books Reading Challenge

Review : The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan

Title : The Path of Daggers Author : Robert Jordan Reading Dates : 4 Feb 2012 - 5 Feb 2012 Total Pages :643
The Wheel of Time The Eye of the World The Great Hunt The Dragon Reborn The Shadow Rising The Fires of Heaven Lord of Chaos A Crown of Swords The Path of Daggers Winter's Heart Crossroads of Twilight Knife of Dreams The Gathering Storm Towers of Midnight
From goodreads : For millions of fans around the globe, the wait is over. Sequel to the international blockbuster bestseller A Crown of Swords, this epic volume continues one of history's greatest fictional journeys and the most extraordinary work of American fantasy ever published--The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and worldwide bestselling series--The Wheel of Time. The phenomenal tale that is mesmerizing a generation of readers now continues. The Seanchan invasion force is in possession of Ebou Dar. Nynaeve, Elayne, and Aviendha head for Caemlyn and Elayne's rightful throne, but on the way they discover an enemy much worse than the Seanchan. In Illian, Rand vows to throw the Seanchan back as he did once before. But signs of madness are appearing among the Asha'man. In Ghealdan, Perrin faces the intrigues of Whitecloaks, Seanchan invaders, the scattered Shaido Aiel, and the Prophet himself. Perrin's beloved wife, Faile, may pay with her life, and Perrin himself may have to destroy his soul to save her. Meanwhile the rebel Aes Sedai under their young Amyrlin, Egwene al'Vere, face an army that intends to keep them away from the White Tower. But Egwene is determined to unseat the usurper Elaida and reunite the Aes Sedai. She does not yet understand the price that others--and she herself--will pay.

Book Review of The Path of Daggers.

The Path of Daggers has the slowest pacing of the entire Wheel of Time series so far. Worst, the entire story seemed to drag on that I almost gave up on finishing the book. I probably would have except it is book 8 in the series.

The story told here is not entirely without interest. Some significant turning points in the story are reached; most important being that Rand finds himself biting off more than he can chew. Yet, the telling of the tale seems lacking. Too much time is wasted in building up to these events. If I weren’t a fan of the series, I would have simply stopped reading altogether. It is only the wanting to know what happens next that kept me glued to the tale.

After the earlier books, The Path of Daggers was a let-down but not a book you could skip and keep abreast of the story.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Probably.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
• Who would I recommend this too? All fantasy readers.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it. The series is a keeper.

Teaser Tuesdays

Challenges : 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge; Tea & Books Reading Challenge

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday What Are You Reading ? is hosted at Book Journey.
 
Where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

What I Read:

• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

What I Reviewed:

• The Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan
• A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan

What I’m Reading:

• Cinder by Marissa Meyer

What I Plan to Read next:

• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at The Story Siren.
Anyone can participate. IMM is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week.

Bought:

The Guardian by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Dream-Hunter Lydia has been charged with the most sacred and dangerous of missions: To descend into the Nether Realm and find the missing god of dreams before he betrays the secrets that could kill her and her kind. What she never expects is to be taken prisoner by the Realm’s most vicious guardian… Seth’s time is running out. If he can’t hand over the entrance to Olympus, his own life and those of his people will be forfeit. No matter the torture, Seth hasn’t been able to break the god in his custody. Then there’s the beautiful Dream-Hunter Lydia: She isn’t just guarding the gates of Olympus—she’s holding back one of the world’s darkest powers. If she fails, an ancient curse will haunt the earth once more and no one will be safe. But evil is always seductive...

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

[ What I spent on the books : RM 52.30]

Review : A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan

Title : A Crown of Swords Author : Robert Jordan Reading Dates : 29 Jan 2012 - 3 Feb 2012 Total Pages :856
The Wheel of Time The Eye of the World The Great Hunt The Dragon Reborn The Shadow Rising The Fires of Heaven Lord of Chaos A Crown of Swords The Path of Daggers Winter's Heart Crossroads of Twilight Knife of Dreams The Gathering Storm Towers of Midnight
From goodreads : Elayne, Aviendha and Mat come ever closer to the bowl ter'angreal that may reverse the world's endless heatwave and restore natural weather. Egwene begins to gather all manner of women who can channel - Sea Folk, Windfinders, Wise Ones, and some surprising others. And, above all, Rand faces the dread Forsaken Sammael, in the shadows of Shadar Logoth, where the blood-hungry mist, Mashadar, waits for prey...

Book Review of A Crown of Swords.

A Crown of Swords is a mixed bag. I enjoyed the beginning and the ending but the middle parts nearly bored me to tears. The reason is simple. The beginning and end of the book focuses on Rand’s plans while the middle focuses on Elayne and Nynaeve’s.

While Rand doesn’t appear much in the book, it is those parts which I find most interesting. Certainly, those bits had me revising some of the guesses I made on the future direction of the story and the role of a number of the characters.

On the other hand, Elayne and Nynaeve seem to spend a great deal of time either condemning everyone else as fools or deciding what everyone else should be doing. So much so, that I don’t find myself missing out on the story at all despite skimming through those parts. The only thing of interest here is that which concerns Mat. I certainly had myself a good laugh at his horror and embarrassment to discover the tables turned when he becomes the object of a queen’s attentions.

A Crown of Swords has the funniest bits in the Wheel of Time, even if I find the focus on the female protagonists annoying.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Definitely.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
• Who would I recommend this too? All fantasy readers.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it. The series is a keeper.

Teaser Tuesdays

Challenges : 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge; Tea & Books Reading Challenge

Review : The Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan

Title : Lord of Chaos Author : Robert Jordan Reading Dates : 24 Jan 2012 - 29 Jan 2012 Total Pages :987
The Wheel of Time The Eye of the World The Great Hunt The Dragon Reborn The Shadow Rising The Fires of Heaven Lord of Chaos A Crown of Swords The Path of Daggers Winter's Heart Crossroads of Twilight Knife of Dreams The Gathering Storm Towers of Midnight
From Amazon : In this sequel to the phenomenal New York Times bestseller The Fires of Heaven, we plunge again into Robert Jordan's extraordinarily rich, totally unforgettable world: On the slopes of Shayol Ghul, the Myrddraal swords are forged, and the sky is not the sky of this world; In Salidar the White Tower in exile prepares an embassy to Caemlyn, where Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, holds the throne--and where an unexpected visitor may change the world.... In Emond's Field, Perrin Goldeneyes, Lord of the Two Rivers, feels the pull of ta'veren to ta'veren and prepares to march.... Morgase of Caemlyn finds a most unexpected, and quite unwelcome, ally....And south lies Illian, where Sammael holds sway....

Book Review of Lord of Chaos.

As the title suggests, Lord of Chaos ups the tension in The Wheel of Time. The Dark Lord has begun to move even if we aren’t able to figure out his plans yet. And Rand finds himself balancing numerous factions which are either openly or secretly hostile to him. Really, even though this is not my first time reading Lord of Chaos, I couldn’t put the book down for wondering when all those balls Rand was juggling would collapse. Especially, as there are very few friends left which he can wholly trust.

Egwene too faces similar difficulties as Rand and she should have my sympathies, but once again I merely found her methods exasperating. While I enjoyed reading how she handled the other Aes Sedai, turn and turn about being fair and all, I found her decisions regarding Mat arbitrary and exasperating. It is no wonder the men in the world of the Wheel of Time do not want to deal with the women. She doesn’t even bother to ask his or Rand’s reasons, simply deciding that whatever foolish plan they have in mind couldn’t rival her needs.

It is really funny since I would expect myself to side with the women against the men. Yet, often I think that all the female characters need be taught a lesson. Without their interference, certain issues would probably have been resolved sooner or perhaps not even been raised. It is not that there aren’t times when I believe them to be right. It is just that their views makes them insufferable and hard to live with most of the time.

Still, Lord of Chaos has one of my favorite endings in the Wheel of Time series.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Definitely.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
• Who would I recommend this too? All fantasy readers.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it. The series is a keeper.

Teaser Tuesdays

Challenges : 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge; Tea & Books Reading Challenge

Teaser Tuesdays : Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.

Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

From Page 35

We three girls were nearly paralyzed from our physical torment, yet our trial had barely begun. We could not eat. Even with empty stomachs, we vomited out our agony.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday What Are You Reading ? is hosted at Book Journey.
 
Where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

 

What I Read:

• Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

 

 

What I Reviewed:

• The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan
• The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

 

What I’m Reading:

• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

 

What I Plan to Read next:

• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Review : The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

Title : The Fires of Heaven Author : Robert Jordan Reading Dates : 22 Jan 2012 - 24 Jan 2012 Total Pages :889
The Wheel of Time The Eye of the World The Great Hunt The Dragon Reborn The Shadow Rising The Fires of Heaven Lord of Chaos A Crown of Swords The Path of Daggers Winter's Heart Crossroads of Twilight Knife of Dreams The Gathering Storm Towers of Midnight
From Amazon : The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and go. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.

Book Review of The Fires of Heaven.

The Fires of Heaven mostly focuses on Rand and the female protagonists of The Wheel of Time. As in the previous books, the most boring and annoying parts of the story belong to the women. They may play important roles in the overall scheme of things but their attitudes or at least the way they are written is irritating. Everyone of them seems to think they know better than the rest and that everyone should obey them. Especially in their dealings with the men. Often, they decide what information can be shared and what cannot because they believe only they are capable of deciding what actions need to be taken.

As for Rand, The Fires of Heaven shows how much he has changed as a person, not only what he is but who he is. Not only has he realized that he will need allies to win The Last Battle, he has begun to manipulate them when he feels it necessary. Yet, unlike with the female characters, I’m not disgusted or annoyed by his actions. This is because he doesn’t justify his actions as because he knows best. And because he only resorts to these tactics, when reason and truth fail to get him what he needs. At least he tries to win their support with the truth regarding events affecting their world, keeping secret only those facts which affects his battle strategy.

The most interesting sequence in this book though, is the fight between the Shaido and the Aiel clans that follow Rand. The earlier battles seem to make it as something exciting. Here, the toll it takes on the people and the uncertainty or uselessness of plans in the actual fight is more clear.

Overall though, The Fires of Heaven feels more like the eye before the storm. There is a sense of waiting throughout the book as Rand and the other characters pursue their prey. I can’t wait to read on.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Definitely.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
• Who would I recommend this too? All fantasy readers.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it. The series is a keeper.

Teaser Tuesdays

Challenges : 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge; Tea & Books Reading Challenge

Monthly Wrap-Up : February 2012

Number of Books Read per Month:

This month, I just managed to hit my target, but I still need to make up for last month.

List of the Books Read:

• A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan
• The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan
• Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan
• Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan
• Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
• The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
• Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

List of the Published Reviews:

• The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
• The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
• The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan
• The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

Challenges:

Out of the 5 challenges I signed up for in 2012, I completed 1, have started working on 3 and still not yet started on 1.

Monthly book expenses :

I managed to stay within my budget by the simple expedient of not having bought anything this month.

Summary :

Overall, February 2012 was okay. I managed to catch up on most of my targets but things might not be so rosy from the next month onwards, seeing as my working life is entering a busy period for the next 3 months.