My experience with the slog was Book 7: I liked it Book 8: still enjoyable, but a little boring in some sections Book 9: wheres my boy rand? -> this is boring -> OH MY GOD THIS IS SO EPIC Book 10: Pls something happens please please please (the worst of all, the only book of WoT that I think of it as being a bad book)
Lord of Chaos is really good. I've been rereading this series slowly over the last year and I'm now on book 12. I wouldn't worry too much about "the slog". Yes, the next few books are slower but there's something to like in all of them, and Knife of Dreams is really good. I think my favorite is Fires of Heaven.
That's so great to hear! You're almost done with your reread. I hope you'll continue to enjoy them! Fires of Heaven was REALLY good. Mat really shine in that book! :)
I really hope you will make it to the end, as from all of your opinions on the books so far it honestly looks like you will absolutely love the last 3-4 installments. So push through, the slog will be worth it even for you ^^ Oh, and Rand is absolutely the best character in the series, if not ever. He has a simply mind blowing arc that has basically just started at this point. And later in the series (don't know what you already define as a spoiler), he has imo the best single-book character arc I have ever read/seen/etc. Regarding the slog I would also note that the books are not nearly as long as the rest of the series, so not too bad to get through imo
I'm a fan of Sanderson's books, nd the last three books in the series that he wrote will be the biggest motivations for me to push through the slog! 😂 I am soooo looking forward to seeing how Rand will continue to develop throughout the series! 😁
I also started really liking the series when I reached book 5 and 6. I think its because it takes time to adjust to the writing style and all of the strange quirks of the series. I went back and reread books 1-4 after having adjusted, and it was well worth it. The Shadow Rising became my fav so maybe if you reread it sometime you would see why its so praised. I think you'll enjoy Crown Of Swords
You know, I thought the same thing when I read this one. I wonder if I'd enjoy Shadow Rising more on reread. Obviously, no idea when I'll do that. But I think I'll like it much more on reread!
@@PetrikLeo That’s where it gets tough lol but I’d say definitely The Gathering Storm and probably The Great Hunt…although Knife of Dreams and A Memory of Light are right there as well!
I always thought that people lumping A Crown of Swords into the "slog" was a bit unfair, though it certainly suffers some from the pacing issues you talk about here. But, I really enjoyed it and even The Path of Daggers quite a lot. I think my favorite book written solely by Jordan is either Lord of Chaos or Knife of Dreams. KoD did a lot for progressing different character arcs and was a really solid change of pace after books 9 and 10.
Well, i've been reading the WOT since i was 15, always reading when the translated editions came to Brazil. Last year i've read the book 7, and that's for me when the slog starts, def a slower pace, not much happening, but the characters kept me going, and there's a lot to love on the book. But in this year i've decided to read the WOT in the originial language, it has been so long, a i believe it is time to read the ending of this story that i do love so much. So far, i am in "Towers of midnight", and WOW, it's been a journey. The slog hit me way harder on the 10th book, but i do love "The winter's heart" and the "Path of daggers", even thought the pacing is really annoying sometimes. If you could enjoy the slower parts in "Lord of chaos", i do believe that the slog won't be impossible to go throught. One last thing, if the Wandering show (is this the Valan Luca's show?) bothered you, damm get ready for Mat's POV.
Wow. Well done, Giovani! You're almost done with the series. And thank you for the encouragement. Always good to hear I'm not crazy that I'm reading this much slower than usual. 😂 I think I should be able to go through the slog! And yeah, I am not a fan of the circus introduced in Fires of Heaven. Urgh... 😂
Crown of Swords is definitely not in the slog, I really enjoyed that one. Path of Daggers, however, I had to take a break from, the pacing is rough. Lord of Chaos might be my favourite so far though, I totally agree with your review!!
I also finished Lord of Chaos a few weeks ago. Faile is the actual worst and I automatically deduct at least half a star for any book she’s in. I also think Rand and Mat are heads and shoulders above everyone else in the characterization department, so far. That kneeling line gave me chills when I read it. What an ending.
That's great, Lidens! Yeah... Faile is awful. And apparently, we haven't read her at her worst yet. Blood and bloody ashes. xD I totally agree about Rand and Mat. Their characterizations and development are amazing! :)
Rand and Mat are my favorite characters as well! Crown of Swords is up next for me and I’m so wary of starting the slog. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the next few books!!! Especially crossroads of twilight haha
Rand and Mat are awesome! Guess we're in the same boat. Let's hope we'll like them more than we expected. It will be a while before I get to Crossroads of Twilight, but I will get there! xD
Great video Petrik! I found this quite encouraging since this is my next installment to read. Not sure when I'll begin, I've been kicking it down the road for quite some time, but I would like to continue the journey before season 2 airs. I whole-heartedly agree about the pace in which you are reading the series. Everyone reads differently, but I don't see these books as binge readers. It's been 2 years since I've read Fires of Heaven (time just got away from me), but before that I did roughly 4 - 6 months between each.
Thank you so much, Anthony! Yeah, with this series, binge reading is not something I encourage. I feel like it made the flaws more intolerable. 😂 I wish you best of luck in your journey with Thr Wheel of Time, too! It took me almost 3 years before I attempted Fires of Heaven, I understand what you mean! 😂
I'm really happy you enjoyed the book! I've been taking a break from WoT and focusing on other stories, but it still holds a very special place in my heart.
I just finished lord of chaos last week and I am there with you exactly on the women characters. The girls fighting with each other and talking about necklines last book almost made me quit the whole thing. I love Perrin and hate how rude and bossy his wife is. I also like min because she shows up and cares a ton for rand. She hates that she does because she is used to being a strong independent woman and so I can forgive her for acting odd with him. I must say though, my favorite female character is Siuan sanche all the way! I hope she stays awesome.
EXACTLY! That's pretty much my thoughts regarding the female characters, too! I'm still more or less alright with Siuan Sanche. I don't hate her like the other main female characters, though, for sure! :)
So fun to listen to your thoughts on The Lord Of Chaos, just as I've finished reading The Path Of Daggers (which I read 7 months after The Crown Of Swords). Thank you for sharing your thoughts!📚🔥
@@PetrikLeoOverjoyed to hear that. Just finished Lord of Chaos a couple of weeks ago. I'm going back and forth between The First Law Series. As well as The Wheel Of Time. I'm reading " A Crown of Swords" and then "A Little Hatred". I think it's best to break up the books in WOT. At this rate we'll probably finish around the same time. I can't wait to hear your thoughts when the series is over.
@@ENCELADUS777 I read a Wheel of Time book every 4-5 months, and yeah I think it's better to read plenty of books before diving into the next one. A Little Hatred is so goooddd. The entire Age of Madness trilogy is amazing, imo!
Finished Lord of Chaos last week Thursday and I really enjoyed it.The first half was not so great but the second half was awesome,a lot of great moments and for the first time,I'm looking forward to read A Crown of Swords.Currently I am reading Recursion by Blake Crouch followed by The Crown Tower.On the first of August,some people will begin a read-along on Mike's discord for the Sun Eater,I will also join them,starting with Empire of Silence and after that I will return to the WoT with A Crown of Swords and New Spring.
Niceee! Glad you enjoyed it. The second half was so awesome. I'm jealous you will be reading Sun eater soon. My schedule simply won't allow me to do it right now. 😅 I will read A Crown of Swords probably in November! 😄
Not gonna lie, I've been putting off Lord of Chaos for months now.... but this video/review really was the push I needed to finally get my shit together and prioritise it soon, haha! Not much action actually sounds pretty good to me, so yay for that. Great to hear that this was a hit for you! So far, we've had a very similar reading experience with these books, so I hope the same will be true for this instalment!! 🤞 Thanks for the great review 🥰
Thank you so much, Esmay! I think you'll enjoy this one, too. It has been a while since you read The Fires of Heaven and I think that will help! Also, I know what you mean. Sometimes, starting a book in this series feels like exercising. Hard to start, but good to do. 😂
Lord of Chaos is on my top 3 best WoT books, it began with a bang showing how the blades are made (for me that was dark, very dark and fantastic) and ends with a huge OMG moment, I agree pretty much with all you said, Rand's character arc is very relatable and it reach its pinnacle in book 12 IMO (one of the most memorable scenes in the whole series), I started liking Elayne but that changed very fast, Egwene I never like her and for me that was consistent along the whole series and Nynaeve, well, I dislike her at first but by the end I was rooting for her, she changes a lot from the 1st book to the last one, anyway, I'm glad you like this entry, the slog is not as bad as so many people think, for me only the book 10 was a "just end please" but fortunately book 11 is great. Looking forward to your comments about the upcoming books, I wish you the best of luck.
Thank you so much! I will try to leave a review for each book in the series every time I finished them. I have a feeling Lord of Chaos will be in my top 5 books of the series. The blades being forged in the prologue were awesome, and Dumai's Wells was amazing. I cannot wait to see how Rand will continue to develop throughout the series!! I have heard from plenty of readers who DISLIKED Nynaeve in the first few books but ended up loving her by the end of the series. I'm hoping that will be the case for me. Also, laughing at your comment on book 10! xD
Lord of Chaos might be my favourite as well, but mainly that one epic scene may have strongly influenced it. The Great Hunt and Knife of Dreams are the other two I rate the highest, along with Towers of Midnight (probably the best overall).
I know which scene you're thinking of in Lord of Chaos! 😆 Glad to hear The Great Hunt is on your favorites in the series, too, Farhad. I will most likely get to A Knife of Dreams and Tower of Midnight in 2024. But I will get there, and I'm excited! 😄
@@PetrikLeo hope you enjoy it Some say the slog starts in seven, but I found that one excellent. Eight to ten are where I really slowed down. But if you prepare yourself for a potential slump going in, you should find it easier to bear! So glad you didn't quit. Gives me hope for Malazan after struggling and quitting in book four!
I totally agree with your thoughts on Rand's character arc but I did have to chuckle considering you arent even half way through it. He still has such a long way to go and its quite a ride!
I have read 8 wot books and currently reading winters heart now and Lord of chaos is the best book and it has the best climax in the first half of the wot series and loved all in that book.
I am currently on Book 13 in my first read of the series, but I’ve been reading them back to back since Great Hunt. I love Lord of Chaos … Dumai Wells is one of the greatest battles in all of epic fantasy. I also loved Shadow Rising though …That is the book that really got me hooked on WOT. For me that’s where I decided that I would just accept all of Jordan’s idiosyncrasies that had been bugging me in books 1 thru 3 … the overdescriptions of clothing, bratty dialogue, weird/weak romance and the utter lack of subtlety in “battle of the sexes” theme … I was able to accept those things because the series just had SO MUCH more to offer that is great. I then found that by mid-series a lot of the quirks that annoyed me before were actually kind of endearing. I will say, if over-description is one of your big turn-offs then be prepared for Crossroads of Twilight. I personally never felt a “slog” … in fact Crown of Swords and Winter’s Heart are two of my favorites of the series. Crossroads I thought had some great stuff too and when it got too boring or over-descriptive I just sped up the audiobook to 2x (while reading along). As you are a fan of Sanderson I will say to push through if you end up feeling a slog … you will absolutely love Sanderson’s books!
I will push through. Thank you for the encouragement. And hey, book 13!!! You're so close to the end, Philip. Although I did not like The Shadow Rising, the was certainly the book that made me accept that if I want to continue the series, I will have to understand and be patient because the overload of description won't go away throughout the series hahaha. But as you said, even with so many flaws, the series offers some truly groundbreaking stuff. No wonder it became a classic to this day! So cool that you consider A Crown of Swords and Winter's Heart as some of your favorites. And yes, I am a fan of Sanderson's books! Not gonna lie, his books in the series are the biggest reason why I will finish the series! :)
I rate it 3rd in the WoT books. I liked Shadow Rising and The Gathering Storm better. It happens that I just watched you on Chatting With Nutts from a few months back. Glad to see you continuing on WoT.
I have a really hard time being objective looking back at individual books in this series because of how all of the story lines and character arcs wrap up. It is my favorite series of all time because of the last 3 books. But this means looking back I am less annoyed by characters because I know what they go through and who they end up being or what happens to them. I’m one of the few people I know that didn’t like book one and the first 3/4th of book 2 then loved everything else from then on. I look at it as one big story instead of 14 individual books.
I think that's a great way of looking at the series. I know a few readers have said the same thing. The sum is greater than its parts or something! I hope I'll feel the same about it by the end of the series. It will be a long ride! 😄
I pretty much agree with your positive points of the book, but the slog of the first half of the book after the prologue lowered my overall enjoyment a bit. I’ve read the seventh book and it’s not too bad, but definitely see why people say it’s the start of the slog.
That's totally understandable. I was a bit worried with the "slog" in the second quarter of this book. Thankfully, the second half redeemed it for me. :)
Love this book so much its my third favorite in the whole series !!! Book 12 , Book 4 , and Book 6 I know you didnt like shadow rising but I hope you like book 12
Hi 👋 lord of chaos was a great read for me too 😊😊 I’m glad u liked it, sometimes wen u have big series, I always give few months. if you give it a gap between series I think you will enjoy ur reading experience more there are my thoughts 💭. I’m currently reading The Alloy of Law mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson so far I’m enjoying it!!! Happy reading to you!! 😊
As far as the "slog" goes, a crown of swords ended up being one of my favorite books in the whole series, but path of daggers through crossroads of twilight are almost excruciatingly slow
That's funny because Winter's Heart is one of my favourites. I love that book, and it's in the slog too. I think they're only 2 bad books in the slog. The Path of Daggers-which is bad, but not terrible. Then Crossroads of Twilight-which is god awful. I think Crossroads of Twilight is the main reason why these middle books are known as "the slog." Elain and Perrin make that book abysmal.
@@JerodimusPrime Is it crazy that I'm REALLY afraid but also curious about Crossroads of Twilight. So many people have told me it is one of the worst books they have ever read. xD
Well i am done with the series last month and let me make some prediction for you Nynaeve is going to be someone you admire after book 10 and the best of the series is yet to come. Can't say if lord of chaos will be your fav by robert jordan or knife of dreams
You're making the right decision to slow down the pace; the density of the series and Jordan's annoying quirks made it easy to burn out on a binge. I took multiple long breaks in my read-through of the series (books 3 and 6 really dragged me down), but I think once you hit 11 you will not be able to help blowing through the rest in a month. At least this is what happened to me.
Yeah, it already happened to me with The Shadow Rising. Not only did the book become a massive struggle, but I also burned out with the series which made me stop reading the series for years! I will definitely get to book 11, probably not next year. I predict it will be in 2024. I will attempt to conquer the slog next year! :)
The upcoming slog isn't that bad but Path of Daggers has a weird book structure almost like a collection of novellas rather than a novel. Crossroads of Twilight is a low point as Jordon cut the book in half and so Knife of Dreams is Crossroads 3rd act. The prologues for the next few books were originally online promotional material for the series while fans waited. They don't always really work well with the rest of the books. I would highly recommend skipping the 100 page prologue for Crossroads and you'll find the book much easier to get through. I think Crown of Swords is way better than books 1,3 and the alleged best 4.
Noted! But... Did you just say Crossroads of Twilight has 100 pages prologue!? Holy god. I thought the 70 pages prologue in Lord of Chaos was crazy already! xD
@@PetrikLeo yeah it's insane! And it only revolves around periphery characters. All these prologues starting with the next books were Tor online materials that gave fans clues to what's going on in the upcoming novels through periphery characters. Tor included them in the books as the prologues and I think the origin and structure of these prologues is what contributes to alot of people feeling like these upcoming books are a slog as you start out by reading long online promotional material. Crossroads was the worst offender.
@@andrewhanson405 no wonder the slog felt real. I it might be a while before I get there, but when I do and if it ends up being too much, I'll probably just read a detailed summary of the prologue somewhere. 😂
Nearly finished with a reread now, and while none of them are my favorite installment, some of my favorite sequences come in books 7-10. Particularly the end of WH. My favorite is 13, Towers of Midnight, though this is the first time I am rereading AMoL since it was released so we will see how it stands. There was actually way less of the things that I remember disliking, like, they don't take up as much space as I remember, from the last read through. And some of them were overall less annoying than before. Faile is still the worst, and Perrin a close second behind her. But, their stories were more tolerable this time through for the stuff happening around them. They're relationship makes me angry. I refuse to believe anyone actually thinks like that and treats their partner like that. It's the worst, which makes it hard to get through. This time, I'm doing the audio books, also, and Michael and Kate elevate everything they touch, so that helps :)
That's great, Nikki! Having read 6 books in the series so far, I imagine this series will work better on reread. Not sure when I will do that, though... One step at a time hahaha. But if this keeps up, I don't think there's any chance of me liking Faile. She's insanely annoying. I am so looking forward to reading the remaining books in the series! :D
"The only character I did not enjoy reading about is Faile" Oh boy Faile is so annoying. Without spoiling anything, I don't think your opinion about this character is going to change in the near future. Faile is one of the main reasons of why people dislike the slog. I agree with you, Rand is the best character in my opinion, he's getting more and more interesting in each book Concerning what you said about no one considering books 7-11 as their favorites : I don't know if you meant to include book 11 or not in this, but Knife of dreams is the favorite book of both Daniel Greene and Merphy Napier if I'm not mistaken. Personally I felt that books 7 and 8 were simply a little less good, and 9 and 10 were the real slog. 11 is excellent, although not in my top 3
Oh god, I hate Faile already. And apparently, I haven't seen her at her worst!? xD Heck yeah to Rand! I'm not a fan of his romancing 3 ladies plotline, but other than that I love everything about his character development!
@@PetrikLeo Yeah the romance plot line is not great. It's not that important to the story either so I don't really know why it's a thing. I really like the Rand/Aviendha and Rand/Min couple but mixing them is weird
I think I'm going to finally continue the WoT in August or September...I do have the next book (The Gathering Storm) now so...and seriously what is up with some of his prologues? It's ridiculous lol
I'm also doing a re-read of this series. I read up to book 10 a long time ago (20 years ago), so I wanted to re-read and then finally finish the series. It's really hard to pick a fav so far. I did like that we got story for all the the Emmons Field 5 in Lord of Chaos, but I did want more from the Forsaken. I loved Min in the other books, I found her annoying in this one. It's frustrating that 3 of them are in love with Rand...come on, there are so many men in this world why do you all have to like Rand? I also don't like Faile and I don't like Perrin with her. He deserves so much better. Perrin is my fav character. This is the first book where I liked Rand. Oh yes, that kneel quote hit me hard too. I stood up and yelled LOL
Good luck with your reread! Yeah, I am definitely NOT a fan of the 3 female characters all being in love with Rand. That is one aspect of the story that I'm trying to ignore as best as I can hahaha. But yeah... I don't like Faile, and I heard she only get worse from here. Help. xD
@@PetrikLeo the last 2 books are...amazing. Yes, there are 2 or 3 things that could have been done better, but Sanderson has said in interviews that Jordan hadn't left him any details on those topics, so I understand having to improvise on some things. But to read the payoff for things that built for 14 books is truly amazing.
@@nightleopard13 Getting to Sanderson's part of the series is honestly one of the biggest reasons why I want to read it. I'm curious how to find out how he'll write and finish the series based on the notes left by Jordan!
You just wait...I was so very annoyed with Nymaeve and sick of her behavior. It all came tumbling down in the beginning right after the midpoint of the series. She became my favorite character of all time. Totally unrelated to the storyline, I still get myself thinking that SHE should be the dragon and what ramifications would have taken place.
Yeah, I've heard the same thing. Glad to hear you're feeling the same thing on Nynaeve, Thiago. I mean, I am sick of her behavior at this stage of the series. And seeing that you felt the same, there is the hope of the series turning it around! :)
I really hate how people make "the slog" a central thing to talk about, when talking about WoT. I don't think the slog exists. Are the books in the middle a bit slower? Yes. But you should be expecting the middle book syndrome to move down a few books in a 14/15 book series. Now for me, the reading experience was very different to most readers the first dozen times through. I read the Finnish translations, and the books written solely by Jordan were published as 25 books. So by the time "the slog" came around, I was already used to reading a WoT book cover to cover with practically nothing happening. Which is no surprise if it's just a third of the actual book. But this is all beside the point. Concentrating so terribly on "the slog" in the online discourse is doing a disservice to absolutely everyone even thinking about reading WoT. All that being said, I couldn't say which actually is my favourite book. It's all become one big blur having read the series so many times. It's more like three books in my head. The first half of what Jordan wrote, The second half of what Jordan wrote, and the ones Sanderson finished. But even saying which of those three I prefer is pretty much impossible.
Although I do understand what you're saying regarding the slog being a central discussion doing a disservice to the series, but we have to remember we are in the era where millions of fantasy books get published everyday, and that's just in the West. Some fantasy readers are less patient now, as you can see from the minimal details on settings and more focus on actions in most modern fantasy books. If people don't talk about the slog when they recommend the series, I think some readers are bound to be pissed when they found themselves shocked by the drop in pacing in book 7-10 (I haven't read them, this is based on what MANY people said). Anyway, just my thoughts. I personally certainly appreciate people talking about the slog. That way, i could prepare myself to be in the right reading mood for it. If I didn't know, my expectation for book 7 would be so high after this book, and I could probably end up feeling down by book 7. Again, I hope i'll love it just like this book, though! 😄
The Great Hunt is numero uno IMO. Lord of Chaos begins the slog, superfluous new characters, Dumai's Wells over hyped. But if A Crown of Swords & Path of Daggers don't change your mind Winter's Heart & Crossroads of Twilight will. I want everyone to love the series, I think's it's great except for pointless reams of description and restating of stuff already stated a hundred times.
The Great Hunt is great! I know what you mean regarding the non-stop description. AND the restating of stuff is exactly why I take a few month's breaks before jumping back in. I think it makes the restating of stuff more tolerable! :)
Min is one of my most hated women characters. It makes it hard for me to like her when almost her entire personality revolves around Rand. We’re first introduced to her as generic tomboy, then all her POVs are just about Rand. I get that being near Rand is the role she needs to play but it makes her seem like such a shallow character to me. Egwene and Elayne moon about their love interests, but they also have their own passions and goals that they’re invested in. Also I cant stand the way Min behaves around Rand in Lord of Chaos. It blurs the line of consent a bit in my opinion.
I understand your reasonings. But at this point of the series, I prefer ANY woman who act nice towards Rand. Seeing Rand genuinely smiles when he met Min in this book warms my heart. All the other women so far are either super distrusful, manipulative, or awful towards him. Also, isn't Aviendha and Elayne kinda the same? They have no personality whatsoever other than obsessing over Rand (and Thom in the case of Elayne in Fires of Heaven, so disgusting).
LOL that’s a good point. I do hate how bossy and better-than-thou most of the women act towards Rand, and all the men in general. I’ve just come to accept it as a fatal flaw of pretty much any woman character -_- It also bothers me how a big chunk of Elayne and Aviendha are about Rand but it’s easier for me to read them because they have more conflicts outside of Rand. In Elayne’s POVs she’s always thinking about him, but also she’s super driven in her studies and discoveries and has a big interest in diplomacy that shows in how she interacts with the Sea Folk, but Min has mostly been about “I need to get to Rand ASAP. I will make Rand love me”. I do Jordan does her dirty because Rand needs her and she isn’t part of a faction so there’s no real opportunity for her development to centre around anything but Rand. I think I’d like Min in real life because I like how she interacts with a lot of other characters, I just have had an increasingly harder time reading her POVs. Oh lord, though, do I hate Thom and Elayne more than almost anything else in the books so far - what was that?? 🤢
I think I’m in the minority, but personally I find many of Jordan’s climaxes to be unfulfilling, and boring (especially the one in book 9). This book is the beginning of the slog for me. I’m glad many like WoT though, it was an interesting read for sure.
Ah, that's too bad. I found his concluding chapters to always be satisfying, especially the ones in The Great Hunt, The Fires of Heaven, and this one! :)
@@PetrikLeo Same for me, I thought the books (almost) always end with a bang. The climaxes are always pretty short, compared to all the buildup, so I totally get why it might be unsatisfying for some people. It's not 100-150 pages of action like in Stormlight Archive (which I read recently for the first time). Both approaches worked well for me, but WoT made me more invested in the characters personally, so those endings left a bigger impression.
@@Julia-rd8ub yup! I certainly won't mind longer climax sequences (especially after we have so many details on dresses 🤣) from Jordan, but what I got so far are great enough! Especially Dumai's Wells!
Jordan's best is still only 3 stars at best, a good ending is not the same as a good book, maybe four if someone hasn't read a lot else and skimmed all his constant repeating himself, but he is just so boring! I like this book a lot but only compared to his others, it's probably the only one I would read again, but the next one was the one that killed the whole series for me and proved to me that Jordan did no research on some of the things in his story.
That is exactly what I feel about The Shadow Rising. Other than the beginning and the ending, the book was a huge struggle for me on my first read. I enjoyed a lot of Fires of Heaven and Lord of Chaos, though. I am worried about the next few books, but we'll see! :D
My experience with the slog was
Book 7: I liked it
Book 8: still enjoyable, but a little boring in some sections
Book 9: wheres my boy rand? -> this is boring -> OH MY GOD THIS IS SO EPIC
Book 10: Pls something happens please please please (the worst of all, the only book of WoT that I think of it as being a bad book)
Laughing so hard at your comment for book 9 and 10. 🤣🤣🤣
" Kneel before the Lord Dragon. Or you will be knelt." - Mazrim Taim!
One of the best books in the series for damn sure!
I got goosebump at that line!!!
Lord of Chaos is really good. I've been rereading this series slowly over the last year and I'm now on book 12. I wouldn't worry too much about "the slog". Yes, the next few books are slower but there's something to like in all of them, and Knife of Dreams is really good. I think my favorite is Fires of Heaven.
That's so great to hear! You're almost done with your reread. I hope you'll continue to enjoy them! Fires of Heaven was REALLY good. Mat really shine in that book! :)
I really hope you will make it to the end, as from all of your opinions on the books so far it honestly looks like you will absolutely love the last 3-4 installments. So push through, the slog will be worth it even for you ^^
Oh, and Rand is absolutely the best character in the series, if not ever. He has a simply mind blowing arc that has basically just started at this point. And later in the series (don't know what you already define as a spoiler), he has imo the best single-book character arc I have ever read/seen/etc.
Regarding the slog I would also note that the books are not nearly as long as the rest of the series, so not too bad to get through imo
I'm a fan of Sanderson's books, nd the last three books in the series that he wrote will be the biggest motivations for me to push through the slog! 😂 I am soooo looking forward to seeing how Rand will continue to develop throughout the series! 😁
I also started really liking the series when I reached book 5 and 6. I think its because it takes time to adjust to the writing style and all of the strange quirks of the series. I went back and reread books 1-4 after having adjusted, and it was well worth it. The Shadow Rising became my fav so maybe if you reread it sometime you would see why its so praised. I think you'll enjoy Crown Of Swords
You know, I thought the same thing when I read this one. I wonder if I'd enjoy Shadow Rising more on reread. Obviously, no idea when I'll do that. But I think I'll like it much more on reread!
So happy you enjoyed this one Petrik! This is a top 3 WOT book for me and Dumai’s Wells is such an incredible scene!
Thank you, Alex! What are the other two for you!? 😄
@@PetrikLeo That’s where it gets tough lol but I’d say definitely The Gathering Storm and probably The Great Hunt…although Knife of Dreams and A Memory of Light are right there as well!
Amazing review, Petrik! So happy to hear you liked Lord of Chaos!
Thank you so much! 😄
I always thought that people lumping A Crown of Swords into the "slog" was a bit unfair, though it certainly suffers some from the pacing issues you talk about here. But, I really enjoyed it and even The Path of Daggers quite a lot. I think my favorite book written solely by Jordan is either Lord of Chaos or Knife of Dreams. KoD did a lot for progressing different character arcs and was a really solid change of pace after books 9 and 10.
I'm hoping I'll feel the same about you on A Crown of Swords, then! And that's good to hear regarding Knife of Dreams! :)
the last battle in this one was amazing!!! one of my favorite moments in the series!!! I'm currently on book 10
Totally agree. Good luck with book 10! Last book of the slog sections! :D
Glad you're loving it! I'm a big Matt fan!
Same here! :)
Well, i've been reading the WOT since i was 15, always reading when the translated editions came to Brazil. Last year i've read the book 7, and that's for me when the slog starts, def a slower pace, not much happening, but the characters kept me going, and there's a lot to love on the book.
But in this year i've decided to read the WOT in the originial language, it has been so long, a i believe it is time to read the ending of this story that i do love so much. So far, i am in "Towers of midnight", and WOW, it's been a journey. The slog hit me way harder on the 10th book, but i do love "The winter's heart" and the "Path of daggers", even thought the pacing is really annoying sometimes. If you could enjoy the slower parts in "Lord of chaos", i do believe that the slog won't be impossible to go throught. One last thing, if the Wandering show (is this the Valan Luca's show?) bothered you, damm get ready for Mat's POV.
Wow. Well done, Giovani! You're almost done with the series. And thank you for the encouragement. Always good to hear I'm not crazy that I'm reading this much slower than usual. 😂 I think I should be able to go through the slog! And yeah, I am not a fan of the circus introduced in Fires of Heaven. Urgh... 😂
Great review. I can appreciate the pacing in taking your time to complete the reviews.
Thank you so much! I wish I could read it faster! 😅
So glad this one worked for you - it's def one of my faves too 😁
Thank you, Mark! Can't disagree with the Asha'man! :D
Crown of Swords is definitely not in the slog, I really enjoyed that one. Path of Daggers, however, I had to take a break from, the pacing is rough. Lord of Chaos might be my favourite so far though, I totally agree with your review!!
Thank you so much! I hope I'll love A Crown of Swords, too. Seems like plenty of people still liked that one!! :D
I also finished Lord of Chaos a few weeks ago. Faile is the actual worst and I automatically deduct at least half a star for any book she’s in.
I also think Rand and Mat are heads and shoulders above everyone else in the characterization department, so far. That kneeling line gave me chills when I read it. What an ending.
That's great, Lidens! Yeah... Faile is awful. And apparently, we haven't read her at her worst yet. Blood and bloody ashes. xD
I totally agree about Rand and Mat. Their characterizations and development are amazing! :)
Rand and Mat are my favorite characters as well! Crown of Swords is up next for me and I’m so wary of starting the slog. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the next few books!!! Especially crossroads of twilight haha
Rand and Mat are awesome! Guess we're in the same boat. Let's hope we'll like them more than we expected. It will be a while before I get to Crossroads of Twilight, but I will get there! xD
Great video Petrik! I found this quite encouraging since this is my next installment to read. Not sure when I'll begin, I've been kicking it down the road for quite some time, but I would like to continue the journey before season 2 airs.
I whole-heartedly agree about the pace in which you are reading the series. Everyone reads differently, but I don't see these books as binge readers. It's been 2 years since I've read Fires of Heaven (time just got away from me), but before that I did roughly 4 - 6 months between each.
Thank you so much, Anthony! Yeah, with this series, binge reading is not something I encourage. I feel like it made the flaws more intolerable. 😂 I wish you best of luck in your journey with Thr Wheel of Time, too! It took me almost 3 years before I attempted Fires of Heaven, I understand what you mean! 😂
I'm really happy you enjoyed the book! I've been taking a break from WoT and focusing on other stories, but it still holds a very special place in my heart.
Thank you so much! Yeah, taking a break from the series once in a while is good for your reading experience! :)
Lord of Chaos is so freaking fantastic and the ending is simple wonderful. Certainly one of the highest points of the series until Knife of Dreams.
It is so good, Alex. 4 books away from reaching Knife of Dreams, I can do it! 😄
@@PetrikLeo Can't give up now! Don't let the slog break your spirit.
I just finished lord of chaos last week and I am there with you exactly on the women characters. The girls fighting with each other and talking about necklines last book almost made me quit the whole thing. I love Perrin and hate how rude and bossy his wife is. I also like min because she shows up and cares a ton for rand. She hates that she does because she is used to being a strong independent woman and so I can forgive her for acting odd with him. I must say though, my favorite female character is Siuan sanche all the way! I hope she stays awesome.
EXACTLY! That's pretty much my thoughts regarding the female characters, too! I'm still more or less alright with Siuan Sanche. I don't hate her like the other main female characters, though, for sure! :)
So fun to listen to your thoughts on The Lord Of Chaos, just as I've finished reading The Path Of Daggers (which I read 7 months after The Crown Of Swords). Thank you for sharing your thoughts!📚🔥
Thank you so much! I'll try to catch up. I'm slow, though... xD
Oh boy! He finally reached Lord of Chaos! I was waiting for this!
And I loved it! :D
@@PetrikLeoOverjoyed to hear that. Just finished Lord of Chaos a couple of weeks ago. I'm going back and forth between The First Law Series. As well as The Wheel Of Time. I'm reading " A Crown of Swords" and then "A Little Hatred". I think it's best to break up the books in WOT. At this rate we'll probably finish around the same time. I can't wait to hear your thoughts when the series is over.
@@ENCELADUS777 I read a Wheel of Time book every 4-5 months, and yeah I think it's better to read plenty of books before diving into the next one. A Little Hatred is so goooddd. The entire Age of Madness trilogy is amazing, imo!
Finished Lord of Chaos last week Thursday and I really enjoyed it.The first half was not so great but the second half was awesome,a lot of great moments and for the first time,I'm looking forward to read A Crown of Swords.Currently I am reading Recursion by Blake Crouch followed by The Crown Tower.On the first of August,some people will begin a read-along on Mike's discord for the Sun Eater,I will also join them,starting with Empire of Silence and after that I will return to the WoT with A Crown of Swords and New Spring.
Niceee! Glad you enjoyed it. The second half was so awesome. I'm jealous you will be reading Sun eater soon. My schedule simply won't allow me to do it right now. 😅 I will read A Crown of Swords probably in November! 😄
Nice, great video Petrik! Happy you enjoyed Lord of Chaos. It was definitely my favorite WoT book. Let the Lord of Chaos rule! Have a good day!
Thank you so much, Drew! Lord of Chaos rule!! :D
Not gonna lie, I've been putting off Lord of Chaos for months now.... but this video/review really was the push I needed to finally get my shit together and prioritise it soon, haha! Not much action actually sounds pretty good to me, so yay for that.
Great to hear that this was a hit for you! So far, we've had a very similar reading experience with these books, so I hope the same will be true for this instalment!! 🤞
Thanks for the great review 🥰
Thank you so much, Esmay! I think you'll enjoy this one, too. It has been a while since you read The Fires of Heaven and I think that will help! Also, I know what you mean. Sometimes, starting a book in this series feels like exercising. Hard to start, but good to do. 😂
@@PetrikLeo I think taking these breaks will be beneficial to my reading enjoyment as well ;) And yes, that is exactly how reading WoT books, haha 🤣
Lord of Chaos is on my top 3 best WoT books, it began with a bang showing how the blades are made (for me that was dark, very dark and fantastic) and ends with a huge OMG moment, I agree pretty much with all you said, Rand's character arc is very relatable and it reach its pinnacle in book 12 IMO (one of the most memorable scenes in the whole series), I started liking Elayne but that changed very fast, Egwene I never like her and for me that was consistent along the whole series and Nynaeve, well, I dislike her at first but by the end I was rooting for her, she changes a lot from the 1st book to the last one, anyway, I'm glad you like this entry, the slog is not as bad as so many people think, for me only the book 10 was a "just end please" but fortunately book 11 is great. Looking forward to your comments about the upcoming books, I wish you the best of luck.
Thank you so much! I will try to leave a review for each book in the series every time I finished them. I have a feeling Lord of Chaos will be in my top 5 books of the series. The blades being forged in the prologue were awesome, and Dumai's Wells was amazing. I cannot wait to see how Rand will continue to develop throughout the series!! I have heard from plenty of readers who DISLIKED Nynaeve in the first few books but ended up loving her by the end of the series. I'm hoping that will be the case for me. Also, laughing at your comment on book 10! xD
Lord of Chaos might be my favourite as well, but mainly that one epic scene may have strongly influenced it. The Great Hunt and Knife of Dreams are the other two I rate the highest, along with Towers of Midnight (probably the best overall).
I know which scene you're thinking of in Lord of Chaos! 😆 Glad to hear The Great Hunt is on your favorites in the series, too, Farhad. I will most likely get to A Knife of Dreams and Tower of Midnight in 2024. But I will get there, and I'm excited! 😄
YAAAASSSSS my favourite book in the series. I love that ending so much! The next book is like an extended ending. I loved that one, hope you do too
Thank you so much, Michael! I will get to the next book as soon as I can! :)
@@PetrikLeo hope you enjoy it
Some say the slog starts in seven, but I found that one excellent. Eight to ten are where I really slowed down. But if you prepare yourself for a potential slump going in, you should find it easier to bear! So glad you didn't quit. Gives me hope for Malazan after struggling and quitting in book four!
@@MichaelSmith-zx5lw sometimes, it's all about the reading mood and having the right expectations! 😄
I'm glad you liked this book. I loved it! Great video! 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
I totally agree with your thoughts on Rand's character arc but I did have to chuckle considering you arent even half way through it. He still has such a long way to go and its quite a ride!
Yeahhh. I still have a lot to go through! 😂 Great to know his development contonues, though!
I have read 8 wot books and currently reading winters heart now and Lord of chaos is the best book and it has the best climax in the first half of the wot series and loved all in that book.
I agree that Lord of Chaos has the best climax in the first half of the series!! No doubt about it! :)
I am currently on Book 13 in my first read of the series, but I’ve been reading them back to back since Great Hunt. I love Lord of Chaos … Dumai Wells is one of the greatest battles in all of epic fantasy. I also loved Shadow Rising though …That is the book that really got me hooked on WOT. For me that’s where I decided that I would just accept all of Jordan’s idiosyncrasies that had been bugging me in books 1 thru 3 … the overdescriptions of clothing, bratty dialogue, weird/weak romance and the utter lack of subtlety in “battle of the sexes” theme … I was able to accept those things because the series just had SO MUCH more to offer that is great. I then found that by mid-series a lot of the quirks that annoyed me before were actually kind of endearing. I will say, if over-description is one of your big turn-offs then be prepared for Crossroads of Twilight. I personally never felt a “slog” … in fact Crown of Swords and Winter’s Heart are two of my favorites of the series. Crossroads I thought had some great stuff too and when it got too boring or over-descriptive I just sped up the audiobook to 2x (while reading along). As you are a fan of Sanderson I will say to push through if you end up feeling a slog … you will absolutely love Sanderson’s books!
I will push through. Thank you for the encouragement. And hey, book 13!!! You're so close to the end, Philip. Although I did not like The Shadow Rising, the was certainly the book that made me accept that if I want to continue the series, I will have to understand and be patient because the overload of description won't go away throughout the series hahaha. But as you said, even with so many flaws, the series offers some truly groundbreaking stuff. No wonder it became a classic to this day! So cool that you consider A Crown of Swords and Winter's Heart as some of your favorites. And yes, I am a fan of Sanderson's books! Not gonna lie, his books in the series are the biggest reason why I will finish the series! :)
I rate it 3rd in the WoT books. I liked Shadow Rising and The Gathering Storm better. It happens that I just watched you on Chatting With Nutts from a few months back. Glad to see you continuing on WoT.
Thank you! Here's hoping I'll love The Gathering Storm more than Lord of Chaos! :)
I liked A Crown of swords and knife of Dreams even more by him. Will have to wait and see what you think.
Interesting! I look forward to reading them! 😃
Hello PL. Amazing review. Lord of Chaos is a really good book, but it's only 9th on my WoT list😂
Thank you so much! Wow, that's so differrent from me. 😂 I'm sure this will be in my top 5 of the series!
I have a really hard time being objective looking back at individual books in this series because of how all of the story lines and character arcs wrap up. It is my favorite series of all time because of the last 3 books. But this means looking back I am less annoyed by characters because I know what they go through and who they end up being or what happens to them. I’m one of the few people I know that didn’t like book one and the first 3/4th of book 2 then loved everything else from then on. I look at it as one big story instead of 14 individual books.
I think that's a great way of looking at the series. I know a few readers have said the same thing. The sum is greater than its parts or something! I hope I'll feel the same about it by the end of the series. It will be a long ride! 😄
@@PetrikLeo yes. I honestly can’t wait to hear your thoughts after each of the last 4 books.
I pretty much agree with your positive points of the book, but the slog of the first half of the book after the prologue lowered my overall enjoyment a bit. I’ve read the seventh book and it’s not too bad, but definitely see why people say it’s the start of the slog.
That's totally understandable. I was a bit worried with the "slog" in the second quarter of this book. Thankfully, the second half redeemed it for me. :)
I can't wait for a copy of lord of chaos to be available at the library I really hope I will enjoy it 🙂📖😊
Yay! I hope it won't be too long before you get it, Angela! Enjoy! :)
Love this book so much its my third favorite in the whole series !!! Book 12 , Book 4 , and Book 6 I know you didnt like shadow rising but I hope you like book 12
Thank you so much! I hope so, too! :)
Hi 👋 lord of chaos was a great read for me too 😊😊 I’m glad u liked it, sometimes wen u have big series, I always give few months. if you give it a gap between series I think you will enjoy ur reading experience more there are my thoughts 💭. I’m currently reading The Alloy of Law mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson so far I’m enjoying it!!! Happy reading to you!! 😊
Thank you so much, Safina! Glad you liked Lord of Chaos, too. I just finished Alloy of Law, actually. Enjoy! :)
One of my favs as well!
Cheers to that!! 😄
As far as the "slog" goes, a crown of swords ended up being one of my favorite books in the whole series, but path of daggers through crossroads of twilight are almost excruciatingly slow
Oh that's reassuring at least, for A Crown of Swords. I'll make sure to prepare myself for book 8-10 next year... xD
That's funny because Winter's Heart is one of my favourites. I love that book, and it's in the slog too. I think they're only 2 bad books in the slog. The Path of Daggers-which is bad, but not terrible. Then Crossroads of Twilight-which is god awful. I think Crossroads of Twilight is the main reason why these middle books are known as "the slog." Elain and Perrin make that book abysmal.
@@JerodimusPrime Is it crazy that I'm REALLY afraid but also curious about Crossroads of Twilight. So many people have told me it is one of the worst books they have ever read. xD
@@PetrikLeo It's bad, really bad. Especially since it comes after Winter's Heart, which IMO is actually a good book despite being in "the slog."
I agree with@@JerodimusPrime. Winters heart was pretty good aside from Perrin's chapters
This is one of my favorit books in the series
Rightfully deserved! 😄
Well i am done with the series last month and let me make some prediction for you Nynaeve is going to be someone you admire after book 10 and the best of the series is yet to come.
Can't say if lord of chaos will be your fav by robert jordan or knife of dreams
I look forward to that happening! I've heard the same thing from plenty of people how they end up loving Nynaeve in the last few books. 😄
@@PetrikLeo yeah and it was extremly gradual
You're making the right decision to slow down the pace; the density of the series and Jordan's annoying quirks made it easy to burn out on a binge. I took multiple long breaks in my read-through of the series (books 3 and 6 really dragged me down), but I think once you hit 11 you will not be able to help blowing through the rest in a month. At least this is what happened to me.
Yeah, it already happened to me with The Shadow Rising. Not only did the book become a massive struggle, but I also burned out with the series which made me stop reading the series for years! I will definitely get to book 11, probably not next year. I predict it will be in 2024. I will attempt to conquer the slog next year! :)
YES.
😄
The upcoming slog isn't that bad but Path of Daggers has a weird book structure almost like a collection of novellas rather than a novel. Crossroads of Twilight is a low point as Jordon cut the book in half and so Knife of Dreams is Crossroads 3rd act. The prologues for the next few books were originally online promotional material for the series while fans waited. They don't always really work well with the rest of the books. I would highly recommend skipping the 100 page prologue for Crossroads and you'll find the book much easier to get through. I think Crown of Swords is way better than books 1,3 and the alleged best 4.
Noted! But... Did you just say Crossroads of Twilight has 100 pages prologue!? Holy god. I thought the 70 pages prologue in Lord of Chaos was crazy already! xD
@@PetrikLeo yeah it's insane! And it only revolves around periphery characters. All these prologues starting with the next books were Tor online materials that gave fans clues to what's going on in the upcoming novels through periphery characters. Tor included them in the books as the prologues and I think the origin and structure of these prologues is what contributes to alot of people feeling like these upcoming books are a slog as you start out by reading long online promotional material. Crossroads was the worst offender.
@@andrewhanson405 no wonder the slog felt real. I it might be a while before I get there, but when I do and if it ends up being too much, I'll probably just read a detailed summary of the prologue somewhere. 😂
Nearly finished with a reread now, and while none of them are my favorite installment, some of my favorite sequences come in books 7-10. Particularly the end of WH. My favorite is 13, Towers of Midnight, though this is the first time I am rereading AMoL since it was released so we will see how it stands. There was actually way less of the things that I remember disliking, like, they don't take up as much space as I remember, from the last read through. And some of them were overall less annoying than before. Faile is still the worst, and Perrin a close second behind her. But, their stories were more tolerable this time through for the stuff happening around them. They're relationship makes me angry. I refuse to believe anyone actually thinks like that and treats their partner like that. It's the worst, which makes it hard to get through. This time, I'm doing the audio books, also, and Michael and Kate elevate everything they touch, so that helps :)
That's great, Nikki! Having read 6 books in the series so far, I imagine this series will work better on reread. Not sure when I will do that, though... One step at a time hahaha. But if this keeps up, I don't think there's any chance of me liking Faile. She's insanely annoying.
I am so looking forward to reading the remaining books in the series! :D
"The only character I did not enjoy reading about is Faile"
Oh boy Faile is so annoying. Without spoiling anything, I don't think your opinion about this character is going to change in the near future. Faile is one of the main reasons of why people dislike the slog.
I agree with you, Rand is the best character in my opinion, he's getting more and more interesting in each book
Concerning what you said about no one considering books 7-11 as their favorites : I don't know if you meant to include book 11 or not in this, but Knife of dreams is the favorite book of both Daniel Greene and Merphy Napier if I'm not mistaken. Personally I felt that books 7 and 8 were simply a little less good, and 9 and 10 were the real slog. 11 is excellent, although not in my top 3
Oh god, I hate Faile already. And apparently, I haven't seen her at her worst!? xD
Heck yeah to Rand! I'm not a fan of his romancing 3 ladies plotline, but other than that I love everything about his character development!
@@PetrikLeo Yeah the romance plot line is not great. It's not that important to the story either so I don't really know why it's a thing. I really like the Rand/Aviendha and Rand/Min couple but mixing them is weird
I think I'm going to finally continue the WoT in August or September...I do have the next book (The Gathering Storm) now so...and seriously what is up with some of his prologues? It's ridiculous lol
Hahhaha. No prologues are as long as the one in Wheel of Time! xD
@@PetrikLeo it’s wild I think the prologue on CoT on audio was like 3.5 hours and I was like…excuse me?!
Does thumbnail of Petrik remind anyone of the cover American Pie by Don Mclean? No? Just me?
I didn't know what this was before, but omg I see the resemblance!! 🤣
I'm also doing a re-read of this series. I read up to book 10 a long time ago (20 years ago), so I wanted to re-read and then finally finish the series. It's really hard to pick a fav so far. I did like that we got story for all the the Emmons Field 5 in Lord of Chaos, but I did want more from the Forsaken. I loved Min in the other books, I found her annoying in this one. It's frustrating that 3 of them are in love with Rand...come on, there are so many men in this world why do you all have to like Rand? I also don't like Faile and I don't like Perrin with her. He deserves so much better. Perrin is my fav character. This is the first book where I liked Rand. Oh yes, that kneel quote hit me hard too. I stood up and yelled LOL
Good luck with your reread! Yeah, I am definitely NOT a fan of the 3 female characters all being in love with Rand. That is one aspect of the story that I'm trying to ignore as best as I can hahaha. But yeah... I don't like Faile, and I heard she only get worse from here. Help. xD
It's my favorite of Jordan's books.
Woohoo! :D
@@PetrikLeo the last 2 books are...amazing. Yes, there are 2 or 3 things that could have been done better, but Sanderson has said in interviews that Jordan hadn't left him any details on those topics, so I understand having to improvise on some things. But to read the payoff for things that built for 14 books is truly amazing.
@@nightleopard13 Getting to Sanderson's part of the series is honestly one of the biggest reasons why I want to read it. I'm curious how to find out how he'll write and finish the series based on the notes left by Jordan!
@@PetrikLeo I was the same way. All three are very good. Also Rand is my favorite character, which is a rare stance in the WOT community.
You just wait...I was so very annoyed with Nymaeve and sick of her behavior. It all came tumbling down in the beginning right after the midpoint of the series. She became my favorite character of all time. Totally unrelated to the storyline, I still get myself thinking that SHE should be the dragon and what ramifications would have taken place.
Yeah, I've heard the same thing. Glad to hear you're feeling the same thing on Nynaeve, Thiago. I mean, I am sick of her behavior at this stage of the series. And seeing that you felt the same, there is the hope of the series turning it around! :)
I really hate how people make "the slog" a central thing to talk about, when talking about WoT. I don't think the slog exists. Are the books in the middle a bit slower? Yes. But you should be expecting the middle book syndrome to move down a few books in a 14/15 book series. Now for me, the reading experience was very different to most readers the first dozen times through. I read the Finnish translations, and the books written solely by Jordan were published as 25 books. So by the time "the slog" came around, I was already used to reading a WoT book cover to cover with practically nothing happening. Which is no surprise if it's just a third of the actual book.
But this is all beside the point. Concentrating so terribly on "the slog" in the online discourse is doing a disservice to absolutely everyone even thinking about reading WoT. All that being said, I couldn't say which actually is my favourite book. It's all become one big blur having read the series so many times. It's more like three books in my head. The first half of what Jordan wrote, The second half of what Jordan wrote, and the ones Sanderson finished. But even saying which of those three I prefer is pretty much impossible.
Although I do understand what you're saying regarding the slog being a central discussion doing a disservice to the series, but we have to remember we are in the era where millions of fantasy books get published everyday, and that's just in the West. Some fantasy readers are less patient now, as you can see from the minimal details on settings and more focus on actions in most modern fantasy books. If people don't talk about the slog when they recommend the series, I think some readers are bound to be pissed when they found themselves shocked by the drop in pacing in book 7-10 (I haven't read them, this is based on what MANY people said). Anyway, just my thoughts. I personally certainly appreciate people talking about the slog. That way, i could prepare myself to be in the right reading mood for it. If I didn't know, my expectation for book 7 would be so high after this book, and I could probably end up feeling down by book 7. Again, I hope i'll love it just like this book, though! 😄
❤️❤️❤️
:)
I'm not sure how low is your expectations for the slog, but I would lower it even more hahaha.
They're really low. Seriously. I expect the worst of them all, especially book 10. Better this way than over-expectations! xD
The Great Hunt is numero uno IMO. Lord of Chaos begins the slog, superfluous new characters, Dumai's Wells over hyped. But if A Crown of Swords & Path of Daggers don't change your mind Winter's Heart & Crossroads of Twilight will. I want everyone to love the series, I think's it's great except for pointless reams of description and restating of stuff already stated a hundred times.
The Great Hunt is great! I know what you mean regarding the non-stop description. AND the restating of stuff is exactly why I take a few month's breaks before jumping back in. I think it makes the restating of stuff more tolerable! :)
Mild spoiler. Crown of Swords has a 90 pg prologue 😬
That is crazy. 🤣🤣
Min is one of my most hated women characters. It makes it hard for me to like her when almost her entire personality revolves around Rand. We’re first introduced to her as generic tomboy, then all her POVs are just about Rand. I get that being near Rand is the role she needs to play but it makes her seem like such a shallow character to me. Egwene and Elayne moon about their love interests, but they also have their own passions and goals that they’re invested in. Also I cant stand the way Min behaves around Rand in Lord of Chaos. It blurs the line of consent a bit in my opinion.
I understand your reasonings. But at this point of the series, I prefer ANY woman who act nice towards Rand. Seeing Rand genuinely smiles when he met Min in this book warms my heart. All the other women so far are either super distrusful, manipulative, or awful towards him. Also, isn't Aviendha and Elayne kinda the same? They have no personality whatsoever other than obsessing over Rand (and Thom in the case of Elayne in Fires of Heaven, so disgusting).
LOL that’s a good point. I do hate how bossy and better-than-thou most of the women act towards Rand, and all the men in general. I’ve just come to accept it as a fatal flaw of pretty much any woman character -_- It also bothers me how a big chunk of Elayne and Aviendha are about Rand but it’s easier for me to read them because they have more conflicts outside of Rand. In Elayne’s POVs she’s always thinking about him, but also she’s super driven in her studies and discoveries and has a big interest in diplomacy that shows in how she interacts with the Sea Folk, but Min has mostly been about “I need to get to Rand ASAP. I will make Rand love me”. I do Jordan does her dirty because Rand needs her and she isn’t part of a faction so there’s no real opportunity for her development to centre around anything but Rand. I think I’d like Min in real life because I like how she interacts with a lot of other characters, I just have had an increasingly harder time reading her POVs. Oh lord, though, do I hate Thom and Elayne more than almost anything else in the books so far - what was that?? 🤢
@@hflh1884that makes sense!! And yeah, I seriously can't stand that Elayne and Thom's plotline in Fires of Heaven. What in the world was that? 😂😂
I think I’m in the minority, but personally I find many of Jordan’s climaxes to be unfulfilling, and boring (especially the one in book 9). This book is the beginning of the slog for me. I’m glad many like WoT though, it was an interesting read for sure.
Ah, that's too bad. I found his concluding chapters to always be satisfying, especially the ones in The Great Hunt, The Fires of Heaven, and this one! :)
@@PetrikLeo Same for me, I thought the books (almost) always end with a bang. The climaxes are always pretty short, compared to all the buildup, so I totally get why it might be unsatisfying for some people. It's not 100-150 pages of action like in Stormlight Archive (which I read recently for the first time). Both approaches worked well for me, but WoT made me more invested in the characters personally, so those endings left a bigger impression.
@@Julia-rd8ub yup! I certainly won't mind longer climax sequences (especially after we have so many details on dresses 🤣) from Jordan, but what I got so far are great enough! Especially Dumai's Wells!
@@PetrikLeo just wait until you read the last book:D The Last Battle chapter is over 200 pages alone. I hope you stick with it!
@@Julia-rd8ub it certainly is one of my biggest motivations to finish the series!! 😄
Book 6 is a part of the slog, 7 and 8 are not, i havent gotten to 9 yet
That's the first I heard the combination. Glad you liked book 7 and 8!
Jordan's best is still only 3 stars at best, a good ending is not the same as a good book, maybe four if someone hasn't read a lot else and skimmed all his constant repeating himself, but he is just so boring! I like this book a lot but only compared to his others, it's probably the only one I would read again, but the next one was the one that killed the whole series for me and proved to me that Jordan did no research on some of the things in his story.
That is exactly what I feel about The Shadow Rising. Other than the beginning and the ending, the book was a huge struggle for me on my first read. I enjoyed a lot of Fires of Heaven and Lord of Chaos, though. I am worried about the next few books, but we'll see! :D