609 Chapters, 300-ish Days - Let's Read: The Wheel Of Time Series!

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > 609 Chapters, 300-ish Days - Let's Read: The Wheel Of Time Series!

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

caleramaen posted:

That might be the reason he doesn't instantly turn into Mordeth the second he leaves Shadar Logoth

That is one of those things that never made sense to me. Why didn't he become Mordeth?

# ¿ Jan 19, 2012 04:53

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# ¿ Apr 16, 2024 11:09

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

ReverendLondo posted:

Oh, nice! I was looking to re-read this series to get caught up-to-date, and it looks like I'll have an ample amount of people to point out mind-blowing poo poo that I missed the first (and probably this second) time around.

To actually contribute before getting started on reading, I was wondering if I was alone in noticing something. This goes out to folks who've already read at least to book four, possibly early in book five, and are fans of Mat: By book Five, Mat pretty much has his shtick down solid as being the jokester in the group and even has a recurring descriptive theme (heavy jacket, stylish hat, mischievous half-smile). Nothing truly spoiler-worthy. However, while reading a portion relating to his almost innate ability to be a smooth and successful womanizer, I accidentally dropped the book. Upon picking it up I noticed Robert Jordan on the back-panel wearing a jacket, stylish hat, and a mischievous half-grin; which my mind instantly picked up as "Mat is Jordan's stand-in during the novels." I laughed my rear end off for a minute straight, and still chuckle sometimes whenever Mat does something extraordinary. I'm probably mistaken, but still thought it was amusing enough to share.

I thought Lan was supposed to be Robert Jordan's stand in?

# ¿ Jan 24, 2012 02:49

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

Gain 20 Pounds posted:

I don't remember which book mentions it, but certain named parts of the landmass used to be nations. Almoth Plain used to be Almoth. The Caralain Grass used to just be Caralain. The nations went under and no one ever bothered to claim the land.

I think there are more but I don't have the main map handy. It's sad I think WoT history is more interesting than my own country's history.

I think it's in book 2 when they're going after the stolen Horn and Padan Fain

# ¿ Jan 30, 2012 07:20

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

berenzen posted:

You can't really talk about the first 18 chapters of The Great Hunt, they're pretty bland in terms of the story. It isn't until the later chapters until you can have any good discussion for it. We spoiler it for the people who haven't read the books. Not to mention that a lot of this started out from answering a question about someone asked about the series. Eventually, it'll die down, just like it does in LP threads. There's no reason to get upset. We're keeping everything more or less under wraps, the discussion is still fairly vague, and it isn't like we're saying anything extremely spoilery. Like who Kills Rand's tutor. When that comes up though, I'd like to see the first-time readers try and deduce who it is.

I have no idea how you can deduce it honestly. I read it in the general discussion and was shocked. There doesn't seem to be any clues at all about it and I've read the series like 3 times in 15 years or something dumb. Maybe I'm an idiot though.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2012 11:37

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

berenzen posted:

Revealed in Towers of Midnight. I've also seen the deduction, it makes sense actually. I'm not going to link it, so as to prevent temptation for the newbie readers.

Yeah it's revealed but I don't think that there are very good clues, I always thought that it was Lanfear because it seemed the most reasonable I guess. All you get in the book is the "It's You!" without any context at all.

# ¿ Feb 6, 2012 05:58

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

Cartoon Man posted:

Ok, I just read through the chapter where Nynaeve takes the Accepted test. Its pretty obvious what the last two tests where about, but why was she running around a maze hunting Aginor in the first one? What was that supposed to represent?

I always read it as the personification of her fear of using The Power when growing up and how its use was demonized in the Two Rivers. I thought it showed Angior because she had an actual image to connect with the demonetization of the One power.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2012 22:24

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

Quad posted:

So I'm a little ahead, book 4 right now. Does Galad become a whitecloak? I thought he was smarter than that. Although I guess it was foreshadowed with his attitude of "he'd turn you in for doing the slightest thing wrong, just because he feels you didn't live up to his standards."

Also Galad's story arc and character development seemed quite a bit more interesting than Gawyn's since Gawyn is just a spoiled brat who whines a bunch while Galad actual seems to try to find his way and grow as a person. Basically all the current Andoran royal family sucks and the previous one owned.

# ¿ Feb 25, 2012 19:36

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

Cartoon Man posted:

It was stupid for Elayne to blurt out, "I am the Daughter-heir of Andor and you will let me pass right now!" and for Egwene to reveal that they came from Falme where bunches of Whitecloaks died. I also don't think it was the smartest move to make the ground explode when Aes Sedai have spent the past 1000 years or so trying to convince the world that they wont attack anybody that isn't Shadowspawn.

All they had to do was shutup and let Verrin talk their way through. This won't be the last time the Supergirls get into trouble like this.

It's really bad when Nynaeve is the most rational of them all and she really doesn't give a gently caress about whatever she does really.

# ¿ Feb 27, 2012 21:36

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

omnibobb posted:

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.

What is the 13x13 trick ?

# ¿ Feb 28, 2012 09:09

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

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.

# ¿ Feb 29, 2012 01:57

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

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?

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?

You're not imagining it, but they got around that by using the Oath Road to release the Black Ajah oaths and then restate the regular ones

# ¿ Mar 4, 2012 17:29

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

A Terrible Person posted:

I spent the better part of an hour trying to track down the exact moment, and I couldn't find it. Hell, I don't even know what book it was in. All I really remember was one of the girls talking with him, probably Elayne, and her trying to prompt him into a discussion that would lighten his spirits and make him smile. The result was Thom rambling about the prophecies, stuff forgotten or twisted since the age of Legend, and few tidbits of stories from the Age before the Age of Legend. At one point he muses about how he'll be remembered in the next Age, if he's to be remembered at all.

I may have misinterpreted or misremembered some of what I typed previously.

I'm pretty certain this happens when the wonder girls are on the Sea Folk ship going to Ebou Dar to find the Black Ajah the first time

# ¿ Mar 9, 2012 05:59

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

Cartoon Man posted:

Ok, what was going on with Perrin's rescue of Faile in TAR at the end. It seemed really disjointed, like RJ didn't quite know how he wanted it to play out. I think when he wrote this part he still hadn't figured out in his mind what all the rules of TAR were going to be, but he knew he wanted some crazy rescue scene in dreamland.

Does he ever explain what excatly the hedgehog ter'angreal does? The only thing I can figure is that it forces your body into a premade trap inside TAR or something. But if thats the case, then why didn't Perrin get sucked into a similar trap that Faile did? I guess you could argue its because Perrin has TAR wolf powers that make him immune. Or he's Ta'vereen. Or RJ didn't know what he was writing, but dammit it sounds cool so its going in the book.

In book 4 and beyond, TAR seems to get some real concrete rules about what does and what doesn't work.

I always assumed it was because he had wolf powers and because Hopper was the boss of TAR and kept him safe. If you recall Moiraine said that she didn't need to help shield Perrins dreams from Ba'alzamon because he had found his own protection. I just linked the 2 together and figured if Ba'alzamon can't touch him why would a hedgehog trap be able to do anything.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2012 19:46

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

veekie posted:

Lews Therin liked them blond.

*thumbs earlobe while humming*

That one should also be added to that list of annoying things that gets repeated over and over.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2012 07:16

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

Ethereal Duck posted:

Rand and Egwene had been all but promised to each other.

I don't get women...but Perrin/Mat/Rand do, I should ask them!

# ¿ Mar 26, 2012 00:29

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

Sgt Froggy posted:

Mat does get all the best one liners, thats for sure. Im very glad he becomes more and more of a real character as the books progress. He seems mostly a foil to lighten rands brooding mostly . Even after the climax of the second book hes not much of his own character until Tar Valon in #3

Well to be fair, he really isn't much of a person in the world itself until then too. That dagger destroyed the personality you saw in the beginning of book one and he had to basically reshape himself entirely.

# ¿ Apr 6, 2012 16:41

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

Just look at 7-9 as 3 parts of a single book. It really makes those books make sense now. I know when I got them when they were just released it was awful. I read really fast so the books just seemed over too fast. But when you have the next parts to go on too, they're actually pretty good.

# ¿ Apr 7, 2012 02:59

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

Neurosis posted:

You appear to have UFC confused with pro wrestling. If WoT were like UFC we would have 25 minutes of Rand hugging Bel'al to his chest while delivering minimal offence.

Rand would just be the Jon Jones of the Wheel of TIme and deliver those sick elbows to the forsakens face. A savant if you will.

# ¿ Apr 22, 2012 17:51

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

Daedalus Esquire posted:

I think just about every warder is described as having those dead passionless eyes, every dark friend, and some of the children of light. The specific description is whenever someone grins/laughs and Jordan says something like "but his grin never reached his dangerous eyes" or whatever.
I dunno, maybe it's just my version of hair tugging/arm folding/spanking where it really sticks out to me and seems like everyone in his world is giving a perpetual evil eye to everyone they see.

You've now made me imagine everyone in the series giving the stink eye to people and I can't stop laughing. Thank you so much for this image.

# ¿ Jun 12, 2012 21:55

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# ¿ Apr 16, 2024 11:09

Ramadu: Aug 25, 2004; 2015 NFL MVP

teddust posted:

Yes, references to spanking are much more disturbing than a play by play of deflowering an unwilling 13 year old girl.

I really don't see how you can say Jordan is way creepier. GRRM wrote about people being hosed to death and all kinds of other really creepy and hosed up poo poo. I just honestly didn't feel the need to read those books after the giant gap between 3 and 4. At least the Wheel of Time has some kind of coherent story really.

edit: wrong quote but its to the guy above mes quoted post

# ¿ Jun 25, 2012 21:24

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > 609 Chapters, 300-ish Days - Let's Read: The Wheel Of Time Series!