The second installment in the Wheel of Time series has all the power of the first. ( )

Book 2 of the epic, and the characters are already growing into themselves. Some who only took minor roles in the first get more major ones in this, while others take more of a back seat. Again the book heads towards a major climax that looks like it could be the saving of the world, but obviously there's more to come. I may not bother reviewing the rest of these properly :). See book 1 for longer review. ( )

The struggle between Light and Darkness is escalating, gaining powerful momentum in this second book of the Wheel of Time series. The young Emond's Fielders continue their strange journey through legend. False Dragons are cropping up everywhere, but only a few know that Rand al'Thor is the true Dragon Reborn - an unnerving title and burden to carry, to say the least. Half the world will worship him, the rest will try to kill him. This book sees Egwene and Nynaeve, along with Elayne, beginning their Aes Sedai training in Tar Valon, while the boys Mat, Perrin, and Rand travel the land. The Great Hunt for the Horn of Valere has been declared, but only a handful of people know it is already found. Rand is struggling with his newfound powers, afraid he will suddenly erupt and hurt (or kill) those closest to him. Mat and Perrin struggle with their own destinies - like Rand, they are ta'veren and destined for greatness. ( )

In my continuing reread before the next release of book 12, I have new thoughts and opinions about The Great Hunt. Still this series remains something that if I have to take one thing with me to that dessert island, then this would be the series. But now I can see where in the earlier material, Jordan has switched from what we have in the later material.

It has always been clear, since I have been with the series from its first publication, that Jordan was amazed by his success with it and began to record more and more to keep the coffers filled. Anything anyone else says is just wrong, and as Jordan would say RAFO. That is probably one of the biggest disservices he did to those who read him, Read and Find Out.

Because it is clear that he wrote and as all writers tackling something that grows after you wrote the earlier work, he didn't have it all mapped out. The Great Hunt is clearly the second book of the trilogy.

Previously I said that The Eye of the World could have stood on its own, with just another few pages added to it. Clearly a book that could have wrapped up the battle between good and evil in one novel.

So in trilogy format we have book 1, our hero finds out that he is the hero and of course does not want to be it. Here in the second book, he finally gets training to confront evil and stands forth to say he will. His buddies have grown strong enough and the dead heroes of legend stand ready to help out in book three.

We even have found an entire world changing army, or two, that can be the enemy. But as they are defeated here at the end of book 2, then we just need to concentrate on the evil we discussed in book 1, Trollocs and Fades and Forsaken.

Somewhere after this is published the 'Phenomena' factor kicks in big time and there will be more then 3 books. Money to be made. No longer publish the books in trade paperback, after all we are giving up real dollars by doing that. No the Mercenary of Robert Jordan emerges and has possibly always been there.

But the book and story are good. Aside from a few quibbles, that dealing mostly with Jordan allowing the story to grow bigger that he could not keep track of everything he did, such as Portal Stones. We have the Ways to travel, but we decide to add another type of travel that we will soon forget about and never use again. Or Aiel at a Steadding but lets just move right through that, or how stupid the Children of the Light are because while the whole world hears about Seachan, they want to think of them as darkfriends, and even let that color the next book.

So there is minor suspension of disbelief as Jordan starts transforming to a much bigger work. But for all that we get one of the meatist series we have ever had. I have reread the series now more than half a dozen times and expect will do so as many again once it is complete. Characters continue to grow, and more are added, but unlike George RR Martin where there are so many cross purposes making it more complex then the real world of 2009, Jordan is able to focus on Good vs. Evil with some shading around the edges. Well worth any fantasy fans time but not as a stand alone book, only really as part of the series. ( )

In my continuing reread before the next release of book 12, I have new thoughts and opinions about The Great Hunt. Still this series remains something that if I have to take one thing with me to that dessert island, then this would be the series. But now I can see where in the earlier material, Jordan has switched from what we have in the later material.

It has always been clear, since I have been with the series from its first publication, that Jordan was amazed by his success with it and began to record more and more to keep the coffers filled. Anything anyone else says is just wrong, and as Jordan would say RAFO. That is probably one of the biggest disservices he did to those who read him, Read and Find Out.

Because it is clear that he wrote and as all writers tackling something that grows after you wrote the earlier work, he didn't have it all mapped out. The Great Hunt is clearly the second book of the trilogy.

Previously I said that The Eye of the World could have stood on its own, with just another few pages added to it. Clearly a book that could have wrapped up the battle between good and evil in one novel.

So in trilogy format we have book 1, our hero finds out that he is the hero and of course does not want to be it. Here in the second book, he finally gets training to confront evil and stands forth to say he will. His buddies have grown strong enough and the dead heroes of legend stand ready to help out in book three.

We even have found an entire world changing army, or two, that can be the enemy. But as they are defeated here at the end of book 2, then we just need to concentrate on the evil we discussed in book 1, Trollocs and Fades and Forsaken.

Somewhere after this is published the 'Phenomena' factor kicks in big time and there will be more then 3 books. Money to be made. No longer publish the books in trade paperback, after all we are giving up real dollars by doing that. No the Mercenary of Robert Jordan emerges and has possibly always been there.

But the book and story are good. Aside from a few quibbles, that dealing mostly with Jordan allowing the story to grow bigger that he could not keep track of everything he did, such as Portal Stones. We have the Ways to travel, but we decide to add another type of travel that we will soon forget about and never use again. Or Aiel at a Steadding but lets just move right through that, or how stupid the Children of the Light are because while the whole world hears about Seachan, they want to think of them as darkfriends, and even let that color the next book.

So there is minor suspension of disbelief as Jordan starts transforming to a much bigger work. But for all that we get one of the meatist series we have ever had. I have reread the series now more than half a dozen times and expect will do so as many again once it is complete. Characters continue to grow, and more are added, but unlike George RR Martin where there are so many cross purposes making it more complex then the real world of 2009, Jordan is able to focus on Good vs. Evil with some shading around the edges. Well worth any fantasy fans time but not as a stand alone book, only really as part of the series. ( )

More fun in the second book in the Wheel of Time series. Characters are still solid by this time and story more tight. ( )

RAND: His stubbornness is a bit irritating at times, but considering he was raised among people known for their stubborn nature and he's trying to deny something that could be absolutely tragic to his life, I can't say I blame him for being in denial and that I wouldn't be just as stubborn as he is. He's also done a lot of growing up since he left the Two Rivers, though sadly such maturing involves jading.

MAT: He can be such an ass sometimes! His mischievous nature was cute when he was in Two Rivers, but he's downright heartless with some of the things he says to Rand. Perhaps he can be forgiven of much of that because of his own dilemma with the cursed dagger that is slowly killing him. But still! *makes throttling motion*

PERRIN: Ah, sweet Perrin! So far, he is my favorite of the 3 boys. I love his quiet, gentle nature. And even though he, like the other boys, has personal issues to face/deal with/overcome, he bears his burden with a quiet dignity that belies his youth.

THE AMYRLIN SEAT: I was so tickled to learn who this is! If you've read A New Spring--which I suggest you do if you haven't--you'll know her =)

MOIRAINE SEDAI: Because I'm getting to know her, she has lost some of the enigmatic quality she had when I first met her in The Eye of the World. (Again, I recommend A New Spring for her back-story.) She's not as present in this novel as she was earlier.

NYNAEVE: I love this girl! This fire-cracker is really growing on me. I found her a bit irritating at the beginning of the series, but she really develops in this book. Her short fuse really comes in handy, too. *pokes Lan*

EGWENE: Such a sweet girl... and normally sweet characters annoy me, but she's not overly sweet. She's pretty much the same as she was in the first novel, but she does become a Novice. And something happens to her that really tests her strength and brings a lot of anger out of her--for good reason! I felt so badly for her. I'm very curious to see where her story goes.

PADAN FAIN: Creepy McCreeperson.

LAN: Oo, is that a chink I see in his armor? *poke poke*

LOIAL: Very similar to how he was in the first book, so not a lot of development... but he is a long-lived creature so I suppose we can't expect drastic changes occuring too quickly. He is an interesting character and I like him. For some reason I picture him as a minotaur, though I know that's wrong. He'd make a good minotaur, though!

HURIN: He plays a small role in the book as The Sniffer. He, Rand, and Loial do some interesting travelling, and we get to see Hurin act a bit more as an individual when he's not with the other soldiers. For some reason I find him very adorable, thus he earned a blurb here despite his small role ^_^ ( )

This is only the second book of the mega-epic Wheel of Time series. It is really in this book that you get the sense that there is a very long, complex plot building, with a number of critical subplots. Matt, Rand, Perrin, Egwene and Nynaeve are obviously not just villagers from the countryside, but with Rand, are destined for great things.
Jordan does a masterful job of mingling multiple threads. There are so many allies, opponents and evil villains that it successfully fills even this 700 page novel, without a lot of wasted time. You get the sense that what is going on is truly serious, and there's a lot more to come.
If you like complicated, epic fantasy with a serious, but not overly dark side, you'll enjoy this book. That's not to say that the evil in this book isn't real, more that Jordan doesn't revel or dwell on it in gory detail. ( )

(Alistair) I'd almost forgotten - this is one of the high points in the series, the other one being the fourth book, The Shadow Rising (and pray forgive me if I have forgotten any significant high points in books late in the series, it's been a while). From a storytelling point of view, anyway, as the author shrugs off his Tolkien homage, the plot picks up speed, people head off in all directions, we are introduced to a variety of other players in the game, and Rand al'Thor runs smack into the destiny he's been running away from all along. But then, he's been doing a lot of growing to fit it.

Amazing how much he managed to complexify the plot and the world in this one without it bogging the whole thing down, like it did in... well, quite a few of the later books, actually.

Thoroughly enjoyable even on a re-read. Quirks of my to-read schedule mean it's probably going to be quite a while before I get to The Dragon Reborn, but I'll see you there. Probably sometime after Amy overtakes me with the big re-read, actually.

( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/ce... ) ( )

The second book in the Wheel of Time takes a while to get going. I find it analogous to "The Two Towers", a lot of "walking" before you get to the point. Fast forward to the end of the book and you find yourself cheering for The Dragon. In short, if you find yourself halfway through the book, wondering if you should continue, go for it. On to book 3. ( )

As good as the first. ( )

My Bookspotcentral review ( )

The Great Hunt is book 2 in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. ( )

This was a solid continuation of the Wheel of Time Series, although I didn't find it quite as engaging as the first. This is possibly because a lot of time was spent developing characters and plotlines for the future, which was great because it added a lot of depth to some of the characters (although others seemed to be largely ignored). There was plenty of action, but sometimes I found the book to drag slightly...but not enough for me to want to put it down! ( )

The 2nd book in the Wheel of Time series, I give this book 4.5 stars. This book picks up about a few weeks later from the ending of the 1st book, The Eye of the World. If you haven't read the first book in this series, I'm warning you now there will be spoilers throughout this review. If you don't want to be spoiled, don't read on.

At the end of the Eye of the World, one of the young men, Rand, realizes he can channel saidin, the male half of the True Source. After using the Eye, a secret chamber was found beneath the Eye that holds several very important objects: the banner of Lews Therin, called the Dragon, the male Aes Sedai that led the forces of Light against the Shadow during the Age of Legends, an object made of cuendillar (or heartstone) one of the 7 seals of the Dark One's prison created by the Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends during the War of the Shadow, and the Horn of Valere, a horn that will bring back the dead heroes tied to the Wheel of Time to fight for whomever blows the horn.

All very important objects, and all signs that lead Moiraine (the female Aes Sedai that led the Two Rivers villagers in the 1st book) to believe that Tarmon Gaidon, the Last Battle with the Dragon Reborn and the Dark One, is fast approaching.

The book starts to pick up the pace when the minions of the Dark One (Trollocs, Fades, and Darkfriends) attack Fal Dara and steal the Horn of Valere and free a very interesting Darkfriend named Padin Fain (he was introduced in the first book and he was the one that caused the villagers to first flee their home in that book). Rand and his friends Mat and Perrin, with escort, ride to hunt for the Horn of Valere (hence, the title of the book) and retrieve it.

In The Great Hunt, the main character Rand struggles with who and what he is throughout this entire book. He also becomes less naive, more wary and suspicious of the motives of the Aes Sedai, and more aware of the heavy duty that lays on his shoulders ("Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain"). Having read the other books in the series, and knowing how his personality changes, it was interesting to read the first seeds of this personality change occur. While he did harbor these suspicions in the 1st book, they really don't start to take root until this book. It is something that doesn't ever go away, it only grows with time throughout the series to the point where it actually hinders Rand and what he has to do (which is save the world!).

You also learn more about Padin Fain, and I won't spoil it, but he becomes an important character later on so you'll see more of him. Rand also encounters a mysterious woman who goes by the name "Selene" and I'll just say she is also a character of importance and Rand doesn't meet her by accident.

Mat and Perrin, important secondary characters, don't get as much page time as Rand. What I mean is, you don't get "inside" their head as much as Rand in this book. There are also some snippets from the viewpoints of Nynaeve, Egwene, Moiraine, and Padin Fain but most of the book is Rand's perspective. The other characters I mentioned have significance as well, they play big roles in the series.

I think my favorite scene out of this book is the ending scene. A lot of tension and action, a battle scene, and finally Rand realizing his fate and being resigned to his destiny. The Great Hunt is a worthy sequel to the Eye of the World, and it only gets better! ( )

This was my third time reading this book, and by far the most enjoyable. I really took my time reading this book, often re-reading sections to be sure I understood them. The effort was well worth it. It was fun knowing where the characters were headed, and knowing more than they do about their situation in general, but not really remembering how things happen. ( )

One of the faster-paced and more engaging books in the series. ( )

This book is much better than Eye of the World. It has more action and builds the characters even more. Especially the female characters. Jordan has a real gift, to be able to show us this world with all these characters. Making them so human with their flaws. I found this to be a great book and so far as I've read, a great epic story. ( )

Aw great, now I'm addicted to the series. This book is just as strong as the first, developing more on the female rather than the male characters of the series and introducing a several new concepts, peoples, and subplots to the whole Wheel of Time universe. Go get it, and get hooked. ( )

I LOVE ROBERT JORDAN & THE WHEEL OF TIME SERIES!! It's been a few years since I've read this book, so I can't give it an honest critique -- but I do know I was completely hooked on the series until Winter's Heart. I do intend to finish the series. I've recently re-read Eye of the World, so this one will be next. I'll add more to this review when I've re-read it. ( )

See The Eye of the World.

I thought this second book was even better then the first. You are introduced to even more interesting allies and enemies with Rand, Loial, Egwene, and Nynaeve returning with big parts in the story but with Matt, Moiraine, Lan and Perrin taking somewhat of a back seat. There are a lot of sub-plots going on throughout that all come together in a great climax. ( )

While the action starts to pick up in this book, it remains bogged down with descriptions. It is hard to keep open and reading. I wish Jordan would move on with the action frequently. ( )

Book Description from Amazon:
"For centuries travelling gleemen have told tales of the lost Horn of Valere; the legendary Horn that will raise the dead heroes of the Ages. The Horn has been discovered - only to be stolen, along with the dagger of Shadar Logoth, on which the very life of Rand al'Thor's friend Mat depends. The monumental task of retrieval rests heavily on Rand's young shoulders, for to continue this quest signifies the fulfilment of a destiny he desperately wishes to avoid. But the Quest for the Horn of Valere is only the beginning of Rand's long journey of discovery."

As good as the first one. Rand finally has to face the fact that he is the Dragon Reborn... It still feels as if I am reading an updated version of Tolkien, but it is entertaining enough to not bother me too much. I don't know if I will last until book 10, but after putting this one down, I nearly started the third one right away. If you like Fantasy, try this! It's fun and it keeps going and going and going.... ( )