ravila1023

I have been wanting to get into this series for quite some time. After three full hearted reading attempts and one audio book listening, I am going to openly admit that I can not get into this series.

First, this series lacks originality. It takes Tolkien's work, paints it with the "One Power," fluffs it up with useless unentertaining lore, and attempts to pass as a good book. I spent the last attempt reading this book actually picking out which were the Lord of the Ring counterparts (i.e. the quiet loner type who rejects the throne and wields a powerful sword to vanquish foes, the large slow witted loyal companion, the energetic troublemaker, a town of people so isolated and stubborn about leaving, shall I go on?) as a type of game to keep myself entertained. 

The characters are seriously lacking and a bit of a nuisance. Rand (the main character) is so whiny that I feel I am following a spoiled rich kid through the adventures, not some poor farm boy. A lot of times people are forgettable and sometimes Robert Jordan himself puts context reminders, as if he himself knew no one would remember them. The heroes in the group are too knowing and powerful. Moraine (the Wizard who sets the group on a journey, or the not-so-hairy Gandalf) can predict enemy movements so well it makes you wonder how she knows so much about them? Who studied the trollocs? According to the story they either killed you on sight or people fled, no where is it mentioned that there are a group of people who hide and take notes about them? Yet we are supposed to believe Moraine can understand their decisions so well she can predict their intentions. 

Plot follows Lord of the Rings so closely that you can pretty much predict what the end of the Eye of the World is going to be like. 

I really tried but the more I attempted, the more cynical I became towards the book. I will not continue reading the series unless there is absolutely nothing else to read.