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Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: The Wheel of Time is now an original series on Prime Video, starring Rosamund Pike as Moiraine! Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time® by Robert Jordan has captivated millions of readers around the globe with its scope, originality, and compelling characters. 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. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. For three days battle has raged in the snow around the great city of Tar Valon. In the city, a Foretelling of the future is uttered. On the slopes of Dragonmount, the immense mountain that looms over the city, is born an infant prophesied to change the world. That child must be found before the forces of the Shadow have an opportunity to kill him. Moiraine Damodred, a young Accepted soon to be raised to Aes Sedai, and Lan Mandragoran, a soldier fighting in the battle, are set on paths that will bind their lives together. But those paths are filled with complications and dangers, for Moiraine, of the Royal House of Cairhien, whose king has just died, and Lan, considered the uncrowned king of a nation long dead, find their lives threatened by the plots of those seeking power. New Spring begins Moiraine and Lan's quest to find the Dragon Reborn that will lead to the events of The Eye of the World...and their fateful meeting with Rand al'Thor. New Spring is a perfect jumping-on point for fantasy readers wanting to know more about The Wheel of Time. The Wheel of Time® New Spring: The Novel #1 The Eye of the World #2 The Great Hunt #3 The Dragon Reborn #4 The Shadow Rising #5 The Fires of Heaven #6 Lord of Chaos #7 A Crown of Swords #8 The Path of Daggers #9 Winter's Heart #10 Crossroads of Twilight #11 Knife of Dreams By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson #12 The Gathering Storm #13 Towers of Midnight #14 A Memory of Light By Robert Jordan and Teresa Patterson The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time By Robert Jordan, Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria Simons The Wheel of Time Companion By Robert Jordan and Amy Romanczuk Patterns of the Wheel: Coloring Art Based on Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.… (more)
User reviews
Obviously New Spring helps explain the motivations of both Moiraine and Lan when we first meet them in The Eye of the World, but it also gives us a view of the "normal" workings of Aes Sedai and the White Tower before the unusual happenings already seen in the series. Politics of the world are fully in view with Lan finding himself in the midst of the "biggest" political storm. If I were to find a bad thing about New Spring is that some of the material that Jordan wrote to expand New Spring from a short story to a full novel(la) seems to be just filler making the story bog down a tad.
Overall, New Spring is a good quality introduction to some of the "older" characters of the early Wheel of Time books and I fully recommend reading it, especially after Book 5, The Fires of Heaven.
I did love the filling in of details to the beginning of the Wheel of Time story, especially since it involved some of my favorite characters. (Note: the first time I put the series aside, it was when Moiraine disappeared and Lan went off.)And I loved stumbling into some of RJ's catch phrases. So much fun, especially since I know the end of the story and who really is Black Ajah/darkfriends. :)
Ah, Jim, I miss you. As a friend, as an author, as the creator of a world that has brought so many people into my life through love of your writing. You are loved and missed.
That may have changed my feeling for the writer, who has gone. In the first paragraph, '...fat sickle of the moon hung low, giving barely light...' Right away i am taken out of the story and forced to wonder why the words sounds horrible in my ears. For they do. Here is a writer who at this time has 2 proofreaders to catch this and there are several other blatant mistakes like that throughout.
In any event we start with Lan as young man around the time of Rand's birthing. The Aiel War. One chapter later we are in the midst of Tower politics and wondering if any of what we read contradicts what has been written elsewhere. It does seem to do so. We stay with the tower and the beginning of Moiraines quest to find the Dragon.
That Moiraine finds the Black Ajah, fine, but that they don't find her, rubbish. They Black have no compunction about killing. Two very strong Accepted don't lean their way. Both attended the Amyrlin who they kill when the critical information came to light. Questioned and killed out of hand. The entire Black Ajah piece, and why the rulers of Kandor are brought into it for no gain for the Black is all rushed and ill thought out. Trying to tie to gether the Legends short story, but in the end fails.
Further, writers learn about show, don't tell, but Jordan has used his fame and ability to sell books to a produce this short piece for full price. And to use exposition to the detriment of development.
The book would never stand on its own. And only should be kept in your collection to complete the series. If you can get away without having a tactile copy in your hand, then you could save a great deal of space for something better. In all New Spring is a disappointment, and it was a great disservice. The entire last quarter is something that Jordan normally would have spent his time expanding and enriching. In all it seems like an outline he rushed together.
This is a prequel to the Wheel of Time series, with events occuring about twenty years before Eye of the World, though it was written more than half-way through, in 2004. This book tells the story of the prophecy made in the White Tower, when Moiraine was not yet an Aes Sedai, that told of the birth of the Dragon Reborn, the only hope of the world; but in saving the world, he will break it. The series itself is about how the prophesied Dragon is found and fulfills his destiny.
Having read the first ten or so books in the series, I recognise some of the characters at an earlier point in their careers. This story covers Moiraine (a central character in 'Eye of the World') becoming an Aes Sedai (a woman who can wield sorceress-like powers), the beginning of her search for the Dragon, and how she met and bonded her Warder, Lan. It can be read as a stand-alone book, and is not essential to the series itself; but it does fill in some points of interest, and gives some insights into the workings of the Aes Sedai.
I like the way Robert Jordan writes, rich with trivial-seeming details that bring the story to life: wall hangings are "colourful winter tapestries ... bright scenes of spring and garden parks". Because the cast of characters in the series are spread over two continents and several centuries, these little details that characterise each person help keep them in mind the next time we meet them. The atmosphere in this prequel takes me back to the first three books, before the scope of the narrative widened so dramatically.
I really enjoyed this book, and reading it makes me want to re-read the whole series (especially now that it seems the end is in sight!).
In the latest book, Jordan looks back to the beginning of the Dragon Reborn, following the early years of Moiriane Damodred as she becomes an Aes Sedai, and the path of Lan Mandragoran as he fights the invasion of Aiel. To those who have read any of The Wheel of Time series, these names will be familiar: to those who have not, these are pivotal characters in that series. You need not have read any of the series to understand New Spring: being a prequel, it does not rely on the other works to enjoy this one.
Moiriane maybe a noble in the Cairhien court, but this counts for little in the White Tower of the Aes Sedai, where all the Accepted are treated the same regardless of their background. She receives the same training and discipline as her best friend, Siuan, who is a fisherman’s daughter. Both of these women are determined to become full Aes Sedai and much of the book is their struggles to gain that position. The Aes Sedai are women with the One Power, a magical force that gives them huge influence, both politically and socially. This comes with large responsibilities and as Moiriane learns, becoming a sister does not give her complete freedom. Only a few Aes Sedai know of the birth of a baby boy who is prophesied to save the world by breaking it: among these are Moiriane and Siuan, who want to find and protect this child, but must first deal with Tower politics and rivalry. When an evil force appears within the Aes Sedai, they choices become more constrained and urgent.
As the same time, we follow Lan, a warrior facing the now retreating hoards of Aiel. As the war winds down, Lan finds he is in the middle of political intrigues, as a former lover has raised the flag of Malkier, a kingdom that was wiped out twenty-five years before, but for which Lan is the last heir. During his travels to prevent this dangerous cause, he meets up with Moiriane and the two begin a intermittent and contrary relationship. Both the soldier and the Aes Sedai need each other to face the dark forces that are threatening them.
Because of a long trip, I listened to the audio version of this work. The entire text is under 350 pages, a small work for this series, but the CDs were a total of thirteen hours. While not as fast as reading the book, the audio version was a very pleasant experience, as Audio Renaissance choose the readers carefully and Kate Reading and Michael Kramer did an excellent job. Not only did they have fine speaking voices, but they conveyed the story with the right level of feeling and intrigue. Listening to a book has a different feel than reading it, and while I did not sink into the plot the same way, it was still a good experience AND I now know how to pronounce Tuatha’an.
Whether you read or listen to this work, it is a interesting story. Jordan’s characters are still a bit flat, but the further explanation of this world makes it worth the read. As a introduction to The Wheel of Time or as further reading, New Spring is a good book.
When should you read this book? Although it is labeled as a prequel, I am not sure it is smart reading it before other books, because then some things that Jordan carefully and gradually explains through multiple parts/books will not be surprise to us. So I would recommend reading it later, but it is your choice.
What is this book about? Simply explained, about Moiraine and Lan. How they met and how he became her warder.
I was planning on waiting on the unlikely event of the series being finished then taking a fortnight off work, building a nest out
Very much a book you want to read after having at least the first five Wheel of Time books.
I found that young Moiraine reminded me a lot of Nynaeve without the braid pulling. My annoyance didn't really start until Moiraine meets Lan - as had happened many times in the series with Rand, the way people are oblivious to the circumstances surrounding other people and their assumptions that they read both the person and events correctly irritate me. However, that irritation is more a reflection on me than Jordan as this facet of human nature is undoubtedly one that exists (particularly in adolescents and young adults!).
Reading this novel reminds me of why I started reading this series to begin with. It was fast-paced, intriguing, and fun, not the horribly ponderous, difficult to read, snooze fests that the novels later become (currently I’m on the ninth in the series and wondering if I should continue). I enjoyed the revealing of the background of things that aren’t well explained in the series. There is good action, characterization, and a sound plot. Somewhere along the way, Robert Jordan lost his way, but this prequel is a must read, especially if you have read any other novels in the series.
Carl Alves – author of Two For Eternity