Must have Books - The Wheel of Time

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	The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan During the Third Age, the Age of Prophecy, the world and time hang in the balance, in peril of falling under the Shadow. Set in a world where two kinds of magic exist, one female and the other male, the Wheel of Time series features as its hero Rand, who begins the first volume as a simple shepherd. A visitor soon sends Rand on an epic journey to unite the people of his planet against the Dark One, who threatens vast destruction. Rand's quest takes him through a dazzling array of meticulously detailed alien cultures and such unforgettable characters as the mysterious and lovely Egwene, the sorceress Moiraine, and Moiraine's companion, Lan
	The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan After centuries of searching for the Horn of Valere which possesses the power to raise past heroes from the dead, it is finally found and then stolen. Jordan comes through again in the Great Hunt. Rand has to deal with pressures of being able to channel, Perrin is depressed because of his ability to talk to wolves, and Mat's dagger is stolen along with the Horn of Valere(sp?) by Padin Fain. Egwene, Elyane, and Nynaveave go off to the White Tower to learn how to be Aes Seadi (though Nynaveave [annoyingly] only goes so she can for some reason kill Moiraine for some ambiguous and pointless reason) Rand gets lost in another world on his chase of the Horn and dagger where he meets a mysterious women who becomes very important later in the series...I'll leave it at that... Magic becomes more important; standard fantasy cliches are almost non-existant; the plot is complex; and women take a more active role. The main reason this book is great is because the characters develope a lot more.
	The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan Able to touch the One Power, but powerless to control it, Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, must face the Dark One in a battle to the death. Third entry in Jordan's monumental Wheel of Time series (The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt). Here, the various factions head toward the city Tear, where, in the Heart of the Stone, hangs the magical sword Callendor that none but the Dragon Reborn may wield. Young Rand, the only man able to use the One Power, already half convinced that he is the Dragon Reborn, strikes out alone. Rand's friend Perrin the blacksmith--he's accompanied by Moiraine, the Power-wielding Aes Sedai, and warrior Lan--suspects that he's turning into a wolf. The junior Aes Sedai, Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve take Mat to Tar Valon to be healed of his evil-magic wound; here, they are given the dangerous new task of flushing out the evil Black Ajah in their midst while evading the latter's deadly traps. Eventually, all will converge at Heart of the Stone, where Rand will seize Callendor and destroy their current evil opponent.
	Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan As the Shadow rises to cover humankind, Min sees warnings of impending doom in Tar Valon, the Whitecloaks pursue a man with golden eyes, and the Lord Dragon plots his next move. The Wheel of Time turns and brings Volume 4 of the saga, The Shadow Rising (TSR). In TSR Rand edges ever closer to his destiny and we start to understand the Aiel, that fascinating people based on Frank Herbert's Fremen of Arrakis. We learn a bit more about Min. Perrin too comes fully into his own in TSR as the attack on the Two Rivers reaches a crescendo. The White Tower is shaken with dissension. The Atha'an Miere or the Sea Folk also make their appearance and one can sense how the Dragon is slowly but surely gathering all his people for the final campaign. But the highpoint of the book is the Rhuidean experience where the history not just of the Aiel but the world of the WOT series is recapitulated as series of time capsules. At long last, many of the threads spun by Jordan... start to make some sense. The ingenious manner of the unveiling of these threads is almost enough to make one forgive Jordan for the absence of a decent prologue to the series. A book not to be missed; even if you are one of those tired with long plotlines, keep at it and I promise you will not be disappointed.
	The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan This is the fifth volume of Jordan's splendid Wheel of Time saga. The Last Battle is approaching rapidly, for the seals on the Dark One's prison are beginning to crumble and the Aes Sedai (the female adepts) are divided within their own ranks--entirely apart from the Black Ajah, who serve the Dark One (and learn that they are no match for his ancient servants, the Forsaken). Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, is somewhat closer to ruling the world, thanks to his various allies (including an army of the desert-dwelling Aiel). His comrade Mat Cauthon seems to be another reincarnated hero, while Nynaeve and Elayne, pursuing the Black Ajah, find themselves in company with Birgitte, another legend made flesh, complete with unerring silver arrows. A saga of this size inevitably has a middle several books long, in which everything is carried forward and little is actually resolved. With this caveat, Fires of Heaven upholds the very high standards of this major fantasy epic, with battle scenes, comic interludes, and character development all reaching perhaps the highest point in a work that has lacked for none of these.
	Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan With book six of Jordan's giant Wheel of Time fantasy saga. This quite excellent volume gives, however, a clearer notion of what the final set of conflicts will be, if not necessarily their resolutions. Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, is teaching men to use magic. He is pursued by three excellent women, captured by and then freed from hostile Aes Sedai, and all the while he tries to be a savior who does not destroy everything in his path. Rand's comrades face similar situations: Egwene al'Vere becomes leader of the dissident Aes Sedai while not yet out of her teens, Mat Cauthon blunders into some high-comedy mistakes in spite of advice from the spirits of a hundred long-dead generals, Nynaeve learns how to restore magical powers, and so on. The number of subplots and characters that Jordan is resolutely carrying forward will both reward longtime readers of the saga and frustrate newcomers. The latter, at least, will also be challenged, perhaps to the outer limits of tolerance, by the multiple shifts in viewpoint. But really, no one should expect to start a work of this size except at the beginning, and if libraries purchase this title as well as its companions, no one will have to.
	A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan The seventh volume in the Wheel of Time fantasy saga continues the quest to restore natural weather conditions to the world and end the terrible heat wave. Mark Rolston narrates with a rich, expressive voice, very much at home in this fantasy setting. I think this was a more humorous book in the Wheel of Time series. Mat and Nynaeve are ALWAYS fun to read about, and they had the most screen time in this book. Or almost the most, anyway. As usual, there were several different plotlines, but Jordan had a different approach this time - he spent the first half of the book with Egwene and her Aes Sedai, and the second half consisted mostly of Nynaeve/Elayne/Mat in Ebou Dar. Rand gets some screen time in both parts, of course. There are several "dark" moments (especially at the end...), several plot twists and surprises, and many parts that made me laugh out loud. All in all, a very enjoyable book to read. And of course, what else would we expect out of The Wheel of Time, right?
	The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan Robert Jordan's bestselling Wheel of Time epic is one of the most popular fantasy series of all time for a reason. Jordan's world is rich and complex, and he's assembled an endearing, involving core of characters while mapping out an ambitious and engaging story arc. The phenomenal tale that is mesmerizing a generation of readers now continues. The Seanchan invasion force is in possession of Ebou Dar. Nynaeve, Elayne, and Aviendha head for Caemlyn and Elayne's rightful throne, but on the way they discover an enemy much worse than the Seanchan. In Illian, Rand vows to throw the Seanchan back as he did once before. But signs of madness appearing among the Asha'man lead him to a fateful-perhaps fatal-decision. In Ghealdan, Perrin faces the intrigues of Whitecloaks, Seanchan invaders, the scattered Shaido Aiel, and the Prophet himself. Perrin's beloved wife, Faile, may pay with her life, and Perrin himself may have to destroy his soul to save her. Meanwhile the rebel Aes Sedai under their young Amyrlin, Egwene al'Vere, face an army that intends to keep them away from the White Tower. But Egwene is determined to unseat the usurper Elaida and reunite the Aes Sedai. She does not yet understand the price that others-and she herself-will pay.
	Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan In the ninth book of the Wheel of Time saga, the plot continues to thicken, and intrigue, as always, runs rampant. As usual, the story depends heavily on what has gone on in the previous book, in this case, The Path of Daggers (1998). Also as usual, the story focuses alternately on one or another of the main characters, most--make that all--of whom seem to be conspiring against friend and foe alike as they try to fulfill their roles in the ongoing battle. Rand, sought by assassins, has fled and gone into hiding with Min, and Cadsuane, in residence at the Sun Palace, wants to find him. Perrin, returning from a mission for Rand, discovers that his wife, Faile, has been captured by a large group of Aiel. Elayne, in Caemlyn, is still the Daughter Heir trying to get support to take the throne. Queen Tylin is holding Mat as a pretty boy-toy when the Daughter of the Nine Moons arrives to reclaim what had been stolen from her ancestor. Aes Sedai seem to be everywhere. And, and, and . . . There is no way the complexities of the plot can be briefly summarized, but the novel certainly gives confirmed fans what they expect. In fact, only those already immersed in Jordan's universe will be able to follow the multitude of characters moving in and out of the story line, each one picking up a thread, advancing it, and dropping it, perhaps to return to it later in this book, or, perhaps, in the next. The cliff-hanger of a climax ensures that there will be a next.
	Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan In the tenth book of The Wheel of Time from the New York Times #1 bestselling author Robert Jordan, the world and the characters stand at a crossroads, and the world approaches twilight, when the power of the Shadow grows stronger. Fleeing from Ebou Dar with the kidnapped Daughter of the Nine Moons, whom he is fated to marry, Mat Cauthon learns that he can neither keep her nor let her go, not in safety for either of them, for both the Shadow and the might of the Seanchan Empire are in deadly pursuit. Perrin Aybara seeks to free his wife, Faile, a captive of the Shaido, but his only hope may be an alliance with the enemy. Can he remain true to his friend Rand and to himself? For his love of Faile, Perrin is willing to sell his soul. At Tar Valon, Egwene al'Vere, the young Amyrlin of the rebel Aes Sedai, lays siege to the heart of Aes Sedai power, but she must win quickly, with as little bloodshed as possible, for unless the Aes Sedai are reunited, only the male Asha'man will remain to defend the world against the Dark One, and nothing can hold the Asha'man themselves back from total power except the Aes Sedai and a unified White Tower. In Andor, Elayne Trakland fights for the Lion Throne that is hers by right, but enemies and Darkfriends surround her, plotting her destruction. If she fails, Andor may fall to the Shadow, and the Dragon Reborn with it. Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn himself, has cleansed the Dark One's taint from the male half of the True Source, and everything has changed. Yet nothing has, for only men who can channel believe that saidin is clean again, and a man who can channel is still hated and feared-even one prophesied to save the world. Now, Rand must gamble again, with himself at stake, and he cannot be sure which of his allies are really enemies. This book will be released on January 7, 2003. You may pre-order it now.