A setup

To start off, please do not begin the series anywhere other than the first book (The Eye of the World); starting anywhere else is pointless.
As to the current book, how you feel about it after reading it will probably depend on your stance with regards to the series as a whole: if you’re looking for it to stride quickly towards its finale, you’ll be disappointed with this installment; if, however, you simply enjoy the series for what it is and are thirsting to know more about Randland, you’ll most likely feel somehwat appeased.
With this book, you’ll have to take the bad with the good. I’ll start with the negatives. The main plot really doesn’t go anywhere here. It’s almost as though it were one long prologue, truncated to provide cliffhanger endings. Whereas most of the books in the series have a couple of definitive climaxes (and resolutions), this one most certainly does not. Rand’s plotline is barely touched. Also, for those of you pining for the usual meaty