Impossible situations; perilous journeys; unlikely heroes; treachery, deceit, romantic conflict, pillaging, plundering, violence, magic, reincarnation and much much more are to be found in the pages of the books of The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. It's a wonderful series with in depth characters, stunning descriptions,
The first book by itself reads like it finishes the series, but it is only the beginning, and much much more comes to pass, as the main heros push through trial, and tribulation repeatedly. You can't help but feel for some of the main characters, there are many who you will grow close to. One grows harder and harder, trying to be tough enough to take on anything, another finds himself to be likely the luckiest man alive, and a great tactician to boot, another becomes queen, and works on taking the crown of another country as well. There's performers, explosives, and gambling galore. Wars, talks, diplomatic relations, and barren waste lands all find their way into the pages, leaving one crazy adventure after another.
The version of magic is also refreshingly different. Men and women are able to touch different parts of the "source" which each react differently. They are for the most part unable to tell what the other gender is capable of, or what they are doing with the source, if they even can touch it. The women must give themselves up completely letting the source control them, yet the men are stuck in a constant avalanche of ice and fire, struggingly for every second with the source. They are both able to accomplish similar things, however they may do them differently. For instance, traveling, or opening up a portal, is done for women by making two locations so similar you can pass from one to the next. For a man, they bore a hole through the pattern of the Wheel of Time, and create a path from one to the next. It looks the same to others, and for all intensive purposes acts the same, but has completely different methods. However healing, when done by a woman feels cold to the touch, but when a man heals someone, they feel warm. Small details with differences, make it a wonderful, albeit complex system.
The first book by itself reads like it finishes the series, but it is only the beginning, and much much more comes to pass, as the main heros push through trial, and tribulation repeatedly. You can't help but feel for some of the main characters, there are many who you will grow close to. One grows harder and harder, trying to be tough enough to take on anything, another finds himself to be likely the luckiest man alive, and a great tactician to boot, another becomes queen, and works on taking the crown of another country as well. There's performers, explosives, and gambling galore. Wars, talks, diplomatic relations, and barren waste lands all find their way into the pages, leaving one crazy adventure after another.
The version of magic is also refreshingly different. Men and women are able to touch different parts of the "source" which each react differently. They are for the most part unable to tell what the other gender is capable of, or what they are doing with the source, if they even can touch it. The women must give themselves up completely letting the source control them, yet the men are stuck in a constant avalanche of ice and fire, struggingly for every second with the source. They are both able to accomplish similar things, however they may do them differently. For instance, traveling, or opening up a portal, is done for women by making two locations so similar you can pass from one to the next. For a man, they bore a hole through the pattern of the Wheel of Time, and create a path from one to the next. It looks the same to others, and for all intensive purposes acts the same, but has completely different methods. However healing, when done by a woman feels cold to the touch, but when a man heals someone, they feel warm. Small details with differences, make it a wonderful, albeit complex system.
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