School Time Books

I was at a used book store and came across many books I had read over 20 years ago at the age of 10.
I bought this book called The Watching Eyes, but the original title was The Winds of Time.
This book was originally written in 1974, but the way the author wrote it is timeless.
This is the story of Gail who is forced to go with her Uncle whom is not as nice as others think he is. Since her mother is unable to over come her mental issues, Gail has no choice other than going with her Uncle. When he crashed the vehicle she escapes into the wilderness. She stumbles on a family that shows compassion, friendship, loyalty, and such.
This is a good book.

I read this book when it was first published (23 years ago), and many of the scenes, images, and certainly characters are still vivid. This book was a little eerie, but also very comforting in its own way. It is also reflective of a more trusting world than the one which we currently inhabit. The occasional illustrations were equally haunting. I'm disappointed that The Winds of Time is no longer in print

First off, let me start by saying I loved this book. And most of the ones that came after it. But there are two reasons you should think very hard before you start this series.

First, the books get more and more drawn out until, as in the 10th book, 700 pages basically covers the amount of plot development that 50 pages of the first book accomplished. Part of the problem is that the list of characters continues to grow book after book. This means you have 30 characters or so and you jump from character to character, each allotted a significant amount of pages. This is not an exaggeration. Look at the reviews for the 10th book if you think I am joking. There are over 1500 One-Star reviews for this reason alone.

Second, as many of you probably know, Robert Jordan is dead. At the time of his death he had NOT completed this series. In my opinion that means this series was left unfinished. There are plans to release a 12th book to be written by Brandon Sanderson based on Robert Jordan's NOTES! Sanderson's ability aside, this is a far cry from actually having a 9,000 page series naturally concluded by the original author.

These are big issues and anyone interested in the Wheel of Time should really consider them before investing so much time into a series.

I have read this book several times. This is the first time that I decided to listen to the story. As much as I like the books, I love the audiobooks! If you don't have time to read the series, listening to the series is a great option.

This is the first book in a twelve volume series that will test the patience of its readers. having said that, and having read all eleven published works, the journey is well worth the effort. It took me about 4 months to read the first ten books, and have been waiting for three years for the last edition to come out. To all of the reviewers that say the series is not very good, i would like to know one thing. if the story wasn't any good, why did you keep reading even though the story slowed down? because you had to know how the story ended just like the rest of us. i have encounter many readers who said they made it to book 7 or 8 then quit because it was boring or slow or whatever. i don't know what kind of person will read roughly 7,000 pages of a story then give up when there are 3,000 left to go. You want a cheap pleasure. you are going to wait for the twelfth book to come out then get on the internet to find out how it ends so you don't have to put the work in. I wish that all the dedicated readers would not tell how the story ends on the internet. If the lazy readers want to know how it ends they should man up( or woman up) and read the books, don's be critical of the story without having read the whole thing.

I won't really go into the plot summary of this book, as I think it will be virtually impossible for me to keep this review reasonably short.=) It would be hard for me to give that summary and not want to add spoilers from later books, because things that occur in The Eye of the World you encounter later on and doesn't get expanded upon until later. So how could I explain without spoiling?

It would also be difficult because I'd inevitably refer to words, phrases, or characters that the newbie to Robert Jordan would have no clue what I'm talking about, leading me to have to explain...and well, you get the point!LOL I will instead give some of my opinions and thoughts about this book, The Eye of the World, and the series as a whole.

In anticipation of the 12th and final book to be released next fall, A Memory of Light, I decided to re-read this series. For those who don't know, Robert Jordan passed away last year in the fall of 2007, and died before he could complete the series. But, the final book will still be published and released with new fantasy author, Brandon Sanderson, to finish the series.

Okay, what did I think of this book? The first time I read this book, it was a bit hard going as I had to familiarize myself with the world Jordan created, and it wasn't until I read it a second or third time that I noticed aspects of the story I had missed the first time around. But even at the first time reading of the Eye of the World, I instinctively grasped knew this was a beginning of a *great* epic fantasy series.

Anyways, that can be a hinderance, it takes time to get to know this fictional world, and all the details in characters, countries, cultures, etc can be overwhelming to one new to the Wheel of Time world. Trust me, it may take more than one read of the books, but it's definitely worth it. I feel that the Wheel of Time series is one of the best epic fantasy books out there, and I've read my share. I am still in awe that Jordan could have created such an incredibly rich, detailed, and complex world populated with characters you get to know so well (yes, love 'em and hate 'em!) that you feel like you know them personally.

Another sticking point for some people is Jordan was the kind of writer that loved details, the more the better in his eyes. Being a details person myself, I love details, I didn't find this detracting from the story. I felt it helped me picture the story in my mind's eye more effectively, as I said before, this world is incredibly complex so I felt his detailed explanations of scenery, clothing, culture, etc was very helpful in seeing this world more clearly.

A lot of people notice this particular book borrows heavily from Tolkien and it is true, the flight of Rand (the main character) and his friends from their small village, The Two Rivers, with a person of magical* abilities (in this book they aren't called sorcerors or sorceress, but Aes Sedai, I'll say more on this later*) fleeing the minions of a big, bad evil guy. Very similar to LOTR. That is the only tribute, or rip-off (depending on the person you're asking.heh) to Tolkien because as you find out in later books in the series Jordan had pretty much gone in his own direction. He has even taken from our own real world mythological stories, such as the King Arthur legend and incorporated into this fictional world and changed them to suit his purpose. I'm pretty sure he incorporated other elements of real world mythological stories and characters into his series, but as I'm not familiar with all of them, I can't say for sure exactly which.

*It's later.LOL. Okay, I wince and cringe to refer to the powers (called One Power) in this book as "magic", it's never referred to in this fashion and neither are the practitioners called wizards, witches (okay, take that back the Aes Sedai are sometimes referred as "that Aes Sedai witch" in a negative connotation.heh.), sorceress, and the like. Jordan completely described these wielders of the One Power and what the One Power is in such a way that you don't think of it as magic, or I didn't anyways. It's too simple to just say, "it's magic".

One thing I never noticed my first time reading the series, but I eventually grasped, is he teases you with glimpses of small descriptions of the "Age before the Age of Legends", and these descriptions have led some to believe (myself included) that Jordan was alluding to our own real world. In other words, this Age was the modern day Earth we live in today (note, in this series, the time period is referred to by "Ages"...so, for instance, "Age of Legends" refers to a time period of wonder undreamed of by the present cast of characters in the Eye of the World). This is but one example of what I meant by the fact it may take you more than one or two readings to truly comprehend this world, Jordan uses a lot of symbolism in these books.

What I found fascinating and just incredible was how Jordan was able to weave all these elements together and spin out a fantastical story found in the Wheel of Time series. He makes you believe that, maybe what if...this Wheel of Time world really used to be our world only it has changed and now has such wonders?

Some view Jordan as a mediocre fantasy author, nothing great about him or his Wheel of Time series, others view him in the same light as Tolkien in his contribution to epic fantasy.

So, what should you do? You hear that the beginning books are great and they get bad around the later books. I've heard it differently depending who you ask....some people think only the first 3 books are great, the rest are horrible. Some think the book starts going downhill around Book 6, Lord of Chaos, and others Book 8, the Path of Daggers.

My suggestion to those of you who are curious about whether to start this huge series (yes, this is a big investment, a total of 11 books published now, soon a 12th which is expected to be the biggest book!) is to read with an open mind. Forget what others told you about what they expected from this book, and the disappointment they found when it didn't meet their expectations, just throw it out the window.

Read it because you want to read it, and if you are very curious don't let someone else sway you into not reading it. Be prepared to enter a wonderful, captivating, fictional world!

The Eye of the world lays the foundation for the Wheel of Time series, and introduces us to the colorful worlds of false Dragons, Darkfriends, Trollocs, Aes Sedai, Ogier, gleemen and more. It's a classic take on good and evil, with a twist. Edmonds Field is a small village that is suddendly attacked by evil creatures called Trollocs, who serve the Dark One. The main characters, Rand, Mat and Perin are then caught up in an ongoing adventure as they travel to Tar Valon for safety. The book spends a lot of time painting a picture of each place visited and how the people lived, but it didn't bore me. I've read fast-paced novels before, and Eye of the World is not one of those novels. However it makes up for this in substance. There are some things that should not be rushed. In the book, magic comes from the True Source, but only the feminine side is safe. Men who are born with magic inside them eventually go dangerously mad and die. So the only organized groups of magic-users are women(Aes Sedai, the male magic users are ruthless hunted down and "gentled" to prevent them from using magic. If you are looking for battle scenes on every other page, you won't find it here, but if you are looking for a well written epic and gradually draws you into its world until you are hooked, then Eye of the World is the book for you.

This book is a book that all teachers should read! Really lets you look into the mind of an autistic child. I could see some of my previous students and now understand better why they were the way they were.

Who killed the neighbor's dog? Although the answer comes even faster than the fairly short book's end, this dialogue of a 15 year old autistic savant quickly reveals itself not to be much of a mystery at all, but an astute portrait of daily living within the autism spectrum. While I can vouch for the high degree of verisimilitude Haddon employs in translating common elements of the diagnosis into Christopher's character, having myself worked with autistic/Asperser's students, I feel this book's greatest success lies in it's ability to stimulate empathy through contrast between his highly functioning cognitive mind, and the distant, disconnected world of human behavior it portrays.

Although such accuracy of character within the spectrum makes for a unique and often charming narrative, the story itself seems to suffer as Christopher is never able to fully consider and render some of the larger issues at hand- his parents divorce, the significance and outcome of his parents mistakes, a deeper understanding of his own diagnosis, etc. I feel the story's perspective is perhaps the novel's focus, rather than actual storyline, and found this at times to detract from the quality of reading, especially toward the novel's somewhat arbitrary conclusion. While I would recommend this book given it's value within very few pages, I feel it only goes so far within the genre of mystery.

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time is a much-needed window into the world of autism. While I find this book informative and intriguing, I would not recommend it to someone who is not familiar with autism without additional information. That said, I think it does an excellent job of demonstrating the potential thought processes and emotional interaction (or lack thereof) of an autistic individual.

Many things that bother Christopher would not bother an average teenager, but Christopher shrugs off or fails to notice things that many teenagers would find crippling. Christopher's depiction of events is striking, as he chooses to include details like "approximately 60 holes in her shoes," but leaves out all emotion past happy, sad, good day, black day and feeling sick. He responds physically, vomiting and with pain in his head when something should greatly upset him emotionally. Although author Mark Haddon is not autistic, his writing demonstrates his careful observation of common characteristics of individuals with autism.

The real strength of this book is that is shows Christopher facing challenges and growing as an individual despite his very real struggles that he has to confront as a result of his condition. When Christopher decides to leave his father's house and go to London to locate his mother, he finds creative ways to cope, from hiding in the bathroom on the tube, to putting his hands over his ears "to block out the noise and think" (Haddon, p. 145). Christopher demonstrates he has learned how to be successful working with what he has when he finally finds his mother.

One thing that concerns me about this book if using it as a source about autism is, that it portrays an atypical autistic individual. Christopher has Asperger's Syndrome, and is not severely impaired as many children. Plus, most autistic children are not exceptionally gifted in math. However, this book does raise the intriguing situation of a student who is twice exceptional: possessing gifts and talents as well as a learning disability.

As a new teacher, I anticipate having a student like Christopher in my classroom at some point. While this book is an incomplete source on autism, it provides insight into how an autistic individual may interact and react to the world, and is definitely worth reading.

For further information about autism and twice exceptional students, visit the following links:
http://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/autism-class2
http://www.uniquelygifted.org/
http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," by author Mark Haddon, is the story of Christopher John Francis Boone, a fifteen-year-old boy who discovers his neighbor's dog dead and sets about to solve the mystery of who killed it, making many other discoveries along the way. In this book, readers are treated to a unique voice, not only in literature, but in life, as Christopher is developmentally disabled. He doesn't like other people and he doesn't like being touched; as a result, when confused or angry, he often screams, groans, or physically attacks others. In giving Christopher a voice, Haddon succeeds in showing us Christopher's humanity but ultimately falls short in fleshing him out as a character.

For many of us, seeing kids like Christopher can be a frightening experience. They can't communicate with us and often engage in behavior that seems unfamiliar, if not frightening. Over the course of the book, Christopher runs into many others who cast him as an outsider, if not an animal. As he goes to school, he is mocked: "[S]ometimes the children from the school down the road see us in the street when we're getting off the bus and they shout, 'Special Needs! Special Needs!'" Usually, Christopher is either at his school or with his family, so he does not engage with the public, but over the course of his journey to London, as he is forced to interact with others to figure out the train system, again Christopher's role as an outcast is clear, as people on the train term him a "train elf" and wonder whether they "should feed him some nuts." After he has an episode, he is left to sit on his bench in the train station alone, with nobody wanting to even be near him.

However, because we are allowed inside Christopher's mind, we can see that he is not an elf or a freak. In describing one of his episodes, Christopher says, "I felt giddy. It was like the room was swinging from side to side, as if it was at the top of a really tall building and the building was swinging backward and forward in a strong wind . . . I rolled onto the bed and curled up in a ball." Hearing about Christopher's outbursts in his own voice, we feel compassion for his experience instead of fear. While obviously he is different from us - he can multiply 251 by 864 in his head, he counts prime numbers when he is upset, and he lacks imagination - he is also similar. Like us, Christopher feels happiness and sadness. He is happy when he can pretend he is the only person in the whole world and sad when he finds the dead dog. Also, Christopher, like the rest of us, has dreams: he is going to pass his A-levels, take more A-levels, go to the university, and become an astronaut. In fact, by the end of the book, after he has passed his A-levels and makes plans to take further A-levels and finishes his book about who has killed his neighbor's dog, he knows he "can do anything."

Learning about Christopher's point of view, readers see that he is a person like the rest of us, but unfortunately Christopher is never fully fleshed out as a character because none of the other characters in the book are allowed to share our perspective and see him as a person. While Christopher may not be able to show his love or attachment to others, we should still see evidence that others love and are attached to Christopher. Instead, we learn from Christopher about his troubles with his mom: "Mother had hit me sometimes because she was a very hot-tempered person." His mother explains to him, "I'm not like your father. Your father is a much more pacient [sic] person." Although his mother does not seem to be able to understand or cope with Christopher, his father is the one who cooks Christopher's meals, cleans his clothes, looks after him when he is sick, and worries about him when he wanders off. Ultimately, though, his father turns out to be the book's biggest disappointment. Even before his character is sacrificed for a plot point, Christopher's father doesn't seem to be the advocate that Christopher needs or deserves. When a friend of his father's, Rhodri, treats Christopher like a trained seal and asks him to multiply 251 times 864, Christopher says, "I don't like it when Rhodri laughs at me. Rhodri laughs at me a lot. Father says it is being friendly." Instead of defending his son, Christopher's father defends the man who mocks him. Moreover, at another point, in the middle of an argument which Christopher does not understand, his father asks him, "How stupid are you?" While it is clear that Christopher's father cares about him and loves him, it is also clear that he doesn't recognize what makes Christopher special - he loves him in spite of his differences, not because of them. Christopher's father, the one who cares for him and loves him more than anyone else, does not recognize his own son's humanity.

This problem - that we, as readers, can see Christopher as a person, but the other characters in the book don't - seems to be the author's way of saying that, even though we should recognize the mentally disabled as people with their own "voice," there is still in fact a barrier that makes communicating with them difficult. Because we are able to get inside Christopher's head, he does not seem so different from us; he is someone who can, to some extent, communicate with us, and someone we can learn from. But what about other mentally disabled people whose voices we don't have access to? In the classic book, "Flowers for Algernon," we come to like the disabled protagonist, Charley Gordon, not because he is similar to us, but because he is different. His differences are what make him special, and when he loses these differences, his character becomes almost unlikeable. In the "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," however, we come to identify with Christopher because we can see that he shares some of our qualities - he is good at math, or he likes dogs, or his parents are having problems - and we choose to ignore his differences. He is not like the other people at his school - "All the other children at my school are stupid" - because he is going to pass his A-levels. In fact, the other "stupid" kids at his school are difficult to identify with - for example, Joseph Fleming, one of Christopher's classmates, who "eats everything," including "one of the little blocks of blue disinfectant which hang inside the toilets," "a 50 pound note from his mother's wallet," "string and rubber bands and tissues and writing paper and paints and plastic forks," and also "bangs his chin and screams a lot." Is this someone we can grow to like like Christopher or is this kid more like an "elf" or freak or someone we wouldn't want to sit near in the train station? In setting himself as different from this boy, Christopher in fact becomes "one of us" - someone who is not stupid and who can feel free to disregard the other people at his school. In truth, though, we probably shouldn't like Christopher for how he is one of us, but for his differences. In the end, a book like "Flowers for Algernon" makes a stronger point: we should not, as "Curious Incident" suggests, find the developmentally disabled tolerable because somewhere, somehow, they are like us, but instead we should recognize them for their differences, because that is what makes them special.

Alas, while fascinating to understand the perspective of a child with special needs, it's just not entertaining. Read this to be edified, and to be grateful to be who you are and capable of all you can do ... but do not read this book for entertainment.

Robert Jordan in one of the best fantasy series EVER!Item just as described, fast shipping!

I really enjoy RJ's work, but I, like many others wonder why he needs to repeat himself over and over. Or give us every single detail about even things that are not all that important. Myself, I really hope that there is only one book left and that RJ finishes it soon. And I pray that Kate Reading and Michael Kramer are still doing the unabridged audio CDs then too.

Both Kate Reading and Michael Ramer, the narrators in this book on CD do a wonderful job. Both do a brilliant job of instilling life into the words written by Jordan that you don't actually mind too much when things repeated needlessly by the author. Each narrator's voice add rich dimension to each character so that you can keep track with ease who is saying what while retaining the intended point of view in the written text.

The plot, as many other's have already reviewed doesn't move very fast in some sections and in the head, you are left wondering, why wasn't book 6 and 7 just made into one book and some of the needless stuff left out. We have enough character and plots/sub plots to last for the rest of the books. RJ doesn't need to add in more, but he does (Not only in this book but in the coming books).

Some things I liked:
Matt being chased by a queen of things as a play-toy
Nynaeve getting over her block
Lan's return to Nynaeve
Nynaeve and Lan's marriage - through really I would have liked to have more details about what happened during the actual `wedding' aboard the seafolk ship and what vows made/etc.

Some things I didn't like:
Faile's temper and how Perrin reacts with this slow wittedness that borders on stupid at times. Yes, yes, big strong guy, doesn't like to hurt people, likes to think things out. Joy to you, but when is he going to learn that his wife wants him to have a bit of a temper around her. Show her, who's boss, etc. Get a little rough with her, she won't break.

Elayne and Nynaeve's childish behaviors. Infact all the women seem to have this, almost foolish notation that they are always right even when it's proven they are not. Nynaeve was head of the women's circle back home. Elayne is supposed to be the daughter hair. These women are not children. Both should have learned, if not before the books started, then by now that everyone makes mistakes and that when you do the best thing to do is make amends and get on with life.

Anything with Shaido(spelling) these people are annoying and really don't seem to be doing anything with the over all plot. If RJ plans to make these the group that survice the last battle, I'm going to be really annoyed. Many of the Aes Sedai are the same way, why the heck are we bothering with all these subplots that don't seem to do anything at all.

And I'm starting to get annoyed without knowing certain things that would be good to know while being subjected to meaningless details about what people are wearing when we won't be seeing them again or if we do they are wearing something else that we get to hear about again.

With the books on CD, all those little details that can be really annoying while reading are far more tolerable. Names and places are easier to keep track of, at least for me. Pop in the CD, listen while you drive, workout, or doing yard work without all that worry about.. "is this the same person from earlier, darn I can't remember how her/his name was spelled"

I have all but book 8 and 9 on CD and prefer this media for enjoying RJ's work above any other. When I can find 8 and 9 I'll buy those as well. I strongly recommend listening to all the UNABRIDGED books on CD vs reading them

Rand has to fight a Forsaken he has fought before, who, in good supervillain fashion, just won't stay down.

A quest is also required to do something about the nasty weather that the evil Dark Lord has chosen to inflict upon them.

Aes Sedai politics continues to be a pain in the arse for a lot of people.

While I rate this book highly, this is the first book in the series where I really began to feel that the story was being stretched out deliberately to yield more books in the future. Many of the subplots advance slowly and more subplots are introduced, leaving more loose ends to tie up later. Don't get me wrong, this is still a wonderful book and worth your time. If you're a fan of the series, this is a book you need to read, just prepare yourself for a story that is still as long as previous volumes but not as deep.

This is the most disappointing book yet of the series. I hate to spoil all the surprises, but here I go:

- The Aes Sedai are still so arrogant and annoying that you actually start hoping they'll all be stilled. Better yet, collared and whipped mercilessly. All hail the Seanchan!

- Rand, Mat, and Perrin continue to regard women as The Grand Mystery of the Universe. Not to mention them acting like a bunch of chaste catholic school girls about sex. Well, with women anyway. Maybe Two Rivers is a place where the sheep are more nervous than the women. Come on guys grow a pair or get out of the closet already.

- Infinitely more insignificant characters are introduced that you will never remember if you spend any time between this book and the next. Don't worry, none of the assistants to the Assistant Peon are relevant.

- For all the women with low cut attire and men running around with swords, where's the senseless violence or gratuitous sex? Someone kill somebody already! Not even much sensible sex and necessary violence. Even Rand's one duel with another blademaster is over before it begins, with a remarkable lack of description. Tragic

- These books are getting cookie-cutter. Hmm, only 5 or so Forsaken left...and 4 more books? Gosh, who could possibly get killed in the last chapters of this and the next 4 books? Rand skulks around talking to himself. A Forsaken plots against Rand. Rand kills Forsaken.

- Just skip the last chapter and make up your own climax, you'll probably be more satisfied than with what Jordan wrote.

If, like me, you have concluded that the majority of Jordan's writing is fluff, just start skimming for dialog, you won't miss anything important and it will trim this book down from 855 pages to about 55 pages.

Wells' tale of the future of mankind is both highly entertaining, and a valid critique of the rigid social class system associated with capitalism. Wells was so far ahead of his time, that this tale is actually not the least bit dated. Despite being written over a century ago, Wells' scientific theories are still as believable and sound as they were in 1895. If you have even the slightest interest in Science Fiction pick this one up, its a concise, highly captivating read

We've all seen at least one of the movie versions of H.G. Well's The Time Machine, but none of them frankly compares with the original Sci-Fi classic. The book tells the story of the Time Traveler's journey nearly a million years into the future and the very unexpected and disturbing society he finds there. The Time Traveler formulates various theories based on what he observes of the society which each, in turn, prove to be oh so wrong! [Warning: mild spoiler] In the end, his realization of the future is especially terrifying considering it is the result of our current social structure (or H.G. Well's, anyway).

I especially recommend this book for those of us with short attention spans - it's only 140 pages (and that's the large print version). But don't get the wrong idea, this book still has more depth and creativity than most 500 page books i've read and is a great read, even compared with today's science fiction standards.

This book has to be considered a classic considering it spawned a whole genre of time traveling books, movies, and tv shows which imitated it. It is also the best Wells book I have read, hand's down (though I never read "the invisible man"). Get a hold of a copy and read it today!!

I bought this for my 10 year old son who saw the movie. He didn't like the book and said it was too slow starting for him. He also said the movie was better.

H G Wells has awakened the world with his art of tale through the travel of time. He is the inspiration of every time travel writer in existence today, with no exception, myself included. Along with great classics like Twenty-thousand Leagues Under the Sea, I remember the first time reading these classics. I was in awe. Though time travel, a genre given life by H G Wells is the ultimate epic sci-fi adventure. The very idea of time travel has opened the eyes of every imagination in my soul. The ramifications are endless. H G Well's Time Machine is my favorite, all time story. Even when you think of how the future looked as grim as it did thousands of years from the story line's origination, one only needs to remember that this tale is merely one possiblity of billions that could be changed with a simple act of maybe a push of a button or even less. I believe THAT was the message Wells was revealing to us all. This is a very well written story that I highly recommend to anyone of any age or time. This very book was my biggest inspiration since I was first able to read.

I enjoyed this book. It's about a man that we only know as the "Time Traveler" who obviously invents a time machine and he goes into the future and ends up meeting up with the friendly Eloi, and befriends Weena, an Eloi. While he is with the Eloi his time machine goes missing. He finds the Morlocks, which Wells describes as ghostly apes. They are the reason that everything works so well for the Eloi, but they only prove as food for the Eloi.

In the end he gets his time machine back and hurries back to his own time to tell all of the other scientists about his journey. This is how this book is written, in first person, the point of view of the time traveler.

If you liked War of the Worlds than this is a must read.

Wells, H.G. Time Machine, The
December 1992, Tom Doherty Associates,LLC.

Except for a bad CD in the set, Amazon customer service just outshines them self on the replacement. I like the story.

This series is very addicting. It is easy to get lost in the characters and world. I love it!

RIP Robert Jordan aka James Oliver Rigney, Jr. Too bad you couldn't finish the series.

The narrative hits some snags again in this book (as I felt it did in book four), but still results in a strong read by one of the best fantasy writers of our time. Some of the subplots begin to drag on and you don't feel that page-burning speed that is in the other books. There are some great plot twists here that leave you wondering what else Jordan has up his sleeve for future volumes. While the pace of the overall story decreases in this book, Jordan still pleases in the end. Recommended strongly to fans of the series.

The Dark Lord guy stirs the pot a bit.

Rand also gets fed up with the sexist sorceresses and says, hey, you blokes can do magic too if you can, and establishes his own band of magic wielders with Mazrim Taim to lead them.

The females get upset at this threat to their power, and come after Rand.

Yet another power base, that of the army of religious fanatics also comes more into play.

This book improves on the previous two in most ways, largely due to the larger role Mat plays in the story. Mat is your stereotypical rogue in some ways but in this book both his powers and his character become more interesting. The worst part about the story is Perrin's meeting of Faile, who turns out to be fairly irritating as had been documented quite well in other reviews. The story moves along at a surprisingly un-Jordanian pace for most of the book, despite a couple of tangents (Perin decides to visit a blacksmith for no particular reason other than some clumsy attempts at symbolism - will he choose the axe or the hammer?)

The few blemishes on an otherwise good book:
1) Unneccessary plot events - three groups sailing with three different captains simultaneously - this is not great where we have Perrin, Faile etc on one boat, Nynaeve Egwene and Elayne on another and Mat and Thom on another still! Try remembering so many characters names at once.
2) Jordan has difficulty writing action / fighting scenes. Therefore he seems to hurry them.
3) Undue influence on the detail of minor characters, and the wrong information. You can learn more about someone from what they say than what they are wearing.
4) Too many "not essential" characters who do not move the plot along

I think most people have a good enough imagination to picture people without getting everything about what they are wearing. This is not the best device for making the imagination work. Also, you get the feeling Jordan has made an excel spreadsheet of all attributes (including clothes) for each character, and therefore he feels the duty to proudly report the fruits of his labours. Also I think coincidence is a good enough literary device, and good writers have spent centuries making minor characters serve multiple roles, rather than having the same experience of meeting 100 different innkeepers who all are relatively similar (in fact I challenge you to tell me offhand any differences between them).

Despite these and many other flaws, this is still a fine work of fiction, and represents the strongest part of the series, which is horribly destined to go downhill after book 6.

'The Dragon Reborn' is book three of the 'Wheel of Time' series. This installment finds our heroes traveling towards the city of Tear to fulfill another prophecy concerning the Dragon, the fabled Sword of Callendor. The prophecy states that only the Dragon can take the sword (ala Arthur and the Sword in the Stone).
Although Rand as usual is the center of events (being the Dragon Reborn and all), he is offstage for most of the book. The narrative centers on Perrin, Mat and Egwene. I found it enjoyable but there is a definite slowing to the pace of the meta-narrative. At first I found the constant dreams a little much, but it resolved into a plot point (the dreamworld that Perrin and Egwene can enter)

The book is action packed, full of suspense, and keeps me looking forward to the next in the series!

The third book in The Wheel of Time maintains the pace and flow that have hooked millions of readers in the first two volumes. Everything that fans have come to crave from Jordan is here--action, adventure, surprise plot twists, old/new characters and the reality of the not so cut-and-dried struggle between good and evil. Jordan continues to impress in this volume and is sure to keep fans hungering for more.

This is the 3rd book in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. This book starts off a few months after the ending of the 2nd book, The Great Hunt. To give a brief timeframe, for those who care, the Eye of the World began and ended during the spring (I would guess April/May). The Great Hunt started a few weeks to a month after that in mid-summer, June/July, and ending in late autumn. So, roughly a year has passed since the Eye of the World and in that year a lot has happened to the characters of the Wheel of Time world.

Rand has become more and more suspicious of the Aes Sedai, Moiraine, and he still is unconvinced of who he is and what his place will be in he world. In the beginning of the book, he ends up disappearing in the middle of the night to escape Moiraine and you don't get many pages devote to Rand. The rest of the party, Perrin, Loial, Moiraine, and Lan realize that Rand is headed to Tear and follow his trail. Although the title of the book is The Dragon Reborn, Rand only makes brief appearances throughout the book. Most of the book is told from the perspectives of Egwene, Nynaeve, Mat, and Perrin.

Egwene and Nynaeve get involved in a special matter for the Amyrlin Seat, investigating the Aes Sedai Darkfriends (the Black Ajah), and their discoveries lead them to believe the city of Tear is central in the Black Ajah's plans and set off for Tear.

We learn a bit more about Mat, as in the last 2 books he was under the power of the dagger from Shadar Logoth so he wasn't playing as active a role, but since being Healed by Aes Sedai he becomes free of the dagger's taint and he becomes a bigger part of the story in this book, getting more page time. Eventually, he also makes his way to the city of Tear. (hmmm....everyone going to Tear, could this be important?LOL).

Compared to the prior 2 books in the series, this book is a bit more slow going, there aren't as many scenes of action except for the very last few chapters when everyone meets in the city of Tear, in the Stone of Tear, where the sword that cannot be touched is waiting for the Dragon Reborn to claim it.

I still found this book a good read despite the slower paced portions of the book. In my opinion the next book, The Shadow Rising, is a lot better and picks up the pace considerably (The Shadow Rising is one of my favorite books in the series).

'The Shadow Rising' is the fourth book in Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' series. It follows the adventures of Rand, Mat, Perrin and an ever growing number of secondary characters and plot threads. It's a good book, but I'm glad there are websites that give quick summaries of the books in the series, so I can quickly get up to speed on a particular plot thread that was last mentioned briefly two books ago. There is a lot going on and there is no way I would be able to keep it all straight without some kind of help. But with those resources to rely on these books are a lot of fun as you can see things hinted at by Jordan two books ago start to play out now, and you know that some things hinted at now will manifest a couple of books down the line.
Knowing that there are seven (soon to be eight?) more books to come is daunting, but let's face it- I've been sucked in and am in it for the long haul.

I've already loved the series in book form. The audio books bring it more to life for me.

The history continues as well as characters and plot development.

Rand finally accepted being the Dragon Reborn, Mat yet refuses to acknoledge that he is Ta'veren and Perrin take the full role to protect the Two Rivers people from, let's say, menances. All this with Aes Sedai and their hidden reasons, Seachan and Children of Light plotting and the Dark One and his minions in the shadows.

The story is wraping, the text is fluid and surelly at the end you'll want to read the next book of this saga (Fires of Heaven).

I liked it a lot and strongly recommend.

Love this series!! the writing on this series is great!! It did take me awhile to get used to the reading styles of mike and kate, but I do enjoy the series!

This is the point at which I became more involved and more replused by the Wheel of Time series. (Does Love-Hate sound familiar to anyone here? Anyone?). If you are reading this, you have either read this far, or have just finished and are seeing what other people thought. Either way, no plot spoilers needed.

The characters are separated into four groups as other revewers have discussed. The book gets more involved as Jordan decides to further develop his second line of characters. However, it starts to have a Sunday afternoon mini series feel.

Main things this book does well
1) Doesnt leave it to Rand to save everyone
2) Gives some of the other characters (Perrin, Nyaeneve, Elayne, Thom) room to breathe and develop
3) Has a better handle on the action sequences (not just 100 pages of Inns and smalltalk followed by 2 pages of action)
4) The dream sequence in Rhudean is pretty awesome
5) Nice return to the Two Rivers (Tolkien-feel) environment
6) Dramatic last 200 pages (first time I have been unable to put the book down since end of book 2)

Main things this book does poorly
1) Terrible opening 200 pages in Tear (esp the discussions between Elayne, Egwene and Rand)
2) Lot of stuff you never wanted to know about the Aiel
3) Moiraine's character role is getting weaker, as is Lan's, Mat's
4) Faile (although better than book 3)
5) Far too many redundant second layer characters
6) Poor English paragraphs more frequent
7) Blatant rip-off of various Dune book aspects (which I wouldn't mind in of itself, borrowing is perfectly acceptable in fantasy, but not taking a crisp concept for a people and watering it down to the point where we even get to know things about their society that we wouldn't even know-or care- about our own. There, Ive said it.)

When you get to the end of this book, its decision time. Many of the reviewers have said the first four books are the best. Some extend that to the first six. For me, there is still enough there for me to pick up book 5.

I really enjoyed the suspensefully written, detailed narrative of the event itself, but what this book also has that others often don't get into is the ways in which American science and policies always seem to get warped by our own parochial perspectives. A major irony in this book is that American meteorologists couldn't give Cuban meteorologists their due and benefit from what the Cubans knew. So our weirdness around Cuba and our need to feel somehow superior to the Latin parts of the Americas goes way back. God forbid the Cubans should know more about hurricanes (whose path they all live in) than bureaucratic American scientists, even a hundred years ago.

This books takes you right into the lives of the people of Galvanston. Great descriptions of the actual events at the time. A little less science and history of meteorology would have suited me but some may like the information.

I love Erik Larson's books so my bias is on the table. Again he has taught as well as entertained in this tragic story of misguided egos and overwhelming suffering at the hands of a hurricane in 1900 Galveston. The early weather service in the United States and their selfish interests in maintaining a public image at the cost of peoples lives is a bleak testimonial to the flaws in some people's ethics.
The description of the storm's power and the survival stories are amazing as well as those of the storm's aftermath make this a great read.

Okay, when I first bought this book, I began reading it and was disinterested, as was my mother, by the meteorological information. We'd both been reading historical nonfiction recently and were turned away by impersonal accounts and/or jargon we didn't understand.

Truth be told, we didn't bother to pass the first chapter.

I am SO GLAD I gave it another chance!!!

I saw the documentary of the same name on the History Channel, and bought that DVD, and then actually read the book - let me tell you, it is as compelling as any dramatic book I've ever read, and the stories are all true -

So if you start this book and become disenchanted at the first chapter or two, please hang in there, because it is an amazing literary feat to create such a true and compelling account of such an event, and Erik Larson did just that. I am forever a fan of his.

(I also highly recommend "The Great Deluge" by Douglas Brinkley...amazing!)

There is no doubt Larson has written the definitive book on this subject for some time to come. As reviews on this site attest, there are few who will not find this a great read. What makes it so good? Larson's book makes a great story, is historical, and scientific.

First and foremost it's a great story, well written. The author describes the storm as 'an awakening of molecules' in the tropics. The reader, like the hurricane, moves closer and closer to the action, knowing the magnitude of what's about to happen. There is never a dull moment.

There is much history in this book as well. Larson describes other hurricanes and disasters, shedding light on the action in Galveston. He also gives us a good feel for the time period.

Though this is not a scientific text by any means, the basics of storms and weather are explained well, at a level of detail appropriate for a work of this kind. The end result is a book certain to be a classic, read for years to come.

i have always been a fan of science fiction but when i started reading amelia atwater rhodes books i was stuck. Forests and Demon in my View are so gripping and very touching to me. they actully tell the stories of the characters and dont jump around from person to person getting you lost. I ABSOULTLY LOVED ALL HER BOOKS

...which is a compliment, I suppose, considering she was 13 when it was penned. It's actually quite impressive for such a young woman, but the sheer wall of angst, the repetitive use of such overdone terms as good, evil and innocence, not to mention 300 year old creatures who react like high school students when approached with conflict...well, suffice it to say that the high rating this novel has received overall leaves me baffled. The tone, conflict and resolution call out the author's adolescence. I suspect in time, as she gets more life experience, she will be quite good at the craft, but for now? Not so much.

If you are in high school yourself, this might be a good read. Otherwise, skip it. There's plenty of YA lit of high enough caliber to appeal to adult sensibilities. On the plus side, this is an extremely short book, so you won't waste too much of your life if you feel the need to actually complete it.

This is a unique book. It's unique in an obvious way in that it's only about 150 pages. It's also unique in that it delves into vampire world without getting sexually explicit (which I appreciated). Now, because it was so short, the book did lack some depth. With that said, I still found it to be quite captivating. A good read by a promising young author, this book is certainly worth your time.

A thrilling experence that you just want to read over and over again and you feel like you're right there watching the action in your own mind. I borowed it from my teacher for a week and I read it about six times.

-Adam Slavik

This is the story of a vampire, living today in Concord, Massachusetts. She wasn't always a vampire, though. Back in the sixteen hundreds, she was a real teenaged human being named Rachel, living with her father, younger sister Lynette, and twin brother Alexander. Alexander had been trying to tell her that there were evil things in the world that might try to hurt her, but Rachel ignored him, despite the fact that he seemed to have strange powers himself. Shortly after that, Rachel was transformed into a vampire and given the name Risika.

Risika has been living the life of a vampire for centuries, but still isn't quite satisfied with what she is. She had a hard time adjusting to the lifestyle and being able to kill humans without guilt. She still seeks vengeance for the death of her twin brother at the hands of Aubrey, another vampire who was there when Rachel was transformed. Now the time seems to be drawing near--Aubrey is challenging her and causing her the anger that may lead to her challenging him. But there is a surprise in store for Risika, something she would never expect.

I liked how this book challenged the basic myths about vampires, making them seem more realistic. The writing, though, was simplistic. I saw the surprise at the end coming, but I didn't think it seemed plausible. It didn't fit into the rest of the story.