Book: Lord of Chaos, Robert Jordan

Before I start with the review proper, there are a few observations I'd like to note. Firstly, it has now been (well) over a year since I started the Wheel of Time series. That's a long time to read any series, and although I suppose it is yet to top GoT I am still under half way through.

Secondly I just found out that this volume, Lord of Chaos, was published in 1995. That's like 20 years ago. For context, the Wheel of Time series as a whole completed this year. I'm not quite sure how or even if I could have travelled with a story over that much time, but it does feel like I'm cheating. With a time machine.

Lord of Chaos itself was a strange book. Like some of the other so far, it felt like it had a big middle rather than a proper flow of start-middle-end; it's a pattern I've come to expect now. Climaxes do occur though - usually ones which catapult the story - so it's not all bad.

I'm still finding the reading quite hard; I have to reread quite often to get my head around what was actually being said and if I'm totally honest I don't think I even grasp all the characters and politics fully. But thankfully the book does work on many levels so I don't even feel like I'm missing out too much.

All in all LoC was a good chapter in the saga that is enveloping my literary world - and for once I want to actually race on to book 7 straight away instead of picking up something else in between.

SMBC

I'm not saying I'm old, but...



Whatevs.

Film: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

Maybe I'm just becoming cynical, but these deliberate stretches of books into movies are beginning to grate a bit. I mean there really isn't much happening in Mockingjay Part 1 that could have been edited out in a longer single film but hey, I suppose ticket sales are key now.

Still, the film (and its predecessors) is better than the (half-) book, and I suppose for that I am thankful. Jennifer Lawrence is watchable of sorts and the rest of the case supports her well; it's just a shame it labours more than it really needs to.

Hopefully this would be addressed in the next (and final?) film, so for the sake of continuation and completeness I suppose I will have to recommend this, albeit begrudgingly.