The Great Hunt
Ratings737
Average rating4.1
3/5
Ah... so, this was an improvement on The Eye of the World. Personally, The Great Hunt was very up and down. There were moments where I was hooked on the story, and then stretches where I was wondering how long more I had to read before returning to a point of motion in the story. The book is long, and when you read it in the context of a larger series it isn't that bad - but as a single novel, it doesn't really have an identity of its own.
Full review here on my website!
The adventure continues.
As spellbinding of a narrative, with more delving into character backstories. The development of a certain few has me nailed to the chair, continuing to read for more. I had to knock off a star for some of the arguments and misunderstandings, but that's a personal non-preference. The ending, without providing spoilers, is one that made me pause and tear up. I'm not sure if this is age catching up with me and making me want hopeful things, good things, things full of revelation — but I loved it. The reason doesn't matter. The star also got knocked off because, the pacing was still good, but not as much so as the first one. Regardless, I would re-read it, so, who's the real fool?
Okay, book two of Wheel of Time... While I enjoyed it, I had some reservations with Eye of the World and the writing style was not my favorite. The writing style is still not my favorite but it did improve, maybe because Jordan got better and maybe because there were more things happening instead of letting us know about every village, every person in that village, the color of the trees in that village, the type of shoes most people in the village wear, the lunch that they...
Okay, okay. Anyway, The Great Hunt. The plot was much more engaging! The ending was really damn good. The characters were eh. Bland continues to be the most rand main character, and most of the characters I really liked in book 1 (Moiraine, Lan, Perrin) were barely in this one. Loial is great though, and I really liked Ingtar, Min, and Nynaeve in this one. The worldbuilding was really expanded and I'm excited to learn more about the world going forward!
8.5/10
A good second installment in the series and progressed the story well and introduces some more elements of the world and magic system. I doubt this is going to be anyone's favourite in the series but it was a strong addition.
Overall a hard one to review without spoiling elements of the series.
Characters and DevelopmentThe main characters are split up once again in this book. A large amount of time is spent with Rand and Loial and a seperate plot line follows Egwene and Nynaeve. I didn't feel Rand developed significantly as a character in this one overall, while the events probably permanently modified the girls' for the remainder of the story.
Plot
The beginning opens up a new and exciting plot line involving the girls while I feel Rand's plot line doesn't progress in a meaningful way until the very end. All the “filler” in the middle is still extremely high quality and enjoyable for a fan of the series but I don't feel most of it is strictly necessary for the story to progress (I'm sure some of the characters and themes reappear in future books though so I may have to come back and modify this).
SettingA new group is introduced with their own customs and a new world and way of travel is introduced. Not going to say much more here for spoiler reasons.
TL;DRPros
- Introduces more elements of the world and magic system
- Progresses the major plotline in a big way right at the end
- Begins a major plot line about Tar Valon and Aes Sedai
Cons
- Overall lots of it is probably not critical to the story except the very beginning and very end
This one is hard to rate. I loved the first part, then got bored in the middle, and the last chapters were awesome.
Это были бы пять звёзд, если бы Джордан не решил разрушить женскую дружбу ради мужика.
2021
Do you have this thing, where you read book 1 from a series, love it, and then procrastinate reading book 2, because anticipating the read is often better than the read itself?
The Eye of the World was so good that 14 books in the series didn't seem enough. Yet I was worried to start The Great Hunt, as my expectations were a bit high.
Regardless, once I began reading, I couldn't really stop.
I loved this book even more than The Eye of the World (although book 1 will always hold a more special place)! I got to connect to the characters better and really started liking them. I got so much more curious about this seemingly endless world and all the secrets it's hiding.
As a negative, I will mention that there were a few times where the author created suspense, only to have a rather anticlimactic end of the scene.
Overall, I loved this book. 4,5 stars
I can't wait to start the next one!
2024 UPDATE:
Still feeling the exact same way, except this time around, I appreciate the story a bit more and I spotted a few possible hints at what will happen later on. I also think the ending was brilliant.
I would also like to highlight the things the girls went through at the end of the book and especially Egwene... that was brutal and very vividly done. I think it's one of the more emotional scenes in the series so far.
My overwhelming feeling towards this book is ‘eh'. I didn't ever feel compelled to not put the book down, and it shows in that it took me five months to finish it. I felt like we were just killing time for the first three-quarters of the book (is this where [a:Brandon Sanderson 38550 Brandon Sanderson https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg] learned that annoying habit?), and even when Stuff was happening at the end the only person I felt was really doing something was Nynaeve (how much ass does she kick? I love her.)I will read the next one ([b:The Dragon Reborn 11203967 The Dragon Reborn (Wheel of Time, #3) Robert Jordan https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1343770673s/11203967.jpg 791061]), but I'm going to tackle other things on the TBR pile first.
I've got some advice for all of you who, like me, are trying to write your first epic fantasy novel. Don't read this series at the same time. You'll get depressed.
I continue my slow march through the Wheel of Time! I have already read most (but not all) of this series, so I've dedicated myself to getting through. I'm reading along with a podcast which as I've said before is a format I really enjoy. I've read The Great Hunt many times, so it's no surprise I enjoyed it again. I really like the first three books of the Wheel of Time, and I think they stand on their own as a story arc which is really well done.
It has been slightly hilarious to have been in the middle of re-reading this when Mike and I finally decided to get through series two of the show (which covers mostly the same ground). The show is...fine...and I'll continue watching, but some of the disconnects between the two are pretty jarring.
Anyway, this is a great book, if you haven't read The Wheel of Time series and you're a fan of fantasy books I think it's a worthy project to take on. :)
I. Am. So. Invested.
This has to be the coolest world I have ever read. Never have I been so truly interested in learning more and more of the different cultures, histories, world's and people of this world that Robert Jordan created. This second book had more action, a new drive and some very interesting routes from which the journey can now take!
THE WHEEL OF TIME
1) The Eye of the World ★★★★
2) The Great Hunt ★★★★★
3) The Dragon Reborn ★★★★★
4) The Shadow Rising ★★★★★
5) The Fires of Heaven ★★★★★
6) Lord of Chaos ★★★★★
7) A Crown of Swords ★★★★
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Absolutely riveting.
I have never felt hatred for a character as strongly as I hated Renna, and her fate in this story was incredibly satisfying.
I mean...
I like his characters. I like the world building. I find the story interesting.
BUT
I don't have a clear idea of what happened in the book. I just have an idea. Robert Jordan has a handful of people and then he spreads them around the world, now they are in these groups, now in others, and he jumps from one group to another, and drops the reader in the middle of a scene. I had to often go back in the story to check if I had missed something, or jumped over pages or scenes... I have a nasty feeling of that the publisher has actually missed pages of the manuscript.
I'm not sure of the timeline. I don't know how these different events relate to each other in time. Might be earlier or later or linear or what ever. I wouldn't know. I feel very uncertain, and that's not good.
I was listening to an audiobook, and in my ears the narrator pronounced Selene Sardine. I was wondering why Robert Jordan named her Sardine. I probably would have done better with a paperbook. And he has so many characters that I'm more or less confused all the time. And why... how... how can this person appear here, now? Where did she come from? Where did he come from? What is happening? And who was that, again?
The end of the book...these people kill the high lord, and then they go, and two witches walk in the witch slave house full of people who can sense magic, and three walk out... and then the streets are all empty and someone starts hurling streets and houses, but - nothing really happens about that, and the boys are in the city and see the explosions, but don't know the girls are there, and then there's suddenly white children or what ever they are, and the girls are trying to get to the harbor and the boys sound the horn, which apparently was totally unnecessary, and suddenly there's no-one around and Rand and bad guy fight and he kills him, and then the girls find Rand unconscious and... then he wakes up somewhere, the war is apparently over and the white coats are dead and the cheongsam sailed away even though all their ships were burned, and the girls are somewhere and Moiraine is there, and... what?
I am not going to read any more of these books, at least not as long as I can remember how confusing this experience is.
Really was a 2 most of the way through but the ending picked up and it was just enough to get a 3 star. Maybe if I picked this up when I was younger and have not read a lot of fantasy series before it, I would have liked it more. I also listen to the audiobook so maybe that had a little to do with it.
Michael Kramer who does the narration, I like everything else he has done and read. With this book I do not know if it is him or the writing or both. Just about everyone in the series so far are the most whinny and annoying people I have found in a book. Over the top whinny and annoying. To the point I almost stopped many times. The bigger story is good and I keep hoping they characters will grow out of it. The main group of younger characters act like 10 year old spoiled brats that are over reacting. The writer seems to think the way they react is normal.
I am going to try and couple more to see if the writer can grow and work out how the act.
“Life is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain.”
The easiest five stars I've given in a long, long time!
I REALLY enjoyed the Eye of the World (WoT #1) and had high hopes for how the series would build, The Great Hunt improved on everything in #1 and I no longer like the series. I love it.
The character development (especially with Rand) is unlike anything I've read before, its natural and its the story perfectly, its forced when it needs to be and everything that happens is believable. I wont say more without going into spoilers but Rand is fast becoming a favourite character for me.
The world that Robert Jordan built is incredible, I've never read a world so detailed and well built. This is a series that fantasy fans need to read and fantasy writers need to take notes as its incredible. I've been toying with writing a Fantasy series for a while and this has changed everything for me, before writing the first line i'll take Robert Jordan lead and create the world.
Fantasy fans. READ THE WHEEL OF TIME!
5/5 stars
10/10
However you rate your books, this gets full marks!
Robert Jordan's world building astounds me. He knows how to make it part of the story. You want to constantly learn MORE about EVERYTHING! This book was a LOT of world-building, especially at the beginning. The last 15 or so chapters is where most of the action really is. However, without the rest of it, none of what happens in those final chapters really makes sense or much of an impact. I didn't have as much free time to read this one as I would have liked, so I'm hoping I'll have more time to devote to the third installment!
I actually preferred the first book in the Wheel of Time series over this one, and neither were that great to me. It seemed like after the adventures in the first one, the characters started over in this book (I see why it was suggested I skip #1). The story had a few interesting parts – the alternate lines for instance – but was a small reference in a larger story of mostly waiting around and moving places.
I actually preferred the first book in the Wheel of Time series over this one, and neither were that great to me. It seemed like after the adventures in the first one, the characters started over in this book (I see why it was suggested I skip #1). The story had a few interesting parts – the alternate lines for instance – but was a small reference in a larger story of mostly waiting around and moving places.
Every bit as good as the first book- Very glad I already have the third book in hand, ready to start!
Knowing that this is such a long franchise, you expect that each book will focus on certain individuals. If not you expect it to focus on lot of new characters. Else how is Robert going to fill 14 books. But so far we get none of that. The focus is strictly on our Tavernan and its where it looks like it will remain. This book is a bit different in that you can see everything building up to a grand finale and what an overwhelming finale at that. You learn a bit more about each character and one of the Forsaken. The Great Hunt is over and its time for the “Dragon Reborn”. What a ride!