Liandrin – a red herring, or a (lesser) key to TG?

[szilard]

Or, she's another victim in the very long line of fizzled out characters?


Why is this bothering me so?

 

Because I like her attitude, ambition; her hunger for revenge at any cost - she's not just making an excellent evil character, she reminds me of my younger self in a way. Nobody told me (when I was needed it most) that to reach my then goals, I'm not in the possession of enough IQ, EQ, virtues, skills etc. It would have been very good, but never happened. So, I had to learn it in the hard way.

 

 

When Temaile says that "You have never known how high to lift your eyes. ‘Who reaches for the sun will be burned.’" I get that feeling that she (or rather Jordan) judges her wrongly. She really tries to rise above herself to reach power, prestige ("For once in her life, slipping back into the accents of a commoner did not concern her in the least.") but I cannot disapprove her behavior (or her intentions), because if she does not want to stand into her place, then she has every right not to.

Back to my question: she had great promise early in the books, then she got an interesting flavour from Moggy, after that, unfortunately, she 'disappeared' from the story.

Of course, seeing the series unfinished (ending with KOD; if we ends it with LOC, I see her plot 'complete'), we will never know what was Jordan's plan to do with her, if anything at all.

[Sabio]

RJ judged her correctly, simply she was the warning of what happened when one was never satisifed.  She was never going to have enough power or be content.  It wasn't about reaching ones goals, but about always wanting more power etc..  She was born to a poor family and did everything she could to imiate the speech and behavior of the upper-crust Taraboners.  From that she always wanted what others had and resented anyone being above her. Temaile was right in that Liandrin was the type that it was never going to be enough no matter what she had.  Liandrin in many ways was exact type the DO looked for, ambitious, selfish, willing to kill her way to the top.  But with that comes risks.  Liandrin was the warning.

 

Pretty much she was destined to fade away but doesn't give too much more info then what was in the book.

 

Moghi gave her to DF's in Amador where she was captured when the Seanchan invaded because she tried to turn her captors into the Seanchan for being Df's,  Suroth made her da'covale.  Liandrin murdered Alwhin to score points with Suroth.  She wasn't collared because Moghi's shield was still in place, but rumors that Suroth had a marath'damane started and she considered collaring Liandrin after that is the last thing it says.  So her fate is unknown, guess it depends on what happens to the house followers when Suroth was dragged off to be sold.

[solarz]

RJ judged her correctly, simply she was the warning of what happened when one was never satisifed.  She was never going to have enough power or be content.  It wasn't about reaching ones goals, but about always wanting more power etc..  She was born to a poor family and did everything she could to imiate the speech and behavior of the upper-crust Taraboners.  From that she always wanted what others had and resented anyone being above her. Temaile was right in that Liandrin was the type that it was never going to be enough no matter what she had.  Liandrin in many ways was exact type the DO looked for, ambitious, selfish, willing to kill her way to the top.  But with that comes risks.  Liandrin was the warning.

 

This is a common theme among Darkfriends, even the Forsaken. Lanfear was probably the most power hungry of them all: she wanted to supplant the Dark One himself!

[jack of shadows]

@solarZ,

"she wasnted to supplant the dark one himself!"

 

come on solarZ,if you're dragging my beloved lanfear to this discussion,

do it right,"...their power is beyond imagining.with those,we could challenge

even...the great lord himself.even the creator!" supplanting the dark one was

only part of her plan,the end game was a little more ambitious,at least she

was magnanimous enough to give rand a place by her side.

[BFG]

Lol, I don't think lanfear was after an equal partnership

[jack of shadows]

it's incredibly lonely at the top lol.

[Sabio]

So she needed some eye candy on her arm, nothing wrong with that.

[szilard]

RJ judged her correctly, simply she was the warning of what happened when one was never satisifed.  She was never going to have enough power or be content.

 

In other words, she's a human. She always wanted to become a BA, but later she saw that her "bosses" are just simple human beings, nothing specials, just like her, so, I think she was right aiming higher.

 

it's incredibly lonely at the top lol.

 

True.