I just read what he wrote. That it's not near as good as KoD or the first six books. I'm having trouble figuring out how he came up with that, but obviously he's entitled to his opinion and some people won't like the book.
As a point of reference, these are the approximate order of the other books for me:
1. The Shadow Rising
2. Lord of Chaos
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. Knife of Dreams
5. Fires of Heaven
6. Eye of the World
7. The Great Hunt
8. Crown of Swords
9. Winter's Heart
10. Crossroads of Twilight
11. Path of Daggers
I think after reading it only once and having a day for it to sink in I'd put TGS at number 4 on that list.
As a point of reference, these are the approximate order of the other books for me:
1. The Shadow Rising
2. Lord of Chaos
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. Knife of Dreams
5. Fires of Heaven
6. Eye of the World
7. The Great Hunt
8. Crown of Swords
9. Winter's Heart
10. Crossroads of Twilight
11. Path of Daggers
I think after reading it only once and having a day for it to sink in I'd put TGS at number 4 on that list.
I think this is fascinating, and even though we noteboarded on this one, I can just respond here. I find it tough sometimes to view them as books, since quite often I think of a whole sequence that I loved. For instance I think the arrival at Falme(tGH), to Rand's confrontation with Lanfear at the beginning of The Shadow Rising is the best part of the series.
Lord of Chaos is not as thrilling as the part I just detailed, but it is close and of course is one book so for me its place can be artificially inflated. Enough blah blah!
1. The Dragon Reborn
2. The Shadow Rising
3. Knife of Dreams (tuon perspective, I loved it)
4. Lord of Chaos
5. Crown of Swords (people may shoot me on this one)
6. Eye of the World
7. Fire's of Heaven
8. Winter's heart (Path of Daggers PTS?)
9. The great hunt
10. Crossroads of Twilight
132. Path of Daggers
I'd probably put tGS in the 4,5,6 area for me, but I think it has potential. If this book is the true table setter (as it was obviously intended to be) for 13 and 14 it may get a bump eventually as well. I think the reason everyone loves books 3 through 6 so much is that it really seemed to be one very well done story. Books 1 and 2 seem to be more book contained story arcs.
My favorite characters of the series are:
Mat
Tuon
Siuan
Moiraine
Egwene
My least favorite characters of the series are:
Perrin
Rand
Gawyn
(I want to point out that I liked Rand 'til tPOD and I liked Perrin 'til CoS)
Mat
Tuon
Siuan
Moiraine
Egwene
My least favorite characters of the series are:
Perrin
Rand
Gawyn
(I want to point out that I liked Rand 'til tPOD and I liked Perrin 'til CoS)
I agree with who you liked. Cadsuane is obviously Moiraine 2.0 I guess, but I can't wait to see Moiraine again. Egwene has really come on strong as well.
I like how he is trying to fix Perrin.
Gawyn I can only hope, but are we supposed to infer that he is a better swordsman than Lan since
Sleet < Lan 5 out of 7 times.
Gawyn > Sleet in a 2 vs 1. Seems a bit odd to me
As a random side note. I've honestly read every book in the series 25 times if not more, it runs in my family, and I think I've read POD 2 times which is pretty damning.
My dad has been reading them one at a time since 1991ish, and he always joked that RJ would die before he finished the books and it would be a cruel joke since he's been waiting so long.
After of course being super annoyed that I got this copy a week early, I think he'll end up happy with this book and be able to make it at least one more year before he turns into his tel'aran'rhiod form of a bitter buffalo.
The Gathering Storm user reviews
- 18/10/2009 08:39:01 AM
7034 Views
Chapter Titles
- 20/10/2009 01:46:16 PM
2284 Views
*NM*
My speculation on chapter titles
- 20/10/2009 08:25:02 PM
1911 Views
I'm hoping that chapters 4-6 involve shadowspawn on the rampage.
- 21/10/2009 02:11:24 AM
1525 Views
Here are the PoVs, but not matched (still, enter at own risk)
- 21/10/2009 05:45:51 AM
1927 Views
Re: Here are the PoVs, but not matched (still, enter at own risk)
- 21/10/2009 05:48:48 AM
1623 Views
Re: Here are the PoVs, but not matched (still, enter at own risk)
- 21/10/2009 07:00:38 AM
1533 Views
Re: Here are the PoVs, but not matched (still, enter at own risk)
- 21/10/2009 04:49:45 PM
1556 Views
My (spoiler-free) review
- 21/10/2009 05:20:47 AM
2078 Views
Re: My (spoiler-free) review
- 21/10/2009 10:17:48 AM
1915 Views
I would say I have no clue and I disagree 100% with Pat
- 21/10/2009 07:43:13 PM
1708 Views
Pat seems like a hardcore books 1-5 are amazing!!!111one and everything else stinks.
- 21/10/2009 10:04:40 PM
1730 Views
Who the hell is Sleet?
- 21/10/2009 11:58:13 PM
2646 Views
Sparring is not determinitive of who's better, only real combat does.
- 22/10/2009 03:44:58 AM
1650 Views
Re: Sparring is not determinitive of who's better, only real combat does.
- 22/10/2009 05:32:33 PM
1497 Views
Re: Sparring is not determinitive of who's better, only real combat does.
- 31/10/2009 08:05:51 PM
1412 Views
Re: Pat seems like a hardcore books 1-5 are amazing!!!111one and everything else stinks.
- 22/10/2009 07:56:46 AM
1547 Views
Re: Pat seems like a hardcore books 1-5 are amazing!!!111one and everything else stinks.
- 23/10/2009 01:26:09 AM
1561 Views
This is not a full review, but a commentary that might give some a hint to what happens(ed) to Rand
- 22/10/2009 12:14:33 AM
2017 Views
Was it well done? *NM*
- 22/10/2009 03:14:25 AM
882 Views
I thought so
- 22/10/2009 03:22:30 AM
1741 Views
Is it a Seanchan prophecy or is it a prophecy quoted by the Seanchan
- 22/10/2009 03:47:45 AM
1668 Views
My full review is now up
- 27/10/2009 04:07:59 AM
1828 Views
Is the url correct? *NM*
- 27/10/2009 04:23:09 AM
841 Views
It is now 
- 27/10/2009 04:28:34 AM
1493 Views
- 27/10/2009 04:28:34 AM
1493 Views
feel free to link my reviews whenever you like *NM*
- 27/10/2009 04:30:56 AM
816 Views
*NM*
- 27/10/2009 04:30:56 AM
816 Views
(spoilers!!)