Literally Just Finished The Dragon Reborn [first read through ever]....and wow....

[BigWill]

After I read Eye of the World I thought wow this may be one of the best books I have ever read....then I read the Great Hunt and said the same thing.

 

Now without a doubt I can say the Dragon Reborn is the best book of any genre I have ever read.

 

The way the individual stories came together was so awesome to see it unfold before you, and final 100 pages were so captivating I don't think I glanced up from the book once.

 

I loved the evolution of the all the characters and although I have always held Perrin as my favorite, after Mat left Tar Valon and had the "change of luck" I absolutely relished every one of his chapters.

 

I am trying to think of my favorite part from the story and it was actually quite a silly one in the scope of things. It is when Gill and Thom are playing stones and Mat returns from delivering Elayne's letter, reveals what he learns of Gaebril's plot to kill the girls, and plans to go to Tear:

 

"Hold this for me, Master Gill," Mat said, and tossed him the wash-leather purse.

 

"What's this, lad? Coin?"

 

"Stakes. Gaebril doesn't know it but he and I have a wager." The cat jumped down as Mat picked up the wooden dice cup and spun the dice out on the table. Five Sixes. "And I always win."

 

I just smiled after reading it and thought, alright....sh** is about to go down, haha.

 

I guess I just posted this to share my enthusiasm for the series (thus far) and see if anyone else had any favorite moments from any of the first three books they wanted to share/discuss. :)

 

EDIT: 1 QUESTION: Do the romances get more intense? Because it seems everyone is kind of High School flirting around thus far save a few instances (Nyavene and Lan). I'm not asking for a sex novel by any stretch but I'm not sure there has even been a serious kiss yet. I'm assuming they do pick up speed as now the seeds have been planted (Perrin and 'Falcon', Rand and any of the girls haha, etc.)

[capuga]

Wait until you read The Shadow Rising. It's even better!

[Sid]

TDR was a really fun read the first time for me too. It was, in Robert Jordan's mind, the end of the first book as he planned the series. Of course it grew much larger than he anticipated and the first 'book' turned into three volumes, with the Stone of Tear and Callandor being the original climactic ending. So when you pick up The Shadow Rising, things are a little different with the story branching out much more than before. But it's damn good.

 

As for favorite moments from the first three books: for me, the chapter where several people went through the Portal Stone and saw their alternate lives (What Might Be) is one of my favorite chapters of any book. The sounding of the Horn of Valere was right up there too, and then Mat's PoV's in TDR. TSR has a few places that are among the favorites of many people for the entire series, so enjoy them (not going to give any of them away).

 

The romances do pick up speed eventually.

[csarmi]

You can forget about romance. It's not RJ's strongest point.

[Feral]

Glad you enjoyed it so much! The romances get going a bit better in the next couple of books.

 

You can forget about romance. It's not RJ's strongest point.

 

That's a matter of opinion, as most things are. Personally there's a good few in the series that I quite enjoy.

[Smittyphi]

You can forget about romance. It's not RJ's strongest point.

 

I liked the romances. We are still talking about late teens, early 20's characters who still need maturing in the love dept and it seems real. I can read those and remember my own feelings about my wife who was back then a good friend, became girlfiend.

 

My favorite part in the first 3 books is Mat giving the "G" brothers a good whippin.

[solarz]

If you like Perrin, you'll *love* The Shadow Rising. It was that book that made me start to like Perrin's POVs.

[brolie]

Yeah, the characters mature with age - in the romance stories too. There's a couple romance story lines that I like and some that I don't but you have to wait a looong time for my favorite.

 

But yes! The books continue to be wonderful and feel free to express your enthusiasm any time. Just make sure not to read into the other thread titles too much so you don't get anything spoiled for you.

 

Out of curiosity, what other books/genres have you read?

[Suttree]

Yeah, the characters mature with age - in the romance stories too. There's a couple romance story lines that I like and some that I don't but you have to wait a looong time for my favorite.

 

But yes! The books continue to be wonderful and feel free to express your enthusiasm any time. Just make sure not to read into the other thread titles too much so you don't get anything spoiled for you.

 

Out of curiosity, what other books/genres have you read?

 

Glad you enjoyed it! Envious that you get to read TSR for the first time still.

 

As for other series try the Second Apocalypse(multiple trilogies consisting of the "The Prince of Nothing and The Aspect-Emperor) I think it's the best series out right now and the latest book "The White Luck Warrior" was epic.

[BigWill]

Yeah, the characters mature with age - in the romance stories too. There's a couple romance story lines that I like and some that I don't but you have to wait a looong time for my favorite.

 

But yes! The books continue to be wonderful and feel free to express your enthusiasm any time. Just make sure not to read into the other thread titles too much so you don't get anything spoiled for you.

 

Out of curiosity, what other books/genres have you read?

 

To be honest this series really got me back into reading. Excluding books I was forced to read (school) I only really enjoy reading fantasy.

 

I'v read:

• 
   
  
• The Hobbit,
  
• A series of Dragonlance books (the names evade me but they were based on the seasons)
  
• 2 and a half Harry Potter books (lol)
  
• Eragon, Eldest, and a bit of the third book but it just started to bore me. Which is sad because I liked Eragon a lot for what it was (a cheap fun fantasy novel).
  

[brolie]

Well then your comment of "best books ever" makes a little more sense. As much as I whole heartedly ADORE these books and Jordan and Sanderson... I don't know if I would consider them the best books that I've read. But it is so very awesome that it got you back into reading! Based on the books you have read, I'm guessing you're under 20 years old? I would definitely recommend looking into other books you might enjoy that are above the eragon/harry potter reading level. You seem to be a fairly competent reader.. Check out the sci fi/fantasy section of the book store where the WoT books would be and peruse a bit. You'll probably find a ton of new books and authors you would enjoy :)

 

OH! and I LOVED the books I was "forced" to read in school because I had already read them for pleasure. When someone tells you that you HAVE to read those books, it kind of ruins it. As a favor, you should try rereading at least one of those books that you kind of got into in school with new eyes that have a love for reading. Classic literature is fantastic!!!

[Isgrimner]

Mat is only going to increase in awesome. During my read of TDR, Rand was my favorite and I was going through a bit of Rand withdrawel because we don't get much from his point of view. Mat was the cure. Now when I re-read the series, which I have done multiple times since I've been with it pretty much from the beginning, I go through Mat withdrawel in the first two books.

 

Also, once done with reading WOT, check out the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams and A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin as I think both of those series are also pretty high quality.

[Isgrimner]

 

OH! and I LOVED the books I was "forced" to read in school because I had already read them for pleasure. When someone tells you that you HAVE to read those books, it kind of ruins it. As a favor, you should try rereading at least one of those books that you kind of got into in school with new eyes that have a love for reading. Classic literature is fantastic!!!

 

It was being "forced" to read in school that awakened my love of reading. Waiting for class to start one day when I was around 13 or 14, I was giving a classmate some friendly grief over reading the Hobbit. I told him there was a movie that could save him some time. We were near our teacher and she chose the Hobbit as the next book we were going to read in class. It was all over for me once I started that one.

[capuga]

 

OH! and I LOVED the books I was "forced" to read in school because I had already read them for pleasure. When someone tells you that you HAVE to read those books, it kind of ruins it. As a favor, you should try rereading at least one of those books that you kind of got into in school with new eyes that have a love for reading. Classic literature is fantastic!!!

 

It was being "forced" to read in school that awakened my love of reading. Waiting for class to start one day when I was around 13 or 14, I was giving a classmate some friendly grief over reading the Hobbit. I told him there was a movie that could save him some time. We were near our teacher and she chose the Hobbit as the next book we were going to read in class. It was all over for me once I started that one.

 

That's crazy, that's exactly what happened to me. My librarian recommended the Hobbit to me for an 8th grade book report (I'm 33 now) and I loved it. Started reading the fantasy genre like crazy ever since then. Now I have a library room in my house with wall to wall book shelves and about 400 books in it. I couldn't be bothered to read for fun before that but now its my favorite hobby.

[brolie]

I suppose that's one of the big differences with me and most of you all-- i don't like fantasy novels all that much. dostoevsky, dumas, wilde, salinger, tolstoy... all on my favorites list.. but then new contemp literature is great too-- augusten burroughs, sedaris, js foer... thats what i typically choose to read. there's so much more to it than a good story, ya know? actual literary devices used.. and i sadly dislike/d the lord of the rings books and the hobbit shied me away from reading for a while. i guess it's all personal taste though.. catcher in the rye though is the book that make me start reading non stop

[True Source Creator]

TDR was awesome first time around (and I hope it will be the second time, too). I have such fond memories of reading it in the warmth of spring mornings on my outside patio just over a year and a third ago.

 

But it just gets better after that. If you though TEotW was great, and then thought TGH was greater, and then thought TDR was greatest, then you're in for a surprise. TSR and especially (to me, anyways) TFoH and LoC are the best books in the series. From what I've read (I'm only up to TGS, which so far is great), KoD would also be up there.

[BigWill]

Well then your comment of "best books ever" makes a little more sense. As much as I whole heartedly ADORE these books and Jordan and Sanderson... I don't know if I would consider them the best books that I've read. But it is so very awesome that it got you back into reading! Based on the books you have read, I'm guessing you're under 20 years old? I would definitely recommend looking into other books you might enjoy that are above the eragon/harry potter reading level. You seem to be a fairly competent reader.. Check out the sci fi/fantasy section of the book store where the WoT books would be and peruse a bit. You'll probably find a ton of new books and authors you would enjoy :)

 

Wow...spot on. I JUST turned 20 (two weeks ago). And yah I read Eragon probably 5 years ago so definitely many gaps in my reading difficulty haha. Now you can see why I really appreciate these novels :)

 

I plan to finish up this series as soon as possible (picking up the next three this weekend) and then look into more Fantasy books. (A Song of Ice and Fire has been recommended many times, but who knows)

[Goldstar]

Fires of Heaven has some nice romance scenes.