Three and a half to four stars. Read for the first time in 2007, and again in February 2021.
Some things Robert Jordan writes too much of:
- What songs are called in different places where the characters travel
- People using made-up swear words unbearably earnestly
- How Aes Sedai can’t be trusted (they never lie, but “the truth they speak might not be the truth you think you hear.” So . . . just like everyone, then? Because that’s true of everyone)
Jordan’s verbosity aside, I continue to find this series very enjoyable. I forgot how much already happens in book one. I was going to summarize the plot, but I really like the experience of all the little surprises along the way, and any kind of summary would give away many of those surprises. Suffice it to say that it’s your standard Hero’s Journey, with the arrival of Mysterious Strangers and a Call to Adventure followed by a Perilous Expedition. The characters can be a little cartoonish at times, but they’re generally fun to read. Good stuff if you enjoy fantasy.
I find that fantasy lends itself particularly well to audio productions, too, because it allows you to immerse yourself without being sidetracked by unusual spellings of fantasy names. They sound less made up when you hear them pronounced by someone else.
Meanwhile the World Goes On 