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The Shadow Rising
- Wheel of Time, Book 4
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Series: Wheel of Time, Book 4
- Length: 41 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantasy
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Summary
The Wheel of Time is now an original series on Prime Video, starring Rosamund Pike as Moiraine!
In The Shadow Rising, the fourth novel in Robert Jordan’s number one New York Times best-selling epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time®, Rand al’Thor now wields the sword Callandor. He is both the Champion of Light and the Dragon Reborn. Now, he seeks answers to another prophecy that lies with the warrior people known as the Aiel to put him on the path of learning how to wield the One Power.
Accompanied by Moiraine Damodred, Rand arrives at the Aiel Waste and is granted permission by the Wise Ones to enter the sacred city of Rhuidean. After passing through a doorframe ter'angreal, Moiraine gains foresight while the Aiel await Rand's return, either with both arms marked by dragon symbols, validating his identity as He Who Comes With the Dawn, the Chief of Chiefs of all the Aiel - or to never emerge at all.
Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time® has captivated millions of readers around the globe with its scope, originality, and compelling characters. The last six books in series were all instant number one New York Times bestsellers, and The Eye of the World was named one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read.
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
Critic reviews
"The fourth volume of the most ambitious American fantasy saga continues to suggest that The Wheel of Time will also be the finest." ( Booklist)
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What listeners say about The Shadow Rising
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anthony Duffy
- 16-12-19
Narrators not up to the task
The narrators do not have the depth or range required to do the variety of accents required. Particularly the female narrator. Her attempts to do Seanchan slur were terrible. A British narrator could have managed the variety of accents better. She can barely get beyond an American accent. She also couldn't effectively differentiate between young and old. Which is annoying as I'm engrossed in the story so have to carry on listening.
6 people found this helpful
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- William Clements
- 11-01-12
Where do we go from Here?
So Rand has taken Callandor. Forsaken are falling, and Lanfear has staked a claim on Lews Therin in his sheppard costume of this age. In book 3 we were introduced to Aiel, and suddenly they are a key component to Rand's victory at Tear and at what cost? Rand must find answers, and although Tear outlaws channeling and anything to do with channelling, oddly it is their store of angreal that provides answers (albeit cryptic for now), and Mat Cauthon starts to come into his own here too.
Had book 1's journey been written with such focus and intent as this book, it would easily have been five stars and a brilliant novel in its own right. The story is clearly, firmly lodged in Jordan's mind and one can't help but imagine him over a computer or typewriter furiously churning out this brilliant continuation as it develops in his mind.
This book answers such questions as Who is Rand? What do the Aiel have to do with anything? Who are the forsaken, really? What roles do Mat and Perrin play in Rand's journey? And on Kate Redding's side, Nynaeve al'Meara, Elaine Trakand, and Egwene al'Vere really start to develop as they head to Tanchico opening up the world to the reader from the Aiel waste in the east right across to the west, in search of the black sisters that Siuan Sanche set them to hunt.
Just for the history presented in this book alone as exposition makes it 5 stars! Brilliant in every way, and the beginning of the development of Mat as a battle leader is handled beautifully!
6 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 15-09-18
cuts in the audio lower performance quality
Often the audio paused more than as expected between sentences where we should here the continuation of the story. this seems to be due to the cut and edition of difference recordings. I noticed this for the first time in book 3, but in this one this issue seems more frequent and it decreases the performance quality m
5 people found this helpful
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- Shaun H.
- 09-07-17
differing pronunciations
only thing that frustrates me in this audiobook is the narrators not pronouncing names and places the same, it makes me unsure how it should actually be said.
5 people found this helpful
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- james
- 08-08-19
Brilliant!
liked book one, tolerated book 2, enjoyed book 3 (especially the crescendo at the end) and loved book 4. this book will keep you hooked from beginning to end with twists and turns you don't expect, characters growing and changing, plots thickening. Bloody brilliant!
3 people found this helpful
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- tir
- 31-12-21
Beautiful
My life has changed so much over the year I have read this series not so much the things that are in my life but my outlook on it. With a heavy heart I finish the last book and can confidently say with a tear in my eye this is the best book series I have read in my thousands of hours of reading and listening to them this is the first and likely the last book series that has made me cry at the end and if you are apprehensive about reading a 14 book series I can tell you now that you will not regret it at the end a phenomenal story all the way through with a pair of incredible readers makes these books my favourite of all time.
1 person found this helpful
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- Vix
- 28-06-21
Most Awkward Moment
Just chapter 8 with Rand and Elyane it was so awkward all I heard was I’m fond of you for like minute it was so funny and awkward generally a good scene in showing the emotions of the characters.
1 person found this helpful
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- colski
- 13-02-21
Brilliant
I've read this series before , enjoying the retelling because off eye condition, excellent
1 person found this helpful
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- Anthony Sherlock
- 22-03-22
The best book so far in the series...
"You are more precious to me than life.
Never think I have abandoned you.
When the sun shines on you, it is my smile.
When you hear the breeze stir through the apple blossoms, it is my whisper that I love you.
My love is yours forever.. "
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- Anonymous User
- 18-03-22
Great book, but glitches is sound (thx Amazon)
It’s a wonderful book in a long series of them! Unfortunately there are several glitches resulting in lacks of sound throughout which is annoying and a disappointment.
As usual Amazon manages to reduce the quality of the brilliance that is WoT. Prime video butchered the tv adaptation so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Amazon somehow managed to screw the audio books over too. Thanks for being so consistently rubbish Amazon…
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- Aaron Aide
- 26-01-19
PLEASE PROGRESS
The lack of real progress in this story is driving me crazy. I'm going to have to give it up cause I just can't sit through another 41 hours of boring lack of progress.
27 people found this helpful
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- Brannon P
- 16-12-18
In depth plot and storyline but whats with the constant and petty quarreling?!
I truly love the wheel of Time series universe created by Robert Jordan. For years I have both read listen to these books the only drawback is the petty war of the sexes immature nearly constant quarreling between the primary characters.
Its quite incongruous when comparing the lifetimes of literally earth shattering import these beings represent to the high school level judgmental pithiness and childish banter they display towards each other.
Rand and Perrin seem to be the only ones evolving into capable characters matching their reality.
Already deep into Book 4 and seriously these characters should have grown out of this by now. if it doesn’t stop soon I don’t think I can continue listening. Its beyond annoying and destroys the otherworldly fantasy element i so enjoy
12 people found this helpful
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- Suspect
- 06-09-19
Almost as great as the first book
Storylines pick up quite a bit in book four. The three main protagonists begin embracing their respective roles as Taurvanianamias (only Jordan knows how to spell that word). There's more action as well.
Note: I want to give this series one star when the story focuses on the women, Nineve in particular. I've never hated a character as much as Nineve; she's utterly obnoxious dimwit with less than zero common sense — a stupid, stupid girl.
Both narrators are truly outstanding, especially Michael Kramer. Bravo indeed.
9 people found this helpful
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- Mica
- 27-04-08
The BEST of the Wheel of Time
Great development of Perrin and a decent amount of Mat, this novel stands out as the most emotional and most ecstatic novel in the series. This turn in the series is the most engaging and enjoyable. I have listened to it 4 times now and each time experience a tightening in my throat when...well better not spoil it. You will not regret this one!
39 people found this helpful
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- Kyle
- 25-08-11
Good at first, then...Meh
I stopped reading the series after this book. The tragedy of this series is that the world, the back-history, and magic system are exquisitely developed, but the plot is repetetive and the characters are hollow. The pattern of the plot (no spoiler) is a less-than-brilliant move by (insert character), which leads to an emergency, which is resolved at the last second in a maddeningly convenient manner (usually either an unlooked-for rescue or a new manifestation of magic). The characters are fantasy stereotypes. However, the books are very suspenseful, and these are common issues in all but the best fantasy. All might be forgiven except for the sheer unnecessary length of the series. There are at least two major plot lines that a good editor would have axed altogether to bring focus to a badly meandering story arc and cut the size down a bit. I would recommend this series only to die-hard fantasy aficionados who will appreciate what was done well and forgive what was done poorly.
25 people found this helpful
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- David
- 22-09-07
Best Book So Far
Now totally addicted to the pattern that Jordan has woven, I have to admit this last installment was by far my favorite. YES, critics of Jordan are right in that he can describe every detail in the most mundane scenes...and YES, his characters are a bit one dimensional in their personas...BUT with a story this complex I have to admit I appreciate characters that I know won't change on me from chapter to chapter or book to book. What I think most critics miss is that this book is about the storyline and the pattern, not just about the characters that play within it.
This past week I learned that Jordon has died and that he didn't finish his last book in the series (and rumor has it the last installment is a mammoth!). I am committed to finishing this out and seeing Rand through as the Dragon reborn, finding out what Lord Perin Golden Eyes does, and discover what's up with Matt and his flair for luck and history. 4 books down, 8 more to go!
32 people found this helpful
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- Jiana
- 13-11-16
I'm still listening...
I am struggling with continuing this series. The overall concept is intriguing but the writing is difficult sometimes. Things happen to characters that after four books we still have no explanation for, the girls are airheads at the best of times, oh Rand this and oh Rand that and all of the sudden he and Egwayne have no feelings for each other with no lead up, Elaine writes two letters that we have no insight into, Minh is supposed to be street savvy yet she sounds like an idiot when it comes to the opposite sex and someone please shoot me when Nineavh speaks. She's mean and grouchy and how are we supposed to like her or how do the others like her? Anyways I'm still listening because it is entertaining but im hoping Mr. Jordan connects the dots and smartens up the characters in the rest of the books.
28 people found this helpful
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- Eric A,
- 02-01-21
Lots of good stuff here
Quite a variety of really good storytelling and situations. Not at all predictable. Many characters and stories. A real page turner and engrossing. Of course being in the middle of a long series many unresolved threads. Listened to this for hours at a time.
4 people found this helpful
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- JOSE
- 12-10-13
A really boring piece of book
I have been following the series with great interest, but I reckon this book is going to be my last.
Jordan has run out of new ideas and fills the book adding characters and producing again and again detailed descriptions with the only result of enlarging de book.
You will be listening for hours to find a couple of interesting minutes.
What I really wander is how the book has that amazing rate from the readers.
4 people found this helpful
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- Michael Siebielec
- 09-10-15
I Gave Up On This One...
Any additional comments?
I really wanted to continue on with this series but just could not take anymore of the repetitive descriptions and characters that never seem to grow. It just got very irritating to me and I had to mark this series up to just poor writing. Great narration though and more power to you if you love these books.
3 people found this helpful