Reviewx2: The Eye of the World + The Great Hunt

The Eye of the World

The Wheel of time, book 1

Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1990
Pages: 814

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again.

But one truth yet remains, and what mortal men forget, the Aes Sedai do not...What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

I got the urge to re-read, and when that happen you have to follow. I love this series, and I have read this book a lot of times.

Rand al`Thor lives in a little village and is looking forward to the coming of spring. But the village is attacked by Trollocs, something that they only thought lived in myths. A woman who turns out to be an Aes Sedai singles out him and two of his friends, Matrim Cauthon and Perrin Aybara. The trollocs are after them so they flee together with the Aes Sedai, her warder, a gleeman, and Egwene who also wants adventure. Soon they all will face more things than they ever thoguht was possible, and they will find out who the trollocs and the Dark One wants, and why. The world will never be the same.

"We rode on the winds of the rising storm,
We ran to the sounds of the thunder.
We danced among the lightning bolts,
and tore the world asunder."

I am not gonna go on for long because I have read it too many times. But I love this concept, normal countryboys finding that they are a part of something big. A big bad hero, monsters, magic and a quest for good. A world falling apart, political intrigues and big wars. This kind of epic fantasy is always going to be the fantasy that is closest to my heart, and it will always be the kind I love the most.

And in this one we see the beginning of the quest, all the boys change, Egwene and Nynavene finds their own destinies, and the world is showed before us. And what a world it is.

 

The Great Hunt, book 2

Pages: 705

Published: 1990

The Forsaken are loose, the Horn of Valere has been found and the Dead are rising from their dreamless sleep. The Prophecies are being fulfilled - but Rand al'Thor, the shepherd the Aes Sedai have proclaimed as the Dragon Reborn, desperately seeks to escape his destiny.

But Rand cannot run forever. With every passing day the Dark One grows in strength and strives to shatter his ancient prison, to break the Wheel, to bring an end to Time and sunder the weave of the Pattern. And the Pattern demands the Dragon.

After having finished book 1 I could not stop myself, I needed to know what happened next! Even if I have read it a bunch of times and could recite the book in my sleep ;) But that is what a good book can do, make you wanna read it so bad, even though you have read it many times before.

Here Rand al`Thor is told he is the Dragon reborn, Lews Therin Kinslayer, the man who went mad and destroyed the world. Rand is sure the Aes Sedai wants another false dragon to play with and he wants to escape and forget about it all. But he has also found out that he can channel, use magic, and being a mad that means he will go crazy, and perhaps kill all those he love. Before he can leave the Horn of Valere is stolen and he and his friends leave in search of it. He cannot run from his destiny.

Rand has grown a bit here, but he is scared. Because of what his has learnt about himself, and because he is told he is the Dragon. He is my fav character. It took a couple of re-reads for me to like Nynaneve but now I do like her and Lan. Egwene, well I do confess I tend to read those Aes Sedai parts pretty quick. I did it again, cos I wanted to get to the good parts. Like Rand in Cairihien. Mat, well it took some time to like him too, but now when reading it I do, even if he is moody here cos of a "poison" dagger. Perrin, well he is a very silent kind of fellow, but re-reading this I do love what he becomes, a wolfbrother.

A great series that I do recommend. Unforgettable heroes and quests. A good start.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: I like the first one, but even if Moiriane is not that tall she just looks like a kid here. But very fantasy pretty. The second, well I think it's the Uk version and they are all the same. Boring

Reason for reading: Re.-read cos this is LOVE.

Final thoughts: If you love fantasy then read this.