The Shadow Rising

**Links: Prequel * Book 1 * Book 2 * Book 3**

The fourth book in the epic Wheel of Time series, The Shadow Rising is a more complex book than the first three. The characters are beginning to truly split into separate storylines, all still part of the same tale.

The Shadow Rising finds the characters in three separate groups. Rand, Mat, Egwene, and Moiraine (with Lan) are in the Three-Fold Land, the Aiel Waste. Rand is there to fulfill yet another prophecy about himself, but this one not about him being the Dragon Reborn. He is the Aiel's prophesied He Who Comes With The Dawn. He is to bind the Aiel together and rip them apart. Only time will tell what that will mean. Egwene is studying to become better at the Dream World, and her teachers are Aiel Wise Ones, women much like Aes Sedai. Mat is just blindly following, pulled by his fate as ta'veren.

Perrin, Faile, and Loial are in the Two Rivers, back to where this epic began. The Whitecloaks are ravaging the villages in the Two Rivers, hunting for Perrin because he had killed Whitecloaks in the past. Faile will not leave his side because of her love for him, and Loial was needed to guide them through the Ways, dark paths corrupted by the taint on the male half of the True Source.

Elayne and Nynaeve, with Thom, are in Tanchico, hunting the Black Ajah and whatever is in Tanchico that could be used against Rand. They are in a city in turmoil. With civil war and Whitecloaks in the city, refugees start riots regularly. How much danger could they truly be in?

I enjoyed this book, I really did. I especially loved how much focus was on Perrin and Faile (easily my favorite characters in the series). Epic fantasy fans, this should be a must read - if you're able to keep up with multiple storylines.

The Dragon Reborn

**Links: Prequel * Book 1 * Book 2**

Continuing on with my readings of the Wheel of Time series, I have just finished book 3, The Dragon Reborn. Of the books I've read thus far, this is my favorite.

We spend very little time following Rand in this book, until the very end. Throughout this book, Rand's point of view is limited to a few short passages. I actually enjoyed being able to follow the other characters more extensively.

The character that is followed most through this book is Perrin. He is my favorite character (he reminds me of my husband). He is still grappling with his connection to wolves and it is made even more difficult by the dreams he has. He goes into dreams and sees a wolf he knows is dead. This wolf acts as a guide through the dreams.

A new character is introduced, one who will be very pivotal to Perrin's character development. Zarine Bashere, or Faile as she chooses to be called, is a strong-willed girl and stubborn to the core. She is very interested in Perrin, and you can feel their relationship grow through the book. Although Perrin will not admit to liking her, he eventually comes around.

Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve get into trouble doing work for the Amyrlin, tracking the Black Ajah. Egwene in particular learns much about her strength in the One Power and finds a way to help them get out of the trouble they get in.

Mat and Thom (who all had previously believed to be dead) went on a rescue mission to save the girls. Mat is finding, after being healed in Tar Valon, that he is missing much of his memory. But at the same time, it is being replaced with memories that are not entirely his. He learns that he is extremely lucky...when it comes to random chance. Any pattern doesn't always go his way, but random acts always go his way.

Loial, the Ogier, continues taking notes on the three ta'varen (Mat, Perrin, and Rand) so that he can write his book. He considers returning to the stedding (where the Ogier live), but decides he can't pass up on the stories that he gets traveling with the group.

Rand, in his short blurbs, is really struggling. He is a confused man at this point and has no real control over the One Power. He finds himself in dreams, unsure of who to trust in them.

I'm looking forward to continuing on in The Shadow Rising. (I'm sure it'll take at least another month to finish this one too.)

The Great Hunt

**Links: Prequel * Book 1**

In continuing to read through Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, I just completed book two The Great Hunt.

While I do not rate this book as high as The Eye of the World, it still has a great story.

In the second installment of this epic fantasy, you really start to see Rand struggle with accepting that he is, in fact, the Dragon Reborn. He struggles with the understanding that he can channel and that this channeling will eventually drive him mad.

All of the major players begin to go through some huge changes in this book. Nynaeve and Egwene go to the White Tower to begin their training to be Aes Sedai. Perrin is accepting his ability to communicate with the wolves, and is beginning to be less ashamed of that fact. Mat's health deteriorates with the loss of the tainted dagger that holds the cure for his illness.

You also begin to question some of the characters you meet. In the first book, you were able to take characters at face value, for the way they were written. In this book, you begin to discover that there is more to each character than immediately meets the eye. The Black Ajah is introduced, and it will immediately have you questioning if this Aes Sedai or that Aes Sedai is of the Black. Only one Black sister is revealed in this book, although you begin questioning the loyalty of one more.

Moiraine and Lan are not prominent in this book. I felt that Robert Jordan was choosing to focus more on the three boys' struggles through this. They are all growing and each of them are realizing that it may be a long time, if ever, until they see their home of Emond's Field again.

By the end of the book, you will learn some important things that I believe are crucial to later books.

I highly recommend this entire series if you love fantasy.

TO BE CONTINUED IN: BOOK 3 - THE DRAGON REBORN

The Eye Of The World

*Please forgive my long absence. We moved and this was a relatively long book to get through. When I don't have much time to read, it often takes me longer than I wish to finish reading something.*

**Link: Prequel**

The Eye of the World is the first (truly the first book) in the Wheel of Time series. This is my husband's all time favorite book series and he introduced me to them when we met. I originally wasn't sure that I would like them, considering the length of each book and how many books there are (14, when the last is published).

But I was pleasantly surprised. These are a very obvious example of the fantasy genre (which is my favorite).

I really enjoyed reading this book. It sets up a lot of the series in this opener. We meet the main characters, even though more pseudo-main characters get introduced in later books, and we learn why all of them are together (at least somewhat).

I will tell you now, though, this is not the series for you if you can't follow multiple story lines. Even in this book, the characters get separated and for a couple chapters you follow one group, then another, then the third.

I think this is a great book for people who enjoy action/adventure stories, but there's definitely a subtle love story that begins to blossom.

Rand al'Thor is our MAIN character, in that the book is mostly told from his perspective, but you can tell right away that Matrim Cauthon and Perrin Aybara will be very prominent. Egwene al'Vere and Nynaeve al'Meara are somewhat lesser characters, but still play a pivotal role in the way this book unfolds. Moiraine and Lan (an Aes Sedai and Warder) are the pair that bring the group together and lead them through the struggles and fighting that are encountered throughout this book.

I can't wait to continue reading this series and sharing how I like them.

**To Be Continued with Book Two - The Great Hunt**

New Spring

This is the start of an interesting stretch of reading. This is considered a prequel to the Wheel of Time series. Robert Jordan was an amazing writer. I'm sad that he passed away before he could finish the series, but I'm glad that Brandon Sanderson has taken over the last few books.

On to my review.

This book was amazing. I love Robert Jordan's story-telling. This book covers how Moiraine (the Aes Sedai that is big in the beginning of the series) meets Lan (her Warder). It also talks about the beginning of the search for the Dragon Reborn.

There's magic, fighting, and a little hint of sex. I love how completely wrapped up in the story I can get.

Fantasy story-telling like this is something I highly recommend to fans of the genre.

The Lost Valentine

I got this book after watching the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie based on it. The movie itself made me cry, so I went into this book with much the same expectation. I wasn't disappointed.

As with most books that are made into movies (or TV shows), I liked the book more than the movie. This was such a sweet story. A love story without the usual sex involved in most romance novels these days.

The story of Caroline and Neil Thomas was something that I hope I can have. Without the tragedy hopefully. They have a love that spanned 50 years, even though they only spent 1 year together. Set in WWII, it really shows what true love is. Neil, a Navy pilot, goes missing in the Phillippines and Caroline never gives up the belief that he will come home to her.

I won't ruin the ending of this story. If you like sappy love stories, I highly recommend this book - with a box of tissues.

Mirror Mirror

Gregory Maguire once again delivered a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

Mirror Mirror is Snow White. That's pretty easy to figure out. But the way that Gregory Maguire re-writes these fairy tales is so fascinating. Snow White is actually Bianca de Nevada. Lucrezia Borgia is the evil queen. The way that Maguire used bits from the Borgia history into this fictionalized story was amazing. Their relationship with the de Nevada family was totally fiction, but he used historical fact in some parts. It was amazing.

He even went with the original Grimm Brothers version of Snow White by using the same methods of murder from that fairy tale: hunter in the forest, poisoned comb, corset tied too tight, and then the apple.

I highly recommend this. Gregory Maguire books are like fairy tales for grown ups.