RATING: 3.8/5
SYNOPSIS
Epic fantasy legend, and author of #1 New York Times bestselling series The Wheel of Time(R), Robert Jordan’s never-before published novel, Warrior of the Altaii
Draw near and listen, or else time is at an end.
The watering holes of the Plain are drying up, the fearsome fanghorn grow more numerous, and bad omens abound. Wulfgar, a leader of the Altaii people, must contend with twin queens, warlords, prophets and magic in hopes of protecting his people and securing their future. Elspeth, a visitor from another world, holds the answers, but first Wulfgar must learn to ask the right questions.
But what if the knowledge that saves the Altaii will also destroy them?
“Jordan has come to dominate the world Tolkien began to reveal.” —The New York Times
REVIEW
I’m a huge fan of the Wheel of Time (WOT) series. It is very epic and impactful despite its flaws. When the Warrior of the Altaii was published, I just need to get my hands on this and start reading it right away.
This novel was written around 40 years ago and to be honest, it is not the greatest work of Robert Jordan. There’s not much world building or characterization. Further, while the story is action packed, the plot seems to be rather rushed. There are lots of loose ends in the plot which were not tied up nicely.
Needless to say, we can see that this story inspired some ideas for the WOT series. The Altaii people mirrors the Aiel in WOT. We then have the Sisters of Wisdom which mirrors the Aes Sedai in WOT. Wulfgar reminds me of the ta’veren nature of the protagonists of WOT (Rand, Mat and Perrin). Warrior of Altaii gives us a glimpse of the history / origins of the Aiel in WOT. Most importantly, Robert Jordan’s over-descriptive and detailed writing style is not featured in this story. Hence, to me it is a rather easy read as compared to the WOT series.
To me, this is only a 3.8/5 star read. If I am not exposed to the WOT series, the rating would be lower. All in all, it is interesting to have a read of Robert Jordan’s ideas in Warrior of the Altaii which then gave birth to the amazing, epic and legendary WOT series!
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