Wow,I do realize this thread is ancient,but I'll post here anyway.I've read book 1 through 7 and am on the dreaded number 8.I find it annoying because it doesn't focus enough on the characters I really like,i.e Matt,Ewgene,Elayne,Nynaeve and the Aiel,but granted,I'm only halfway through it.I found the first 3 or 4 books just so! exciting,I couldn't wait to find them in a library and actually only found them in a library 500 kilometers away.