Saturday, November 17, 2012

Lord of Chaos

Lord of Chaos. (Wheel of Time #6) Robert Jordan. 1994. Tor. 720 pages.

I struggled my way through Lord of Chaos. I didn't find it as easy to love as some of the earlier books in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Because I was so enthusiastic at the start of the series, it was disappointing to "just" like a book instead of love it.

Lord of Chaos does have almost all of the characters I've come to like, love, enjoy. (Of course, in this good vs. evil battle there are plenty of not-so-good characters.) Rand isn't having an easy time being the Dragon Reborn. Sure, some people love him or the idea of him. Some might arguably be a little too enthusiastic for the cause. But others hate him and will stop at nothing to bring him down. But rather it's love or hate, there are plenty who just don't know him at all. They see him as a symbol, an idea, not a human being. Being around Rand brings danger to his friends... But this is never just Rand's story. There are a dozen or so "main" stories in this series. And hundreds of characters--at least--to follow through the narration. Some characters seem to have chapters and chapters dedicated to them, and others just a couple. Unfortunately, the proportion this time around didn't match my interest level. That is also how I felt about much of Lord of the Rings. There were characters that I just LOVED, LOVED, LOVED so very much and whose stories I found so compelling and wonderful. And then there were other sections where I just kept reading so I could get to the good parts I knew were coming.

Read Lord of Chaos
  • If you're a fan of fantasy series, long fantasy series
  • If you enjoy epic battles between good and evil 

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

1 comment:

Robyn said...

People either LOVE Robert Jordan, or just don't get him. I really don't get him. I tried to read the "Wheel of Time" series, and didn't get through the first two chapters. Paranormal historical fiction books are my favorite. I just finished a really AWESOME one called, "Shadow of the Sun" by author Merrie P. Wycoff .
This is historical fiction novel that showcases the mysticism/paranormal aspects of ancient Egypt. The author has thoroughly researched the topic and brings the reader back to Egypt during the time of the ancient Egyptian Royal Court. The characters are rich with emotion and add an element of intrigue to the story.