LoC
TSR
FoH
TDR
GH
EoTW
CoS
KoD
PoD
WH
CoT
TGS, ToM are hard for me to place. In some ways they would rank very highly for me. In others they would be near the bottom.
Brandon's writing did not bother me so much because I expected it to be a little grating simply for not being Jordan. I was pleasantly surprised when I found long stretches in which I didn't notice who was writing. I think Brandon did admirably in this regard. As well as could be hoped.
However... I am so disappointed in what happened in ToM regarding the timelines, as well as in TGS in hindsight, that I have a hard time ranking them. So many of the events in ToM were robbed of their power due to the fact that Rand's most critical moment (to date) had already happened in TGS despite having not happened yet chronologically. I can't tell you how disappointed I am that Rand's climactic turning point was placed in TGS, with a disjointed timline appearing in ToM. When I first read TGS I was not bothered, but after reading ToM it is clear what Jordan had in mind for the events building to that wonderful moment. And Brandon's choice blew it all to pieces.
I can only assume Brandon and Harriet did this because they worried they would lose a giant chunk of their readers if something meaningful didn't happen with Rand in Brandon's first book. But it should have been the culminating point of all the events preceding it chronologically and those happening concurrently.
I wonder if, when the chapters are read in chronological order, some of the power comes back to those moments.
I still appreciate Brandon's efforts. But that choice to break up the books the way he did was catastrophic in my opinion.
I now believe it would have been better for him to write Book 12 without having any of the major character climaxes. It would have made the book feel much like KoD, but Book 13 would have been the awesomest book to date and including the most touching and powerful climax of any of the books to date.
Instead, Rand's climax happened without any of the emotional build up of the events preceding it in ToM. A tragedy.
TSR
FoH
TDR
GH
EoTW
CoS
KoD
PoD
WH
CoT
TGS, ToM are hard for me to place. In some ways they would rank very highly for me. In others they would be near the bottom.
Brandon's writing did not bother me so much because I expected it to be a little grating simply for not being Jordan. I was pleasantly surprised when I found long stretches in which I didn't notice who was writing. I think Brandon did admirably in this regard. As well as could be hoped.
However... I am so disappointed in what happened in ToM regarding the timelines, as well as in TGS in hindsight, that I have a hard time ranking them. So many of the events in ToM were robbed of their power due to the fact that Rand's most critical moment (to date) had already happened in TGS despite having not happened yet chronologically. I can't tell you how disappointed I am that Rand's climactic turning point was placed in TGS, with a disjointed timline appearing in ToM. When I first read TGS I was not bothered, but after reading ToM it is clear what Jordan had in mind for the events building to that wonderful moment. And Brandon's choice blew it all to pieces.
I can only assume Brandon and Harriet did this because they worried they would lose a giant chunk of their readers if something meaningful didn't happen with Rand in Brandon's first book. But it should have been the culminating point of all the events preceding it chronologically and those happening concurrently.
I wonder if, when the chapters are read in chronological order, some of the power comes back to those moments.
I still appreciate Brandon's efforts. But that choice to break up the books the way he did was catastrophic in my opinion.
I now believe it would have been better for him to write Book 12 without having any of the major character climaxes. It would have made the book feel much like KoD, but Book 13 would have been the awesomest book to date and including the most touching and powerful climax of any of the books to date.
Instead, Rand's climax happened without any of the emotional build up of the events preceding it in ToM. A tragedy.
A little learning is a dangerous thing.
Ranking the books.
- 03/11/2011 07:30:39 PM
5964 Views
My ranking:
- 03/11/2011 07:44:49 PM
2295 Views
For all it's worth
- 03/11/2011 08:12:06 PM
1624 Views
TSR wins it for the Rhuidean Aiel history scene alone
- 04/11/2011 04:49:29 AM
1354 Views
Oh please, this place is dead. Mort, Tod, död. Any activity is good
- 03/11/2011 08:07:36 PM
989 Views