DescentBB

This little book hit me like a sackful of bricks. Wot's this, a new book within a year!!?!?1 It's true, a new Jordan volume. Too bad it's so flaming short.

Anyone else read this yet?

Isn't this the "book 0", the prequel? I just bought #4 today, trying to read it slowly so that he finishes the damn story by the time I get around to the end.

yup, it's the prequel to all 10 books that are out now shows how moraine and lan hooked up and details the aiel invasion, good stuff, too short especially when you're used to his 600+ page books

I'm giving up reading Jordans Wheel of Time. Out of 900 pages, the latest one had 800 pages describing the clothes everyone was wearing.

my name is Jordan, is the jordan you are talking about the author's name or the main character's name?

Robert Jordan Author

Rand is the main character
but there are many other characters almost as important.

New Spring has been out since at least right after Path of Daggers, and I'm thinking it was released right after Crown of Swords, really. It was originally released as a "Legends" book that had 4 short stories from various authors, and one of those stories just happened to be "New Spring" by Robert Jordan. Maybe this one that you are reading now is just a re-release that is strictly the short story, maybe just so that more Wheel of Time fans will notice it. I only got lucky and stumbled across the information someplace a couple of years ago. And I agree, Book #10 blew, I hope that #11 is every bit as good as Winter's Heart was.

I've read the first two books in the series, and so far I can't say I enjoy them all that much. The story drags on too much, and there were times during the first book in particular when I just wanted to yell, "Get on with it! Let's get to the actual plot again! " This isn't to say that I won't keep reading the books to see what happens, but I would appreciate seeing less walking and more action/plot development.

P.S. Did anyone else think that Jordan, whether intentionally or unintentionally, seemed to "borrow" numerous story elements from Tolkien's works? Just look at the first book: inexperienced country characters journey through danger, arriving at an inn that provides a safe haven. They are pursued by fear-inducing figures robed in black, fell winged creatures, and monsters that sound suspiciously like toned-down orcs. There's even a stay in a ruined, deadly city, as well as a journey down a path of darkness and fear. Also, note the similarity between an Ogier and a certain other, tree-loving species. I may come off as a little harsh, but after reading the best representation of the fantasy genre, I've come to expect a little too much out of later works. Jordan's books are a good read, but they just don't measure up to The Lord of the Rings.

heh, show me a fantasy series that doesn't rip off Tolkien.

Tolkien was a little less long-winded than Jordan, if you could get thru 4 chapters of Tolkien (simallarion (sp?) anyone?) without dozing off you're pathetic and in need of a life

as much as i like the Jordan series, he needs to end it SOON.

for less detail, fast action and some fluff pick up the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. reads fast, has great characters, just make sure to put your suspension of disbelief on "high"

Yea, Goodkind is all about grabbing his character and sending him running up and down the world doing impossible ****. It gets old after teh first couple of books.

Stu: this isn't the Legends version. I'm assuming, from what I've seen of it, that the Legends new spring was a prelim writing to the WoT in order to make Moiraine and Lan. I admit I was a bit disappointed we didn't get to see her first visit to the Green Man, but it ended before that happened. Moiraine seemed the same, but Suian pre-arrogance was refreshing.

Top Gun: would you be terribly offended if I pointed out that Tolkien ripped off even older work? The storyline is definitely not the same, I see where you're going with that but it was a FACT OF LIFE that getting to an inn = safety during the middle ages, and other things you say are similarly incorrect.


I liked Crossroads. I thought it established a lot. I dunno what is wrong with you people, were you raised on Sesame Street and consequently have the attention span of a chipmunk? It made clear a lot of Aes Sedai politics and put the fringe areas of the storyline in the spotlight, and as we all know by now, if you don't understand EVERYTHING, you understand nothing when readng RJ. I mean hell, he's been dropping hints about Isam since the first book, and that tower he hangs out in with the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn (they see it from the river on Domon's ship Spray, and you find out Moiraine worries about Rand's uncle who was "lost in the blight" but you know she suspects something... heh if she knew what Isam is now she'd fill her underpants)

Phoenix: Yes, I'm well aware of how Tolkien "borrowed," as you put it, from older works. If you researched a bit more, you might appreciate how Tolkien created his mythology. Tolkien would take common textual references from early Germanic and Norse myths and hypothesize what those references may have described in a time before those people. In a way, Tolkien was creating a common history that had existed long before written records and is now preserved in a few brief snatches of text. Tolkien, a true master of language, also used these texts to create some of the words used in his mythology, words which almost surely existed but have not yet been found. In short, Tolkien created an entire mythology and history. No other author has ever done so much, and I doubt anyone else ever will. Note very well, I'm not saying that any book has to go this far in order to be good. I've read many books, including several different fantasy authors, and although none was of that depth, I've enjoyed them all.

What else about my post do you see as "incorrect." I'm simply pointing out facts that I saw in the first two books. It's common knowledge that most, if not all, modern fantasy authors borrow, shamelessly or otherwise, from Tolkien. Note that I'm not disparaging Jordan from doing so. Even ignoring any other references, I just don't find his books very engaging. They contain too many drawn-out sequences, and Jordan doesn't seem to manipulate the hints at the past that he creates. I have made it through the first two books so far, and I do contine to keep reading them as time permits, but I just don't think that Jordan is that excellent of an author.