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Wheel of Time Series

Aqua Buddha

Aqua Buddha

Journeyman
Has anyone here followed the Wheel of Time Series? I stopped reading when Jordan died. Is the new author doing him justice?

And most pressingly, is there an end in sight?
 
kjjcarpenter

kjjcarpenter

Master
I have read the first book and half of the second. To be honest, I couldn't get much farther, and it was a surprise I got that far. Jordan, while he did create a diverse and populated world, writes too laborious and drawn-out for me. At some points in the book, it felt more or a chore to read than a pleasure. It felt to me like he was writing for a quota and not writing the story he wanted to tell. Somewhat disheartening, as I would like to read the series, but at the moment I can't bring myself to do it.

As for Brandon Sanderson, by all accounts, he's a good writer. I've read "The Final Empire" by him, and it's an easy tale to get into. The language isn't overly complex and there's a decent amount of action combined with character development. I'm not sure how he's going about writing the ending to "The Wheel of Time", but I think he would make a decent effort, if not improving the story as a whole.

When Jordan died, he was writing the final book of the series and promised fans it would be the end. Sanderson was chosen by Jordan to continue the series in his death. The notes and drafts Jordan had compiled stretched well over 3000 pages; there was no way to bind it into a single book, so Sanderson did the only logical thing and split the final book into a trilogy. At the moment, two of the books have been released and the third is due some time soon.
 
Black Dragon

Black Dragon

Staff
Administrator
I made it about halfway through the Wheel of Time series, and then lost the will to continue. I agree with Kev that it became "too laborious and drawn out." The further the series progressed, the slower the pace of the story became.
 
At Dusk I Reign

At Dusk I Reign

Mystagogue
I gave up on the series midway through Book 6. Too much braid-pulling for my liking. Perhaps RJ should have taken the hint from Tolkien: you don't have to write a billion words for something to be 'epic'. It's quite sad really, as there's a lot to like about the books, and if the story had been condensed down to even five volumes with all the meaningless fluff removed it could have been something great. As it is, despite some decent moments, the only impression it left me with is one of boredom.
 
At Dusk I Reign

At Dusk I Reign

Mystagogue
Dwarven Gold said:
The best things come in short packages.
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Excluding goblins, obviously...:p

Regarding books, though, it seems brevity is a dirty word in fantasy circles. If it wasn't for post-war austerity LotR would have been published in one volume as intended and we'd all have been spared the slavish trilogies which followed. Apart from one or two exceptions, the First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant being most notable in my mind, I've never read a trilogy that wouldn't benefit from having the second volume excised entirely and at least half of the third.
 
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ZealPropht

ZealPropht

Apprentice
I read the first book in high school and...it was hard to keep up with. I didn't really enjoy it, but I kept reading because everyone kept raving about how good it was. Eventually, I gave up with the intention or retrying in the future. Then, I had the (dubious) pleasure of attending a writer's panel at the San Diego Comic Convention where Mr. Jordan was a guest speaker. I found him to be an arrogant, pompous individual and have forever been turned off to his books because of it.
 
L

LadyPamela

Journeyman
I read the first two before I discovered other series I enjoy more. I may finish it someday, if only to see what Brandon Sanderson did with it. *shrugs*

@Dusk: You're quote is epic! 'You don't have to write a billion words...' Ha Ha, I love it! And so true. Something we, as Writers of Fantasy, can take to heart.
 
Philip Overby

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
I read about 300 pages of the first one, then everyone told me how crappy the series got about half way through, so I figured it wasn't worth pursuing in that case. I heard Brandon Sanderson's version breathed a bit of life back into it, but that's just hearsay as I haven't read it. I do have Sanderson's Way of Kings, which I am enjoying so far, even though it seems a tad too familiar.
 
Mdnight Rising

Mdnight Rising

Master
Keep reading !! Brandon sanderson is doing an excellent job of finishing this great authors works!! the wriitng style is basically the same so you wont throw it across the room i promise.... yes there is a end in site the last two books focus mostly on Tarmon giadin arriving and preparations need to fight in it !!
 
Mdnight Falling

Mdnight Falling

Mystagogue
Mdnight Rising said:
Keep reading !! Brandon sanderson is doing an excellent job of finishing this great authors works!! the wriitng style is basically the same so you wont throw it across the room i promise.... yes there is a end in site the last two books focus mostly on Tarmon giadin arriving and preparations need to fight in it !!
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Bry I don't care if we have all the damn books.. I read New Spring and book ten and book ten was like a WAY longer version of New Spring -.- It's BORING >.< It's too long.. and omg I get lost very easily with it and that's just sad -.-... If you're going to read a Wheel of Time book.. read New Spring.. it's SHORT and it's actually good.. the others don't hold up to the prequel of the series
 
Mdnight Falling

Mdnight Falling

Mystagogue
Mdnight Rising said:
:::chuckles:: just gotta power yer way though it......... but everyone has their preferences i suppose
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Power your way through it?! It's crap Bry -.- who the hell wants to read ONE volume of a book that's almost a thousand pages long for starters... That's where Robert Jordan's problem was.. the length of the books.. they shouldn't have been so long.. People's brains get distracted when they are being lulled to sleep by far too much description and not enough ACTION. The series lacked action to begin with... New Springs was only good because omg it was like 300 pages long! All the others are pushing a thousand pages if not more then that.. and don't argue cause I pull them out of the book case one by one and show you how insanely long these volumes are. Do you think I'd have bothered reading Atlas Shrugged if there were more volumes of it?! Hell no! gimme a normal sized book that won't fall apart as soon as you get half way through it!!! o.o Okay I'm done ranting.. I'll take my soap box and go what else I can comment on now >.>
 
Mdnight Rising

Mdnight Rising

Master
:::snickers:: i will agree he is long winding but dealing with thhe multitudes of characters he chose to interact within the main story i dont think it could be avoided.. i dunno maybe i am just a glutton for long reading punishment........hehe
 
Mdnight Falling

Mdnight Falling

Mystagogue
Mdnight Rising said:
:::snickers:: i will agree he is long winding but dealing with thhe multitudes of characters he chose to interact within the main story i dont think it could be avoided.. i dunno maybe i am just a glutton for long reading punishment........hehe
Click to expand...

It could have been avoided.. I swear that serious was simply created to be a thorn in my side.. cause omg it has potential.. but it's sooooooooooooooooooooooooo boring you forget why you even wanted to read it in the first place >.<
 
Mdnight Rising

Mdnight Rising

Master
:::dies:: for you mebbe .. me i enjoy a good long book and i can most of the time folow along in the large books on what is going one where and with whom
 
Telcontar

Telcontar

Staff
Moderator
Like others, I enjoyed the first few books. Jordan had some scenes which were just perfect. But as with so many, I got bored eventually. I remember basically skimming through the last book I tried to read in order to read the parts that mattered, and not really bothering with the rest. Also, some of his motifs - like the constant and idiotic battle of the sexes! - got annoying, real fast.

I will give Jordan (RIP) props for his world-building though. He managed to create a world full of interesting history. His 'magic system' is second to none. Despite having lost interest in his actual story, he's in my pantheon of writers to learn from.
 
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