I've got Book One, should I take the plunge?

[LukeW]

Damn, I'm into book four now and feel like it's just dragging. Considering people seem to be complaining about book 6 onwards, I don't think this bodes well for me.

It's a shame as book one totally gripped me. Still, not giving up yet, even if I am only reading 1-2 pages at night before I fall asleep... Might finish the series by the time I'm ninety

 

[kenpat]

Damn, I'm into book four now and feel like it's just dragging. Considering people seem to be complaining about book 6 onwards, I don't think this bodes well for me.

It's a shame as book one totally gripped me. Still, not giving up yet, even if I am only reading 1-2 pages at night before I fall asleep... Might finish the series by the time I'm ninety

I really don't think it's the type of bookseries you can read in short gasps. RJs writing needs to suck you in, especially as he started to broaden out the story, and that takes more than a couple of pages. I always felt that one of the great things about WOT was the immersion factor, part of which was lost I feel when BS took over.

 

[Elyas MACHERA]

I really feel for those people who have been unable to cope with the variations in pace of this series.
I personally likened this to a chess match. The start is usually exciting when there is relatively quick development of pieces and strategy. The middle game often slows considerably as opponents strive for small advantages before they get to the end game and hopefully hammer home a decisive brutal and bloody attack.
I personally found no problems with the change of pace and have avidly read the series a number of times.
The beauty of rereading the series is that there always seems to be something new leaping out at you which you hadn't spotted previously - or had but hadn't appreciated the significance.

 

[LukeW]

Well I'm half way through book 5 now and I have to say this has grown on me (again). Really enjoying Rand's thread and the stuff with the Forsaken. Nynaeve and Siuan Sanche annoy the crap out of me.

The biggest annoyance I'm having with this series though is that, as I'm reading them without a break in the books, I'm having to read through a lot of unnecessary recapping at the start of each novel. I actually find that really annoying

 

[barrett1987]

I'm having to read through a lot of unnecessary recapping at the start of each novel. I actually find that really annoying

Amen to that brother! Recaps in each book annoy me.

 

[nixie]

On the third book, yes I'm enjoying it so far. It's never going to be one of my favourite series unless it improves dramatically. Good enough to pass a few hours but the women have to be some of the most annoying creatures I've come across, did he take lessons from Eddings?

 

[Tower75]

Friggin' 'ell. Was it really 2014 that I picked up the first one?

To my shame I still haven't finished it, but I still keep meaning to go back to it, and that's as good as reading it, right?

 

[Fedos]

I've attempted to read through this series several times and once made it to book eight. I'm now on book six almost half way through. It's taking me a while because I read a lot of books at once but it is keeping my attention. For me the high points of this series so far are shared between books one and two, so I'm just powering through hoping Robert Jordan and by extension Brandon Sanderson recaptures those highs I experienced with those two books.

 

[biodroid]

I decided to take the plunge, heard book 10 isnt as bad as long as you dont wait too long to read it.

 

[SilentRoamer]

I am a big fan of the series. Read them once and thoroughly enjoyed them, not sure how they would hold on a re-read.

What I like about Jordan is he feels really original and a lot of neat ideas.

It also introduced me to a magical "system" and I love the One Power system despite it's many flaws.

 

[Vladd67]

Got to book six and just decided I didn't care what happened to these people anymore. I didn't feel too bad about it as I got books 1 to 9 as part of an opening offer with a Science fiction and fantasy book club, buy three books for 99p each, and the Wheel of Time set counted as one book. After a while I wanted someone to garrotte that girl with her hair braid if she tugged on it one more time.

 

[Tower75]

To be fair, all I hear about this series is that it's painful to read after about book 5 and all the girls do in it is pull their hair. But that being said, I'm not going out of my way to find positive reviews.

Maybe I'll pick them back up and try again before it's turned into a movie or TV series.

 

[Cathbad]

IMO, the series tells a compelling story, but uses about 50,000 too many/unneeded words per book.

 

[HoopyFrood]

I didn't really notice the braid-pulling -- or at least, because I'd heard it mentioned so much beforehand, I thought it was going to be on every other page, so it wasn't as bad as I was imagining, and it's only one character who does it. What I grew way more tired of was 'smoothing skirts' and 'clattering bracelets'. I get that he's trying to show rather than tell, but he really needed to expand his repertoire of movements. And stop making every character so angry and impatient.

So yes, the characterisation is lacking, though the main six or so characters do enough and change enough that they're still readable. I'd say the books are worth reading for the sheer scale and imagination of the story, the world and the magic system, and he really puts effort into creating different cultures and people (but then shoots himself in the foot again by having them all behave the same). Plus the last three books, when Branderson comes in and gets rid of all the fluff, are fast-paced and just downright epic. It's interesting reading the very last chapter, which Jordan wrote beforehand -- you can really see the difference between his bits and Branderson's.

 

[SilentRoamer]

I never really noticed the braid pulling until it was pointed out to me and then I never considered it particularly bad. I remember the female characters having a lot of agency and being characters in their own right - I think Jordan has some flaws as a writer but I don't think the flaws extend to anything beyond a bit of poor characterization.

I agree with Happy Frood about the Branderson books - they do rock along quite nicely, BUT they also disregard the very strict One Power strength level that Jordan spent so long building. Although I have said before I don't think anyone except Branderson could have done this - the man is an absolute writing machine.

I definitely think the books are worth a read - epic in scope and scale with some really cool and vivid scenes. I think these are a staple of the "epic fantasy" genre.