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I am kind of behind, due to shenanigans, or I'd have said so already but for those of you on Book 3: Pay close attention to Mat's POV chapters. In making up for not being a perspective character for the first two books, he proceeds to do AT LEAST one incredibly badass thing every time he grabs the spotlight. Count 'em. Mat is the best character.
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Feb 28, 2012 03:56
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Prison Warden posted:I am kind of behind, due to shenanigans, or I'd have said so already but for those of you on Book 3: Pay close attention to Mat's POV chapters. In making up for not being a perspective character for the first two books, he proceeds to do AT LEAST one incredibly badass thing every time he grabs the spotlight. Count 'em. Mat is the best character. He is, also I believe that it's either in this set of chapters or the next that Sanderson said a Checkov's gun was armed, and is supposed to be fired in the last book.
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Feb 28, 2012 04:00
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berenzen posted:He is, also I believe that it's either in this set of chapters or the next that Sanderson said a Checkov's gun was armed, and is supposed to be fired in the last book. I'm looking for the quote, but coming up empty. I believe that it was the last third of the book. The popular theory is its the 13x13 trick which is a pretty big deal considering we have never seen it happen.
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Feb 28, 2012 04:54
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Found it, right here. http://twitter.com/#!/BrandSanderson/statuses/119894890170683392 It's in both this set and the next set of chapters. 30-40.
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Feb 28, 2012 05:46
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omnibobb posted:I'm looking for the quote, but coming up empty. I believe that it was the last third of the book. What is the 13x13 trick ?
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Feb 28, 2012 09:09
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Ramadu posted:What is the 13x13 trick ? If you haven't read TDR chapter 22, you shouldn't be reading spoilers.
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Feb 28, 2012 09:18
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I'm in the middle of book 4, and I already don't remember exactly what he's referring to. Is it the "13 myrdraal and 13 black ajah can turn a person to the shadow" thing?
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Feb 28, 2012 10:45
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omnibobb posted:For me, books 3-6 are the high point of the series. Agreed completely. I am having a really hard time stopping myself now so I don't get ahead. I just want to keep reading.
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Feb 28, 2012 11:05
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If you really wanna torture yourself, read as much as you want up to about halfway through LOC, (ch.21 as of today I think), and then limit yourself to a chapter a day. You'll finish the day before the last book comes out. I'm doing that because I am insane.
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Feb 28, 2012 13:35
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Quad posted:I'm in the middle of book 4, and I already don't remember exactly what he's referring to. Is it the "13 myrdraal and 13 black ajah can turn a person to the shadow" thing? Yeah that. AreYouStillThere posted:Agreed completely. I am having a really hard time stopping myself now so I don't get ahead. I just want to keep reading. I know - it's so good. I've been about a week behind this whole reread, but I'm almost done with this weeks reading already. omnibobb fucked around with this message at 14:22 on Feb 28, 2012 |
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Feb 28, 2012 14:20
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Did they ever explain why it takes 13 Aes Sedai and 13 Myrdraal, other than it just does?
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Feb 28, 2012 14:23
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Cartoon Man posted:Did they ever explain why it takes 13 Aes Sedai and 13 Myrdraal, other than it just does? It's something about the weaves, probably some form of compulsion, are actually woven through the Myrdraal then into the victim. Why specifically 13?  Probably cause it's spOoooOOOoooOoOoooky
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Feb 28, 2012 14:30
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omnibobb posted:It's something about the weaves, probably some form of compulsion, are actually woven through the Myrdraal then into the victim. drat, you should pick up some the Myrdraal powers by having this done to you, like the ability to fade into shadows and the fear stare.
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Feb 28, 2012 14:37
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Cartoon Man posted:drat, you should pick up some the Myrdraal powers by having this done to you, like the ability to fade into shadows and the fear stare. It's probably that the weave picks up some of the (I want to say "taint" here, but not taint because thats something else thats specific in these books) aura? of the shadow. Like percolating water through coffee grounds?
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Feb 28, 2012 14:59
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Cartoon Man posted:Did they ever explain why it takes 13 Aes Sedai and 13 Myrdraal, other than it just does? 13 is the biggest circle you can make without including a man, probably something to do with that. And yeah, I think they use the Myrdrall like an angreal or something. It's never really been elaborated on as far as I recall, since none of the main characters are dreadlords. Rohan Kishibe fucked around with this message at 15:26 on Feb 28, 2012 |
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Feb 28, 2012 15:23
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Loony theory: each myrdraal is kind of like a true power ter'angreal with universal one power access.
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Feb 28, 2012 17:33
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Just found this thread yesterday. I'm about 1/3 into Fires of Heaven right now. I'm going to put the book down until I'm at the same level as the thread. I've been super enjoying going back over the series. The last time I did a full re-read was when Path of Daggers came out, so this was been a real treat seeing the beginning again.
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Feb 28, 2012 17:39
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Jedit posted:If you haven't read TDR chapter 22, you shouldn't be reading spoilers. I've read the entire series and I didn't remember anything being referred to like that, hence why I asked what it was.
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Feb 29, 2012 01:57
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So Egwene returns from her trip through the Arches and finds Elayne crying into Nynaeve's shoulders screaming, "I can't be that bad, Egwene, can I?!" Not for at least another 6 or 7 books...
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Feb 29, 2012 14:12
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I felt like a very non-critical reader today, as characters showed up again Egeanin and Floran Gelb (not really a huge spoiler) that I literally had no idea who they were and had to check online.  Is this just gonna happen more and more as it goes on? I think I've only made it up to about book 7 or 8 ever, and that was when they came out, and I'm towards the end of book 4 now.
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Feb 29, 2012 15:34
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Quad posted:I felt like a very non-critical reader today, as characters showed up again Egeanin and Floran Gelb (not really a huge spoiler) that I literally had no idea who they were and had to check online. It absolutely gets worse and worse, culminating in the controversial book 10. Thankfully books 11,12, and 13 get the plot back on track and focused towards the end-game. This has always been one of my chief criticisms of the series, the cast is just too drat huge. I honestly felt that Jordan was expecting to keep writing this series on and on for another 10-15 books or so before he was terminally diagnosed.
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Feb 29, 2012 15:45
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Quad posted:I felt like a very non-critical reader today, as characters showed up again Egeanin and Floran Gelb (not really a huge spoiler) that I literally had no idea who they were and had to check online. Minor characters coming back ramps up as the series goes on. Some are going to become important, others stay in the background and some will get POVs. Basically if they have a name, and it isn't the introduction, they're probably going to be a recurring character. Note that this is several hundred people over the course of the series.
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Feb 29, 2012 15:48
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Zore posted:Note that this is several hundred people over the course of the series. It's actually closer to a couple thousand. Jordan added something like 200 characters per book, and almost everyone makes a return at some point, even if it's just to show their death.
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Feb 29, 2012 18:17
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Zore posted:Minor characters coming back ramps up as the series goes on. Some are going to become important, others stay in the background and some will get POVs. Basically if they have a name, and it isn't the introduction, they're probably going to be a recurring character. I could be wrong about this, but I suspect Jordan wrote out names, histories, descriptions, etc., for almost *every* character, even the ones we never see on screen -- i.e., it wouldn't surprise me at all if somewhere in his notes there's a listed first and last name and description for *every* Aes Sedai and so forth.
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Feb 29, 2012 21:19
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:I could be wrong about this, but I suspect Jordan wrote out names, histories, descriptions, etc., for almost *every* character, even the ones we never see on screen -- i.e., it wouldn't surprise me at all if somewhere in his notes there's a listed first and last name and description for *every* Aes Sedai and so forth. To an extent, JK Rowling did this for Harry Potter, as well.
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Feb 29, 2012 21:54
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Personally, I liked that this happened. Even your throw away characters went off and went on with their lives, often changed by what happened when they were around. This is even referred to in book 2, when they first get to the white tower, and Gawyn talks about some people who have all met Rand and had their lives changed. Though it isn't by name, you can recall the characters, and it really makes it feel like the world is alive, even outside of the exciting center piece that you're reading about.
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Feb 29, 2012 22:14
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I liked all the people coming back and being important because it plays into the whole idea of Taveren. incidental people that the 3 main dudes meet become tangled in the pattern they weave around themselves, they start to attract followers to them who are big loving deals in and of themselves and even some random farmer met on a road, or some girl in a house Rand and Mat stay in for one night have their lives turned upside down just by the presence of these people.
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Mar 1, 2012 01:33
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The whole concept of Ta'veren is a really, really elegant piece of meta-fiction. All that ridiculous contrived stuff that happens in most fiction can and does happen in WoT. But where it's often overtly hamfisted in other works, it's simply part of who and what the characters are in the Wheel of Time. Ta'veren gets lampshaded constantly, and it works. The concept is internally consistent with itself and allows Jordan to pull his characters, at will, into and out of situations that make more sense as plot devices than as anything resembling realistic. I wish I'd thought of it. I really do. It's genius.
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Mar 1, 2012 02:52
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When I read it, my first thought was "You all meet in a Ta'veren...."
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Mar 1, 2012 02:57
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Bongo Bill posted:When I read it, my first thought was "You all meet in a Ta'veren...." Are there girls there?
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Mar 1, 2012 09:45
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I'm a little ahead and have just finished TDR. The ending felt a little rushed to me but damnit Mat is just the best.
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Mar 1, 2012 12:20
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Ormy posted:I'm a little ahead and have just finished TDR. The ending felt a little rushed to me but damnit Mat is just the best. Yeah, it was a little rushed at the end, but it wasn't too bad. I think RJ was thinking that he was going to have Ba'alzamon appear at the end of every book, but during revisions he realized that the idea was stupid and killed him off. Of course, he brought him back with Moridin, but Moridin fits into the story and isn't confronted in every book. berenzen fucked around with this message at 07:42 on Mar 4, 2012 |
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Mar 1, 2012 20:26
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ConfusedUs posted:The whole concept of Ta'veren is a really, really elegant piece of meta-fiction. All that ridiculous contrived stuff that happens in most fiction can and does happen in WoT. Ta'veren,n.: in the Old Tongue, "Protagonist."
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Mar 1, 2012 20:30
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Cartoon Man posted:Oh Verin, you rascally Aes Sedai you. Seriously, gently caress you guys for spoiling this for me.
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Mar 4, 2012 05:15
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Yeah, keeping stuff spoiler tagged is vital here. I'm sure there are quite a few people here reading the series for the first time, going by all the posts in the thread. I think it is actually possible to work out verin is Black Ajah by info in Book 2 alone. When verin meets up with those hunting the horn, I think she very explicately says "Moiraine sent me". And then later Moirane very certainly says "I didn't send Verin". There has to be a lie on one end there, or a forsaken disguising him/herself as verin I guess, but occams razor. Of course, the spoiler about Verin is more than just that revelation
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Mar 4, 2012 05:23
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There was something about Verin right from the start, I think, but I can't remember what tipped me off. The other one that I've always been wondering about is Lan, about Thom early in book 1, after the village is attacked. He says something like 'I do not like that man, there is something about him I do not trust.' And I always found it extraordinarily strange that he went and took on a Myrddraal by himself and was not actually killed immediately - the book paints it as though he dies - a blinding flash of light and his screams - but given that at this point Myrddraal were built up as unbelievably dangerous opponents and he survives it with nothing but a gimpy leg always had me suspicious. I would say his actions since have cleared him of suspicion, but, well... I guess we'll see. Call me paranoid.
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Mar 4, 2012 08:58
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In TGH Thom says that the Fade pretty much just ignored him while Rand and Mat ran away. Which honestly doesn't make a lot of sense, since I doubt a Fade would pass up the opportunity to murder someone.
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Mar 4, 2012 09:18
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Yeah. Also the whole gimpy leg thing never really sat right with me since they fight with swords known to kill just from the slightest scratch. What, did it knee him in the hip or something? He's also up to a lot of sneaky poo poo - I can't remember what book it is but I think he's talking to Mat and writing a very dodge letter and he hopes that Mat doesn't ask to look inside his chest or something. He's up to something, I just don't know what - I'd say there's no way he's a Darkfriend but after the Verin revelation, who knows anymore? On another note, Verin says that the oath she took for the Black stated she was not able to divulge her allegiance until the hour of her death, but when the Aes Sedai inside the tower find someone they suspect of a Black don't they torture her into admitting she is Black? It's been a while since I read that book but I'm sure they ask her 'are you of the Black' and she replies 'I am.' Am I imagining this?
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Mar 4, 2012 09:50
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Two Finger posted:Yeah. Also the whole gimpy leg thing never really sat right with me since they fight with swords known to kill just from the slightest scratch. What, did it knee him in the hip or something? Winters Heart:The black ajha hunters have her unswear "all oaths that bind her" before retaking the three oaths. (to avoid conflicting oaths). So i guess the black oaths are removable.
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Mar 4, 2012 10:25
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Vaniljcola posted:Winters Heart:The black ajha hunters have her unswear "all oaths that bind her" before retaking the three oaths. (to avoid conflicting oaths). So i guess the black oaths are removable. Ah, forgot about that part. Well, that explains that.
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Mar 4, 2012 10:31
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