I'm not saying that he's grand, the best, or really incredible. It's just the "not a very good writer" critique is often used, and that's not the sort of critique to make lightly. And I know I have a blind spot about this topic.

I got EotW for free - as a 1/3 novel, it was right there on the counter for the taking. LoC had just come out, and they were trying to lure new readers by offering the entire AoL beginning up to the point where Rand and crew enter Shadar Logoth. I was hooked.

I've read loyally and often, and my love for the series has only lessened over the last couple of years. Still, I never took much time to critique Jordan's skills or style as an author. His voice works for his world, and I like it a lot.

I was worn out by all the slow-moving mess that bogged down aCos onward. That seemed more like a problem with editing than with writing. Or perhaps with the writer's preferred focus. Still, I thought that the individual novels were not particularly good, I didn't think "oh well, Jordan's not actually that good of a writer."

I heard this from a girl I turned on to the series. She kept reading, but she noted that she wasn't that good a writer. Then again, she was a 24/7 critic...

Since I obviously have a blind spot for this topic - like a parent with their kids, or some such - can someone give me more specific and concrete critique and analysis on RJ's not-especially-goodness?