The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan Review

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan Book Review

Title: The Great Hunt
Author: Robert Jordan
Series: The Wheel of Time #2
Date Published: November 17, 2009 (1990)
Publisher: Tor Books
Language: English
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
ISBN: 1429960132
Edition: eBook

The Wheel of Time turns and ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth returns again. For centuries, gleemen have told the tales of The Great Hunt of the Horn. So many tales about each of th Hunters, and so many Hunters to tell of...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. And it is stolen.

Review

The wondrous journey into the epic world of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series continues on. It's still as great as ever and offers so much more promise. It's small wonder the series spans fourteen books, there's just no way to squeeze it in lesser words. Robert Jordan is a true master of epic fantasy. He is what modern writers of today should take after.

Like angels being the closest to God's image... that is looking perfect as much as possible, the only ones who can touch the One Power it seems are only beautiful people if not just good-looking enough. Anyway, male or female, none of the Aes Sedai is described to be generic-looking or ugly. In short, the Talent is only given to almost perfect specimens of the world looks-wise. That's what I observed so far.

I've never felt as insecure in reading a book until this one. And no, I'm not talking about the looks. When there's a hint of romance in a book, I'm so invested in it. I'm very insecure because I don't know who to root for for Rand. There are tons of possibilities and for all its worth, I would like Rand to end up with someone introduced halfway in the series, if not ending with no one at all. That's what I wanted for Hadrian Blackwater in The Riyria Revelations series, to marry someone who's never known, if not introduced late, but instead he was married in a stereotypical way, to a female who's always with him on his journeys. Hmm... let's see what the Empress has to offer across the Aryth Ocean.

The thing I don't like about Rand is how naive and stupid he could be, dashing without thought. But then of course, this is just the second book of a series spanning 14 books which makes a lot of room for character development. The Two Rivers' stubbornness did save Rand in lots of things though.

In this book, Moiraine's party travels from Shienar to Cairhien. The Cairhienens are like euphemisms for the Japanese people (sneaky and tiny) and this is where we are introduced to art of scheming called The Game of Houses or Daes Dae'mar which is similar to The Game of Thrones that we know. (I can't believe Moiraine was supposed to look like Japanese.)

Here are two other things of note:

Tremonsian as Japan (because they'd like to pretend they won the war).
Galldrian as China.

I love how there's a real relationship between Moiraine and Lan, and no, not of that kind. I meant of the realness of human relationship or perhaps, in this regard, the master and his liege. Lan looks like a Warder who follows his bonded Aes Sedai without question, who risks his very life for the safety of her and yet, he did something so simple but so jarring that Moiraine begins to question his faithfulness.

Does his bond chafe after all these years?

That's twenty years right there.

Click for spoiler I thought Moiraine's confrontation has something to do with what's inside Lan's heart when romanticism is concerned (*coughs* Wisdom *coughs*) but as it turned out, it's about how he groomed Rand, although for a really short time, as if Rand should fear becoming the Aes Sedai's lapdog, that Rand should not allow himself to become the Amyrlin Seat's puppet. On Moiraine's thought: Was that how Lan saw Moiraine treating him after all these years, a lapdog? And on Lan's part: Did he not earn Moiraine's trust after all these years even when he pushes himself through death's door following her orders?

I thought their partnership is solid as a rock. It was nice to note that their bond is not smooth-sailing after all, that somehow there could be reasons their relationship is strained. This was the only time I felt realness with Robert Jordan's characters.

I really hate the feeling of jealousy... I've never been in a relationship and I can't stand the idea of being jealous (because I was so jealous of someone when I was a teenager regarding a huge crush then). Books make me feel all sorts of things that I don't find in real life.

It's interesting with what happened on the Portal Stone at Stedding Stofu... Rand gained loyalty when his retinue saw thousands of visions of what could be or could have been if they've chosen differently for their lives. Now that they've seen almost simulations of possibilities based on their probable actions, they've witnessed all the things that could go wrong. Now, they can walk in the path of Light. It must be cool to be tave'ren.

Skip this paragraph for spoiler.
Just as I thought so... Mat and Perrin will be delegated to be the trumpeter and bannerman. LMAO