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Gully Foyle posted:Yes and no. One farm worth of extra food will save a few people from starving, but the appearance of normalcy for visitors to the palace (things are fine, look at the flowers!) might have way more value in terms of stability, preventing riots/rebellion/civil war, and all that might cause way more death and starvation than one farm would prevent. The people who would be rioting are not going to be gazing at the private garden in the palace.
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Apr 16, 2024 21:10
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Gully Foyle posted:Yes and no. One farm worth of extra food will save a few people from starving, but the appearance of normalcy for visitors to the palace (things are fine, look at the flowers!) might have way more value in terms of stability, preventing riots/rebellion/civil war, and all that might cause way more death and starvation than one farm would prevent. Found the darkfriend.
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Apr 16, 2024 21:12
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RE: Elaida - yeah, it's definitely meant to show that the White Tower as an institution is a bit backwards and that Elaida in particular is not merely an antagonist in this book because of her profession but because of her personality. My thoughts on The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 1: This chapter begins with the ravens icon because it features gratuitous abuse of corvids. quote:The land seemed to be waiting. Waiting for something to burst. The land and Rand being one and all, presumably it's waiting for Rand himself to snap and go on a solo adventure. quote:He sniffed the wind without thinking. The smell of horse predominated, and of men and men’s sweat. A rabbit had gone through those trees not long since, fear powering its run, but the fox on its trail had not killed there. He realized what he was doing, and stopped it. I really "enjoy" how we jump from Perrin whining about Moiraine holding things up and having a tight grip to Perrin holding up his own character arc with a vice grip. I do feel like our boy will be making subtle progress this book, at least. quote:They were not as tall as he, nor as big—years as a blacksmith’s apprentice had given him arms and shoulders to make two of most men’s—but he had begun shaving every day to stop their jokes about his youth. Friendly jokes, but still jokes. He would not have them start again because he spoke of a feeling. I would think the best way to avoid accusations of youth would be to keep your facial hair but maybe Perrin's still in that patchy phase. You can really see just how tightly strung he is that even friendly jokes from dudes he's been traveling with for months get to him. quote:“It has to report. To a Halfman, usually.” In the Borderlands there was a bounty on ravens; no one there ever dared assume any raven was just a bird. “Light, if Heartsbane saw what the ravens saw, we would all have been dead before we reached the mountains.” Of course, if the Halfmen were at all clever about their shadow jumping then they'd be able to significantly narrow the delay in response times. That said, quote:“Too long for horseback,” Masema sneered. The triangular scar on his dark cheek twisted his contemptuous grin even more. “A good breastplate will stop even a pile arrow except at close range, and if your first shot fails, the man you’re shooting at will carve your guts out.” It's good to see that months of hanging out have done absolutely nothing to make Masema more likable. Fain's handiwork is alarming with how well it sticks. quote:The Shienarans knew how far he could see, but they seemed to take it as a matter of course, that and the color of his eyes, as well. They did not know everything, not by half, but they accepted him as he was. As they thought he was. They seemed to accept everything and anything. Their open acceptance of Perrin and his talents really only makes his reticence all the more frustrating. It's not like he's among the Aes Sedai who might try to gentle him or among the Whitecloaks who'd try to kill him. Dude has possibly the best support network in the world and he still tries to bury everything. quote:Ragan’s topknot waved as he shook his head. “A Tinker wouldn’t be mixed in this. Either she’s not a Tinker, or she is not the one we are supposed to meet.” Okay I guess the Shienarians aren't completely perfect, since even the nicer ones are a bit biased against the Traveling People. As Uno points out though, it's very impressive that she's come all this way. quote:The raven, Perrin thought. Stop looking at that bird and come on, woman. Maybe you’ve brought the word that finally takes us out of here. If Moiraine means to let us leave before spring. Burn her! For a moment he was not sure whether he meant the Aes Sedai, or the Tinker woman who seemed to be taking her own time. I can't help but feel that despite everything, Perrin might actually be the least patient and even-headed of the boys. He plays a good stoic on the outside - usually - but it's difficult to see early!Rand having this kind of thought process. quote:She was not young—gray showed thick in her hair where it was not hidden by her cowl—but her face had few lines, other than the disapproving frown she ran over their weapons. If she was alarmed at meeting armed men in the heart of mountain wilderness, though, she gave no sign. Her hands rested easily on the high pommel of her worn but well-kept saddle. And she did not smell afraid. She's not long for this book, but I do respect Leya quite a bit. This should be quite terrifying. quote:Leya shrugged and answered hesitantly. “I . . . knew that if I came this way, someone would find me and take me to her. I . . . just . . . knew. I have news for her.” One wonders what Moiraine is doing to pull off this effect. It might just be that her eyes-and-ears are entirely mundane and simply under instruction to play things up as magical influence; I certainly can't think of any magic in the series that Moiraine would have access to at present that could do this... but it's still early enough in the series that this might be the remnant of some idea of Jordan's that never came to fruition. quote:“It is possible to oppose evil without doing violence.” Her voice held the simplicity of someone stating an obvious truth. This feels like a lesson Perrin was meant to learn along the way but of course he never quite does, does he? Even at the end, when his dreamwalking could open him up to non-violent courses of action, he's still pretty much just locked in battle with Slayer and Lanfear. I can't even fully blame Sanderson for this because it's not like Jordan had any better ideas. quote:She gave him a penetrating look. “And yet you are not happy with your weapons.” For such a peaceful people, they sure do love annihilating their opponents with words. Perrin's got no argument... and again, he won't ever find that better way. quote:In the distance, the side of a mountain had been carved into the semblance of two towering forms. A man and a woman, Perrin thought they might be, though wind and rain had long since made that uncertain. Even Moiraine claimed to be unsure who they were supposed to be, or when the granite had been cut. Perhaps King Eawynd of Safer and his queen - or perhaps even him and Mabriam, to celebrate the Compact of the Ten Nations. Perhaps King Aedomon to celebrate his battles against Manetheren. Probably no one we've heard of though. quote:When he looked over his shoulder, she was casting worried glances up the steep slopes to either side. Scattered trees perched precariously above them. It appeared impossible they would not fall. The Shienarans rode easily, at last beginning to relax. Maybe it's just that I've been taking a break for a month, maybe it's changing the program I'm using for the ebooks, but I feel like this book has a bit more environmental description than the last one did. It makes it a bit harder to comment - Jordan's descriptions are all quite good so what is there to say - but it really builds up the isolation of this strange mountain camp. quote:A four-legged serpent scaled in gold and scarlet, golden maned like a lion, and its feet each tipped with five golden claws. A banner of legend. A banner most men would not know if they saw it, but would fear when they learned its name. The Pattern really made some interesting choices when it decided that the calling card of the Dragon shouldn't be immediately recognizable, didn't it?
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Apr 16, 2024 22:38
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Chapter 2: Saidin Thoughts This chapter starts with the dragon's fang symbol, probably because it's literally called "Saidin" and Rand will be loving things up with it. quote:All the women who came insisted on speaking to Moiraine immediately, and alone. The news that Moiraine chose to share with the rest of them did not always seem very important, but the women held the intensity of a hunter stalking the last rabbit in the world for his starving family. It's almost like they're working for an Aes Sedai, and not just any Aes Sedai but one of the few left who tries to live up to the old standard. I'd think that pretty important too unless I was literally dyingn of thirst. quote:Or ever, he added to himself. Moiraine had kept them there all winter. The Shienarans did not think she gave the orders, not here, but Perrin knew that Aes Sedai somehow always seemed to get their way. Especially Moiraine. I get that you're stir-crazy bro but do you really WANT to be wandering the wilderness in the middle of winter, fighting battles that you can avoid by staying still? What alternatives do you have other than "Don't do what Moiraine wants because she's Aes Sedai"? quote:“The Tinker woman is going to die,” she said softly, eyeing the others near the fires. None was close enough to hear. It's times like this you can remember why Min doesn't particularly want her powers. She's probably seen quite a few people who were going to die soon by this point, just because when you walk by so many people in a city it's bound to happen sooner or later. quote:“Is that her name? I wish I didn’t know. It always makes it worse, knowing and not being able to. . . . Perrin, I saw her own face floating over her shoulder, covered in blood, eyes staring. It’s never any clearer than that.” She shivered and rubbed her hands together briskly. I wonder if these omens she sees are realistic enough to be as traumatizing as seeing the actual thing. quote:He thought of the wolves. No! The scouts would find anyone or anything trying to approach the camp. Good job helping fulfill Min's prophecy, Perrin. Things might have been different if you'd used your resources to your fullest advantage. quote:She had told him; she had tried warning people about bad things when, at six or seven, she had first realized not everyone could see what she saw. She would not say more, but he had the impression that her warnings had only made matters worse, when they were believed at all. Poor Min. quote:It had made him cautious and careful, and regretful of his anger when he let it show. “I am sorry, Min. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I did not mean to hurt you.” Really I think my problem with Perrin is that it's very obvious that he has completely over-corrected for problems in the past to the point where he's now too afraid to do much of anything on his own. quote:“Strange,” she said softly, “how you seem to care so much about the Tuatha’an. They are utterly peaceful, and I always see violence around—” He turned his head away, and she cut off abruptly. And again, it's other women tearing Perrin apart with words much more than him hurting them physically or emotionally. Perrin's problem is that at heart he absolutely agrees that violence is damaging even in self-defense but he exists in an Age where that self-defense is very necessary. quote:She rolled her eyes at Perrin, a wry twist to her mouth. “All I wanted was to live as I pleased, fall in love with a man I chose. . . .” Her cheeks reddened suddenly, and she cleared her throat. 1. Min, almost no one chooses who they fall in love with. 2. You're lucky you're blabbering in front of Perrin and Loial and not anyone with an understanding of love because for all your "don't like to talk about your visions" thing, you sure are signposting it for everyone. quote:The Ogier looked at them, suddenly shy, his ears twitching. “Promise you will not laugh? I think I might write a book about it. I have been taking notes.” Really, you could argue that Loial has hardly been swept up into the ta'veren stuff at all yet. If he'd met anyone so interesting as Rand and crew, he might have chosen to go traveling with them anyway. After all, his choosing to leave the groves had nothing to do with them. quote:Uno, who could hardly say a sentence without a curse, spoke now with the deepest respect. The others echoed him. “Honor to serve.” Masema, who saw ill in everything, and whose eyes now shone with utter devotion; Ragan; all of them, awaiting a command if it were Rand’s pleasure to give one. While Rand of course dislikes this treatment, I do think that having to deal with this for a few months is the start of his arrogance. You can't be treated like this by every normal person you spend time with without it starting to rub off on you. quote:And aside from Moiraine and Lan, there were only the three of them—Min, Loial, and him—who did not stare at Rand as if he stood above kings. And of the three only Perrin knew him from before. It's rather unfortunate that Perrin instinctively understands why Rand needs him here and tosses that aside much later on in the story. All three of the boys seem to backslide a bit as a result of what happens to them. quote:A man—a thing!—everyone was taught to loathe and fear from childhood. Only . . . it was hard to stop seeing the boy he had grown up with. How do you just stop being somebody’s friend? Prejudices - even really rational ones like "Don't trust the dudes who can and will melt you in their sleep" - tend to have a hard time sticking around in the face of empathy, which Perrin to his credit does have a lot of. It's why he's a little better at dealing with this stuff than Mat. quote:He began to laugh mirthlessly, his shoulders shaking. “I have the duty, because there isn’t anybody else, now is there?” Rand's not going mad from the taint here, but rather from the reality of his position finally setting in. The weight of the world is on his shoulders so it's understandable that he's cracking under the strain. And that more than anything is why Moiraine is right to have him wait - if he did go out onto the Plain in this state he'd probably snap in battle instead of thrive like he has before. quote:Perrin almost laughed himself, in confusion. “If you agree with her, why in the Light do you argue all the time?” “Because I have to do something. Or I’ll . . . I’ll—burst like a rotted melon!” Like Perrin, Rand's big problem in this sequence is that he doesn't have any viable alternatives and just whines a lot instead. There's a lot Rand could be doing (more training with Lan, trying to learn politics from Moiraine, studying with Loial, etc.) but instead of dedicating himself to his fate he just laments all the deaths that are happening in his name instead. This is naturally only going to lead to more problems down the line. quote:Rand shivered; despite the chill, there was sweat on his face. His eyes were still shut tight. “Oh, Light,” he groaned, “it pulls so.” Nope, this isn't taint madness either (I will be doing my best to demonstrate to you why NONE of his craziness in this book can be chalked up to that specifically). Remember: Rand is a wilder and he's still in that awkward "could easily draw enough power to burn himself out because he doesn't even know the proper exercises for starting out with the power" phase. quote:Rand stood with his head thrown back, his eyes still shut tight. He did not seem to feel the thrashing of the ground that had him now at one angle, now at another. His balance never shifted, no matter how he was tossed. Perrin could not be certain, being shaken as he was, but he thought Rand wore a sad smile. The trees flailed about, and the leatherleaf suddenly cracked in two, the greater part of its trunk crashing down not three paces from Rand. He noticed it no more than he noticed any of the rest. The land and Rand are one, so he externalizes his temper tantrum out onto the world to avoid having to acknowledge his actual feelings. quote:Rand looked around as if seeing things for the first time. The fallen leatherleaf, and the broken branches. There was, Perrin realized, surprisingly little damage. He had expected gaping rents in the earth. The wall of trees looked almost whole. And of course, Rand hasn't really addressed any of his internal issues so while he's a little disheveled, nothing has actually changed. quote:“They’re always there, dreams,” Rand said, so softly Perrin barely heard. “Maybe they tell us things. True things.” He fell silent, brooding. Rand is of course also snapping under the pressure of Ba'alsy's TAR campaign. The lack of good sleep is already catching up to him here and it's not going to be getting better anytime soon. Ah well. Next time: News!
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Apr 17, 2024 21:40
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Ravenson posted:Poor Min.  quote:Nope, this isn't taint madness either (I will be doing my best to demonstrate to you why NONE of his craziness in this book can be chalked up to that specifically). Will be looking forward to this. It's what I've believed for quite a while, though lots of people blithely say he's "going mad" as an explanation of his actions all the time. On my first readthrough I kept confidently expecting to see him undergo something that would embody the perfunctory and prosaic description of "going insane" that you always get ascribed to the AoL Companions, but nothing like that ever happened—just regular "lol poo poo sure does suck" kinds of inner monologue coupled with head-LTT, both of which are their own kinds of mental illness but nothing resembling the story of the Breaking. We're left to picture that on our own all the way through to the end. e: a lot goes on offscreen in the books. Siuan's stilling stuck out at me, we suddenly cut to her naked in a cell, then we get whole chapters of inner monologue about the aftermath. And Mat's fight with Couladin, we see it all in brief flashback. Call these out as you find them, will you? Data Graham fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Apr 17, 2024 |
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Apr 17, 2024 22:11
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Didn't Nynaeve and Lan get married off-screen as well lol.
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Apr 17, 2024 23:25
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Yes.
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Apr 17, 2024 23:40
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I actually really like those jumps because all of a sudden the characters have this extra knowledge that we the reader don't have, which is the opposite of what normally happens. Then slowly finding out what happens leads to it's own nice reveals and character moments. Mat killing Couladin is this moment that would normally be a climax of the book scene but it just happens off screen and he briefly thinks about it and that's it. Which rules.
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Apr 17, 2024 23:48
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That scene owns. His gaze traveling up and then slamming back down, trying not to look at the head. Everyone getting drunk and singing jak o the shadows.
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Apr 17, 2024 23:58
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"....and follow young Mat whenever he calls..."
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Apr 18, 2024 00:39
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Data Graham posted:Will be looking forward to this. It's what I've believed for quite a while, though lots of people blithely say he's "going mad" as an explanation of his actions all the time. Well, to be clear, I'm talking about Book 3. I do think taint madness affects him later on, I just think that the belief that Rand was very taint mad in book 3 and Jordan only backed off in the next book as a retcon to adapt to the expanded length of the story is incorrect and that Jordan is deliberately misleading the reader (which is why we spend so little time in Rand's head). I'll discuss his madness a lot over the course of the series though. And yeah, I will be pointing out the stuff the narrative glosses over and why.
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Apr 18, 2024 03:05
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Ravenson posted:Well, to be clear, I'm talking about Book 3. I do think taint madness affects him later on, I just think that the belief that Rand was very taint mad in book 3 and Jordan only backed off in the next book as a retcon to adapt to the expanded length of the story is incorrect and that Jordan is deliberately misleading the reader (which is why we spend so little time in Rand's head). I'll discuss his madness a lot over the course of the series though. Yeah, I read back through Dragon Reborn recently and was struck by this too. The few scenes we do see from Rand's perspective are definitely meant to evoke that he's being driven taint mad, but you also have the fact he's getting like no sleep and under near constant attack while doing a grueling cross country march that really explain a lot of those events.
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Apr 18, 2024 03:56
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silvergoose posted:That scene owns. His gaze traveling up and then slamming back down, trying not to look at the head. Everyone getting drunk and singing jak o the shadows.
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Apr 18, 2024 04:33
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bio347 posted:Honestly, that whole battle is amazing. This giant clash of armies and almost no fighting is actually described on the page. It's the sort of thing that makes me wonder how RJ would've written the Last Battle. I don't think we would have gotten a chapter that's 9 hours in the audiobook, that's for sure. It's a cool sequence and very much on-brand for Sanderson but I think it would have been very different had Jordan done it.
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Apr 18, 2024 04:43
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Couladin getting chumped off screen is one of my favorite parts of the series. Jordan's battle scenes have such a wonderful chaotic flow to them where details and information aren't given by importance. It makes them feel like an actual fight with fog of war and strange fixations on small detail being remembered. I know it's from his combat experience, and it's so much better than fights that get written out like a d&d game.
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Apr 18, 2024 06:02
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Well of course it would. Sanderson writes battles like an anime. Jordan writes battles like they’re going to give you PTSD cause he experienced real combat.
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Apr 18, 2024 06:04
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Like the worst job in the world.
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Apr 18, 2024 16:21
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Chapter 3: News from the Plain This chapter has a Wheel icon because... Moiraine talks about the weaving of the Wheel a lot, I guess. quote:Someday, perhaps, he could bring himself to ask her what she knew. An Aes Sedai must know more of it than he did. But this was not the time. There never seemed to be a time. Perrin, you've had like four months, plus the month you spent with her in Fal Dara. You are never going to ask her anything at this rate. quote:“An accident,” she said in a flat voice, then shook her head and vanished back inside the hut. The door banged shut a little loudly. I suspect Moiraine thinks that this was a deliberate act to try and gently caress up her meeting to punish her for not having a plan beyond "Wait". And since the temper tantrum is about that, she's not exactly wrong, just assigning more motivation to Rand than is fully there. quote:“If something goes wrong with it, it isn’t my fault. Rand spilled half of it on the fire with his. . . . What right does he have to bounce us around like sacks of grain?” Trust me Min, when Rand wants to be bouncing you around like a sack of grain, you will be enthusiastically consenting. quote:“Min, maybe you had better go. First thing in the morning. I have some silver I can let you have, and I’m sure Moiraine would give you enough to take passage with a merchant’s train out of Ghealdan. You could be back in Baerlon before you know it.” Perrin doesn't quite seem to understand that Min is going to inevitably see horrible poo poo no matter where she goes, short of becoming a hermit. It is a kind offer though. quote:“Just because fate has chosen something for you instead of you choosing it for yourself doesn’t mean it has to be bad. Even if it’s something you are sure you would never have chosen in a hundred years. ‘Better ten days of love than years of regretting,’” she quoted. It's a little funny that Min has a deep understanding of the existentialism necessary to function in her present times but has absolutely nothing to do with Rand coming to understand it himself. quote:He thought he had said that too softly for her to hear, but the look she gave him was full of sympathy. And agreement. Min probably knows that even when Perrin goes home it won't be home anymore. Perhaps she even sees his parents' grave at this point. Maybe even his sisters', though perhaps they haven't been retconned into existence by the Pattern yet. quote:Careless. He had grown so used to the Shienarans knowing how well he could see—in daylight at least; they did not know about the night—that he was beginning to slip about other things. Carelessness might kill me yet. Yeah, you definitely don't want to confide about your awful extrasensory perception to Min. She wouldn't know anything about that and hates anyone with magical talents they shouldn't have. She'd totally turn Perrin into the Whitecloaks if she knew he was a freak. quote:Min sounded so troubled that Perrin was surprised for a moment. Then he nodded to himself. She did not really like doing what she did, but it was a part of her; she thought she knew how it worked, or some of it, at least. If she was wrong, it would almost be like finding out she did not know how to use her own hands. See what I mean? They have absolutely nothing in common. I can only assume that there was a glitch in the Pattern this winter and that all the friendship that Perrin should be feeling towards Min got assigned to Mat accidentally instead (see book 14). quote:Perrin made an involuntary sound in his throat. Light, did I sound like that? I won’t let a death matter that little to me. As if he had spoken aloud, Moiraine looked at him. It's rather funny to see early!Perrin on the other side of the "I understand your emotions better than you're trying to let on to me" exchange. quote:Perrin shifted—the Horn was where no Hunter on Almoth Plain would find it; where he hoped no Hunter ever would find it—and she gave him a cool look before continuing. Seriously, Perrin apparently learned one hell of a lesson from Moiraine. And it's good to see the Hunters of the Horn aren't all total idiots. They should have arrived ages back. quote:“Or the first part of it. The Children have announced that their purpose is to bring peace, which is not unusual for them. What is unusual is that while they are trying to force the Taraboners and the Domani back across their respective borders, they have not moved in any force against those who have declared for the Dragon.” Lan suspects this is a Whitecloak plot, but it's probably Carridin trying to thread the needles of his orders. By always letting Dragonsworn get away, he can seem to both being trying to kill them and not. quote:“One died by poison, two by the knife. Each in circumstances where no one should have been able to come close unseen, but that is how it happened.” She peered into the flames. “All three young men were taller than most, and had light-colored eyes. Light eyes are uncommon on Almoth Plain, but I think it is very unlucky right now to be a tall young man with light eyes there.” These are the victims of Grey Men presumably deployed by the Forsaken who actively hate Rand, or perhaps Moghedien who is vaguely in the area. Striking unseen is very much her MO. Again though, the Dark One doesn't want Rand dead so it's not the official plan. quote:“So nothing has changed,” Perrin said glumly. “Not really. We cannot go down to the plain, and the Dark One wants us dead.” Moiraine, I've given Perrin a lot of poo poo so far this book so now it's your turn. He's accurately summarized the situation as it stands: your current plans aren't changing. You're just muttering a bunch of nonsense to seem mystical. quote:Since it is not possible to set two kinds of warding at once, I leave the scouts and the guards—and Lan—to defend us, and use the one warding that may do some good. I don't recall if this comes up again. If not, I bet that one of the things the bright new minds of the Fourth Age will come up with is creating new ward weaves that are effectively combos while still obeying the one weave rule. Though obviously they won't be worrying about Shadowspawn at that point. quote:He had a hut to himself, a small thing of logs barely tall enough to stand in, the chinks filled with dried mud. A rough bed, padded with pine boughs beneath a blanket, took up nearly half of it. Whoever had unsaddled his horse had also propped his bow just inside the door. Where Rand and Mat are equal parts panicked and embarrassed over being treated like nobility, Perrin is not really good enough with people to even find it worthy of comment that for some reason he gets his own hut. He probably just assumes he should for the same reason that Loial and Min probably do, even though there'd be different reasons for each. Ah well, we can only hope that at some point, perhaps ten to sixty years after Tarmon Gaidon, Perrin will be just a wee bit better at social cues. Next time: A dream sequence!
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Apr 18, 2024 22:32
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Ravenson posted:Lan suspects this is a Whitecloak plot, but it's probably Carridin trying to thread the needles of his orders. By always letting Dragonsworn get away, he can seem to both being trying to kill them and not. Don't we find out later that the Dragonsworn (or at least some of them) are a false flag by Niall to justify a Whitecloak takeover of various countries?
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Apr 18, 2024 22:52
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Data Graham posted:Don't we find out later that the Dragonsworn (or at least some of them) are a false flag by Niall to justify a Whitecloak takeover of various countries? We do, but Carridin isn't told about that false flag in the prologue and leaves almost immediately, so I don't know that HE knows that. And as you note, this only applies to SOME of the groups. It doesn't explain why he's not messing up any of them.
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Apr 18, 2024 23:29
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The ward limit gets mentioned and is obeyed later in the series. I want to say there's an attack by dark friends that bypasses a ward for shadowspawn, maybe the one as they leave the wastes? And how Sammy wards up his city.
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Apr 19, 2024 00:13
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El Grillo posted:Didn't Nynaeve and Lan get married off-screen as well lol. Maybe just as well because we do get Loial's wedding and I remember it being ... basically just a c/p of a modern human wedding, right down to the same ritual phrases with slight vocab tweaks. I was like, is the joke that this is what an alien fantasy race wedding is like in alien fantasy world which means a human wedding in this world would be something way more exotic and unrecognizable? Not even a Mel Brooks style "skip to the end" gag or a Princess Bride "man and wife" twist lol
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Apr 19, 2024 16:26
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It kind of was though? "We've been walking around the world for months to do this. Do you blah blah"
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Apr 19, 2024 16:43
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TDR Chapter 4: Shadows Sleeping Thoughts Or, "Will Ravenson ever standardize how he starts these forum posts?" Probably not. This chapter has a wolf icon because Perrin's diving straight into the wolf dream. quote:So you will give it up, then. It is the best thing for you. Come. Sit, and we will talk.” Ishamael has noticed that the boys never do what he says, so he figures it's time to tell them to do the things that would be best for them so that they won't do them. No, just kidding, that would be competent of him and he's still in crazy pants mode until he respawns. He's actually trying to cause Perrin to take up the Way of the Leaf in the hopes that in about fifteen minutes, when the Fades arrive, our boy will be too stupid to immediately reevaluate his philosophy and let the Shadow kill him. quote:Perrin had not realized the axe was there, had not felt the weight of it pulling at his belt. He ran a hand over the half-moon blade and the thick spike that balanced it. The steel felt—solid. More solid than anything else there. Maybe even more solid than he was himself. All of this is a dire warning sign since we're in T'A'R, but since Perrin doesn't know that yet, we can hardly blame him for not appreciating that symbolism. quote:“At least have a drink with me. To years past and years to come. Here, you will see things more clearly after.” The cup the man pushed across the table had not been there a moment before. It shone bright silver, and dark, blood-red wine filled it to the brim. While most of the Fair Folk stuff in WoT is of course covered by the Finn, I think that the stuff about eating and drinking may well be ancient memories of what dreamers can do in T'A'R. quote:A gilded helmet, worked like a lion’s head, sat on his head as if it belonged there. Gold leaf covered his ornately hammered breastplate, and gold-work embellished the plate and mail on his arms and legs. Only the axe at his side was plain. A voice—his own—whispered in his mind that he would take it over any other weapon, had carried it a thousand times, in a hundred battles. No! He wanted to take it off, throw it away. I can’t! Perrin's mistake is in thinking his situation is such that it's only a dream. I'm pretty sure it's Lanfear he's hearing, not himself, and that Lanfear has no more knowledge of Perrin's other lives than anyone else. quote:“Yes,” he whispered. Inside him, startlement fought with acceptance. He had no use for glory. But when she said it, he wanted nothing else. Let the record show: When Perrin laments that Rand is better at girls than he is, the fact that Rand doesn't immediately turn into a glory hound at Lanfear's demand proves Perrin right. The jury is still out on where Mat fits into the rankings. quote:“You don’t know the half of what you are. Of what you can be. Come, share a cup with me, to destiny and glory.” There was a shining silver cup in her hand, filled with blood-red wine. “Drink.” Pretty rare to see Ishamael and Lanfear on the same page. I'm not sure if she's only accidentally mimicking him or if they're working together for the same general purpose of pulling Perrin away from Rand (Mat, being further away and tainted besides, needs no special attention). Obviously even if they're working together Lanfear wants to screw over Ishamael as soon as possible, it's her nature. quote:Everywhere he looked, left and right, up or down, were more bridges, more spires, and railless ramps. There seemed no end to them, no pattern. Worse, some of those ramps climbed to spire tops that had to be directly above the ones they had left. Some suggest that this is either the Ways in T'A'R or a memory thereof, but I think it's just convergent evolution and that Lanfear's gone to a dream shard the Forsaken made, unaware that Perrin's got the skills to follow her through. quote:On a bridge slightly below him, and much closer than the ramp where the woman had been, a man suddenly appeared, tall and dark and slender, the silver in his black hair giving him a distinguished look, his dark green coat thickly embroidered with golden leaves. This is Rahvin, for the record. quote:Another man started across the bridge from the other side, his appearance as sudden as the first man’s. Black stripes ran down the puffy sleeves of his red coat, and pale lace hung thick at his collar and cuffs. And Be'lal. quote:The first two men stood side by side, now, made uncomfortable allies by the presence of the newcomer. He shouted at them and shook his fist, while they shifted uneasily, refusing to meet his glares. If the two hated each other, they feared him more. Considering Rahvin's raw strength and Be'lal's skills at subterfuge, their abject terror of Ishamael is pretty interesting. Are they only afraid of the modern him, stark raving mad from centuries of isolation, or was this how they would have responded to him in the Age of Legends as well? quote:A prickling in the hair on the back of his neck made him look up. On a ramp above him and to the right, a shaggy gray wolf stood looking at him. Naturally this freaks Perrin the gently caress out even though it's likely that the only reason he didn't die in the fireball Ishamael made was that the wolves "just a weave"-d it. (Also: Hi Hopper! Who's a good boy?) quote:A sword, hanging hilt down in the air, apparently without support, seemingly where anyone could reach out and take it. It revolved slowly, as if some breath of air caught it. Yet it was not really a sword. I beg you to remember that Callandor, no matter how many times Rand misuses it along the way, is not a weapon. It's not really a sword. It's a trap. quote:Callandor. Who wields me wields destiny. Take me, and begin the final journey. Is Callandor just calling to anyone who can find it in T'A'R? Is it programmed to respond to ta'veren who find it there enough times because no one foresaw Mat and Perrin's existence? Of course not. Perrin is now pushing his way into a dream meant for Rand, same way he pushed his way into that private conversation. No wonder our other boy is so impatient, putting up with months of manipulation by the shadow. quote:The thought was clear in his head, but the thought was not his own. And of course, the Shadow descends to cause chaos while it's trying to keep Rand busy, to maximize his despair, and immediately after trying to get Perrin to become a pacifist, to minimize his response against them. Unfortunately (or rather, fortunately), they have no idea how to talk to Third Agers so none of their schemes fully work out. Next time: The Twisted Ones!
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Apr 19, 2024 21:44
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