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  • Warrior of the Altaii
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Warrior of the Altaii

Warrior of the Altaii

byRobert Jordan
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Top positive review

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H. P.
4.0 out of 5 starsRobert Jordan’s Warrior of the Altaii Foreshadows The Wheel of Time More Than His Conan Pastiches
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2019
Decades ago James Oliver Rigney Jr. wrote a book. That book allowed him to break into the publishing industry. He sold it several times. It established his working relationship with Harriet McDougal, who would become his wife. It led to his first published book, The Fallon’s Blood (as Reagan O’Neal). It led to a gig writing (eventually seven) Conan pastiches for Tor, this time as Robert Jordan, the pseudonym he would make famous. It also heavily foreshadows themes and elements from The Wheel of Time, his landmark work of epic fantasy. It was not, however, published before his death.

Having read both The Wheel of Time and Jordan’s Conan pastiches, I thought I knew what to expect. Warrior of the Altaii surprised me a little bit. It bears less in common with the pastiches put out by Tor than with earlier sword and sorcery books. The Tor pastiches had somewhat of a disadvantage. Writing his sword and sorcery yarns in part because they were quicker to write than historical fiction, Robert E. Howard could be light with his fantastical worldbuilding. When the Tor writers depart from that—including Jordan in his first pastiche—it usually showed a little too much Dungeons & Dragons influence and detracted from the work both because it jarred with Howard’s work and because of the paleness of the derivative worldbuilding. There was another tradition of sword and sorcery, though, later than Howard and before the Tor Conan pastiches.

The 70s produced some very fine sword and sorcery overflowing with the best kind of craziness. Warrior of the Altaii very much fits within that tradition, to an extent that surprised me. Jordan, though, was open that Howard was not a major influence on him as a writer. Writing as the 70s closed, it should probably come as no surprise that 70s sword and sorcery influenced Jordan. There is a lot of worldbuilding stuffed into what is (for Jordan) a short novel, much of it weird in the best way. And while Jordan used his physics background to do some incredibly cool stuff with fantasy in The Wheel of Time, here he introduces openly science fictional elements. One group uses technology sufficiently advanced as to seem magic. A character crosses over from what appears our dimension. This is the sort of thing that was once common in speculative fiction but largely disappeared after the 70s.

Most people, though, will be more interested in comparisons to The Wheel of Time than to Conan. Harriet mentions two things that surprised her when she reread Warrior of the Altaii: that it was GOOD and that it actually foreshadows The Wheel of Time heavily. I was even more surprised by the latter given my familiarity with the Conan books. Many things Jordan set aside to write those are heavily present here. The proud warrior race Altaii of course have a lot in common with the Aiel. Although they are horselords of the plains, not desert warriors, and differ in many other ways. Nor are they nearly as developed and distinct. Of particular interest is how the events of the novel will change and maybe destroy the Altaii. Jordan would return to that idea with the Aiel, albeit in a different way. But the kernel is plain, I think, for the The Wheel of Time fan to see.

Gender roles play an important part. Magic is here, too, a thing of women, although by norm instead of by the Dark One’s counterstroke. The effect is more muted, sometimes to its benefit.

Wulfgar, like Lan (or many other characters from The Wheel of Time), is a supremely skilled and respected warrior. The role of Vietnam in shaping Jordan’s views shows: battle offers no glory but much potential honor (older and from a proud warrior race, Wulfgar is considerably more at ease with killing than the kids from the Two Rivers). Jordan loves a big battle, and he squeezes in a few (and, yes, the longbow makes an appearance).

So, then, is Warrior of the Altaii worth picking up? For The Wheel of Time fan, certainly. If you didn’t make it through The Wheel of Time, that remains his opus. Lest you be suspected of some defect in your fandom, you should pick it back up. But for the fan who has only read the main series and the prequel New Spring, this is the next book I would recommend. It isn’t nearly as dry as the Big Book of Bad Art or the Compendium. And it ties into The Wheel of Time much more so than the Conan pastiches (which I recommend, but start with Howard’s original stories first). Jordan has not yet reached his stride here. The worldbuilding can be clumsy at times, with Jordan committing the rookie storyteller mistake of throwing out too much too early and with too little reason. There is a psychological torture-filled captivity sequence that stretches on far too long. His characters are the equal of your average fantasy book, meaning they lack the vibrancy of his own, later characters. Jordan’s work benefited tremendously from the massive canvas The Wheel of Time came to offer; it is pinched a bit here.

But, in the end, Harriet’s verdict after rereading is more accurate than her earlier, somewhat embarrassed recollections: this book is good. It isn’t The Wheel of Time good, but it made for a more than enjoyable read, enriched by my knowledge of The Wheel of Time, and I am glad Harriet chose to publish it after all these years.
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Top critical review

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Ross E.
3.0 out of 5 stars*SPOILERS* A perfect example of a freshman effort
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2019
The first, and perhaps the most important, thing to realize is that this story hews MUCH closer to Jordan's Conan work than it does to The Wheel of Time. If you are looking for some high fantasy, you will likely be displeased; as barbarian fiction, however, this will slake your thirst. The standard tropes exist here, however; lots of naked (sky-clad) or nearly naked women, lots of detailed physical punishment scenes, stoic men, weeping women, etc.. If those things offend you, maybe pass on this one. The rest of the review will delve into spoilers, but I want to add one last thing; in 2003, Robert Jordan said in an interview that he never wanted this manuscript published. I don't know if he changed his mind but it does call to mind Go Set a Watchman and the situation with Harper Lee. It is not an exact parallel, but it shares some similarities. The author of this review feels that Jordan's wife has the right to do with his stuff whatever she wishes, but you may feel differently. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way...

SPOILERS AHEAD

This truly feels like a first effort, particularly in terms of pacing. One of the primary examples of this would be the Most High. When we first meet them, we learn that they are supremely powerful and have some sort of flying chariots. These are clearly either aliens or advanced humans. The problem is that 3/4 of the way through the novel, the protagonist confronts on of these Most High and learns the entire backstory of their race and the history of the planet with almost no ambiguity. The mystery is gone and it feels like there was no chance for tension to build.

Another example of a missed opportunity would be the concept of Travelers, or people who have involuntarily shifted dimensions. It seems like this would be a fascinating concept to explore how a person would adapt to life from a modern world to a Conan-like world; instead of character development, however, our Traveler exists to get spanked a whole bunch and provide a sort of Deus Ex Machina for a strategy to defeat the bad guys.

And speaking of Deus Ex Machina, Wulfgar is a "nexus-point" of forces that have suddenly made him younger, stronger, and faster (i.e. protagonist powers). Why? *shrug* some things are emphasized too much while others are not mentioned enough.

On the plus side, the novel is less than five hundred pages and moves briskly. The action has a brutal flair that is entertaining to read, and one doesn't get lost in the action sequences, which is a plus. The villians ooze with arrogance and cruelty, so it is satisfying to see them defeated, even if we verge into some weird submissive-humiliation scene territory. Lastly, Jordan's stoic characters here mirror the ones in The Wheel of Time; either you love them (like me) or you hate them.

In the final analysis, as a first novel, it's pretty good for its genre. As a piece that has been released after the author finished (with help) his magnum opus, it's just okay. Worth it if you are a Jordan fan... otherwise, your mileage may vary.
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From the United States

Jeffrey T. Munson
5.0 out of 5 stars Oh How I Wish There Could Be More...
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2020
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Robert Jordan was one of the leaders in epic fantasy, and his "Wheel of Time" series remains one of the best-known series of the genre. Sadly, Mr. Jordan passed away in 2007. He left a lasting legacy upon those of us who enjoy epic fantasy, and "Warrior of the Altaii", his first unpublished novel, reminds us of his greatness.

Lord Wulfgar of the Altaii is the leader of his people. His people survive by living on the open plains and selling their wares. His people live under the shadow of the Lanta and the twin queens Eilinn and Elana.

Now, war has come. The appearance of Elspeth, a visitor from another world, will have a direct outcome on the battle. For Wulfgar and his warriors must face off against the Lantan and the twin queens in a fight to the death.

I enjoyed this book very much. This is not written in the same style as The Wheel of Time series. Rather, this book stands on it's own. But the reader still gets a look at what made Robert Jordan one of epic fantasy's masters; great storytelling and excellent character development. I only wish there could have been more to this story. Highly recommended.
6 people found this helpful
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Chad
5.0 out of 5 stars Fans of the Wheel of Time will love!
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2020
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I'm a huge fan of the Wheel of Time and if you're like me, you will love this book. It's a fascinating story of a world that is struggling and visitors from other times. You can see some of the early themes that Jordan than used later on in the wheel of time, such as time and legends. Cultural differences in a world, where fantasy is often so monolithic.

The book is a stand alone, and it was written long before the Eye of the World, so keep in mind that it is from a different time and place. The protagonist is a warrior of a nomadic culture. Sensitivities to our modern culture are not found in this time and place. The characters have depth and feeling to them. They make good choices, they make bad choices. They are heroic and they are flawed.

If you're a fan of darker fantasy novels and you want to see a book that explores cultures, history, makes you think, then this is a book for you.
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Robert DeFrank
5.0 out of 5 stars Old school fun!
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2019
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An intriguing time-capsule of old-school Jordan. It's got the edge of his Conan books and a touch of the magic and themes of his WOT books, prior to the meandering and bloat. In contrast, we've got a very tight, focused story here about a noble nomad warrior leading his tribe to survival in the face of scheming city-dwellers, would-be tyrants and pretender gods. Worth checking out. Too bad about the lousy cover.
7 people found this helpful
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JG
5.0 out of 5 stars I miss Robert Jordan. Great story!
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2019
Verified Purchase
It was like listening to an old friend! I love the way Robert Jordan writes! I miss his voice. the banter between men and women is just great. I can see in this story the future of the wheel of time. Reading this makes me think of the wheel of time and how much I loved that story. The world is a sad place without Robert Jordan. But this book is such a treat to read.
6 people found this helpful
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Don
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2019
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Well written and a nice steady pace with the storyline. Definitely can make you keep reading to the end. If you're a wheel of time fan you will like this story.Characters are well written and interactions are well done.
4 people found this helpful
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Jimmy
5.0 out of 5 stars Robert Jordan!!!
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2019
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I very much enjoyed this book! Action packed and a great write.
8 people found this helpful
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Bernard Pedersen
5.0 out of 5 stars Another wonderful book by Mr. Jordan.
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2019
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Incredible as was everything written by him. Too bad this never turned into a series. I miss his writing greatly, and this book was a wonderful surprise, 12 years after his death. Like Tolkien, Jordan's books will never be rivaled. I believe only Brandon Sanderson's cosmere is the only thing that will come close.

This is a must read, like the wheel of time.
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Roger D. Robertson
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2020
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Loved the book, I have read everything he has written that I know of. Excellent writing style. Great loss to all fans of awesome writing.
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M. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2019
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Have enjoyed everything Jordan has written. This probably could have evolved into an interesting series but we only have the first installment.
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Shelley Scheuren
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, as only Jordan can do.
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2020
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I loved this book! Robert Jordan is my favorite author and to be able to read one of his first works was a real treat!! Wish he had more one this warrior.
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