I feel a weight has been lifted off my shoulders as I have, after what has seemed an absolute AGE, finished The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan. While the story did, eventually, get going, I have to admit being very disappointed in this, the eighth book in the Wheel of Time series. Having been immersed in this series on and off over the last couple of years, I felt that it had lost it's momentum a bit with this book. Too little happened to move the story along, and there was such a myriad of characters appearing for a short space of time that it was quite hard to follow. This fantasy series features five young people from the same small village who discover that they are "ta'veren" - people whose actions influence everyone and everything around them. The basic story is a quest to quell the evil forces that already exist, or that are about to be turned loose in the world and prevent complete annihilation. Along the way they meet people who can help or hinder, as well as frequently coming into battle with magical creatures and armies from opposing countries. Lot's of politics, mistrust, misunderstandings, loyalty, devotion ... oh, and a bit of love thrown in for good measure. I'm not afraid of epics, but I fear that this story felt like it was being strung out for the sake of stringing it out. The author may have loved his characters and the world he created for them to play out their lives in, but I certainly need a bit more from this to keep me wanting to go on with the series. The Path of Daggers did end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I'm starting to think I might just not care enough to find out what happens!
So, week 6 is completed and I've got 7 books under my belt ... just 45 to go!
The stats bit:
Length - 604 pages (standard print).
Price I paid - £1.95 (from a fantastic 2nd hand bookshop in Whitstable, Kent).
Other formats available in - audio CD; audio download; Ebook (Kindle).
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