The Hunt Begins: The Great Hunt, Volume 1

Just wanted to say that I loved all the books. Yes some parts did run on and on, but what book that thick doesn't. Another thing is I have only found these books in the younger reader sections not in the adult sections of barnes and nobles. I believe they are marketed for a younger crowd. Robert Jordan died on sept. 16, 2007. So have a little respect.

i think this series is amazing and the illustrations really explain alot. i recomend this for readers of all ages. you'll love it

I Promise: I'm going to be spoiler free.This is the second book in the Wheel of Time (WOT) series (after Eye of the World). It is BETTER than the first one. Jordan is really finding his legs with the series. All of the tenants of excellent fantasy are here. Jordan is a great writer who builds an incredible world with a compelling history. His characters are also incredible. Great Hunt is a great book, but be warned: as of this writing Jordan hasn't finished WOT. The Great Hunt does not stand alone, the ending is something of a cliffhanger. My guess is the end of this series isn't going to happen until 2006 (I believe there are going to be 12 books, but I don't think there's an official word).Is it going to be worth it? I don't think so. WOT has gotten very complicated and is becoming turgid. Sometime around Book 6, the action began to crawl. Book 8 (the last one I read) was almost 700 pages and took place over three days, AND was practically missing some important characters! I've read the first five books twice now beacuse it is too difficult to wait a year between reading books. (And he's coming out with them once every other year at this point).My advice: Wait until Jordan's finished them all. It's best to read them one after another. By then we'll know if it was worth the wait.You've been warned!My grade for the series:1. Wheel of Time: A-2. Great Hunt: A3. Dragon Reborn: A+4. Shadow Rising: A+5. Fires of Heaven: A6. Lord of Chaos: B7. Crown of Swords: C+8. Path of Daggars: C9. Winter's Heart (haven't read, waiting for Jordon to finish)

I eagerly anticipated getting to this book, especially after having spent so long trying to wrap up the first in the series. It is really more the first book than "Eye....", which seemed more of a introduction into the world of Jordan. You don't even necessairily have to read the first book: the characters and their back-stories are all explained, not too great length, but enough to get a good idea. I'd suggest reading EOTW anyhow, it's a good piece of literature. This is the continuation of th WOT series, and is basically the platform on which to set up Rand al'Thor and his future. In fact, a more appropriate title would be "The Book of Rand", since the other characters generally sit around, watching and waiting for the next move. Perrin, my favorite character, doesn't really make the kind of advancements that I would have liked, and Mat is still basically as he was at first, not quite realized, just a stock character of sorts, although he is one of the main reasons for the story to go on, and he has a good role in the ending. Nynaeve becomes a bit more likable, a bit more tolerable, and Egwene is more fully realized. Moiraine and Lan don't have much of a role here, although you do find out more about them. Also, a character comes back from the dead.... As with the first book, I have a serious bone to pick with Rand. His stubborness and his refusal to accept the truth are very irritating and somewhat nerve-wrecking. I found myself wanting to slap him on numerous occasions. He does somewhat become more enjoyable towards the end, and he has noble enough reasons for doing a lot of the things he does. A main element of the series so far seems to be the beauty of friendship, loyalty, love. Another is the conflict between good and evil. This novel doesn't seem quite as long as the first, and I was able to complete it in a few weeks. Keep in mind, I have a LOT of free time. If you had 6-8 hours of steady reading time every day, you too could finish it in about that much time, but otherwise it could be a matter of months. The finale alone is worth sticking along with the tale for. As would be expected, the book ends, when you would like it to keep going. Fortuately, there are many more to be read, and I am going to be starting "The Dragon Reborn" very soon. All in all, it's fantastic read, and I recommend it highly.

I have a confession to make...I started reading Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series out of order, and was instantly hooked by Book 2. The Great Hunt is what brought me back to reading science fiction, and am I glad that I have returned. I have not been so enthralled by a series since Anne McCaffrey took readers to the planet of Pern, and introduced them to dragons. After meeting with some of the main characters(Rand, Egwene, Lan...) and fighting with them from Fal Dara to Tanicho, I was hooked. Robert Jordan's characters seem to come alive as I read through this book page after page, and I was glad that I got to travel with them through their various adventures, as they fought Trollocs, talked to wolves, and met with the Seanchan. Robert Jordan has set the Wheel of Time turning, creating a wonderful new Pattern for readers to follow.I am glad that he is the reigning master of science fiction. I have read several pieces of science fiction while waiting for copies of his series to be returned at my local library, and none come close to his spinning of the Wheel. One of the wonderful things about his books are the fact that it doesn't matter where you begin...the Wheel never stops turing, and according to Thom Merrilin, there is always a story to tell.I hightly recommend The Great Hunt to all lovers of adventure. And while you are at it, feel free to read the rest of the series as well!