So much worldbuilding, creature creating, magic theory, and societal development. It is a political science dissertation set in a fantasy world. I can say with full confidence that if you thought The Eye of the World had pacing issues and was a bit difficult to get into, The Great Hunt is superior in every way. My biggest complaint with the first book was its setup was too long and the middle of the book dragged in all the worst ways. The ending saved it, but it took me forever to get through. The Great Hunt was paced perfectly, keeping me thoroughly engaged all the way through with plenty of twists and turns throughout. I do not know what is happening, Nynaeve, but I feel as if I were losing you. I could not bear that.” He put a hand in her hair; closing her eyes, she pressed her cheek against his fingers. “Stay with me, always.”

And even if this is the battle between those who walk in the Light and those who don’t, there are Darkfriends which are not that bad and vice versa. I prefer some of the Dark One’s acolytes to some of the ‘righteous’ ones. Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burns us, yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last battle, and his blood shall give us the Light." I don't know about you guys, but I can't come up with a scarier image than a GIANT INSECT riding some kind of prehistoric-looking monster into battle. Oh, and the ground might just swallow you whole before you even get a chance to defend yourself, b/c wielders of the One Power? Yeah, they're one of the MANY previously mentioned enslaved people groups. New characters appear, the old ones are growing. The Pattern draws one to the other more closely. Rand is far from the sheepherder he used to be even if he still denies what he is, Perrin is finally accepting his Old Gift, Mat is still linked to the Shadar Logoth knife, but he doesn’t abandon his friends and has a big surprise for us. For whatever reason, this is the installment that's held up the least well for me. Not b/c it's not awesome--it absolutely is--but b/c even MORE awesomeness is IMMINENT.But the run in with the Seanchan and learning what they do with women who can channel was the most horrible and intense thing in the book for me. Egwene and Nynaeve have come far from where they started out and I’m very interested in seeing what becomes of them as the books continue.

After the battle, Rand gives in to fate and proclaims himself the Dragon Reborn for the first time. As these events unfold, action also takes place on the other side of the continent, where the Seanchan have occupied the city of Falme. Geofram Bornhald, of the Children of the Light, is preparing forces to take against the Seanchan.

All the people from the Two Rivers seem to be incredibly naïve, except Nynaeve and I can’t help but yell at them sometimes in my head for the choices they make. This is good Epic High Fantasy. Sure there are smaller stories arcs being told but there are prophecies to be confronted and evil to destroy. There are epic journeys that need to be taken and bad guys all over the place, some of them even think they are the good guys White Cloaks I’m looking at you. Gawyn scratched his head, then shook it. “Well, if it has anything to do with Rand al’Thor, be sure you don’t let Elaida hear of it. She has been at me like a Whitecloak Questioner three times since we arrived. I do not think she means him any—” He gave a start; there was a woman crossing the garden, a woman in a red-fringed shawl. “ ‘ Name the Dark One,’ ” he quoted, “ ‘and he appears.’ I do not need another lecture about wearing my shirt when I’m out of the practice yards. Good morning to you all.” Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs." Best side character for me is Loial. The Ogier is a great addition and I really enjoyed going into another stedding and meeting a few other Ogier. Plus could it be that Loial might have a crush. If that wasn’t the cutest thing ever I don’t know what it.

You are becoming more Shienaran every day…Any day now, you’ll start talking about your honour, and asking peace to favour your sword.” New forces with monstrous creatures and terrible weapons emerge out of seemingly nowhere and shake the foundation of nations. What are you doing?" he demanded when he caught his breath. "Those are my clothes!" One of the women sniffed an poked a finger through a tear in the sleeve of his only coat, then added it to the pile on the floor. After the events of book 1, Rand is determined to leave the Blight, Aes Sedai, the Dark One, and all of that nonsense behind him. The Pattern had other plans. As plans for another Great Hunt of the Horn start to stir in Illian; as Moiraine tells Rand he is the Dragon reborn; as Mat's condition worsens a terrible fate befalls Fal Dara keep. The Horn of Valere along with the ruby-hilted dagger from Shadar Logoth are stolen in a Trolloc raid. Rand finds himself on a retrieval mission, which soon gets complicated as Saidin won't leave him alone. Egwene and Nynaeve are whisked off to Tar Valon to study channeling... but soon issues arise there too... As an army of humans from across the ocean calling themselves Seanchan start taking over Toman Head, our parties' futures are about to intersect once more.Now the Horn itself is found: the Horn of Valere long thought only legend, the Horn which will raise the dead heroes of the ages. BUT. If I'm being honest, there are a couple of legitimate reasons that I didn't like this installment quite as much as the last one. You know, beyond being impatient for my favorite character to stop being an adolescent idiot. Fortunately there are more than enough interesting supporting characters to read about: Geofram Bornhald, such a rarity as a benevolent Whitecloak commander; the beautiful and mysterious lady Selene, encountered by Rand and Loial in a different world; Bayle Domon, Verin Sedai and many more.

The Great Hunt is a concept that can be found in numerous mythologies, but (not surprisingly) my favorite versions have always been the ones with Fae roots.If you're unfamiliar, it's fairly simple: if the moon is particularly bright, and you hear a horn sounding in the distance, DO NOT LEAVE THE SAFETY OF YOUR HOME. B/c Fae on horses-that-don't-get-tired with hounds-that-have-super-senses (and may or may not have been human at some point), are out and about, hunting "big game" and NO GOOD can come of you getting caught up in that shit. Liandrin peered at Elayne and Min. The late afternoon sunlight, slanting through the branches, shadowed their faces beneath the hoods of their cloaks. “So,” she said finally, still watching those two. “I had made arrangements for you to be taken care of, but as you are here, you are here. Four can make this journey as well as two.” Be prepared for this series, the prose might be accessible but the complexity and scope never stop increasing. Jordan’s prose was super wordy and descriptive, there’s no way around it. Two books (570k words in total so far) into the series and when it comes to the actual story progression, not too much have actually progressed. I strongly recommend getting a group of friends/readers if you’re about to undertake this series for the first time. I’m reading it together with my friends and it’s such a fun experience; moments that should’ve been aggravating to read became humorous to discuss. The Great Hunt was a great sequel that builds the characterizations—whether you liked them or not—and the intricate world-building even further. After reading the ending, I honestly feel like the first two books were merely foundational installments for the rest of the series, and you bet I'm excited to continue reading through it.