Being the Ninth Post of my Project Reread...I couldn’t help myself... after planning on taking a break from my Project Reread for a short while, I found myself back into Robert Jordan’s world much sooner than I was anticipating. When reading a series of books I am often of two minds - either I want to read it straight through one book after another, or I need to read other books in between - there normally is no rhyme or reason to how I approach a series (although, I suppose, the depth and complexity of a series plays a large role). With rereading The Wheel of Time I feel I know the story and characters well enough to be able to take long breaks between books (I have similar feelings about A Song of Ice and Fire), yet still I felt the urge to return sooner than I was expecting. Nonetheless, on to my thoughts...
The Shadow Rising is the longest book of the series (by a few words, I think) and makes excellent use of the increased length (not that any of these books are short). Through The Dragon Reborn Robert Jordan seemed to be keeping with the same well executed quest formula. In The Shadow Rising the formula is much the same, although elements of the narrative become more complex as the story continues to grow. Adding to the complexity, along with other story points (which really are many), we dive into the politics of Tar Valon, the legends of the Aiel, the dangers of a city in turmoil, and the fight to save a small village from evil. This book has all the wonderment of the previous three, as well as new story layers. The characters have matured some but are still growing in many ways (and one or two are still slightly annoying).
This book moves the story forward even while expanding it. I am aware that for some fans this book is the high point of the series... I do not think that is the case with me, but can understand it. The first four books are such great escapist fantasy literature that at some point fans must be let down if the next book in a series doesn’t live up to expectations - and throughout the remainder of the series some fans do seem to get let down a lot. This, I am guessing, is in some small part due to the fact that The Shadow Rising does expand the story, opening it up beyond what the first three books seem to foretell (at least on the surface, because even back in the first book, upon rereading, I recall some nice hints to what would occur a few books down the line). I, for one, don’t really remember ever being let down or disappointed while I was reading the books originally - although, we shall see how I feel this time around as I progress further into the series.
I want to mention briefly a specific story point -possible SPOILER WARNING- here I am talking about Rand’s journey through the rings in Rhuidean... I really enjoyed Robert Jordan’s ability to provide just enough information to answer some questions, Rand going in back in time as he moves forward through the rings learning the history of the Aiel, all while creating as many mysteries as it answers. This somehow made me think of it almost as an episode of Lost - somehow that show has the ability, whenever they answer a big question, to leave you with new questions and keep you hooked. Robert Jordan does this well. We learn aspects of the story we were very interested in discovering (or at least I was) and are left with the new questions that keep us reading in hope of learning just a little more. As the series progresses, more answers come, but Robert Jordan never gives away the complete what, how, who, and why of it all, leaving me as hooked as a teenage girl (or middle age woman) is on Twilight.
Was it worth a reread? Abso-freakin-lutely! I loved this book the first time I read it, and I loved it all over again with this reread. I really do enjoy me a big fat book that I can get lost in, and The Shadow Rising is just that - there is something very pleasurable about being 300 pages into a book, saying to yourself “man, this is good stuff”, and still having another 600 and some pages in front of you that you know you will enjoy.
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Collector’s note - The Shadow Rising is somewhat collectible, although it also marks the point where books of the series begin a drastic decrease in value as The Wheel of Time started hitting best seller lists... there are just too many copies of all the following books to be considered collectible unless they are part of a signed first edition collection or something like that. I think starting with The Fires of Heaven I will begin a discussion of the signed and numbered limited editions that are out there - this may end up being tricky for me as it will undoubtedly lead into my thoughts on artificial and manufactured scarcity in the book collecting world, and those thoughts will certainly outgrow the small space I leave as a “collector’s note” when writing some of my reviews.
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Up next on my Project Reread - gee, to be honest, I am not sure... I will probably continue on with The Wheel of Time for now, but George R. R. Martin seems to be calling my name, and I really must get through those to be prepared for whenever the next book hits the shelves - with the final WOT book reportedly being broken out into three books, I no longer have the urge to get through them by the fall (even though I will probably do so).
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