The Wheel of Time: Winter's Heart and Crossroads of Twilight

A lot of important things happen in this book. Events in this book also take place at the same time as events in the next book Crossroads of Twilight, which is why I'm combining the two summaries and reviews.  Elayne continues to try and get a grip on the Lion Throne and gather her supporters in Caemlyn and it is revealed she is expecting twins, but the father is kept a secret from everyone but close friends.
Mat is trapped in Ebou Dar, which is under Seanchan control. He plans his escape and his plans are going great until he stumbles into a Seanchan Noblewoman named Tuon who is revealed to be the Daughter of the Nine Moons, the heir to the Seanchan throne. A few books before this, we learn of a prophecy that says Mat is to marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons. So instead of leaving her behind, he kidnaps her and takes her with him. He escapes Ebou Dar and continues to try and escape Seanchan-controlled territory with Tuon.
Rand is bonded by Elayne, Aviendha and Min as a warder, with a spell that is modified from the original warder spell. Rand hunts down several Asha'man traitors and then travels with Nynaeve to Shadar Logoth where they proceed to cleanse Saidin of it's taint. They are guarded by Cadsuane and a number of other Aes Sedai, Asha'man, and warders. This is a huge turning point in the books for Rand. He cleanses the taint so that men will no longer go mad, but he is frustrated that people are so hard to convince he has cleansed the taint. This adds to his distrust and frustration with everyone around him.
Perrin continues to try and rescue his wife Faile who has been taken prisoner and goes so far as to make a temporary alliance with the Seanchan to rescue Faile from the Shaido.
Egwene continues to lead  the rebel Aes Sedai against the White Tower, where she is captured and held prisoner because of a stupid mistake.
Rand rests after his ordeal with cleansing the taint and sends his advisers to make a truce with the Seanchan. The Seanchan agree, but request to see Rand in person.
These two books were very entertaining and had a lot of great surprises and turning points.

Musing Mondays

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading
If your book group asked you to bring two (2) suggestions for group reads to your next meeting, what two books would you suggest? Why?

I would have to suggest, The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. 
The Red Queen was a book I recently read and I absolutely loved it and thought it portrayed England and it's fight to put Tudor's on the throne really well. 
Pride and Prejudice is a classic and has always been one of my favorite books.  

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

This book follows the life of Margaret Beaufort as she tries to put her son Henry Tudor on the throne of England.

She is treated as your typical 15th century wife. She is there to give birth and raise children and that is all that is expected and wanted from her. Margaret is not your average woman. She longs for more than giving an heir to the House of Lancaster. At a very young age she feels she has a calling placed upon her by God. She feels she has to save England and do something great and follow in the footsteps of Joan of Arc. This calling is to put her son, Henry Tudor, on the throne of England. To do this, she must play houses against each other and overcome many hardships and wars. It takes her many years to put her son on the throne, but she does it by at last overthrowing the Yorks.

This book is very well written and I enjoyed it immensely. It gives you a great look at the struggle for the throne and what went on behind the wars. It also gives you a deep look into the wives of 15th century England, which I thought was very interesting. The way God and religion are twisted to suit people's needs and those of others was one of the driving forces behind the book for me. Margaret is constantly saying what she does is God's will, but it somehow always turns out that God's will is, amazingly, her will as well. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction novel. It is satisfying on many levels.

The Wheel of Time: The Path of Daggers

The weather is right again and Elayne is back in Andor and claiming the Lion Throne. She still believes her mother is dead even though no body has been found.
Perrin is after the prophet in Ghealdan. He is ordered to bring him to Rand so they can stop his destructive path. But along the way, Perrin loses something very dear to his heart.
Egwene and the rebel Aes Sedai are preparing to lay siege at Tar Valon in hopes of unseating the unlawful Amyrlin and reuniting the Aes Sedai.
The Seanchan are back and Rand engages them on Altaran soil. He grows too angry and full of himself and attempts to use Callandor again. He ends up killing many people including his own. Rand also learns of turn coats within his own Asha'man army.

This book is definitely a lot more interesting than the previous one. A lot of things are revealed in this one that the previous book was leading up to. More things click into place. I think this book was out to get the men. Bad things happen to the men in this one and all the good things happen to the women. You start to see Rand's mental and emotional downfall in this book which will play a huge role in the books to come.

Thank you!

I would like to say a quick thank you to Historical Fiction Connection! I was just informed I won their giveaway of Philippa Gregory's new book The Red Queen! I can't wait to receive my copy and post my thoughts on the book. Thank you again!

The Wheel of Time: A Crown of Swords

This book was a little slow for me. Still a very good book but definitely one of the slower ones. Not much happens in this one. A couple of important things happen, but I feel like he's using this book to build up to the next one and what will happen in it. Which is fine, it's a long series and you need some filler books with a lot of information in them and that's exactly what this is. More happens with Mat, Nynaeve and Elayne than it does with Rand in this one. The ending of the book was a little disappointing... I was kinda expecting and hoping for something bigger since the rest of the book was slow with Rand. Still fits nicely in the series though.

The Wheel of Time: Lord of Chaos

I am going to stop giving a summary on the rest of these books... I don't think I could provide a decent one without giving away huge spoilers and I don't like spoilers for the most part, so if you would like a summary, there are some very good ones on Wikipedia.

This book was very thrilling to put it mildly. So many plot twists were in this book, it was amazing and some of them you could not see coming at all. I will say that some parts dragged a bit and seemed slow, but Robert Jordan is a very detailed writer and likes to describe things to the fullest and sometimes it got old to me when the same thing would be described over and over by different characters. You did get each characters own take on the surroundings so that's what kept it from being "boring" in those parts of the book for me. Overall, an excellent book and a great addition to the series.

Sorry it took so long for the review to be put up. I've been very busy and this book is VERY long on top of me being busy.

Musing Mondays

by: MizB

Do you review books? If so, for who?

If not, have you ever thought about doing so? Why, or why not?

I review books, but not for anyone in particular yet. I am still new to the blogging and book reviewing.

Yes, I have thought about doing it eventually. I would love to read and review new books for authors and publishing companies.

The Wheel of Time: The Fires of Heaven

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend."

In the fifth book of this series, we follow Rand as he leads the Aiel who are loyal to him across the Spine of the World to chase the Aiel who are lead by a false dragon and are destroying towns and cities. They meet and fight the biggest battle in 1000 years in Cairhien. During the battle, Mat saves troops from being ambushed and turns into their general and uses the memories of past generals to turn the tide of battle.
A few days after the battle, Rand is told that Queen Morgase of Andor has been killed by Gaebril, who is really the Fosaken, Rahvin. Rahvin has been trying to take over Andor for the Dark One. Rand prepares a small Aiel force to travel to Caemlyn to kill Rahvin and take Andor back from him. Before he can leave, Lanfear, another Forsaken, learns of Rands relationship with Aviendha and tries to kill them both. Moraine then tackles Lanfear into a doorway that is a ter'angreal, killing them both.
Rand continues to Caemlyn and hunts Rahvin and kills him after a long fight. After the battle in Caemlyn, Asmodean is killed by an unknown person who he recognizes.
While all this is going on, Nynaeve and Elayne travel around with a menagerie looking for the base of the rebel Aes Sedai. After they find them, they resume their Aes Sedai training.

This was a very action packed and surprising book. It strung me along and had plot twists and things that I NEVER saw coming. I enjoy plot twists and surprises a lot in the books that I read, so if you like that sort of thing also, this book series is definitely for you. Just like the other books, you can't put this one down and you learn more and more about the characters and their personalities. I can't say it was my favorite of the series, because I honestly couldn't pick a favorite at this point.

WWW Wednesdays

by: MizB

* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?




1. I am currently reading The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan.
2. I recently finished The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan.
3. I will read The Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan next.
These books are all part of The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan!

Book Giveaway

Books with Bite by Savannah is giving away a book to celebrate having 150 followers!
Keys to the Repository by: Melissa De La Cruz

http://www.bookswithbite.net/2010/07/150-followers-giveaway.html

Thank you to Savannah for hosting this giveaway!

Musing Mondays

Hosted by: MizB
This week’s musing asks…

What does your bookshelf (or, what do your bookshelves) say about you to the people who come into your home?

My bookshelves say that I'm very organized and you can tell that I love fantasy and historic fiction books!

The Smarty Owl is hosting a book giveaway!

The Smarty Owl is giving away an ARC of Firelight by Sophie Jordan! Contest ends August 15th.
Please go here to enter:
http://thesmartyowl.blogspot.com/2010/07/firelight-arc-contest.html

The Wheel of Time: The Shadow Rising

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend."
The book starts with everyone still at the Stone of Tear. Rand decides to go with the Aiel(People of the Dragon) to their home in the Waste. Egwene, Moraine, and Mat decide to accompany him, while Nynaeve, Elayne and Thom go to Tarabon to hunt the Black Ajah who escaped the fortress. Perrin hears of trouble at his home in Two Rivers and decides to go home.
Rand, Moraine and Mat arrive in the Aiel Waste and are sent to an ancient Aiel city as a test. Rand comes out marked with dragon-like serpents on each arm. This is supposed to be the true test to prove him to the Aiel. Mat comes out with a new weapon and is badly hurt from his experiences in the city. Moraine comes out last and is whole, but very fatigued. A jealous and up-start Aiel man also declares himself "He Who Comes With The Dawn"(the Aiel's term for the Dragon Reborn) but is proven a fraud by Rand. Rand then enters the ancient city again, while he chases one of the Forsaken, Asmodean. They battle in the ancient city and Rand barely emerges as victor with the help of Lanfear, another Forsaken. She binds Asmodean to Rand and tells him to teach Rand how to control the One Power.
In the Two Rivers, Perrin learns his family has been killed and the Whitecloaks have all but taken over, "protecting" the people of Two Rivers from the trolloc attacks. Perrin leads his village, Edmond's Field, and the other villages in Two Rivers against the trollocs. They defeat them and tell the Whitecloaks to get out, which they do.
Nynaeve and Elayne end up in the city of Tanchino in Tarabon. Here they run into one of the Forsaken and take an ancient artifact that has the power to control a man using the One Power. Nynaeve battles the Forsaken and defeats her, but she is lost in the confusion of another battle when the Black Ajah discover Nynaeve has taken what they were looking for.
Min, one of Rands companions throughout the books, arrives at the White Tower to deliver a message and stays there to work for the Amyrlin Seat(the head Aes Sedai), Siuan Sanche. While she is there, a rebellion starts within the White Tower by a sister named Elaida who stills(cuts her off from the One Power) Siuan and names herself Amyrlin Seat. Min helps Siuan and her keeper, Leane escape before they can be put to death.

This book does not disappoint. It takes the heroes on different paths doing different things, which I liked immensely. The readers get to see more of each of their personalities and see how they each develop. Lots of plot twists and surprises that leave you hanging on the edge of your seat. I could literally not put this book down.

The Wheel Of Time: The Dragon Reborn

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become Legend."
Rand Al'Thor has been proclaimed the Dragon Reborn, the one thing everyone in the world fears. Once the dragon is proclaimed, it means the end is near and the fight with the Dark Lord is approaching. Rand must prove to the world and himself that he is the true Dragon Reborn and not another False Dragon like the others. While he journeys to Tear alone, with Moraine and Perrin hot on his heels, Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne take Mat and the Horn of Valere to safety in Tar Valon and are then sent to hunt down members of the Black Ajah( Aes Sedai who server the Dark Lord). They find some clues that lead them to Tear also. Before they leave, they give Mat a letter to take to Elayne's mother, Queen Morgase. When Mat arrives at the castle, he overhears the Queen's lover plotting to kill the Daughter-Heir Elayne. Fearing for the women's safety, Mat along with Thom Merrilin head to Tear after delivering the letter to the queen. Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne are betrayed while in Tear and are captured by the Black Ajah and held prisoner in the Stone of Tear. They are later freed by Mat, the last person the expected to see in Tear. Rand enters the fortress and duels one of the Forsaken long enough for Moraine to come and destroy the Forsaken. Ba'alzamon shows up and he and Rand fight until Rand draws the powerful sword Callandor and slays him with it. The Aiel then take the fortress and proclaim themselves People of the Dragon.

The third book in this epic series is where things start to heat up. Rand is shown his true destiny and now knows what he has to do to save the world from the Dark One. Perrin and Mat's destinies also become more clear in this book. Things start making more sense and you start to get a clear picture of how they're tied to each other and why they were chosen. This book is definitely one of the more action packed ones in the series as well. Just a warning though, after you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it or the next few books down!

20 Book Giveaway!

http://libslibrary.blogspot.com/2010/07/20-book-giveaway.html
Hosted by: Libby's Library News!

Libby is giving away 20, yep, 20! books to one lucky person. Contest ends on Aug 16th.

The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt

The journey continues for our young "heroes" in this second novel in The Wheel of Time series. Rand, Mat and a group of soldiers must recover the Horn of Valere when it is stolen from a Shienaran fortress by Darkfriends and Trollocs. If the horn is placed into the wrong hands, many things could go wrong. They follow the Darkfriends and Trollocs and Rand manages to recover the horn and get away unharmed in the middle of the night. They then journey to Cairhein where the horn is once again lost. They learn it has been taken to Toman Head where Padan Fain, a powerful Darkfriend is waiting with the horn. Meanwhile, Egwene and Nynaeve have gone to the White Tower to be trained as Aes Sedai. There, they are told by an Aes Sedai that Rand and their friends are in trouble and they must leave at once to help them. They are joined by the Daughter-Heir of Andor, Elayne. When they arrive at their destination, they learn they have been tricked and are surprised by Seanchan( a group of people who have come from across the sea to take over Falme), and Egwene is taken captive. Nynaeve and Elayne escape and come up with a plan to get her out of captivity.
Rand and his party arrive in Falme, where they learned the Horn is now hidden. They take a small party into the city and reclaim the Horn. At the same time, Nynaeve and Elayne are rescuing Egwene and attempting to flee the city while an army of Whitecloaks attack the Seanchan. Rand once again comes face to face with Ba'alzamon and duels him in the middle of the fight in Falme.

Once again, Robert Jordan does not disappoint his readers. This book is full of action and twists that pull you right along with the characters. You meet some new heroes and learn some surprising things about Rand, Mat and the others. It may not be as fast paced as the first book, but it still provides an excellent journey with the young heroes and keeps you turning the pages.

Historic Novel Giveaway- For the King

For the King is being given away by Enchanted by Josephine. I found this contest by stumbling across her blog. Always looking for a good Historical read!

http://enchantedbyjosephine.blogspot.com/2010/06/catherine-delors-grand-event-is-here.html

Teaser Tuesdays

hosted by MizB



The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

"He had the feeling that Lanfear was a jealous mistress to serve, but if another Chosen wanted him he would have no choice."

The Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and Pass, leaving memories that become legend."
And so begins The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. The Eye of the World begins the long journey of three young men and two young women whose lives are turned upside down when a strange woman, Moraine, enters their small village of Edmond's Field. Rand Al'thor, Matrim Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara, are forced to leave their comfortable lives and begin a journey with people and monsters they only knew as Gleeman's tales told in taverns. Egwene Al'vere is swept along in the flight from Edmond's Field in the Two Rivers and joins them on their journey. They are being chased by friends of the dark and must make it to Tar Valon, the home of the Aes Sadai where they will be safe. On the journey, Rand and the other 2 boys start having mysterious dreams of a fire-faced man named Ba'lazamon.
While they are making their way to Tar Valon, they stop at a forsaken and empty city named Shadar Logoth to try and escape their pursuers. Rand, Mat and Thom, a gleeman, get seperated from the rest of their party when they are forced to flee Shadar Logoth in the middle of the night. From Shadar Logoth they make their way to the great city of Caemlyn hoping to meet up with Moraine and the others. Rand sneaks into the castle and first meets the daughter-heir, Elayne and her brother Galad. He also meets an Ogier named Loial in the library of the inn they're staying at while in Caemlyn. Meanwhile Moraine and the others rescue Perrin and Egwene from the Whitecloaks, an overzealous group of people, who thought they served the dark lord and were contemplating torture. Once everyone is reunited in Caemlyn, Loial tells Moraine of a threat to the Eye of the World and it is decided they must travel there to stop the Dark One. A long battle ensues and many surprising things are revealed during and after the battle.

This book series is by far one of the best I've ever read. Robert Jordan does an amazing job with suspense and hidden surprises that you never see coming. He weaves a deep and enthralling tale and makes you feel as if you're there running with Rand, Mat and Perrin and you can almost feel the friends of the dark right at your heels. You feel their pain and their shock at being ripped from a farmers life and thrust into the world and wondering if they'll ever see their families again.

I highly recommend this series for anyone who likes a good Fantasy series.

Jane Austen Book Giveaway

For all you Jane Austen fans, here is a book giveaway that you will enjoy!
Thanks to The Bookish Type for hosting this giveaway.

http://thebookishtype.blogspot.com/2010/06/jane-in-june-northanger-abbey-by-jane.html