Product Description

The third book in Robert Jordan's internationally bestselling epic fantasy series, THE WHEEL OF TIME, now reissued with a stunning new cover design. The Land is One with the Dragon - and the Dragon is One with the Land The Shadow lies across the Pattern of the Age, and the Dark One has turned all his power against the prison that binds him. If it fails he will escape and nothing will stand in the storm that blows then ...save the man that was born to battle the darkness: Rand al' Thor, the Dragon Reborn. But to wage his war Rand must find Callandor, ancient Sword of the Dragon ...and the Forsaken will shatter the world to thwart him. Look out for more information about this title and others at www.orbitbooks.co.uk

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2487 in Books
• Published on: 1992-12-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 699 pages

Customer Reviews

Blown away
This series of books is mind blowing. Robert Jordan has created a world that feels so real, dangerous and awe-inspiring that there have been moments where I have literally exclaimed out loud as I have been reading. The tension he builds up in each story is quite simply brilliant- I couldn't put the book down, it was just so good. As you see Rand al'Thor go through his reluctant rise to power- a power beyond any kind that I have ever read before- you share his fears, his weary resignation as he begins to accept that he is fated to be much, much more than just an ordinary shepherd, and you also share in his amazement as he learns exactly what he is capable of. When ignorant, arrogant people throughout the story (there are many) underestimate him and he shows them exactly what he's really made of and makes them wish they'd never been born you cannot help but think "yesss! Go Rand go!"- you cannot help but feel smug on Rand's behalf at those moments. The Wheel of Time is a thoroughly satisfying novel, more so because every single character is complex, and have faults and weaknesses as well as strengths. The scale of this story is so epic it will take your breath away. I enjoyed reading this much much more than Lord of the Rings and will likely read it over and over again. I cannot recommend this series of books too highly, they are fantastic, truly.

This is the best in the series so far...
... though obviously I'd recommend you read them in order.

Certain writers are fond of certain words and phrases, Anne Rice, for example has a fondness for the word 'preternatural' well it seems as if Robert Jordan has a fondness for bosoms.

He certainly doesn't mention them on every page, but since it was pointed out to me, I notice every time he mentions the phrase 'she folded her arms under her breasts.' Only a male fantasy writer would say that, as to any woman it would be obvious where you would fold your arms... but still, I'm enjoying the series immensely.

A disappointment is how little Rand, who seemed to be the hero/lead protagonist of the first two novels, actually features in the novel. His absence does give the other characters a chance to shine though, Mat in particular benefits from a move to the centre stage.

Robert Jorden is an often inventive writer and I particularly liked the idea of the Gray Men, but you'll have to read the book to find out who and what they are.

The climax of this novel is the best so far, after the rather tacked on ending of 'Eye of the World' and the too dream based confrontation of 'The Great Hunt.'

Here all the plot strands converge, and not one, but two, innovative and exciting use of dreams work well for me, in contrast to the previous dreams of the earlier novels. Not everything is resolved, but then that's the beauty of reading a series like this...!

An enjoyable chapter
The Dragon Reborn is an intimidatng fantasy book to emerge yourself in unless you've read the previous Wheel of Time books. Although the first fifty pages are a disguised recap, I'd seriously suggest starting with book one. The second book meandered along the story and in retrospect it was really a great set up for book three. Here we follow the divergent storylines of the company, which is fragmented and either running towards danger, running away from it, or just plain creating it. There's more urgent feel to the story here, especially in the last third of the book, where the entwined lives of the chracters create a web which draws the reader in. It's well written fantasy, further enlarging a world in which an epic battle between good and evil rages and creates a feeling of dread not apparent in the earlier books. It closes off a central storyline, to ensure the series is not just teasing the reader, and creates some more hooks which will leave you anticipating the following books.