The Great Hunt, by Robert Jordan

I’ve been slowly re-reading my way through the “Wheel of Time”, bit by bit. I wasn’t going to, even after Brandon Sanderson got picked to finish out the series. There had simply been too much a gap between books – and not enough plot advancement in the later books – that I simply lost interest. But then I read Sanderson’s “Mistborn“, and I liked it enough that I decided to read his “Wheel” books. Except I started reading “The Wheel of Time” thirteen freaking years ago, and I couldn’t remember anything beyond vague details.

So I’ve been re-reading them. Not quickly, but by the time I finish, the final book will have come out in paperback. So it’s all good.

And you know what? “The Great Hunt” was really a very good book, and Jordan a very good writer. His characters are sharp, his action scenes tense, his grasp of human psychology sound, his worldbuilding extraordinary, his descriptions vivid – his writing has every virtue except that of brevity. And the ending of the book (SPOILER ALERT) – when Mat Cauthon blows the Horn of Valere, and the heroes of legend ride out of the mists to battle the Seanchan, was extremely cool.

The entire concept of the damane, the Leashed Ones, was fascinating, too. From a psychological perspective, it made perfect sense. Especially considering all the havoc wreaked by the Aes Sedai. And the juxtaposition between the haughty, arrogant Aes Sedai and the enslaved damane was an excellent artistic touch.

As I recall, thirteen years ago, I struggled through the first book of “Wheel”, got hooked on “The Great Hunt”, and blasted my way to book seven or eight all in the course of about three months. I might wind up doing that again.

Actually, no, I probably won’t. I’m old and have responsibilities and stuff now. But I do want to be done by the time the final book comes out.

-JM