From Publishers Weekly
Having declared himself the Dragon Reborn, Rand al'Thorspacing correct must proceed to fulfill the prophecy that he will protect the world from the return of the Dark One. Jordan's hefty addition to his massive series begins very much in medias res as an unknown danger threatens the city of Tar Valon, home of the powerful, nunlike Aes Sedai. In a whirlwind of uncertainty stirred up by the conflicting motivations of such groups as the Whitecloaks, the Darkfriends and Trollocs (among an abundance of others), Rand travels to the city of Rhuidean in the Aiel Waste for answers. Jordan ( The Dragon Reborn ) seems to be intent on turning the series into an endless soap opera; in each successive volume he introduces more new elements than he resolves. What was originally a mood-setting technique--the tendency of most characters not to share their special knowledge with either their companions or the reader--has by now become boring. Hundreds of characters and dozens of conflicting plots cause much of the action to take place offstage. As a result, this fully imagined saga threatens to burst the seams of its steadily more intricate design. Nevertheless, the sheer force of his invention develops a momentum that established Jordan fans, and probably like-minded new readers, will find hard to resist. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
As the power of the Dark One grows stronger, Rand al'Thor and his friends face greater challenges in their war against the Shadow. From the halls of Tar Valon, where the Aes Sedai mystics discover agents of darkness in their own ranks, to the Aiel Waste, where a hidden city holds secrets forbidden to all but a few, Rand and his companions seek to fulfill the destiny laid out for them. Jordan's multivolume epic continues to live up to its high ambitions. Complex plotting, an array of strong characters, lavish detail, and a panoramic scope make this series a feast for fantasy aficionados. Expect demand for this.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"Large and splendid. The saga reaches a new level of emotional impact." --Chicago Sun-Times
"Fast and absorbing...will keep the reader...entranced." --Publishers Weekly
"An exciting, well-written adventure, Jordan offers distinctive heroes and themes, including an interesting look at relations between the sexes." --Milwaukee Sentinel
"A complex tapestry of fascinating characters, descriptive details and events. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves epic fantasy." --Carol Lynn Ukockis, Galactic Dispatch
"Robert Jordan writes with the stark vision of light and darkness, and sometimes childish sense of wonder, that permeates J.R.R. Tolkien's work. His style is undebatably his own." --The Pittsburgh Press
Review
"Large and splendid. The saga reaches a new level of emotional impact." --Chicago Sun-Times
"Fast and absorbing...will keep the reader...entranced." --Publishers Weekly
"An exciting, well-written adventure, Jordan offers distinctive heroes and themes, including an interesting look at relations between the sexes." --Milwaukee Sentinel
"A complex tapestry of fascinating characters, descriptive details and events. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves epic fantasy." --Carol Lynn Ukockis, Galactic Dispatch
"Robert Jordan writes with the stark vision of light and darkness, and sometimes childish sense of wonder, that permeates J.R.R. Tolkien's work. His style is undebatably his own." --The Pittsburgh Press
Book Description
The seals of Shayol Ghul are weak now, and the Dark One reaches out. The Shadow is rising to cover humankind.
In Tar Valon, Min sees portents of hideous doom. Will the White Tower itself be broken?
In the Two Rivers, the Whitecloaks ride in pursuit of a man with golden eyes, and in pursuit of the Dragon Reborn.
In Cantorin, among the Sea Folk, High Lady Suroth plans the return of the Seanchan armies to the mainland.
In the Stone of Tear, the Lord Dragon considers his next move. It will be something no one expects, not the Black Ajah, not Tairen nobles, not Aes Sedai, not Egwene or Elayne or Nynaeve.
Against the Shadow rising stands the Dragon Reborn.....
The Shadow Rising (Wheel of Time Series #4) ANNOTATION
The New York Times bestselling fourth book in the Wheel of Time series, now in mass market. The seals of Shayol Ghul are weak now, and the Dark One reaches out. The Shadow is rising to cover humankind, and Min sees portents of hideous doom. Meanwhile, in the Stone of Tear, the Lord Dragon considers his next move.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The seals of Shayol Ghul are weak now, and the Dark One reaches out. The Shadow is rising to cover humankind. In Tar Valon, Min sees portents of hideous doom. Will the White Tower itself be broken? In the Two Rivers, the Whitecloaks ride in pursuit of a man with golden eyes, and in pursuit of the Dragon Reborn. In Cantorin, among the Sea Folk, High Lady Suroth plots the return of the Seanchan armies to the mainland. In the Stone of Tear, the Lord Dragon considers his next move. It will be something no one expects, not the Black Ajah, not Tairen nobles, not Aes Sedai, not Egwene or Elayne or Nynaeve. Against the Shadow rising stands the Dragon Reborn...
FROM THE CRITICS
BookList - Roland Green
The fourth volume of the most ambitious American fantasy saga, The Wheel of Time, continues to suggest that it will also be the finest. The most negative thing one can say of it is that in order to keep all the narrative threads going, Jordan has made this book a trifle more episodic than the first three. But the episodes themselves are gems, some of them humorous--e.g., various women's pursuits of Rand, the Dragon Reborn, while he tries to establish leadership over the desert-dwelling Aiel--others starkly terrifying--e.g., Perrin's leadership of the defense of Two Rivers against a swarm of Trollocs and the intrigues that are rending the Aes Sedai's ranks at the worst of all possible times. The size of this installment in Jordan's saga continues to allow him immense richness and detail in world building. This volume, indeed the whole saga, surpasses all but a few of its peers and is highly recommended for all collections.
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