This is where I really started seeing how much Rand’s life was changing whether he wanted it to or not.
He’s still trying to hold onto the idea that he can somehow go back to being the same guy from the Two Rivers, but almost everybody around him is starting to look at him differently. The way he dresses, the situations he gets thrown into, and what other people expect from him start pushing him toward something much bigger before he’s ready to admit that’s where his life is going.
I liked that because Rand doesn’t just wake up one morning and decide he’s ready to become important. Most of the time he seems like he’d rather everybody leave him the hell alone and let him go back to something simple. Unfortunately for him, the world has other plans.
Mat and Perrin are changing too, and I like seeing the three of them starting to move in different directions even though that friendship from the Two Rivers is still underneath everything. Mat continues to be the one I have the most fun with. Even when things are going badly, there’s something about his attitude that keeps him from feeling like everybody else in the group.
The actual chase in this book also worked better for me than some of the traveling in The Eye of the World. There’s a clearer reason they’re moving and something specific they’re trying to accomplish, so even when the story takes some strange turns, it feels like it has more momentum.
Ingtar was one of the characters I found interesting because there’s more going on with him than there first appears to be. This series does a good job of making loyalty complicated. Somebody can look completely committed to one thing while carrying around motivations and regrets that you don’t fully understand yet.
Egwene’s story gets considerably darker here too. One thing I think Jordan does well is showing that power isn’t only dangerous because somebody can use it to blow something up. Taking away somebody’s freedom and control over their own life can be just as terrifying, and some of what Egwene goes through really drives that home.
The world also starts feeling bigger in The Great Hunt. Different cultures, different beliefs about the One Power, political expectations, and people who have completely different ideas about who Rand and the others are supposed to be all start crashing into each other.
There are still mysteries where Jordan clearly knows more than he’s willing to tell you yet, and sometimes I wanted a damn answer instead of another hint. But the ending felt much stronger to me than the ending of the first book.
By the end, it starts becoming clear that Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, and the others aren’t going to be able to quietly disappear back into their old lives. Too many people are starting to notice them.
And in this world, being noticed usually means somebody wants something from you.
Who I’d recommend it to: Anyone who liked The Eye of the World but wanted the story to move with a little more purpose. The world gets bigger, the characters start separating into their own paths, and the stakes feel much more personal.
Caution: Jordan is still holding back a lot of answers, so if unanswered mysteries drive you crazy, you’re going to have to get used to that.
Discussion question: At this point in the series, did you still think Rand, Mat, and Perrin would stay together for most of the journey, or could you already tell they were heading toward completely different lives?
— Cory Lane