The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

Synopsis From Dust Jacket:

For centuries traveling gleemen have told the tales of The Great Hunt of the Horn.  So many tales about each of the Hunters, and so many Hunters to tell of...

Now the Horn itself is found: the Horn of Valere long thought only legend, the Horn which will raise the dead heroes of the ages.

And its stolen.

Rand al'Thor, the farm boy who is thought to be the Dragon Reborn - the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the saviour who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him - refuses to accept his fate.  Even facing the dreaded Amyrilin, the leader of the Aes Sedai who may intend to "gentle" him, Rand fiercely denies his Power.  He will have none of it - no matter what Myrddraal and Trollocs, Aes Sedai and dreams stand in the way.

But with the Horn another object is stolen: a dagger from the terrible ruins of Shadar Logoth.  Unless the dagger is recovered, Mat Cauthon's life will end.  And Mat is Rand's oldest friend.  Unwillingly, distrusting everyone, Rand is drawn into the Hunt.

As Egwene, the innkeeper's lovely daughter, and Nynaeve, the young village Wisdom, set out for Tar Valon's White Tower, seat of the Aes Sedai, Rand and the ogier Loial, accompanied by Perrin Aybara, the Wolfbrother who was once a blacksmith, track the Horn and dagger through Shienar - and enter a world stranger than time itself.  But Rand cannot escape his Power.  The Dark One is stirring in Shayol Ghul.  The Dark One wants the Horn.  The Dark One wants Rand.

The Great Hunt opens shortly after the events of The Eye of the World.  Rand and his friends seem to be in a sort of limbo as they are waiting around, trying to figure out what comes next.  Rand, especially, seems to be caught between what he thinks his duty is, and the looming future that he seems to be being pushed towards.  It seems to be a theme throughout the book, and for many of the characters.

Rand needs to accept that he can channel and that he is in fact The Dragon Reborn.  Perrin has to come to grips with the fact he can commune with wolves, which is one of the many reasons Perrin is one of my favorite characters.  Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne are starting their lessons in channeling the Power, and get sucked into the hunt for the Black Ajah, the corrupt Aes Sedai who serve The Dark One.

As I said these really won't be reviews, more like a collection of thoughts.  So By the way, in case I don't mention it later on, I really hate The Children of Light and the Seanchan.  I'm kinda of iffy about Min at this point in time, and love the Forsaken, especially Lanfear.  Verin is cementing herself as one of my favorite characters.  Loial, while he's a little annoying at times, is fantastic.  I really want to travel through the Waygates as some point in time, as long as I don't have to go crazy from it.

Other Books In The Series:

The Eye of the World