The Shadow Rising (1993)
by Robert Jordan
REVIEW BY JASON HAMILTON
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Rand al'Thor and his two friends Mat and Perrin discover what it is like to be destined heroes. Rand leaves with the Aiel people to learn more about his origins and his destiny as the newly declared Dragon Reborn.
PROS: Possibly the best development of a culture in the series, some of the best character development in the series, plenty of action, starts and ends with a bang.
CONS: Long, Rand starts down a path that not everyone will appreciate.
BOTTOM LINE: This is possibly the best of Robert Jordan's books, a perfect blend of world-building, action, and character development.
This is perhaps my favorite book in the Wheel of Time series. This is saying something, especially because the first two are so good. However, it is in The Shadow Rising that more seems to happen then in almost any other book. I loved it.
One of the things that you will notice in many of Robert Jordan's books, is that there is not always a lot of action. Most of the time, the characters are engaged in conversation with other characters. Don't get me wrong, some of those conversations are brilliantly written and full of political undertones and implications. However, The Shadow Rising is not one of those books, it is filled with excellent progression in character development and action.
The development of the Aiel culture is phenomenal. It's a culture with hints of cultures we recognize but with plenty of new ideas to make them seem nothing like anything we have ever seen on earth. It's a perfect blend of the familiar and alien.
The characters of Rand, Mat, and Perrin each go through significant character development, ending up as very different characters with increasing maturity. Rand's character, however, begins going down a path that I personally do not like. His demanding and more forceful attitude does not seem to suit him and doesn't allow the reader to become emotionally invested in him. The action in the book is also much more frequent than in the other books, making it one of the most engaging reads.
The book is long, just like the others in the series, but if you can cope with that this is one of the best in the series and I highly recommend it to any follower of fantasy
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