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The Wheel of Time #7
A Crown of Swords
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.
Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.
880 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 15, 1996
6,762 people are currently reading
50.8k people want to read
About the author
Robert Jordan
670books16.7kfollowersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the ŷ database with this name.
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names and Jackson O'Reilly.
Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics. After graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer. He began writing in 1977. He was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting.
He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian and received communion more than once a week. He lived with his wife Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.
Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs."
On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and that with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years, though he said he intended to beat the statistics. He later posted on his Dragonmount blog to encourage his fans not to worry about him and that he intended to have a long and fully creative life.
He began chemotherapy treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in early April 2006. Jordan was enrolled in a study using the drug Revlimid just approved for multiple myeloma but not yet tested on primary amyloidosis.
Jordan died at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT on September 16, 2007, and a funeral service was held for him on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Jordan was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston.
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names and Jackson O'Reilly.
Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics. After graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer. He began writing in 1977. He was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting.
He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian and received communion more than once a week. He lived with his wife Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.
Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs."
On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and that with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years, though he said he intended to beat the statistics. He later posted on his Dragonmount blog to encourage his fans not to worry about him and that he intended to have a long and fully creative life.
He began chemotherapy treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in early April 2006. Jordan was enrolled in a study using the drug Revlimid just approved for multiple myeloma but not yet tested on primary amyloidosis.
Jordan died at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT on September 16, 2007, and a funeral service was held for him on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Jordan was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston.
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November 16, 2024
2.5/5 stars
Phaw! I can’t believe I’m finally halfway through The Wheel of Time. And the slog begins here. Phaw!
If you have heard about The Wheel of Time series, you might have heard that the seventh until the tenth installment are often hailed as the slog portions of the series. Some have argued that the slog starts here in A Crown of Swords; some have said it starts in the eighth book, The Path of Daggers, instead. I, unfortunately, will have to agree with readers saying the slog of the series starts here, in A Crown of Swords. It does not give me pleasure to say that. My determination to read the series was renewed last year when I attempted reading The Fires of Heaven to find myself calling it the best book of the series so far, which then was further topped by Lord of Chaos. A Crown of Swords, the seventh book in the series, was great in the first and fourth quarter of the novel, but the remaining in-between section was mind-numbing boredom. It took me five weeks, FIVE WEEKS, of on and off reading to finish A Crown of Swords. It is the longest time I have ever spent reading a novel, from beginning to end.
Initially, I thought the slog would not start here. The story in A Crown of Swords starts immediately after what happened at the end of Lord of Chaos. Yes, it did begin with a one-hour-long prologue, but after that, the narrative deals with the aftermath of the battle of Dumai’s Wells. And I was so engrossed with the beginning section of this book. I finished reading the first quarter of A Crown of Swords in two days. I thought it was going to be a smooth sailing from there. And then it started crumbling from there. Once I reached the first Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve chapter, every chapter with them as the POV character sparked either one or two, or both, reactions from me: anger or boredom. There are no other feelings. No sadness. No happiness. No captivation. Just boredom or anger. The plotline surrounding Ebou Dar and Bowl of the Wind are some of the most boring stories I have ever read. And I, supposedly, have not reached the worst parts of The Wheel of Time yet, The Crossroads of Twilight. But for this book, Mat did provide relief occasionally as he has to keep his promise to Rand and be surrounded by these selfish and even lusty vultures. I can certainly feel his frustration and anger, but those were not enough to act as a balm to all the raging and dozing spell the Aes Sedai and the women cast on the reader.
I remember last year on Twitter, there was a poll for a favorite fantasy group to befriend, and people said they would love to be friends with Aes Sedai. To this day, I am still so confused by this. I haven’t finished reading the series yet, so my opinion might change in the future, even though I do not think that will happen. But my god, the Aes Sedai is a group of awful and self-righteous people. They are essentially villains as well. This has been established in the past six books, and even more in the Lord of Chaos with their insane treatment of Rand. It is established even further in this book. I have zero idea why people would want to be friends with them. And honestly, this feeling is not exclusive to the Aes Sedai. It gets even more ridiculous thinking how the three crazy Powerpuff Girls (Egwene, Elayne, and especially Nynaeve) can be so mean to their friend.
Throughout the book, Mat is surrounded by women who never cease to do and say atrocious things to him. Despite this, he still tries his best that his supposed friends (They are not. This is just what Jordan said, but nothing in the text ever indicated that) are safe from trouble. Egwene is boring. Elayne is horny and boring. Nynaeve is an embodiment of absolute wrath and self-righteousness. Mat tried HARD. REALLY HARD. To save these ladies. And still, they acted as if they were incredibly competent even when they were not. No friends would ever ridicule and blindly accuse Mat for the assaults he received in this book. And Nynaeve... I am speechless by how infuriating this character can be. Just take a look at these two (out of many) passages below:
and
These are just a few examples; I took a break from the series for a few months before reading A Crown of Swords, thinking by doing this, I would be able to tolerate their antics and insanity better as I did in The Fires of Heaven and Lord of Chaos, but I failed. The Aes Sedai and the three Powerpuff Girls aggravated me way too much. Nynaeve's thick-headedness has reached a new height in A Crown of Swords that not even Wolverine's Adamantium claw can pierce the hardness of her brain. Many readers who disliked Nynaeve have told me they grew to like her by the last few books of the series, and I look forward to reaching that point. What annoyed me further about the women characters in the series is how they all felt like caricatures; very few exceptions aside, it felt like Jordan prepared bullet points on how infuriating women should behave in his books. Then he made them all follow these bullet points.
And the result? The women in this series and this book are barely distinguishable from one another. No distinctive voice was given, and their personalities revolved around one trait: hate and blame men for everything, maybe except for the one they want to bang. Actually, scratch that. They count, too. Look, I get it. Finding ways to cooperate is one of the main themes of the series. But these characters, some of the men here, too, did not even act like real people. Don't even get me started on the sniffing. The women constantly sniffed so loud, as if they lost their sense of smell due to Covid 19. And the book lacked a coherent focus on what matters in the story. PHAW! There were too many Aes Sedai, too. None of them ever felt important. I forgot their names already by now. This is a book that centers around politics, and yet, they relentlessly bicker about nothing consequential. All the time.
Picture: A Crown of Swords by Tyler Jacobson
Even Cadsuane, an oddly completely new character introduced in A Crown of Swords, has a more distinct and intimidating presence when compared to the other Aes Sedai in the series. It is odd because she is supposed to be a legendary Aes Sedai, but she was never mentioned in the past six books. This might not be the same opinion as I move forward with the series, but at this moment, I surprisingly liked having the dynamic that Cadsuane brings into the story. But enough ranting. As I said in my review for The Fires of Heaven and Lord of Chaos, Min seems to be the only genuinely kind-hearted woman in the series so far. I am happy she appeared relatively frequently in this book. Min seems to be the only character that does not drive Rand insane, and I appreciate having a character like her so much. As you can probably tell from my review of the past three installments, my investment in the series lies heavily on Rand al’Thor and Mat's POV chapters. These two characters greatly enhanced The Fires of Heaven and Lord of Chaos for me. I know it is shocking that in a series with SO MANY characters, I found only these two POV characters, along with the Ashaman, the Forsaken, and the world-building, to be the only anchor I have with the series. But it is the truth. The less we have Rand and Mat in the lead, the less invested I am in the book. Rand's struggle with his role as The Dragon Reborn and the madness threatening to consume him never gets old. And Mat's last chapter in this book was an intense cliffhanger that increased my excitement to read the next book soon, even if I know I won't for a few months.
In the end, A Crown of Swords was a vast downgrade from The Fires of Heaven and Lord of Chaos. I wish it wasn't the case, but it is one of the weakest books in the series so far. It is such a shame. I cannot emphasize this highly enough. The Wheel of Time is a series with incredible world-building and lore. These are included in the narrative, and I get so pumped up every time I think about the scope of the world, conflict, and prophecies Jordan has implemented into the series. As I said, Rand and Mat remain a favorite of mine, and I am seriously looking forward to reading the development of their story and character. Unfortunately, the greatness of The Wheel of Time, especially in this book, is plagued by many frustrating and glaring issues like the ones I discussed above. Although I found the first and last quarter of the book relatively page-turning, I was also disappointed by how the long-awaited confrontation in the final chapter of A Crown of Swords was concluded. The battle and the chapter itself were so cool, but its conclusion felt so anti-climactic, to say the least. I wish we get more scenes designated toward building momentum leading to this kind of pivotal battle instead of verbose descriptions and women being angry and bickering about insignificant matters for hundreds of pages, dragging the pacing extensively. I will take three or four months' break before I read the sequel, The Path of Daggers. I sincerely hope The Path of Daggers will be better than A Crown of Swords, but I do not think it is safe to get my hope up. I planned to read until the ninth book this year, but we shall see whether that's achievable. After all, a man can plan, but the wheel weaves as the wheel wills.
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Phaw! I can’t believe I’m finally halfway through The Wheel of Time. And the slog begins here. Phaw!
“Wounds to the pride are remembered long after wounds to the flesh.�
If you have heard about The Wheel of Time series, you might have heard that the seventh until the tenth installment are often hailed as the slog portions of the series. Some have argued that the slog starts here in A Crown of Swords; some have said it starts in the eighth book, The Path of Daggers, instead. I, unfortunately, will have to agree with readers saying the slog of the series starts here, in A Crown of Swords. It does not give me pleasure to say that. My determination to read the series was renewed last year when I attempted reading The Fires of Heaven to find myself calling it the best book of the series so far, which then was further topped by Lord of Chaos. A Crown of Swords, the seventh book in the series, was great in the first and fourth quarter of the novel, but the remaining in-between section was mind-numbing boredom. It took me five weeks, FIVE WEEKS, of on and off reading to finish A Crown of Swords. It is the longest time I have ever spent reading a novel, from beginning to end.
“In a cruel land, you either learned to laugh at cruelty or spent your life weeping.�
Initially, I thought the slog would not start here. The story in A Crown of Swords starts immediately after what happened at the end of Lord of Chaos. Yes, it did begin with a one-hour-long prologue, but after that, the narrative deals with the aftermath of the battle of Dumai’s Wells. And I was so engrossed with the beginning section of this book. I finished reading the first quarter of A Crown of Swords in two days. I thought it was going to be a smooth sailing from there. And then it started crumbling from there. Once I reached the first Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve chapter, every chapter with them as the POV character sparked either one or two, or both, reactions from me: anger or boredom. There are no other feelings. No sadness. No happiness. No captivation. Just boredom or anger. The plotline surrounding Ebou Dar and Bowl of the Wind are some of the most boring stories I have ever read. And I, supposedly, have not reached the worst parts of The Wheel of Time yet, The Crossroads of Twilight. But for this book, Mat did provide relief occasionally as he has to keep his promise to Rand and be surrounded by these selfish and even lusty vultures. I can certainly feel his frustration and anger, but those were not enough to act as a balm to all the raging and dozing spell the Aes Sedai and the women cast on the reader.
“Hypocrisy was a fine art among Aes Sedai sometimes, like scheming or keeping secrets.�
I remember last year on Twitter, there was a poll for a favorite fantasy group to befriend, and people said they would love to be friends with Aes Sedai. To this day, I am still so confused by this. I haven’t finished reading the series yet, so my opinion might change in the future, even though I do not think that will happen. But my god, the Aes Sedai is a group of awful and self-righteous people. They are essentially villains as well. This has been established in the past six books, and even more in the Lord of Chaos with their insane treatment of Rand. It is established even further in this book. I have zero idea why people would want to be friends with them. And honestly, this feeling is not exclusive to the Aes Sedai. It gets even more ridiculous thinking how the three crazy Powerpuff Girls (Egwene, Elayne, and especially Nynaeve) can be so mean to their friend.
“Suddenly it struck Mat that he was the only man present� The only man, surrounded by a wall of women who apparently intended to let him beat his head against that wall till his brains were scrambled. It made no sense. None. They looked at him, waiting.�
Throughout the book, Mat is surrounded by women who never cease to do and say atrocious things to him. Despite this, he still tries his best that his supposed friends (They are not. This is just what Jordan said, but nothing in the text ever indicated that) are safe from trouble. Egwene is boring. Elayne is horny and boring. Nynaeve is an embodiment of absolute wrath and self-righteousness. Mat tried HARD. REALLY HARD. To save these ladies. And still, they acted as if they were incredibly competent even when they were not. No friends would ever ridicule and blindly accuse Mat for the assaults he received in this book. And Nynaeve... I am speechless by how infuriating this character can be. Just take a look at these two (out of many) passages below:
‘“Blood rushed to Nynaeve’s face. He had never mentioned . . . ? That despicable, despicable man! “I will not apologize to Matrim Cauthon, not on my deathbed.�
Aviendha leaned toward Elayne, touching her knee. “Near-sister, I will say this delicately.� She looked and sounded about as delicate as a stone post. “If this is true, you have toh toward Mat Cauthon, you and Nynaeve. And you have made it worse since, just by the actions I have seen.�
“Toh!� Nynaeve exclaimed. Those two were always talking about this toh foolery. “We aren’t Aiel, Aviendha. And Mat Cauthon is a thorn in the foot to everybody he meets.�
But Elayne was nodding. “I see. You are right, Aviendha. But what must we do? You will have to help me, near-sister. I don’t intend to try to become Aiel, but I . . . I want you to be proud of me.�
“We will not apologize!� Nynaeve snapped.
“I have pride in knowing you,� Aviendha said, touching Elayne’s cheek lightly. “An apology is a beginning, yet not enough to meet toh, now.�
“Are you listening to me?� Nynaeve demanded. “I said, I will—not—apologize!”�
and
“Nynaeve quivered. “Don’t you take that tone with me!� she shouted. “I tell you, I’m not angry! Do you hear me?�
“Blood and ashes, Nynaeve,� Mat growled. “He doesn’t think you’re angry. I don’t think you’re angry.� A good thing women had taught him to lie with a straight face. “Now could we go upstairs and fetch this bloody Bowl of the Winds?�
These are just a few examples; I took a break from the series for a few months before reading A Crown of Swords, thinking by doing this, I would be able to tolerate their antics and insanity better as I did in The Fires of Heaven and Lord of Chaos, but I failed. The Aes Sedai and the three Powerpuff Girls aggravated me way too much. Nynaeve's thick-headedness has reached a new height in A Crown of Swords that not even Wolverine's Adamantium claw can pierce the hardness of her brain. Many readers who disliked Nynaeve have told me they grew to like her by the last few books of the series, and I look forward to reaching that point. What annoyed me further about the women characters in the series is how they all felt like caricatures; very few exceptions aside, it felt like Jordan prepared bullet points on how infuriating women should behave in his books. Then he made them all follow these bullet points.
“Usually when a woman was in the wrong, she could find so many things to blame on the nearest man that he wound up thinking maybe he really was at fault. In his experience, old memories or new, there were only two times a woman admitted she was wrong: when she wanted something, and when it snowed at midsummer.�
And the result? The women in this series and this book are barely distinguishable from one another. No distinctive voice was given, and their personalities revolved around one trait: hate and blame men for everything, maybe except for the one they want to bang. Actually, scratch that. They count, too. Look, I get it. Finding ways to cooperate is one of the main themes of the series. But these characters, some of the men here, too, did not even act like real people. Don't even get me started on the sniffing. The women constantly sniffed so loud, as if they lost their sense of smell due to Covid 19. And the book lacked a coherent focus on what matters in the story. PHAW! There were too many Aes Sedai, too. None of them ever felt important. I forgot their names already by now. This is a book that centers around politics, and yet, they relentlessly bicker about nothing consequential. All the time.
Picture: A Crown of Swords by Tyler Jacobson
Even Cadsuane, an oddly completely new character introduced in A Crown of Swords, has a more distinct and intimidating presence when compared to the other Aes Sedai in the series. It is odd because she is supposed to be a legendary Aes Sedai, but she was never mentioned in the past six books. This might not be the same opinion as I move forward with the series, but at this moment, I surprisingly liked having the dynamic that Cadsuane brings into the story. But enough ranting. As I said in my review for The Fires of Heaven and Lord of Chaos, Min seems to be the only genuinely kind-hearted woman in the series so far. I am happy she appeared relatively frequently in this book. Min seems to be the only character that does not drive Rand insane, and I appreciate having a character like her so much. As you can probably tell from my review of the past three installments, my investment in the series lies heavily on Rand al’Thor and Mat's POV chapters. These two characters greatly enhanced The Fires of Heaven and Lord of Chaos for me. I know it is shocking that in a series with SO MANY characters, I found only these two POV characters, along with the Ashaman, the Forsaken, and the world-building, to be the only anchor I have with the series. But it is the truth. The less we have Rand and Mat in the lead, the less invested I am in the book. Rand's struggle with his role as The Dragon Reborn and the madness threatening to consume him never gets old. And Mat's last chapter in this book was an intense cliffhanger that increased my excitement to read the next book soon, even if I know I won't for a few months.
“Saidin tried to destroy him. Saidin filled him to overflowing with vitality. It threatened to bury him, and it enticed him. The war for survival, the struggle to avoid being consumed, magnified the joy of pure life. So sweet even with the foulness. What would it be like, clean? Beyond imagining. He wanted to draw more, draw all there was.�
In the end, A Crown of Swords was a vast downgrade from The Fires of Heaven and Lord of Chaos. I wish it wasn't the case, but it is one of the weakest books in the series so far. It is such a shame. I cannot emphasize this highly enough. The Wheel of Time is a series with incredible world-building and lore. These are included in the narrative, and I get so pumped up every time I think about the scope of the world, conflict, and prophecies Jordan has implemented into the series. As I said, Rand and Mat remain a favorite of mine, and I am seriously looking forward to reading the development of their story and character. Unfortunately, the greatness of The Wheel of Time, especially in this book, is plagued by many frustrating and glaring issues like the ones I discussed above. Although I found the first and last quarter of the book relatively page-turning, I was also disappointed by how the long-awaited confrontation in the final chapter of A Crown of Swords was concluded. The battle and the chapter itself were so cool, but its conclusion felt so anti-climactic, to say the least. I wish we get more scenes designated toward building momentum leading to this kind of pivotal battle instead of verbose descriptions and women being angry and bickering about insignificant matters for hundreds of pages, dragging the pacing extensively. I will take three or four months' break before I read the sequel, The Path of Daggers. I sincerely hope The Path of Daggers will be better than A Crown of Swords, but I do not think it is safe to get my hope up. I planned to read until the ninth book this year, but we shall see whether that's achievable. After all, a man can plan, but the wheel weaves as the wheel wills.
“As the plow breaks the earth shall he break the lives of men, and all that was shall be consumed in the fire of his eyes. The trumpets of war shall sound at his footsteps, the ravens feed at his voice, and he shall wear a crown of swords. The Prophecies of the Dragon gave little hope for anything except victory over the Dark One, and only a chance of that.�
You can order this book from: |
You can find and the rest of my reviews at | I also have a
Special thanks to my Patrons on for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Anastasia, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Brad, Cade, Casey, Chris, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Kristina, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Miracle, Nicholas, Radiah, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Teri, Tori, Tracy, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
June 4, 2022
Another highly enjoyable adventure, but this time with a much slower pace.
This was yet again a fun journey with characters that are now well known, and loved. At this point in the series, the writing style is highly familiar and you really know what sort of book you are going to get from a storytelling perspective. While reading, I really got the sense that Robert Jordan could take these characters anywhere, and it would be a fun experience.
Unfortunately, the plot development in this book has hit a low point for the series. This book was mostly about character development, which is something I normally give high praise to, but felt a bit unnecessary with how much we already know about all these characters.
My favorite parts from this book were the side POVs from random side characters and bad guys. They are a great way to mix in different perspectives and really give you the grand sense of worldbuilding that you have come to expect from Robert Jordan. Few fantasy authors, even know, let you have an inside view into so many different characters and it is highly appreciated.
I had a great time reading this book, and while the ending was a bit repetitive I do find myself extremely eager to continue on with this series.
April 10, 2018
I'm loving them more as I go along 🖤
September 24, 2018
When I read the prologue I thought this would be better than it's predecessor, after all it had such a great start but how wrong I was. What started as an amazing start soon turned into a slow bullock cart, picking speed only at occasions.
I think I have made peace with the women in this story. Nothing can change them (hoping against hope Sanderson did a better job when he wrote the final books). They will always make me angry, cringe, exasperated, and irritated with their antics, and I have to accept them as they are if I want to keep on reading this story.
This book introduces a lot of new characters, of which Cadsuane Melaidhrine impressed me the most. She had this aura of mystery around her. Almost everyone was so eager to please her or at least not to be on her wrong side. I am eager to know more of her powers and role she's going to play in Rand's campaign against the Dark Lord.
In so many ways this book belongs to Matrim Cauthon. First he was always there to rescue me when the girls became unbearable with their cat fights or too high opinion of themselves lend them into trouble. He was always there to play the hero and gave us some much needed light moments. His character developed a lot in this book and him forgiving Nynaeve and Elyane; and then helping and protecting them on their mission, was a big step on his part. Even if he was following Rand's orders, there were times when he volunteered for some dangerous tasks.
Even after being slow events of this book surely moved the story forward and it will be interesting to what happens in the next book.
I think I have made peace with the women in this story. Nothing can change them (hoping against hope Sanderson did a better job when he wrote the final books). They will always make me angry, cringe, exasperated, and irritated with their antics, and I have to accept them as they are if I want to keep on reading this story.
This book introduces a lot of new characters, of which Cadsuane Melaidhrine impressed me the most. She had this aura of mystery around her. Almost everyone was so eager to please her or at least not to be on her wrong side. I am eager to know more of her powers and role she's going to play in Rand's campaign against the Dark Lord.
In so many ways this book belongs to Matrim Cauthon. First he was always there to rescue me when the girls became unbearable with their cat fights or too high opinion of themselves lend them into trouble. He was always there to play the hero and gave us some much needed light moments. His character developed a lot in this book and him forgiving Nynaeve and Elyane; and then helping and protecting them on their mission, was a big step on his part. Even if he was following Rand's orders, there were times when he volunteered for some dangerous tasks.
Even after being slow events of this book surely moved the story forward and it will be interesting to what happens in the next book.
September 5, 2019
If someone ever wanted to make the case against men writing women, they would probably find Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time" a treasure trove.* Perhaps the biggest problem in this series is Jordan's representation of women. Because they are so typically presented as "strong female characters," they lack depth and sometimes become, well, irritating.
Let's get right into it. There is a great deal of titillating temptation, haughty sniffing, and blushing modesty/ immodesty that I suspect many readers initially found cute and amusing. If nothing else, it's a balance for all that high level world-building suspense. Yes, Rand and the Aes Sedai are powerful and seriously important people, but they remain people. Even our heroes have hormones. Unfortunately, it's ultimately distracting in its repetition. Jordan's obsession with undermining the modesty of Randland's sexual mores (folding arms beneath breasts, disguises that are a bit tight across the chest for our busty heroines, and smouldering gazes appear often) might be more effective if it were more idiosyncratic.
The women are powerful, but their interactions are also a bit one note. These interactions come across as cat fighting, frankly, and it is often worse than silly simply because it happens without exception. When it comes to cat fighting in "The Wheel of Time," there is a surprisingly long list of offenders, but for me, the teaming of Elayne and Nynaeve always means trouble. Elayne is a princess character, and it seems that no matter where she goes or what she does, she will be the center of a great deal of cat fighting. Unfortunately, A Crown of Swords is filled to the brim with Elayne chapters. With Nynaeve, the former princess of a small town, by her side, what's the worst that could happen? Chapter after chapter of cat fighting. The only break readers get from cat fighting is an equally repetitive form of brow beating.
A Crown of Swords should be a pretty cool entry. Rand is preparing an invasion of Illian and a magic battle with a villainous Forsaken (as always: And this time, it's personal). Egwene is trying to gain control of the rebel Aes Sedai. Meanwhile, Mat is running his army, the Band of the Red Hand, and is involved with the Queen of Altara. The Dark One, who is more villainous than his name suggests, has stifled Randland's weather in drought, and in Ebou Dar, Nynaeve and Elayne are searching for a magical device that can bring back the rain in the midst of a host of "strong female cat fighters." Unfortunately, upon first reading, I found the storyline hopelessly dull. Re-reading helped -- perhaps because I knew this would be the last time we'd see Mat for a while -- but I still tend to rate A Crown of Swords one of the weaker novels in the series due to unacceptably high levels of poorly written "strong female characters."
*Good examples of men writing women? Norman Rush's Mating, in which a woman considers her relationships with men, is suitably bizarre. William Gibson's female protagonists are also quite impressive, particularly Cayce Pollard from Pattern Recognition. I note in 2019 that there is now a subreddit called Menwritingwomen.
Let's get right into it. There is a great deal of titillating temptation, haughty sniffing, and blushing modesty/ immodesty that I suspect many readers initially found cute and amusing. If nothing else, it's a balance for all that high level world-building suspense. Yes, Rand and the Aes Sedai are powerful and seriously important people, but they remain people. Even our heroes have hormones. Unfortunately, it's ultimately distracting in its repetition. Jordan's obsession with undermining the modesty of Randland's sexual mores (folding arms beneath breasts, disguises that are a bit tight across the chest for our busty heroines, and smouldering gazes appear often) might be more effective if it were more idiosyncratic.
The women are powerful, but their interactions are also a bit one note. These interactions come across as cat fighting, frankly, and it is often worse than silly simply because it happens without exception. When it comes to cat fighting in "The Wheel of Time," there is a surprisingly long list of offenders, but for me, the teaming of Elayne and Nynaeve always means trouble. Elayne is a princess character, and it seems that no matter where she goes or what she does, she will be the center of a great deal of cat fighting. Unfortunately, A Crown of Swords is filled to the brim with Elayne chapters. With Nynaeve, the former princess of a small town, by her side, what's the worst that could happen? Chapter after chapter of cat fighting. The only break readers get from cat fighting is an equally repetitive form of brow beating.
A Crown of Swords should be a pretty cool entry. Rand is preparing an invasion of Illian and a magic battle with a villainous Forsaken (as always: And this time, it's personal). Egwene is trying to gain control of the rebel Aes Sedai. Meanwhile, Mat is running his army, the Band of the Red Hand, and is involved with the Queen of Altara. The Dark One, who is more villainous than his name suggests, has stifled Randland's weather in drought, and in Ebou Dar, Nynaeve and Elayne are searching for a magical device that can bring back the rain in the midst of a host of "strong female cat fighters." Unfortunately, upon first reading, I found the storyline hopelessly dull. Re-reading helped -- perhaps because I knew this would be the last time we'd see Mat for a while -- but I still tend to rate A Crown of Swords one of the weaker novels in the series due to unacceptably high levels of poorly written "strong female characters."
*Good examples of men writing women? Norman Rush's Mating, in which a woman considers her relationships with men, is suitably bizarre. William Gibson's female protagonists are also quite impressive, particularly Cayce Pollard from Pattern Recognition. I note in 2019 that there is now a subreddit called Menwritingwomen.
February 23, 2016
One fact, though, turned up again and again in those tales. The Laurel Crown of Illian had been given a new name. The Crown of Swords.
And for some reason, men and women who told the tales often found a need to add almost identical words. The storm is coming, they said, staring southward in worry. The storm is coming.
Whooooooosh.
That’s just the sound of the plot development being blown out the window.
A Crown of Swords is the slowest Wheel of Time book so far, by a clear mile. If you think any of the previous books were slow, you’re in for a surprise. But then again, if you’ve started reading this series, or even intend to read it at some point, you’ve probably already been warned several times that yes, this series does become incredibly slow at some point. There’s no need for me to repeat that here.
Nothing happened in this book. So why did I still like it so much? The answer is simple. Because Robert Jordan is the best worldbuilder in fantasy since Tolkien. These last few books in the series have been able to give me a feeling I’ve only had with two works of fantasy before. It’s impossible to describe, but exclusively positive. And that makes me blind to the books� flaws, most importantly the lack of plot development. I don’t care about that. I just want to spend more time in this world.
And finally the protagonists seem to have grown up a bit. Mat is turning into a great character, Egwene has already been awesome for a while, Rand becomes more and more of an interesting protagonist, Nynaeve has improved a lot and even Aviendha is considerably less annoying. I don’t think I hate anyone anymore. Besides Elaida. The Dark One take you, Elaida.
I think I'm in love with this series.
Wheel of Time reviews:
#1 The Eye of the World
#2 The Great Hunt
#3 The Dragon Reborn
#4 The Shadow Rising
#5 The Fires of Heaven
#6 Lord of Chaos
#7 A Crown of Swords
#8 The Path of Daggers
#9 Winter's Heart
#10 Crossroads of Twilight
#11 Knife of Dreams
#12 The Gathering Storm
#13 Towers of Midnight
#14 A Memory of Light
And for some reason, men and women who told the tales often found a need to add almost identical words. The storm is coming, they said, staring southward in worry. The storm is coming.
Whooooooosh.
That’s just the sound of the plot development being blown out the window.
A Crown of Swords is the slowest Wheel of Time book so far, by a clear mile. If you think any of the previous books were slow, you’re in for a surprise. But then again, if you’ve started reading this series, or even intend to read it at some point, you’ve probably already been warned several times that yes, this series does become incredibly slow at some point. There’s no need for me to repeat that here.
Nothing happened in this book. So why did I still like it so much? The answer is simple. Because Robert Jordan is the best worldbuilder in fantasy since Tolkien. These last few books in the series have been able to give me a feeling I’ve only had with two works of fantasy before. It’s impossible to describe, but exclusively positive. And that makes me blind to the books� flaws, most importantly the lack of plot development. I don’t care about that. I just want to spend more time in this world.
And finally the protagonists seem to have grown up a bit. Mat is turning into a great character, Egwene has already been awesome for a while, Rand becomes more and more of an interesting protagonist, Nynaeve has improved a lot and even Aviendha is considerably less annoying. I don’t think I hate anyone anymore. Besides Elaida. The Dark One take you, Elaida.
I think I'm in love with this series.
Wheel of Time reviews:
#1 The Eye of the World
#2 The Great Hunt
#3 The Dragon Reborn
#4 The Shadow Rising
#5 The Fires of Heaven
#6 Lord of Chaos
#7 A Crown of Swords
#8 The Path of Daggers
#9 Winter's Heart
#10 Crossroads of Twilight
#11 Knife of Dreams
#12 The Gathering Storm
#13 Towers of Midnight
#14 A Memory of Light
March 31, 2009
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT .
My reviews of The Wheel of Time novels are getting just as repetitive as the actual books. There's really not much more to say. A Crown of Swords is another long slow installment in which there are too many detailed descriptions of clothing, references to spanking, concerns about bosoms, and people blushing. There are pages and pages which chronicle secondary characters' extensive internal thoughts. But what bugs me most, though, are the constant depictions of people and places as if they have a corporate personality:
"Men strutted arrogantly along the streets with often ragged vests and no shirts, wearing great brass hoops in their ears and brass finger rings set with colored glass, one knife or sometimes two stuck behind their belts. Hands hovering near knives, they stared as though daring someone to give the wrong twist to a look. Others skulked from corner to corner, doorway to doorway with hooded eyes, imitating the slat-ribbed dogs that sometimes snarled from a dark alleyway barely wide enough for a man to squeeze into. Those men hunched over their knives and there was no way to tell which would run and which stab. By and large, the women made any of the men appear humble, parading in worn dresses and twice as much brass jewelry as the men. They carried knives too, of course, and their bold dark eyes sent ten sorts of challenge in every glance ... Children darted from every second door with chipped pottery cups of water, sent by their mothers in case the Wise Women wished a drink. Men with scarred faces and murder etched into their eyes stared openmouthed at seven Wise Women together, then bobbed jerky bows and inquired politely if they could be of assistance, was there anything that required carrying? Women, sometimes with as many scars and always eyes to make Tylin flinch, curtsied awkwardly and breathlessly asked whether they might supply directions, had anyone made a bother of themselves to bring so many Wise Women?"
If I found myself in this place, I'd think it was The Twilight Zone!
I will say, however, that someone must have told Mr Jordan to quit with the braid yanking, because Nynaeve seems to be attempting to stop the habit. Now, if we could just get all of those ladies to stop adjusting their clothes every time they feel any sort of negative emotion... and I'll be happy on the day that an Aes Sedai can walk down the street without making someone flinch, cringe, jump, squeak, drop something, or run away.
With all this detailed description, there's not much time for action. There are only a few significant plot developments. The most important one is an event which we've been waiting for for the last 3 books (at least) which finally occurs very quickly and anti-climatically in the last chapter of this book. But, if you've read this far into The Wheel of Time, that's no surprise, is it? And, if you've read this far, you feel like it's too late to stop now, don't you?
I'm listening to this on audiobook (no patience for the print versions) and I should mention that Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are amazing readers. After all this time, I suppose these characters are almost like family to them, and they've got the personalities down perfectly. Their voices and additions of droll humor really instill some much-needed life into these novels.
Read more
My reviews of The Wheel of Time novels are getting just as repetitive as the actual books. There's really not much more to say. A Crown of Swords is another long slow installment in which there are too many detailed descriptions of clothing, references to spanking, concerns about bosoms, and people blushing. There are pages and pages which chronicle secondary characters' extensive internal thoughts. But what bugs me most, though, are the constant depictions of people and places as if they have a corporate personality:
"Men strutted arrogantly along the streets with often ragged vests and no shirts, wearing great brass hoops in their ears and brass finger rings set with colored glass, one knife or sometimes two stuck behind their belts. Hands hovering near knives, they stared as though daring someone to give the wrong twist to a look. Others skulked from corner to corner, doorway to doorway with hooded eyes, imitating the slat-ribbed dogs that sometimes snarled from a dark alleyway barely wide enough for a man to squeeze into. Those men hunched over their knives and there was no way to tell which would run and which stab. By and large, the women made any of the men appear humble, parading in worn dresses and twice as much brass jewelry as the men. They carried knives too, of course, and their bold dark eyes sent ten sorts of challenge in every glance ... Children darted from every second door with chipped pottery cups of water, sent by their mothers in case the Wise Women wished a drink. Men with scarred faces and murder etched into their eyes stared openmouthed at seven Wise Women together, then bobbed jerky bows and inquired politely if they could be of assistance, was there anything that required carrying? Women, sometimes with as many scars and always eyes to make Tylin flinch, curtsied awkwardly and breathlessly asked whether they might supply directions, had anyone made a bother of themselves to bring so many Wise Women?"
If I found myself in this place, I'd think it was The Twilight Zone!
I will say, however, that someone must have told Mr Jordan to quit with the braid yanking, because Nynaeve seems to be attempting to stop the habit. Now, if we could just get all of those ladies to stop adjusting their clothes every time they feel any sort of negative emotion... and I'll be happy on the day that an Aes Sedai can walk down the street without making someone flinch, cringe, jump, squeak, drop something, or run away.
With all this detailed description, there's not much time for action. There are only a few significant plot developments. The most important one is an event which we've been waiting for for the last 3 books (at least) which finally occurs very quickly and anti-climatically in the last chapter of this book. But, if you've read this far into The Wheel of Time, that's no surprise, is it? And, if you've read this far, you feel like it's too late to stop now, don't you?
I'm listening to this on audiobook (no patience for the print versions) and I should mention that Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are amazing readers. After all this time, I suppose these characters are almost like family to them, and they've got the personalities down perfectly. Their voices and additions of droll humor really instill some much-needed life into these novels.
Read more
August 2, 2016
Month 7 means book 7 of the Wheel of Time series with the Hard Core Fantasy buffs at Buddies Books and Baubles
The Wheel of Time and I have an interesting relationship. Almost all of the characters totally infuriate me but I love the writing, cultures, world building and overall plots so even when in this book everything moves at a snail’s pace and almost nothing really happens plot wise I’m still thoroughly entertained and enjoy most of the story. But seriously the plot is moving along like this�.
But here is what I’ve learned during my time with the Wheel.
� - The Wheel Weaves as the Wheel Wills.
What does this mean exactly? Well it pretty much means that at any time anything can happen. Especially with Ta’veren about to increase the chances that the pattern will adjust to their needs at anytime.
� - There will be a prophecy or five and it will probably not go exactly how you think.
Although most of this one could go like I think, the part about the Black Tower is still very up in the air.
� - If you are from the Two Rivers then you are more likely to distrust the people you grew up with and completely trust someone who is most likely a darkfriend. Seriously this is that part that frustrates me the most. Rand, Mat and Perrin were best of friends growing up. Thick as thieves all of their lives. Now each is Ta’vern and has a specific part to play in the final battles to come and they are more likely to distrust each other than to try to help each other out. Actually often times when they do help each other it is by complete accident.
And the women they grew up with Egwene and Nynaeve it is the same issue. You would almost think they were enemies the way they all treat one another instead of people who were close in a small village and grew up together.
But throw a darkfriend or Forsaken in the midst of them and that is almost always the person they decide to trust with a ridiculous amount of information and power.
� - If you can channel the one power then you lose some form of common sense. I seriously think that there is only a small section of Aes Sedai that I like. For the most part they seem far too arrogant and self-serving to actually get anything done. Even the ones I do/did like tend to go to extremes and I really want to smack them.
� - The details for the cultures and places is going to be fantastic and rich. You will definitely see not only the great differences but also the nuances between the Aiel, Domani, the Sea Folk and Seanchan. There are rich histories and reasons that each culture evolved as it did. This is really Jordan’s strong suit. He completely struggles a little with interpersonal relationships but the world building is impeccable.
Even though this book barely moved any portion of the plot forward I still enjoyed most of it. There were a lot of great parts and fantastic characters. I did have a huge problem with one section thought and I’m totally going to go off on it for a second.
As I said before, Jordan struggles with interpersonal relationships. Often for our main characters the jump from just meeting to being in love is really short and has very little page time dedicated to the buildup of an actual relationship. But in this book he really missed his mark with the character development he was trying to give Mat.
What I believe Jordan was trying to do. Mat is a bit of a skirt chaser but we always get the sense that the skirts want to be chased and everyone is having a good time. But when Jordan tried to turn the tables on Mat and have a woman in power go after his attentions it is supposed to come off as a little funny and haha Mat how does it feel to have the tables turned. This is needed to set him up to be more receptive to the Daughter of the Nine Moons who he was prophesized to marry eventually. It was supposed to be cute and maybe a little
What actually happened or at least how I saw it was totally and completely rape.
It was very poorly portrayed and if it was the man on the other end it would definitely totally be rape without question.
If I didn’t think that it was totally not his intention to portray it in a comical sense I might have given up right there. Especially after how Elayne and Nynaeve treat the situation. But I’ll give Jordan a pass since all of the romantic entanglements have been handled almost as equally poorly.
Best New Friendship Award - Goes to Mat and Birgetta. I love those two on page together. I’m glad Mat has one woman in his life that he likes to hang out with and isn’t interested in kissing.
Non-Evil Character I want to push off a Cliff - This still goes to Elayne. The haughty daughter heir still drives me a bit crazy. She is a bit better with Avienda around to teach her Toh but I still don’t like her.
Overall
I’m still in it to win it and I was warned there would be a few slower books so I am prepared for them. Even though my review is a bit critical I really do like most of the characters when they are not being stupid to one another and like the intensity of the bad guys and the overall march to kill the dark one eventually. The Cultures, Magic and Mayhem make this series.
The Wheel of Time and I have an interesting relationship. Almost all of the characters totally infuriate me but I love the writing, cultures, world building and overall plots so even when in this book everything moves at a snail’s pace and almost nothing really happens plot wise I’m still thoroughly entertained and enjoy most of the story. But seriously the plot is moving along like this�.
But here is what I’ve learned during my time with the Wheel.
� - The Wheel Weaves as the Wheel Wills.
What does this mean exactly? Well it pretty much means that at any time anything can happen. Especially with Ta’veren about to increase the chances that the pattern will adjust to their needs at anytime.
“Untamed men are often the most interesting. To talk to.�
A finger outlined his lips. “An untamed rogue who travels with Aes Sedai, a ta’veren who, I think, makes them a little afraid. Uneasy, at the least. It takes a man with a strong liver to make Aes Sedai uneasy. How will you bend the Pattern in Ebou Dar, just Mat Cauthon?�
� - There will be a prophecy or five and it will probably not go exactly how you think.
“The White Tower will be whole again, except for remnants cast out and scorned,
whole and stronger than ever. Rand al’Thor will face the Amyrlin Seat and know her anger. The Black Tower will be rent in blood and fire, and sisters will walk its grounds. This I Foretell.�
Although most of this one could go like I think, the part about the Black Tower is still very up in the air.
� - If you are from the Two Rivers then you are more likely to distrust the people you grew up with and completely trust someone who is most likely a darkfriend. Seriously this is that part that frustrates me the most. Rand, Mat and Perrin were best of friends growing up. Thick as thieves all of their lives. Now each is Ta’vern and has a specific part to play in the final battles to come and they are more likely to distrust each other than to try to help each other out. Actually often times when they do help each other it is by complete accident.
And the women they grew up with Egwene and Nynaeve it is the same issue. You would almost think they were enemies the way they all treat one another instead of people who were close in a small village and grew up together.
But throw a darkfriend or Forsaken in the midst of them and that is almost always the person they decide to trust with a ridiculous amount of information and power.
� - If you can channel the one power then you lose some form of common sense. I seriously think that there is only a small section of Aes Sedai that I like. For the most part they seem far too arrogant and self-serving to actually get anything done. Even the ones I do/did like tend to go to extremes and I really want to smack them.
Mixing with Aes Sedai was too much like wading the streams in the Waterwood near to the Mire. However peaceful the surface, currents beneath could snatch you off your feet.
� - The details for the cultures and places is going to be fantastic and rich. You will definitely see not only the great differences but also the nuances between the Aiel, Domani, the Sea Folk and Seanchan. There are rich histories and reasons that each culture evolved as it did. This is really Jordan’s strong suit. He completely struggles a little with interpersonal relationships but the world building is impeccable.
Even though this book barely moved any portion of the plot forward I still enjoyed most of it. There were a lot of great parts and fantastic characters. I did have a huge problem with one section thought and I’m totally going to go off on it for a second.
As I said before, Jordan struggles with interpersonal relationships. Often for our main characters the jump from just meeting to being in love is really short and has very little page time dedicated to the buildup of an actual relationship. But in this book he really missed his mark with the character development he was trying to give Mat.
What I believe Jordan was trying to do. Mat is a bit of a skirt chaser but we always get the sense that the skirts want to be chased and everyone is having a good time. But when Jordan tried to turn the tables on Mat and have a woman in power go after his attentions it is supposed to come off as a little funny and haha Mat how does it feel to have the tables turned. This is needed to set him up to be more receptive to the Daughter of the Nine Moons who he was prophesized to marry eventually. It was supposed to be cute and maybe a little
What actually happened or at least how I saw it was totally and completely rape.
It was very poorly portrayed and if it was the man on the other end it would definitely totally be rape without question.
If I didn’t think that it was totally not his intention to portray it in a comical sense I might have given up right there. Especially after how Elayne and Nynaeve treat the situation. But I’ll give Jordan a pass since all of the romantic entanglements have been handled almost as equally poorly.
Best New Friendship Award - Goes to Mat and Birgetta. I love those two on page together. I’m glad Mat has one woman in his life that he likes to hang out with and isn’t interested in kissing.
Non-Evil Character I want to push off a Cliff - This still goes to Elayne. The haughty daughter heir still drives me a bit crazy. She is a bit better with Avienda around to teach her Toh but I still don’t like her.
Overall
I’m still in it to win it and I was warned there would be a few slower books so I am prepared for them. Even though my review is a bit critical I really do like most of the characters when they are not being stupid to one another and like the intensity of the bad guys and the overall march to kill the dark one eventually. The Cultures, Magic and Mayhem make this series.
March 5, 2021
A Crown of Swords (Wheel of Time, #7), Robert Jordan
A Crown of Swords is a fantasy novel by American author Robert Jordan, the seventh book of The Wheel of Time. It was published by Tor Books and released on May 15, 1996. A Crown of Swords consists of a prologue and 41 chapters.
A Crown of Swords has three primary plotlines:
Plotline I: Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, prepares to attack the Forsaken Sammael in Illian while enjoying life with his friend, Min Farshaw, and attempting to quell the rebellion by nobles in Cairhien, during which Padan Fain severely injures him.
After recovering, Rand, accompanied by Asha'man, defeats Sammael in Shadar Logoth, where Sammael is destroyed by Mashadar. Rand then takes the crown of Illian: formerly the Laurel Crown, but now called the 'Crown of Swords'.
Plotline II: Egwene al'Vere and Siuan Sanche attempt to manipulate the Aes Sedai in Salidar against Elaida's Aes Sedai in the White Tower. Investigating Myrelle Berengari, Egwene exploits the transfer of Lan Mandragoran's Warder bond from Moiraine to Myrelle, to force Myrelle and Nisao to swear fealty to her.
Plotline III: In the city of Ebou Dar in Altara, Elayne Trakand, Nynaeve al'Meara, Aviendha, and Mat Cauthon search for a ter'angreal, the Bowl of the Winds, to break the unnatural heat brought by the Dark One's manipulation of climate.
They find it and enlist the help of the Kin and the Atha'an Miere. They also confront a Gholam. Mat is left behind and caught in the fighting as the Seanchan invade Ebou Dar.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز پنجم ماه آوریل سال 2019میلادی
عنوان: سری چرخ زمان کتاب هفتم: تاج شمشیرها؛ نویسنده: رابرت جردن؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20م
چرخ زمان رمانهایی از نوع «خیالپرداز� حماسی (اپیک)» هستند، که توسط نویسنده «آمریکایی»، «جیمز الیور ریگنی جونیور» با تخلص «رابرت جوردن» نگاشته شده اند� «چرخ زمان» قرار بود یک مجموعه ی شش جلدی باشد، اما «جردن» آن را به دوازده کتاب، و سپس به چهارده کتاب و یک پیش درآمد، افزایش داد؛ «جوردن» در سال 1984میلادی آغاز به نگارش نخستین کتاب از این سری، با نام «چشم جهان» نمودند، که آن را، در ماه ژانویه سال 1990میلادی منتشر کردند؛ «جردن» پیش از پایان یافتن جلد دوازدهم، از سری در سال 2007میلادی، به علت بیماری قلبی در گذشتند؛ و در همان سال، همسر ایشان پس از خوانش «زاده مه، اثر برندن سندرسون»؛ ایشان را برای پایان دادن کتاب برگزیدند؛ «سندرسون» با خوانش یادداشتها� «جردن»، به این نتیجه رسیدند، که یک جلد برای پایان کار سری کافی نیست، و به همسر «جردن» پیشنهاد دادند، که در سه جلد کتاب را به پایان برسانند، که مورد موافقت همسر «جردن» قرار گرفت، و اینگونه «چرخ زمان» در نهایت چهارده جلدی شد؛ در این سری از اسطوره� ها، و مکاتب گوناگونی همانند «بوداییسم»، «هندوئیسم»، «فرهنگ اروپایی»، «مفاهیم متافیزیکی تعادل و ثنویت»، «احترام به طبیعت که در فلسفه تائوئیسم» یافت میشود� «اسطوره شناس� آسیایی و اسلامی» استفاده شده است� به علاوه در این رمان، اسم واقعی «اهریمن»، شیطان عنوان شده، که یک کلمه عربی است، و در بیان کلام اسلامی، به عنوان نام «شیطان» استفاده میشود� همچنین بخشی از آن، از کتاب «جنگ و صلح (1869میلادی)» به قلم «لئو تولستوی» الهام گرفته شده اس�
کتابهای این سری: «بهار نو (2004میلادی) (به عنوان پیشدرآم� و بیست سال پیش از رخدادهای نخستین رمان)»؛ کتاب نخست: «چشم جهان (1990میلادی)»؛ کتاب دوم: «شکار بزرگ (1990میلادی)»؛ کتاب سوم: «تجلی اژدها (1991میلادی)»؛ کتاب چهارم: «قیام سایهه� (1992میلادی)»؛ کتاب پنجم: «شعلهها� بهشت (1993میلادی)»؛ کتاب ششم: «ارباب آشفتگی (1995میلادی)»؛ کتاب هفتم: «تاج شمشیرها (1996میلادی)»؛ کتاب هشتم: «گذرگاه خنجرها (1998میلادی)»؛ کتاب نهم: «قلب زمستان (2000میلادی)»؛ کتاب دهم: «چهارراه شامگاهی (2003میلادی)»؛ کتاب یازدهم: «چاقوی رؤیا (2005میلادی)»؛ کتاب دوازدهم: «گرد آمدن طوفان (2009میلادی)»؛ کتاب سیزدهم: «برجها� نیمه شب (2010)»؛ کتاب چهاردهم: «یادآوری از روشنایی (2012میلادی)»؛
بازگویی داستانهای این سری، از سه� هزار سال پس از «شکاندن جهان» روی میدهد� که به «عصر افسانه� ها» (که روزگاری بسیار پیشرفته بود) پایان داد؛ در روایتها، فناوری، و ساختارهای اجتماعی جهان، به اروپای «رنسانس» شباهت دارند، با این تفاوت که کفه ی «عدالت اجتماعی»، به سود زنان، سنگینت� شده است، و برخی جوامع، «زنسالار� هستند؛ در طی رویدادهای بازگویی داستان، رویدادهایی همانند «انقلاب صنعتی» در برخی از ملل داستان، روی میده�
صحنهٔ اصلی رویدادهای سری، بخش غربی قاره ا� بزرگ است، که نام آن در متون اصیل، ذکر نشده� است، ولی «رابرت جردن» در گفتگوهایش از آن با عنوان «وستلندز� یاد کرده اند� در «وستلندز»� که از شرق، با رشته کوه� محاط است، چندین پادشاهی و دولت-شهر هست؛ در شرق این رشته کوه� بیابانی موسوم به «برهوت آئیل» قرار دارد، که ساکنین آن را، قبیله ها� و جوامع جنگجوی «آئیل»، تشکیل میدهند� که در سکونتگاههای� کوچک زندگی میکنند� در شرق «برهوت آئیل»، کشور بزرگ ،و منزوی «شارا» قرار دارد، که با رشته کوه� بزرگوار، و منطقه ا� غیرقابل عبور� از «برهوت آئیل»، جدا میشود� سراسر محدودهٔ شمالی این سه منطقه (وستلندز� برهوت آئیل، و شارا) را، «پژمردگی کبیر» فرا گرفته است� که بیابانی آلوده، و شیطانی است؛ در غرب «وستلندز� و آنسوی اقیانوسِ «مونرال»، قارهٔ «شانچن� قرار دارد، که عرض غرب به شرقش از قارهٔ دیگر کمتر است، ولی از قطب شمال، تا قطب جنوب کشیده شده است� قارهٔ «شانچن»� با آبراهه ا� به دو قسمت شمالی و جنوبی، تقسیم شده است� این آبراهه، اقیانوس «مونرال» را، به اقیانوس «آریت» متصل میکند� در شمالیتری� بخش قسمت شمالی «شانچن»� «پژمردگی صغیر» واقع شده است� که با «پژمردگی کبیر» طول جغرافیایی یکسانی دارد؛ در آغاز داستان «چرخ زمان»، ساکنان «وستلندز»� از وجود «شانچن� بیخب� هستند؛ دنیای «چرخ زمان رابرت جردن» در نیمکره� جنوبی قاره� ای کوچک، موسوم به «سرزمین دیوانگان» قرار دارد، ولی در سری اصلی از آن سخنی نرفته اس�
روایتهای این سری چهارده گانه در پایان «عصر سوم» روی میدهند� «عصر سوم» با «شکاندن جهان» آغاز میشود� که پایان بخ� «عصر افسانه� ها» بود؛ «عصر افسانه� ها» در پی «عصر نخست» میآید� «عصر نخست» به� صورت ضمنی، بر جهان کنونی دلالت دارد، و نام برخی از شخصیتها� اسطوره ا� آن، در خلال سری چهارده گانه آمده است� که «السبت، ملکهٔ همگان (اشاره به الیزابت دوم)» و «ماترز درمانگر (اشاره به مادر ترزا)» از آن دسته هستند؛
در عصر سوم در «وستلندز»� رویدادی تاریخی و بزرگ روی داد: نخست «جنگها� ترالک»، که در آن هزار سال پس از «شکاندن جهان» موجوداتی، «��هان انسانی» را تقریبا نابود میکنند� و سپس ظهور «آرتور هاوکوینگ� که هزار سال، پس از جنگها� «ترالک»، «وستلندز� را فتح، و متحد کرد، ولی وارثی نداشت، و «جنگها� صدساله» پس از مرگ او، بر سر تقسیم قلمروش درگرفت؛ در پی هر یک از این دو رویداد، تقسیمها� سیاسی، و ساختار ملل «وستلندز»� به� کلی دیگر شد؛ زبان کهن (که در عصر افسانه� ها رایج بود) در زمان روایت داستانهای این سری زبانی مرده است، و تنها برخی پژوهندگان و اشرافزادگا� با آن زبان سخن میگویند
کتاب هفتم دارای سه طرح اصلی است: در طرح نخست: «رند التور» اژدها متولد شده، و با دوست خود، «مین فرشاو»، برای سرکوب شورش اشراف در «کایرهین» تلاش، و برای حمله به «ساممائل» رها شده در «ایلیان» آماده میشود، که طی آن «پادان فاین» او را به شدت زخمی میکند؛ پس از بهبودی، «رند» با همراهی «اشعمان»، «ساممائل» را در «شادار لوگوت» شکست میدهد، جایی که «ساممائل» توسط «مشهادار» نابود میشود، «رند» سپس «تاج ایلیان» را به دست میگیرد که پیشتر تاج «لورل» بود، اما اکنون «تاج شمشیر» نامیده میشود
و ...؛ این کتاب هزاران شخصیت دارد که خوانشگر مدام باید دایرة المعارف خود از شخصیتها را برای آگاهی و مراجعه ی خویش بنویسد
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 14/12/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
A Crown of Swords is a fantasy novel by American author Robert Jordan, the seventh book of The Wheel of Time. It was published by Tor Books and released on May 15, 1996. A Crown of Swords consists of a prologue and 41 chapters.
A Crown of Swords has three primary plotlines:
Plotline I: Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, prepares to attack the Forsaken Sammael in Illian while enjoying life with his friend, Min Farshaw, and attempting to quell the rebellion by nobles in Cairhien, during which Padan Fain severely injures him.
After recovering, Rand, accompanied by Asha'man, defeats Sammael in Shadar Logoth, where Sammael is destroyed by Mashadar. Rand then takes the crown of Illian: formerly the Laurel Crown, but now called the 'Crown of Swords'.
Plotline II: Egwene al'Vere and Siuan Sanche attempt to manipulate the Aes Sedai in Salidar against Elaida's Aes Sedai in the White Tower. Investigating Myrelle Berengari, Egwene exploits the transfer of Lan Mandragoran's Warder bond from Moiraine to Myrelle, to force Myrelle and Nisao to swear fealty to her.
Plotline III: In the city of Ebou Dar in Altara, Elayne Trakand, Nynaeve al'Meara, Aviendha, and Mat Cauthon search for a ter'angreal, the Bowl of the Winds, to break the unnatural heat brought by the Dark One's manipulation of climate.
They find it and enlist the help of the Kin and the Atha'an Miere. They also confront a Gholam. Mat is left behind and caught in the fighting as the Seanchan invade Ebou Dar.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز پنجم ماه آوریل سال 2019میلادی
عنوان: سری چرخ زمان کتاب هفتم: تاج شمشیرها؛ نویسنده: رابرت جردن؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20م
چرخ زمان رمانهایی از نوع «خیالپرداز� حماسی (اپیک)» هستند، که توسط نویسنده «آمریکایی»، «جیمز الیور ریگنی جونیور» با تخلص «رابرت جوردن» نگاشته شده اند� «چرخ زمان» قرار بود یک مجموعه ی شش جلدی باشد، اما «جردن» آن را به دوازده کتاب، و سپس به چهارده کتاب و یک پیش درآمد، افزایش داد؛ «جوردن» در سال 1984میلادی آغاز به نگارش نخستین کتاب از این سری، با نام «چشم جهان» نمودند، که آن را، در ماه ژانویه سال 1990میلادی منتشر کردند؛ «جردن» پیش از پایان یافتن جلد دوازدهم، از سری در سال 2007میلادی، به علت بیماری قلبی در گذشتند؛ و در همان سال، همسر ایشان پس از خوانش «زاده مه، اثر برندن سندرسون»؛ ایشان را برای پایان دادن کتاب برگزیدند؛ «سندرسون» با خوانش یادداشتها� «جردن»، به این نتیجه رسیدند، که یک جلد برای پایان کار سری کافی نیست، و به همسر «جردن» پیشنهاد دادند، که در سه جلد کتاب را به پایان برسانند، که مورد موافقت همسر «جردن» قرار گرفت، و اینگونه «چرخ زمان» در نهایت چهارده جلدی شد؛ در این سری از اسطوره� ها، و مکاتب گوناگونی همانند «بوداییسم»، «هندوئیسم»، «فرهنگ اروپایی»، «مفاهیم متافیزیکی تعادل و ثنویت»، «احترام به طبیعت که در فلسفه تائوئیسم» یافت میشود� «اسطوره شناس� آسیایی و اسلامی» استفاده شده است� به علاوه در این رمان، اسم واقعی «اهریمن»، شیطان عنوان شده، که یک کلمه عربی است، و در بیان کلام اسلامی، به عنوان نام «شیطان» استفاده میشود� همچنین بخشی از آن، از کتاب «جنگ و صلح (1869میلادی)» به قلم «لئو تولستوی» الهام گرفته شده اس�
کتابهای این سری: «بهار نو (2004میلادی) (به عنوان پیشدرآم� و بیست سال پیش از رخدادهای نخستین رمان)»؛ کتاب نخست: «چشم جهان (1990میلادی)»؛ کتاب دوم: «شکار بزرگ (1990میلادی)»؛ کتاب سوم: «تجلی اژدها (1991میلادی)»؛ کتاب چهارم: «قیام سایهه� (1992میلادی)»؛ کتاب پنجم: «شعلهها� بهشت (1993میلادی)»؛ کتاب ششم: «ارباب آشفتگی (1995میلادی)»؛ کتاب هفتم: «تاج شمشیرها (1996میلادی)»؛ کتاب هشتم: «گذرگاه خنجرها (1998میلادی)»؛ کتاب نهم: «قلب زمستان (2000میلادی)»؛ کتاب دهم: «چهارراه شامگاهی (2003میلادی)»؛ کتاب یازدهم: «چاقوی رؤیا (2005میلادی)»؛ کتاب دوازدهم: «گرد آمدن طوفان (2009میلادی)»؛ کتاب سیزدهم: «برجها� نیمه شب (2010)»؛ کتاب چهاردهم: «یادآوری از روشنایی (2012میلادی)»؛
بازگویی داستانهای این سری، از سه� هزار سال پس از «شکاندن جهان» روی میدهد� که به «عصر افسانه� ها» (که روزگاری بسیار پیشرفته بود) پایان داد؛ در روایتها، فناوری، و ساختارهای اجتماعی جهان، به اروپای «رنسانس» شباهت دارند، با این تفاوت که کفه ی «عدالت اجتماعی»، به سود زنان، سنگینت� شده است، و برخی جوامع، «زنسالار� هستند؛ در طی رویدادهای بازگویی داستان، رویدادهایی همانند «انقلاب صنعتی» در برخی از ملل داستان، روی میده�
صحنهٔ اصلی رویدادهای سری، بخش غربی قاره ا� بزرگ است، که نام آن در متون اصیل، ذکر نشده� است، ولی «رابرت جردن» در گفتگوهایش از آن با عنوان «وستلندز� یاد کرده اند� در «وستلندز»� که از شرق، با رشته کوه� محاط است، چندین پادشاهی و دولت-شهر هست؛ در شرق این رشته کوه� بیابانی موسوم به «برهوت آئیل» قرار دارد، که ساکنین آن را، قبیله ها� و جوامع جنگجوی «آئیل»، تشکیل میدهند� که در سکونتگاههای� کوچک زندگی میکنند� در شرق «برهوت آئیل»، کشور بزرگ ،و منزوی «شارا» قرار دارد، که با رشته کوه� بزرگوار، و منطقه ا� غیرقابل عبور� از «برهوت آئیل»، جدا میشود� سراسر محدودهٔ شمالی این سه منطقه (وستلندز� برهوت آئیل، و شارا) را، «پژمردگی کبیر» فرا گرفته است� که بیابانی آلوده، و شیطانی است؛ در غرب «وستلندز� و آنسوی اقیانوسِ «مونرال»، قارهٔ «شانچن� قرار دارد، که عرض غرب به شرقش از قارهٔ دیگر کمتر است، ولی از قطب شمال، تا قطب جنوب کشیده شده است� قارهٔ «شانچن»� با آبراهه ا� به دو قسمت شمالی و جنوبی، تقسیم شده است� این آبراهه، اقیانوس «مونرال» را، به اقیانوس «آریت» متصل میکند� در شمالیتری� بخش قسمت شمالی «شانچن»� «پژمردگی صغیر» واقع شده است� که با «پژمردگی کبیر» طول جغرافیایی یکسانی دارد؛ در آغاز داستان «چرخ زمان»، ساکنان «وستلندز»� از وجود «شانچن� بیخب� هستند؛ دنیای «چرخ زمان رابرت جردن» در نیمکره� جنوبی قاره� ای کوچک، موسوم به «سرزمین دیوانگان» قرار دارد، ولی در سری اصلی از آن سخنی نرفته اس�
روایتهای این سری چهارده گانه در پایان «عصر سوم» روی میدهند� «عصر سوم» با «شکاندن جهان» آغاز میشود� که پایان بخ� «عصر افسانه� ها» بود؛ «عصر افسانه� ها» در پی «عصر نخست» میآید� «عصر نخست» به� صورت ضمنی، بر جهان کنونی دلالت دارد، و نام برخی از شخصیتها� اسطوره ا� آن، در خلال سری چهارده گانه آمده است� که «السبت، ملکهٔ همگان (اشاره به الیزابت دوم)» و «ماترز درمانگر (اشاره به مادر ترزا)» از آن دسته هستند؛
در عصر سوم در «وستلندز»� رویدادی تاریخی و بزرگ روی داد: نخست «جنگها� ترالک»، که در آن هزار سال پس از «شکاندن جهان» موجوداتی، «��هان انسانی» را تقریبا نابود میکنند� و سپس ظهور «آرتور هاوکوینگ� که هزار سال، پس از جنگها� «ترالک»، «وستلندز� را فتح، و متحد کرد، ولی وارثی نداشت، و «جنگها� صدساله» پس از مرگ او، بر سر تقسیم قلمروش درگرفت؛ در پی هر یک از این دو رویداد، تقسیمها� سیاسی، و ساختار ملل «وستلندز»� به� کلی دیگر شد؛ زبان کهن (که در عصر افسانه� ها رایج بود) در زمان روایت داستانهای این سری زبانی مرده است، و تنها برخی پژوهندگان و اشرافزادگا� با آن زبان سخن میگویند
کتاب هفتم دارای سه طرح اصلی است: در طرح نخست: «رند التور» اژدها متولد شده، و با دوست خود، «مین فرشاو»، برای سرکوب شورش اشراف در «کایرهین» تلاش، و برای حمله به «ساممائل» رها شده در «ایلیان» آماده میشود، که طی آن «پادان فاین» او را به شدت زخمی میکند؛ پس از بهبودی، «رند» با همراهی «اشعمان»، «ساممائل» را در «شادار لوگوت» شکست میدهد، جایی که «ساممائل» توسط «مشهادار» نابود میشود، «رند» سپس «تاج ایلیان» را به دست میگیرد که پیشتر تاج «لورل» بود، اما اکنون «تاج شمشیر» نامیده میشود
و ...؛ این کتاب هزاران شخصیت دارد که خوانشگر مدام باید دایرة المعارف خود از شخصیتها را برای آگاهی و مراجعه ی خویش بنویسد
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 14/12/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
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February 26, 2023
Not Dumai’s-Wells levels of amazing but another wonderful chapter in this journey.
Love is in the air
Let’s take a moment to talk about romance, even if it’s by no means focal, but I just want to address how Rand seems to be gathering a small harem for himself. I mean it’s nice that we don’t have to deal with a love quadrangle (which sounds even worse than a love triangle) since it looks like Rand is fated to end up with Elayne, Aviendha, and Min. As for why, maybe Jordan really could not/would not choose or maybe polygamy is his jam or it just doesn’t matter anyway because Rand is fated to die � which would really suck but might be inevitable. In any case, it looks like we have ourselves a fated-lovers-times-three trope on top of everything else that is predestined. (If you count Min’s viewings as similar to prophecies which I do.) In any other book I would hate the women-hopping but truth is, Elayne and Aviendha annoyed me so much at some point, I didn’t mind that all. I’m not sure if it was necessary to make them all virgins though. Elayne, sure (presumably at least), but Min and Aviendha?
Hero, interrupted
I enjoyed seeing Rand through Perrin’s eyes in the first few chapters a lot � at least he doesn’t complain about Rand’s alleged big-headedness as Nynaeve and Egwene always do. It was tough to see how cold and hard Rand has had to become though, even if it’s a necessity for the role he has to play. Much later, the cold and hard façade drops to reveal a depressed Rand, deeply scarred by what he has been through (torture), what his actions have caused (death) and what he has yet to accomplish (kill the Forsaken/the Dark Lord) � which was really heartbreaking. As for Lews Therin in his head: is Rand really mad? Rafo, I guess.
Perrin’s superpower
How does that work, Perrin smelling emotions? I appreciate the insight that gives from a narrative standpoint but I have trouble seeing how disbelief and uncertainty etc. can be smelled. Analyzing involuntary micro expressions and body language seem to allow more reasonable deductions and could also have been well within the scope of his wolf powers, no? I’mprobably definitely overthinking this.
Mat being Mat
Mat is really growing on me. His inner monologue is wonderfully amusing at times.
“[T]he more bosom a woman displayed, the less she wanted you to look. Openly, at least.�
My one true love
Yes, I’m talking about Lan. After his protracted absence in book 6, it was wonderful, if painful because of his mental state, for him to finally catch up with the Salidar Aes Sedai and later to see him united with Nynaeve after such a long time. For once, Nynaeve’s stubbornness can be applied to something worthwhile � saving Lan! I do concede, however, that Mat is right in his assessment: Lan must be insane to marry her.
I see naked people
Well almost. (Near) Nakedness across different cultures to celebrate festivals is becoming a theme! At least this time it’s quite believable: my college had the lovely tradition of partying (half) naked on May 1, campus-wide. (Yes, in public.)
As my friend Aaron likes to say, onward!
PS: There is a ship called Windrunner!
Love is in the air
Let’s take a moment to talk about romance, even if it’s by no means focal, but I just want to address how Rand seems to be gathering a small harem for himself. I mean it’s nice that we don’t have to deal with a love quadrangle (which sounds even worse than a love triangle) since it looks like Rand is fated to end up with Elayne, Aviendha, and Min. As for why, maybe Jordan really could not/would not choose or maybe polygamy is his jam or it just doesn’t matter anyway because Rand is fated to die � which would really suck but might be inevitable. In any case, it looks like we have ourselves a fated-lovers-times-three trope on top of everything else that is predestined. (If you count Min’s viewings as similar to prophecies which I do.) In any other book I would hate the women-hopping but truth is, Elayne and Aviendha annoyed me so much at some point, I didn’t mind that all. I’m not sure if it was necessary to make them all virgins though. Elayne, sure (presumably at least), but Min and Aviendha?
Hero, interrupted
I enjoyed seeing Rand through Perrin’s eyes in the first few chapters a lot � at least he doesn’t complain about Rand’s alleged big-headedness as Nynaeve and Egwene always do. It was tough to see how cold and hard Rand has had to become though, even if it’s a necessity for the role he has to play. Much later, the cold and hard façade drops to reveal a depressed Rand, deeply scarred by what he has been through (torture), what his actions have caused (death) and what he has yet to accomplish (kill the Forsaken/the Dark Lord) � which was really heartbreaking. As for Lews Therin in his head: is Rand really mad? Rafo, I guess.
Perrin’s superpower
How does that work, Perrin smelling emotions? I appreciate the insight that gives from a narrative standpoint but I have trouble seeing how disbelief and uncertainty etc. can be smelled. Analyzing involuntary micro expressions and body language seem to allow more reasonable deductions and could also have been well within the scope of his wolf powers, no? I’m
Mat being Mat
Mat is really growing on me. His inner monologue is wonderfully amusing at times.
“[T]he more bosom a woman displayed, the less she wanted you to look. Openly, at least.�
My one true love
Yes, I’m talking about Lan. After his protracted absence in book 6, it was wonderful, if painful because of his mental state, for him to finally catch up with the Salidar Aes Sedai and later to see him united with Nynaeve after such a long time. For once, Nynaeve’s stubbornness can be applied to something worthwhile � saving Lan! I do concede, however, that Mat is right in his assessment: Lan must be insane to marry her.
I see naked people
Well almost. (Near) Nakedness across different cultures to celebrate festivals is becoming a theme! At least this time it’s quite believable: my college had the lovely tradition of partying (half) naked on May 1, campus-wide. (Yes, in public.)
As my friend Aaron likes to say, onward!
PS: There is a ship called Windrunner!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2019
I'm starting to love Nynaeve more and more.
January 6, 2009
Is there a rating below 1 star I can give?
I think this is about where I gave up on this bloody series. (And I only got this far because I was on a long road trip/camping trip, and I picked them up cheap at a used book store in Anchorage, IIRC.) But I have to admit that I can't tell them apart. I honestly have no idea what happened where after about book 1. Which is, in large part, why I gave up on this atrocious pile of overwritten, paid-by-the-word crap.
A friend of mine said, at the time, of Book 7, "Not much happened in this one. It was mostly character development."
Excuse me?
Let me get this straight. We've had SIX THOUSAND PAGES of these morons diddling around by now, and they're STILL not doing anything? What is there to say about their character anymore? You should know everything from the fillings in their teeth to what they ate for breakfast when they were to what they dream of when they're jerking off. (Ok, maybe Jordan does tell us the last one. I'm not sure -- it's all lost in the haze now.)
At this point, it was clear that Jordan was just padding his pockets, and had no intention of ever actually going anywhere with this "story". Too many trees have died to support this shit already, and too many brain cells have been abused by it. Stop the madness.
I think this is about where I gave up on this bloody series. (And I only got this far because I was on a long road trip/camping trip, and I picked them up cheap at a used book store in Anchorage, IIRC.) But I have to admit that I can't tell them apart. I honestly have no idea what happened where after about book 1. Which is, in large part, why I gave up on this atrocious pile of overwritten, paid-by-the-word crap.
A friend of mine said, at the time, of Book 7, "Not much happened in this one. It was mostly character development."
Excuse me?
Let me get this straight. We've had SIX THOUSAND PAGES of these morons diddling around by now, and they're STILL not doing anything? What is there to say about their character anymore? You should know everything from the fillings in their teeth to what they ate for breakfast when they were to what they dream of when they're jerking off. (Ok, maybe Jordan does tell us the last one. I'm not sure -- it's all lost in the haze now.)
At this point, it was clear that Jordan was just padding his pockets, and had no intention of ever actually going anywhere with this "story". Too many trees have died to support this shit already, and too many brain cells have been abused by it. Stop the madness.
June 27, 2021
Full video review here:
Was this the beginning of the slog? It certainly didn't feel like it to me. This was another solid entry to the series and while it wasn't as action packed as others, it was never boring. This was a great book for character work and made my favorites even better.
There was payoff for things that were foreshadowed since Eye of the World and it just goes to show the amount of planning that went into this series. Onward to Path of Daggers!
Was this the beginning of the slog? It certainly didn't feel like it to me. This was another solid entry to the series and while it wasn't as action packed as others, it was never boring. This was a great book for character work and made my favorites even better.
There was payoff for things that were foreshadowed since Eye of the World and it just goes to show the amount of planning that went into this series. Onward to Path of Daggers!
January 20, 2022
This is why you should never skip leg day:
Seriously, how on earth does a person stand this way? Is that supposed to be Rand? Dude's supposed to be 20 years old, not like this weather-beaten asshole. Who the hell does he think he's about to box, there's no one there! Why is he looking at me? Why is all of the original U.S. hardcover art for this series so bad in these details?
****
This book appears to split readers. Some think it's the beginning of the well-known mid-series slump, while I and others find it refreshingly action-filled and one of the better books in this part of the series. Plenty of important events happen: I wonder if having read the series before lets me enjoy it more, knowing what story beats are leading to rather than seeing the plot flail without specific expectations.
But the Ebou Dar events are the only mostly-complete arc in this book, while all other significant events are part of the longer series narrative, and this might be why so many readers struggle to enjoy these books. Each one often fails to give us a self-contained story, and multiple significant threads are neglected or barely addressed in any particular volume. Case in point: dealing with Sammael in Illian. Two books ago, Rand was gathering a massive army at the border, while disclosing to the reader that this was all a feint. That action went nowhere in Fires of Heaven, further went nowhere in Lord of Chaos, and again went nowhere until the very last chapter of this book, when it rushed to its conclusion. We need more and stronger single-book arcs within the broader series. This was particularly keen for readers of yore who were waiting for each new book to land, at a time when the gap between each volume increased. Even now with all of the books at our disposal, the length of each one leaves the reader yearning for satisfaction.
I particularly dislike the storyline involving the Shaido Aiel. Could they be any more of a Slytherin? A whole Aiel clan, coincidentally sounding like "shadow", whose only purpose is to be evil bunglers and irritants. I know I'm going to dislike their role in the next two books, from what I recall.
The Wheel of Time is about plot more than any other factor. Characters are significant, but the books are about what happens to the characters more than any character development in its own right. I am not sure that I actually like any of the characters. I enjoy many of their storylines, but I would never have been upset if any major character died. I like Mat the most but only in small doses, and only at this point in the series; previous Mat was unimpressive, and I remain mystified about how and when he developed into current-Mat. When exactly did he have time to become a serial womanizer and roll in the hay with ladies high and low? It's been less than two years since the story began, at which point he was just a young scamp of a farmboy. Since then he spent weeks in flight, then months under the influence of the Shadar Logoth dagger, much of that unconscious, then weeks fleeing Tar Valon. It's only the down time in Tear between Dragon Reborn and Shadow Rising that he had any time to get used to dicing in taverns and pinching bottoms. This part of his personality pre-dated going to Rhuidean, so it's not the memory holes getting filled that informed this part of Mat's character. It's a detail that irks me, is all.
And now some MAJOR SPOILERS for the series, although none beyond this book. Whenever I read this series before, I struggled to keep track of the Forsaken. There were just so damn many of them, and especially once they started coming back in new bodies and disguises and all that it was just impossible for my younger self. At the same time I adored the Forsaken; their POV chapters are always the best. Here is my personal record of where they are all at:
Seriously, how on earth does a person stand this way? Is that supposed to be Rand? Dude's supposed to be 20 years old, not like this weather-beaten asshole. Who the hell does he think he's about to box, there's no one there! Why is he looking at me? Why is all of the original U.S. hardcover art for this series so bad in these details?
****
This book appears to split readers. Some think it's the beginning of the well-known mid-series slump, while I and others find it refreshingly action-filled and one of the better books in this part of the series. Plenty of important events happen: I wonder if having read the series before lets me enjoy it more, knowing what story beats are leading to rather than seeing the plot flail without specific expectations.
But the Ebou Dar events are the only mostly-complete arc in this book, while all other significant events are part of the longer series narrative, and this might be why so many readers struggle to enjoy these books. Each one often fails to give us a self-contained story, and multiple significant threads are neglected or barely addressed in any particular volume. Case in point: dealing with Sammael in Illian. Two books ago, Rand was gathering a massive army at the border, while disclosing to the reader that this was all a feint. That action went nowhere in Fires of Heaven, further went nowhere in Lord of Chaos, and again went nowhere until the very last chapter of this book, when it rushed to its conclusion. We need more and stronger single-book arcs within the broader series. This was particularly keen for readers of yore who were waiting for each new book to land, at a time when the gap between each volume increased. Even now with all of the books at our disposal, the length of each one leaves the reader yearning for satisfaction.
I particularly dislike the storyline involving the Shaido Aiel. Could they be any more of a Slytherin? A whole Aiel clan, coincidentally sounding like "shadow", whose only purpose is to be evil bunglers and irritants. I know I'm going to dislike their role in the next two books, from what I recall.
The Wheel of Time is about plot more than any other factor. Characters are significant, but the books are about what happens to the characters more than any character development in its own right. I am not sure that I actually like any of the characters. I enjoy many of their storylines, but I would never have been upset if any major character died. I like Mat the most but only in small doses, and only at this point in the series; previous Mat was unimpressive, and I remain mystified about how and when he developed into current-Mat. When exactly did he have time to become a serial womanizer and roll in the hay with ladies high and low? It's been less than two years since the story began, at which point he was just a young scamp of a farmboy. Since then he spent weeks in flight, then months under the influence of the Shadar Logoth dagger, much of that unconscious, then weeks fleeing Tar Valon. It's only the down time in Tear between Dragon Reborn and Shadow Rising that he had any time to get used to dicing in taverns and pinching bottoms. This part of his personality pre-dated going to Rhuidean, so it's not the memory holes getting filled that informed this part of Mat's character. It's a detail that irks me, is all.
And now some MAJOR SPOILERS for the series, although none beyond this book. Whenever I read this series before, I struggled to keep track of the Forsaken. There were just so damn many of them, and especially once they started coming back in new bodies and disguises and all that it was just impossible for my younger self. At the same time I adored the Forsaken; their POV chapters are always the best. Here is my personal record of where they are all at:
November 19, 2011
It is often difficult to reconcile how much I love the adventure of this series with the blatant sexism that pervades nearly every chapter involving a woman interacting with a man. In the first four books, it wasn't as much of an issue, because I saw it mostly as an in-world problem rather than something inherently problematic with Jordan's perspective that was interfering with his ability to tell a good and believable story. This changed in book five, where the ridiculousness exploded to such an extent that it didn't read like and in-world problem, but rather just a bad decision on the part of the author. It made all of his female characters look possessed.
The good news was that the horrid portrayals of all of the main women in the story spouting sexist lines between each breath dissipated somewhat, partially because Min got so much POV time, and Birgitte and Aviendha were not caught up in it either, which was a relief. Not that it was not there, but the forced ridiculousness was less prevalent in this regard than in previous books.
But then chapter 29 happened, and was followed by the rest of the book, and this was by far the worst thing out of all that had happened in the series thus far, mostly because it was the author's storytelling blunder.
That extreme atrocity aside, this was mostly a book of smaller, world-building discoveries rather than huge plot developments. The revelation of the Kin, Egwene's realization of Gareth Bryne's loyalties, the increasing presence of Moridin and Shadar Haran and their powers and interests, as well as more insight into the Asha'man and their abilities---if you're a person who likes these little things, the book as much to offer. If you prefer the large plot-altering events of the previous books, ACOS will seem mostly lackluster.
The good news was that the horrid portrayals of all of the main women in the story spouting sexist lines between each breath dissipated somewhat, partially because Min got so much POV time, and Birgitte and Aviendha were not caught up in it either, which was a relief. Not that it was not there, but the forced ridiculousness was less prevalent in this regard than in previous books.
But then chapter 29 happened, and was followed by the rest of the book, and this was by far the worst thing out of all that had happened in the series thus far, mostly because it was the author's storytelling blunder.
That extreme atrocity aside, this was mostly a book of smaller, world-building discoveries rather than huge plot developments. The revelation of the Kin, Egwene's realization of Gareth Bryne's loyalties, the increasing presence of Moridin and Shadar Haran and their powers and interests, as well as more insight into the Asha'man and their abilities---if you're a person who likes these little things, the book as much to offer. If you prefer the large plot-altering events of the previous books, ACOS will seem mostly lackluster.
October 15, 2017
Full review to come, but for now, one quick observation. Even though many Wheel of Time fans cite this book as when the series really starts to slow down, I actually enjoyed this one more than the last two books! I'm kind of surprised I liked this book more, when the two preceding ones tend to be very popular amongst most fans. Either I'm getting used to the slower pace, or maybe, I'm just not quite... normal?!?
(Nah, that can't be it!)
As always, here is my stacking of the Wheel of Time books, in order of favorite to least favorite:
And to really illustrate how much reading this has entailed, here you can see the Wheel of Time book stack is even taller than this zombie teddy bear!!!
(As for why I have a zombie teddy bear on my dining room table... that's a story for another day!)
And finally, the obligatory "Wow, that's a lot of pages" photo!
REVIEW TO COME
(Nah, that can't be it!)
As always, here is my stacking of the Wheel of Time books, in order of favorite to least favorite:
And to really illustrate how much reading this has entailed, here you can see the Wheel of Time book stack is even taller than this zombie teddy bear!!!
(As for why I have a zombie teddy bear on my dining room table... that's a story for another day!)
And finally, the obligatory "Wow, that's a lot of pages" photo!
REVIEW TO COME
June 17, 2017
This was another enjoyable instalment in Robert Jordan's epic Wheel of Time series. Anyone who has reached this stage of the series knows exactly what to expect from Jordan's writing and the story. The guy is an excellent storyteller and it is easy to get caught up in the stories of the various characters we have grown to like in the earlier books.
Not that it was a book without flaws. I did enjoy reading this one but it is fair to say that in terms of overall plot advancement very little actually happened. This was a book that mostly focused on character growth and in that regard it was an excellent book for a number of the characters. We also got plenty of humour and a bit of action.
So how did our main characters fare in this one?
Rand - The guy had a great outing. He is getting a little arrogant in his role as Dragon Reborn, but I think his new confidence is mostly a good thing. He dealt well with a few political adversaries and got to battle a few of his main enemies.
Perrin - It was a quiet book for Perrin and he did not really feature much apart from the early stages. He did get sent off on a task that promises a larger and more interesting part for him in the next instalment.
Mat - This was a fantastic book for Mat. As always his scenes are stuffed full of humour but he showed good character growth and got to perform plenty of heroics.
Egwene - She had a quiet book but definitely seems to be growing into her new role and is getting more likeable by the book.
Nynaeve - She is still something of a comedy character for Jordan at the moment but her POV is never a boring one.
Elayne, Aviendha, Min - I thought this was a fantastic book for Min. She really stood out as a good match for Rand. The other pair fared OK in this one without having much to do. Elayne bonded a bit with Mat which was good.
As always we got a bunch of POV scenes from random villains and side characters. They were great for the most part and I always think they add an extra dimension to the story.
All in all this was a good book. Yeah, the ending was one we have read before but who cares? Not me! On to the next one.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Audio Note: Krammer and Reading might actually be getting better, and they were great to begin with!
Not that it was a book without flaws. I did enjoy reading this one but it is fair to say that in terms of overall plot advancement very little actually happened. This was a book that mostly focused on character growth and in that regard it was an excellent book for a number of the characters. We also got plenty of humour and a bit of action.
So how did our main characters fare in this one?
Rand - The guy had a great outing. He is getting a little arrogant in his role as Dragon Reborn, but I think his new confidence is mostly a good thing. He dealt well with a few political adversaries and got to battle a few of his main enemies.
Perrin - It was a quiet book for Perrin and he did not really feature much apart from the early stages. He did get sent off on a task that promises a larger and more interesting part for him in the next instalment.
Mat - This was a fantastic book for Mat. As always his scenes are stuffed full of humour but he showed good character growth and got to perform plenty of heroics.
Egwene - She had a quiet book but definitely seems to be growing into her new role and is getting more likeable by the book.
Nynaeve - She is still something of a comedy character for Jordan at the moment but her POV is never a boring one.
Elayne, Aviendha, Min - I thought this was a fantastic book for Min. She really stood out as a good match for Rand. The other pair fared OK in this one without having much to do. Elayne bonded a bit with Mat which was good.
As always we got a bunch of POV scenes from random villains and side characters. They were great for the most part and I always think they add an extra dimension to the story.
All in all this was a good book. Yeah, the ending was one we have read before but who cares? Not me! On to the next one.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Audio Note: Krammer and Reading might actually be getting better, and they were great to begin with!
August 2, 2016
Nothing happens until the last 10% as usual.
Read
May 2, 2020Someone really needed to explain the concept of consent to Jordan.
June 15, 2022
*** 4.55 ***
Much more political intrigue and a lot of character interaction. Still love every second of it!!! 😃👍
Much more political intrigue and a lot of character interaction. Still love every second of it!!! 😃👍
March 28, 2016
I read a lot of comments about Jordan's epic which mention (or outright complain about) its pace and staging. As far as I'm concerned, its deliberate pace and intricate staging are pluses. It's not often that one finds such thoroughly realized visions of epic stories. This series is a genuine throw-back in story-telling style. Instead of going the route of non-stop, breathless action, Jordan spends a good deal of time taking his readers through the sometimes withering grind of day-to-day existence during a period of huge shifts in his world. The Chinese have an old blessing/curse, "May you live in interesting times." I think "Wheel of Time" offers a good example of just what a mix of good and bad that wish can be. Early in the series, there's so much discovery. Everything is new and exciting. By the time we reach this point, things are becoming more grounded in the realization that the struggle is not going to be won quickly or easily. That, my friends, is a sort of realism not generally seen in the fantasy genre.
That said, Jordan does indulge quite a bit in what I've seen called his obsessive writing disorders. He has his peculiarities and tics, and they can get somewhat tiresome over time. I took a break for a couple of months after reading this installment, and it helped tremendously. When I picked up the series again, the idiosyncrasies were less grating. The first time I encountered one my reaction was less there-he-goes-again and more oh-yeah-he-does-that. I don't know if this one break will be enough to see me through the remainder of the series, but "Path of Daggers" is moving along just fine.
That said, Jordan does indulge quite a bit in what I've seen called his obsessive writing disorders. He has his peculiarities and tics, and they can get somewhat tiresome over time. I took a break for a couple of months after reading this installment, and it helped tremendously. When I picked up the series again, the idiosyncrasies were less grating. The first time I encountered one my reaction was less there-he-goes-again and more oh-yeah-he-does-that. I don't know if this one break will be enough to see me through the remainder of the series, but "Path of Daggers" is moving along just fine.
September 15, 2016
The more I think about this book the more annoyed I am so I'm dropping my rating from 3 to 2 stars. That's purely because of Tylin, it would probably have been much higher without her!
I've fallen so far behind our group buddy read of this series thanks to this book. I read it back in
July and I've spent the last couple of months trying to pretend it never existed. I was so in love with this series, yes there were problems with it but I was still completely hooked on the story and eager to find out what would happen next, but then I read A Crown of Swords and it nearly ruined everything.
I've ignored the fact that nearly every single female character spends half their time acting like an idiot and the rest screeching like a fishwife; I've put to one side the fact that Robert Jordan is pretty hopeless at creating believable romantic relationships (seriously do any of the couples actually speak to each other or do they all just stare longingly across the distance before suddenly declaring themselves head over heels in love?); and I've not even minded the way the story is taking so long to actually get anywhere but I can't ignore Tylin's actions in this book. I've tried so hard to forget about it but every time I think about this book I want to start screaming. There is just nothing on this planet that can justify the direction the story took and even though I'm sure there were lots of other brilliant plot developments in this instalment I can't remember a single one of them because they've all been eclipsed by Tylin the rapist queen.
I'm going to give the author the benefit of doubt and assume he meant for the scenes between Mat and Tylin to be amusing but he couldn't have missed the mark more badly if he'd tried. If Mat (or any other male character) had forced Tylin to sleep with him at KNIFE POINT there would have (rightfully!) been uproar. Just because Tylin is female she seems to get away with it but rape is rape and it is NEVER acceptable. It's not something that should be used as an "amusing" plot device either because it is NOT a laughing matter. The way she stalked Mat was downright creepy and it got to the point where every time her name appeared on the page I started feeling nauseous but when we reached that scene with the knife I nearly broke my kindle by throwing it across the room. Just what was the author thinking putting that scene in there? Where were the editors? Why did nobody think to question it before it was sent out into the hands of the unsuspecting public?
I'm sure there were good parts to this book because I wouldn't have made it to the end if there hadn't been but I literally can't remember a single thing that happened apart from the scenes with Mat & Tylin. I know that sounds crazy considering Tylin wasn't even on the page for at least three quarters of the book but she's such a sore point that it's all that stuck in my mind. I have such mixed feelings about A Crown of Swords that I'm not even sure that I want to carry on reading this series anymore but I've invested so much time in it that I feel obliged to see it through to the end. Fellow buddy readers have assured me that Tylin isn't even mentioned in The Path of Daggers and at the moment that's the only thing enticing me to give it a try. I really, really hope that Robert Jordan can rekindle my love for the series with that book but he's got his work cut out and at the moment I'm not holding my breath.
_____________________________
Buddy read with Buddies, Books & Baubles starting 1st July 2016
Full review coming soon but these are my thoughts immediately after I finished reading:
I'm so relieved that this book is over, I actually came VERY close to DNFing it thanks to bloody Tylin. Just because she's a woman doesn't make her behaviour any less creepy or acceptable, she forces Mat to have sex with her by holding a knife to his throat FFS! When Nynaeve and the others think it's Mat forcing his attentions they're reading to string him up by his balls (and rightly so if he had done it!) but when they find out that it's actually Tylin behaving so despicably they LAUGH! Why the hell do they find it funny? Robert Jordan missed the mark so badly with those scenes that I came incredibly close to rage quitting the series.
I'm not going to let one character ruin the Wheel of Time for me though, she certainly isn't the only one that gets on my nerves (although she's definitely the worst!) and I've invested far too much time reading it to quit now. I just hope to god that we don't see more of Tylin in the next book though or I may end up throwing my kindle across the room! It's infuriating that I'm so angry about one particular event that I can barely even remember the rest of this book, I need time to process and remember the good stuff before I write a full review for this one or I'm going to end up dropping that rating even lower than a 3.
I've fallen so far behind our group buddy read of this series thanks to this book. I read it back in
July and I've spent the last couple of months trying to pretend it never existed. I was so in love with this series, yes there were problems with it but I was still completely hooked on the story and eager to find out what would happen next, but then I read A Crown of Swords and it nearly ruined everything.
I've ignored the fact that nearly every single female character spends half their time acting like an idiot and the rest screeching like a fishwife; I've put to one side the fact that Robert Jordan is pretty hopeless at creating believable romantic relationships (seriously do any of the couples actually speak to each other or do they all just stare longingly across the distance before suddenly declaring themselves head over heels in love?); and I've not even minded the way the story is taking so long to actually get anywhere but I can't ignore Tylin's actions in this book. I've tried so hard to forget about it but every time I think about this book I want to start screaming. There is just nothing on this planet that can justify the direction the story took and even though I'm sure there were lots of other brilliant plot developments in this instalment I can't remember a single one of them because they've all been eclipsed by Tylin the rapist queen.
I'm going to give the author the benefit of doubt and assume he meant for the scenes between Mat and Tylin to be amusing but he couldn't have missed the mark more badly if he'd tried. If Mat (or any other male character) had forced Tylin to sleep with him at KNIFE POINT there would have (rightfully!) been uproar. Just because Tylin is female she seems to get away with it but rape is rape and it is NEVER acceptable. It's not something that should be used as an "amusing" plot device either because it is NOT a laughing matter. The way she stalked Mat was downright creepy and it got to the point where every time her name appeared on the page I started feeling nauseous but when we reached that scene with the knife I nearly broke my kindle by throwing it across the room. Just what was the author thinking putting that scene in there? Where were the editors? Why did nobody think to question it before it was sent out into the hands of the unsuspecting public?
I'm sure there were good parts to this book because I wouldn't have made it to the end if there hadn't been but I literally can't remember a single thing that happened apart from the scenes with Mat & Tylin. I know that sounds crazy considering Tylin wasn't even on the page for at least three quarters of the book but she's such a sore point that it's all that stuck in my mind. I have such mixed feelings about A Crown of Swords that I'm not even sure that I want to carry on reading this series anymore but I've invested so much time in it that I feel obliged to see it through to the end. Fellow buddy readers have assured me that Tylin isn't even mentioned in The Path of Daggers and at the moment that's the only thing enticing me to give it a try. I really, really hope that Robert Jordan can rekindle my love for the series with that book but he's got his work cut out and at the moment I'm not holding my breath.
_____________________________
Buddy read with Buddies, Books & Baubles starting 1st July 2016
Full review coming soon but these are my thoughts immediately after I finished reading:
I'm so relieved that this book is over, I actually came VERY close to DNFing it thanks to bloody Tylin. Just because she's a woman doesn't make her behaviour any less creepy or acceptable, she forces Mat to have sex with her by holding a knife to his throat FFS! When Nynaeve and the others think it's Mat forcing his attentions they're reading to string him up by his balls (and rightly so if he had done it!) but when they find out that it's actually Tylin behaving so despicably they LAUGH! Why the hell do they find it funny? Robert Jordan missed the mark so badly with those scenes that I came incredibly close to rage quitting the series.
I'm not going to let one character ruin the Wheel of Time for me though, she certainly isn't the only one that gets on my nerves (although she's definitely the worst!) and I've invested far too much time reading it to quit now. I just hope to god that we don't see more of Tylin in the next book though or I may end up throwing my kindle across the room! It's infuriating that I'm so angry about one particular event that I can barely even remember the rest of this book, I need time to process and remember the good stuff before I write a full review for this one or I'm going to end up dropping that rating even lower than a 3.
July 8, 2021
“Pray that the heart of stone remembers tears and the soul of fire, love. �
Initially, I was reading the Wheel of Time because of its unique stature in the fantasy world. Later, I was mesmerised by the realm. Now I am reading because I want to know the ending which is still very far away and with each passing tome it seems to be farther still. A Crown of Swords is not an exception to this rule: while it reads well, the focus is on the internal experiences of the main characters, and less on politics, with can be, well, a tad boring.
Elayne, Aviendha, and Nynaeve get closer to the ter'angreal that can put an end to the endless wave of unmerciful heat and restore normal weather. As the girls undergo their internal metamorphosis, they tend to annoy me less (even though I think it’s both funny and nonsensical how everyone is “going Aiel� in terms of copying norms and values of this particular group). Matt, tasked with bringing Elayne to Andor, runs into further trouble: I honestly do know whether to laugh or cry over what happened to him. Rand and Elayne continue to love each other, although no one knows why, Rand and Min consolidate (now, that is a nice euphemism here) their relationship. Although Rand is mostly preoccupied with fighting madness and stabilise his rule. When not sulking, that is. After all, only fools think that enemies stand still when they are not looking.
And somewhere in the background, we can hear the manic laughter of Lews Therin...
In this volume, I would like to see more of Perrin, Egwene, and Morgase. I have the impression that at times the writer lacked an idea what to do with some of his protagonists. The Shaido Aiel drive me crazy as a filler story that does not bring much to the bigger picture and is needlessly provided with thousand of useless details. In general, one must have a good memory of the names and characters, which are more numerous and often criss-cross the paths between different subplots.
Like a wheel, the action rolls slowly to speed up at the end. Something is happening, although I have the impression that the events are a bit copied from previous volumes, especially those relating directly to Rand, who keeps repeating the same things (albeit with different women). Despite a thousand pages, the story made little progress. Moreover, the ending is downright weak. As if the author said “gosh, it’s already been1000 pages, it's time to kill a Forsaken and wrap things up.� This last chapter came out of nowhere and tried to make up for (most of) its predecessors. I was not impressed.
Because most of the protagonists have made such astounding progress in terms of their magical abilities, powered up antagonists are breeding like rabbits. All these powered-up outsiders are a little bit annoying, appearing out of nowhere and being so close to omniscient and omnipotent that in comparison the Forsaken look like harmless tricksters in comparison (poor Moghadien). The mysterious man with amnesia, Moridin, Shaidar Haran, Cadsuane, the man branded with the foxhead - so many of new elements in the game, and far too many not bound by the rules established on the outset.
On the other hand, the Seanchan are back which gives hope that something will finally start to happen in the next book, and I got a proof that Moiraine is not dead .
300 pages less than the previous volume is definitely a plus, albeit a small one. If a couple of minor shortcomings were eliminated, not only from this book but also from the whole series, it would have been perfect. As it stands, it is only very good.
Also in the series:
1. The Eye of the World ★★★★�
2. The Great Hunt ★★★★�
3. The Dragon Reborn ★★★★�
4. The Shadow Rising ★★★★�
5. The Fires of Heaven ★★★★�
6. Lord of Chaos ★★★☆�
8. The Path of Daggers ★★★☆�
9. Crossroads of Twilight ★★☆☆�
11. Knife of Dreams ★★★★�
12. The Gathering Storm ★★★★�
13. Towers of Midnight ★★★☆�
14. A Memory of Light ★★★☆�
Initially, I was reading the Wheel of Time because of its unique stature in the fantasy world. Later, I was mesmerised by the realm. Now I am reading because I want to know the ending which is still very far away and with each passing tome it seems to be farther still. A Crown of Swords is not an exception to this rule: while it reads well, the focus is on the internal experiences of the main characters, and less on politics, with can be, well, a tad boring.
Elayne, Aviendha, and Nynaeve get closer to the ter'angreal that can put an end to the endless wave of unmerciful heat and restore normal weather. As the girls undergo their internal metamorphosis, they tend to annoy me less (even though I think it’s both funny and nonsensical how everyone is “going Aiel� in terms of copying norms and values of this particular group). Matt, tasked with bringing Elayne to Andor, runs into further trouble: I honestly do know whether to laugh or cry over what happened to him. Rand and Elayne continue to love each other, although no one knows why, Rand and Min consolidate (now, that is a nice euphemism here) their relationship. Although Rand is mostly preoccupied with fighting madness and stabilise his rule. When not sulking, that is. After all, only fools think that enemies stand still when they are not looking.
And somewhere in the background, we can hear the manic laughter of Lews Therin...
In this volume, I would like to see more of Perrin, Egwene, and Morgase. I have the impression that at times the writer lacked an idea what to do with some of his protagonists. The Shaido Aiel drive me crazy as a filler story that does not bring much to the bigger picture and is needlessly provided with thousand of useless details. In general, one must have a good memory of the names and characters, which are more numerous and often criss-cross the paths between different subplots.
Like a wheel, the action rolls slowly to speed up at the end. Something is happening, although I have the impression that the events are a bit copied from previous volumes, especially those relating directly to Rand, who keeps repeating the same things (albeit with different women). Despite a thousand pages, the story made little progress. Moreover, the ending is downright weak. As if the author said “gosh, it’s already been1000 pages, it's time to kill a Forsaken and wrap things up.� This last chapter came out of nowhere and tried to make up for (most of) its predecessors. I was not impressed.
Because most of the protagonists have made such astounding progress in terms of their magical abilities, powered up antagonists are breeding like rabbits. All these powered-up outsiders are a little bit annoying, appearing out of nowhere and being so close to omniscient and omnipotent that in comparison the Forsaken look like harmless tricksters in comparison (poor Moghadien). The mysterious man with amnesia, Moridin, Shaidar Haran, Cadsuane, the man branded with the foxhead - so many of new elements in the game, and far too many not bound by the rules established on the outset.
On the other hand, the Seanchan are back which gives hope that something will finally start to happen in the next book, and I got a proof that Moiraine is not dead .
300 pages less than the previous volume is definitely a plus, albeit a small one. If a couple of minor shortcomings were eliminated, not only from this book but also from the whole series, it would have been perfect. As it stands, it is only very good.
Also in the series:
1. The Eye of the World ★★★★�
2. The Great Hunt ★★★★�
3. The Dragon Reborn ★★★★�
4. The Shadow Rising ★★★★�
5. The Fires of Heaven ★★★★�
6. Lord of Chaos ★★★☆�
8. The Path of Daggers ★★★☆�
9. Crossroads of Twilight ★★☆☆�
11. Knife of Dreams ★★★★�
12. The Gathering Storm ★★★★�
13. Towers of Midnight ★★★☆�
14. A Memory of Light ★★★☆�
June 6, 2022
So this is the other one of the supposed "slog" books. Can't say that it was a slog at all.
We start with a slight recap of the battle from the end of the last book - only this time from the perspective of the Shaido and Elaida's Aes Sedai who bound Rand.
After that, it's the rammifications of the battle, pieces being moved on the board, Rand teaching some people that their old-world schemes won't work on him, Elayne's mother (Morgase) still scheming before finding herself in yet another pickle (it was sooo hilarious), the two Aes Sedai factions trying to outdo one another ...
We also get a lot of the socio-economical situation all over. The hunger, the climate change, the refugee crises, the discrimination etc.
Other than that, we get the Forsaken moving against Rand (and each other), especially Samael. Right up until the confrontation in Shader Logoth. *shudders*
The biggest theme, though, was the mental state of several characters. No, not just Read. Others are slipping down a very slippery slope as well and I don’t mean any of his Asha'man (although I don’t trust them very much).
To think that at least half of the madness Rand is suffering from so far is the fault of the schemes from the people sho should side with him!
Also, the last few pieces regarding Rand’s heritage have clicked into place by now. I wonder how one of is girlfriends will react when she finds out. *lol*
The worst, impact-wise, was learning of Lan's situation now that Moraine has passed him on to another Aes Sedai. What possessed Moraine to choose that bitch, I'll never understand. Many of the Aes Sedai practices were questionable at best, but actual de facto rape! I kept stabbing that voodoo doll with needles whenever we got a POV showing Myrella.
The more I read about Aes Sedai, the more I am convinced that good people are rare amongst them.
Most annoying, once again, was Faile. A minor character in the grand scheme of things, but I wanted to slap her more than most others. I know that her antics are being explained away by "cultural differences" and that there are real-world women en masse who behave like her - but I hate those just as much.
I can’t wait for her to be the typical damsel in distress. I can feel it coming and while I usually don’t like that trope too much, I like Perrin and he deserves his hero-moment, especially knowing that it will irk his idiot wife which only makes the prospect better.
Like I said right at the start of this review, this is considered one of the sluggish books. I can see why but don’t feel like that at all. In fact, many scenes in the previous book were more of a slog to get through (not really in the sense of being boring, more that I can see why/where people would say that).
Maybe it’s because of the characters things have happened to here.
Or maybe it has to do with me really appreciating seeing the whole timeline of events that lead to the Last Battle. After all, such a thing doesn’t happen out of the blue / over night and looking at the people involved, they have a long way to go anyway (unless they want to be annihilated).
Still, there were only few moments when I cackled or whooped (two, in fact - one concerning Nyneave and Lan, the other concerning Mat and his wife).
We start with a slight recap of the battle from the end of the last book - only this time from the perspective of the Shaido and Elaida's Aes Sedai who bound Rand.
After that, it's the rammifications of the battle, pieces being moved on the board, Rand teaching some people that their old-world schemes won't work on him, Elayne's mother (Morgase) still scheming before finding herself in yet another pickle (it was sooo hilarious), the two Aes Sedai factions trying to outdo one another ...
We also get a lot of the socio-economical situation all over. The hunger, the climate change, the refugee crises, the discrimination etc.
Other than that, we get the Forsaken moving against Rand (and each other), especially Samael. Right up until the confrontation in Shader Logoth. *shudders*
The biggest theme, though, was the mental state of several characters. No, not just Read. Others are slipping down a very slippery slope as well and I don’t mean any of his Asha'man (although I don’t trust them very much).
To think that at least half of the madness Rand is suffering from so far is the fault of the schemes from the people sho should side with him!
Also, the last few pieces regarding Rand’s heritage have clicked into place by now. I wonder how one of is girlfriends will react when she finds out. *lol*
The worst, impact-wise, was learning of Lan's situation now that Moraine has passed him on to another Aes Sedai. What possessed Moraine to choose that bitch, I'll never understand. Many of the Aes Sedai practices were questionable at best, but actual de facto rape! I kept stabbing that voodoo doll with needles whenever we got a POV showing Myrella.
The more I read about Aes Sedai, the more I am convinced that good people are rare amongst them.
Most annoying, once again, was Faile. A minor character in the grand scheme of things, but I wanted to slap her more than most others. I know that her antics are being explained away by "cultural differences" and that there are real-world women en masse who behave like her - but I hate those just as much.
I can’t wait for her to be the typical damsel in distress. I can feel it coming and while I usually don’t like that trope too much, I like Perrin and he deserves his hero-moment, especially knowing that it will irk his idiot wife which only makes the prospect better.
Like I said right at the start of this review, this is considered one of the sluggish books. I can see why but don’t feel like that at all. In fact, many scenes in the previous book were more of a slog to get through (not really in the sense of being boring, more that I can see why/where people would say that).
Maybe it’s because of the characters things have happened to here.
Or maybe it has to do with me really appreciating seeing the whole timeline of events that lead to the Last Battle. After all, such a thing doesn’t happen out of the blue / over night and looking at the people involved, they have a long way to go anyway (unless they want to be annihilated).
Still, there were only few moments when I cackled or whooped (two, in fact - one concerning Nyneave and Lan, the other concerning Mat and his wife).
August 30, 2014
This is where it all went downhill.
I think it was our friend William "Bill" Shakespeare who wrote a play called "Much Ado About Nothing" but he might as well called it A Crown of Swords or the subsequent three or four books before the series' eventual redemption by Brandon Sanderson.
Anyhow, I really don't remember much what happened. I do remember that a lot did not happen. And there were a million descriptions of dresses and how women like to stand akimbo and such, and it was all real time.
If you go to Wikipedia and read about the books in the WoT series, then plotline descriptions for books 1-4 are long and thorough, less so for books 5-6, and for this one, mere three bullets. It says something, does it not. I think I was probably too generous with my three stars here, but then I read this about fifteen years back.
To wit, limerick:
In Shadar Logoth, there was a trap,
While reading this I must not nap,
Rand al'Thor,
Bullshit some more,
The plot was long and mostly crap.
Cheersome!
Igor
I think it was our friend William "Bill" Shakespeare who wrote a play called "Much Ado About Nothing" but he might as well called it A Crown of Swords or the subsequent three or four books before the series' eventual redemption by Brandon Sanderson.
Anyhow, I really don't remember much what happened. I do remember that a lot did not happen. And there were a million descriptions of dresses and how women like to stand akimbo and such, and it was all real time.
If you go to Wikipedia and read about the books in the WoT series, then plotline descriptions for books 1-4 are long and thorough, less so for books 5-6, and for this one, mere three bullets. It says something, does it not. I think I was probably too generous with my three stars here, but then I read this about fifteen years back.
To wit, limerick:
In Shadar Logoth, there was a trap,
While reading this I must not nap,
Rand al'Thor,
Bullshit some more,
The plot was long and mostly crap.
Cheersome!
Igor
January 20, 2015
A tear fell down my cheek. It was both a tear of happiness and one of sadness. I was happy that finally, after months of torture, I have finished reading Crown of Swords. But at the same time, I was sad for all the trees that were cut down to make printing of this book possible.
After book 4, I started noticing certain things about Jordan prose (if you can even call it that). Here, these things were so obvious and so over the top, that they burned my eyes and consumed my soul every time I saw them. So, here is the list:
1) He is extremely wordy. A normal sentence, in any other decent book, would go something like this:
"We will meet again" said Egwene.
In Jordan's book? That same sentence goes like this:
"We will meet again, Aviendha" said Egwene adjusting her shawl and glaring at the plump innkeeper scrubbing the floor.
My example was actually short! Still don't believe me? Ok, then here is a sentence from chapter 28:
The third woman, tall and dark in neat gray wool, maybe a Tairen, crossed two bridges before entering a large shop where she was greeted with smiles by a skinny bowing fellow and began supervising the loading of lacquered boxes and trays into sawdust-filled baskets that were then loaded into a wagon.
Jesus, that was a mouthful. Or how about this one, in chapter 37:
Her notion of what to wear visiting the roughest part of the city without attracting attention was a wide green hat with green-dyed plumes, a light dustcloak of green linen worked in golden scrolls hanging down her back, and a high-necked green silk riding dress with gold embroidery climbing the divided skirts and thickly emphasizing the oval that exposed half her bosom.
These are prime examples of sentences that are completely useless and the one that don't advance the plot. Now imagine every other sentence like that. This makes for a slow and frustrating read. This leads me to my next point:
2) His books don't have a plot anymore. I mean they have, but it's completely meaningless and it can be summarized on one page. That should be clear just by looking at some of the names of the chapters in this book. I mean, when you have chapters like "A Bath" and "Bread and Cheese" you know there is some action packed adventure right there!
3) I hate all the women in his books. All of them. There is not a single woman who I actually like, and care about. Well, maybe Moiraine. And maaaaybe Egwene, but that's already pushing it. They can all be described by one word. Arrogant. They are all petty, angry, irritated and pissed off. They are constantly arguing, bickering, glaring, frowning, sniffing, blushing and barking out orders. And it's always men's fault. I don't remember if I ever, in all seven books, read a chapter where women actually laughed, and they were happy, nice, polite and charming. No, there is constantly a tension and a struggle between them. Don't believe me? In chapter 31, Lan saves Nynaeve from drowning and how does she thanks him? She slaps him five times on the face and punches him in the stomach. And no, I'm not kidding. I would really wish that Jordan just kills all these women, but knowing Jordan, he would probably resurrect them after a different name. And this takes me to my next point:
4) The characters DON'T die. They just don't. Even those that he kills come back somehow. This removes the entire tension and sense of danger out of the book. Why should I fear for Perrin's safety or Random Aes Sedai #216 when I know they won't die? Unlike the previous books, here a few people actually die. But that's a drop in the ocean. There are still 997 more characters alive.
5) Each character has a unique name. God, this pisses me off to no end. I would understand this notion if the story had like 50 characters, or hell even 100. But Wheel of Time by this point has over 1000 characters! I know that having two different characters with same name would just further complicate things, but at least it would be realistic! I don't think anyone would be confused if there is a random innkeeper in Ebou Dar whose name is Mat. What's even worse 90% of all these characters are completely meaningless to the story! Or are they? Sometimes Jordan pulls some minor character from previous books and places him in the new one. At first I found this cool, but now it's just annoying and it gives you a sense that Randland is actually a pretty small place. I also hate how some characters have "fantasy" names like Lan, Nynaeve, Mogheiden and so on, while others have "realistic" names like Elayne and Nicole. Ugh!
6) The Last Battle is approaching (apparently) and yet everybody thinks about some pointless things, like what dress to buy or if they should marry someone or not. Who cares, people? The end of the world, the frickin armageddon is approaching and nobody doesn't even care! Maybe Last Battle isn't the end of the world, but then what is it? It's book seven and Jordan still didn't explain it. Also, Rand is pretty much a ticking time bomb yet three girls are fighting over him. Don't they realize that he will (probably) die and kill half the humanity? Apparently not. They just want to "share" him. Ugh, I want to throw up every time I read about this. There is also a lot of other questions bubbling in my mind, like do Aes Sedai and their Warders ever sleep with each other? What am I saying? Of course not. Nobody in this series gets laid. Actually no, scratch that. We finally have a first rape scene in this book. And I say finally not because I love reading about it (quite the contrary actually), but because for some strange reason, fantasy book just can't go without at least one rape scene. But guess what. The rape victim isn't a woman. Oh no, no, it's a man! Why am I not surprised?
7) And finally, my last point: repetition. Jordan uses two types of repetition in his books: major and minor. Major repetitions is when he describes things, cities and people that we already know how they look. Why do I have to read about Tar Valon's white towers in book seven when I did that in the previous six ones? Minor repetition are various words or actions that Jordan likes to use, again and again. I actually keep track of certain words to see how often do they appear. It makes reading more bearable, as I have my own little Easter egg hunt. Here is the list (you may check my other WoT reviews for more data if you are interested):
Frown � 146
Sniff � 36
Braid � 46
Dress � 138
Muttering � 99
Silk � 110
Blushing � 70
Although, I should probably add more words to that list, like: sitting cross-legged, gave a start, mouth tightening, folding arms beneath breasts, big dark eyes, ageless face, wetlander, wool, Sea Folk porcelain, skirt smoothing, shawl adjusting, licking/wetting the lips, dice spinning in Mat's head, ear-boxing, eyes bulging, and so on and so on.
Often times, while reading this book, I asked myself: Why is this important? The answer? It isn't.
I will never read another WoT book, not even for money. This is just slow, painful and meaningless drivel. This book ends my Wheel of Time adventure thank God.
After book 4, I started noticing certain things about Jordan prose (if you can even call it that). Here, these things were so obvious and so over the top, that they burned my eyes and consumed my soul every time I saw them. So, here is the list:
1) He is extremely wordy. A normal sentence, in any other decent book, would go something like this:
"We will meet again" said Egwene.
In Jordan's book? That same sentence goes like this:
"We will meet again, Aviendha" said Egwene adjusting her shawl and glaring at the plump innkeeper scrubbing the floor.
My example was actually short! Still don't believe me? Ok, then here is a sentence from chapter 28:
The third woman, tall and dark in neat gray wool, maybe a Tairen, crossed two bridges before entering a large shop where she was greeted with smiles by a skinny bowing fellow and began supervising the loading of lacquered boxes and trays into sawdust-filled baskets that were then loaded into a wagon.
Jesus, that was a mouthful. Or how about this one, in chapter 37:
Her notion of what to wear visiting the roughest part of the city without attracting attention was a wide green hat with green-dyed plumes, a light dustcloak of green linen worked in golden scrolls hanging down her back, and a high-necked green silk riding dress with gold embroidery climbing the divided skirts and thickly emphasizing the oval that exposed half her bosom.
These are prime examples of sentences that are completely useless and the one that don't advance the plot. Now imagine every other sentence like that. This makes for a slow and frustrating read. This leads me to my next point:
2) His books don't have a plot anymore. I mean they have, but it's completely meaningless and it can be summarized on one page. That should be clear just by looking at some of the names of the chapters in this book. I mean, when you have chapters like "A Bath" and "Bread and Cheese" you know there is some action packed adventure right there!
3) I hate all the women in his books. All of them. There is not a single woman who I actually like, and care about. Well, maybe Moiraine. And maaaaybe Egwene, but that's already pushing it. They can all be described by one word. Arrogant. They are all petty, angry, irritated and pissed off. They are constantly arguing, bickering, glaring, frowning, sniffing, blushing and barking out orders. And it's always men's fault. I don't remember if I ever, in all seven books, read a chapter where women actually laughed, and they were happy, nice, polite and charming. No, there is constantly a tension and a struggle between them. Don't believe me? In chapter 31, Lan saves Nynaeve from drowning and how does she thanks him? She slaps him five times on the face and punches him in the stomach. And no, I'm not kidding. I would really wish that Jordan just kills all these women, but knowing Jordan, he would probably resurrect them after a different name. And this takes me to my next point:
4) The characters DON'T die. They just don't. Even those that he kills come back somehow. This removes the entire tension and sense of danger out of the book. Why should I fear for Perrin's safety or Random Aes Sedai #216 when I know they won't die? Unlike the previous books, here a few people actually die. But that's a drop in the ocean. There are still 997 more characters alive.
5) Each character has a unique name. God, this pisses me off to no end. I would understand this notion if the story had like 50 characters, or hell even 100. But Wheel of Time by this point has over 1000 characters! I know that having two different characters with same name would just further complicate things, but at least it would be realistic! I don't think anyone would be confused if there is a random innkeeper in Ebou Dar whose name is Mat. What's even worse 90% of all these characters are completely meaningless to the story! Or are they? Sometimes Jordan pulls some minor character from previous books and places him in the new one. At first I found this cool, but now it's just annoying and it gives you a sense that Randland is actually a pretty small place. I also hate how some characters have "fantasy" names like Lan, Nynaeve, Mogheiden and so on, while others have "realistic" names like Elayne and Nicole. Ugh!
6) The Last Battle is approaching (apparently) and yet everybody thinks about some pointless things, like what dress to buy or if they should marry someone or not. Who cares, people? The end of the world, the frickin armageddon is approaching and nobody doesn't even care! Maybe Last Battle isn't the end of the world, but then what is it? It's book seven and Jordan still didn't explain it. Also, Rand is pretty much a ticking time bomb yet three girls are fighting over him. Don't they realize that he will (probably) die and kill half the humanity? Apparently not. They just want to "share" him. Ugh, I want to throw up every time I read about this. There is also a lot of other questions bubbling in my mind, like do Aes Sedai and their Warders ever sleep with each other? What am I saying? Of course not. Nobody in this series gets laid. Actually no, scratch that. We finally have a first rape scene in this book. And I say finally not because I love reading about it (quite the contrary actually), but because for some strange reason, fantasy book just can't go without at least one rape scene. But guess what. The rape victim isn't a woman. Oh no, no, it's a man! Why am I not surprised?
7) And finally, my last point: repetition. Jordan uses two types of repetition in his books: major and minor. Major repetitions is when he describes things, cities and people that we already know how they look. Why do I have to read about Tar Valon's white towers in book seven when I did that in the previous six ones? Minor repetition are various words or actions that Jordan likes to use, again and again. I actually keep track of certain words to see how often do they appear. It makes reading more bearable, as I have my own little Easter egg hunt. Here is the list (you may check my other WoT reviews for more data if you are interested):
Frown � 146
Sniff � 36
Braid � 46
Dress � 138
Muttering � 99
Silk � 110
Blushing � 70
Although, I should probably add more words to that list, like: sitting cross-legged, gave a start, mouth tightening, folding arms beneath breasts, big dark eyes, ageless face, wetlander, wool, Sea Folk porcelain, skirt smoothing, shawl adjusting, licking/wetting the lips, dice spinning in Mat's head, ear-boxing, eyes bulging, and so on and so on.
Often times, while reading this book, I asked myself: Why is this important? The answer? It isn't.
I will never read another WoT book, not even for money. This is just slow, painful and meaningless drivel. This book ends my Wheel of Time adventure thank God.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2020
Rating: Excellent
Genre: Epic Fantasy
A Crown of Swords is the seventh book in The Wheel of Time series. It consists of a prologue and forty-one chapters. Except for Nynaeve and Elayne, I think main characters like Rand, Mat, Perrin, and Egwene had almost equal footage and POVs in the book. Usually, with such big books it is difficult to mention everything without spoiling the story but what I will do is mention the main events and points.
“Usually when a woman was in the wrong, she could find so many things to blame on the nearest man that he wound up thinking maybe he really was at fault.�
This is the book where Elayne and Nynaeve with the help of Mat find the bowl of the Winds but it will not come easy and there will be some casualties.
The kin circle is found. I loved how Elayne stood up for herself among the other Aes Sedai!
Lan is back and Egwene asks him to travel to Ebou Dar and assist Nynaeve with her mission.
New characters are introduced with the most interesting ones being Queen Tylin, Reanne, and Cadsuane. I can tell that Cadsuane will have a huge impact on Rand for sure. A very strong character and for some reason, I kept imagining Glen Close playing her.
Rand makes all the preparations to defeat Sammael and it is supposed to take place in Shadar Logoth. But the question is, did he really succeed?
Mat plays a very important role in this book in assisting Elayne and Nynaeve with their missions but his fate ends with a cliffhanger!
“he had grown up in the unspoken certainty that a man would put himself at risk to protect a woman as far she allowed; whether he liked her or even knew her was beside the point.�
The ending of this book was not as grand as the previous book, Lord of Chaos but it was still huge and a big deal. What I notice is that in every book Robert Jordan introduces new characters, darkfriends, or dark beings for a purpose that might show in the next books. For example, Matt’s encounter with Gholam in Rahad was fantastic and I feel this opens the door for more storytelling in the subsequent books. I am sure we are going to see more of Gholam. I finished reading this installment today and I really love to get into the next book right away but my plan is to read only one book of the series every month so the eighth book I will start in January 2021. That’s a way to read other books from other genres. This is an amazing series and I cannot recommend it enough.
Genre: Epic Fantasy
A Crown of Swords is the seventh book in The Wheel of Time series. It consists of a prologue and forty-one chapters. Except for Nynaeve and Elayne, I think main characters like Rand, Mat, Perrin, and Egwene had almost equal footage and POVs in the book. Usually, with such big books it is difficult to mention everything without spoiling the story but what I will do is mention the main events and points.
“Usually when a woman was in the wrong, she could find so many things to blame on the nearest man that he wound up thinking maybe he really was at fault.�
This is the book where Elayne and Nynaeve with the help of Mat find the bowl of the Winds but it will not come easy and there will be some casualties.
The kin circle is found. I loved how Elayne stood up for herself among the other Aes Sedai!
Lan is back and Egwene asks him to travel to Ebou Dar and assist Nynaeve with her mission.
New characters are introduced with the most interesting ones being Queen Tylin, Reanne, and Cadsuane. I can tell that Cadsuane will have a huge impact on Rand for sure. A very strong character and for some reason, I kept imagining Glen Close playing her.
Rand makes all the preparations to defeat Sammael and it is supposed to take place in Shadar Logoth. But the question is, did he really succeed?
Mat plays a very important role in this book in assisting Elayne and Nynaeve with their missions but his fate ends with a cliffhanger!
“he had grown up in the unspoken certainty that a man would put himself at risk to protect a woman as far she allowed; whether he liked her or even knew her was beside the point.�
The ending of this book was not as grand as the previous book, Lord of Chaos but it was still huge and a big deal. What I notice is that in every book Robert Jordan introduces new characters, darkfriends, or dark beings for a purpose that might show in the next books. For example, Matt’s encounter with Gholam in Rahad was fantastic and I feel this opens the door for more storytelling in the subsequent books. I am sure we are going to see more of Gholam. I finished reading this installment today and I really love to get into the next book right away but my plan is to read only one book of the series every month so the eighth book I will start in January 2021. That’s a way to read other books from other genres. This is an amazing series and I cannot recommend it enough.
February 13, 2023
3.5 stars
2023: One more reread in the done column. So looking at my previous comments and amused at how things change and also stay the same. I was a lot less tolerant of Jordan's meandering descriptions of fashion to name one thing that bothered me among many; these books are clearly not without fault. In fact, I can find much I wish was different, but that said, it's still a series I enjoy a lot despite the many flaws and I'm pretty sure that will never change. Now onto the slower books...
_____________________________
Another reread done & dusted at BBB as we reach the halfway mark in this truly epic series. This one was slow. But still oh so good. Robert Jordan clearly had a talent for storytelling. I know there are people who HATE these middle books, but I am still enjoying them immensely and cannot find much fault.
Right. Spoiler filled remark time.
2023: One more reread in the done column. So looking at my previous comments and amused at how things change and also stay the same. I was a lot less tolerant of Jordan's meandering descriptions of fashion to name one thing that bothered me among many; these books are clearly not without fault. In fact, I can find much I wish was different, but that said, it's still a series I enjoy a lot despite the many flaws and I'm pretty sure that will never change. Now onto the slower books...
_____________________________
Another reread done & dusted at BBB as we reach the halfway mark in this truly epic series. This one was slow. But still oh so good. Robert Jordan clearly had a talent for storytelling. I know there are people who HATE these middle books, but I am still enjoying them immensely and cannot find much fault.
Right. Spoiler filled remark time.
April 25, 2020
I for one very much enjoyed this installment of the Wheel of Time. I have come to appreciate the characters and the varied going's on in the world that Robert Jordan has created. Other readers seem to be critical of the slow pace of the story-line at this point in the series but I think that if you approach the series with the right mindset, it's really enjoyable. I am very excited to arrive at the end of the series and have many of my questions answered but like most things in life, it's more about the journey than the destination. As someone who reads quickly and typically devours a book, I need a long story that I can sink myself into for an extended period of time and this series has done just that. I'm trying to average a book a month. Spacing the books out that way with some fluff interspersed helps alleviate some of the fatigue that may come from the slower pace if one were to attempt the whole series at once. So, if you like a good story, just sit back, be patient, and enjoy the ride.
Ratings: 4.5 stars
Ratings: 4.5 stars
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