Lord of Choas - 1st time read through!! **SPOILERS**

[TohIsOwed]

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE FINALE, LOVED IT. 

 

My guy Perrin taking command of the mission to rescue Rand, the Asha'man & Perrin's Wolfbrothers coming to assist out of nowhere & the captured Tower Aes Sedai are going to get what's coming to them (except Galina got away, darn).  Rand demanding the Saladar Aes Sedai to kneel (at least the 9 at the battle) & swear fealty to him gave me chills.  I read the last 350 pages over the last 2 days even staying up late last night finishing it - worth it!

 

Happy this was not another Forsaken confrontation ending like it was gearing up to be with Sammael, twist!  Not that I don't enjoy a Forsaken showdown finales in books 1-5, but the Tower Aes Sedai, Shaido Aiel, Gawyn w/younglings vs. Salidar Aes Sedai, Wolfbrothers, Asha'man, Lioal, Cairhien soldiers was jaw dropping and just masterfully done, bravo!  Loved how Rand eventually broke the Spirit shields once they were tied off, which happened only because of Perrin's attack, and then taking out the Tower Aes Sedai, one by one.

 

That reminds, FLAMING GAWYN.  He tells Rand, after he's lost the battle, that he's going to see Rand dead...don't make me laugh dude.  The only reason Rand didn't kill you on the spot for saying that was because you're Elayne's brother, pull your head out of your ass.  Does he not see how powerless he is against Rand?  What a pompous ignoramus.  It's unfortunate Egwene is in love with him, that will keep him alive longer I suppose...grrrrr.

 

Some things that annoyed me...

- Faile, why are you such a child?  Do not like her at all.

- Elayne & Nynaeve's treatment of Mat.  If you want to study his Ter'angreal, just ask!  I don't see what good making demands will do or alienating him when he's just trying to help you.

- Moghedien escaping...saw this one coming.  Very careless with one of the Forsaken to allow her to be freed.  Watch out Nynaeve!

 

I'll stop here so this post isn't super long.  Overall, the book is probably my favorite so far and I'm excited to start #7 today.

 

Please leave a question or share your thoughts, thank you!

 

- Torrey

Edited June 21, 2020 by SinisterDeath
language

[Thrasymachus]

Why is Faile such a child?  Because she is a child.  She's what, 16, maybe 17 at this point?  She's also the spoiled only-daughter of probably the most powerful family in Saldea, who ran away from her home and duty because it was just so unfair.  Faile has some decent character growth coming, and she's already done some.  You also have to keep in mind that you don't get Faile's POV, you get Perrin's.  And he can smell Faile's real emotions even when she's trying to hide/control them.  And Perrin, being the big, straightforward dufus that he is, is continually confused by the disconnect.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about trying to sympathize too strongly with Faile, though.  The sort of subtle charity one must extend to her character in order to better understand and empathize with her is easier to muster on a second or third read-through.  Same thing with Gawyn, who is really a rather tragic character.  My own view is that RJ was using those two characters to explore and critique the notion of inherited nobility, which may become clearer as the story progresses.

Edited June 19, 2020 by Thrasymachus
Removed possible spoilers

[TohIsOwed]

@Thrasymachus - good point on Faile regarding her age being a factor. I suppose I'm comparing her behavior to her peers who seem to be more mature regarding jealousy.  Faile's jealously just seems way over the top, Perrin has not given her any reason to believe he's unfaithful. 

 

Thanks for your response!

[Thrasymachus]

Some of that's cultural, too.  Saldeans are a hot-blooded, passionate people.  Faile expects that passion from Perrin and has as hard a time understanding why Perrin treats her with such reserve and self-restraint as Perrin does understanding why she seems to want him to yell at her all the time, and why she smells hurt when he displays that passion (losing his temper, displaying his "real" self) to Berelain.  They both have to learn to get over their cultural hang-ups and expectations, and they will, mostly, but it will take some time and quite a bit more tribulation.

[TohIsOwed]

Saldaeans sound like Italians to me lol.  I should know, I'm married to one.  Perrin and I share many characteristics also so I see a lot of their marriage in my own, just to a much lesser degree. 

 

Thanks for the feedback

[Fox]

Mat always reminded me of Perry from LOTR, the goofball who grew up, but in this case, the people who grew up with him don't see it. I'm currently rereading the series for the first time in 10 years, and I'm in book 3, Nyn and Egwene treat all three boys as little kids, and I never thought they ever really saw them as young men. Mat gets it worst from them. 

[Thrasymachus]

I think you mean Pippin?

 

Nynaeve treats the boys like children because she helped look after them when they were little, being about 5 years older than they were.  She sees them as immature little boys because that's been most of her life's experience with them.  Egwene is the kind of person who adopts the behaviors and attitudes of whoever she's attached herself to, and while she's younger than the boys, she's picked up Nynaeve's attitudes here.