Peace favor your sword

As promised here's a review of The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book 1) written by Robert Jordan. I broke a couple of rules while buying this book. The rule being " No Expectations No Disappointments". I expected this book to be similar to the Lord of the Rings and I was a tad disappointed.I started reading this book late in the night and the language in which Robert weaved his characters was a bit boring at times but spectacular most of the times. He starts of introducing the characters Rand al'Thor,Mat and Perrin . I had a slight advantage when I picked this book . I did not know who the main character or characters were nor did I know of the plot . So I had to keep an eye on all of the characters and ofcourse names !! . After 2 days and finishing 5 chapters, I was getting a bit restless. Where was the action that SP was talking about ?. Grr.. I was being let down. But I was patient.. the story dragged on .. more characters... Nynaeve , she's called the wisdom and is the village healer, Egwene who is Rand's girl friend . Moiraine and Lan the strangers to the small village. * sigh .. where was the action, suspense and drama ? boww bowwwwwwwww ... Then one lazy Monday morning as I was trying to fight my ever-closing eyes ( this was in the office-bus) all hell broke loose. Enter Trollocs and the horrifying Halfmen and I was smiling. Even my colleague noticed me sitting up straight and smile. It was at this point of time I appreciated Robert Jordan as a fantasy writer. You have got to read the book for the plot .The book did remind me of " Lord Of the Rings " with its characters and wizards but there are more female characters in this novel than in LOR, and they do have stronger roles. Hmm.. Here are some lines from the book which have made a lasting impression on me: The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time. "The One Power comes from the True Source, the driving force of creation, the force the Creator made to turn the Wheel of Time. Saidin, the male half of the true source, and saidar, the female half, work against each other, and at the same time together to provide that force. Saidin is fouled by the touch of the Dark One, like water with a thin slick of rancid oil floating on top. The water is till pure, but it cannot be touched without touching the foulness. Only saidar is still safe to be used... "The True Source cannot be used up, any more than the river can be used up by the wheel of the mill. The Source is the river; the Aes Sedai, the waterwheel." "The Dark One is after you three, one or all, and if I let you go running off wherever you want to go, he will take you. Whatever the Dark One wants, I oppose, so hear this and know it true. Before I let the Dark One have you, I will destroy you myself." The proverbs where so ...... Sometimes you have to grab the wolf by the ears. When you have a wolf by the ears, it's as hard to let go, as to hold on. Now this passage is well written and I believe is central to the story and explains a lot of things. "The Wheel of Time weaves the Patterns of the Ages, and the threads it uses are lives. It is not fixed, the Pattern, not always. If a man tries to change the direction of his life and the Pattern has room for it, the Wheel just weaves on and takes it in. There is always room for small changes, but sometimes the Pattern simply won't accept a big change, no matter how hard you try... "... But sometimes the change chooses you, and sometimes the Wheel bends a life-thread, or several threads, in such a way that all the surrounding threads are forced to swirl around it, and those force other threads, and those still others, and on and on. The first bending to make the Web is ta'veren, and there is nothing you can do to change it, not until the Pattern itself changes. The Web - ta'maral'ailen, it's called - can last for weeks, or for years. It can take in a town, or even the whole Pattern. Arthur Hawkwing was ta'veren. So was Lews Therin Kinslayer, for that matter, I suppose." ~~Loial Overall: A good read and Rs 350/- well spent. Some of the lines in the book will make you go " what the .... " , like this one” Peace favor your sword " .